Part 135

Part 135
Name	Part 135
Caption	United States commuter and on-demand operations regulation
Jurisdiction	United States Department of Transportation; Federal Aviation Administration
Type	Regulation
Status	Active

Part 135

Part 135 is a section of United States aviation regulation governing commuter and on-demand operations for rotorcraft and fixed-wing aircraft. It defines certification, equipment, crew qualifications, maintenance, and safety standards distinguishing these operations from those under Part 121 and Part 91. The rule interacts with numerous agencies, operators, manufacturers, and judicial decisions shaping regional, air taxi, charter, air ambulance, and specialized aerial services.

Overview and Scope

Part 135 applies to commuter and on-demand flight operations involving smaller aircraft, including helicopter air ambulance, air taxi, corporate shuttle, and sightseeing services. It delineates operational limits, revenue-flight definitions, and applicability with respect to size and seating capacities, interacting with precedents from cases involving Supreme Court of the United States, United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and administrative rulings by the Federal Aviation Administration. Stakeholders include major manufacturers and operators such as Boeing, Airbus, Embraer, Textron Aviation, Bell Helicopter Textron, Sikorsky Aircraft, Learjet, Cessna, Piaggio Aerospace, and service providers like NetJets, Wheels Up, VistaJet, Cape Air, and Sun Country Airlines where applicable corporate structures intersect with commuter regulations. The scope also overlaps with safety advocacy and international standards from bodies like the International Civil Aviation Organization and bilateral agreements involving the European Union Aviation Safety Agency.

Certification and Operational Requirements

Certification under this regulation requires operators to obtain an air carrier certificate and operations specifications from the Federal Aviation Administration consistent with statutory authority such as the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 and oversight by the United States Department of Transportation. Applicants must demonstrate manuals, training programs, safety management systems, and financial fitness similar to processes used by operators like Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Alaska Airlines, JetBlue Airways, and regional partners such as SkyWest Airlines or Republic Airways when structuring feeder services. Certificate holders must maintain operations specifications that reference navigation procedures, weather minima, dispatch rules, and drug and alcohol policies reminiscent of practices enforced by National Transportation Safety Board and labor standards adjudicated by the National Labor Relations Board.

Aircraft and Equipment Standards

Aircraft used in these operations must meet airworthiness directives and supplemental type certificates issued for models including variants from Bombardier Aerospace, ATR, Pilatus Aircraft, De Havilland Canada, Diamond Aircraft, and rotary-wing platforms from Airbus Helicopters and Leonardo S.p.A.. Required equipment lists often mirror certification criteria found in type certificates for aircraft such as the Beechcraft King Air, Cessna 208 Caravan, Pilatus PC-12, Embraer Phenom 300, and helicopter types like the Bell 206 and Sikorsky S-76. For instrument flight operations the rules reference standards for transponders, terrain awareness systems, and navigation radios commonly used in installations by companies like Garmin, Honeywell, Rockwell Collins, and Universal Avionics.

Pilot and Crew Qualifications

Crew qualification mandates concern pilot certification, flight time minima, training syllabi, and recency requirements compatible with practices of air carriers and training institutions such as Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University, United States Air Force Academy, United States Naval Academy, Purdue University, and professional groups like Air Line Pilots Association, International. Minimums often require specific hours in turbine, multi-engine, or helicopter categories, instrument flight experience, and completion of approved checkrides administered by designated examiners and training centers operated by organizations like FlightSafety International and CAE. Additional constraints apply for operations at challenging airports such as LaGuardia Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, London Heathrow Airport, and heliports serving urban centers exemplified by Los Angeles International Airport.

Safety, Maintenance, and Compliance

Maintenance programs must follow approved continuous airworthiness programs, compliance with airworthiness directives from the Federal Aviation Administration, and inspections by certificated repair stations like those accredited under Part 145. Safety management systems draw on methods promoted by International Civil Aviation Organization and industry groups including Flight Safety Foundation and Aviation Safety Network. Compliance monitoring includes drug and alcohol testing, fatigue risk management paralleling policies seen in carriers such as FedEx Express and UPS Airlines, and recordkeeping subject to audit by FAA inspectors and recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board after incidents.

Enforcement, Penalties, and Incident History

Enforcement actions for violations range from civil penalties to certificate suspension or revocation by the Federal Aviation Administration and litigation in federal courts including the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. High-profile accidents and incidents have prompted rule amendments and advisory circulars influenced by investigations from the National Transportation Safety Board involving operators, manufacturers, and maintenance organizations such as Honeywell, Pratt & Whitney, General Electric, and airline operators whose operations informed regulatory changes. Enforcement history reflects interactions with labor entities like Air Line Pilots Association, International and legal counsel from firms that have litigated aviation matters before federal tribunals including the United States Supreme Court.

Category:Aviation law