Flexjet Ireland secures US operating permit to enable transatlantic charter services

By Jed Nykolle Harme

June 16, 2026

Photo Credits: AeroXplorer

Flexjet Operations Ireland, the Irish subsidiary of Cleveland, Ohio-headquartered fractional jet operator Flexjet, has received a foreign air carrier permit from the United States Department of Transportation, authorising it to conduct on-demand charter operations between Ireland and the United States, as reported by AeroXplorer.

The permit was issued after the Department of Transportation determined that Flexjet's Irish unit met the fitness, citizenship, and regulatory requirements for operating into US territory. The authorisation aligns with the Air Transport Agreement between the United States and the European Union, which governs commercial aviation rights between member states and American jurisdictions.

The approval gives Flexjet flexibility to position aircraft on either side of the Atlantic without relying solely on its US-registered fleet for transatlantic missions, reducing repositioning costs and improving aircraft utilisation. Without such permits, foreign-registered aircraft face restrictions on commercial operations within US airspace, limiting revenue generation and operational efficiency.

Flexjet ranks among the largest fractional jet operators in the world and has spent several years building out its European presence to compete more directly with NetJets in the fractional ownership space. The company has been adding ultra-long-range aircraft to its European fleet, including Gulfstream and Bombardier Global series jets suited to nonstop transatlantic missions.

The Irish operating certificate, granted by the Irish Aviation Authority, enabled Flexjet to launch European fractional ownership programmes and charter services under an EU flag. The new US permit completes the regulatory architecture needed to operate across both markets, bringing its structural capabilities in line with peers such as VistaJet, which operates under a Maltese certificate and holds analogous US authority, and NetJets, which maintains separate US and European operating units with their own regulatory approvals.

The approval also reflects the attractiveness of Ireland's aviation registry as a base for business jet operators, offering a stable regulatory environment within the EU and access to a deep pool of aviation talent.

For owners and charter clients, the permit improves aircraft availability and routing flexibility on both sides of the Atlantic. When an operator can dispatch aircraft from either continent and accept return charter business legally on the other side, repositioning costs decrease and aircraft utilisation rises, efficiencies that typically translate into better service availability during peak demand periods.

View the full report on Flexjet Ireland's US operating approval here.