Key takeaways
- Operators fly the aircraft; platforms connect you to the right operator.
- Safety is read in the certifications: ARGUS, Wyvern, IS-BAO.
- Flights leave from business airports (FBOs), not commercial terminals.
- Charter, empty legs, jet card, ownership: four ways to access an aircraft.
Who does what: operators, brokers, platforms
Three players. Operators own or fly the aircraft and employ the crews; they hold the air operator certificate. Brokers and platforms like Aviation Privée own no aircraft: they connect you to the right operator, aircraft and price. The advantage of an independent platform is that its recommendation serves your flight, not a fleet to fill.
Safety: reading the certifications
Safety is not guessed, it is verified. The industry references are ARGUS (Gold / Platinum rating), Wyvern (Wingman) and IS-BAO (Stage 1 to 3). A serious platform operates only with carriers certified to these standards, whatever the aircraft or route. It is the first thing to require.
The business airport, not the terminal
A private flight leaves from a business airport or FBO (Fixed Base Operator), often minutes from the city centre and entirely separate from commercial terminals. You board about fifteen minutes before take-off, with no check-in or queue. That is where most of the time is saved. See our aircraft and airports by destination.
Four ways to access an aircraft
On-demand charter rents an aircraft for a trip, no commitment. Empty legs discount empty flights. A jet card buys a block of hours at a fixed rate. Ownership, full or fractional, only makes sense at high volume. Most travellers start — and stay — with charter.
The role of certified operators
Behind every flight, an air operator owns the aircraft, employs the crew and holds the operating certificate. A serious platform only retains operators audited to ARGUS Gold or Wyvern Wingman, independent safety benchmarks. Aviation Privée owns no aircraft: its role is to qualify the need, compare certified options and arrange the flight — a platform model, not an owner-airline.
Business airports and FBOs
Private flights rarely leave from large terminals. They use business airports and dedicated terminals called FBOs, often minutes from the city centre. You arrive about fifteen minutes before take-off, no queue, no check-in. This density of airports — far greater than those served by scheduled airlines — is why you often land closer to your final destination than on commercial.
Safety and insurance
Safety rests on the operator, not the aircraft alone. The ARGUS Gold and Wyvern Wingman benchmarks are independent audits that verify the operator's history, crew training and maintenance procedures. Every flight is covered by liability insurance suited to business aviation. Retaining only certified operators, as a serious platform does, screens out players who cut corners on these standards — a filter invisible on the price but decisive in practice.
The role of the platform
Between you and the operator, a platform qualifies the need, queries available certified aircraft, compares options and arranges the flight. It operates no aircraft of its own: its interest is to bring the right aircraft at the right price, not to fill a fleet. This independent model — Aviation Privée's — gives access to a broad multi-operator fleet while filtering only on ARGUS Gold or Wyvern Wingman certified ones. You keep the choice; the platform carries the logistics.