How We Vet a Dubai Flight
Safety is the first thing we consider for a trip out of Dubai, and while brokers are not required by law to have any safety due diligence procedures in place, we go above and beyond.
Every flight we arrange is operated by a certified air carrier, and that operator holds operational control of the flight at all times. For flights under United States jurisdiction that means FAR Part 135, the FAA’s rules for on-demand, for-hire charter, or FAR Part 121 for airliner-size and group trips; elsewhere it means the equivalent certification from the authority responsible for the operation, which in the United Arab Emirates is the General Civil Aviation Authority.
Before we present any aircraft for your trip, we confirm the operator’s certification is current, review the operator’s safety and incident history, and verify that the pilots are qualified and current on the specific type you will be flying on. Crew requirements come from the aircraft rather than from us: Part 135 sets a minimum crew by type, and some types are certified for single-pilot operation, so we confirm the crew on your aircraft is qualified and current on that make and model before we quote it.
Part 135 and What It Is Stricter Than
Part 135 is the FAA’s set of rules for on-demand, for-hire charter. It carries stricter operating, crew and insurance requirements than FAR Part 91, the rules for private, non-commercial flying that cannot be sold as charter. On a trip that leaves United States airspace, the equivalent standard is set by the authority responsible for that operation, and we confirm the operator holds it.
When a group outgrows a heavy jet and runs past nineteen passengers, the aircraft required would fall into regional airliner, or airliner-size. Those trips would no longer fall under the FAR Part 135 standards but possibly operate under FAR Part 121 or foreign equivalent standards. Part 121 and equivalent generally carry stricter crew and operating requirements than FAR Part 91 and FAR Part 135.
Third-Party Safety Reports
Third-party reporting does not cover every flight. Single-engine, single-pilot and certain foreign-operator flights fall outside it. Where a flight is covered and the operator participates, we review the ARGUS or Wyvern Wingman report before we put that aircraft in front of you.
Premium Wyvern Broker Member
Air Charter Advisors holds Premium Wyvern Broker Member status, independently maintained and verified by Wyvern, a third-party aviation safety auditing organization. Fewer than 60 brokers worldwide hold it. This supplements our own vetting rather than replacing it.
Who You Are Dealing With
We are a broker, not an air carrier, and we say so plainly. Under DOT Part 295, when we book a flight as your agent rather than as the operator, we put it in writing. You are trusting us with your passengers and with your trip details, so everyone working here, contractors included, completes a pre-employment background screening before they touch client information. Those screenings cover a national criminal search, the national sex offender registry, the terrorist watch list, address history, and a search of lawsuits, judgments, liens and bankruptcies.
Your trip details and passenger information are shared only as far as operating your flight requires. They are not sold and not passed on.
Vetting Behind Every Trip
Every operator, aircraft, and crew goes through our internal due diligence before we present any options. Our internal standards meet or exceed what the FAA requires:
- FAR Part 135 charter operators for traditional private aircraft, or FAR Part 121 for airliner-size and group trips (or the foreign equivalent on international legs)
- Operator subscription to Wyvern and ARGUS reviewed where the operator participates.
- Pilot experience and operator incident history reviewed before we recommend an aircraft.
- Fewer than 60 brokers worldwide hold Premium Wyvern Broker Member status, and Air Charter Advisors is one of them.
Questions About How We Vet
If you want to know how we checked the operator on your Dubai trip, ask your advisor and they will tell you. Call 1-888-987-5387 at any hour, or send us the trip.