Airline Crew Transfers on GNet Connect
Crew transportation is now a searchable service and fleet tag across a network of approximately 6,000 ground transportation operators in 90+ countries. Operators declare it. Airlines and crew logistics teams search it. GNet connects the two.
What is airline crew transportation?
Airline crew transportation is scheduled ground transportation for flight and cabin crews between the airport and their layover hotel, contracted by an airline or by the crew logistics provider that runs its hotel and ground program. It is the last leg of a duty day and the first leg of the next one.
It is not an airport transfer with more passengers. It runs on a regulatory clock: under FAA 14 CFR 117.25 a crew's minimum rest is 10 consecutive hours measured from release from duty and must contain 8 uninterrupted hours of sleep opportunity; EASA ORO.FTL.235 puts the 8-hour sleep opportunity “in addition to the time for travelling.” The van ride is inside the rest window. A slow ride shortens sleep; a late one can delay tomorrow's departure.
Three kinds of crew work
Scheduled layover transfers
The core of the work. Airport to crew hotel after the last flight, hotel to airport before the first. Same airline, same flight numbers, same hotel, every day. Pickup times move with the inbound.
Irregular operations and positioning
Diversions, cancellations, reserve call-outs, and crews repositioned between airports. Little notice, odd hours, and the night an airline decides which vendor it keeps.
Business aviation and charter crews
Corporate, charter, and cargo crews picked up at the FBO rather than the terminal. Smaller crews, sedan or SUV, but the same rest clock and the same expectation of a vehicle on the ramp side of the fence when the wheels stop.
Vehicle fit by crew size
Sedan or SUV
Two- to four-person cockpit, cargo, or business aviation crews. Trunk must take a roller bag and tote per person.
Van or minibus (8–14 seats)
Narrow-body crews of five to seven with luggage. The workhorse of crew transportation. Luggage space behind the last row, not on laps.
Minibus or coach (15+ seats)
Long-haul wide-body crews of fifteen or more, or two crews sharing a hotel. Under-floor or rear luggage bays.
Who books crew transfers, and why they struggle to find operators
Crew transportation is sourced station by station, usually under time pressure, by people who do not live in that city.
- Airline crew logistics and crew accommodation teams opening a station or repairing a layover program
- Station managers who need a backup vendor tonight, not after an RFP
- Crew logistics providers who run hotel and ground programs on behalf of airlines
- Hotels that hold a crew contract and need a transport partner to keep it
- Operators who hold a crew contract and need coverage for a diversion or an irregular-operations night
- Business aviation and charter operators arranging crew moves at an FBO
Each of them asks the same question — who near this airport runs crew transportation today, with the vehicles, the permit, and the dispatch to hit a 15-minute window at 2 a.m.? Until now, the network had no structured way to answer it. “Airport transfers” describes almost everyone.
How crew transfers work on GNet Connect
For operators (supply)
- 1
Open your dashboard, go to Services, and add Airline Crew Transfers. New members are also asked once, on the dashboard home, whether they offer NEMT or airline crew transfers.
- 2
Go to Fleet, open each crew-capable vehicle, and mark Crew Transfer under Specialty use. Keep photos, capacity, and luggage details current.
- 3
Upload your airport crew transportation permit under Documents if your airport issues one. You now appear in Connect search filtered by Airline Crew Transfers, and each tagged vehicle appears in Fleet search by airport and GPS radius.
- 4
Partners contact you through your profile. The agreement, the service levels, and the settlement are between you and the partner — GNet does not sit in the middle of the transaction.
For buyers (demand)
- 1
Go to Connect search and filter by service → Airline Crew Transfers, or use Fleet search with the Crew Transfer filter and an airport, address, or GPS point.
- 2
Review the operator's profile: COI, licenses, airport permits, fleet photos with capacity, completeness score, FAQs.
- 3
Contact the operator directly, or post an Affiliate Need for crew coverage in a station and let tagged operators come to you.
Crew transfer best practices
Crew contracts are won on the first station visit and lost on one bad night. These are the habits that separate operators who keep airline work from operators who get one trial month.
For operators
Tag what you actually run. Mark the vans and minibuses you would put a crew in. A stretch limousine is not a crew vehicle, however good the photos. Buyers who arrive through this filter know the difference.
Know your airport's permit rule before you tag. Many airports issue a specific crew or commercial ground transportation permit; some require an airline agreement first. Upload what you hold under Documents.
Post a COI at the airline's limit. Airline and crew logistics RFPs commonly ask for higher auto liability limits than a typical affiliate agreement. Put the certificate on your profile so the number is visible up front.
Track the flight, not the schedule. Crew pickups move with the inbound. Dispatch must watch the flight and adjust the pickup without being asked.
Non-stop unless the contract says otherwise. Some agreements require a stop at a suitable restaurant when there is nothing near the hotel. Otherwise it is terminal to hotel door, no detours. Crew rest depends on it.
Have an irregular-operations process. Who answers at 1 a.m., how fast a second vehicle rolls, and how the airline is told. Write it down before you need it.
Vet and brief drivers. Background check, uniform, and a driver who knows the crew pickup point at the terminal and the crew entrance at the hotel.
Invoice per trip, keyed to the flight number. Airlines reconcile ground transportation against the crew schedule. A monthly lump sum gets queried; a flight-numbered line item gets paid.
For buyers
Treat the tag as the start of vetting. Confirm airport authorization, insurance limits, and 24/7 dispatch before the first pickup.
Share the station profile up front. Flight numbers and block times, crew sizes by fleet type, hotel address and crew entrance, and the wait-time standard you are held to.
Ask for vehicle capacity with luggage, not seats. A van rated for 14 seats carries fewer crew members once every one of them has a roller bag and a tote. Ask how many crew, not how many seats.
Agree the irregular-operations procedure in writing. Notification path, response time, and pricing for unscheduled moves are where crew contracts go wrong.
Use Affiliate Needs for standing coverage. If you need capacity in a station, broadcast it once rather than calling operator by operator.
Do you need a permit to provide crew transfers?
Often — but there is no single “crew transportation license.” What buyers check is a bundle: airport authorization, the airline's insurance limit, and the service standards written into crew contracts.
Airport permits. Many airports issue a specific crew or commercial ground transportation permit. At Washington Dulles and Reagan National, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority requires a Crew Transportation Service permit and will not accept an application until the operator already holds an agreement with an airline. Other airports fold crew work into a general commercial ground transportation permit. Check with your airport authority and upload what you hold under Documents.
Wait-time standards. Union contracts turn crew rest into minutes. The APFA agreement at American Airlines requires layover transportation within 20 minutes of the request, or 10 minutes on short overnights, with taxi reimbursement when it fails (Section 6, C.2). An AFA agreement reimburses a taxi after a 15-minute wait at the curb (Section 34). The APFA contract also requires “non-stop transportation to and from the airport” and “safe and secure transportation for the crew members and their luggage.” The vendor who misses the window is the one the airline hears about.
Insurance. Airline and crew logistics RFPs commonly set auto liability limits above a typical affiliate agreement and ask for the airline to be named as additional insured. Confirm the number in the RFP; post your COI on your profile so it is visible before the conversation starts.
Everywhere else. Assume the same shape — airport authority, airline insurance limit, contractual wait time — and check locally.
Read the launch post: crew transfer search on GNet Connect →
This is general information, not legal advice. Confirm requirements with your airport authority, the airline's RFP, or counsel. Last reviewed: September 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is airline crew transportation?
Scheduled ground transportation for flight and cabin crews between the airport and their layover hotel, contracted by an airline or its crew logistics provider. It includes early-morning and late-night pickups, irregular-operations moves such as diversions, and positioning between airports.
Is a crew transfer the same as an airport transfer?
No. An airport transfer is a single passenger trip. A crew transfer is a contracted, recurring service tied to a flight schedule, a crew rest clock, union wait-time limits, and often an airport-specific permit. The vehicles, dispatch, and invoicing are different.
Do crew transfer operators need a permit?
It depends on the airport. Some, such as Washington Dulles and Reagan National, require a Crew Transportation Service permit and an existing airline agreement before you can apply. Others cover crew work under a general commercial ground transportation permit. Check with your airport authority.
What vehicles are used for crew transfers?
Vans and minibuses with dedicated luggage space for most crews; sedans or SUVs for two- to four-person cockpit or cargo crews; minibuses or coaches for long-haul wide-body crews of fifteen or more. Every crew member travels with a roller bag and a tote.
How do I find crew transfer operators on GNet Connect?
Filter Connect search by the Airline Crew Transfers service, or use Fleet search with the Crew Transfer filter and an airport, address, or GPS point. Review the operator's profile, permits, and COI, then contact them directly.
How do I add crew transfers to my GNet Connect profile?
Add Airline Crew Transfers under Services on your company profile and mark each crew-capable vehicle under Specialty use in your Fleet. Upload your airport permit under Documents. Available on every plan, including Free.
Does GNet dispatch or pay for crew transfer trips?
No. GNet Connect is the discovery and connectivity layer. Trips come from partners on the network, and the agreement, service levels, and settlement are directly between the two companies.
Explore next: Search crew transfer operators · Fleet search · NEMT on GNet Connect · How we verify operators · Blog: crew transfer search on GNet Connect
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