Executive Flight Services Receives FAA Approval for 10 Seats or More and Travel Worldwide
/Answering the marketplace demand for expanded travel options, Executive Flight Services announces its certification and capability to manage and fly FAR Part 135 aircraft with 10 seats or more, as well as the ability to operate flights to Europe, across the Pacific and throughout the world.
Executive Flight Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of Executive AirShare, has recently completed its comprehensive certification process by the Federal Aviation Administration to operate jets with 10 seats or more over ocean routes. The thorough vetting by the FAA included a validation flight made by Executive Flight Services pilots in June on a Hawker 4000 aircraft from Bangor, Maine to Shannon, Ireland. The “10 or More” certification allows longer flights on larger EFS-flown aircraft, such as a 2016 Embraer Legacy 500, for charter or managed-aircraft customers.
“This process represents the fulfillment of our most-requested service,” says Harry Mitchel, chief operating officer of Executive Flight Services and Executive AirShare. “Many departments came together with preparation, focus, execution and teamwork to ensure that customers have the greatest range of travel options and services.”
While Executive Flight Services’ formal application process started in March, its operational procedures to meet FAA requirements began much longer ago as part of already implemented best practices. Quality-control checks, such as International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO) Stage 2 certification, and maintenance accreditation as an Embraer Service Center, offer customers advantages over other aircraft management providers.
To achieve the “10 or More” designation for Part 135, which covers charter and commercial operators, Executive Flight Services pilots received training in international flight courses. They worked in conjunction with both the FAA and European Aviation Safety Agency, its counterpart across the Atlantic. The certification also opens up routes for customers to popular Pacific locations, such as the Hawaiian Islands.