The smart way to buy charter service
How to home in on the provider that's right for you
By Jennifer Harrington - August 1, 2009
Corporate aviation has been hit particularly hard by the economic downturn. But the charter field may do relatively well, according to some industry insiders, as business jet travelers seek less costly alternatives to fractional jet shares and ownership of whole aircraft. If you or your company are among those taking a fresh look at charter, it’s time to consider how to find the best provider for your needs from the more than 2,500 in operation.
The first step is to understand your mission and what it requires. This is vital because charter operators employ more than 300 makes and models of business aircraft, each with a different purpose, according to the National Business Aviation Association’s Aircraft Charter Consumer Guide (available at www.nbaa.org).
Questions you should ask yourself before speaking with an operator include: What are the origin and destination points for my flight? Is my travel domestic or international? How many people will be traveling? Do I need an onboard lavatory, sleeping quarters, a telephone or services such as catering?
Answering these questions will help you narrow the choice of operators. One that specializes in large-cabin business jets would not be the best choice if you need to travel only 500 miles, for example.
Consult an Auditor
Once you know what you want, you need to find a safe charter operator to provide it. An excellent way to do that is to contact an aviation safety auditor, such as ARG/US or Wyvern. These organizations provide safety information about charter operators and can recommend the best ones for your mission.
ARG/US rates operators based on information about their pilot certificates, aircraft registrations, FAA operating certificates, accidents, incidents, enforcement actions, ownership and management. Using this information, the company assigns each operator a safety rating: Does Not Qualify (DNQ), Silver (U.S. only), Gold (U.S. only), Gold Plus or Platinum. Platinum, the highest rating, is reserved for operators that exceed FAA requirements, have passed an on-site safety audit at least once every two years and have implemented best safety practices.
“Having an FAA operating certificate is just the minimum,” said Mark Fischer, ARG/US’ executive vice president. “[It] simply means they haven’t gotten so bad that the FAA has taken it away. It doesn’t mean excellence.”
Unlike ARG/US, Wyvern doesn’t assign a series of ratings. Instead, it indicates whether companies meet its Wyvern Standard in their flight and maintenance operations. To do so, operators must pass annual on-site inspections conducted by a Wyvern auditor, who typically holds an ATP (airline) flight rating and has thousands of hours of flight time, in addition to experience in management and quality assurance.
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