The National Business Aviation Association is calling on Part 135 operators to contribute to its 2025 Domestic Operations Committee survey, an annual data-collection initiative that serves as one of the primary mechanisms through which the business aviation community aggregates operational intelligence for regulatory advocacy. The survey targets on-demand charter and air taxi operators certificated under 14 CFR Part 135, a segment of the industry that spans everything from single-pilot turboprop operators to large-cabin jet charter fleets. NBAA's Domestic Operations Committee uses the resulting data to identify trends, pain points, and priorities across this diverse operator base before bringing those findings to the FAA, Congress, and other regulatory stakeholders.
For working Part 135 operators and the pilots who fly under those certificates, survey participation carries direct practical consequence. The data gathered from these surveys informs NBAA's positions on issues such as pilot rest and duty limitations, training and checking requirements, operational specifications, SMS implementation timelines, and the regulatory distinctions that affect how charter operators compete against fractional and Part 91 operators. When response rates are low, the resulting dataset skews toward larger operators with dedicated compliance staff, leaving smaller single-aircraft charter companies and regional turboprop operators underrepresented in the advocacy process. Industry bodies negotiate with regulators on the basis of documented operational realities, and incomplete survey data weakens that negotiating position.
The timing of this call to action is significant given the regulatory environment facing Part 135 operators in the mid-2020s. The FAA has been advancing rulemaking on several fronts that directly affect charter operations, including updates to pilot qualification and recurrency standards, increased scrutiny of safety management systems among smaller operators, and ongoing policy discussions around helicopter air tour operations and air medical charter. NBAA's ability to present quantitative operational data — fleet composition, utilization rates, staffing challenges, training costs — is central to making the case that proposed regulations are calibrated appropriately for the actual operational profile of the Part 135 community rather than designed around worst-case assumptions.
Broader trends in business aviation amplify the stakes of this survey cycle. The post-pandemic surge in charter demand has brought a wave of new entrants and expanded fleets to the Part 135 space, while simultaneously intensifying pressure on pilot supply and training infrastructure. The demographic and operational composition of the Part 135 sector has shifted measurably, making current survey data more valuable and prior-year baselines less reliable as proxies. Operators who forgo participation effectively allow others to speak on their behalf in regulatory proceedings where their specific operational profile — whether that means regional turboprop charter, HEMS, or ultra-long-range jet operations — may not otherwise be represented. NBAA's push for broad participation reflects the understanding that regulatory outcomes in aviation are shaped as much by the quality of industry data as by the strength of legal argument.