International trip planning checklist (operator or owner)
An international business jet trip is a project with a dozen dependencies, most of them owned by governments and airports that do not answer at weekends. This checklist is for the flight department, management company or owner-operator planning a trip beyond home airspace: permits and slots, customs and immigration, crew legality, fuel and handling, and the contingency planning that makes the difference when a permit is late or an airport closes. It assumes a trip-support provider may be involved but that responsibility stays with the operator.
Check that the aircraft has RVSM, ADS-B, FANS 1/A and CPDLC approvals where required, that noise certification meets destination rules, and that any ETOPS or oceanic approvals apply. Confirm the registry and AOC allow the intended commercial or private use and that cabotage rules do not prevent planned domestic legs abroad with a foreign-registered aircraft.
Identify every state along the route needing an overflight permit and the destination's landing permit rules. Lead times range from same-day to ten working days (India, Indonesia, Russia, many African states). Permits are tied to the aircraft registration, dates and often the crew, so lock the tail number and schedule before applying and monitor validity windows for any date shift.
Check the coordination level of each airport. Level 3 airports (Nice, Heathrow, Haneda, Ibiza in summer) need slots requested through the coordinator; PPR airports need permission for the ramp. Confirm parking is available for the length of your stay, especially during events, and whether the aircraft must relocate between drop-off and pick-up. Note tolerance windows and consequences of missing them.
Appoint a handling agent at each airport and confirm they can provide passenger and crew customs, immigration and, where relevant, agricultural or health inspection at your planned times. Check for fees for out-of-hours officers, whether clearance is airside or in a terminal, and whether the airport is an approved port of entry for pets or for non-nationals.
Collect passport-quality data for all passengers and crew and file APIS or equivalent to each country's deadline (US: 60 minutes before departure, with a clearance response required). Prepare general declarations, crew lists and any health forms. Verify visas, ESTA, ETA and ETIAS for passengers, and crew visas or crew-on-duty exemptions for each country including technical stops.
Build the schedule against your flight and duty time limits, allowing for delays, and plan crew changes or an augmented crew for long days. Check licences, medicals, passports, visas and any required vaccinations, and confirm crew are current on type and on international procedures such as North Atlantic HLA. Book crew hotels close to the airport and arrange transport.
Confirm fuel is available at each airport, arrange fuel release or carnet credit through your supplier, and check prices; tankering can save thousands at expensive airports if weight allows. Note where SAF is available or mandated (EU ReFuelEU blending, UK mandate) and any ETS or CORSIA reporting obligations that follow from the flight.
Check the policy's geographic limits and war-risk exclusions for every country on the route, including diversions. Some states require specific liability minimums or local certificates (EU Regulation 785/2004 limits, for instance). Obtain confirmation from the insurer or broker for higher-risk regions before the aircraft departs, since coverage cannot be arranged retrospectively.
Review government travel advisories, airport security standards and any TSA, EASA or national requirements such as a TSA waiver for restricted airspace or an approved security programme for the destination. Consider aircraft guarding, secure parking and passenger ground security where warranted. Check health entry requirements, vaccinations and any restrictions on medication.
Study climatology for the dates (monsoon, typhoon, winter fog, Saharan dust, mountain conditions) and select alternates that have customs, fuel and parking, not just runway. Review NOTAMs for closures, military exercises and volcanic ash routing. For mountain and short-runway destinations, run performance calculations at forecast temperatures with the real payload.
Order catering through the handler with local lead times in mind, confirm potable water and lavatory servicing, and check whether alcohol may be carried or served in the destination country. Arrange ground transport with airside access where possible, and confirm the FBO or VIP terminal arrangements, including who meets the passengers and any charges.
Identify authorised service centres and AOG support near each stop, especially for remote destinations, and check that the manufacturer's support network covers the region. Carry a fly-away kit with common consumables if appropriate. Know the MEL implications of a defect abroad and who will authorise deferrals and repairs at three in the morning.
Ensure certificates of airworthiness, registration, insurance, noise, radio licence, AOC and operations specifications are on board and valid, with copies. Carry a fuel card and a credit arrangement for landing and handling fees, since some countries require cash or prepayment. Set up satcom or roaming for the crew and a 24-hour operations contact who can act on permits and slots while the aircraft is airborne.
Write down what happens if a permit is late, an airport closes, the aircraft goes technical or a passenger's document fails: alternate airports, backup charter contacts, hotel arrangements and who decides. Brief the crew and the lead passenger on the plan and the fixed constraints such as curfews and slot windows, so that decisions on the day are quick and calm.
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