Despite sporting events not being back into full swing, there are a few events & teams which are back taking centre stage globally. Having recently attended Soccerex Connected Virtual event, with 2,000 football professionals from 70 countries in attendance, it seems that travel for teams is front of mind. With social distancing measures and restrictions increasing as infections rates rise and UEFA strongly advising the use of private charter flights for football teams, the subject of safety with team travel during the current Covid-19 pandemic was very much a hot topic during the conference.
Here are some of the benefits that top sports teams we have worked with have seen using Group Charter.
Limiting contact with others
The benefits of Group Charter for team travel are widely recognized due to the greater degree of control over the end-to-end experience. Traveling with just your team allows you to control who you have contact with and maintain any ‘bubbles’ that may have been formed in order to continue to allow you to play. We only work with approved aircraft operators, ensuring aircraft and crew comply with COVID-19 procedures, in addition to the strict safety processes we have in place. We are also able to offer a host of extras, for example, with tailored onboard catering, we can also provide a deli-bag service to be delivered to each seat prior to boarding to minimize contact time with the crew. Chartering an aircraft larger than your group size ensures social distancing is also possible for the entire journey. For example, if there is a team bubble of 30 – 40 individuals, chartering a 100 seat aircraft would enable us to plan social distanced seating for the team.
Access to private terminals and local airports
When choosing to charter an aircraft for your group we can arrange to fly from a private terminal, therefore avoiding commercial airports and vastly reducing the number of touchpoints and surfaces as well as face to face interaction, greatly reducing any potential infection risk. Private terminals sometimes allow for direct airside access of the team bus to arrive with minimal time before departure, further minimizing your team's contact with the public. In certain locations, we can implement an off-site check-in, limiting even further the amount of time that your team spends at the airport. Should you not wish to operate an off-site check-in, we can also implement measures including the use of every other check-in desk, ensure check-in and security staff are fully compliant with PPE measures and temperature checks prior to boarding.
Deep sanitizing of the aircraft and onboard PPE
We work closely with our Safety and Security division providing us with the most up to date processes for ensuring safe travel throughout COVID-19. We can arrange for deep cleaning of the aircraft prior to departure and for antibacterial sanitizer with a minimum of a 60% alcohol base to be available throughout the aircraft. We can also arrange for PPE, including facemasks, gloves and hand sanitizer to be provided in all seats to ensure your team are fully protected at all points.
All these additional measures can be tailored to your exact requirements and our dedicated Account Managers are on hand to provide advice and assistance.
Should you require more information on private charter for your group, please do get in touch. With our dedicated 24/7 support, nearly 60 years of aviation experience, approved operators and expert advice, we’ll provide you with a solution to meet your requirements.
