Public Charters under this part shall meet the following requirements:

(a)-(b) [Reserved]

(c) If the charter is on a round-trip basis, the departing flight and returning need not be performed by the same direct air carrier.

(d) The air transportation portion of the charter must be performed by direct air carriers that hold authority under Chapter 411 and 413 of 49 U.S.C. Subtitle VII, or are operating under 14 CFR part 298, except that only U.S. citizen direct air carriers may provide air transportation for operations in interstate air transportation.

Except for air taxi operators and commuter air carriers (which are governed by 14 CFR 298.38) and Canadian charter air taxi operators (which are governed by 14 CFR 294.32), the direct air carrier(s) shall be paid in full for the cost of the charter transportation (for both legs, if a round-trip charter) prior to the scheduled date of flight departure, as provided for in the basic charter regulations applicable to the direct air carrier(s) under part 212 of this chapter.

(a) The charter operator may not cancel a charter for any reason (including insufficient participation), except for circumstances that make it physically impossible to perform the charter trip, less than 10 days before the scheduled date of departure of the outbound trip.

(b) If the charter operator cancels 10 or more days before the scheduled date of departure, the operator must so notify each participant in writing within 7 days after the cancellation but in any event not less than 10 days before the scheduled departure date of the outbound trip. If a charter is canceled less than 10 days before scheduled departure (i.e., for circumstances that make it physically impossible to perform the charter trip), the operator must get the message to each participant as soon as possible.

The charter operator shall not accept any participant's payment for return transportation unless the participant has specified a particular return flight.

Nothing contained in this part shall preclude a charter operator from utilizing any unused space on an aircraft by it for a Public Charter for the transportation, on a free or reduced basis, of such charter operator's employees, directors, and officers, and parents and immediate families of such persons.

Substitutes may be arranged for charter participants at any time preceding departure. Participants who provide the charter operator or its sales agent with a substitute participant, or who are substituted for by a participant found by the operator, shall receive a refund of all moneys paid to the operator, except that the operator may reserve the right to retain an administrative fee not to exceed $25 for effecting the substitution.

(a) This section shall apply only to charters conducted by educational institutions for charter groups comprised of bona fide participants in a formal academic course of study abroad which is of at least 4 weeks duration. The charter group may also include a student participant's immediate family (spouse, children, and parents). Except as modified in this section, all terms and conditions of this part applicable to the operation of Public Charters shall apply to charters conducted by educational institutions.

(b) An educational institution conducting such a charter shall submit to theOffice of International Aviation, U.S. Air Carrier Licensing/Special Authorities Division, a statement, signed by its president, certifying that it meets the definition of “educational institution” set forth in § 380.2.

(c) An educational institution conducting such a charter need not comply with the requirements of §§ 380.25, 380.28, 380.34, and 380.35.