Passenger Charter News

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December News

Journalists put in pole position

A top sports car manufacturer called upon Air Charter Service for a Boeing 737-300 to carry journalists to a media event in Portugal for the hi-profile launch of their latest sports car.

The client required a charter to pick up media teams in Rome and Milan before flying the group to the event location in Portugal.

Sam Wood of Air Charter Service's London office arranged for a B737-300 to perform the flights and was also able to offer personalised catering and branded headrest covers onboard.

The flights went seamlessly and the journalists got an extra special surprise when they stepped of the aircraft to be greeted by a fleet of sports cars to speed them to the launch event.

Find out more about group charters.

Rap records fly off the shelf

Air Charter Service were able arrange a helicopter charter to help a marketing client film a massive ship out of the latest album from American rap star Eminem.

The team at Air Charter Service provided a Twin Squirrel helicopter to film ten giant lorries filled with the latest album traveling down the M1 motorway to restock the shelves in time for Christmas shoppers to snap them up.

The crew filmed for two hours from the helicopter which was fitted with a harness to hold the cameraman safely during the operation.

The event was covered by several of the nation newspapers, including The Guardian and The Sun (pictured right).

More information on chartering a helicopter.

Charter keeps new train on track

Air Charter Service successfully arranged the charter of a Fokker 50 aircraft for a UK rail company holding a large corporate event in Germany to help keep the launch of a new train model on the right track.

The rail company, currently investing huge amount in revitalizing and redeveloping travel in the north of England , contacted Air Charter Service as they were planning to fly a large party of media reporters and company personnel to the manufacturing base in Germany.

The charter was handled by Gavin Copus, who identified the Fokker 50 as ideal for the trip, enabling the group to fly into a smaller airport next to the manufacturing base.  

The Fokker 50 option successfully provided the company with high levels of comfort and reliability, as well as the versatility to fly in and out in a single day.

Contact a group charter specialist.

November News

Moscow Extravaganza 2005 05

The annual Moscow Extravaganza was held on the 21st and 22nd of October at the Radisson hotel in Moscow, and Air Charter Service's VIP charter executives were present to meet and enjoy a drink with guests.

The show is the highlight of the year for many companies with business ties in Russia , proving the perfect platform to rub shoulders with Moscow 's high society.

The companies present included names such as Harrods, Benetti, Edmiston and Air Charter Service to name but a few.

The Air Charter Service stand proved to be a focal point for many guests, allowing them to sit in the lounge area and enjoy a drink and chat about company.

Victor Grzhebin, Senior Manager in Moscow , told us he was delighted to get the opportunity to mingle and really get to know our customers in Moscow .

He added: "It is great to sit down with a client over a drink and discuss all their needs and ideas."

For more information please contact the Moscow office.

Stranded Holiday Makers

Air Charter Service were called in to help thousands of holiday makers who were left stranded in Mexico after Hurricane Wilma ripped up holiday resorts and left large areas of the Yucatan Peninsula in ruins.

Cancun Airport was unable to accept large aircraft due to damage so flights had to be diverted to Merina - 100km North West . The airport which normally handles half a dozen flights a day found itself stretched to the limit with up to 12 wide-body airliners at a time.

Matthew Purton received a call for help from one of the world's largest tour operators who had over 2000 stranded customers. They needed something large enough to evacuate a large volume of people immediately.

Matt worked through the night, sourcing them an Italian 767-300ER, a crew and required documents. He had to negotiate special landing rights to fly into Merina which was already turning away aircraft. He secured the jet for four days so it could complete back to back rotations carrying the passengers to Frankfurt .

For more information please contact us for passenger charters.

October 2005

Cricket Stars Fly to Europe

One of the major sponsors of the Ashes-winning England team splashed out on a celebratory day trip across Europe - including chartering an aircraft for some of the stars who bowled over the Australian's 2-1 in the series.

The sponsor had pre-arranged to fly the team from Saltzburg to Venice on a customized vintage DC-6 airliner, but was left in a spin when it came to arranging the connecting flights for the VIP sports stars.

ACS sports charter expert Andy Christie was able to swing into action, organising a 31-seat, state-of-the-art Dornier 328 regional jet to fly the players from London to Salzburg , before repositioning the aircraft for the return leg from Venice .

Andy told us he was delighted to meet the players at Biggin Hill airport, near London , and ensure they were taken care of before they boarded the aircraft.

He revealed: "It is not very often you get the chance to mix business with pleasure but I was delighted to be given the chance to help in the celebrations and ensure the start of the trip passed off without a hitch."

For more information please contact our sports charter specialists.

IT consultants flee Hurricane Rita

Air Charter Service Inc were called into action recently when the top consultants of a major Information Technology group were left stranded in Houston during the chaotic evacuation prompted by Hurricane Rita.

Residents and workers were taking no risks after witnessing the devastating scenes caused by Hurricane Katrina in the neighbouring state of Louisiana . The mass exodus from Houston clogged up roads as far as 120 miles out of town.

Air Charter Service's Daniel Rich responded to the urgent request from the consultants who were unable to drop their important work and leave before the rush.

Daniel was able to provide an Embraer 120 to fly the group to their headquarters in Atlanta before the storm came upon land.

In the event Hurricane Rita thankfully proved far less damaging than was initially feared, and the residents of the region were able to return to their homes within days.

Contact an urgent charter specialist.

Medical Evacuation Charter

Air Charter Service brokers were called upon to provide an urgent charter flight for a medical patient who fell badly and broke her hip while on holiday in Germany .

An emergency operation was required, but the anxious lady wanted to be treated by her own doctor in Tel Aviv, Israel . She was informed that, due to the severity of her injury and the fact that she needed to be transported lying down, no commercial flights would be able to accommodate her.

The London office received a call from the patient's son in Los Angeles , hoping that something could be done to help his mother.

Carmen Vanegas was quickly on the case, and immediately sourced a Learjet 55 which was in a medical evacuation ('MedEvac') configuration. She ensured that the charter was set up with minimal delay, including the preparation of necessary documentation required for transporting the injured passenger.

The lady was promptly flown home where she was able to receive the necessary treatment for her injury.

Find out more about medical evacuation flights.

September 2005

Guests fly to tractor showcase

Air Charter Service’s Moscow office ensured a major construction equipment company were able to fly guests to their showcase event of their newest tractors.

The company had invited a large number of foreign dignitaries and journalists to the event held in Cheboksary, and called upon ACS to organise the charter flights to ensure their guests were taken care of.

Mikhail Dereskov, Moscow office sales executive, laid on two Antonov-24 turbo-prop short haul aircraft, which met the client’s budget requirements as well as the local Cheboksary airport restrictions.

The tractors were put through a number of mechanical challenges in front of the crowd and the event was such a success that the First Federal TV Channel in Russia covered the promotional event on its Monday evening schedule.

Contact the team to find out more about charters for special events.

London welcomes experienced brokers

Air Charter Service London has expanded to welcome two experienced charter brokers to assist in meeting increased demand for passenger charters.

Paul Baker has joined the London office as a Senior Charter Analyst. Paul brings with him a wealth of chartering experience having spent nearly 8 successful years working at Air Partner. He has moved on to take on a new challenge - heading up a department specifically dedicated to arranging executive and VIP charters.

Ros Shergold also joins Air Charter Service to build further upon her career in aviation. She began her career as a BA Senior Cabin Crew Member and has spent the last several years working for Fineminster as a charter broker. She specialises in both ACMI work and ad hoc charters.

In addition to this, Tim Rees and Mark Garza have also been brought in recently to strengthen the London passenger department.

Contact Ros Shergold, Paul Baker, Tim Rees or Mark Garza.

Last minute change of plans

A late change of itinerary led to New York office sales executive Chuck Hoffken working closely with his London counterparts to ensure a group of American tourists in Ireland could enjoy a round of golf.

The group of 30 men staying in Shannon, Ireland, chose to fit in 18 holes to their hectic schedule but the Dublin golf club they chose to play at was too far to travel to by car.

A representative for the group contacted the New York office and with London’s help Chuck was able to quickly source an available aircraft for the group at a low price.

An ATR-42-500 aircraft was chartered for the one-way flight, allowing the men to travel to Dublin with their luggage at short notice.

Find out more about chartering an aircraft at late notice.

August 2005

Polish airline assisted by Air Charter Service

A flag carrying Polish airline were helped out of a fix by Air Charter Service after a hold up in the delivery of their new B767-300ER threatened to affect their flight commitments.

The delay in receiving the new aircraft meant the airlines key routes to North America were compromised at a time when bookings were at a record high.

Matt Purton, based in the London office, successfully sourced two aircraft to cover the airlines requirements. A North American based B767-300ER was used for operations into the USA, along with a L1011-500 Tri-star which held the necessary licenses for the Canadian flights.

The airline were very pleased with the aircraft that Air Charter Service provided them with. This was especially true of the Tri-star, because as a larger aircraft than their missing B767 they were able to sell more seats during the time of high demand.

Contact Matt Purton for more information on airline sub-services and leasing.

Boeing Business Jet chartered to Nice

Last month Air Charter Service’s Moscow office arranged a charter of a Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) for a VIP clients birthday.

The 42 seat BBJ - a modern, ultra-luxurious version of the Boeing 737-700 – was chartered from Moscow to Nice in France, so the client and his friends could enjoy a birthday weekend to remember.

The BBJ is considered to be at the absolute top-end of the VIP market - essentially a full scale self contained home and business centre, complete with meeting room, dining room and a bedroom for the passengers.

The aircraft is nearly three times the size of even the largest of the new long range corporate jets. There are only small number of them available on the market - making this charter all the more special.

For more information on BBJ charters please contact one of our VIP experts.

Gulfstream IV from London to Canada

Air Charter Service’s New York and London passenger departments recently worked together to organise a Gulfstream IV charter from London to Canada.

The enquiry came to the London team, who quickly contacted the New York office to help find any potential U.S. private jet operators with a suitable empty-leg flight from Europe to North America.

A North American based Gulfstream IV aircraft was sourced that was ideally suited for the charter. Air Charter Service promptly arranged the repositioning of the crews and flight attendants.

Due to the religious beliefs of the clients, Air Charter Service were able to provide special catering and complete privacy for the passengers during the flight.

Find out more about charters to meet your specific requirements.

July 2005

Jamiroquai fly to MTV Awards in Japan

Air Charter Service’s music industry specialist, Carmen Vanegas, was this month delighted to be asked to arrange private jet charters for pop stars Jamiroquai. The group was headlining the MTV Video Music Awards and the MTV Super Dry Live, both held in Japan.

The stars were being filmed for Jonathan Ross in London - and then had to fly straight out to Tokyo for the MTV events – before returning to play yet another live show in Paris.

Jay Kay and the other musicians were working to a tight schedule and needed to be sure that their travel plans went smoothly. With timing being so crucial, Carmen provided the group with a luxury G550 aircraft that could make the flights direct.

Carmen was delighted to be able to personally meet and look after the group in London and Paris.

After the flight, Jay Kay said: "We were on a really tight schedule and had to get to Tokyo fast, so the G550 was great as it flew us non-stop from London in just over 11 hours.”

He added: “Carmen looked after us impeccably at both ends and all of us were very happy with the flight... we’re looking forward to our next one!"

Contact Carmen our VIP charter specialist or find out more about Jamiroquai.

Texan executive seals the deal

The New York office received a call at 5pm on a Friday evening from an Executive Assistant to a Texan business giant. Her boss was in a meeting with the board of a rival firm to hammer out a lucrative takeover deal.

The agreement between both parties and their teams of attorneys took far longer than expected. Despite the promising signs at the negotiating table it looked like he would miss his scheduled flight home within Texas, leaving him stranded overnight away from his home and family.

Air Charter Service, Inc. quickly sourced a nearby Lear Jet 24 - a 6-seat light executive jet - and positioned it at the nearest airport to the meeting where the aircraft and crew waited on standby for the talks to end.

The deal dragged on late into the night, but once successfully completed the businessman was whisked from the meeting in a waiting car and taken straight to the private jet. He was able to fly home and sleep in his own bed and enjoy the rest of the weekend with his family.

Find out more about our executive charter service.

Russian pop stars concert

This month the Russian Ministry of Culture called Air Charter Service’s Moscow office to arrange a VIP charter flight for famous Russian pop stars who were set to play a large concert in Ust-Kamenogorsk, Eastern Kazakhstan.

The Ministry of Culture were unable to offer any suitable aircraft for the trip and were having difficulty finding availability. The officials were pleased that they could draw upon the market knowledge of Air Charter Service, who were able to offer the clients a YAK-42 – a luxury jet which could make the 5-hours flight direct.

The flights and concert was a great success, and even a rain storm didn’t dampen the spirit of the crowds at the show who joined in with all of the Russian songs.

Victor informed us that the stars enjoyed their VIP treatment they received and thanked him for flights.

He added: “It was a great day out and it was an honour that the officials and stars took the time to thank me personally”

Click here to find out more about private charters.