Buffalo River Aviation Obtains Own FAA Charter Certificate, Becomes Arkansas's Largest Private Charter Operator

Buffalo River Aviation has obtained its own FAA operating certificate following a roughly three-year certification process, a step the company says makes it the largest private charter operator in Arkansas. The Bentonville-based company had previously flown charters under Central Flying Service of Little Rock's authority starting December 2023, then shifted to operating under JetTech Charters' FAA operating authority from February 2025.

By year-end, Buffalo River Aviation's fleet will total seven aircraft under its own certificate: three King Air turboprops, three Citation jets, and one Cessna Citation Sovereign. The company plans to add another Citation jet and another Sovereign within a year. "Earning our own FAA operating certificate is a significant milestone that gives us the flexibility to continue investing in our fleet, our people and the exceptional service our clients expect," said Chris Townsley, CEO of Buffalo River Aviation.

The company currently employs more than 11 pilots and four administrative staff, with plans to hire two additional pilots before year-end. It has recently expanded its primary hangar at Bentonville Municipal Airport – Louise M. Thaden Field, and expanded storage, maintenance, and fueling operations in North Little Rock, Oklahoma City, and Neosho, Missouri. Founded in 2021, Buffalo River Aviation offers charter, private aircraft management, and pilot services, with about half of its customers based in Arkansas, and donates aircraft and pilot time to Make-A-Wish and Special Olympics Airlift.

Operating under another carrier's certificate before earning an independent one is a common path for growing charter companies, since certification demands time, documented safety history, and FAA scrutiny that smaller operators cannot always clear quickly. Buffalo River Aviation's move from flying under Central Flying Service, then JetTech Charters, to its own certificate over roughly three years illustrates how that path plays out in practice: revenue and operations build under a host certificate while the operator prepares the staffing, maintenance, and compliance infrastructure an independent certificate requires.

Holding its own certificate gives Buffalo River Aviation direct control over fleet additions, hiring, and scheduling rather than working within a host operator's framework, which matters as it plans to add a Citation jet and a Sovereign within a year and hire two more pilots before year-end. Watch whether the expanded hangar at Bentonville and the added maintenance and fueling footprint in North Little Rock, Oklahoma City, and Neosho translate into the fleet growth the company has outlined, and whether its charitable flying commitments to Make-A-Wish and Special Olympics Airlift scale alongside the fleet.