The Federal Aviation Administration issued an emergency order on February 27, 2026, immediately revoking the Part 135 air carrier certificate of StarFlite Aviation, a Houston, Texas-based operator. The FAA alleges that management personnel knowingly falsified pilot training records over a five-year period, from November 2019 to November 2024.
According to the FAA, numerous false entries were made in the training records of at least 10 pilots, including the chief pilot. These entries falsely indicated that required check rides and competency checks had been conducted in various aircraft when they never occurred. As a result, the operator used unqualified pilots on at least 170 flights.
The agency further determined that StarFlite Aviation lacks qualified management personnel necessary to ensure safe operations. The FAA stated that the company’s conduct demonstrates a disregard for the safety of the flying public, justifying the immediate revocation rather than progressive enforcement.
StarFlite Aviation’s certificate, T8VA299J, included a single 1977-built Piper PA-31 twin-piston aircraft, N713WT, based at Houston Hobby Airport. The aircraft logged 14 flights in 2025, with the last on December 7 between Houston Hobby and New Iberia.
StarFlite may appeal the order by filing a notice with the National Transportation Safety Board.