Private Carriage

Carriage of persons or property for hire for one or a few selected customers, generally on a long-term basis, without holding out to the public. Under FAA guidance it may be conducted under Part 125 or Part 91 rather than Part 121 or Part 135. The number of contracts matters: an operator with 18 to 24 contracts has been held to be a common carrier, while private carriage has been found where three contracts were the whole business. Tailoring the service to each customer's needs points toward private carriage but does not prove it.

Source: summarized from AC 120-12A, Private Carriage Versus Common Carriage of Persons or Property.