GCBA
GCBA-03 · v1.0 · Public Draft

Operator and AOC Verification

Operator and AOC verification is the documented check a broker performs before contracting: that the carrier holds a current Air Operator Certificate (or national equivalent), that the specific aircraft is on that certificate, and that the evidence is retained.

Number
GCBA-03
Version
1.0
Published
2025-01-01
Next review
2026-01-01

Purpose

Reduce the risk of arranging flights with unauthorised or out-of-scope carriers by requiring a dated, reconstructable verification of certificate, aircraft listing and insurance before a charter agreement is signed.

Scope

  • • All operator selection decisions.
  • • First-time and repeat operators.
  • • Aircraft substitutions after a booking is confirmed.
  • • Sub-charter chains where another broker proposes the carrier.

Core requirements

  • Identify the legal entity that will hold operational control, not a trading name or intermediary.
  • Obtain a current copy of the Air Operator Certificate or national equivalent and confirm it is valid for the intended flight category and route.
  • Confirm the specific aircraft registration is listed on the operator's operations specifications or approved fleet list.
  • Confirm hull and liability insurance is in force for the travel dates, at limits disclosed to the client.
  • Re-verify immediately if the tail number is substituted or the operating entity changes.
  • Do not rely on another broker's verbal assurance; see the underlying documents or perform the check yourself.
  • Retain dated evidence with the booking file.

Examples of acceptable practice

  • Dated file for each operator used.
  • Refusing or delaying a booking when the certificate or tail listing cannot be evidenced.
  • Telling the client which entity will operate and what was checked.

Examples of problematic practice

  • Booking on a screenshot, a broker-to-broker chat, or a prior trip.
  • Treating a third-party safety rating as a substitute for certificate verification.
  • Checking only after the client has paid.
  • Describing an operator as GCBA-approved.

Jurisdiction notes

  • Certificate names differ by jurisdiction (AOC, AOC/OL, Part 135 air carrier certificate).
  • US brokers remain subject to 14 CFR Part 295 disclosure rules.
  • EU/UK operating carriers need a valid AOC and operating licence.
  • GCBA does not operate a verification portal and does not certify operators.

What operator and AOC verification actually is

Operator and AOC verification is the documented check a broker performs before contracting a charter flight. It is not a safety audit, a quality rating or a guarantee of performance. It is a disciplined, evidence-based confirmation that the legal entity which will hold operational control is authorised to do so, that the specific aircraft is on that authorisation, and that the insurance expected by the client is in force for the relevant dates.

The purpose of the check is to make the booking reconstructable. If a client, an authority or an insurer later asks who operated the flight and on what basis they were selected, the broker should be able to produce a dated record showing the certificate, the aircraft listing and the insurance validity that were relied on at the time.

The pre-contract verification checklist

Before a charter agreement is signed, the broker should be able to answer each of the following questions and support the answer with dated evidence:

  • What is the full legal name of the entity that will hold operational control?
  • Does that entity hold a current Air Operator Certificate or national equivalent?
  • Does the certificate cover the flight category, aircraft type and route in question?
  • Is the specific aircraft registration listed on the operator's operations specifications or approved fleet list?
  • Is hull and liability insurance in force for the travel dates, and are the limits those disclosed to the client?
  • Has the tail number or operating entity changed since the quotation was issued?
  • If another broker proposed the operator, has the underlying certificate or fleet evidence been seen, not merely described?
  • Where is the dated verification record stored with the booking file?

Aircraft substitution and sub-charter chains

A substitution is not a clerical update. When the tail number changes, the broker must re-verify that the replacement aircraft is on the same operator's certificate and that the same insurance cover applies. A different tail on the same operator can still be out of scope, and a different operator entirely is a new contracting decision that requires a fresh verification.

Sub-charter chains multiply the risk because each intermediary may assume the next has performed the check. A broker that accepts a carrier proposed by another broker without seeing the underlying certificate or fleet evidence is relying on assurance rather than documentation. The standard requires the placing broker to see the documents or perform the check itself, regardless of how the operator was introduced.

Where verification commonly fails

The most common failures are not exotic. A certificate is checked once and never refreshed, so an operator that was valid in January is still treated as valid in August even though the document may have changed. An insurance certificate is accepted at quotation stage but its expiry date is not checked against the flight date. A tail number is substituted late at night and the new aircraft is assumed to be on the same certificate because the operator name is the same.

The other recurring failure is conflation. A third-party safety rating, an audit registration or a positive trip history is treated as evidence of current certification. These sources may be useful inputs, but they are not substitutes for the AOC, the aircraft listing and the insurance certificate. The broker must verify the certificate directly, record the date, and keep the file.

What to tell the client

Clients are entitled to clarity on who will operate their flight and what the broker verified. Members should name the operating entity, confirm that operational control rests with that carrier, describe the checks performed in plain language, and avoid any wording that implies GCBA or the broker has certified, audited or approved the operator.

The strongest client communication is factual and limited: the operator's legal name, the certificate type, the aircraft registration, the insurance validity dates, and a statement that the broker has retained a dated verification record. This is more credible than a safety claim and far more defensible if the flight is later questioned.

Frequently asked questions

What is operator and AOC verification?

It is the documented check a charter broker performs before contracting a flight to confirm that the operating carrier holds a current Air Operator Certificate or national equivalent, that the specific aircraft is listed on that certificate, and that the insurance is in force for the travel dates.

What should a broker check before contracting an operator?

At minimum: the legal operating entity, the certificate and its scope for the flight category and route, the aircraft registration on the approved fleet list, and valid hull and liability insurance at the limits disclosed to the client. The broker should also confirm the operating entity has not changed since the quotation was issued.

Is a third-party safety rating enough?

No. A third-party safety rating, audit registration or historical trip record may be useful context, but it is not a substitute for verifying the current Air Operator Certificate, aircraft listing and insurance directly. These documents are the primary evidence the broker must retain.

What if the aircraft is substituted after booking?

Re-verify immediately. A new tail number requires confirmation that it is on the same operator's certificate and covered by the same insurance for the travel dates. If the operating entity changes, the verification must be performed from the beginning.

Does GCBA verify or approve operators?

No. GCBA does not operate a verification portal, audit aircraft, certify operators or issue safety ratings. Members are responsible for performing their own operator and AOC verification and retaining the evidence.

How long should verification records be kept?

For at least the limitation period applicable to charter contracts in the relevant jurisdiction, and longer where insurance, aviation, tax or AML rules require it. Records must remain retrievable after the flight, not only during it.

Related knowledge

Change history

VersionDateNote
1.02025-01-01Initial public draft.
1.02026-08-24Content expansion: checklist, deep-dive and FAQ for operator/AOC verification.
This standard is educational and does not constitute legal advice. Members must comply with applicable law and regulation in every jurisdiction in which they operate.
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Method, obligations and practical guidance

Reading GCBA-03 in the wider framework.

How this standard was drafted

Operator and AOC Verification was prepared by a drafting group convened by the Advisory Board and opened for public consultation before adoption. Every material comment received during the consultation window was logged, considered and disposed of on the record. The version and status shown at the top of this page reflect the outcome of that process; earlier versions, where they exist, remain accessible through the changelog.

A standard is not a checklist. It is a statement of what the Association considers professional practice, expressed in language a member can operationalise, an operator can rely on and a client can read. The requirements above are drafted in the imperative for that reason: they describe conduct, not paperwork.

“A standard exists to make the invisible parts of a transaction legible — to the client who commissions it, the operator who performs it and the regulator who oversees it.”
GCBA Standards Charter

Member obligations

Members accept the Code of Professional Conduct on joining and, by extension, agree to operate consistently with the standards framework of which this document forms part. Where this standard requires evidence, members are expected to retain that evidence in a form that can be produced on request during periodic review.

Where a jurisdiction imposes an obligation that goes beyond this standard, the jurisdictional rule prevails. Where a jurisdiction is silent, this standard describes the Association's expectation. Where the two conflict, members are expected to comply with law and to record the tension in a note that can be shared during the next consultation cycle.

Practical guidance for implementation

Most members will operationalise this standard by adjusting three artefacts: the client-facing engagement or quotation document, the internal verification or operating checklist, and the post-engagement record. Reviewing those three documents against the requirements above is a reliable first pass. Where the standard names an evidence expectation, the record should show not only that the step was completed but how it was completed and by whom.

For contested or borderline cases, the Association issues non-binding interpretive notes on request. Notes are anonymised before publication and are treated as reference material for the next scheduled review of this standard.

How this standard connects to the rest of the framework

No standard operates alone. Conduct, disclosure, verification, contracts, payments, safety, privacy, marketing and training are interdependent: a shortfall in one standard often manifests as a failure recorded against another. Members implementing this document are encouraged to read the related knowledge articles linked above and to review the full framework index to place these requirements in context.

Comments, dissenting views and proposed revisions to this standard are welcomed at any time and considered formally at the next scheduled review. The open consultations page lists all drafts currently open for structured feedback.