Safety on every Philadelphia charter flight
Every trip Jet Charter Philadelphia arranges begins with the same question: who is operating this aircraft, and what do we know about them. We answer that before we send you any options.
You are trusting us with the safety of everyone on board. The work below is what we do about that, and we are happy to walk you through any part of it before you book.
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; reports may be provided on request.
- 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.
Wyvern and ARGUS are independent third-party aviation safety organizations. They audit operators and maintain databases of operator safety records, and where an operator participates in one of those programs we reference the audit as part of our review.
Crew qualification
FAR Part 135 sets minimum crew requirements by aircraft type, and some aircraft types are certified for single-pilot operations. Rather than make a blanket promise about crew size, we confirm that the pilots assigned to your flight are experienced and current on the specific aircraft type they will be flying on.
Who controls the flight
The certified operator holds operational control of every flight we arrange, and the Pilot in Command makes the final call on departure, routing, and landing. That authority sits with the operator by regulation. Maintenance responsibility also belongs to the operator, who is certified and audited for it.
Our role is to establish, before you book, that the operator holding that authority is one we are prepared to book you with.
Weather in the Northeast
Weather is a real factor on Philadelphia charter flights, in both winter and summer. Winter brings de-icing, and de-icing takes time on the ramp before an aircraft can depart. Summer brings thunderstorms that move through the corridor quickly and restrict airspace while they pass.
Your advisor monitors conditions ahead of departure. If any changes are required due to weather and passenger safety, you can expect your advisor to reach out as soon as we are aware. Depending on the day, we may recommend expediting departure, delaying, or using an alternate airport, subject to scheduling and aircraft availability.
International trips
Not every airport can clear an international arrival. In the Philadelphia area, Philadelphia International, Northeast Philadelphia, New Castle and Trenton-Mercer are set up for customs, and elsewhere in the region so are Atlantic City, Lehigh Valley, Harrisburg, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Pittsburgh and Erie. Requirements and hours vary between them, and your advisor will confirm what applies to your routing.
On international legs, operators must meet the equivalent safety standards of the country of operation. Landing permits and authorizations are generally applied for after a trip has been secured on the aircraft schedule, and sometimes the timeline is dictated by the local airport authorities. We will always do our best to ensure departure and arrival times meet your needs, but these are sometimes subject to the approvals of the local airport authority and government.
Ask us
If you want to know how the operator on your quote was reviewed before you commit to it, ask your advisor and we will go through it with you. Call 1-888-987-5387 or request a quote online. The phone is answered at any hour, on any day of the year.
Common questions about booking, payment, documentation and aircraft selection are answered on our frequently asked questions page.