ARGUS Unveils Online Charter Registry

Aug 11, 2010 12:31 PM

ARGUS International, Inc. (ARGUS) has launched a new online registry of charter operators that features the ARGUS Charter Evaluation and Qualification (CHEQ) rating. In the decade that ARGUS has been using the CHEQ data analysis system, these ratings have never been available free to the public, in a searchable, online registry. Currently, 418 charter operators worldwide hold a Gold, Gold Plus or Platinum rating. The registry of ARGUS rated charter operators can be found at http://www.aviationresearch.com/CHEQOnline/search/op_search.asp.

Since 2000, ARGUS has extracted, filtered and vetted data on charter operators around the world through its Charter Evaluation and Qualification program. To score the gathered data, ARGUS uses a proprietary algorithm that has formed the foundation of the only rating system in the business jet charter marketplace. This scoring system is the backbone of CHEQ and is designed to provide charter buyers with an independent, third party, factual rating based on an operator’s actual safety history. Operators can achieve either a Gold Plus or Platinum rating through a combination of having their data analyzed and an on-site audit of their operations. The audits must be performed by ARGUS using the ARGUS Platinum standard as the benchmark. The number of ARGUS rated operators has been rising steadily and currently consists of 306 Gold, 27 Gold Plus and 85 Platinum rated charter operators.

“We are seeing this growth as a result of the charter marketplace rebounding from the recent recession, while at the same time the FAA and NTSB are placing even more emphasis on the appropriate method by which charter should be bought and sold,” said Joe Moeggenberg, ARGUS President and CEO. “While there is no guarantee for safety, we believe a safe operating history combined with an audit against industry best practices is a good starting point for any buyer of charter services."

Moeggenberg said ARGUS-rated operators had proven their commitment to safety with more than 700,000 flight hours per year. Although the rating is just one part of the information ARGUS compiles on these operators, it is a significant enough piece of data that ARGUS felt it was time to make the ratings accessible to the general public, he said.

“ARGUS is a huge proponent of accurate, easy-to-use due diligence programs and on-site safety audits,” said Terry Webb, ARGUS Executive Vice President responsible for the audit and CHEQ program. “We have nearly 50 people involved in these two areas, and on an annual basis, we will perform over 150 on-site audits on air carriers and charter companies around the world and receive and vet over 1 million pieces of data on these same operators.”

About ARGUS
ARGUS International, Inc. (ARGUS) is the industry leader in providing specialized aviation services to companies that manufacture, finance, operate, maintain and market commercial and business aircraft, as well providing products and services to end-user consumers around the world. ARGUS is the worldwide leader in performing on-site safety audits for corporate flight departments, charter operators and commercial airlines. Founded in 1995, key ARGUS services include Charter Evaluation & Qualification (CHEQ) and CHEQPoint, technology consulting and software development, TRAQPak market intelligence data service, aircraft operating cost reports, market research and aviation and travel consulting. ARGUS is headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, with additional offices in Doylestown, Penn., Denver, Colo., and Columbus, Ohio. For more information, visit www.argus.aero.

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