Safety is the most important factor in any aviation decision, and private jet charter is no exception. The good news is that business aviation has an excellent safety record — the fatal accident rate for Part 135 on-demand charter operations is significantly lower than for general aviation overall, and comparable to commercial airline operations on a per-departure basis.
The important caveat is that safety standards vary significantly across the 3,500+ operators in the US charter market. Understanding how to evaluate operator safety — and what questions to ask your broker — is essential knowledge for any private jet traveler.
The Regulatory Framework: Part 135
In the United States, all commercial charter operations must be conducted under FAA Part 135 regulations. A Part 135 Air Carrier Certificate is the baseline requirement for any operator legally offering charter services. It requires operators to meet specific standards for aircraft maintenance, crew training and recency, operational procedures, and safety management systems.
Part 135 is meaningfully more stringent than Part 91 (the rules governing private/owner-operated flights). Key differences include:
- Crew training: Part 135 requires initial and recurrent training programs, simulator training, and specific type rating requirements. Part 91 has fewer mandatory training requirements.
- Maintenance: Part 135 aircraft must follow FAA-approved maintenance programs with mandatory inspection intervals. Part 91 aircraft have more flexibility.
- Rest requirements: Part 135 mandates specific crew rest periods between flights. Part 91 has no mandatory rest requirements for private operations.
- Operations specifications: Part 135 operators must have FAA-approved operations specifications (OpSpecs) that define exactly what operations they are authorized to conduct.
When booking a charter, always verify that the operating company holds a current Part 135 certificate. You can verify this through the FAA's online registry at av-info.faa.gov.
Third-Party Safety Ratings: ARGUS and Wyvern
Beyond the FAA's baseline requirements, two independent organizations provide additional safety auditing for charter operators: ARGUS International and Wyvern Ltd. These organizations conduct on-site audits of operators' facilities, maintenance records, crew training programs, and safety management systems, and publish ratings that allow brokers and clients to assess relative safety performance.
ARGUS Ratings
ARGUS rates operators on a three-tier scale:
| Rating | Description | Audit Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| ARGUS Platinum | Highest rating; on-site audit with no findings | Annual |
| ARGUS Gold | On-site audit with minor findings corrected | Annual |
| ARGUS Registered | Document review; no on-site audit | Annual |
Wyvern Ratings
Wyvern uses a similar structure:
| Rating | Description |
|---|---|
| Wyvern Wingman | Highest rating; comprehensive on-site audit |
| Wyvern Registered | Document review and basic verification |
Tidal Jets sources exclusively from operators with ARGUS Gold or Platinum ratings, or Wyvern Wingman certification. We do not place clients on unrated operators regardless of price.
Aircraft Age and Maintenance
Aircraft age is a common concern among first-time charter clients. The reality is that aircraft age is less important than maintenance history. A well-maintained 15-year-old aircraft with a clean maintenance record is safer than a poorly maintained 5-year-old aircraft. What matters is the maintenance program, not the year of manufacture.
That said, newer aircraft generally offer better safety systems, more reliable avionics, and more comfortable cabins. When requesting a quote, ask your broker about the aircraft's year of manufacture and its maintenance status. Any reputable broker should be able to provide this information.
Questions to Ask Your Broker
Before confirming any charter, ask your broker the following questions:
"What is the operator's ARGUS or Wyvern rating?" A reputable broker will know this immediately. If they cannot answer, that's a red flag.
"How many flight hours do the crew have on this aircraft type?" Minimum type-specific experience should be 500+ hours for the captain on the specific aircraft type.
"Has the operator had any FAA enforcement actions in the past 5 years?" This is publicly verifiable through the FAA's enforcement database.
"What is the operator's insurance coverage?" Minimum acceptable liability coverage for charter operations is $100 million per occurrence. Many premium operators carry $200 million or more.
"What is the aircraft's last major maintenance inspection?" Ask for the date of the most recent Phase inspection or equivalent.
The Safety Record in Context
To put private aviation safety in perspective: the NTSB reports that Part 135 on-demand charter operations have a fatal accident rate of approximately 0.2 accidents per 100,000 flight hours — comparable to scheduled commercial airline operations and dramatically safer than personal/recreational flying. The vast majority of accidents in general aviation involve Part 91 operations (private owner-operated flights), not Part 135 charter.
When you fly on a properly vetted Part 135 charter with an ARGUS- or Wyvern-rated operator, you are flying on one of the safest modes of transportation available.
How Tidal Jets Vets Operators
Every operator in the Tidal Jets network must hold a current FAA Part 135 certificate, maintain an ARGUS Gold/Platinum or Wyvern Wingman rating, carry minimum $100 million liability insurance, and have no outstanding FAA enforcement actions. We conduct periodic reviews of our operator network and remove any operator that falls below our standards.
Questions about safety on your next charter? Contact our team — we're happy to walk you through our vetting process and provide full operator documentation for any trip.