What is a grey charter and is it legal in France?
A grey charter is a paid flight operated by someone without an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) — often an aircraft registered for private use, sold as a charter. It is illegal in France and across the European Union: without an AOC no flight for payment is permitted, and the aircraft’s insurance may not cover passengers on a disguised commercial flight.
How to spot one
A price well below the market, an owner who is “sharing costs”, a dry-lease contract paired with a recommended pilot, a refusal to give the operator’s AOC number: these are the classic signals. In a legal charter, the operating company and its certificate are identified.
The question to ask before paying
Ask for the operator’s name and AOC number, then check it with the authority that issued it — the DGAC in France. Our flights are operated exclusively by ARGUS Gold or Wyvern Wingman certified operators.
The numbers, route by route
| Route | Category | Passengers | Flight | Estimate (one-way) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paris → Nice690 km | Light jet | up to 7 | 1h 12 | €3,000–4,000* |
| Paris → Geneva410 km | Light jet | up to 7 | 48 min | €2,000–2,500* |
| Paris → London370 km | Light jet | up to 7 | 48 min | €2,000–2,500* |
| London → Nice1,030 km | Midsize jet | up to 9 | 1h 36 | €6,000–7,000* |
Computed estimates: great-circle distance × 1.05, time at manufacturer cruise + 0.3 h taxi, published broker hourly rates (Paramount Business Jets), converted at the ECB rate. The firm price depends on aircraft positioning, fees and date.
* Flight under two hours: most operators bill a two-hour minimum per day of use, so the real price is above the computed estimate.