These are the questions people ask most before they pay for aircraft broker training. The short answers are here. Each one links to the full guide where the detail and the sources live.
Before you start
Do I need a license to be an aircraft broker?
In the United States there is no federal aircraft broker license. Air charter brokers are regulated by the US Department of Transportation under 14 CFR Part 295, which sets disclosure and consumer-protection rules but does not create a license or an exam. Rules differ by country and, for aircraft dealers, sometimes by US state. The full breakdown is in License and certification.
Do I need aviation experience?
No formal requirement exists. People come into brokerage from sales, hospitality, luxury services, flight operations, FBOs, cabin crew and the flight deck. What you do need is the knowledge: aircraft types, how charter and sales transactions work, the rules, and the vocabulary clients and operators use. See How to become an aircraft broker.
Should I start with charter or with sales?
They are different jobs. Charter brokerage is fast, high-volume and time-sensitive: you arrange flights on aircraft operated by licensed carriers. Aircraft sales brokerage is slow and transaction-heavy: you represent a buyer or seller through a deal that can take months. Read Air charter broker training and Aircraft sales broker training side by side before choosing.
An IABI course · IABI publishes this guide
Not sure which side? IABI’s Complete Program covers both
Both the charter broker and sales broker courses, plus four 30-minute one-to-one coaching sessions, for $1,499. Online, self-paced, lifetime access. Fees are non-refundable, and no course can promise a job, an income or a license.
About courses
What does an aircraft broker course cost?
Prices vary widely between providers, and not all of them publish prices. As one reference point, IABI, which publishes this guide, lists its charter broker course and its sales broker course at $999 each, and a program covering both at $1,499. How to choose an aircraft broker course compares what several providers state publicly.
Is there a free aircraft broker course?
There is free material worth using before you pay for anything: the text of 14 CFR Part 295 on eCFR, articles published by brokerages and operators, and free webinars, including IABI’s free webinar. Free material is rarely structured end to end, which is the main thing a paid course adds.
How long does training take?
Most online courses are self-paced, so the course itself can be finished in weeks. Becoming competent takes much longer. Expect to keep learning on real quotes and real deals long after the last lesson.
Are course fees refundable?
It depends on the provider, so check before you pay. IABI states that all its fees are non-refundable. Treat the refund policy as one of the first things to read on any provider’s checkout page.
What is the certificate worth?
A certificate from a private training provider, IABI’s included, shows that you completed that provider’s training. It is not a government license and it is not an accreditation, and no certificate is legally required to work as a broker. Its practical value is the knowledge behind it and how well you can show that knowledge to a client or an employer.
After the course
Will a course get me a job?
No. No course can promise a job, an interview or an income, and you should be cautious of any provider that says otherwise. Training can give you the knowledge and vocabulary to be credible in an interview or in front of a first client. Aircraft broker jobs covers the roles that exist and where they are advertised.
How much do aircraft brokers earn?
Most broker pay is driven by commission, so it varies enormously and published estimates disagree with each other. Aircraft broker salary explains how charter and sales brokers are paid and what third-party sources report, with their limits.
Can I work as a broker from anywhere?
Much of the work is done by phone, email and online marketplaces, so location matters less than in many careers. Your clients’ time zones matter a great deal, especially in charter, where requests arrive at short notice. The rules that apply depend on where you and your clients are. See License and certification.
Is an aircraft broker course worth it?
It depends on what you already know and how you learn. If you have worked in charter sales or aircraft transactions, you may need very little. If you are coming from outside aviation, structured training can save you months of piecing things together, and it can help you avoid early mistakes that cost clients. It will not replace real experience, and it will not find clients for you. The longer answer, including the full cost of entry beyond tuition, is in is an aircraft broker course worth it?.
Free from IABI · IABI publishes this guide
Want to talk it through before you spend anything?
IABI runs a free webinar on how to become an aircraft broker, and offers a free one-to-one consultation. Both are a way to ask questions and judge the teaching for yourself before paying for any course.