Is my flight legal in Italy?
A paid flight in Italy must be flown by an operator holding an air operator certificate and an operating licence. ENAC, the Italian civil aviation authority, issues both and publishes the list of holders.
- Regulator
- ENAC
- Certificate
- COA under EU Regulation 965/2012
- Licence
- EU Regulation 1008/2008
- ENAC list
- 25 March 2026
Who may fly you
Ask for the operator's name and its air operator certificate. In Italy that certificate is the COA (Certificato di Operatore Aereo), issued by ENAC under EU Regulation 965/2012, and an Italian operator carrying passengers for payment generally also needs an ENAC operating licence. ENAC publishes the list of COA holders; the latest edition we checked is dated 25 March 2026.
Under the EU air operations rules, an operator must obtain an air operator certificate before it starts commercial air transport with aeroplanes or helicopters. A flight you pay for is commercial air transport, whatever it is called.
ENAC issues the COA only after its own checks show the company has the professional capability and organisation to fly safely. It then oversees the holder with audits and inspections, on the ground and in flight, planned or without notice, and can limit, suspend or revoke the certificate.
A broker such as Altivo arranges the flight; the operator named on your quote flies it and holds the certificate. Read our broker disclosure and how we choose our operators.
Sources:ENAC: Certificato Operatore Aereo (air operator certificate)ENAC: Licenze di esercizio (operating licences)ENAC: list of air operator certificate (COA) holders under EU Regulation 965/2012, 25 March 2026 (PDF)
Two documents: the COA and the operating licence
Required by EU Regulation 965/2012 (AIR OPS) before any commercial air transport with aeroplanes or helicopters. It certifies the company's professional capability and organisation, not individual flights.
Issued by ENAC under EU Regulation 1008/2008. Every company that wants to carry passengers, cargo or mail for payment must apply, and the licence requires a COA.
ENAC audits and inspects COA holders and can limit, suspend or revoke a certificate when an operator no longer meets the requirements.
Sources:ENAC: Certificato Operatore Aereo (air operator certificate)ENAC: Licenze di esercizio (operating licences)
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Operators from other countries
- Charter operators from other EU countries hold an air operator certificate from their own authority. EU-registered charters with 19 passenger seats or fewer do not need an Italian landing permit, only a handling request and a flight plan.
- Charter flights on aircraft registered outside the EU need an ENAC landing permit, usually requested up to five days ahead for a single flight, and a valid EASA third-country operator (TCO) authorisation.
- Operators from outside the EU may not pick up passengers inside Italy that they did not bring into the country, and must reach domestic airports through an Italian airport of entry.
When a "private" flight is really a charter
A flight offered as private, with costs covered or on an owner's aircraft, can still be a paid flight. In a 2023 tax ruling, the Agenzia delle Entrate treated flights that a management company ran for an aircraft owner, for a fee, as aerotaxi flights, although the company said the aircraft was certified only for private use.
If you are paying, the operator flying you should hold a COA or an equivalent certificate, and be able to say which aircraft it covers.
Sources:Agenzia delle Entrate, ruling (Risposta) n. 393 of 25 July 2023 on the aerotaxi passenger tax (text as reproduced by Studio Cerbone)ENAC: Certificato Operatore Aereo (air operator certificate)
How to check an operator
- 01Get the operator's legal name
The company that flies you may differ from the one that sells the flight. Ask for the full legal name, for example "Hoverfly divisione Sam S.r.l." rather than a trading name.
- 02Find it on the ENAC list
ENAC publishes a PDF list of COA holders under EU Regulation 965/2012. The edition we checked is dated 25 March 2026. Search it for the legal name and the COA number.
- 03Ask which aircraft it covers
Ask for the registration of the aircraft on your quote and whether it is operated under that certificate.
- 04For operators from abroad
Ask for the certificate from the operator's own authority and, for non-EU operators, the EASA TCO authorisation and ENAC permit.
Sources:ENAC: list of air operator certificate (COA) holders under EU Regulation 965/2012, 25 March 2026 (PDF)ENAC: Certificato Operatore Aereo (air operator certificate)Universal Weather, February 2025 (updated April 2025): Italian charter permits, what you need to know
Questions, answered
Still deciding? A charter specialist will talk you through aircraft, airports and price, with no obligation.
Ask a specialistWho regulates charter flights in Italy?+
ENAC (Ente Nazionale per l'Aviazione Civile), the Italian civil aviation authority. It issues air operator certificates and operating licences and oversees the holders.
What is a COA?+
The Certificato di Operatore Aereo, the Italian air operator certificate required by EU Regulation 965/2012 before an operator starts commercial air transport.
Where can I see the list of Italian charter operators?+
ENAC publishes a PDF list of COA holders. The edition we checked is dated 25 March 2026. Our guide to private jet companies in Italy lists the ones we work with.
Can a non-EU operator fly me between two Italian cities?+
Only as part of a trip it brought into Italy. Non-EU operators may not board passengers in Italy that they did not fly in, and need an ENAC permit.
Fares, dates and rules on this page were checked on 19 October 2026. Official fares and schedules change every season; the operator or authority named in each source has the final word.
- 1.ENAC: Certificato Operatore Aereo (air operator certificate)
- 2.ENAC: Licenze di esercizio (operating licences)
- 3.ENAC: list of air operator certificate (COA) holders under EU Regulation 965/2012, 25 March 2026 (PDF)
- 4.Universal Weather, February 2025 (updated April 2025): Italian charter permits, what you need to know
- 5.Agenzia delle Entrate, ruling (Risposta) n. 393 of 25 July 2023 on the aerotaxi passenger tax (text as reproduced by Studio Cerbone)
Fly with an operator you can check.
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