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Air Partner continues to get “Aircraft On Ground” back in the sky
Mechanical failings have the potential to cost aerospace businesses untold amounts of time and money, so when resolving an “Aircraft On Ground” (AOG) issue, every second counts.
The potential financial consequences of an AOG include loss of revenue, the cost of supplying back-up aircraft, and compensation pay-outs to passengers covered by EU legislation in the event of long delays or disruption. In addition to this, there may also be knock-on effects to aircraft schedules and crew planning. Having robust AOG contingency plans in place is therefore essential - and this means having reliable suppliers with a global reach that can deliver an expert and seamless solution every single time.
One recent project saw Air Partner called upon by a European airline to urgently deliver an A310 engine (along with stand and additional equipment) from Lisbon, Portugal, to Samaná El Catey International Airport in the Dominican Republic – approximately 6,125km away. The Air Partner team located a suitable part charter option on a B747 freighter located in Amsterdam: although this required the 7,663kg of cargo to be driven 20 hours from Lisbon to Amsterdam by truck, it was nevertheless possible within the timeframe and saved the client a lot of money compared to a full charter option directly out of Lisbon. Therefore the team arranged an express trucking service up to Amsterdam and supplied additional drivers to minimise the journey time.
Once loaded onto the aircraft at Amsterdam, the engine had to be flown via Santo Domingo Airport in the Dominican Republic, since Samaná lacks the appropriate off-loading equipment for cargo of this size and weight. However, even at the better-equipped Santo Domingo, a specialist crane was still required to transfer the cargo onto the delivery trucks, and so Air Partner arranged to have one waiting on the aircraft’s arrival. Finally, after travelling the last 120km leg of the journey by road, the engine and accompanying parts were all delivered on time to Samaná, allowing the engineers to get the grounded aircraft up and running.
At Air Partner, the team are always sourcing innovative charter solutions such as this that fit within a client’s budget and timeline, rather than simply offering only much more expensive, full charter options. Air Partner appreciates that no two AOG scenarios are ever the same, which is why the team designs and delivers bespoke solutions for every request it receives to ensure that its clients are off the ground and back in the skies as quickly as possible – with minimal disruption and without any unnecessary expense.
From Air Partner’s own 24/7 operations centre, the Freight division has the scope to resolve all AOG issues – whether it be an urgent same-day request for small spare parts or flying an entire replacement engine with engineering crew – so you will never stay grounded for long.
Read more about Air Partner AOG services here.