NAFA member David G. Mayer, law partner in the Global Aviation Group at Shackelford, McKinley & Norton, LLP, shares his latest article in AINsight about conducting due diligence when finding a firm to operate your business aircraft on your behalf.
Not all aircraft management companies are created equal. Most of them follow the rules while others break them—at your peril. As enterprises for profit, management companies almost always try to win your business, but can they also earn your trust?
What Management Companies Do
Ranging in fleet size from one to more than 300 aircraft, management companies (managers) use different business models, manage a variety of aircraft types, and offer varying scopes of service, all purportedly for your convenience, safety, and comfort. They can earn revenue from management fees and, if permitted, air charter flights.
Perhaps the most important function of managers is selecting, hiring, and/or training crew to fly owner and charter trips. The pilots may develop a unique bond with the owner, which a manager can foster. Managers provide many other services, which include assisting with hangar searches and lease negotiations; administering engine maintenance programs; arranging insurance coverage under their fleet policy; directing maintenance, inspections, and repairs; interacting with the FAA; keeping detailed flight records; preparing budgets; paying vendors; distributing your share of charter revenue; and directing logistics for each trip.
Regulatory Foundation: The Impact of Selecting a Manager
Managers involved in private aviation operations function mainly in two categories of the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs)—Part 91 and Part 135.
Part 91 operations. Certain managers oversee aircraft that operate only under Part 91, which generally includes rules for non-commercial private flight operations, under which an owner or operator generally cannot be reimbursed for business or personal flights, with limited exceptions under FAR 91.501. These managers do not operate your aircraft, although they may source pilots. Under Part 91, one qualified entity or individual acts as the aircraft operator and thereby exercises operational control, the authority to “initiate, conduct, and terminate” the flight.
Separately, another strong Part 91 option involves self-managing aircraft for a business enterprise with services dedicated to the enterprise, often called a corporate flight department. Managers may assist companies that have these departments but need an extra lift with their aircraft or fleet needs.
This article was originally published in AINsight on July 10, 2026.