How to vet a charter operator
As a broker, you're the one the client trusts — even though someone else is flying the aircraft. Vetting the operator before you book protects your passenger and your reputation. Here's the due-diligence checklist to run on any operator you haven't flown before.
Why it's on you
Your client doesn't know the operator; they know you. If anything goes wrong, it's your name attached to the trip. That makes operator vetting part of the job, not an optional extra — especially when you're sourcing an aircraft from someone new to fill a specific trip. A few minutes of checks up front is cheap insurance.
1. Air Operator Certificate (AOC)
The AOC is the licence that lets an operator fly commercially. Confirm the operator holds a valid AOC from a credible authority, that it's current, and that the specific aircraft you're booking is actually listed on it. An aircraft flying "on someone else's AOC" is common and legitimate — but you want to know whose certificate the flight is really under.
2. Insurance
Ask for a certificate of insurance and check two things: that it's current, and that the liability limits are appropriate for your passenger. For high-profile clients, confirm the coverage amount matches what they'd expect. Some brokers ask to be named as an additional insured for specific trips.
3. Safety ratings and audits
Third-party safety ratings — the well-known ones in business aviation — give you an independent read on an operator's safety programme. A current rating from a recognised auditor is a strong positive signal. Absence of one isn't automatically disqualifying for a smaller operator, but it means you lean harder on the other checks.
4. The aircraft itself
- Age and condition — reasonable for what you're charging the client.
- Registration — verify the tail exists and matches what you were quoted.
- Configuration — cabin layout and seat count match the trip's needs.
Keeping your own record of the tails you've booked — and what you found — means you don't re-vet the same aircraft from scratch next time.
5. Reputation and track record
Ask around. The charter world is small, and other brokers will tell you quickly if an operator is unreliable on timing, communication, or aircraft swaps. Check how long they've been operating and whether they're responsive and clear in your first few exchanges — how an operator handles the quote often predicts how they'll handle the trip.
Keep your operator and aircraft records in one place
Charterfile gives you a private aircraft database that's yours alone — track the tails and operators you've worked with, so vetting compounds instead of restarting every trip.
Join the beta6. The paper trail
Once you're comfortable, get it in writing: a charter agreement with the operator that names the aircraft, the routing, the price, and the cancellation terms. Clear contracts on the operator side protect you the same way your client contract protects you on the sales side.
The short version
Confirm the AOC and that the aircraft is on it, check current insurance with adequate limits, look for a recognised safety rating, verify the aircraft, ask around on reputation, and paper the deal. Run this every time you book an operator you don't know — and keep the results, so the second trip is faster than the first.