The US Federal Aviation Administration is ending single-pilot exemptions for older Cessna Citation business jets originally certificated for two pilots, rescinding existing relief for selected CE-500-series aircraft. The move takes effect on 29 September and requires affected operators to restore a qualified second-in-command for those aircraft.
The change covers legacy Citation models that had been operating under special training and logbook exemptions for more than 40 years. It does not affect Citation types certificated for single-pilot use, including the Mustang and CJ families.
The FAA linked the decision to safety concerns, widespread noncompliance and prior fatal crashes tied to the exemption regime. The policy shift is expected to affect a substantial US fleet and will alter dispatch, training and crew planning for operators that had relied on single-pilot privileges. Remaining exemptions for training providers are to be handled separately.