ARGUS Announces Certified Charter Broker Program

Jan. 14, 2014
This program is not intended to make recommendations for the use of any particular charter broker. It is designed to provide the involved parties with unbiased, factual and relevant data and information necessary to make informed decisions.

ARGUS International, Inc. (ARGUS) announced at the NBAA Schedulers & Dispatchers conference that they are launching a Certified Charter Broker Program in the first quarter of 2014. The program will provide charter operators and end consumers with information necessary to make a confident decision when engaging a charter broker.

The Certified Charter Broker Program is an independent, unbiased, factually based program that confirms a Charter Broker is a legitimate business entity. The Broker must have policies and procedures in place which adhere to applicable regulations, industry best practices, appropriate insurance coverage, and management of the fiscal responsibilities inherent to this line of business.

The ARGUS Certified Charter Broker Program addresses the concerns of the charter customer as well as the charter operators that are utilized to fulfill a brokered trip. Consistent with the ARGUS Charter Evaluation and Qualification (CHEQ) system, this program is not intended to make recommendations for the use of any particular charter broker. It is designed to provide the involved parties with unbiased, factual and relevant data and information necessary to make informed decisions. The program is applicable globally, but does not blanket the charter brokerage marketplace with one specific set of rules. A Certified Charter Broker must be able to prove compliance, through an on-site audit, against a recognized set of industry best practices and demonstrate knowledge and compliance with any applicable regulations or standards that are imposed upon a charter broker as a result of their legal domicile or the geographic coverage of their brokered charter flights.

“Air Charter Brokers are involved in hundreds of thousands of flights per year with an economic impact in the billions of dollars. It is a growing, global business that has no universally accepted rules of engagement,” commented Joe Moeggenberg, President and CEO of ARGUS. “Although most charter brokers are respected professionals and work honestly on behalf of their customers and/or charter operators, there are a number of entities that willfully violate industry best practices, reflecting negatively on the entire market segment. Our Certified Charter Broker Program will provide a searchable registry of vetted charter brokers which enhances the confidence of charter operators and end consumers.”

The ARGUS Certified Charter Broker Program contains two levels of recognition, ARGUS Registered and ARGUS Certified. A Registered Charter Broker provides ARGUS with documented proof of specific requirements, and annually pledges their commitment to adhering to industry best practices and applicable regulations. A Certified Charter Broker will submit the same documentation and annual pledge, and will undergo an on-site audit, once every two years, to prove their compliance with industry best practices and applicable regulations. Any willful misrepresentation or proven violation of industry best practices or legal requirements can cause a company the loss of their ARGUS Registered or Certified status. ARGUS will integrate those ratings with other web-sites that make charter broker information available to the public or marketplace.

About ARGUS

ARGUS International, Inc. (ARGUS) is a specialized aviation services company whose mission is to provide the aviation marketplace with data and information necessary to make informed decisions and manage risk. ARGUS provides world-class aviation software and business management solutions, including AVMOSYS business management software, TRAQPak, CHEQ, and ARMOR SMS. ARGUS Charter operator ratings are the most recognized and requested independent source of overall operator quality. TRAQPak provides industry leading market intelligence data and research services as well as expert aviation consulting. ARGUS subsidiaries include ARGUS PROS, the leading provider of on-site safety audits and PRISM, a worldwide leader in Safety Management System (SMS) and Certification services. Founded in 1995, ARGUS is headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, and actively engaged around the globe.