Non-revenue Flights

Abstract

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“Non-revenue flights” is a generic term that encompasses different types of flights where there are neither fare-paying passengers nor revenue-generating cargo or mail. From an operational point of view, it is equivalent to “non-commercial flights”. The approach to the notion can also be done by referring to the specific purposes eventually pursued while conducting a flight without receiving any compensation, such as crewmember training, maintenance, ferrying or re-positioning, or carrying company officials. It has often been reported a higher risk of incidents in non-revenue flights in comparison with commercial ones, something linked to their non-standard nature. However, not all non-revenue flights entail the same higher risk. This is why EASA considers reasonable to maintain flexibility and allow operators to undertake risk assessments adapted to the numerous existing profiles of non-routine operations. For its part, acknowledging the higher risk of non-revenue flights and in order to mitigate the problem, the FAA shows a clear preference for conducting them under the standard operating procedures for commercial flights, or at least with as few deviations as possible.