Definition
An aircraft operation in which the operator transports persons or property for compensation or hire under a private contractual arrangement with one or a limited number of customers, without holding itself out to the general public as offering air transportation services. Noncommon carriage is regulated under 14 CFR Part 125 (for large aircraft) or Part 135 (for smaller aircraft), depending on aircraft size and configuration.
Plain English
A flight operation that carries people or cargo for money, but only under a private deal with specific customers — not offered to the public at large.
Context Anchor
You will see this term in discussions of whether a flight operation is private, commercial, or common carriage under aviation rules.
Derivation
From 'common carriage,' a long-standing legal term for any business that offers transportation services to the public at large. Adding 'non-' flips the meaning: the operator still carries for hire, but does not hold itself out to the public — only to selected customers under private contracts.
Why Pilots Care
Determines whether the operation can be conducted under private rules or requires a commercial operating certificate and the associated regulatory burden.
Intuition Check
Do not read “common” as “ordinary.” Here, common means offered to the public or a broad group. Noncommon carriage is not “unusual carriage”; it is carriage for pay that is not publicly offered.
Example Sentence 1
Because the company flew cargo only for three contracted clients and did not advertise its services publicly, the operation qualified as noncommon carriage.
Example Sentence 2
Because the flights were arranged only for specific clients and not advertised publicly, they were treated as noncommon carriage.