Are Charter Flights Safe?
Overall, the industry is exceptionally safe. A 10-year review of private aviation accidents found that U.S.-registered business jets experienced significantly fewer total accidents and fatalities than private, non-chartered aircraft. Between 2010 and 2020, U.S.-registered corporate jets were involved in 3 accidents with 18 total fatalities, compared to 8 accidents and 85 fatalities in non-registered, independently flown aircraft. Only three incidents over the entire decade were Part-135 chartered flights, while the others occurred under Part 91 private “owner flights” (in small non-commercial aircraft). Many of these incidents were the result of unqualified pilots, highlighting the importance of adequate qualifications and training. In comparison, an average of 93 people are killed every year in car accidents on U.S. roads.
In fact, safety is one of the primary reasons that clients choose chartered flights for personal and business travel. Not only can you fly on your own schedule from over 5,000 convenient airports in the U.S. alone, but you can also enjoy the peace of mind that comes with knowing that charter airline pilots are regulated by the FAA and have qualifications that are very similar to commercial airline pilots.
Private Jet Safety Regulations
The FAA regulates and controls the operation of all aviation in the United States – commercial, private and chartered – and they have a lengthy investigation and certification process. In the case of private charter aircraft, the regulations are found in FAR Part 135, which is often more stringent than Part 119, the section that governs large commercial aircraft.
The FAA also imposes strict requirements for pilots of private charter aircraft. They have to be U.S. citizens, have a spotless background check, be medically certified by an FAA examiner, and meet minimum training and flight-hour requirements. Pilots of chartered flights must meet many of the same requirements as pilots of commercial airlines. They even need an Airport Transport License, which requires more hours of flying time than a commercial certificate/ pilot’s license (at least 1,500 hours). It takes a non-military pilot an average of four to six years of regular flying and testing before they are qualified to carry passengers.
Private Jet Companies Exceed Minimum Safety Requirements
Meeting safety standards is one thing, but it is another to go above and beyond. When you fly private, you should be able to trust in a company that exceeds safety standards and puts your peace of mind before all else. Private jet charter companies, like Charter Flight Group, maintain strict policies and procedures to ensure the safety of their passengers.
For example, at Charter Flight Group, pilots are not only licensed by the FAA, but they must also have WYVERN approval and demonstrate ARGUS approval, some of the strictest safety standards. We even go above and beyond to create a safe experience, ensuring that our pilots fly the same jets daily so that they have complete familiarity and expertise with their aircraft.
Private jet companies also strive to go beyond the basic FAA aircraft standards. When you book a private flight, you can rest assured that you will be traveling on the safest private jet to fly. Every private aircraft is constantly inspected, from a visual inspection to an assessment of its maintenance and insurance records, before every flight. No flight leaves the ground without demonstrating total safety.
