Safety
Standards.
Our Commitment. Your Confidence.
First
Standards
Professionals
Improvement
Safety is not the marketing.
Safety is the operation.
In aviation, the safety record either exists or it does not. The certificate is either current or it is not. The operator is either audited or it is not. There is no middle ground.
Chronos operates flights under its own air carrier certificate and sources additional capacity from a network of independently audited operators. The standards below are the minimum baseline. Many operators in our network exceed them. None fall short.
Independent audits.
Verifiable certifications.
The certifications below are administered by independent third-party auditors, not industry associations or trade groups. Each requires on-site verification, ongoing compliance review, and documented evidence of operational practice.
ARGUS International
ARGUS conducts independent audits of charter operators against FAR Part 135 regulations and industry best practice. Their ratings, Gold, Gold Plus, and Platinum, reflect progressively higher operational, training, and maintenance benchmarks.
Chronos operates as an ARGUS Certified Charter Operator and prioritises ARGUS rated operators across our sourced network. Ratings are verifiable through the ARGUS public registry.
Wyvern Wingman
Wyvern is an independent aviation safety auditor. The Wingman certification covers safety management systems, pilot qualifications, maintenance procedures, and risk assessment protocols. Wingman status requires on-site audits, not paperwork-only reviews.
Continuous compliance verification means Wingman operators must demonstrate ongoing adherence to the standard, not a single point-in-time audit.
International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations
IS-BAO is administered by the International Business Aviation Council. It is a voluntary code of operational best practice covering safety management systems, training, flight operations, and maintenance.
Three progressive stages exist. Each stage requires deeper organisational integration of safety culture, with Stage 3 representing fully embedded practice across all aspects of operations.
FAR Part 135 Direct Air Carrier
Hightail Air Charter LLC, operating as Chronos Air Group, holds FAA Direct Air Carrier Certificate H8TA619L under Federal Aviation Regulation Part 135. This is the certificate level required to operate on-demand charter flights for hire in the United States.
Holding the certificate directly means accountability sits with Chronos, not an arms-length operator pool. FAA oversight applies directly to our operation.
How we vet operators
for the sourced network.
For demand that exceeds our own fleet capacity, Chronos sources additional aircraft through a network of vetted operators. The vetting process below is applied before any operator joins the network, and re-verified annually.
Certificate Verification
Current FAR Part 135 Direct Air Carrier Certificate or foreign Civil Aviation Authority equivalent, with operations specifications matching the aircraft type and route profile of any flight to be performed.
Third-Party Audit Status
Priority given to operators holding current ARGUS Gold or higher, Wyvern Wingman certification, or IS-BAO registration. Audit certificates verified directly with the issuing body, not accepted on operator declaration.
Insurance Review
Minimum combined single limit liability insurance of USD 50 million per occurrence, with higher limits standard for heavy and ultra long range aircraft. Certificates of insurance reviewed at onboarding and renewal.
Crew Standards
Captain minimums of 5,000 hours total time, 1,500 hours pilot-in-command turbine, and 500 hours in type. First officer standards appropriate to the operation. Recurrent training documented and current.
Incident History
Operator FAA enforcement history, NTSB incident records, and any open safety findings reviewed before approval. Active enforcement actions or unresolved safety concerns disqualify an operator from the network.
Annual Re-Verification
Approved operators are not approved indefinitely. Certificate currency, audit status, insurance limits, and incident records are re-verified every 12 months. Lapsed standards remove an operator from the active network.
The number that matters.
The one on our own certificate.
Brokers arrange flights on other operators' certificates. We operate flights on ours. The certificate below is current, on file with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, and verifiable directly through the FAA Air Carrier Information system.
Hightail Air Charter LLC
Operating as Chronos Air Group. FAR Part 135 Direct Air Carrier Certificate issued by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. Subject to direct FAA oversight, not an arms-length operator relationship.
Safety questions,
answered plainly.
Does Chronos hold its own air carrier certificate?
Yes. Chronos Air Group flights are operated by Hightail Air Charter LLC under FAR Part 135 Direct Air Carrier Certificate H8TA619L, issued by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. Holding the certificate ourselves means every flight under our control operates to a single, accountable safety standard rather than the variable standards of an arms-length operator pool.
What is ARGUS and why does it matter?
ARGUS International conducts independent audits of charter operators against FAA regulations and best industry practice. Their ratings (Gold, Gold Plus, Platinum) reflect increasingly stringent operational, training, and maintenance standards. Chronos prioritises ARGUS rated operators across its sourced network and operates as an ARGUS Certified Charter Operator itself.
What is Wyvern Wingman certification?
Wyvern is an independent aviation safety auditor. The Wingman certification covers operator safety management systems, pilot qualifications, maintenance procedures, and risk assessment protocols. Wingman status requires on-site audits and continuous compliance verification, not a one-off paperwork review.
What is IS-BAO and how does it apply?
IS-BAO is the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations, administered by the International Business Aviation Council. It is a voluntary code of operational best practice covering safety management, training, flight operations, and maintenance. Three stages exist, each requiring progressively deeper organisational integration of safety culture.
How does Chronos vet operators in its sourced network?
Operators must hold a current FAR Part 135 Direct Air Carrier certificate or foreign Civil Aviation Authority equivalent. Priority is given to ARGUS rated, Wyvern Wingman, and IS-BAO verified networks. Insurance limits, recent FAA incident history, pilot experience minimums, maintenance program details, and operational specifications are reviewed before any operator joins the sourced network. Approved operators are re-verified annually.
What pilot experience minimums do you require?
Captain minimums on Chronos-controlled flights are 5,000 hours total time, 1,500 hours pilot-in-command of multi-engine turbine aircraft, and 500 hours in the specific aircraft type. First officers carry minimums appropriate to the operation. Sourced operators are verified to meet or exceed these minimums for any flight they perform under our network.
What insurance limits apply to Chronos flights?
Minimum combined single limit liability insurance of USD 50 million per occurrence, with higher limits standard for heavy and ultra long range aircraft. Operators in our sourced network are required to carry equivalent or greater coverage. Certificates of insurance are reviewed at network onboarding and on annual renewal.
Can passengers verify the certification of their specific flight?
Yes. Operator name, certificate number, aircraft tail registration, and applicable third-party audit ratings are provided in the charter agreement before signature. ARGUS and Wyvern certification status can be verified independently through their respective public registries. Chronos provides operator audit summaries on request for any flight in our network.
Verify before you fly.
It is not paranoia.
Request operator audit summaries, certificate documentation, and crew credentials for any Chronos flight. Provided as part of every charter agreement. Available in advance on request.
Available 24 / 7
FAA Air Carrier Certificate H8TA619L is issued to Hightail Air Charter LLC, operating as Chronos Air Group. Certificate currency and operating specifications are publicly verifiable through the FAA Air Carrier Information system. ARGUS, Wyvern Wingman, and IS-BAO are independent third-party audit programmes; current operator ratings are verifiable through the respective issuing organisations. Audit ratings cited reflect the position at time of publication and are subject to change. All charter flights operate subject to applicable FAR Part 135 or Part 121 regulations.