Aviation entrepreneurs seem increasingly interested in purchasing aircraft charter companies opportunistically from the thousands that exist today. Others who want to enter the aircraft charter business believe the cleanest way to do so is to apply to the FAA for a new air carrier certificate authorizing operations under FAR Part 135.
In most cases, a potential buyer fares better by purchasing the legal entity (Part 135 operator) to which the FAA issued a certificate. That purchase may take several months to close, whereas an applicant may have to devote a year or more to obtaining two separate authorizations—one from the Department of Transportation (DOT) under FAR Part 119 and a related certificate from the FAA.
David G. Mayer is a member of the global Aviation Practice Group at Shackelford, McKinley & Norton in Dallas, which handles private aircraft matters, including regulatory compliance, tax planning, purchases, sales, leasing and financing, risk management, insurance, aircraft management and operations, hangar leasing, and related corporate work. Mayer frequently represents corporations and high- and ultra-high-net worth individuals and other aircraft owners, flight departments, lessees, borrowers, operators, sellers, purchasers, corporations and managers, as well as lessors and lenders. He can be contacted at [email protected].
More In Charter & Fractional
