Vetting a charter operator takes about ten minutes and five questions: which company holds the operating certificate (AOC in Europe, Part 135 in the US) and its number, the aircraft tail number, current safety ratings and their expiry dates, the assigned pilots' hours on type, and the passenger liability limit on the insurance policy. A professional operator answers all five without hesitation - and every answer can be verified independently for free.
What do ARGUS, Wyvern and IS-BAO ratings actually mean?
Third-party safety ratings are voluntary audits stacked on top of legal certification - no regulator requires them, which is exactly why they carry signal. Three systems dominate:
ARGUS runs tiered ratings: Gold verifies certificate status, accident history and pilot background checks remotely; Gold Plus adds a validated safety management system; Platinum adds an on-site audit of actual day-to-day practice; Platinum Elite is the deepest tier. Its TripCHEQ tool verifies the specific tail number and crew on your flight, not just the company. Note: ARGUS's updated Gold standard began requiring additional safety measures from late 2025.
Wyvern runs Registered (documentation and pilot-training tracking) and Wingman (a two-day on-site audit, recertified every two years). Its distinguishing tool is the PASS report - a pre-flight check of 150+ data points covering pilot currency, training records and insurance, reflecting conditions on the day you actually fly rather than an annual snapshot.
IS-BAO (audited via IBAC) is the international code of best practice, staged in three levels - it is the rating you see most on European and international operators, where ARGUS and Wyvern coverage is thinner than in North America.
The five questions to send before paying
Send them in writing and keep the reply:
1. Which company holds the operating certificate (AOC/Part 135) for this flight, and what is the certificate number?
2. What is the aircraft tail number?
3. What safety ratings does that operator currently hold - and when do they expire?
4. What are the assigned pilots' total hours and hours on this aircraft type?
5. What is the passenger liability limit on the operator's insurance?
| What to check | Acceptable answer | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate number | Provided in writing within minutes | 'We'll send it after the deposit' |
| Safety rating | Current, verifiable in public directory | Logo shown but no directory match |
| Tail number | Confirmed before payment | 'To be assigned' on a paid booking |
| Liability limit | $50M+ light, $100M+ heavy | Hull coverage quoted instead |
| Substitution policy | Written clause, equivalent-rated replacement | No clause offered |
| Pilot hours on type | Specific figures given | 'All our pilots are highly experienced' |
How do you verify an operator yourself?
Do not accept a logo on a marketing page as proof - all three systems publish searchable directories and verification takes under five minutes. ARGUS ratings via the operator search at argus.aero, Wyvern Wingman status at wyvernltd.com, IS-BAO registration through IBAC. Each shows the current rating and its expiry; an expired rating is not a rating.
For the certificate itself: in the US, FAA Part 135 certificates are verifiable via the FAA registry. In Europe, an operator's AOC is issued by its national civil aviation authority - ask for the issuing authority and AOC number, and a legitimate operator names both without friction.
What changes when you book through a broker?
Nothing about the questions - everything about who must answer. The certificated operator may not be named until the charter agreement is drafted, which is legal in both jurisdictions. What is not acceptable is a broker who cannot or will not name the operating carrier before your deposit moves: get the name and certificate in writing, then run the same five checks. For the broker-vs-operator decision itself, see our comparison guide; for how ratings fit into broader cross-border rules, our international charter regulations piece covers the framework.
Practical habits that cost nothing
Pay by credit card where possible - chargeback protection is the one consumer lever that survives international charter contracts. Put an operator-substitution clause in writing on every booking, so a mechanical swap cannot quietly downgrade you to an unrated carrier. And treat any quote meaningfully below market as a question, not a deal - ask which certificate it flies under, because the discount is usually traceable to a difference in operator quality, aircraft age, or an undisclosed positioning leg.
Pre-vetted, every flight
Every operator we quote holds a current AOC, verifiable ratings and named tail numbers - before you see a price.
Request Your Free Quote →The checklist is short because the industry made the verification easy - directories are public, certificates are registrable, and legitimate operators answer fast. The only unsafe charter is the one booked on a logo and a promise.