Aviation Regulation,
Tax and Insurance
Part 91 and Part 135, cabotage, crew age and medical rules, VAT and customs on an imported aircraft, mineral oil tax, solidarity and departure taxes, wartime and mandatory insurance levels, and the country rules that change a private jet operation.
Reviewed by Kevin Singh, Founder · Fact-checked against Icarus Jet fleet and airport operations data · Last updated 10 September 2026
The working reference
How regulation works for a private flight
A private flight operates under one of two rule sets and the difference runs through everything. Part 91, and its equivalents abroad, covers a private or corporate aircraft flying its own people: no age limit for the pilots beyond a valid medical, fuel taxed in Europe, no cabotage question because nothing is sold. Part 135, the AOC world, covers charter: the ICAO age-65 limit on international multi-crew flights, fuel tax exempt at the pump on presenting the certificate, and cabotage, which bars a foreign-registered aircraft from carrying new passengers for hire between two domestic points, so a G-registered jet cannot sell Dallas to Las Vegas while the same passengers continuing an international itinerary are fine. Tax follows the aircraft and the passenger: temporary admission or full import with VAT for an aircraft based in the EU, mineral oil tax and VAT on fuel for non-AOC crews, France's solidarity tax by distance and cabin class, departure taxes and airport fees in most states, and a customs declaration on the aircraft itself in Europe. Insurance is a permit condition in more places each year: Türkiye now mandates minimum levels for private flights, Libya wants wartime cover, and Argentina has rewritten its crew and operating rules. Medicals run six months for a Class 1, a year for a Class 2, and crew IDs abroad read CREW in English. The desk files against the actual operation, carries the AOC or the private declaration, checks the destination's AIP for the local variations and quotes the taxes before the trip.
Part 91 and Part 135
Part 91 is private or corporate operation: the owner's own people, no revenue, no age limit beyond a valid medical, fuel taxed in Europe. Part 135 is charter under an AOC: the ICAO age-65 limit on international multi-crew flights, fuel tax exempt at the pump, cabotage rules, higher insurance and a local sponsor in some states. Many countries want to know which one is flying before they issue the permit.
Cabotage
A foreign-registered charter aircraft may not carry new passengers for hire between two domestic points; the same passengers continuing an international itinerary do not trigger it. Intra-EU cabotage is largely relaxed for EU operators; the UK since Brexit, Switzerland and Norway apply restrictions, and the United States enforces it strictly.
Crew age, medicals and IDs
The ICAO age-65 limit applies to international commercial multi-crew operations, not to Part 91; FAA Part 121 retires at 65. Medical validity: Class 1 six months, Class 2 one year, Class 3 five years under 40 or two years over. Each destination's AIP GEN 1.7 carries local variations, and handlers are told when a pilot is over 65. Crew IDs abroad read CREW, not PILOT, in English with photo, company and expiry.
Tax on the aircraft and the fuel
An aircraft based in the EU is imported with VAT or held under temporary admission with its limits; the Europe page carries the import and customs rules. Fuel carries mineral oil tax and VAT for non-AOC crews, reclaimable afterwards in most states. France charges a solidarity tax by distance and cabin class; most states levy departure taxes and airport fees that appear on the handling invoice.
Insurance
Worldwide liability cover at the level the state demands is a permit condition. Türkiye now mandates minimum insurance for private flights into the country, Libya requires wartime cover, and several states check the certificate against the aircraft's MTOW. The desk confirms the wording and the level before it files.
Country rules that changed recently
Argentina rewrote its regulations for private jet crews, Türkiye added mandatory insurance, France revised the solidarity tax rates, Belgium added a GenDec requirement, the United States changed entry rules for private flights, and China published its 2026 requirements for US crews. Each has its own page on the region hubs.
Where it applies
How the rule changes by region
United States
Part 91 versus Part 135, strict cabotage, TSA waivers and ESTA on the customs page, the presidential TFRs on the slots page, new entry rules in 2026.
Europe
VAT and customs on imported aircraft, temporary admission, mineral oil tax on fuel, France's solidarity tax, Belgium's GenDec, Italy's disinsection, the mistakes US crews make flying into Europe, ReFuelEU.
United Kingdom
Cabotage restrictions since Brexit, the GAR and the ETA, Defra approval for pets, night quota counts.
Türkiye and the Middle East
Mandatory insurance for private flights into Türkiye, permits conditional on insurance wording across the Gulf, N-registered restrictions over Iran and Iraq.
Americas
Argentina's new regulations for private jet crews, Mexico's entry authorisations and APIS, Cuba's US licensing regime for charter.
Africa and Asia
South Africa's foreign operator's permit above eight passengers, Libya's wartime insurance, Kenya's electronic visas, China's sponsorship letters and navigator requirements at secondary fields.
Guides and updates
Regulation articles from the desk
The detailed pieces behind this page, newest first, each with the year it was written and the discipline it belongs to.
Private Jet Crew Compliance: Age, ID, and International Operations
Clarifies pilot age limits under ICAO and FAA rules by operation type, medical certificate validity, and why crew ID cards must say CREW for international handling.
Read the guide2019Regulation, tax and insuranceCabotage and Private Jets
FAQ explaining what cabotage is and when a foreign-registered private jet can or cannot carry passengers between domestic points.
Read the guideCountry guides
Where the rule differs by country
The regional pages that carry the detail for this discipline, each with the permit, entry, slot, handling and fuel facts for that country.
Questions
Regulation, tax and insurance questions
What is the difference between Part 91 and Part 135?
Part 91 is private or corporate operation of the owner's own aircraft with no revenue. Part 135 is charter under an air operator certificate, with commercial crew rules, the ICAO age-65 limit on international multi-crew flights, fuel tax exemptions in Europe and cabotage restrictions.
What is cabotage and does it apply to private jets?
Cabotage bars a foreign-registered aircraft from carrying new passengers for hire between two domestic points. It applies to charter, not to a private flight carrying its own people, and the same passengers continuing an international itinerary do not trigger it.
Is there a maximum pilot age for private flights?
Not under Part 91 beyond a valid medical. The ICAO age-65 limit applies to international commercial multi-crew operations, and FAA Part 121 retires at 65. Each destination's AIP can add local variations, so the desk checks GEN 1.7 and tells the handler when a pilot is over 65.
How long is a pilot medical valid?
Under the FAA, a Class 1 for six months, a Class 2 for a year, and a Class 3 for five years under 40 or two years over 40. International commercial operations follow the Class 1 cycle.
Does a private jet pay VAT in Europe?
On the aircraft, if it is imported into the EU rather than held under temporary admission. On fuel, if the crew cannot show an AOC at the pump, with the VAT reclaimable afterwards in most states. On services and handling, on the invoice like any other purchase.
What is the French solidarity tax?
A per-passenger tax on departures from France, charged by distance and cabin class, with rates revised recently and the business aviation rate the highest. It appears on the invoice for every departure from a French airport.
Do I need special insurance to fly into Türkiye?
Yes. Türkiye now mandates minimum insurance levels for private flights into the country and checks the certificate against the aircraft. The desk confirms the wording and the level before it files the permit.
What should a crew ID say abroad?
CREW, not PILOT, in English, with a photo, the company name and an expiry date. Immigration officers in many countries read the card before the licence.
Which recent rule changes affect private jet crews?
Argentina's new regulations, Türkiye's mandatory insurance, France's solidarity tax rates, Belgium's GenDec, the US entry rules for 2026, ReFuelEU, and China's 2026 requirements for US crews. Each has its own page on the region hubs.
What does the desk need to check the regulation on a trip?
Whether the flight is private or charter, the aircraft's registration and insurance certificate, the crew licences, medicals and ages, and the itinerary. It comes back with the operation filed correctly, the taxes quoted, the insurance confirmed and the local variations briefed.
Get it filed
Filed against the right rule set
Send the itinerary and the operation type, and the desk files the permits under the correct regime, confirms the insurance wording, quotes the taxes and briefs the crew rules at every destination.
Contact UsPrefer to talk? Call +1 888 277 7203 or email tripsupport@icarusjet.com. The desk is staffed 24/7.