The FAA Part 135 Operator Database: What Brokers Need to Know
A guide to the FAA Part 135 operator database for charter brokers. How to use the CAPS database, what information is available, and how WingmanOS enhances it with safety scoring and ADS-B data.
The FAA maintains a public database of every certificated air carrier in the United States. For charter brokers, this database is one of the most valuable resources available -- and one of the most underused. This guide explains what the database contains, how to use it, and how to get more out of it.
What is the CAPS Database?
CAPS stands for Certificate Activity Tracking System. It is the FAA's public-facing database of air carrier certificates, including Part 135 on-demand air carriers. The database includes every operator that holds an active, suspended, or revoked certificate, along with their certificate number, base of operations, and certificate status.
The CAPS database is available at the FAA website and is updated regularly. It is the authoritative source for whether an operator is legally authorized to conduct charter flights. If an operator's certificate is suspended or revoked, they cannot legally operate charter flights, and you should not be sourcing from them.
What the CAPS Database Does Not Tell You
The CAPS database tells you that an operator has a certificate. It does not tell you much else. It does not include the operator's safety record, their fleet details, their base airports, their on-time performance, or their FAA enforcement history. For a complete picture of an operator, you need to cross-reference multiple data sources.
FAA Enforcement Actions
The FAA publishes enforcement actions against air carriers in the Legal Enforcement Actions database. This includes civil penalties, certificate actions, and warning notices. Reviewing an operator's enforcement history is one of the most important steps in operator due diligence. An operator with multiple enforcement actions in the past three years is a higher-risk sourcing choice.
NTSB Incident Records
The National Transportation Safety Board maintains a public database of aviation accidents and incidents. For Part 135 operators, this database shows any accidents or serious incidents involving the operator's aircraft. A fatal accident in the operator's history is a significant red flag that should factor into your sourcing decisions.
How WingmanOS Enhances the FAA Data
WingmanOS maintains a database of 9,400+ Part 135 operators that combines the CAPS database with FAA enforcement records, NTSB incident data, FlightAware on-time performance data, and live ADS-B aircraft position data. Each operator is scored on a 100-point reliability scale that updates automatically as new data becomes available.
The scoring system weights fatal incidents heavily -- any operator with a fatal incident in their history is automatically downgraded from Prime Match status regardless of their proximity to your departure airport. Operators with suspended or revoked certificates are excluded from sourcing results entirely.
Using the Database in Your Sourcing Workflow
The most effective way to use operator database data is to integrate it into your sourcing workflow rather than treating it as a separate research step. When you source a trip in WingmanOS, the operator scoring is already applied to every result. You see the reliability score, any safety warnings, and the certificate status before you send a single outreach email.
This saves time and reduces risk. Instead of manually checking the FAA database for every operator you are considering, the platform does it for you and surfaces the information at the point where it is most useful: when you are deciding which operators to contact.