Republican front-runner Donald Trump may be in hot water with the Federal Aviation Administration for reportedly flying to campaign stops on an expired airplane registration.
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Brown, an FAA spokeswoman, confirmed that the plane’s registration was not in good standing and said the owner had not renewed it, according to The New York Times. On Friday, it flew to Plattsburgh, New York, and to Hartford for rallies in those cities, according to radio transmissions broadcast by the plane that were archived on a flight data website and reviewed by The Times. But Trump’s Cessna jet could be grounded while the issue gets sorted out.
The FAA could also fine or assess other penalties against the owner and/or operator; Trump owns the plane through a limited liability company.
FAA records show that the Cessna has been used frequently since it’s registration expired, an infraction for which the Trump company would be face up to $27,500 in civil penalties and $250,000 in criminal fines.
Trump campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks told TPM via email that “The standard renewal process is just about complete”.
The FAA warned DJT Operations CX, the LLC that Trump owns and that operates his plane, when the registration was set to expire and reminded the LLC again when it did expire, according to the report. Losing out on his personal Cessna for a few weeks ahead of the so-called “Acela primaries” in the mid-Atlantic region next week might complicate Trump’s travel plans – and require the expense of renting a smaller jet in the meantime. The FAA sent the company a final notice about the registration on December 1.
“The aircraft’s registration and airworthiness certificates no longer support the aircraft’s operation”, the agency wrote.
The Times reports that dozens of those flights, however, were made after January 31 – the day his $5 registration expired.
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Trump relies on his aircraft to make an outsized impression on voters, occasionally staging campaign events in front of his massive 757 with “Trump” emblazoned on the side.
