The definition between private and business aviation tends to differ amongst publications and marketing materials.
The confusion is in reference to flying privately namely in jets; where ‘business jets’, ‘corporate jets’ and ‘private jets’ are all referenced terms.
What then is private and business aviation?
In classifying private and business aviation the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) recognizes only three kinds of operations; commercial air transport, general aviation and aerial work.
- Commercial air transport operation: An aircraft operation involving the transport of passengers, cargo or mail for remuneration or hire.
- General aviation operation: An aircraft operation other than a commercial air transport operation or an aerial work operation.
- Aerial work: An aircraft operation in which an aircraft is used for specialized services such as agriculture, construction, photography, surveying, observation and patrol, search and rescue, aerial advertisement.
With this in mind business aviation is positioned somewhere between commercial air transport (charter/air-taxi/air ambulance operations), private and corporate operations (general aviation).
In the U.S. and where FAA regulations are adopted worldwide the operation of aircraft must comply with either Part 91 (non-commercial) operations or Part 135 (commercial) operations; with many aircraft operating both commercially and non-commercially.
It is therefore the purpose of the flight that determines whether a flight is private or business.
IAPBA recognizes that many of the aircraft models and types are used in both private and business operations and thus at IAPBA we embody private with business aviation as one.
