A year in review -2018

Air Partner - 19 dic. 2018

Over the years, we have delivered extraordinary projects across the globe for an astounding variety of businesses and individuals - spanning private charter services, safety training and consultancy.

As we grow from strength to strength, the increasingly diverse nature of Air Partner and our services means we can tackle each and every one of our clients’ needs. From arranging the first ever passenger flight to St Helena to delivering aid in the wake of global disasters and providing industry leading safety training, we continue to go above and beyond to exceed expectations.

 

As we look back on another year of firsts, here are some key moments and highlights that showcase just how far we have gone for our customers during 2018.

 

We got you closer to the slopes…

Our Private Jet team had a busy start to the year as January saw huge snow fall across Europe’s ski resorts, especially in the Alps. Clients were able to cut down their time of travel and get closer to the ski resorts than any other scheduled service, with the help of our dedicated Account Managers, 24/7 global support team and superb service.

We saw that some of the most popular destinations and itineraries included; Lech, Gstaad, Courchevel and Vail. With many keen to experience Olympic skiing slopes, eat in Michelin star restaurants and explore the mountainous regions.

To find out more click here.

 

We prepared for the Winter Olympics…

The Winter Olympics was a busy time for our Emergency Planning Division’s corporate customers, with requirements for those taking guests and staff to the games and clients based in the host country. Our air evacuation plans were especially important due to the political tensions throughout the Korean peninsula, and the team were very proud to have helped an unusually large number of customers with their evacuation plans, which covered over 1800 personnel. Whilst no evacuation was necessary during the games in Pyeongchang, the team were on standby throughout the games themselves and the build-up and recovery phases to assist if support was required.

Read how we always plan ahead here.

 

We improved your sleep hygiene…

To mark World Sleep Day, Clockwork Research an Air Partner company, specialists in fatigue risk management, wrote and released a white paper detailing the dangers of micro sleeps for workers in safety-critical industries and how best to avoid them. We also published a number of blogs around the importance of sleep including helpful tips to avoid jetlag and how it affects our day to day lives.

Find out how to improve your sleep hygiene here.

 

We sent you to the stars…

In March, we played our part in chartering approximately 150 astronomers and film crew from Cologne to experience the Northern Lights above the airspace in Iceland.

This was the tenth time we had the pleasure of organising this experience alongside Eclipse Travel. During the flights, passengers were able to marvel at the vibrant lights from Shetland Islands and Iceland from the comfort of their seat onboard. The flight lasted six hours, passengers were able to not only enjoy the spectacular view of the polar lights but also the zodiacal light and the Milky Way.

To find out more click here.

 

We got flew you to the best events this year…

Our global Group Charter team experienced a vast upsurge in aircraft bookings for the 2018 World Cup in Russia and delivered private travel arrangements for legions of football fans and players to venues throughout the country during the tournament.

During this year’s tournament, we chartered two national football teams to Russia, supporting them with customised on-board nutritional catering options and flights that fulfilled their specific scheduling requirements.

With England reaching the Semi-finals in Russia, we organised a large number of flights for corporate groups, providing them with the flexibility to travel to their own schedule and to any of the Russian World Cup host cities.

 

We arrived in LA…

In June, we opened a new office in Los Angeles to help strengthen our US offering. This office now serves southern California and the wider West Coast markets, aiding the existing US network, which includes New York, Fort Lauderdale and Washington D.C.

The announcement of the L.A. office coincided with us reporting strong trading in the US as part of our full year results, released in June. The opening of the new office will allow us to service our west coast technology, entertainment and corporate clients. 

To read the full story click here.

 

We successfully relocated a lion…

In July, the freight team had the exciting opportunity to assist in the successful relocation of a lion on behalf of the Born Free Foundation. The lion cub named ‘King’ was rescued from an apartment in Paris, where he was being held as an exotic pet. Air Partner were tasked with transporting the big cat from Johannesburg to Port Elizabeth on a chartered aircraft (Beech 1900). The team were on hand at all times to assist with the complex custom clearing process in Johannesburg, ensuring a smooth transition from King’s initial commercial flight on Kenya Airway to the private charter.

Or read the full story here.

 

We celebrated 100 years in the RAF…

The Royal Air Force (RAF) celebrated its 100^th anniversary in London, with tens of thousands of spectators filling the Mall to watch aircraft from the last century flypast over Buckingham Palace.

Baines Simmons, our global aviation safety consultancy, were proud to have sponsored the RAF’s centenary celebrations, with Bob Simmons and Andy Llewellyn attending the RAF100 and being featured in the commemorative album.

Find out more here.

 

We rescued clients from Lombok…

During the Lombok earthquake devastation, our JetCard team were urgently contacted by a key client to arrange a safe evacuation for his family. With a 6.9 magnitude earthquake followed by 66 aftershocks left at least 20,000 people homeless in Indonesia, including our client’s injured daughter and partner.

The team’s priority was to get the client’s daughter and partner off the ground as quickly as possible and worked around the clock to find the best possible solution. The difficult task for the team was to find available aircraft in the midst of the disaster. However, using their experience and extensive network the team sourced a Lear Jet 60 to carry the passengers from Lombok to Singapore.

More problems arose when the local authorities decided to close Lombok airport to non-scheduled traffic, meaning the team had to arrange the logistics for getting the passengers to Bali instead. The team managed to arrange a helicopter at extremely short notice with the help of local contacts on the ground leading to the safe evacuation of the couple.

Read the full story here.

 

After a successful 2018, we have an extremely positive outlook as we head into 2019. We look forward to continuing to deliver outstanding service to new & existing clients.

If you would to know more about our 2018 activity take a look at our latest news page here.