Setting Up an Air Operator Certificate. Across Five Jurisdictions.

An AOC in India is issued under the Aircraft Act, 1934 and Aircraft Rules, 1937, and certifies that an operator has the technical competence, financial strength, and safety systems to conduct commercial air transport. The process follows the ICAO five-phase model and typically runs 6–8 months from first DGCA contact to operational approval, though this varies by fleet size and operational scope.

A completed Operations Manual, valid IRDAI-compliant insurance, and defined management personnel (Accountable Manager, and relevant operational heads) are required before the DGCA will accept a formal application. Importing the first aircraft also requires a separate DGCA No Objection Certificate, followed by Ministry of Civil Aviation import permission.

The GCAA issues AOCs (and Private Operator Certificates for non-commercial operators) under a five-phase process aligned with ICAO standards. A UAE-based headquarters is required, along with a valid Air Service License, an Emirate Economic Department trade licence, and a business plan with evidence of funding sufficient to cover at least the first 24 months of operation.

The GCAA has invested heavily in digitising this process in recent years, and now runs most of the application and document submission through its e-Services portal, which has meaningfully reduced processing overhead compared to a fully paper-based application.

San Marino's AOC process follows the same ICAO five-phase structure (pre-application, formal application, document evaluation, demonstration & inspection, certification), governed by CAR OPS 1 (aeroplanes) and CAR OPS 3 (helicopters). The registry has positioned itself specifically around commercial and lessor-owned business aviation, and is an OECD white-listed jurisdiction.

A notable structural point: aircraft registered under a San Marino AOC, or owned by a foreign citizen or foreign company, are exempt from San Marino's import tax — one of the reasons the T7 registry has grown as an option for internationally-owned business aircraft.

On-demand charter operations in the US are certificated under Part 135, via a five-phase, three-gate process. Applicants must name a Director of Operations, Chief Pilot, and Director of Maintenance by name, hold DOT economic authority, carry liability insurance meeting 14 CFR Part 205, and establish drug/alcohol and TSA security programs before certification.

The FAA distinguishes between "Basic" Part 135 (limited scope, allowed operational deviations) and "Standard" Part 135 (full manuals, training programs, and management structure) — the right tier depends on fleet size and the scope of operations planned.

Commercial operations from Aruba are governed by AUA-OPS 1, with a separate track (AUA-OPS 2) for non-commercial ("NCC") private operations. The process begins with a mandatory pre-application meeting at the DCA, where key management personnel discuss the proposed operation before formal certification documents are issued.

Aruba, an autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, is a Cape Town Convention signatory. The P4 registry accepts fixed-wing aircraft from 5,700 kg MTOW and helicopters from 1,000 kg MTOW, with registration marks that can be personalized.