ACS opens new office in Johannesburg

Air Charter Service is continuing its global expansion with the opening of our South African office in Johannesburg. This new office will offer clients in Africa access to ACS' worldwide network of charter experts who between them arrange over 3000 charters a year. With offices in New York, London, Bilbao, Moscow, Dubai and Hong Kong, clients can take advantage of the groups local knowledge and buying power.

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ACS transport urgent medical treatments for cancer patients.

ACS recently chartered two business jets to transport medical treatments to London and Manchester hospitals. Due to time restraints, two aircraft had to be used to transport the packages of radioactive cargo to its destination where it was to be used to treat liver cancer.

The cargo, ready and waiting in Frankfurt at 10am needed to be in London and Manchester by 1pm. Due to the cargo being classified as dangerous goods, the choice of aircraft was limited, but ACS’ knowledge and expertise of the market enabled them to find a solution.

James Cristofoli from the London cargo department worked with the London passenger team, using their knowledge to find suitable aircraft that could get the treatments to the hospitals in the quickest possible time.

This charter required management of simultaneous departures from different airports, two separate operators going to different airports. Both of the flights went smoothly with the cargo being delivered to their respective hospitals on time ensuring that the patients received their treatments. The knowledge and expertise of cargo and passenger account managers at ACS ensures that each and every time the most suitable aircraft is used. ACS cargo staff are extensively trained to work with any cargo including dangerous goods. This ensures no time is wasted and no risks are taken getting your dangerous cargo to its destination on time and in safety.

Contact a cargo sales manager now cargo@aircharter.co.uk

ACS and Spanish relief agency work together to deliver 17 tons of aid into Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe, a country that is already under strain is now faced with an outbreak of cholera. In a country hit by hyper inflation rendering what little food there is unaffordable; five million people are now thought to be in need of food aid. An outbreak of cholera has put further strain on dwindling medical resources, and a failing water supply has left many vulnerable.

Air Charter Service worked alongside a Spanish relief agency to fly aid into Zimbabwe. Richard Thompson cargo charter analyst assisted the Spanish Red Cross in chartering an IL-76 aircraft to take aid, including the following, medical supplies/equipment, all terrain truck, 4x4 vehicle, rations and body bags, from Torrejon Air Force Base to Harare.

In total 17 tons of cargo was delivered to help relieve the suffering of the tens of thousands hit by the cholera epidemic sweeping the country.

ACS work with a number of relief agencies who have come to value the quick thinking and extensive knowledge of ACS account managers to find the quickest most cost effective charter solution.

Contact cargo@aircharter.co.uk for more information

What a year for ACS...

Although 2008 may have been a year that most companies would like to put behind them, Air Charter Service has ended it in a strong position to start 2009. The year saw an impressive 3000 charters sold with a turnover expected to be over USD$200 million, a 50% increase on last year - showing that despite the economic climate, our dedication to providing the best service to our customers has reaped rewards.

Last year also witnessed the opening of two new offices in Hong Kong and Bilbao, further expanding our global coverage and offering an outstanding service to new and existing clients in the Asia Pacific and Spanish markets. ACS has also made further inroads into other markets such as Germany and Argentina with the recruitment of further native language speakers.

It was also a busy year for our exhibitions team as the ACS stand visited Offshore West Africa (OWA) in Abuja, Air Cargo China in Shanghai and the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston. Two years after the idea's initial conception some of you may have also received our comprehensive cargo aircraft guide. The guide details over 50 cargo aircraft and was put together using the expert knowledge of our charter team and we hope you found it useful. Should you be interested in receiving a copy please contact a member of our sales team.

Air Charter Service is now heading into 2009 comfortable, secure, and confident that this year will be a year of sustainable growth and profitability.

A look back on the industry in 2008...

2008 was a mixed year for the air cargo industry. Whilst the problems in the automotive market led to a decline in the previously high demand for the small charters supporting the ‘just in time’ production schedules, there was also an increase in larger oil and gas related charters due to the higher prices of fossil fuel. It was ironic that although the carriers were paying more for fuel, greatly increasing charter prices, many were flying more oil related goods as exploration and production increased worldwide.

Other decreases in the industry included exports from the far east. However, once again this drop in demand was filled by a further increase in the shipment of goods related to worldwide development and reconstruction projects including Iraq and Afganistan. 2008 also saw widespread mobilisation of the cargo industry in response to a number of humanitarian crises. Goma, Zimbabwe, Burma, Haiti and Yemen were all witness to a mass deployment of aid delivered by cargo aircraft from all over the world.

The charter market also saw a change in regards to the types of aircraft used. As noise regulations are becoming increasingly stringent, many airlines have begun to replace many of the older aircraft in their fleets with newer quieter versions. Examples of these changes includes the new Stage IV IL-76 aircraft seeing increased usage and many operators parking their old B747 freighters to concentrate on the usage of the newer B747-400F.