Safety Standards & Operator Vetting
DesJets is an air-charter broker. Every flight is performed by an operator that holds an active Air Operator Certificate (AOC) issued by its national civil aviation authority. Below is how we vet the operators, aircraft, crews, and paperwork behind every trip.
Regulatory framework
Commercial passenger charter — including on-demand jet charter — is regulated at the operator level. Different regulators publish slightly different rules but the baseline is the same: the operator (not the broker, not the passenger) holds the certificate that authorises them to sell seats on that aircraft.
- United States — FAR Part 135. Charter operators are certificated under 14 CFR Part 135 (commuter and on-demand operations). Certificates and their operations specifications are searchable through the FAA Air Carrier Certificate database.
- European Union — EASA Part-CAT. Commercial air transport operators hold an AOC issued under Commission Regulation (EU) 965/2012 by the national aviation authority of their principal place of business.
- United Kingdom — UK CAA AOC. Since 2021 UK operators hold a UK CAA AOC (post-Brexit transition) with equivalent Part-CAT operating rules.
- ICAO Annex 19 SMS. All commercial operators are required to maintain a Safety Management System covering hazard identification, risk assessment, safety assurance, and safety promotion.
Six vetting pillars
Applied to every operator before they join the DesJets network, and re-checked per trip.
Certification verification
Every operator holds an active FAR Part 135 (US), EASA Part-CAT (EU), or CAA AOC (UK). We cross-check the operator's certificate and registered aircraft list against the regulator's public database before confirming a trip.
Third-party safety ratings
Where available, we prefer operators rated by ARGUS (Gold / Gold Plus / Platinum), Wyvern (Registered / Wingman), or IS-BAO (Stage 1–3). Third-party audits give an independent view of the operator's SMS, training, and maintenance controls.
Aircraft airworthiness
Each aircraft holds a current airworthiness certificate and is maintained by an approved FAA 145 / EASA Part-145 organisation to the manufacturer's published intervals. Maintenance history is reviewed per trip.
Crew currency
Two qualified pilots with current type ratings on every jet flight. Recency of experience, medical certification, and duty-rest limits (FAR Part 117 / EASA FTL) are verified before dispatch.
Insurance coverage
Operators carry hull and passenger liability insurance appropriate to the aircraft class. A specific operator's certificate of insurance is available on request before any flight is confirmed.
Operational authority
The pilot-in-command has final authority. If weather, technical status, crew duty limits, or any other factor makes a flight unsafe, the operator delays, diverts, or cancels — no exceptions.
Third-party safety ratings — what they mean
ARGUS International
ARGUS audits charter operators against a graded set of criteria covering safety management, historic accident and incident record, aircraft, and crew. Ratings are Gold, Gold Plus, and Platinum, with Platinum requiring an on-site audit and a verified SMS. ARGUS ratings are widely referenced by corporate aviation departments and Fortune 500 travel policies.
Wyvern
Wyvern operates two rating tiers: Wyvern Registered (baseline verification of certificate and insurance status) and Wyvern Wingman (on-site audit of safety systems, training, and maintenance). Many risk-managed travel programs require Wingman or equivalent for booked charters.
IS-BAO (International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations)
Published by IBAC (the International Business Aviation Council), IS-BAO is a three-stage voluntary standard covering SMS, operating procedures, and continuous improvement. Stage 3 requires demonstrated integration of SMS into daily operations.
Per-trip verification
Network membership is the baseline. Every individual trip runs through a separate pre-flight check:
- Operator AOC status current on the day of departure.
- Requested aircraft listed on the operator's ops-specs.
- Crew type-rating current for the aircraft.
- Crew duty and rest status compliant for the proposed schedule.
- Insurance certificate on file (available on request).
- Route authorisation held for any international leg.
If any item cannot be confirmed, the trip does not fly on that aircraft-and-operator combination. We source an alternative.
Frequently asked questions
Is DesJets an aircraft operator?
No. DesJets is an air-charter broker. Every flight is performed by an operator that holds an active Air Operator Certificate (AOC) issued by its national civil aviation authority. We source the aircraft, verify the operator, and manage the booking end-to-end. The operator carries the AOC, the crew, the insurance, and the operational responsibility.
How do you verify an operator's certification?
For US operators we verify a valid FAR Part 135 certificate through the FAA's Air Carrier Certificate database. For European operators we verify an EASA Part-CAT AOC or, for UK-based operators, a UK CAA AOC. Both records are cross-checked against the operator's registered aircraft list before any trip is confirmed.
What safety ratings do you look for?
Where available we prefer operators rated by third-party safety auditors: ARGUS (Gold, Gold Plus, or Platinum), Wyvern (Registered or Wingman), and IS-BAO (Stage 1, 2, or 3). Not every operator carries a third-party rating — a valid AOC, clean regulatory record, active maintenance program, and adequate insurance are the baseline.
What insurance coverage do operators carry?
Charter operators in our network carry aircraft hull insurance and passenger liability insurance appropriate to the aircraft class and seat count. Coverage levels vary by operator and jurisdiction; we can share a specific operator's certificate of insurance on request before any flight.
What are the crew requirements?
All jet charter flights are operated with two qualified pilots. Pilots must hold current type ratings for the aircraft, meet recency-of-experience requirements, and comply with duty and rest limits set by their regulator (FAR Part 117 for US Part 135 operators; EASA FTL rules for European operators). Trip-specific crew qualifications and duty status are checked before every flight.
How are aircraft maintained?
Charter aircraft are maintained under the operator's approved maintenance program, which is overseen by an FAA-certified 145 repair station (US) or EASA Part-145 organisation (Europe). Each aircraft holds a current airworthiness certificate and follows manufacturer-published inspection intervals. Recent maintenance and airworthiness records are reviewed as part of trip verification.
What happens if weather or an issue affects safety?
The pilot-in-command has final authority over the flight. If weather, aircraft technical status, crew duty limits, or any other operational factor makes the flight unsafe, the operator delays, diverts, or cancels — and DesJets rebooks or refunds per the charter agreement. Safety is never traded for schedule.
Ready to book with a fully-vetted operator?
Every DesJets quote includes the operator name, AOC jurisdiction, and third-party safety rating where held.