Aviation Groups Seek Uniform Safety Rules for Part 91, 125, 135 Operators

NBAA, AOPA, and others urge FAA to extend proposed Part 121 uniform rest and duty standards to more operators.

Jack Daleo

Wednesday, September 09, 2026 at 03:30 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Groups contend that Part 91, 125, and 135 entities should have the same uniform federal rules that the FAA is proposing for Part 121 operators. [Credit: NBAA]

Key Takeaways:

A coalition of aviation organizations is urging the FAA to broaden federal preemption, thereby eliminating diverse state and local rest and duty requirements for flight crews across various aviation operations.
While supporting the FAA's proposed rule for Part 121 operators, the groups advocate for extending this preemption to Part 91K, 125, and 135 operations, arguing a patchwork of state rules compromises safety, efficiency, and increases costs.
The FAA's existing proposed rule for Part 121 aims to reinforce federal authority over crew breaks, asserting that state mandates disrupt services and violate federal law, though this approach may face pushback from flight crew unions.

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A coalition of aviation organizations has urged the FAA to eliminate state and local rest and duty requirements for flight crews operating under Parts 91, 125, and 135, arguing that a jumble of differing rules could jeopardize safety and efficiency.

The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), National Air Transportation Association (NATA), and Vertical Aviation International (VAI) jointly commented on a July notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) in which the FAA clarified federal preemption of those state and local rules, specifically for Part 121 operations.