Cabotage, one word, is probably not known to the majority of people, but yet the importance of cabotage has been creating ripples throughout the European private jet charter market for some years.
In this article, we explore what is cabotage, the effects and restrictions it creates, and how it could be a big consideration when selecting a Jet Card program.
What is Cabotage?
i.) Cabotage with private jets refers to the practice of using a private jet registered in one country to transport passengers or goods between two points within another country.
ii.) Cabotage regulations for private jets vary by country, and some nations strictly regulate or prohibit foreign-registered private jets from engaging in domestic transportation activities to protect their domestic aviation industries. These regulations aim to ensure fair competition and compliance with local laws and safety standards.
For example, if a private jet registered in the United Kingdom is used to fly passengers from one city to another within France, it would be considered cabotage. However, flights operated before the 31st of January 2020 (when the United Kingdom was a member of the European Union) – unilateral agreements in place negated cabotage issues, allowing EU member states to operate domestic flights in another EU country.
So with cabotage potentially being something to consider – what should you be aware of?
If you are using Jet Members or another aviation professional, they should automatically have this consideration in mind when you give them your enquiry. If you are looking to self-source the aircraft, you need to be mindful of nationality, TCO’s, and permits any of which could cause delay or grounding of your charter flight. This is a prime benefit of using a Broker/Agent to search and procure options for you without the trouble of knowing what to ask and look for.
United Kingdom Operators –
Domestic Flights and Internal flights within the European Union
As of 1st January 2021, internal flights within the United Kingdom (UK) are subject to cabotage. So essentially the private jet charter market can only be currently served by airlines within the British Isles. Conversely, a UK airline can no longer pick up clients from Italy and drop them in France, for example, without obtaining the necessary permissions, if at all.
The effect of cabotage and its limiting of available options is then certainly something to consider, especially with any domestic UK charter flights. On one occasion, a customer was being quoted almost the same price for London to Edinburgh as London to New York, whether this was the airline trying to be a little sneaky or prove a point we shall never know.
How does this affect Jet Card Programs?
If your hourly program is connected to a specific fleet of aircraft, you may find that the airline may not be able to provide one of their aircraft and may procure a third-party airline. They may be able to assist but with restrictions, or they may also just simply not provide a quote at all.
For Jet Members, we still however can provide private charter flights within the United Kingdom but based on real-time market conditions, although we have removed domestic flights under a protected hourly rate program until further notice. As soon as we see more Bilateral agreements in place with the EU allowing a greater choice of aircraft, we will be hoping to re-instate the region.
So cabotage is a small word with a big meaning, and don’t get caught out by it!
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