Welcome to Air Charter News. Find out all the latest news from The Charter Company including those last-minute flights we've arranged, unusual food requests we're received or those tricky and challenging routes. It's all in a day's work.
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December 2006 |
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| Hello, is it me you’re looking for?
When one of our Middle Eastern clients wanted a well-know American star to sing at the launch of his new luxury Red Sea resort in Egypt, he asked The Charter Company to arrange the flights. The singer was performing in Paris at the time, so Jeffrey Emmenis organised a 13-seater Embraer Legacy to fly him and his seven-strong entourage, from France to Cairo and back, for the one off show. We were happy to provide specialist catering for the flight and also arranged three identical brand new S-Class Mercedes to transfer the party from their Paris hotel to the aircraft. Our client was thrilled to have the superstar at the launch and by all accounts was dancing on the ceiling! For more information on this flight please contact . |
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November 2006 |
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 Demand for executive airliners on the up
October was an incredibly busy month for executive airliner flights; the Charter Company team booked over 8 charters using the Airbus Corporate Jet; Boeing Business Jet; the VIP DC8; and the VIP 757. Many of these flights were for our private and business clients in the Middle East who were returning back to the region after spending the summer in Europe. For one of the flights we were only given a few days notice to source an 18 seat Boeing Business Jet for a return flight from the Middle East to New York. The aircraft was for government personnel attending a UN Summit meeting. With a lack of suitable aircraft in the region we flew a BBJ from the US east coast to the Middle East to meet our passengers. And the aircraft flew back to the US, after dropping off the group a week later, accumulating a total of 50 hours flying time. In the last 12 months we have seen continuous growth in the demand for luxury executive airliners. But with a shortage of suitable aircraft, the TCC team have to work extra hard to find a solution. Which we always do! For more information on executive airliner flights please contact . |
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| A MINI Adventure
When a prominent car manufacturer launched a new model of their vehiclein Barcelona – it was left to The Charter Company to handle the complex manoeuvres. Over a period of five days we flew 175 magazine and broad sheet journalists from London to Spain to test drive the new model in the Catalan city. We chose an Embraer 135 regional jet for the flights which comfortably seats 34 and has plenty of space for a large amount of luggage. A welcome drink and light breakfast greeted the journos in the executive lounge at Farnborough airport and on board the passengers enjoyed a deluxe three- course meal. The operation was well-oiled and all flights ran smoothly! For more information on product launches please contact . |
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 Viva Las Vegas
A few weeks ago we took a late night call from our USbased client, the owner of an internet company, requesting a flight for five passengers from the UK to Vegas – the following day. Despite the short notice, and knowing the strict entry regulations for private aircraft into the US, we were able to source a Falcon 900EX, which seats 12 passengers, and obtain all the necessary permits in a very short space of time. The aircraft picked the passengers up at RAF Lyneham, flew to the bright lights and glitz and glamour of Vegas, before returning to Farnborough airport five days later. Whilst in the US the passengers had a last minute request to fly to San Jose, CA and we were able to use the same aircraft for this day return flight. The passengers were thrilled with the aircraft and enjoyed a successful business trip. Please contact for more information. |
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October 2006 |
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 All aboard!
This month, we are pleased to announce the formationof a partnership with Nigel Burgess, the world’s large yacht specialist. Nigel Burgess has been providing yachting services since 1975 and became the first yacht brokerage company to be awarded the prestigious Queen's Award for Enterprise in 2001. The Charter Company will assist Nigel Burgess in securing aircraft for their clients and yacht owners worldwide, whilst we will introduce our existing clients to the exciting world of yachting! For more information on yacht charter please contact . |
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 International rescue
We were kept busy this month when not one – but two – North American aircraft manufacturers contacted The Charter Companyfollowing unforeseen maintenance problems. The Charter Company had to step into action and supply the aircraft manufactures with short notice supplemental airlift to ensure that their clients demanding schedules were kept. A 10-seat Falcon 2000 (which was part of the US Visa Waiver Programme), was provided for a return trip to New York from the UK. Whilst an 11-seat Challenger 604 was organised for a flight from Italy to Cairo - with just 3 hours notice! For more information on please contact . |
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September 2006 |
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 Nice work for Royal Family
When 10 members of a Middle Eastern family, including five children, wantedto fly from the US to the South of France, Ilaria immediately contacted our US based partners, Exclusive Charter Service, to source the perfect aircraft. With their extensive contacts, and expertise, Exclusive Charter Service found a 14-seater Gulfstream IV which was due to fly back to Europe on an empty leg, allowing us to offer our client a sizeable discount on the normal cost. On the day of departure to Nice, our US partner was at Newark, NJ to ensure that special catering, including halal meat, was onboard, as well as specific DVDs for the kids. They also liaised with Embassy staff to ensure the departure ran smoothly. Which it did – and the aircraft took off five minutes early! The family were extremely happy with the quick and professional response. For information on this or royal or diplomatic flights please contact . |
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 Up and over Pompeii
A regular client, who was enjoying a holiday in Italy, contacted The Charter Company this monthwhen he wanted to explore the beautiful Amalfi coast; the spectacular Mount Vesuvius and the ruins of Pompeii - from above. His request for a twin engine helicopter for his party of eight had Italian-speaking Ilaria extensively researching all the helicopter companies in the area, until she located an operator based in nearby Naples. Unfortunately, this operator only had one twin engine and one single engine in its fleet. Knowing that the client specifically requested a twin engine, Ilaria suggest the helicopter do two sightseeing trips – taking four passengers each time. Remembering that our client was holidaying on a yacht, Ilaria suggested that the group were picked up from nearby Capri heliport, which meant the second group could enjoy the delights of the Island, whilst waiting for the first group to return. Our client and his party were thrilled with this solution and in addition Ilaria has established a good relationship with an Italian operator. Please contact for more information on helicopter charters. |
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 Flight down under for Royal Family
The Charter Company were contacted this month by the Royal Flight Department of a Middle Eastern Royal Family requesting transportation for the wife, children and friends of a senior Royal Family Prince. In all, 45 passengers and 4 tons of luggage needed to be flown from Singapore to Brisbane and then on to Sydney, and due to strict religious beliefs we needed to ensure that the men and women were separated for the duration of the flights. We provided an Airbus 330 for the flight from Singapore to Brisbane, with the members of the Royal Family in the business class section and the staff in the economy section, and a Boeing 767 for the flight to Sydney. VIP catering was provided throughout the flight in all cabins with only female cabin staff serving the ladies during the flight. Jeffrey Emmenis travelled with the party throughout to ensure that all went to plan and liaised with the airline, ground staff, embassies, security and Her Highnesses Protocol. The client was very happy and commented, “In short everything went well. And was well organised. Thank you once again for everything”. |
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 One day we’ll fly away……
We are pleased to announce that team member Jeanne LeVans marriedTimothy Zeitlyn at the beautiful Buxted Park Estate in Sussex on July 7th. Jeanne has worked for TCC for five months and she met her future husband when Tim was a cadet for British Airways in Michigan. Tim is now a First Officer for British Airways on the Boeing 747-400 fleet. Both The Charter Company and Twinjet wish Jeanne and Tim all the best for the future. |
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 Working at the speed of light
Ilaria set a new speed record, late one Saturday night recently, when she sourced and booked an aircraft within 30 minutes of receiving an urgent phone call from a client. The large multinational corporation needed a flight from Charleston, SC to Teterboro, NY so working closely with our US partners, Exclusive Charter Serivce, we found a selection of small jets within 20 minutes of the call. The clients chose a Citation II light jet within a few minutes of receiving our quote and we immediately confirmed the catering requirements and passport details to the operator. And just to round off the great service, Ilaria also organised a chauffeur driven limousine to pick up the passengers on arrival at Teterboro and drive them to Manhattan. For further information on this flight please contact . |
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| Geneva conventions
When Julian received a call from a client requesting the transportation of 200 pieces of luggage he knew something a little bigger than a Citation Bravo was going to be needed! A family, who were moving from Geneva back to London, contacted us on a Friday evening, desperately trying to arrange for all of their personal belongings to be flown back the following afternoon. Julian immediately sourced an ATR Freighter (a propeller aircraft) which could easily accommodate their 4 tons of luggage and ensured 'The Charter Company' freight specialist was onboard to oversee the loading and issue the required export/import paperwork. 'The Charter Company' liaised with all the van drivers in Geneva and Luton to ensure all items were collected and delivered safely. The family are now happily settled in London. |
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July 2006 |
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| And……Action! It was all go in the glamorous movie world this month when Jeanne and Yasmine organised not one, but three flights for a US film production company who were filming in Italy and Morocco. The first flight from Bari, Italy to Ouarzazate, Morocco was a 19-seater Challenger 600 for 12 members of the production team. For the second flight, on the same route, we organised a MD83 narrow body airliner which was ideal for the 53 members of the cast and crew - and the large amount of cargo! Jeanne flew to Bari to ensure that the check-in went smoothly and all costumes and equipment were safely loaded on to the aircraft. Yasmine sourced a regional turbo prop locally for the third (internal) flight from Ouarzazare to Errachida where the production team flew to film a night-time scene. The team had very specific requirements; asking to arrive between 9pm and 10pm to make good use of the dusky light. For six weeks prior to the flights, the TCC team worked closely with the film’s production co-ordinators in Italy and Morocco to ensure that all requirements were met and cast and crew were in the right place at the right time. The Charter Company also arranged all appropriate insurance certificates required by film production movements. For information on this flight or entertainment industry logistics please contact or . |
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June 2006 |
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 Urgent Medivac from Middle East When a member of a Middle Eastern Royal family required an urgent operation by a specialist surgeon in northern Germany, The Charter Company were called upon to arrange urgent transportation. Our client needed an aircraft capable of carrying a patient on a stretcher as well as seating for three family members. In addition the flight had to be non-stop. We quickly contacted all the medivac operators and sourced a Challenger 604 dedicated to medivac flights with a full ICU facility, room for three stretchers and a doctor and ICU nurse on board. Importantly, we were able to relay the patient’s condition to her family at home throughout the length of the flight so they were kept up to date with her progress. For medivac flights please contact . |
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 Comfort flight for sick child
A family with a limited budget approached The Charter Company this month looking to charter an aircraft to the US from France. Although they were already booked on a scheduled service, they had a very poorly child with them and decided more space and comfort was needed for the transatlantic flight. The Charter Company worked closely with our US based partners, Exclusive Charter Service, to find an operator who was flying a Citation X (the fastest executive jet on market) back to the east coast of the US on an empty leg. This meant our client was able to get the flight at a heavily discounted price. A full lunch was served on board and there was plenty of space for the family and their child to enjoy. For more information on this flight please contact . |
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 VIP flight for African Head of State
A last minute call was received last week from a north African governmentofficial wishing to arrange a flight from east Africa to Tripoli, Libya. The principal passenger was a Head of State who required an executive Airliner with a private lounge and full satellite phone facility so that she could stay in touch with her office throughout the flight. In addition first class seating was needed for her 20-strong entourage. The Charter Company quickly organised a VIP Airbus A319CJ for the flight which had two forward lounges and a total of 24 first class seats, as well as VIP catering suitable for the groups’ religious beliefs. For government personnel flights please contact . |
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 Island hopping for developers
When a group of property developers wanted to visit the beautiful islands of Cape Verde this month, we had very specific requirements to consider: The group of businessmen had to attend meetings on four of the islands; two of the airports had very short runways, and they also wanted to see a couple of sites from the air. For the visit to the notoriously difficult-to-reach group of islands off the coast of West Africa we chose a Metroliner III - a comfortable 19-seater propeller aircraft which is ideal for island hopping, and flying at low speeds and altitude. The passengers flew from the UK to Tenerife, Spain where they met the Metroliner and flew direct to Cape Verde. Here they had the aircraft at their disposal throughout the trip and were able to reschedule departure times and routes to suite their needs. After three days of meetings they were relaxed enough to play a round or two of golf in Tenerife prior to their scheduled flight back to the UK! For further information on this flight please contact . |
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May 2006 |
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| State(ly) visit
For a visit to the country, a Twin Squirrel helicopter was deemed the mostappropriate form of transport this month, when a client requested a day trip to two stately homes. We picked our client up in the grounds of Apethorpe Hall - a 600 year old country home in Northamptonshire that was once owned by Henry VIII and is now an English Heritage site. From there he flew to Croft airstrip where a chauffeured car was arranged to collect him for the short drive to the 18th century Gunby Hall in Lincolnshire. Following the stately visits, he flew back to the not quite so glamorous surrounds of London’s Battersea heliport to attend an urgent meeting in the capital. For further information on helicopter flights please contact . |
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 Banking on TCCWith worldwide stock markets performing well in the last couple of months we have seen an increase in charter bookings from banks and other financial institutions. We received a call recently from a large London-based bank who wanted to organise a financial roadshow for four passengers, with seven flights over three days. With Julian Burrell crunching the numbers, a 6-seater Premier 1 was organised to fly the group around the UK, France and Switzerland. As is usual with roadshows, last minute changes were needed but Julian successfully re-arranged a flight to include an extra city – with only two hours’ notice. For further information on financial roadshows please contact . |
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April 2006 |
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| The Charter Company celebrate first year of operation
We celebrated our first year of operation this month – and what a great year it’s been! As a wholly owned subsidiary of Twinjet Aircraft – who have been involved in aircraft sales and management for over 20 years – The Charter Company was formed as a separate company to develop and expand the existing in–house charter brokerage. Based in central London, our team has more than doubled in size and we now speak six languages between us! In the last year, we have arranged hundreds of charters using a range of aircraft: the most popular being the six-seater Premier 1, the nine-seater Citation Excel and the Embraer Legacy - ideal for our European, African and Middle Eastern flights. Of the larger aircraft we flew the Falcon 900Ex and Boeing Business Jet more than any other. And the most popular helicopter was the Augusta 109. Our flights were worldwide but most frequent destinations were the beautiful European resorts of Olbia, Nice and Malaga. Whilst Jeddah, New York, Hong Kong and Auckland were our most popular long distance destinations. We look forward to another busy and successful year ahead. For further information please contact . For more details on our aircraft please click on Aircraft Guide. |
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 The Charter Company in Cannes
Sharing a stand with our parent company Twinjet Aircraft (who have interests in commercial property) The Charter Company were pleased to exhibit at this month’s MIPIM property show in Cannes. MIPIM is the world’s largest property exhibition – attracting over 25,000 people – and it gave us the opportunity to meet up with a number of clients who already charter with us, as well make new contacts within the industry. In fact, as soon as we returned to the UK, a new client called us to arrange a charter. We organised the flight the same day and a luxurious 9-seat Challenger 604 flew four passengers back to Russia! For further information please contact . |
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 On standby for Saudi flight
We received a call this month with a flight request for a prominent member of the Saudi Royal family. No departure or destination details were known – but we were advised there would be 15 passengers, more than 100 pieces of luggage and the flight would be in the next five days! The Charter Company team immediately contacted all relevant operators to find availability for that week, and kept in continuous contact with both operators and client. We were given the precise details 18 hours before departure time and quickly arranged the client’s specific catering requirements, all overflight and landing permissions for Saudi Arabia and the infamous overnight parking permissions at Naples! For the flight to Riyadh, we chartered a 28-seat VIP DC-8 (with separate bedroom and en-suite bathroom), which could comfortably accommodate the passengers - and their 150 pieces of luggage! For further information on this flight please contact . |
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March 2006 |
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 A united state Having successfully worked together for the last twelve months, we were delighted to sign a contract with New York based Exclusive Charter Service (ECS) this month making them our exclusive agents for all flights within the Americas. The Charter Company will also act as ECS’s agents outside of North, Central and South America. In the last year we have arranged many successful flights with ECS including a ‘lightning tour with a top director’ (see January news) from New York-Abu Dhabi-London-New York and a recent flight for a prominent Royal family member from Cabo San Lucas in Mexico to New York. The agreement with Exclusive Charter Service enables The Charter Company to offer an even better service to our clients based in, or flying from, the American continent. ECS are also specialists in providing yacht charters worldwide. For further information please contact . |
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| Swiss family wedding
When a family wedding took place in Gstaad, Switzerland last month, it wasn’t just the bride that we had to ensure got to the church on time. We arranged a Fokker 100, which has room for up to 100 passengers, and a large baggage hold, to fly wedding guests, film crews, photographers and the all important wedding suits from Birmingham Airport to Geneva on Friday morning, returning to the UK on Sunday evening. The guests were served coffee and pastries whilst they waited for their luggage to be put on board, and a member of the Charter Company was at Birmingham and Geneva airports to ensure all check-in procedures went smoothly. For further information on this flight or private leisure travel please contact . |
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February 2006 |
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 African tour
At the beginning of the year we were asked to arrange a complex set of flights involving two government ministers and their respective entourages who were attending a number of meetings throughout Africa. Due to the nature of the meetings, we were advised only 12-24 hours prior to when the next flight was taking place as to which country the ministers were flying to. This involved quick and careful planning from members of The Charter Company team to ensure all flights went smoothly and all security issues were dealt with. Two heavy executive jets, a Challenger 604 and a Falcon 900, were used for the flights and the countries visited included Zambia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Sudan and Chad. |
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| For more information on government personnel flights please contact . | ||
January 2006 |
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 Swapping the snow for sun
Last month, a family of four who had previously booked a New Year break at a ski resort decided to change their plans at the last minute and opted for the sunshine of the Caribbean instead! The family left the UK on Boxing Day in a 15-seater Falcon 900EX for the 9 hour non-stop flight to St Maarten with a gift of a hand-made Charter Company Christmas cake on board and two bottles of Chablis Grand Cru. We also provided a light brunch at their request. They spent the rest of the trip touring the islands on the 200ft motor yacht, Apogee before flying back to Cardiff on January 2nd. Beds were made up in the cabin so the passengers could sleep prior to a full day at the office on January 3rd. |
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| Please contact for further information on private leisure travel. | ||
| Lightning tour for top director We received a call at 9pm one Thursday evening from a client wishing to fly six VIP passengers from New York-Abu Dhabi-London-New York over a three day period starting the following evening. With our partner in the US we immediately sourced a 9-seater Gulfstream V which could operate the flight non-stop from New York to Abu Dhabi with a flight time of just over 12 hours, and we worked overnight to ensure necessary landing and overflight permits were in place. The Gulfstream which normally has a 14 seat configuration was chosen to give the guests extra space during the long flights. The VIP passengers, including an A-list actor/director, stayed in the UAE for 18 hours for a meeting with a member of the Royal family before flying on to London for 15 hours and then heading back to New York. |
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| Please contact for urgent flights. | ||
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