Private Jet Charter Glossary

Charter has a vocabulary, and most of it ends up on your quote. This glossary explains the terms the way we use them when we price and plan a flight — what each one is, and what it changes about your trip. 97 entries, grouped the way a booking actually unfolds.

Chartering

Charter broker

A charter broker arranges private flights on a client’s behalf but does not own or operate aircraft — it contracts a certified operator for each trip. The broker’s job is sourcing the right aircraft, negotiating the rate, vetting the operator’s certification and insurance, and managing the trip end to end. Jet Supply is a broker: we arrange aircraft, we do not operate them. The distinction matters legally — the operator, not the broker, holds responsibility for the flight itself.

Operator (and AOC)

An operator is the company that actually flies the aircraft — it employs the crew, maintains the jet and holds the Air Operator Certificate (AOC), the licence a civil aviation authority issues for commercial flying. In Europe an AOC is granted under EASA rules; a charter sold to the public must be flown by an AOC holder. When you charter through a broker, every quote should name an AOC-certified operator behind it.

Empty leg

An empty leg is a repositioning flight that would otherwise fly without passengers — typically the return of a one-way charter or a ferry to the next pick-up. Operators discount them heavily, commonly 25–75% off the on-demand price, because the aircraft flies either way. The trade-off is rigidity: the date, routing and aircraft are fixed, and the flight can be cancelled or re-timed if the primary booking changes. See our empty leg guide.

Positioning (ferry) flight

A positioning or ferry flight moves an aircraft without passengers — from its home base to your departure airport, or onward after drop-off. On-demand charter prices include positioning in the quote, which is why the same route can price differently depending on where the nearest available aircraft sits that day, and why a one-way trip is not simply half a round trip.

Air ambulance (medevac)

An air ambulance is an aircraft configured for medical transport — a stretcher system, medical oxygen, monitoring and a medical crew — chartered for evacuation or repatriation when a scheduled flight is impossible or unwise. It is arranged like any charter, plus a clinical layer: a medical team assesses fitness to fly, and the receiving hospital is coordinated before departure. We arrange air ambulance charter around the clock; the operator and medical provider carry clinical responsibility.

Jet card and fractional ownership

A jet card is prepaid flight time at fixed hourly rates; fractional ownership is buying a share of a specific aircraft with guaranteed access. Both trade flexibility for predictability, and both carry commitments that only pay off above a certain number of flight hours a year. For most flyers under roughly 50 hours annually, on-demand charter remains the cheaper structure — our comparison guide runs the arithmetic.

On-demand charter

Booking a private aircraft for a single trip, as and when you need it, with no membership or upfront commitment. You pay for that flight and nothing more — the model most of our clients use, and the one against which jet cards and fractional shares are judged.

Wet lease (ACMI)

An arrangement where an operator provides the Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance together (hence ACMI). Most charter is effectively a short wet lease: you get the whole package for the trip, not a bare aircraft.

Aircraft management

A service where a company operates a private owner’s aircraft on their behalf — crewing, maintenance, compliance — and often charters it out to offset costs when the owner is not flying. Many aircraft we source are managed fleets.

Group charter

A charter for a larger party than a business jet holds, flown on a VIP airliner or a small fleet of jets. Used for corporate roadshows, sports teams and incentive travel; priced by the aircraft, not the seat.

Sole use

The whole aircraft is yours for the trip — no other passengers, no shared cabin. This is the norm in charter (as opposed to per-seat models), and it is what “private” means on your quote.

Charter agreement

The contract for a single trip between you and the broker (or operator), setting out the aircraft, route, price, and the cancellation and liability terms. We set every line out before you commit; there is nothing in it you have not seen.

Owner’s approval

On managed aircraft, the owner can retain the right to approve or decline a charter of their aircraft. It is why a quote is occasionally withdrawn late — the owner reclaimed the aircraft — and why we hold a backup option on high-value dates.

Pricing

Block time (block hour)

Block time is the interval from the moment the aircraft first moves under its own power to the moment it parks — taxi out, flight, taxi in. Charter is priced per block hour, not per airborne hour, which is why a quoted ‘flight time’ on an invoice is longer than the time you spend in the air. A London–Paris sector is roughly 35 minutes airborne but close to an hour of block time.

All-in rate

An all-in rate bundles the block-hour price with the costs that always occur — positioning, landing and handling fees, standard catering and passenger taxes — so the quote you accept is the amount you pay. The alternative, a teaser base rate with surcharges arriving later, is common in the industry. Our published prices are all-in; de-icing and third-party extras like ground transfers are the standard exclusions.

Minimum charge (daily minimum)

Operators bill short flights against a minimum — commonly around 1.5 block hours per day, more for heavy jets — because a 40-minute hop still consumes a crew duty day and an aircraft’s availability. This is why the shortest routes carry the highest cost per kilometre: a London–Paris charter prices at the minimum, not the 52-minute block. If your sector is very short, the minimum charge, not distance, sets the price.

Peak day

Peak days are calendar dates of concentrated demand — major holidays, school breaks, marquee events like the Monaco Grand Prix — on which operators apply surcharges, tighten cancellation terms and enforce longer minimums. Booking around a peak day, even by 24 hours, often moves the price more than changing aircraft class.

De-icing

De-icing is the removal of frozen contamination from the airframe before departure, billed per application at the airport’s rates — from a few hundred euros on a light jet to several thousand on a heavy jet at a congested hub. It is the one significant cost honest quotes exclude, because nobody controls the weather; treat any winter charter budget as the quote plus a de-icing contingency.

One-way pricing

One-way pricing charges only your occupied sector, with the operator absorbing the repositioning risk — the model behind published ‘from’ prices on high-traffic routes. Where demand is thinner, quotes may instead include the empty return. Which model applies depends on how likely the operator is to sell the aircraft’s next sector; on dense corridors like London–Nice, one-way pricing is standard.

Repositioning fee

The cost of flying the aircraft empty to reach your departure airport, and away afterwards. On a one-way trip it is the single biggest variable in the price — an aircraft already near you is far cheaper than one ferried across the continent.

Overnight (crew) fee

When a trip keeps the crew away overnight, their hotel and expenses are billed on the quote. It is why a same-day return can cost less than an overnight stay on an otherwise identical route.

Crew duty time

The regulated window within which a crew may work, from report to final shutdown. A day that runs long — delays, late catering, a slow passenger — can push a crew out of hours and force a second crew or an overnight, which is why we build slack into the schedule.

Landing fee

A charge levied by the airport each time an aircraft lands, scaled by weight. Major and slot-controlled airports (Le Bourget, London City) charge more; it is a line on the quote, not a hidden extra.

Handling fee

What the FBO or handling agent charges to service the aircraft on the ground — marshalling, baggage, passenger lounge, crew support. It varies widely by airport and by handler, and we quote it, not bury it.

Parking fee

The cost of leaving the aircraft on the ground between legs. On a short trip it is minor; on a multi-day stay at a busy airport in peak season it can be significant, and sometimes it is cheaper to ferry the aircraft away and back.

Fuel surcharge

An adjustment reflecting the price of jet fuel at the time of the trip. Most all-in quotes already fold current fuel in; a separate surcharge appears mainly when fuel moves sharply between quote and flight.

Air Passenger Duty (APD)

A UK tax charged per departing passenger, banded by distance and — for private jets — at a higher “higher rate.” It is a real, non-negotiable line on any quote departing the UK, and it rises with cabin size and range.

VAT on charter

Value-added tax may apply to a charter depending on the routing and the countries involved — domestic legs within some EU states attract it, many international legs do not. We flag where it applies before you commit.

Catering

Food and drink loaded for the flight, from a simple tray to a chef-prepared menu. Standard catering is usually included; specific requests — a named restaurant, particular wines, dietary needs — are quoted on top and need lead time.

Aircraft

Cabin classes

Charter aircraft group into classes by cabin size and range: very light and entry-level jets (2–5 seats, short hops), light and super-light (6–8 seats, up to ~3 hours), midsize and super-midsize (8–10 seats, continental range), heavy jets (10–16 seats, intercontinental), ultra-long-range (14–19 seats, 12+ hours nonstop) and VIP airliners. Class drives price more than any other choice — see our fleet for hourly rates per class.

Range (nautical miles)

Aviation measures distance in nautical miles (1 nm = 1.852 km) and aircraft range as the maximum distance flyable with reserves — but the usable number is always lower than the brochure figure, because range shrinks with a full cabin, headwinds and weather reserves. A ‘3,600 nm’ jet is not a reliable 3,600 nm jet with eight passengers in winter; matching real range to your sector is part of the broker’s job.

MTOW

Maximum take-off weight — the certified ceiling for aircraft, fuel, passengers and baggage combined. MTOW drives airport fees (landing charges scale with weight), runway requirements and, on hot days or short runways, the practical trade between fuel and payload. It is also the threshold many airport noise and operating restrictions key on.

Tech stop

A tech stop is a refuelling landing with no passenger change, inserted when the sector exceeds the aircraft’s practical range. It typically adds 45–60 minutes and an extra set of airport fees. The classic charter arithmetic: a smaller jet with a tech stop is often cheaper than a nonstop heavy jet — but not faster; whether the stop is worth it depends on which you are optimising.

Turboprop

A turboprop is a propeller aircraft driven by a turbine engine — slower and lower-flying than a jet, but dramatically cheaper per hour and able to use runways jets cannot. On sectors under about 500 km, block-time difference versus a light jet is often 15–20 minutes, while the hourly rate is roughly half. The Pilatus PC-12 and Beechcraft King Air series dominate the class.

Very light jet (VLJ)

The smallest jet class — typically four to five seats and two to three hours of range, such as a Citation Mustang or Phenom 100. The entry point to jet travel; often a turboprop is the better value on the same leg.

Light jet

Six to seven seats and two to three hours of range — a Phenom 300, Citation CJ series or Pilatus PC-24. The value choice for short European legs such as London to Geneva, and the aircraft we place most often.

Midsize jet

Seven to nine seats, a stand-up cabin and three to four hours of range — a Citation XLS or Learjet 60. The step up when the light-jet cabin feels tight or the leg runs longer.

Super-midsize jet

Eight to ten seats and four to six hours of range, with a genuinely spacious cabin — a Challenger 350, Praetor 600 or Gulfstream G280. Crosses Europe comfortably and reaches the near Middle East.

Heavy jet

Ten to fourteen seats and the range for intercontinental trips — a Challenger 605, Falcon 900 or Gulfstream G450. Full standing cabin, enclosed lavatory, and room to work or rest on a long leg.

Ultra-long-range jet

The flagships — a Gulfstream G650, Bombardier Global 7500 or Falcon 8X — that cross any ocean nonstop, twelve to nineteen seats with a bedroom and shower on the largest. What you charter for New York to Dubai in one hop.

VIP airliner

A converted narrow- or wide-body airliner (an ACJ or BBJ) fitted as a private cabin for large groups and the longest sectors. The top of the market by capacity and cabin volume.

Stand-up cabin

A cabin tall enough to walk through without stooping — the practical dividing line between light jets (where you cannot) and midsize and larger (where you can). It matters most on flights over two hours.

Payload

The total weight an aircraft can carry — passengers, bags and catering — which trades against fuel. A full cabin on a long leg can mean the aircraft cannot also carry full fuel, forcing a fuel stop or a larger aircraft.

Balanced field length

The runway length an aircraft needs to either stop safely if it aborts take-off or continue safely if it loses an engine at the worst moment. It is why a heavy jet cannot use some short runways a light jet can.

Hot and high

Hot air and high-altitude airports both thin the air, cutting engine thrust and lift, so an aircraft needs more runway or must carry less weight. It shapes which aircraft can serve places like St. Moritz, Aspen or Cabo in summer.

Cabin altitude

The effective altitude the pressurised cabin simulates in cruise. Newer large-cabin jets hold a lower cabin altitude — nearer sea level — which is why you arrive less tired off a Global or G650 than an older type.

Cruise speed (Mach)

How fast an aircraft cruises, given as a fraction of the speed of sound (Mach). Most business jets cruise around Mach 0.80–0.85; the fastest, like a Citation X or Gulfstream, approach Mach 0.90 and shave real time off long legs.

Service ceiling

The maximum altitude at which an aircraft can still climb effectively — typically 41,000–51,000 ft for business jets. A high ceiling lets a jet cruise above weather and airline traffic, which is part of why private flights are smoother.

Winglets

The upturned tips on many jet wings that cut drag and extend range or cruise efficiency. A visible sign of a newer or upgraded airframe; not something you choose, but part of why two similar-looking jets differ in range.

Auxiliary power unit (APU)

A small onboard engine that powers the cabin — lights, air conditioning — on the ground without running the main engines. It is why you can board a comfortable, cool cabin before the engines start.

Airports and operations

FBO (fixed-base operator)

An FBO is the private-aviation terminal and handling business at an airport — the building you actually use when flying privately. It provides lounges, crew facilities, fuelling, and ramp access; you drive to the FBO, not the airline terminal, and boarding is typically minutes after arrival. Large airports host several competing FBOs; which one your flight uses is set in the trip sheet.

GA terminal

GA (general aviation) terminal is the airport-run equivalent of an FBO — a dedicated facility for private flights, common at European airports where handling is centralised (Munich and Vienna both run their own). Functionally identical for the passenger: separate entrance, private security screening, direct ramp access.

Airport slot

A slot is a scheduled permission to take off or land at a coordinated airport within a time window. Congested hubs (Nice, Palma in summer, London airports) require slots for private flights too, and slot availability — not aircraft availability — is often what actually constrains a peak-season departure time. Slot changes on the day are normal; your broker manages them with the handler.

PPR (prior permission required)

PPR means the airport must approve each movement in advance — standard at business-aviation airports that manage their own capacity (Farnborough runs full PPR) and at small fields with limited parking. PPR lead times range from an hour to several days in ski season; it is one of the quiet reasons charter needs operational lead time even when an aircraft is available.

Curfew

A curfew closes an airport, or restricts movements, during night hours — enforced by law or planning permission, with no commercial exceptions. London City closes overnight and most of Sunday morning; Farnborough’s hours are fixed by planning law. Curfews interact with delays: a late-evening departure that slips past the curfew does not leave that night. Route planning around curfews is basic broker craft.

Steep approach

A steep approach is a certified landing profile markedly steeper than the standard 3° glidepath — London City’s 5.5° is the famous case — required where obstacles or noise rules demand it. Aircraft and crews must be specifically certified, which is why only a subset of business jets can serve London City, and why ‘nearest airport to Canary Wharf’ and ‘cheapest London airport’ are different answers.

Ground handling

Handling covers everything done to an aircraft and its passengers on the ground — marshalling, baggage, fuelling coordination, catering delivery, crew transport, and the paperwork with the airport. It is billed per movement and included in an all-in quote. The handler (FBO or GA terminal) is also who your driver meets; ‘which handler?’ is the first question for any airport pickup.

ICAO code

The four-letter airport identifier used in flight planning and operations — EGLF for Farnborough, LFPB for Le Bourget. It is the code we and the crew work from; the three-letter IATA code is the one on your boarding pass world.

IATA code

The three-letter airport code familiar from tickets — NCE for Nice, LTN for Luton. Handy shorthand, but note a metro area often has several airports; we plan to the specific ICAO field, not just the city.

Altiport

A short, often sloping mountain airfield — Courchevel, Megève — that demands a specially rated crew and aircraft. Reaching one usually means a turboprop or a helicopter connection, not a jet.

NOTAM

A Notice to Air Missions — an official alert about a runway closure, restricted airspace, an unserviceable navaid or a temporary hazard. NOTAMs can reroute or delay a flight, and the crew checks them for every trip.

Alternate (diversion) airport

A second airport the flight is planned to reach if the destination becomes unusable — weather, a closure, an incident. Carrying fuel for the alternate is a legal requirement, and it is part of why a quote assumes more than the direct distance.

Level 3 (slot-coordinated) airport

A fully coordinated airport where every movement needs an allocated slot — London Heathrow, Nice in summer. Private flights compete for scarce slots there, which is why we often route you to a quieter reliever nearby.

CIQ (customs, immigration, quarantine)

The border formalities on an international flight. At a good FBO they are handled planeside in minutes; the point of flying private is that CIQ comes to you rather than a terminal queue.

Apron (ramp)

The paved area where aircraft park, board and are serviced, as distinct from the runway and taxiways. “On the ramp” simply means at the parking stand — where your car can often meet the aircraft.

Hangar

Covered storage for aircraft, used for maintenance and to shelter from weather. It matters in winter — a hangared aircraft may need less de-icing — and hangar space at a busy airport can carry a fee.

Crew car

A car brought to the aircraft steps so passengers step from cabin to car without crossing a terminal. A standard courtesy at most FBOs and part of the seamless, planeside experience.

VIP terminal / private lounge

A dedicated private-aviation terminal — the FBO lounge — where you wait, clear formalities and board away from the main hall. Some commercial airports also run a paid VIP terminal for private departures.

Regulation, safety and borders

EASA

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency — the regulator whose rules govern European commercial operations, including charter. An EASA AOC is the European licence to sell flights to the public; it imposes crew duty limits, maintenance regimes and operational oversight far beyond private (non-commercial) flying. The American equivalent framework for charter is FAA Part 135.

ARGUS and Wyvern

ARGUS and Wyvern are independent auditors that rate charter operators beyond the legal minimum — reviewing safety history, crew experience and maintenance depth. Ratings like ARGUS Gold/Platinum or Wyvern Wingman are voluntary, operator-level credentials worth asking about when a specific operator is proposed for your trip. They rate operators, not brokers.

GAR (General Aviation Report)

The UK’s advance-notice filing for private flights crossing its border — passenger and crew details submitted to Border Force before arrival or departure. The operator or handler files it; passengers only need to supply passport details in time. Late GAR filing, not aircraft readiness, is a classic cause of slipped UK departure times.

APIS

Advance Passenger Information System — the electronic manifest many countries (the US among them) require before an inbound flight departs. As with the UK GAR, filing is the operator’s job, but it is the reason a broker asks for passport scans well before a transatlantic trip, and the reason a last-minute passenger change is more than a formality.

Schengen and customs on private flights

Within the Schengen area, private flights operate without routine passport control, though airports can require customs presence with notice for non-Schengen arrivals. Flying private does not mean skipping immigration — it means clearing it in the FBO, usually in minutes, with officers attending the aircraft or the private terminal. Non-Schengen sectors (the UK above all) always carry border formalities.

Noise restrictions

Airports increasingly regulate by noise category: quota-count systems, marginally-compliant-aircraft bans, and per-movement noise fees. For charter this occasionally rules out older aircraft types at sensitive airports, and it is one more reason two quotes for the same route can name different jets. Noise rules are airport law, not operator preference.

Cabotage

The rule restricting a foreign-registered aircraft from carrying paying passengers between two points inside another country. It shapes which operators can fly, say, a purely domestic US or EU leg, and occasionally narrows the aircraft available.

Overflight and landing permits

Government permissions some countries require to fly through their airspace or land. Most of Europe needs none for private flights, but certain routes — parts of the Middle East, Africa, Asia — need lead time to arrange.

GENDEC (General Declaration)

The standard document listing the crew, passengers and route filed with authorities on an international flight. Part of the paperwork we and the operator handle so your border crossing is quick.

Flight time limitations (FTL)

The regulated caps on how long a crew may fly and be on duty, and how much rest they need. FTLs protect safety and occasionally require a positioning night, a second crew or a schedule change on a demanding itinerary.

Two-crew operation

Business jets are flown by two qualified pilots, a captain and first officer. It is a safety standard, not an upsell; single-pilot operation exists on the smallest types but is not what we place for charter clients.

RVSM

Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum — the standard that packs more aircraft safely into the busy upper airspace by halving the vertical gap between them. Business jets are RVSM-certified, which lets them cruise at efficient high altitudes.

SAFA ramp check

A spot inspection of a foreign aircraft on the ground by European authorities, checking documents, condition and crew. A clean SAFA record is one more signal of an operator worth flying with.

Hold-over time (de-icing)

After de-icing, the window during which the treatment keeps ice off the wings before take-off. In heavy snow the window is short, so timing between de-icing and departure is managed carefully — occasionally a re-spray is needed.

Part-NCC

The European rulebook for non-commercial flights on complex aircraft — typically an owner flying their own jet privately, rather than a charter. It is a different regime from the AOC charter we arrange, with different oversight.

Comfort and cabin

Cabin configuration

How the seats, divans and tables are laid out in a given aircraft — club fours, a divan, a forward or aft galley. Two aircraft of the same type can differ inside, so we confirm the actual layout, not just the model.

Flat-bed (berthing)

Seats or divans that convert to a true horizontal bed, so you can sleep flat on a long or overnight leg. Standard on large-cabin jets; on smaller types the “bed” is a reclined divan, which is worth checking before a red-eye.

Divan

A sofa-style bench seat found in midsize and larger cabins, seating two or three and often converting to a berth. It is what turns a cabin from a row of chairs into a lounge.

Galley

The onboard kitchen area where catering is stored and prepared — coffee, a hot dish, drinks. Its size and whether it has a proper oven shapes what can be served aloft; larger jets carry a fuller galley.

Enclosed lavatory

A proper closing-door washroom, standard from midsize jets up. Light jets often have only a curtained or emergency lavatory, which is worth knowing on a flight over a couple of hours with a full cabin.

Cabin attendant

A dedicated flight attendant for the cabin — service, catering, comfort. Standard on heavy and ultra-long-range jets, available on request on some midsize types, and usually not carried on light jets.

In-flight Wi-Fi

Onboard internet, either regional (air-to-ground) or global (satellite). Coverage and speed vary a lot by aircraft and region, so if you must work or hold a call across an ocean, we confirm the specific system before booking.

Pets in cabin

Most private flights welcome pets in the cabin rather than the hold — one of the real advantages over airlines. Some countries add paperwork or pet-passport requirements, which we check for the route in advance.

Planning and weather

Flight time vs block time

Flight time is wheels-up to wheels-down; block time adds taxi at both ends and is what you are usually charged on. The gap is minutes at a quiet FBO, longer at a congested airport — which is one more reason a quieter field can be cheaper.

Tankering

Carrying extra fuel loaded where it is cheaper, to avoid buying it at an expensive destination. It trades weight against price and only pays on certain routes; the crew and operator judge when it is worth it.

Headwind and tailwind

Wind along the route that slows the aircraft (headwind) or speeds it up (tailwind), changing flight time and fuel. It is why the same route can differ by half an hour eastbound versus westbound, and why a fuel stop appears on one leg but not the other.

Weather minima

The minimum visibility and cloud base required for an aircraft and crew to land at a given airport. If conditions fall below minima the flight holds, diverts to the alternate, or waits — the reason weather occasionally reshapes a plan.

METAR and TAF

The two standard weather reports the crew plans from: a METAR is the current observation at an airport, a TAF is its forecast. Together they drive fuel, alternate and timing decisions on every trip.

Great-circle distance

The shortest path between two airports over the curved earth — the baseline for flight distance and time. Real routings run a little longer around airspace, weather and permits, which is why a quote never assumes the straight-line figure alone.

Where to go next

Prices for every class and lane are on the charter price index; the cost guide explains how a quote is built; and if a term on an actual quote is unclear, ask an advisor — around the clock.