What is FAR Part 135?

When you charter a private jet, you’ve probably seen a reference to FAR Part 135. Here’s what you need to know

Understand why the price of private jet charters can vary so much

Part 135 (charter) operational requirements are considerably different than Part 91 (full ownership) with much more stringent regulatory safety requirements

There are over 2,000 Part 135 Charter Operators and four different categories impacting landing in low visibility as well as the ability to find replacement aircraft if there are mechanicals or pilots if one gets sick or runs out of duty time

When you book a private jet charter flight or are shopping for a jet card, you probably have seen at the bottom of various websites, wording that goes something like this: “Company X arranges flights on behalf of its cardholders and charter clients with FAR Part 135 air carriers that exercise full operational control of charter flights at all times. Flights will be operated by FAR Part 135 direct air carriers that have been certified to provide service for Company X clients that meet all FAA safety standards.”

Private Jet Charter: If the price is too good to be true, it might be

The recent JetLux indictment alleging over $2 million in credit card fraud may have been enabled by bargain hunting customers

Private jet charter brokers are often harangued for not having to disclose their mark-ups. The assertion is they are charging whatever the market will support, and savvy customers can negotiate better deals.

Several websites have launched in recent years connecting consumers directly with jet operators, ostensibly cutting out the middleman or at least the commissions. They claim to offer wholesale pricing making money via membership fees.

Of course, if you use them, you need to be experienced enough to know what questions you should be asking the operators to ferret out the flowers from the weeds.

%d bloggers like this: