What Is the Charter Back Offset (CBO)? How Owners Reduce Cost of Ownership
The Charter Back Offset is Haven’s owner program where managed charter revenue helps offset the fixed costs of aircraft ownership — hangar, insurance, and crew. When an owner makes their aircraft available for charter, that activity can reduce the net cost of ownership. How much depends on the aircraft and how it’s flown.
Reviewed by the Haven management team
Owning a business aircraft comes with fixed costs that exist whether you fly or not — hangar, insurance, recurring crew expense, and routine upkeep. The Charter Back Offset, or CBO, is Haven’s approach to putting your aircraft to work against those costs when you aren’t using it.
How It Works
When your aircraft is a fit for charter and you choose to make it available, Haven can place it on its ARGUS Gold-rated Part 135 certificate. During the time you’re not flying, the aircraft can generate charter revenue. That revenue is applied toward your fixed ownership costs — offsetting, in whole or in part, expenses you would otherwise carry alone.
It is not a promise of a specific number. What an owner sees depends on the aircraft type, its condition and equipment, where it’s based, current charter demand, and how much you make it available. Two owners with the same model can see very different results based on how they fly.
Who It Fits
CBO tends to make the most sense for owners who fly their aircraft a portion of the month and are comfortable with their aircraft being chartered during the remaining availability. Owners who want their aircraft reserved exclusively for personal use, or who fly very heavily themselves, may prefer straight Part 91 management with no charter component. Haven manages both, and will tell you honestly which path fits your flying rather than pushing charter where it doesn’t belong.
What You Keep Control Of
Your schedule comes first. The aircraft is available to you when you need it; charter fills in around your use, not the other way around. Haven handles the operational side — crew, compliance, scheduling, and maintenance to the Part 135 standard — so the offset doesn’t become a second job for the owner.
The honest version: CBO can meaningfully reduce the cost of owning an aircraft for the right owner, but it is a fit question, not a guarantee. The best way to know what it would look like for your aircraft is to have Haven model it against your specific situation.
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much can the Charter Back Offset save me?+
There is no single figure — it depends on your aircraft type, condition, base, charter demand, and how much you make the aircraft available. Haven can model an estimate against your specific aircraft rather than quoting a generic number.
Do I lose control of my aircraft’s schedule?+
No. Your use comes first. Charter activity fills in around your schedule, and the aircraft is available to you when you need it.
Is CBO required to have Haven manage my aircraft?+
No. Haven manages aircraft under straight Part 91 with no charter component as well. CBO is an option for owners who want charter activity to help offset costs.
Have a question this didn’t cover?
Talk to the Haven team