Safety on every Colombia charter flight
Safety is the first thing we consider for a trip to or from Colombia, and while brokers are not required by law to have any safety due diligence procedures in place, we go above and beyond. Before we send you a single option, we check who operates the aircraft, review that operator’s safety and incident history, and confirm that the pilots are experienced and current on the aircraft type you will be flying on.
The people on board are your family, your guests or your colleagues, and you are entitled to know who is flying them, whether it is a business trip into Bogota or a family flying home to Medellin for the holidays.
Vetting Behind Every Trip
Every operator, aircraft, and crew goes through our internal due diligence before we present any options. Our internal standards meet or exceed what the FAA requires:
- FAR Part 135 charter operators for traditional private aircraft, or FAR Part 121 for airliner-size and group trips (or the foreign equivalent on international legs)
- Operator subscription to Wyvern and ARGUS reviewed where the operator participates.
- Pilot experience and operator incident history reviewed before we recommend an aircraft.
- Fewer than 60 brokers worldwide hold Premium Wyvern Broker Member status, and Air Charter Advisors is one of them.
Wyvern and ARGUS are independent aviation safety organizations. They audit operators and keep records on operator safety, and where an operator takes part in one of those programs, we use the audit in our own review.
Part 135 is the FAA’s set of rules for on-demand, for-hire charter. It carries stricter operating, crew, and insurance requirements than FAR Part 91, the rules for private, non-commercial flying that cannot be sold as charter. In Colombia, the Aerocivil, Colombia’s civil aviation authority, certifies charter operators, and flights between two Colombian cities are flown by those Colombian operators.
Crew qualification
FAR Part 135 sets minimum crew requirements by aircraft type, and some aircraft types are certified for single-pilot operations. We do not make a blanket promise about crew size. We confirm that the pilots assigned to your flight are experienced and current on the specific aircraft type they will be flying.
Who controls the flight
The certified operator holds operational control of every flight we arrange, and the Pilot in Command makes the final call on departure, routing, and landing. Maintenance is the responsibility of the air carrier and aircraft owners. It is their job to ensure they are up to date and in compliance with all laws and regulations.
We review that operator before you book, and an operator that does not meet our standards never reaches your quote.
Flights into and out of Colombia
A foreign charter flight into Colombia needs authorization from the Aerocivil, which we arrange with the operator once the trip is booked. Many international destinations require special permissions for landing and customs. Permits are generally applied for after a trip has been secured on the aircraft schedule, and sometimes the timeline is dictated by the local airport authorities. We will always do our best to ensure departure / arrival times meet your needs, but these are sometimes subject to the approvals of the local airport authority and government.
Every passenger needs a valid passport. US citizens do not need a visa for a short visit to Colombia, and travelers on other passports should check the entry rules for their nationality early. Bogota and Medellin sit high in the Andes, so the operator plans the aircraft, the fuel and the load with the altitude in mind, and the routing and any fuel stop on a long trip are confirmed with the operator before you book.
Weather and the busy seasons
In Bogota and Medellin the drier months run from December to March, and October and November usually bring the heaviest rain. On the Caribbean coast the dry season runs from December to April, and the hurricane season, from June through November, can affect San Andres and the coast. Morning fog can also hold departures at Medellin’s main airport. Your advisor monitors conditions ahead of departure. If any changes are required due to weather and passenger safety, you can expect your advisor to reach out as soon as we are aware. Depending on the day, we may recommend expediting departure, delaying, or using an alternate airport, subject to scheduling and aircraft availability.
The weeks from early December to mid-January, Semana Santa and the Barranquilla Carnival are the busiest times of the year for private flights in Colombia, so we plan those trips well ahead.
Ask us
If you have a question about an operator, a crew or an aircraft on your quote, ask before you book. The phone is answered 24 hours a day at 1-888-987-5387, or you can send your trip details through our contact page.
Our Colombia charter FAQ page answers the common questions about booking, payment, travel documents and choosing an aircraft.