While countless licensing and legal requirements need to be secured by an airline wishing to take passengers off the ground, the most essential one is the Air Operator's Certificate (AOC). This operating license, required for every airline, is handed out by the aviation regulatory authority of a given country. In the United States, it is granted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and requires the airline company to prove that it has the necessary planes, staff, safety systems and financial reso ...