How safe is flying private charter?
Each charter operator is required to obtain an air carrier or commercial operating certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration, which also assigns a FAA principal operations, airworthiness and avionics inspector to monitor day-to-day and safety procedures. To address safety concerns within the charter industry, one of the largest private jet safety companies, Aviation Research Group/US Inc. (ARG/US), audits charter companies on a regular basis. The company conducts criminal background checks on all pilots and determines the number of hours each pilot has behind the controls of specific planes. Maintenance and operations audits are also conducted. ARG/US has awarded a Platinum rating — considered the ultimate recognition of best industry practice — to fewer than 100 charter companies within the US. Aspen Jetride is one of these Platinum-rated companies. Consumers can also purchase or ask the charter company to provide an ARG/US “TripCHEQ,” which rates the safety of a particular
