In private aviation, safety is not negotiated — it is demonstrated. Certifications, audits, crew qualifications and operational protocols are not marketing arguments: they are objective indicators that distinguish a serious operator from an opportunistic broker. At FFGR Jets, the safety of every flight is subject to systematic and documented verification, before any price discussion takes place. This guide explains precisely what we verify, why, and what it means for you.
The Certifications That Truly Matter
ARGUS International offers three certification levels for business aviation operators: ARGUS Registered, ARGUS Gold and ARGUS Platinum. The Platinum level is the most demanding: it requires an in-depth on-site audit covering operational procedures, maintenance, crew training, risk management and regulatory documentation. FFGR Jets exclusively selects operators certified ARGUS Platinum or IS-BAO Stage 3.
IS-BAO (International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations) is the ISO equivalent for business aviation. Its Stage 3 — the most advanced — indicates that an operator has developed a genuine safety culture embedded in its daily processes, not merely in its manuals. These certifications are re-evaluated every two years by independent auditors. They cannot be purchased — they are earned operation by operation.
Aircraft Verification: What We Check
Before every flight, our technical team verifies the following for the proposed aircraft: validity of the Certificate of Airworthiness, date of the last scheduled maintenance (C-check, D-check depending on the aircraft), history of AOG (Aircraft on Ground) incidents over the past 90 days, status of safety equipment (ELT, life vests, first aid kit, defibrillator) and compliance of avionics systems with the requirements of the planned route.
We also verify the aircraft's registration record and ownership history. An aircraft registered in certain offshore jurisdictions may present additional risks in terms of regulatory oversight. FFGR Jets favours aircraft registered in the EU, the United States, Switzerland or the United Kingdom, where civil aviation authorities exercise regular and rigorous supervision.
Crew Qualifications and Experience
Pilot qualification level is the most critical safety factor in private aviation. For every FFGR Jets flight, we require: captain with a minimum of 5,000 total hours including 1,000 hours on the aircraft type in use, first officer with a minimum of 2,000 total hours, CRM (Crew Resource Management) training completed within the last 12 months, and operator simulator check completed within the last 6 months.
We systematically request and verify crew licences, logbooks and training certificates. For flights to destinations with complex approach procedures — Saint-Tropez, Innsbruck, Lugano, Madeira — we specifically verify that the crew has recent documented experience at the destination airport. This verification takes time, but it is non-negotiable.
Weather and Route Planning
Weather management is one of the most underestimated variables by clients organising a flight for the first time. FFGR Jets uses a combination of professional weather services — Universal Weather, World Fuel Services — and real-time briefings from our dispatchers to assess conditions along the full route 72 hours, 24 hours and 6 hours before departure.
In the event of degraded weather conditions, we systematically present alternatives to the client: a time shift of a few hours, diversion to an alternate airport, or the proposal of a different aircraft better suited to the conditions (certain aircraft being better certified for flight in icing conditions or in controlled low-visibility airspace). The final decision always rests with the captain, whose authority on safety matters is absolute.
Our Transparency Charter
FFGR Jets communicates to each client, upon request, the complete safety documentation relating to their flight: operator certificate, ARGUS or IS-BAO attestation, pilot licences, Certificate of Airworthiness and the report of the last major inspection. This level of transparency is, to our knowledge, rare in the industry. We consider it a fundamental right of the client.
If an operator refuses to provide this documentation or invokes confidentiality to conceal it, we do not operate with them — regardless of how competitive their pricing may be. At FFGR Jets, the price of a flight is never the primary optimisation variable. Safety, compliance and service quality are the three filters that precede any commercial discussion.
Fly with Total Confidence with FFGR Jets
Or by email: reservations@ffgrjets.com