Charter & Non-Scheduled Operator AOC Operations Manual

Operations Manual Suite Development, Revision & Authority Acceptance for Charter Operators, Business Jet Operators and Corporate Flight Departments under UK CAA and EASA Part-OPS

The operations manual is the defining document of a charter or non-scheduled operator’s approved activity. It tells the competent authority — in the detail required to satisfy the AOC certification and oversight process — how the organisation operates its aircraft, how it manages its crew, how it handles the operational decisions that arise in commercial air transport, and how it governs the safety and compliance framework that underpins all of those activities. Without an operations manual that satisfies the authority, there is no AOC. Without an AOC, there is no charter operation.

The challenge for charter and non-scheduled operators is that the operations manual requirement is the same in principle as for a scheduled airline, but the operational context is fundamentally different. A charter operator may have two aircraft, four crew and a Nominated Person structure that places multiple accountabilities on a small number of individuals. The operations manual must be accurate about this organisation — not an airline template with the logo changed. It must describe the specific aircraft flown, the specific routes operated, the specific crew arrangements, the specific maintenance interface and the specific SMS and compliance monitoring framework that the operator actually maintains. A manual that describes a hypothetical operator is not a compliant manual. It is a liability.

Aerospace and Aviation Consulting Services (AACS) develops, revises and maintains operations manual suites for charter operators, non-scheduled commercial operators, business jet operators and corporate flight departments under UK CAA and EASA Part-OPS frameworks. We write manuals that are accepted by the authority, proportionate to the scale of the operation, accurate about how the organisation actually works, and usable by the crew and management who depend on them every day.

The Proportionality Challenge — Why Charter Manuals Are Not Airline Manuals

The most common failure mode in charter operator operations manual development is adaptation — taking an airline operations manual and removing or simplifying the parts that do not apply to a smaller operation. The result is a document that still has the structure, the language and the procedural depth of an airline manual, but applied to an operation that the manual does not accurately describe. Authority inspectors, who have extensive experience of both airline and charter operator documentation, recognise adapted airline manuals immediately. They are harder to accept and generate more comment cycles than manuals built from the ground up for the specific operator.

The operations manual for a charter operator must be proportionate to the operation in three specific ways. It must be proportionate in scope — describing what this operator actually does rather than what an airline does. It must be proportionate in procedure depth — the level of procedural detail appropriate to a crew of four operating two aircraft is different from that required for a crew of four hundred operating two hundred. And it must be proportionate in governance structure — the compliance monitoring framework, the Nominated Person accountability structure and the SMS governance described in the manual must match what a small operator can realistically maintain, not what an airline operates as a matter of necessity.

The Regulatory Framework

Charter and non-scheduled operators holding an Air Operator Certificate are required to maintain an operations manual suite under the following primary regulatory frameworks:

The Charter Operator Operations Manual Suite

The operations manual suite for a charter or non-scheduled operator follows the same four-part structure as an airline operations manual — OM-A through OM-D — but the content, depth and emphasis within each part must reflect the specific operational reality of the charter or business aviation environment. AACS produces each part from the ground up for the specific operator: not adapted from a template, not borrowed from a previous client’s manual, but written for this organisation, operating these aircraft, on these routes, with this crew structure.

OM-A — General Operating Manual for Charter Operators

OM-A is the document that describes the charter operator as an organisation. It is the first part of the manual that the competent authority examines at AOC certification, and it is the part most closely scrutinised at every subsequent oversight audit. For the authority, OM-A answers the fundamental question: does this organisation understand what it is, how it is governed, and what it has committed to in holding an AOC? For the operator, OM-A is the document that makes the governance structure visible and keeps it honest.

Charter-specific OM-A content developed and maintained by AACS covers:

• Organisational structure description — accurate, proportionate and reflective of the actual structure: who the Accountable Manager is, who holds each NP appointment, and how accountability flows in an organisation where multiple roles may be held by a small number of individuals
• Nominated Person framework — the qualifications, responsibilities and authority of each NP; procedures for NP absences and deputising arrangements; the interface between NP roles in a small operator
• General operating policies — flight preparation, fuel policy, weather minima, alternate selection, overwater operations, dangerous goods acceptance policy, passenger carriage policies calibrated to the charter operation’s scope
• Flight time and duty period limitations — FTL scheme design for the variable roster patterns of charter and on-demand operations; individual crew tracking procedures; rest facility policy; fatigue reporting and management procedures
• Safety Management System — proportionate SMS framework description aligned with ORO.GEN.200; safety policy; hazard identification and risk management procedures scaled to the operator’s size; occurrence reporting system; safety performance monitoring; safety review process
• Compliance monitoring system — internal audit programme proportionate to the operator’s scope; finding classification and corrective action procedures; management review framework; contracted maintenance oversight procedures
• Security procedures — flight crew security, cockpit access, security threat response and AVSEC obligations calibrated to the charter operation’s passenger and route profile
• Accident and incident reporting and investigation procedures — internal investigation capability appropriate to the operator’s scale; interface with mandatory occurrence reporting obligations; authority notification procedures
• Handling agent and ground service provider oversight — procedures for selecting, briefing and overseeing contracted ground handling organisations; standard of service requirements and deviation reporting
• Carriage of special categories of passengers — passengers with reduced mobility, unaccompanied minors, deportees, prisoners and others; policies proportionate to the charter operation’s passenger profile

OM-B — Technical Manual for Charter Aircraft Types

OM-B is the aircraft-specific part of the manual suite and the one most directly used by the flight crew. It must describe the operating procedures, performance data and limitations, normal and abnormal checklists, and systems information applicable to the specific aircraft type and configuration operated by the charter operator. For operators with a single aircraft type or a small fleet of similar types, OM-B has a relatively focused scope. For operators with mixed fleets — combining, for example, a light jet for short-sector work and a large cabin jet for transatlantic charter — each type requires its own OM-B section.

Charter-specific OM-B content developed and maintained by AACS covers:

• Normal operating procedures — written for the specific aircraft type and configuration, aligned with the manufacturer’s FCOM and the type rating training programme, and reflecting the specific crew composition and duty patterns of the charter operation
• Abnormal and emergency procedures — consistent with QRH content and aligned with the crew’s type rating training; single-pilot abnormal procedures where applicable to the operator’s approved crew composition
• Performance — take-off, en route, approach and landing performance documentation reflecting the specific aircraft’s operating weight, configuration and the airfields in the operator’s route network
• MEL — Minimum Equipment List developed from the applicable MMEL and calibrated to the operator’s specific aircraft configuration, maintenance arrangements and route environment; dispatch conditions appropriate to a charter operation’s maintenance capability
• SOPs — Standard Operating Procedures for the specific aircraft, crew composition and charter operational context; single-pilot SOPs where relevant; callout standards and crew coordination procedures proportionate to the crew establishment
• Cold weather and contaminated runway operations — procedures relevant to the specific destinations and seasonal routes operated by the charter operator
• Fuel system management and fuel planning — fuel policy procedures appropriate to the charter operator’s route environment and alternate availability
• ETOPS procedures — where the operator holds ETOPS authorisation; system requirements, pre-departure checks and in-flight diversion planning procedures relevant to the specific aircraft type and approved diversion airports
• RVSM and PBN operating procedures — where the operator operates in RVSM airspace or uses performance-based navigation; crew competency maintenance requirements

OM-C — Route & Airfield Manual for Charter Operations

OM-C for a charter operator reflects the specific character of on-demand flying: the route network is variable, the destination list changes as the commercial programme evolves, and the airfields used may include private strips, smaller regional airports and demanding international destinations that a scheduled carrier’s OM-C would never address. A charter operator’s OM-C must be current with the actual destinations being flown and must describe any destination-specific procedures, limitations or hazards that the authority expects the operator to have assessed before commencing operations there.

Charter-specific OM-C content developed and maintained by AACS covers:

• Area of operations definition — the geographic scope of the charter operation’s approved routes; any limitations on areas of operations imposed by the AOC or specific SPA authorisations
• Airfield data for specific destinations — runway dimensions, declared distances, instrument approach procedures, noise abatement procedures, slot and curfew limitations, and any operator-specific airfield procedures for destinations in the charter network
• Alternate aerodrome selection policy and criteria — the operator’s alternate selection procedure calibrated to the route environment; approved alternate list for specific routes
• Private airfield and business aviation terminal operations — procedures for operating to and from private airstrips, executive terminals and handling facilities that differ from commercial airport procedures
• Performance-limiting destinations — specific take-off and landing performance documentation for high-altitude aerodromes, short runways and noise-sensitive airports in the charter network
• Special area procedures — NAT HLA, oceanic procedures and other special area requirements relevant to transatlantic or long-range charter routes
• International destination requirements — overflight and landing permits, local ATC procedures, currency requirements and any specific regulatory obligations for destinations outside the UK and EU
• Seasonal and ad hoc destination assessment — the process for assessing and adding new destinations to the charter network, including the operator’s minimum information standard before commencing operations to a new destination

OM-D — Training Manual for Charter Crews

OM-D for a charter operator describes the training programme for a typically small crew establishment with variable rostering patterns, potentially mixed aircraft types and the specific Human Factors challenges of on-demand commercial flying. The training programme must be proportionate to the operator’s crew structure while meeting the full regulatory requirements for type rating currency, CRM, dangerous goods and security training. A charter operator with two pilots and an occasional third crew member does not need the same training administration infrastructure as an airline — but it does need a training programme that keeps those two pilots current, competent and compliant.

Charter-specific OM-D content developed and maintained by AACS covers:

• Initial type rating training programme — the training requirements for crew joining the operation on each aircraft type; ground school, simulator phases, base training and line training requirements
• Recurrent training programme — OPC and line check requirements for the specific aircraft types; currency requirements for all ratings held; procedures for managing currency in a small crew roster where gaps in flying can develop
• CRM training programme — initial and recurrent CRM programme documentation aligned with ORO.FC.115; specific content addressing the commercial pressure dynamics and decision-making challenges of charter operations; single-pilot CRM content where applicable
• Dangerous goods training — category-appropriate DG awareness training for crew and any relevant ground operations personnel; acceptance procedures for DG carried in charter aircraft
• Security training — initial and recurrent AVSEC training for flight crew proportionate to the charter operation’s passenger and destination profile
• Differences and familiarisation training — where the operator operates variants of a base type or introduces a new aircraft; differences training requirements and currency maintenance procedures
• Low visibility operations training — where the operator holds CAT II/III authorisation; crew training requirements and currency maintenance in LVO for a small crew roster
• Training records management — a training records framework appropriate to a small crew establishment; currency tracking procedures; alerting mechanisms for approaching expiry of ratings, medical certificates and training requirements

MEL Development for Charter Aircraft

The Minimum Equipment List is among the most operationally critical documents a charter operator maintains. For a small fleet where every aircraft availability decision has an immediate commercial consequence, the MEL defines the boundary between an aircraft that can be legally dispatched with an unserviceable item and one that cannot. An MEL that has not been kept current with the aircraft’s configuration, that contains dispatch conditions inconsistent with the operator’s maintenance arrangements, or that has not been revised to reflect MMEL amendments creates both airworthiness and regulatory risk.

AACS develops and maintains operator MELs for charter aircraft that are technically accurate, authority-accepted and operationally usable by a small crew and maintenance team.

Charter operator MEL services provided by AACS include:

• MEL development from the applicable MMEL — establishing the operator’s MEL from the Master MEL appropriate to the specific aircraft type and variant
• Configuration-specific MEL calibration — tailoring the MEL to the specific avionics fit, cabin equipment and operational configuration of the charter operator’s aircraft
• Dispatch condition review — ensuring dispatch conditions are appropriate to the operator’s maintenance arrangements, contracted Part 145 organisation capability and route environment
• MMEL revision implementation — updating the operator MEL when the applicable MMEL is revised
• UK CAA or EASA MEL acceptance management — submission and acceptance process management
• MEL training advisory — guidance on crew and dispatcher training requirements for MEL usage in a charter operation
• MEL amendment service — ongoing revision support when the aircraft configuration changes or the MMEL is updated

Core Charter Operations Manual Services

Initial AOC Application — Full Manual Suite Development

For charter operators and business aviation organisations seeking their initial AOC, the operations manual suite is the central document of the certification process. The competent authority will examine it in detail, raise comments and require revisions before granting approval. The quality of the initial submission determines how long this process takes and how much rework is required. An accurately described, proportionate manual built for the specific operation accelerates the process and reduces the cost of obtaining approval. AACS develops initial charter operator operations manual suites from the ground up, working alongside the operator through the authority engagement process from first submission to AOC grant.

Services include:

• Regulatory pathway assessment — confirming the applicable framework (UK CAA Part-OPS, EASA Part-OPS, or both) and the specific requirements for the operator’s intended scope and aircraft types
• Pre-application gap analysis — identifying what the operator has in place and what needs to be built before submission
• Full OM-A through OM-D development — written for the specific operation, aircraft, crew structure and commercial model
• Nominated Person qualification framework advisory — supporting the AM and NP appointments required for AOC grant
• SPA authorisation documentation — developing the procedural content required for any special approvals forming part of the AOC scope
• Pre-application authority engagement preparation — preparing the operator for the pre-application meeting with the competent authority
• Comment and finding response management — drafting responses to authority queries and managing revision cycles through to acceptance

Manual Revision — Regulatory or Operational Change

Established charter operators require operations manual revisions when the regulatory framework changes, when the fleet evolves, when routes or the area of operations change, when the NP structure changes, or when the compliance monitoring programme or SMS framework is updated. AACS provides a structured manual revision service that keeps the charter operator’s documentation current, accurate and compliant.

Services include:

• UK CAA post-Brexit regulatory change implementation — revising manual content to reflect UK-specific amendments to Part-OPS requirements
• EASA AMC/GM update implementation — revising manual content to reflect changes to Acceptable Means of Compliance and Guidance Material
• Fleet change documentation — new OM-B development for additional aircraft types; variant differences documentation; MEL development for new aircraft
• Route network expansion — OM-C additions for new destinations; new area of operations documentation; alternate policy revision
• Organisational change documentation — NP changes, base additions, handling agent changes, changes to contracted maintenance arrangements
• FTL scheme revision — updating duty period limitations and rest requirements in response to regulatory change or operational roster pattern development
• AOC variation documentation — preparing the manual amendments required for a formal application to vary the scope or conditions of the AOC

Independent Manual Review — Audit Preparation

Charter operators seeking an independent review of their operations manual suite ahead of an authority oversight audit, following a period of significant operational change, or when internal resource limitations have resulted in revision backlogs receive a structured gap analysis from AACS that identifies what an authority inspector would find — and a corrective action plan to address it before the audit.

Services include:

• Gap analysis of the full manual suite against current UK CAA and EASA Part-OPS requirements
• Proportionality assessment — confirming that the manual accurately describes the operator’s actual scale and structure rather than over- or under-describing it
• Internal consistency review — confirming that all four parts of the manual are mutually consistent and aligned with the SMS, compliance monitoring and training frameworks
• Operational accuracy review — assessing whether the manual accurately describes how the operator currently conducts its approved activities
• Amendment record review — confirming all revisions are properly documented and distributed
• Corrective action plan — a prioritised list of amendments required before the authority audit
• Finding response support — where an authority audit has already identified findings, AACS supports corrective action plan development and response drafting

Ongoing Amendment & Revision Support

AACS provides ongoing amendment and revision services for charter operators who want their operations manual suite maintained by specialists rather than managed ad hoc alongside operational demands. We provide a structured amendment service that keeps all four parts of the manual current, manages the revision record, and ensures that authority notification and approval obligations are met when changes require regulatory acceptance.

Why AACS for Charter Operator Operations Manual Development

We Understand the Charter Operating Environment

AACS has direct experience developing and revising operations manuals for charter operators, business jet organisations and corporate flight departments across the full spectrum of aircraft types — from single-engine turboprops to large-cabin, long-range business jets. We understand the commercial dynamics of charter aviation, the Nominated Person concentration challenges of small operators, the variable roster patterns that make FTL scheme design distinctive, and the specific authority engagement requirements of the UK CAA and EASA for this category of AOC holder. Our manuals are written for the charter operating environment, not adapted from documents designed for a different kind of organisation.

Proportionate by Design

Every AACS charter operator manual is proportionate to the specific operation: the number of aircraft, the crew structure, the route network, the commercial model and the maintenance arrangements. We do not deliver scaled-down airline manuals. We develop manuals from the ground up for the specific operator — which is why they are more readily accepted by the authority and more usable by the crew and management who depend on them.

Authority Engagement Managed to Acceptance

Manual development does not end at submission. Authority review generates comments, comments require responses, and responses may require revision. For initial AOC applications, this process can extend over many months. AACS manages the full authority engagement process — from pre-application meeting preparation through submission, comment response, revision and final acceptance. We know what UK CAA and EASA inspectors look for in charter operator manuals and we prepare our clients for the engagement accordingly.

Integrated With SMS and CRM

The operations manual for a charter operator does not exist in isolation. OM-A’s SMS description must be consistent with the SMS framework the operator actually operates. OM-D’s CRM programme must align with the training delivered. Where AACS is engaged for both operations manual development and SMS or CRM advisory, we ensure that the manual and the broader compliance framework are designed as a coherent whole rather than as separately produced documents that may conflict.

No Commercial Conflicts

AACS operates independently of aircraft manufacturers, charter brokers, aircraft management companies and type rating training organisations. Our advice on manual content is driven entirely by what is correct for the specific operation and what the regulatory framework requires. We have no commercial interest in recommending any particular approach, provider or solution.

Our Advisory Philosophy for Charter Operator Manuals

AACS approaches charter operator operations manual development with the conviction that has shaped all of our regulatory advisory work: a manual that does not accurately describe the organisation it purports to represent is not a compliance tool. It is a liability. For a charter operator — where the Accountable Manager is often also the chief pilot, where the Nominated Person structure places multiple accountabilities on one or two individuals, and where the commercial pressure of on-demand aviation is a daily feature of the operating environment — the manual must be a genuine operational document, not a certification artefact.

✔  Every manual is developed for the specific operator — its aircraft, its crew structure, its routes and its commercial model

✔  Proportionality is genuine — calibrated to the operator’s actual scale, not a scaled-down airline framework

✔  All four parts of the manual suite are consistent with each other and with the SMS, compliance monitoring and training frameworks

✔  MEL and SOP content is technically accurate for the specific aircraft type and the specific charter operating environment

✔  The authority engagement process is managed through to acceptance — not handed over at the point of submission

✔  Document control systems are built in from the outset — keeping the manual current as the operation evolves

✔  Our advice is independent — shaped by what is correct for the operation, not by any commercial relationship

We deliver operations manual documentation that is independently assessed as accurate, proportionate and regulatory compliant — built on over 30 years of aviation regulatory and operational expertise. Whether you are developing a manual suite for an initial AOC application, revising existing documentation to reflect operational or regulatory change, or seeking independent review ahead of a UK CAA or EASA oversight audit, AACS provides the expertise to produce manuals that genuinely work.

Speak to an AACS Specialist

If you need a charter operator operations manual suite developed, revised or reviewed — for an initial AOC application, a fleet or route change, a regulatory update or preparation for an authority oversight audit — please contact us. We will be direct about what your documentation requires, what the authority will expect, and how we can help you achieve acceptance efficiently.