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Top considerations when traveling by Group Charter During COVID-19
Air Partner - 25 Mar 2020
As the COVID-19 outbreak continues, we continue to work around the clock to organise last minute and evacuation flights for groups. To help you plan your travel, we have answered some of the questions you might have at this time about flying with your group and the CARES Act FET tax relief for flights. The situation is constantly evolving, so please speak to an Account Manager for the most up to date information. You can contact us directly on charter@airpartner.com or +1 888 247 7278.
Is there still commercial jet availability?
Yes, we are working closely with operators to secure availability. As it is a fast-moving situation, the spare capacity tends to be very fluid. This means availability gets booked up quickly and we are therefore seeing fast turnarounds of flight bookings.
How does the CARES Act Coronavirus relief package affect chartered flight FET tax?
Please be advised that the federal government has enacted a suspension of Federal Excise Taxes, including domestic and international passenger segment fees for flights operating between March 28th, 2020 and December 31st, 2020.
Air Partner adheres to the CARES Act relief of Federal Excise Tax for all chartered flights flying between March 28th, 2020 and December 31st, 2020.
To learn more about the CARES Act, please visit the US Congress website: https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/3548/text.
Where can I travel to?
The biggest challenge at the moment are the travel restrictions, which is a continuously evolving situation. However, we have all the latest information and can provide you with advice and solutions to help you get where you need to be. In general, the current travel situation allows citizens to fly into their home country. Contact our team who can advise you on your specific enquiry.
How much notice should I give?
Due to short-term visibility of availability, it is generally best to give as much notice as possible. We can however organize last-minute flights with much less notice.
What advice can you give for flying at this time?
We recommend that you are prepared to make a quick decision once we have sent you a proposal, so that we can secure your aircraft. This is due to availability going quickly in a fast-moving and changing market.
What measures are we putting into place to ensure your safety during COVID-19?
We are working closely with all of our partners to make sure that every aircraft undergoes deep cleaning before each use. In addition, all crew members are fully briefed in hygiene precautions and additional hygiene products are available on each flight. We are in constant communication with airports and other suppliers to guarantee security and speedy service for our clients.
What experience does Air Partner have delivering evacuation flights in a crisis situation?
We have supported individuals, governments and organization across the world with evacuation flights during a number of crisis, such as the Ebola outbreak, the Arab Spring and delivering aid and relief in response to natural disasters. Earlier on in the COVID-19 crisis, we worked with the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office to evacuate British and EU nationals from Wuhan, China, and later to evacuate British and Irish nationals from the quarantined cruise ship in Japan. We worked closely with Public Health England to ensure all protocol was in place and UK government medical professionals were also on-board the aircraft to assist the passengers and crew during the flight.
What other services can Air Partner provide during this time?
We have launched Air Partner Protect that allows you to safeguard your flights with us by mitigating risk, offering reassurance and guidance during the COVID-19 outbreak. We can offer tailored support in addition to our core charter offering and will help bespoke any solution to match your requirements. We continue to offer our range of charter services across Group Charter, Freight and Private Jets.