Air charter

Air charter is the business of renting an entire aircraft (i.e., chartering) as opposed to individual aircraft seats (i.e., purchasing a ticket through a traditional airline).

Charter – also called air taxi or ad hoc – flights require certification from the associated country's civil aviation authority.

Analogous regulations generally also apply to air ambulance and cargo operators, which are often also ad hoc for-hire services.

[1] There are some cases where a charter operator can sell scheduled flights, but only in limited quantities.

[2] As of 2021, the FAA had made it a priority to crack down on unauthorised charter flights, according to industry experts.