At Air Charter Access we have the responsibility to pair every client with the most appropriate aircraft that meets their private jet charter needs fully, an aircraft that can get the job done in the highest levels of comfort and convenience, and at the lowest available cost. What should you consider when determining the perfect aircraft for your upcoming charter trip?

As you might imagine, the very first consideration when considering your private jet is the simplest, how many passengers will you be flying with. This answer will take you a long way to determining which size/category of aircraft is most appropriate. These categories start with the smallest turbo-prop planes and go all the way to the largest Heavy Jets. When you have 10 or more passengers, the choice is easy, a large cabin Heavy jet is going to be required. When you have 8 or fewer passengers, your options expand to include to include Mid Sized-Jets and Super-Mids. Light Jets are typically used when you have 4-6 6 passengers.

After you have determined the smallest category that will accommodate you and your traveling party, you need to define your focus, comfort or price? When you have a shorter hop, a Light Jet or even Very Light Jet (VLJ) is certainly the most economical way to get you to your destination in relative comfort. In contrast, when comfort and more luxurious amenities are the primary concerns over price, Mid- and Super-Mid Sized Jets will now be included.

Know that as you might imagine, jets in any category have varying levels of convenience and luxury appointments in performance and inside the cabin that need to be considered, which includes differing cabin sizes, types of lavatories and food galleys. You jet charter expert at Air Charter Access is knowledgeable in each of these variations, and will always give you the most appropriate options for your specific travel priorities.

The next consideration you need to make is in regards to storage capacity. Your jet charter representative must take into account what you’ll be bringing along for the ride. If skis, golf clubs or other large items are accompanying you on your flight, of course ensuring that the aircraft can take them is vital to avoiding a major inconvenience or even potential disaster on the tarmac. The Mid-Sized Citation Excel or XLS both have 80 cubic feet of storage, while the also popular Hawker 800XP has 48 cubic feet; either would be great for your flight.

Finally, the length of the flight itself is a concern of course, The range of the aircraft, how far it can travel without stopping for fuel, is a major consideration when determining the appropriate aircraft for your upcoming trip. For example, for a standard trip for 2 or 4 passengers from Los Angeles (VNY) to New York City (TEB) – one of our most popular routes – it might be appropriate for a Light Jet for the price-conscious client, assuming they are ok with fuel stops along the way. A Super Mid-sized jet like the Challenger 300, with a range of 3,567 miles, is the better option for those that would prefer to fly non-stop. Some flights simply require a Heavy Jet with an extended range, such as getting to Hawaii from California, or crossing the Atlantic.

No matter the reason for your travel, there are many appropriate aircraft options available to you with Air Charter Access. Our experienced, knowledgeable air charter experts understand all of the various specs and amenities on each aircraft you might consider or they recommend, and will always get you in the right plane – at the best available pricing.
Air Charter Access will also only use crews and aircraft that meet the industry’s highest standards, for the safest flying experience possible. We also have every flight audited by either ARG/US or Wyvern.

Call your Air Charter Access representative today at (866) 214-4683 to let us know the details of your upcoming jet charter trip, and let us help you find the perfect plane and provide you with a quote. We can book your next flight with as little as four hours’ notice, and look forward to the opportunity to earn your valued business.

The excitement for the 2012 Summer Games in London is growing! Beijing’s $100 million plus Opening and Closing Ceremonies in 2008 were certainly impressive, but London will absolutely try to top them. The acclaimed director of Slumdog Millionaire, Danny Boyle, is on board to choreograph the Opening Ceremony…which will feature an awe-inspiring 12,000 performers. The Queen herself will take part in the ceremony, as with the Red Arrows, a synchronized stunt-jet team traditionally reserved for the royal family only. Daniel Craig will be featured in a mini-film James Bond film shot just for the event, which was produced with unprecedented access to Buckingham Palace. The long list of legendary musical performers at the Closing Ceremonies includes Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, Coldplay and Elton John.

Of course the athletic events themselves and their venues also promise to be historic, with many world records on track to be broken. Imagine the feeling of watching the flame of the Olympic torch entering the stadium during the Opening Ceremony, and witnessing the once-in-a-lifetime display in person. And then of course watching the finest athletes on the planet compete for the gold in 36 events – including the marque events of track & field, tennis, swimming, diving, soccer and basketball.

Many thousands with be coming to London for the 2012 Summer Games, but only a select few will be flying with the highest level of luxury, service and convenience. Let Air Charter Access get you to the Games in the safest private jet available, and at the most competitive pricing.

The Opening Ceremonies take place on July 27th, so you still have the plenty of time to book the perfect charter jet for you. You can expect to arrive at your destination of Luton, Heathrow or Standsted from the East Coast in about 6 hours. While on board, passengers should be prepared for the utmost in comfort and luxury, with catered meals, spacious cabins where one can relax or even catch up on some sleep during the flight, and a wide variety of entertainment options, such as WiFi. Air Charter Access Jet can also coordinate luxury ground transport for you and your party once you arrive.

The mission at Air Charter Access is to provide you with the highest levels of service and convenience at the best available price. We look forward to assisting you with any of your private charter needs – including your unforgettable trip to the 2012 Summer Games in London.

Cabotage refers to transporting passengers and/or goods between two points in the same country by an aircraft registered in another country. A good example of this situation were cabotage rules would apply here in the U.S. would be if service between New York and Los Angeles was offered by a non-U.S. carrier, without the flight then continuing on to a foreign destination. With scheduled service this situation rarely arises, but under U.S. rules there are some charter flights such as this which are permitted.

Though some are similar, every country has their own individual rules and restrictions regarding cabotage within their borders. Because of these differing regulations, jet charter operators and brokers need to routinely verify these restrictions before every international flight.

For many Americans, the cabotage rules in effect in Canada are typically the most important. Laws state that any Non-Canadian charter operator cannot legally carry passengers between two points within Canada, only between these two points. This is obviously of critical importance when chartering private aircraft in Canada. Air Charter Access can provide you with information and the options available to you when it is necessary to utilize a non-U.S.-origin.

We should also mention that there are typically no cabotage restrictions in either Canada or the U.S. for private “non-revenue” operations – as long as the owner, a guest of the owner, or employees are onboard and aren’t paying for the flight. This is of course of importance to our clients when they are flying as a guest.

With our extensive knowledge and expertise regarding private jet charter, this is just one more “little thing” that Air Charter Access does to make sure EVERY flight we arrange is completely stress and hassle-free. Your jet charter broker simply MUST know the rules related to cabotage in any regions you are travelling to or from to avoid major issues. This is just another advantage that Air Charter Access clients already enjoy.

Why Do Operators Lease Aircraft?

Let’s start by defining a lease itself. A lease is basically a transfer of an aircraft without transfer of title. The owner of the plane, the lessor, retains title to the aircraft, but transfers possession of the aircraft to the lessee.  You might ask why operators lease aircraft from owners in the first place. The first reason is to provide a temporary increase in capacity. This happens more frequently with commercial airlines, though a short-term need for extra capacity can occur with charter jet operators as well.

The second reason is quite easy to recognize – money.  Leasing an aircraft is an alternative to outright aircraft purchase for a variety of reasons ranging from frequency of use to cash flow. A perfectly understandable situation, flying without the financial burden of actually purchasing an aircraft appeals to many operators. However, when the lease is set up with the intent of circumventing FAA rules and regulations is where the problem comes in.

Wet vs. Dry Leases

The FAA regulates two primary types of aircraft leases when relating to private jet charter. These are the “wet” lease and the “dry” lease.  A “wet lease” is a business arrangement where a person or organization that owns an aircraft (the lessor) agrees to provide it and at least one crew member to the lessee, and more critically the lessor also agrees to provide the proper maintenance for the plane and the necessary insurance for the flight(s) as well.

A wet lease is actually an exception to the very simple definition of a lease because it does not involve transferring possession of the aircraft itself. The lessor maintains operational control of the aircraft under a wet lease, which under the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs), requires that they hold a Part 135 commercial operating certificate.

By contrast, under a “dry lease”, a term not directly defined in Federal Aviation Regulations, the individual or company provides the lessee an aircraft without a crew.

A wet lease is typical of a compliant Part 135 operation; in contrast leased aircraft shared under Part 91 typically involve dry leases. The trouble comes up when some operators try to use aircraft sharing as a cover for chartering out their aircraft without the benefit – or demands – of a Part 135 certificate. They circumvent the regulations by dry leasing their aircraft through one company under their control, and then supplying the lessee with pilots through a separate company also under their financial control.  They are essentially providing a “wet” lease, while at the same time, avoiding responsibility for proper maintenance, insurance and other components of a Part 135 charter. A very clever scheme, but also illegal.

The lessee (user) must always have the independent right to select the crew under FAA regulations. All “transportation packages” – the same person offering an aircraft dry lease and a separate pilot services agreement – is viewed by the FAA as an illegal charter. The FAA has gone further by stating that a scheme may be illegal if the entity leasing the plane simply directs the use of any specific crew without direct customer input, even if they aren’t connected to them in any way, financially or otherwise.

If your private jet charter does not follow these rules and regulations it is an illegal flight. This is important for you — the consumer — to understand since the safety and maintenance requirements, training and qualifications for the crew, insurance, and a number of other critical items have not been verified and/or guaranteed on the flight you have chartered, and in many cases not even known by the operator. Thus, a dry lease can be quite risky.  We always believe that the safe flying of you and your fellow travelers deserves better than taking an illegal charter, and you deserve to know if your charter is illegal – with so many absent or undisclosed (and vital) details about your flight, your aircraft and your crew, to say nothing of the potential consequences of flying without any of the proper insurance.

We believe that you should always receive the best return for your investment for your traveling budget when flying jet charter. This means always flying on the safest and most appropriate aircraft for your charter flight.  At Air Charter Access, we will only work with fully compliant Part 135 aircraft operators, who have been vetted for safety by leading auditors – Wyvern and ARG/US – to ensure the proper safety and integrity of their operation.  We pride ourselves on our mission to educate our clients about their operator and every other aspect of their jet charter, while also staying constantly informed of our vendor’s progress on every charter flight that we arrange – and staying in constant contact with you our valued client at the same time.

The causes of the headaches vary from cancelled airline flights, flights that are postponed and perhaps the most infuriating, tarmac delays. In October 2011 the major airlines hit an all-time record for the number of three-plus-hour tarmac delays, and though this exceeds federal regulations no fines have been issued thus far.

CAUSES OF TARMAC DELAYS

There are a number of different common causes to flight delays. By far the largest categories of delays involve either maintenance or weather incidents. But there are a number of commercial flight delays caused by completely unrelated issues. Waiting for commercial passengers arriving on a connecting flight to land at the airport is one good example. A delay caused by the crew that isn’t related to maintenance or mechanical issues is another possibility. Regardless of the type of delay, they all lead to the same things:  postponed boarding, cancelled flights, and passengers stranded on a plane on the tarmac. And they surely also cause some very frustrated and inconvenienced passengers.

Obviously a mechanical issue or a delay caused by crew can happen anywhere, anytime. Every area of the country also experiences weather-related flight delays at some point. “Just some of the causes for tarmac and general flight delays/cancellations in 2011 included snow events in Texas and the Northeast, big storms in Chicago and New York, hurricanes in the Caribbean, and high wind conditions that forced diversions for planes bound to Los Angeles,” said Ed Martelle, a national spokesperson for a major carrier. “Every part of the country has times of the year when they are severely impacted by weather events.”

An additional circumstance that can cause tarmac delays if only rarely are TFRs, or Temporary Flight Restrictions. These are often put in place by the FAA when relating to security concerns at large, public events. This past weekend at the Super Bowl in Indianapolis is one good example, when the FAA placed a TFR that prohibited air traffic starting two hours before the game and extended two hours following the event as well.

The Indianapolis International Airport (KIND) and the Eagle Creek Airpark Airport (KEYE) both handled the spike in commercial and private jet air traffic quite well over the course of the events leading up to and after the Super Bowl. Some measure of this success can certainly be attributed to the fact that the Super Bowl is a very well-orchestrated event, planned months in advance.  When TFRs occur without any prior notice the possibility of major disruption and resulting problems rises, but these types of temporary restrictions on aircraft takeoff and landing can have the potential to cause lengthy tarmac delays regardless of their circumstances.

FAA RULES

Because of the increasing number of tarmac delays experienced by commercial airlines and other basic customer service issues, the Department of Transportation (DOT) implemented new regulations relating to flight delays in April 2010. These rules indicate fines of $27,500 per passenger against any airline that leaves a plane stranded on a tarmac for more than three hours for domestic flights and four hours for international travelers.

It should be noted that these penalties are not actually legislated into law, however. FlyersRights.com and other advocate groups have argued that legislation pending in Congress governing the Federal Aviation Administration include the tarmac rule, so that a future DOT cannot simply rescind the current rules. These passenger protections have not been included as of now.

Surprising to no one, the airlines have vigorously attempted to block the rule since conception, arguing that it will lead them to cancel more flights outright.  In November 2011 the first fine of $900,000 was announced, levied against American Eagle for tarmac delays at Chicago’s O’Hare airport during thunderstorms the previous May. However there have already been a significant number of occurrences where no fines whatsoever have been issued.

The result of this lax enforcement is that in spite of the current rules, lengthy tarmac delays still occur.

Just one of many recent examples it the experience of international passenger Brent Stanley of Chicago. He was stuck on an American Airlines plane on the tarmac during a flight home from Paris for more than seven hours when a snowstorm struck Bradley International Airport in Connecticut in October of 2011. That is 2 ½ times more than the maximum amount of time allowed for a passenger to be stranded on the tarmac before fines are (supposed to be) issued. “They were completely unprepared,” Stanley says when describing his travel nightmare.

It should also be noted that airlines are not contractually obligated to provide monetary compensation to the passengers themselves on a domestic flight that has been delayed or stranded on the tarmac. They are more likely to provide accommodations if they are responsible for the delay (as opposed to a reason beyond their control, such as a weather event), however. Each individual airline has its own policies for assisting delayed passengers. This illustrates why it’s so important for passengers to conduct their own research into the terms and conditions, contract of carriage, and other similar information specific to the airline.

PASSENGER FRUSTRATION

When stranded on the tarmac passengers are left with few options. Basic rules stipulate that the pilot captain must update the passengers on the status of the delay once every 30 minutes, but this often provides small solace to those stuck on a plane.

Regulations also require airlines to provide water and food to passengers after sitting on a plane for two hours without being able to deplane, unless there are safety or security issues surrounding the incident. In these cases these minimum requirements do not apply. Regardless of the rules, these long delays can still create shortages of water, food, and fresh air, along with the steadily increasing frustrations of uncomfortable passengers.

Airlines must also provide passengers with functioning lavatories and medical attention should they have need. The incidents where even these most basic services could not be provided — the “nightmare scenario” as mentioned above — have been widely reported throughout the media.

THE ADVANTAGE OF JET CHARTER WITH AIR CHARTER ACCESS

Some airports are better equipped to handle these flight delays than others. Slot-controlled airports such as O’Hare, JFK, LaGuardia or Washington National have much more difficulty in rescheduling flights, which causes delays to be far more disruptive to their operations. Because of this these airports wish to avoid deplaning a flight at all costs, leaving passengers on the tarmac as long as they possibly can in an attempt to continue the flight. If they do actually come back to the gate, passengers usually have reduced options to utilize other planes, which are often already filled.

Luckily for jet charter consumers, these issues facing commercial travelers are almost unheard of during their own flying experiences.

To begin with the ability to deplane is a very simple process for jet charter passengers except in the most extraordinary circumstances, and any possible delays are made far more comfortable due to the much higher level of on-plane amenities and personalized service provided.

Another huge advantage available to jet charter consumers is the use of smaller private and regional airports. The reduced traffic at most of these facilities can typically avoid tarmac delays completely, and provide the opportunity to take off almost immediately once issues are resolved.

When flight delays are due to mechanical issues, there are also always additional aircraft options available to jet charter consumers, especially the clients of Air Charter Access. One of our experienced air charter agents will immediately begin working to secure you an alternate aircraft if the need should arise.  You will typically be alerted directly by the air charter agent of your flight, without any need for you to initiate the process in any way. Your Air Charter Access agent can also provide options which utilize alternative airports that aren’t experiencing bad weather or other delay conditions, and arrange ground transportation should you need it.

Unlike commercial travel, where you are essentially on your own and at the mercy of the airline, with Air Charter Access you always have a personal representative working on your behalf.  Your agent works tirelessly to ensure your timely and safe arrival at your destination, with the minimal amount of inconvenience to you and your travel party should issues arise.

This assistance can be invaluable to you and your company when critical deadlines, timelines or vital business meetings are on the line. When you book a private jet charter with Air Charter Access you can avoid the frustration, headaches and overall inconvenience caused by the increasingly more common flight and tarmac delays found with commercial airlines.

Give yourself the travel experience that you deserve by calling Air Charter Access to arrange your next flight, and see the difference that we provide to our clients for yourself.

Winter weather and the sudden increase in passenger traffic also means that commercial travel customers will be experiencing longer waits in crowded airports, flight delays, and a general uptick in the travel headaches which already existed in the first place.

Private jet charter veterans already know the convenience and flexibility provided of on-demand travel options, and this time of year will also see an upturn in the number of individuals and companies who will choose to utilize private charter to meet their personal and business travel wants and needs.

As a leader in private aviation, Air Charter Access provides our clients with access to more than 5,000 charter aircraft, with the capability of using more than 4,250 airports nationwide. Compare this with commercial carriers, who can only offer service to 500 domestic airports. What does this mean to you? You have the flexibility to go directly
and with as little as 4 hours’ notice to many destinations – both personal and business-related – that you cannot do so with commercial travel. You can also potentially avoid inclement weather conditions that often cause the lengthy delays and hassles that plague commercial airlines during this period of the year.

Whether it means things like re-routing your flight itinerary to a more favorable alternate airport or coordinating ground transportation to meet you when you land, our expert air charter agents can offer you solutions, even while inflight, that can help ensure that you make it to your destination safely and on time. We can also quickly find replacement aircraft and flight crew when the situation calls for it. The aircraft we utilize also meet the most stringent safety standards in the entire air charter industry, with each aircraft and flight crew reviewed for full safety compliance by Wyvern, a leading independent auditing firm.

Unlike some of our much newer competition, our extensive experience with private jet charter in winter weather and a full understanding of the performance capabilities of a wide number of jet aircraft allow us to provide the right charter plane for your specific travel and itinerary needs.

Why take the chance of missing a flight to a critical business meeting or important family gathering due to icy weather conditions? During “normal” weather conditions, our promise to Air Charter Access clients is to provide an alternative aircraft to them within 4 hours when necessary, and even in the most inclement winter weather conditions we continue to strive for that exact same goal.

While none of us can control the weather, we can foresee potential hang-ups and prepare for them, ensuring that your cold weather jet charter flying experience is as convenient and efficient as possible for you and your family or business partners. Experience the difference that private air charter can provide by contacting Air Charter
Access today to learn more about your options.

The private jet charter fleet we have access to includes Citations, Gulfstreams, Challengers, Falcons, Hawkers, Learjets and many more. Click here to learn more about these jet charter aircraft.

Your Perfect Match

Your dedicated air charter coordinator will work with you before each trip to determine the best private aircraft for you based on availability and your specific needs — choosing from over 45 types of jets in a variety of small, mid-size and large cabin classes.

Air Charter Access takes great pride in assisting our clients in making the right choice in aircraft when it comes time to book a Charter Flight. From simple questions to complex scenarios, we are here to help guide you through the process.

Air Charter Access has created a comprehensive Aircraft Selection Guide which will help you understand how the jets differ and provide some guidelines for choosing the type of private aircraft that best suits your private jet travel requirements.

The Highest Standards

Not only do we provide the perfect jet to meet your specific travel needs, you have the peace of mind that all of our private jet charters meet our thorough, exacting standards for operational safety and security.

Air Charter Access’ approved vendor program allows our clients to gain access to our network of aircraft owners and operators that are regularly assessed to ensure their compliance with our aircraft, insurance and flight crew requirements. We will only work with aircraft and operators that are in total compliance with FAA regulation known as FAR Part 135.

We are also one of the only jet charter companies that require an additional, third-party safety audit for each flight we arrange for clients. We use one of the two leading, independent auditors in the jet charter industry, Wyvern and Aviation Research Group (ARG/US). They specialize in conducting on-site inspections, and ensuring operators compliance with maintenance and crew experience requirements.

Our rigorous standards regarding our air charter vendors and the aircraft they operate provide an industry standard for which aircraft safety, operating, maintenance, regulations and licensing can be measured.

In addition to our dedication to the safe, comfortable and convenient travel of our charter clients, there are a number of other reasons we feel that Air Charter Access is the right choice for you when considering private corporate or personal travel.

Reliable, Financial Strength

Air Charter Access has the organizational backing of a “Strong” financial ranking by Dun & Bradstreet. This gives you the confidence you need when working with us, such a vital component of the business decisions that you make every day.

The choice of who you do business with matters, and our financial history and our standing within the jet charter industry gives you the assurances that you will always receive what you have paid for. This type of company background has a major effect on the overall performance and quality of services that you will receive in relation to your travel experience. We provide you with unwavering stability as a trustworthy, long-term partner. You can rely on us to invest in and maintain the highest standards in equipment, safety and security.

The Right Aircraft, in the Right Place, at the Right Price

With access to one of the largest jet charter fleets in the U.S. – over 5,000 aircraft – we are able to provide you with personalized jet charter service and the aircraft you need whenever and wherever your travels take you — across the United States or around the world. From light and mid-sized jets, up to the largest heavy jets, we provide you with the right options based on your specific needs regarding number of passengers, distance of flight, weather conditions, cargo capacity needed, special requirements and any of the many other aspects of your flight.

Absolute Commitment to Quality

Air Charter Access has a long history of reliable and proven commitment to quality, customer satisfaction and continuous improvement within the private jet charter industry. Our parent company is an active member and leader of the Air Charter Association of North America (ACANA), a highly-regarded trade group which represents the air charter industry.

We fully support and strive to live up to ACANA’s goals and vision, stated as “Our mission is to enhance and foster the air charter industry by promoting best practices and professionalism, representing its members’ collective regulatory interests, and educating consumers about the private aviation industry and workings to help them make informed decisions.” Our commitment to offering the finest air charter services and client experiences influences every facet of our operations.

Ultra-Personalized Concierge Service

You have access to every service and amenity to make your trip comfortable and relaxing. We can arrange chauffeured or rental car service for your itinerary to provide the perfect fit for your travel needs. We also can arrange catering on your flight, help arrange your hotel accommodations and forward your luggage, and provide full flight management and weather services. As your one-source solution, a single call is all it takes.

One-Ways and Empty Leg Flights

One-way charter flights are created when an aircraft is away from base or when an aircraft needs to reposition from its current location to the departure point of its next flight. Booking a one-way flight can provide clients with deep discounts over a traditional charter flight. Air Charter Access works with local charter jet operators throughout the U.S. to market and sell their empty leg flights. Through our extensive relationships with aircraft operators across the country we’re able to provide our clients with the largest selection of discounted empty leg and one-way charter flights in the industry.

And if you cannot find your preferred routing, an Air Charter Access flight coordinator may be able to help you take advantage of point to point pricing on charter flights that lie within the flight path of these one-way flights.

As our client at Air Charter Access you will receive personalized attention from a dedicated, experienced air charter agent and a full team of other industry professionals for 24/7/365 customer service.

But beyond our complete responsiveness to the wants and needs of our clients, there are many other things continually happening behind the scenes that ensure the absolute best jet charter experience possible. One of the benefits that clearly separate Air Charter Access from the competition is our total commitment to the safety of our clients when providing them with private jet charter services.

Our Rigorous Safety Standards and Programs

We take a very proactive approach to safety, developing and implementing a stringent safety program for all flight operations and maintenance personnel that is recognized among the industry’s finest.

As part of our approved vendor program, Air Charter Access allows our clients access to a network of aircraft owners and operators that are regularly assessed to ensure their compliance with their aircraft, insurance and flight crew requirements. We will only work with aircraft and operators that are in complete compliance with FAA regulation known as FAR Part 135. The FAR Part 135 certification was created to provide a standard for which aircraft safety, operating, maintenance, regulations and licensing are measured.

In addition to the minimum standards set forth by FAR Part 135, Air Charter Access has established supplementary criteria for each of our charter flights. These criteria have been put into place to provide assurance that every private flight booked is conducted in the safest possible manner.

We take pride in our ability to provide additional safety information specific to each flight. In fact, Air Charter Access is one of the only air charter agencies in the industry that requires a third-party safety audit for every flight. Wyvern and Aviation Research Group (ARG/US) are the leading third-party, independent safety auditors, who specialize in conducting on-site aircraft operator inspections, and ensuring operators compliance with aircraft maintenance and crew experience requirements.

The Wyvern Pilot and Aircraft Safety Survey (PASS) report is one of the independent safety audits that determine if an aircraft operator meets Air Charter Access’ strict pilot experience and aircraft maintenance standards. We also utilize the similar and rigorous ARG/US TripCHEQ audit.

The PASS report requires aircraft operators to provide safety information about their operation including safety records, pilot certifications and experience levels, aircraft photos and insurance verification.

The PASS report determines things such as:

- Does the aircraft operator have proper certification and insurance including a FAA Airframe and Power plant Certification?

- Is the aircraft you’ve chartered listed on the operator’s insurance and does it meet with Stratos Jets specified safety standards?

- Are the pilots fully certificated, properly type-rated and have current medical and training record?

- Do both pilots meet the flight hour requirements?

The bottom line is that Air Charter Access will NEVER cut corners when it comes to the safety of our clients and their charter flights. You can trust our total commitment to providing you with the highest quality jet charter services, on the safest and most reliable aircraft on every flight.

However, the TSA has canceled its plans to upgrade security at 300 airports nationwide. This would have been very costly for the airport facilities, many of which are small airports in rural areas. The TSA received several complaint letters from the general aviation community stating that the risk of an act of terrorism on a managed private aircraft is very minimal; the dispatch and crew have steps in place to screen passengers and are very cautious about who boards the aircraft. For now, it looks like the security will remain in the hands of the operator, dispatch and crew.