Aircraft Charter Safety: Look Past the Headlines
Recent international headlines have suggested that private jet charters are dangerous. Many of the numbers behind them mix very different kinds of flying, from weekend pilots to flight schools to helicopters doing aerial work. If you're weighing aircraft charter safety, the answer depends on what kind of flying you mean, and who operates your flight.
Here's what Canada's accident data shows, how Canada regulates aircraft charter, and the safety ratings to check before you book.
Is aircraft charter safe?
Professional aircraft charter is one of the most tightly regulated kinds of flying in Canada. A charter operator needs a Transport Canada air operator certificate, crews work within regulated flight and duty limits, and the operation is subject to ongoing government oversight.
The best operators go further, with independently audited safety management and third-party safety ratings. Those ratings, more than any headline, are the clearest sign of a safe charter operator.
"Private aviation" covers very different kinds of flying
In headlines, "small plane" or "private aircraft" can mean a student on a training flight, a recreational pilot, a helicopter doing aerial work, or a jet flown by a commercial charter operator. Regulators treat them differently, and they carry different risks.
Many widely shared figures, including US "general aviation" statistics (largely private flying under FAA Part 91) and totals that include helicopters, describe something quite different from professional aircraft charter.
What Canada's 2025 accident data shows
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) reported 204 aviation accidents in 2025. By type of flying:
| Type of flying | Accidents, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Private and recreational | 124 |
| Flight training | 31 |
| Aerial work (CAR 702) | 21 |
| Air taxi (CAR 703): small props and helicopters | 18 |
| Airline (CAR 705) | 4 |
| Other (state, foreign, unknown) | 4 |
| Commuter (CAR 704): jets, large props and large helicopters | 2 |
Commuter (CAR 704) operations across Canada recorded 2 accidents in 2025, and no one was hurt in either: a helicopter struck by lightning returned safely, and a jet was hit by a de-icing truck on the ground. The TSB counts both as accidents because the aircraft were substantially damaged, even though no one was injured.
The data can't show a reliable accident rate for each type of flying. Rates need hours flown, and the TSB notes that Transport Canada has not provided hours-flown data since 2021. Any headline that claims one kind of flying is "X times more dangerous" deserves a second look.
How aircraft charter is regulated in Canada
NovaJet operates its charter flights under CAR Subpart 704, with a Transport Canada air operator certificate. Under the regulations, every CAR 704 charter operator must have:
- An air operator certificate (AOC) issued by Transport Canada only after the operator shows a proper organisation, operational control, an approved training program and maintenance that meets the regulations (CAR 704.07);
- Transport Canada-approved managers: a full-time operations manager, chief pilot and maintenance manager;
- An approved company operations manual and an operational control system for every flight (CAR 704.15, 704.120);
- Standard operating procedures (SOPs) for every aircraft that requires two pilots, carried on board (CAR 704.124);
- Two pilots whenever 10 or more passengers are on board, or on any passenger flight under instrument flight rules (CAR 704.106). The captain must have at least 1,200 hours of flight time (CAR 704.108). NovaJet flies every flight with two pilots;
- Mandatory crew training and checks: an approved ground and flight training program with initial and annual training, including emergency procedures and de-icing, plus pilot proficiency checks on each aircraft type (CAR 704.108, 704.115);
- Regulated flight and duty limits and minimum rest for crews (CAR 700, Division III);
- An approved maintenance control system for every aircraft (CAR 706).
Charter safety ratings: going beyond the regulations
IS-BAO Stage 3
Under the Canadian Aviation Regulations (CAR 107.01), airline operators under CAR 705 must have a formal safety management system (SMS), but CAR 703 and 704 charter operators do not.
NovaJet operates to a higher standard, with a safety management system independently audited to IS-BAO Stage 3, the highest stage of the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations. Stage 3 confirms that safety management is fully integrated into how the company works and that a positive safety culture is maintained.
ARG/US Platinum Elite
ARG/US is an independent, third-party auditor of charter operators. Platinum Elite is its highest safety rating. It builds on the on-site safety audit required for Platinum and adds continuous audit monitoring. Learn more about safety at NovaJet.
How to choose a safe aircraft charter operator: 3 questions
- Who holds the operating certificate for my flight? A broker sells the trip; an operator flies it. Ask for the operator's name and certificate.
- Is the operator independently safety-audited? Look for current IS-BAO registration (and its stage) and an ARG/US or Wyvern rating.
- Can you show me, in writing? Any reputable charter operator will share its certificates and audit ratings.
We're happy to answer all three for every NovaJet flight. Safety isn't a slogan. It's audited, and it's ingrained in our culture.
Request a charter quote or ask our team about our safety ratings.
Frequently asked questions about aircraft charter safety
Is private jet charter safe?
NovaJet operates its charter jets under CAR 704, with a Transport Canada air operator certificate, regulated crew duty limits and ongoing oversight. Across all commuter (CAR 704) operators in Canada, the TSB recorded 2 accidents in 2025, with no injuries in either. Neither involved NovaJet. Choosing an operator with independent safety ratings adds another layer of assurance.
Who regulates aircraft charter in Canada?
Transport Canada certifies and oversees charter operators under the Canadian Aviation Regulations. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada investigates accidents independently.
Do charter operators in Canada need a safety management system?
Not by law. CAR 107.01 requires a safety management system for airline (CAR 705) operators, but not for CAR 703 or 704 charter operators. Many leading operators, including NovaJet, run an independently audited SMS anyway.
What is IS-BAO Stage 3?
IS-BAO is the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations. Stage 3, the highest stage, confirms that safety management is fully integrated into the operation and that a positive safety culture is maintained.
What is ARG/US Platinum Elite?
It's ARG/US's highest safety rating, an independent third-party auditor of charter operators, combining an on-site safety audit with continuous monitoring.
Sources: Transportation Safety Board of Canada, 2025 Air Transportation Statistical Summary and air transportation occurrence data (tsb.gc.ca); Canadian Aviation Regulations 107.01 and 704.01 (laws-lois.justice.gc.ca); IBAC, IS-BAO; ARGUS.
