Kerry Lynch stepped into the role of editor of the&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;monthly magazine in May 2022 after serving with&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;for eight years. She joined&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;in December 2014 as a senior editor covering Washington and business aviation news. She has also served on Convention News teams, including as editor of&nbsp;HAI Convention News. Lynch previously spent 25 years with Aviation Week. During her time there, she reported for and later steered&nbsp;The Weekly of Business Aviation, oversaw business aviation content on the&nbsp;Aviation Week Intelligence Network, served on the&nbsp;Show News&nbsp;staff, and held roles as the Washington columnist for&nbsp;Business &amp; Commercial Aviation&nbsp;and&nbsp;Overhaul &amp; Maintenance&nbsp;monthly magazines. In 2021 she was honored with the National Business Aviation Association Platinum Wing Award for lifetime achievement in journalism and was the 2004 recipient of the National Air Transportation Association’s Aviation Journalism Excellence Award. She also has been a recipient of an Aerospace Media Award for business aviation (2022) and NBAA Gold Wing Award (2003, 2024). Lynch graduated from The Ohio State University with a bachelor of arts in journalism.

Editor, AIN monthly magazine

Kerry Lynch

The Air Charter Association (ACA) has seen a near doubling of its membership since it rebranded from the Baltic Air Charter Association during its 70th anniversary in 2019. This steady growth since the global pandemic is demonstrating the key role that charter is playing in Europe, according to ACA CEO Glenn Hogben.
Founded as the Airbrokers’ Association in 1949 by members of the Baltic Mercantile and Shipping Exchange, the organization is picking up members at a rate of between six and seven a month and is poised to reach 500 this year.
This, Hogben said, “could be seen as an endorsement and testament of the health of the industry.” More evidence, he added: “We continue to see high levels of engagement across all of our industry events,” and its Air Charter Expo sets yearly new attendance levels.
Branded charter operations have ebbed in Europe in recent months but are still stronger than in pre-pandemic 2019. For the first quarter, according to data provider WingX, charter operations dipped by 2.9% but showed improvements in countries such as France, Spain, and Greece. Importantly, though, Hogben noted that as of September 2024, scheduled airline departures were still 14% below 2019 levels, while business jet and turboprop departures were up 10% at the same time.

“The continued demand for air charter demonstrates the key role it provides in connectivity, business growth, and critical services,” he said, citing several factors for this, including a greater number of operations they provide into smaller regional airports not served by airlines. In addition, he noted that scheduled service is still reduced from pre-pandemic levels, and air carriers are struggling with on-time performance.
However, despite the underpinnings of a stronger market in the region, it faces challenges, chiefly illegal charter. ACA has engaged in a strong battle against such activity. Hogben noted this is not new; the organization has been educating the public and government for more than 70 years. “One of the most important tools available to mitigate against illegal charter flights is awareness. We must ensure that the general public is aware of the dangers posed by operating outside of the legal standards.”
To that end, it rebranded its Fly Legal Day campaign this year with a new look and slogan to boost engagement. It also has implemented a three-pronged approach to encourage legal operations: “Use it,” advising the use of accredited ACA air charter brokers or operators; “Check it,” encouraging people to review things such as operator licenses, air operator certificate, certificate of airworthiness, insurance, and pilot qualifications; and “Report it,” warning that if a flight sounds too good to be true and is significantly cheaper than other options, then it can be reported to the ACA, where it can be verified.
“There is limited data available on the occurrence of illegal charter flights; therefore, it is impossible to quantify the exact number of illegal charters that may occur or how often,” Hogben said. But the association takes submissions to its illegal charter reporting mechanism seriously and shares that information with the relevant authorities.
Other issues, such as airport access, also continue to pose threats to the industry. “Night restrictions at many airports and capacity restrictions at busier times are making it increasingly difficult for business air charter flights to land as close to the destination as possible,” he said. This detracts from one of the key benefits of the market. However, Hogben did say that there have been some positive signs on that front with the approval of airport expansion projects.
Hogben further expressed concern about regulations and taxation based on misperceptions that could harm the industry either through restrictions or “hugely inflated” taxation.
“This is a short-sighted reaction to a sadly misunderstood sector,” he said. “Business aviation and the air charter sector provide a huge range of critical services to countries across Europe and around the world…The industry is, above all, an important driver of international trade in goods and services, without which many countries’ GDP and domestic growth would be significantly reduced. Many outside the industry have the misguided view that business aviation is purely a luxury transport method for the rich and famous. This is far from the truth, with the majority of business aviation flights supporting business activities.”
He cited a survey of business aviation users finding that 84% of their operations involved business activity. Another survey found that the average travel time savings in business aircraft versus scheduled airlines was 127 minutes.
“The value of air charter and business aviation industries is hugely underestimated, and recent policies to impose grossly inflated individual passenger tax not only negatively impacts on reducing the critical services and growth of the country’s economy but also encourages minimum passengers to travel on the aircraft, directly countering sustainability efforts to maximize passengers onboard aircraft.”

Sustainability remains an urgent issue for the industry, he added. An ACA survey of 75 air charter professionals at a recent young professionals event pointed to sustainability as the single most important factor affecting the industry in 2025, Hogben said. “The majority of our 440 member companies have an emissions offsetting scheme in place,” he noted, and the majority support an “opt-out” policy under which offsetting is included in the charter quotation, and it is up to the client to opt out. “Some of our members have also gone even further and offset all charter flights by 200% or more, demonstrating real commitment in our sector,” he added, with many companies employing full-time sustainability officers.
Another key initiative underway at ACA is its Broker Qualification program. This stemmed from its individual Broker Training days, involving a one-day high-level overview of some of the regulatory and legal aspects of being a charter broker. ACA members believed that training would encourage best practices and higher standards in the transactions between brokers and operators, ultimately benefiting the end users. That has since evolved into a three-level professional qualification covering financial, legal, and regulatory topics, as well as service and operational considerations. In 2024, ACA launched an online version of the qualification program to increase access to the training resources.
Since the launch of the qualification in 2021, more than 250 delegates from more than 25 different countries have attended, he noted. “The feedback has been incredibly positive.”
ACA is also working to draw in the next generations of young professionals into the industry, including launching an internship program for 18- to 25-year-olds to provide insight into various careers. The three-month internship program includes classroom training, work experience through placement at a member company, participation in a research project, and an invitation to the Air Charter Excellence Awards event. Interns could work with an operator, charter broker, FBO, flight support company, or an array of other industry service providers.
Its NextGen Group now has 10 members that participated in 24 “engagements” last year at schools, universities, and colleges, Hogben said.

News and issues concerning the aviation charter and fractional-ownership industries and markets, including company announcements, regulations, new developments and labor issues.

ACA Growing Amidst Flourishing Charter Market in Europe

Association poised to hit 500 members this year

The Air Charter Association (ACA) is poised to hit 500 members this year, representing a doubling since pre-pandemic 2019.

ACA Growing Amidst Flourishing Charter Market

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Charles Alcock

News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

Issues regarding financing of aircraft; aviation insurance; tax issues for aircraft operators; new companies and people in the aviation financing and insurance industries.

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

Private lift group’s CEO acknowledges U.S. trade policy has prompted dip in market sentiment

Wheels Up Reports Progress in Challenging Market Conditions

Sarah Rose

News and issues concerning general aviation, specifically airplanes and helicopters powered by piston and alternative engines (i.e., non-turbine powered aircraft). Subjects include aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

Company specializes in small to medium-sized corporate aircraft

Silver Sky Aviation Aims To Make Its Mark in Alaska

All flights to be carbon-neutral

Sentient Signature Announces Sustainability Partnership

Philippines-based company signed a letter of intent with France’s Ascendance

Charter Operator Signs for More Atea Hybrid Electric VTOL Aircraft

Amy Wilder

Pricing has climbed, but flexibility is also improving

Jet Card Flexibility Improves as Hourly Rates Tick Up

Tool supports real-time flight coordination

Levo Introduces AI Platform for Charter Matching

Kaleyesus Bekele

News about commercial airlines, including regulations, aircraft orders, safety, acquisitions, and mergers.

News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

More In Charter & Fractional

Wheels Up Reports Progress in Challenging Market Conditions

Private lift group’s CEO acknowledges U.S. trade policy has prompted dip in market sentiment

Silver Sky Aviation Aims To Make Its Mark in Alaska

Company specializes in small to medium-sized corporate aircraft

Sentient Signature Announces Sustainability Partnership

All flights to be carbon-neutral

Charter Operator Signs for More Atea Hybrid Electric VTOL Aircraft

Philippines-based company signed a letter of intent with France’s Ascendance

Jet Card Flexibility Improves as Hourly Rates Tick Up

Pricing has climbed, but flexibility is also improving

Levo Introduces AI Platform for Charter Matching

Tool supports real-time flight coordination

Ethiopian Airlines Launches VIP Charter Flight Division

East African carrier has taken delivery of a Boeing Business Jet

Aircraft Services Group Building New Headquarters

New Jersey-based company will migrate to Florida

AIN Products

SUBSCRIPTIONS

RESOURCES

ABOUT AIN