Business Aviation Core Principles

Business Aviation Core Principles

Recalling that APEC Transportation Ministers, in the APEC 7th Transportation Ministerial Joint-Statement, urged the APEC Transportation Working Group (TPTWG) to focus expeditiously on identifying the benefits of business aviation and then work to develop and implement an APEC-wide set of agreed core principles that will apply to business aviation operations;

Appreciating the role business aviation can play in advancing APEC’s broader goals of economic integration, trade facilitation, and development;

Noting that, for the purposes of this statement, the term ‘business aviation’ refers to the non-commercial use of aviation to facilitate and conduct business, examples of which include:

– An individual using his or her own aircraft.

– A corporation using its own aircraft(s) to transport employees and/or individuals with whom it is engaged in business.

– The use by individuals or corporations of aircraft in which they possess an ownership interest;

Recognizing that the key commonality among these various types of operations, in terms of distinguishing them from commercial aviation operations, is that they are not held out for remuneration or hire;

Acknowledging that this is not a legally-binding document;

APEC Economies have reached consensus on the following core principles:

1. “Business aviation operations should be treated, from an economic regulatory standpoint, as non-commercial, not-for-hire aviation. As such, they may have the freedom to fly within and between any points in all Economies, in accordance with an Economy’s applicable requirements.”

2. “Any operating permissions for business aviation operations should be considered and acted upon in a timeframe suitable to their operational needs.”

3. “Consistent with ICAO standards and recommended practices, all governmental entities, e.g. customs, immigration, security, safety, etc, with jurisdiction over business aviation operations ought to recognize and treat these operations as part of non-commercial aviation.”

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