Liftbrief / Next steps
Stage 3: How do you verify who will actually operate the flight?
Map the seller, contracting entity, payment recipient and operating carrier separately. Part 295 requires charter brokers’ advertising to distinguish the broker from the direct carrier operating the aircraft. A recognised sales brand therefore does not answer the operating-carrier question. (ecfr.gov)
What should the operator evidence file contain?
For an ordinary US Part 135 charter, use this purchasing checklist:
- Obtain the operating carrier’s legal name, any trading name and certificate details.
- Check the operator and proposed aircraft against the FAA’s Part 135 Operators and Aircraft List.
- Use the FAA’s linked operator-search resource to clarify trading names or other operator details.
- Save the evidence date and resolve discrepancies before treating the check as complete.
The FAA says its list is searchable by operator name or aircraft registration and updated weekly. If an operator or aircraft is absent, its instruction is to contact a Flight Standards District Office to verify charter status—not to infer illegality from absence alone. (faa.gov)
A relevant 2026 update: NATA reported the spreadsheet temporarily offline for data corrections on 3 March 2026 and reported the operator list available again on 5 May 2026. Use the current FAA resource rather than relying on an old downloaded list or outage notice. (nata.aero)
If the aircraft has not yet been allocated, record that as an open item. Seek an allocation deadline and contractual remedy acceptable to the buyer, then complete aircraft-specific checks before travel.
What disclosures should you request from a charter broker?
For transactions covered by Part 295, §295.24 distinguishes disclosures required before contracting from those required upon request. Its provisions also address information initially unknown or subsequently changed. (ecfr.gov)
| Before contracting, subject to the rule’s information-timing provisions | Request expressly before contracting |
|---|---|
| Operating carrier identity | Relevant broker–carrier relationships when the broker acts as the buyer’s agent |
| Capacity in which the broker acts | Total cost paid to or through the broker, including taxes and fees |
| Existence or absence of specified broker liability insurance and its limits | Third-party charges payable directly, or good-faith estimates where unknown |
Individual cost components need not all be itemised under this disclosure rule. Request itemisation as a purchasing preference, not as an assumed universal legal entitlement. (ecfr.gov)
What about insurance and ARGUS or WYVERN reports?
Ask for operator insurance evidence identifying the relevant aircraft, then have your insurance adviser assess limits and any requested endorsements. NBAA specifically recommends obtaining aircraft-specific insurance confirmation and discussing coverage with an insurance broker. (nbaa.org)
ARGUS describes TripCHEQ as flight-specific diligence covering matters including crew qualifications, aircraft qualification and operating certificates. WYVERN’s PASS reports compare operator, aircraft and pilot information against a selected standard. Request the report appropriate to the proposed trip and ask a qualified reviewer to explain exceptions; do not treat either product as a guarantee of safety. (argus.aero)
When should you stop and escalate?
Pause if a purported charter arrangement asks you to accept operational control without a clear explanation. The FAA identifies provision of aircraft and crew combined with attempted transfer of operational control to the customer as a warning sign. (faa.gov)
Do not apply the Part 135 checklist indiscriminately to every private flight: fractional programmes have a separate Part 91 Subpart K framework. Ask an aviation specialist to identify the applicable operating arrangement where ownership, leasing or fractional access is involved. (faa.gov)
Exit criterion: the entities and operating arrangement are understood, required evidence is recorded, and unresolved authority questions have been escalated—not merely acknowledged.