Starting an Aircraft Charter Business

Summary: A person being rich, busy and need of extreme comfort gives an opportunity to innovative entrepreneurs for starting an aircraft charter business. The number of individuals and organizations from this category are increasing with time, so starting an jet charter business can be a smart move for you.

Aircraft charter business or simply air charter is a business practice of renting out an entire aircraft to individuals or a particular group of people or companies for a limited amount of time.

Air charter also caters to the transport of time-sensitive cargo or freight, and may even act as a form of air ambulance. This form of private aviation is also known by many names like air taxi, executive charter, and jet charter services.

Starting an air charter business is an all encompassing affair. Air charter service does not begin or end when the passengers board the private aircraft. Here is a general overview of what you may need to get your feet off the ground.

Commercial Aircraft and Private Jet License and Permits

Try to become more versed with Federal Aviation Regulations. Secure permits and licenses from the Chamber of Commerce, the FOCA (Federal Office of Civil Aviation) and the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration.) If you own the air craft(s) that you are renting out, make sure that it too is duly licensed and will meet the safety standards issued by the FOCA and FAA. Your pilots and crew must also be licensed and duly approved by the 2 aforementioned agencies. If possible, your air crew may also be trained in first-aid remedies, in case of mid-air emergencies. It is imperative to remember that there are separate permits and licenses for each of your type of business, your business establishment, your business establishment’s name, you personnel, your food servers, etc. etc. etc. If you have multiple air crafts (i.e. 1 Lear jet, 1 Gulfstream, 1 Citation,) you need permits and licenses for each.

Needed Insurance for Aircraft Charter Services

Insurance plays a vital role in air charter business; everything and everyone involved should be insured yes, including your passengers, and whatever cargo you are transporting. Before any flight, make sure that your customers or passengers have signed travel insurances with your company. This is not only a necessity, but this is aviation and federal law.

Hiring Professionals for Jet Charter Business

Hiring professional ground and air crew is essential; they are the life blood of your operation. You cannot hope to accomplish everything perfectly if you have a very limited, poorly trained staff - especially if you want to reach a more exclusive clientele. The quality of your air charter service should be your priority. In the aviation world, any air charter service that passes all aviation regulations and safety standards without sacrificing the comfort of its clientele is ranked with stars; the highest of which is a 5-star rank. This is what you should be aiming for.

As earlier stated, air charter service does not begin or end when the passengers board the private aircraft. It begins with simple advertising; you need to find a way to bring your service to your target market. Thankfully, the Internet is a great way of promoting your business; at the same time it makes your services more accessible to the world. If you can, put up a site where potential customers can ask and reserve air charter service; or if you prefer a more direct route, then try putting impertinent details on the site such as to how to contact your company, air craft availability, types of air craft in your hanger, competitive rates and other services that may not be offered with other air charter services. Some air charter services even have websites where their pilots' names and commendations are posted.

Another kind of service includes limo transport of passengers to and from the plane. Catering, whether it is on-board or at ground level, should also be part of your company's service. With some air charter businesses, they even offer hotel bookings for their regular clientele.