From the earliest kites in fifth-century China to Leonardo da Vinci’s designs for a flying machine to the Wright brothers’ first successful motor-operated aircraft, people have dreamed of taking to the skies for generations. Today, it’s easier, and safer, than ever to hop on a plane and start globetrotting.

When you’re traveling long distances, flying is the safest mode of transportation, according to the International Air Transport Association. But what is the safety of private flying and are private jets safer than scheduled airline flights? Let’s look at the private jet safety statistics together and answer private fliers’ common questions about private jet safety ratings.

What to know about private jet safety

Is a private jet safer than a normal plane?

Both commercial and private flights are extremely safe. In fact, you’re far more likely to get in a car crash than you are a plane crash. Even then, the chances of dying in a motor vehicle crash are only 1 in 93, according to the National Safety Council.

What are the odds of a private jet crashing? There were too few deaths in 2021 for the National Safety Council to calculate. This all bodes well for aviation as the preferred, and safer, form of long-distance travel, but are you more likely to crash on a private jet?

Admittedly, there are more fatal small private aircraft crashes than large commercial airliners, but it’s important to consider that statistics count owner-operator aircraft and planes not flown for charter in this data.

Scheduled, commercial flights see fewer than 0.01 fatalities per 100,000 hours of flying. But what is the fatality rate of private jets? On a private aircraft, that number reaches 2.3 fatalities per 100,000 hours. However, most private fliers only spend about 42 hours in the air per year. That means you’d have to live to be over 1,000 years old before you ever reach 50,000 hours on a private jet.

There’s no doubt that flying, whether private or commercial, is far safer than traveling by car. And, when you charter a private jet through an ARGUS-certified broker, you can trust that your aircraft is well-maintained and piloted by an experienced and vetted flight crew.

What is an ARGUS-certified broker?

ARGUS, or the Air Research Group-United States, is an independent private jet safety inspector founded in 1996 that provides third-party audit reports for aviation businesses. ARGUS’s certified charter broker program measures the legitimacy of brokers and operators with an unbiased and factual assessment.

At Stratos, we became certified through an on-site audit where we demonstrated how we code safety into every step of our booking and coordination process. Our agents also demonstrated expert knowledge of these standards to ensure all flights are booked in a safe and organized manner.

Do private jets need two pilots?

Most private jets are required to fly with two pilots due to FAA regulations, though some operators fly certain jets with only one pilot. When you charter a private jet through Stratos, you can rest assured knowing your flight will always have two pilots even if the aircraft is certified for single-pilot operations.

What is the safest private jet?

At this point, you might be wondering, what private jet has the best safety record? At Stratos, our answer is always the same: all of them. That’s because every plane we use has passed through some of the most rigorous safety standards in the industry. We take private jet charter safety seriously. Whether you’re chartering a small turboprop like the Pilatus PC-12 or a Gulfstream G650, you can trust you’re soaring in some of the safest aircraft in the skies.

Chartering a private jet with Stratos

At Stratos, we only work with the best, and safest, private jet operators in the industry. Before we work with an operator, we pre-screen their operational history, private jet safety record, crew and scheduling personnel as part of our Approved Vendor program. We also use ARGUS and Wyvern third-party auditing firms.

As advocates for your safety, we continue to audit even the most reputable air carriers. When a high-quality operator assigns a crew that doesn’t meet our minimum requirements—often so that low-time pilots can gain experience—we advocate on your behalf to ensure you always have the most experienced crew, while the other team gets their training on other brokers’ flights.

All of this comes together to ensure that, when you charter a private jet with Stratos, you’ll soar higher in a safe and well-maintained aircraft piloted by an experienced crew with two pilots from an operator that’s as dedicated to safety as we are.

“We’re not willing to take a chance with disreputable air carriers,” says Joel Thomas, president and CEO of Stratos. “We strive to protect our clients by only partnering with the best service providers in the industry.”

Want to learn more about our culture of safety? Our private jet advisors are here to provide you with a safe, exclusive and memorable flight experience. Call us at (888) 593-9066 to get started.