Safety on every Monaco charter flight
Safety is the first thing we consider for a trip to or from Monaco, and while brokers are not required by law to have any safety due diligence procedures in place, we go above and beyond. Before we send you a single option, we check who operates the aircraft, review that operator’s safety and incident history, and confirm that the pilots are experienced and current on the aircraft type you will be flying on.
Most Monaco trips are long flights across the Atlantic with your family, your guests or your colleagues on board, and you are entitled to know who is flying them.
Vetting Behind Every Trip
Every operator, aircraft, and crew goes through our internal due diligence before we present any options. Our internal standards meet or exceed what the FAA requires:
- FAR Part 135 charter operators for traditional private aircraft, or FAR Part 121 for airliner-size and group trips (or the foreign equivalent on international legs)
- Operator subscription to Wyvern and ARGUS reviewed where the operator participates.
- Pilot experience and operator incident history reviewed before we recommend an aircraft.
- Fewer than 60 brokers worldwide hold Premium Wyvern Broker Member status, and Air Charter Advisors is one of them.
Wyvern and ARGUS are independent third-party aviation safety organizations. They audit operators and maintain databases of operator safety records, and where an operator participates in one of those programs, we reference the audit as part of our review.
Part 135 is the FAA’s set of rules for on-demand, for-hire charter. It carries stricter operating, crew, and insurance requirements than FAR Part 91, the rules for private, non-commercial flying that cannot be sold as charter.
Crew qualification
FAR Part 135 sets minimum crew requirements by aircraft type, and some aircraft types are certified for single-pilot operations. Rather than make a blanket promise about crew size, we confirm that the pilots assigned to your flight are experienced and current on the specific aircraft type they will be flying.
Who controls the flight
The certified operator holds operational control of every flight we arrange, and the Pilot in Command makes the final call on departure, routing, and landing. Maintenance is the responsibility of the air carrier and aircraft owners. It is their job to ensure they are up to date and in compliance with all laws and regulations.
We review that operator before you book, and an operator that does not meet our standards never reaches your quote.
Flying to Monaco
Monaco has no airport runway, so private flights land at Nice Côte d’Azur, or at Cannes-Mandelieu for smaller jets, and the trip finishes by car or by helicopter to the Monaco Heliport. Nice is a busy airport with slots all year, and the Grand Prix in June fills the Riviera’s airports early, so let us know your dates of travel as soon as you solidify them and your advisor will plan the arrival in a timely manner.
Nice and Cannes are in France, so passengers arriving from the United States clear French border control when they land, and each person needs a valid passport. Monaco adds no border formalities of its own, and your advisor will tell you what each passenger needs before you travel.
Landing permits and authorizations are generally applied for after a trip has been secured on the aircraft schedule, and sometimes the timeline is dictated by the local airport authorities. We will always do our best to ensure departure and arrival times meet your needs, but these are sometimes subject to the approvals of the local airport authority and government.
Weather
The Riviera’s weather is mild for most of the year, but conditions at your departure airport and over the Atlantic can still change a schedule. Your advisor monitors conditions ahead of departure. If any changes are required due to weather and passenger safety, you can expect your advisor to reach out as soon as we are aware. Depending on the day, we may recommend expediting departure, delaying, or using an alternate airport, subject to scheduling and aircraft availability.
Ask us
If you have a question about an operator, a crew or an aircraft on your quote, ask before you book. The phone is answered 24 hours a day at 1-888-987-5387, or you can send your trip details through our contact page.
Our Monaco charter FAQ page answers the common questions about booking, payment, travel documents and choosing an aircraft.