Part 135 of the Federal Aviation Regulations

Part 135 of the Federal Aviation Regulations
Name	Part 135 of the Federal Aviation Regulations
Jurisdiction	United States
Agency	Federal Aviation Administration
Type	Regulation
Subject	Air carrier, commuter, on-demand operations

Part 135 of the Federal Aviation Regulations governs commuter and on-demand operations, air taxi services, and certain commuter and small charter operations in the United States under the authority of the Federal Aviation Administration, implementing provisions of the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 and aligning with national aviation safety frameworks like those used by ICAO member states. It establishes certification, operational, training, maintenance, and enforcement requirements intended to ensure safe conduct of commercial air operations by operators ranging from small air taxi companies to fractional ownership providers.

Overview and scope

Part 135 prescribes rules for on-demand and scheduled operations conducted with aircraft meeting specific weight and seating thresholds, distinct from Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 121 of Title 14, and Part 91 of Title 14. It addresses certification procedures overseen by the Federal Aviation Administration and intersects with statutory authorities such as the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 and executive guidance from the Office of the Secretary of Transportation. The regulation applies different operational standards for single-pilot and multi-crew operations and for aircraft with varying passenger capacities, informing the regulatory treatment by regional aviation safety inspectors.

Applicability and operator certification

Certification under Part 135 requires operators to obtain an air carrier certificate, operations specifications, and a management structure compliant with FAA Flight Standards Service oversight. Applicants must submit manuals, training programs, and maintenance procedures comparable to submissions used in certification matters involving Department of Transportation oversight or international arrangements with authorities such as the European Union Aviation Safety Agency. Operators include air taxi firms, charter operators, fractional ownership managers such as those modeled by NetJets, and specialized services used by entities like NASA for research flights. The certificate issuance process involves evaluation against standards including drug and alcohol testing protocols similar to those enforced by the Department of Transportation.

Aircraft and equipment requirements

Part 135 sets aircraft airworthiness and equipment mandates that reference Type Certificate criteria, Airworthiness Directive compliance, and the installation of required instruments and systems like Terrain Awareness and Warning System, where applicable. Minimum equipment lists and emergency equipment standards draw on practices used by carriers regulated under Part 121 of Title 14 and incorporate maintenance data from manufacturers such as Boeing, Cessna, Bombardier Aerospace, and Embraer. Operations in specialized environments may require avionics certified to standards used in NextGen modernization efforts and systems compatible with Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast.

Operational rules and limitations

Operational limits under Part 135 cover flight rules, dispatching, fuel requirements, and weather minima that relate to procedures used in Instrument Flight Rules and Visual Flight Rules contexts. The part prescribes passenger-carrying limitations, crew complement and pilot-in-command authority, and special rules for operations to and from heliports, seaplane bases, and remote airstrips often cited in case studies involving Alaska Airlines operations and Bush pilot services. It also defines load and weight-and-balance responsibilities, emergency procedures, and requirements for diversion, fuel reserves, and alternate airports similar to guidance from National Transportation Safety Board investigatory findings.

Training, crewmember qualifications, and duty time

Part 135 contains prescriptive training curricula, initial and recurrent proficiency checks, and qualification standards for pilots, flight attendants, and dispatchers, paralleling competency frameworks used by Airbus operators and training institutions like FlightSafety International. It establishes flight time limitations, duty-period limits, and rest requirements informed by fatigue science and regulatory precedents such as FAA Flightcrew Member Duty and Rest Requirements and recommendations by bodies like the National Transportation Safety Board and National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Drug and alcohol testing, background checks, and medical certification standards reflect coordination with Federal Aviation Administration Office of Aerospace Medicine policies.

Safety, maintenance, and inspection standards

Safety programs under Part 135 include mandatory maintenance programs, inspection intervals, and recordkeeping obligations that reference Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul facility standards and Continuous Airworthiness Maintenance Program principles. Operators must comply with Airworthiness Directives, report occurrences through mechanisms similar to Aviation Safety Reporting System, and implement safety management practices consistent with Safety Management System frameworks encouraged by ICAO and the Federal Aviation Administration. Maintenance personnel certification and training often align with Airframe and Powerplant standards and repair station requirements tied to 14 CFR Part 145.

Amendments, enforcement, and compliance actions

Amendments to Part 135 have historically followed rulemaking processes administered by the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Transportation, influenced by incident analyses conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board, stakeholder petitions from industry groups like the Air Charter Association and labor organizations such as the Air Line Pilots Association. Enforcement tools include certificates suspension or revocation, civil penalties enforced under statutes like the Federal Aviation Act of 1958, and corrective actions mandated through compliance orders and consent decrees. Judicial review of enforcement actions may involve the United States Court of Appeals and administrative adjudications before the National Transportation Safety Board.

Category:Aviation safety