How do I check if a charter operator is certified?

Ask for the operator's complete legal name and search for that entity in the FAA Air Operator FAR Search and legal Part 135 holder resources. Match the result to the operator named in the proposed trip documents.

What is an ARGUS rating?

ARGUS uses Registered, Gold, Gold Plus, and Platinum levels in its operator audit ecosystem. Ask which current level applies to the named operator and review what that specific level represents rather than treating every ARGUS label as equivalent.

Is it safe to prepay for a jet card?

Prepayment carries company risk. Ask which entity receives and holds the balance, when it may use the funds, and what the written terms say about unused funds if the company stops operating. Review those answers before paying.

How long has Jet Partners been in business?

Jet Partners was founded in 2010 by Benton Morgan and Erik Hocoluk. Both have worked in private jet charter since 2007. Time in business is one signal and should be considered with current operator authority and safety information.

What happens if a charter company goes out of business before my flight?

The outcome depends on the company, payment path, and written agreement. Before paying, ask who holds the funds and what the contract says about an unflown trip, an unused balance, refunds, substitutions, and a stop in operations.

How to Choose a Private Jet Charter Company (2026)

Choosing a private jet charter company comes down to four checks: identify the FAA Part 135 certificate holder that will legally operate the aircraft and confirm it in the FAA operator search; review that operator’s independent ARGUS, WYVERN, or IS-BAO status; ask where your money goes and when; and consider how long the company has been in business.

The four checks to make before booking

1. Identify the Part 135 operator

The company presenting an itinerary is not necessarily the company that operates the aircraft. Ask for the legal name of the operator that will have operational control. The FAA identifies legal Part 135 certificate holders in its certificated-aircraft-operator resources, and its Air Operator FAR Search lets anyone check an operator. Match the name in the proposed trip documents to the FAA result rather than relying on a similar trade name.

Part 135 authority is the regulatory baseline for an on-demand commercial operation. It does not replace a review of the proposed aircraft, crew, insurance, or current trip information. The Jet Partners safety page explains how operating authority and trip-specific information fit together.

2. Read independent safety status precisely

Independent programs are different from FAA operating authority, and their labels are not interchangeable.

ARGUS: ARGUS describes four operator-rating levels: Registered, Gold, Gold Plus, and Platinum. Its audit ecosystem overview explains how the levels progress from registration and historical analysis to an on-site audit at Gold Plus and added safety-management and emergency-response requirements at Platinum. Ask which current level belongs to the named operator.
WYVERN Wingman: WYVERN describes Wingman certification as an operator certification based on its audit standard. Ask whether the named operator’s certification is current and what it covers.
IS-BAO: IBAC describes IS-BAO as a voluntary standard for business-aircraft operators, including a safety-management-system framework and staged registration. Participation does not replace the operator’s required authority or a trip-specific review.

3. Ask how money is handled

Before paying, ask:

When is payment due?
Which entity receives and holds prepaid funds?
Who holds an unused jet-card balance?
When may the company use those funds?
What do the written terms say happens to an unflown trip or unused balance if the company stops operating?
Which refund, substitution, and cancellation terms apply to the proposed trip?

These are questions for the company and its written agreement, not assumptions about how any payment must be held. Travelers comparing payment structures can also read jet cards and jet cards versus on-demand charter.

4. Check time in business

Ask when the company began operating under its present legal identity and whether ownership or operating authority has changed. Longevity supplies context about how long the organization has managed contracts, payments, and changing market conditions. It is one signal, not proof of safety or future performance.

The charter market has changed since 2012

The FAA reported 2,155 operators approved for Part 135 in October 2012. A later FAA report counted 2,030 in February 2016. The FAA’s current count is 1,837.

That current count is about 15% fewer certificated charter operators than in 2012. This is a net figure that combines exits, mergers, and new entrants. It is not a count of company failures.

A dated timeline of company changes

These events involved different business models and circumstances. They show why payment terms and company continuity belong in a booking review.

Avantair: Four creditors filed an involuntary Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition against the fractional company in July 2013. The filing sought liquidation of company assets to repay creditors.
Zetta Jet: The company filed Chapter 11 in September 2017, then stopped operating and filed Chapter 7 by December 2017. The company stopped operating on November 30, 2017.
JetSuite: The company filed Chapter 11 in April 2020. A court opinion describes customers who had prepaid for locked-in hourly rates.
Jet It: The fractional company was grounded and shut down in May 2023. Customers faced the loss of an operating program.
Wheels Up: The company agreed in August 2023 to give about 95% of the company to lenders in a $500M financing. Wheels Up is still operating. Customers faced a major ownership and financing change, not a company failure.

The practical lesson is limited: prepaid balances and memberships carry company risk. Ask the money questions above before committing funds.

What longevity does and does not tell you

Years in business can show continuity, but it cannot establish that a particular flight is safe. A long operating history does not replace current FAA authority, independent safety information, or details tied to the proposed operator, aircraft, crew, insurance, and date. A newer company is not automatically unsafe, either.

Use longevity alongside the certificate and audit checks. Then compare the written proposal, operator identity, and payment terms for the actual trip. The charter overview explains the booking path, while the comparison index organizes other charter decisions.

Jet Partners’ approach

Jet Partners was founded in 2010 by Benton Morgan and Erik Hocoluk, who have worked in private jet charter since 2007. Every trip flies with an FAA Part 135 operator. As described on the safety page, we review available carrier, aircraft, crew, insurance and independent safety information before written acceptance; records and third-party status remain subject to trip-specific verification.

Questions to carry into a proposal

Write down the operator’s legal name, current certificate-search result, independent program status, payment recipient, balance terms, and company history. Keep those answers with the proposal so that a substitution or updated term can be checked against the original information.

Ready to review a proposed trip? Request a charter quote with the itinerary and the questions you want answered in writing.

Sources and review record

Reviewed September 23, 2026. Current operator counts, certifications, company status, and proposed-trip details can change and should be checked again before booking.

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