Private jet air broker

An air broker arranges a private flight on behalf of the client. It owns no aircraft: it asks the operators that have a suitable aircraft free on your date, compares their offers, checks the company that will actually fly you and prepares the contract. From the first request to landing you deal with one person instead of an operator, a handling agent, a caterer and a car company.

European Private Jets has worked as an air charter broker for 14 years, with a head office in Cyprus and offices at the airports of Nice, Geneva and Hamburg. We work with 34 partner companies, from operators to caterers and concierge services, and have access to about 6,500 aircraft through licensed operators, from turboprops to long-range jets and VIP airliners. Every flight is operated by an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) holder whose name is written in your offer and contract.

• • Urgent flights
  • about 4 hours after confirmation
• • 4-7 options
  • from different operators
• • About 6,500
  • aircraft via licensed operators
• • Operator named
  • in the offer and the contract
• • One manager
  • from request to landing
• • 24/7
  • requests accepted and processed

What an air broker does

The work behind a single charter is usually spread over several days, or squeezed into a few hours for an urgent trip. These are the jobs a broker takes off your hands:

Broker, operator and aircraft owner

Three parties are often mixed up in private aviation. The operator flies the aircraft, the owner holds it as an asset, and the broker chooses between operators for the client.

Already holding an offer from another company and want a second opinion before paying? Leave your number and a manager will call you back:

How we find and compare aircraft

1. Market platformsOperators list their available aircraft on professional platforms used by brokers. A search there shows which aircraft are free on a given date, where they are parked and the indicative rate, but not everything a client needs to know.
2. Direct relationshipsA listing does not say which crew knows a short mountain runway, which cabin has just been refurbished or which operator answers the phone at night. That comes from flying clients with the same companies for years. Besides the operators among our 34 partner companies, which also include caterers, handling agents and concierge services, we ask any licensed operator with the right aircraft in the right place.
3. Position of the aircraftIf an aircraft has to fly empty from another city to pick you up, the operator charges for that positioning flight, and often for the empty return to base. The same trip is therefore cheaper on an aircraft based near your departure airport or one that is heading your way anyway.
4. Empty sectorsWhen an aircraft has to return without passengers, that flight is sold 30-60% below a normal charter. A broker hears about such repositioning flights from many operators at once and offers them to clients with flexible dates. How such flights work is explained on the Empty Legs page, and single seats on shared flights are described under Jet Sharing.

How the price is formed in a broker quote

The operator sets the price of the aircraft: flight hours at its hourly rate, positioning, landing, navigation and handling charges, and crew costs when the aircraft stays overnight.

The broker is paid either through a margin included in the price you see or through a commission from the operator; across the industry it is usually around 5-10% of the charter price. Our fee is always included in the price shown in the offer, and after signing only the items listed in the contract can be added, such as de-icing in winter.

Booking through a broker is often no more expensive than calling an operator. Operators give brokers trade rates, and between two operators the same flight can differ by thousands of euros, mostly because of where their aircraft are parked.

Comparing the market often saves more than the broker earns.

Example: three offers for one trip

Five people fly from Munich to Nice on a weekday morning with luggage for a week. A typical set of offers for the whole aircraft, one way, plus airport charges and passenger taxes:

Divided by five, offer A costs about EUR 1,900 per person and offer B about EUR 2,200. For five adults with a week’s luggage we would usually recommend B, because all the bags fit and three seats stay free. Offer C is worth it for a group that values cabin height more than the price difference. The decision stays with you: the broker’s task is to make the differences clear.

Prices for popular European routes, hourly rates by class and the full list of items that can appear in a quote are on the prices page. For a first estimate on your own route, use the calculator:

The calculator gives an indicative figure. Searching for an aircraft and preparing offers is free and places you under no obligation.

How to choose an air broker

In Europe there is no specific aviation licence for charter brokers: the AOC and the operating rules apply to the operator. A one-person agency and a company with several offices can therefore look the same online. Eight questions separate a reliable broker from a risky one, and you are welcome to ask us all of them:

1. Who is the operator? Its name is in the offer and in the contract, before you pay.
2. Does it hold a valid AOC for this aircraft type? Yes, and a copy can be sent. Many civil aviation authorities publish lists of AOC holders.
3. Which aircraft, built in which year? Model, year of manufacture, seats and cabin layout are stated in the offer.
4. What does the price include? Every item is listed, and anything charged separately is named.
5. Whom do I pay? A company, into a company bank account, after the contract is signed.
6. What happens if I cancel? Penalties with percentages and deadlines are written in the contract.
7. What if the aircraft breaks down? A search for a replacement starts at once; the contract says what happens if none is found.
8. Who answers on the day of the flight? A named person reachable until landing, not an answering machine.

Warning signs

• the operator is not named until after payment, so its certificate cannot be checked;
• the price is far below all other offers, which may hide a flight without an AOC or costs left out of the quote;
• payment is requested to a personal account, or the bank details change in an e-mail: confirm by phone on a number you already know before transferring;
• there is no written contract, only an exchange of messages;
• a seat on a private owner’s jet is offered for money, or costs are to be shared among strangers;
• a large prepayment for flight hours far in advance: prepaid hours are a claim on the seller, so check how solid the company is before buying them;
• the company asks you to call back during office hours or after the holidays, although private flights depart at night and at weekends.

Certificates and memberships

Offers and websites in private aviation are full of abbreviations. Only the first one in this table is required by law; the others are voluntary.

When plans change

Most flights go as booked. The value of a broker shows on the days they do not:

To receive options for your trip, send the route, dates and number of passengers through the form:

Concierge on the ground

The manager who books your aircraft also arranges what happens before take-off and after landing, so there is one contact for the whole trip:

The same team handles flights with a medical crew, groups, cargo and pets; the full list is on the services page, and flights for patients who need intensive care are described under medical aviation. Travel agencies that book for their own clients work with us under the conditions on the cooperation with travel agencies page.

Contract, payment and cancellation

The contract with the operator, which we prepare as broker, comes before payment and names the operator, the aircraft, the times, the services included and the cancellation terms.

You can pay by bank transfer or card; payment in cryptocurrency is possible, mainly in USDT and USDC, and other arrangements, including cash, can be discussed individually and depend on the situation. Cancellation penalties rise as departure approaches, and if the operator cannot fly, we first look for a replacement aircraft. Details are on the payment page and in the terms and conditions.

Who will handle your request

Every client gets a personal manager who leads the trip from the first request to landing. Managers speak English, Russian, Ukrainian, German, French, Italian, Greek and Spanish. Each colleague is introduced on the team page, and the company background is under about us. If you are unsure which aircraft or airport to choose, you can start with a free consultation before asking for offers.

Our team

Charlotte McKinney

Commercial Director

charlotte.m@jets.flights

Henry Richter

Head of Aviation Department and Data Protection Officer

henry.r@jets.flights

Emma Miller

Director of Development

emma.m@jets.flights

Liam Bishop

Senior Aviation Consultant

liam.b@jets.flights

Oliver Davis

Aviation Consultant

oliver.d@jets.flights

Anna Laurent

Aviation Consultant

anna.l@jets.flights

Questions about working with an air broker

• • What is the difference between an air broker and an air charter operator?

  • The operator holds the AOC, employs the pilots and is responsible for the flight. The broker owns no aircraft and chooses the operator on behalf of the client, comparing several companies for the same date. The flight itself is always carried out by the operator.

• • Does it cost more to book a private jet through a broker?

  • Not necessarily. Operators give brokers trade rates, and comparing several of them often finds an aircraft parked closer to your departure airport, which lowers the price. Our fee is already included in the price in the offer.

• • How does an air broker earn money?

  • Through a margin included in the charter price or a commission paid by the operator, usually around 5-10% across the industry. You do not pay a separate fee for the search or for the offers.

• • Does a charter broker need a licence?

  • In the EU there is no specific aviation licence for brokers; the AOC is held by the operator. That is why it matters to know which operator the broker has chosen and to check its certificate before paying.

• • Who is responsible for safety on a flight booked through a broker?

  • The operator, which is responsible for the aircraft, the crew, maintenance and the carriage of passengers. The broker’s duty is to choose a certified and insured operator, and we check both before proposing an aircraft.

• • Will I know the operator and the aircraft before I pay?

  • Yes. The operator’s name, the aircraft model and its year of manufacture are in the offer and in the contract you sign before payment.

• • What happens if the aircraft has a technical problem before departure?

  • We look for a replacement of the same class with several operators at once and tell you about any difference in time or aircraft. If no acceptable solution is found, the refund follows the terms of the contract.

• • Is a booking app the same as a broker?

  • An app shows estimated prices and aircraft that may be available, but the booking is still confirmed by an operator, and many apps are run by brokers. A broker checks real availability, the operator’s documents and stays reachable if something changes.

• • Should I ask several brokers for the same trip?

  • You can, but brokers often ask the same operators, so you may receive the same aircraft at different prices. When comparing, look at the operator’s name, the aircraft and its year, and what each price includes.

• • Can I book through a broker just once, without a long-term agreement?

  • Yes. You can book a single flight, and each trip has its own contract. Regular clients keep the same manager, who already knows their airports, preferences and passenger details.