Air Partner enjoyed a packed year of football flying in 2018, transporting players, management and fans to pre-season tours, friendlies and tournaments all over the world. It has been a busy few years for the group in this field: since 2016, Air Partner has flown over 12,000 passengers 120,000 miles to 65 airports in 42 countries for football related events.
Flights were coordinated by both the Commercial and Private Jet divisions. These ranged from transporting entire squads on aircraft such the Boeing 737-800 and the Airbus A340 VIP, to flying VIPs on jets from the entry-level Cessna Mustang up to global cabin Gulfstream G650s and Bombardier Global 6000s.
A key highlight of last year was the 2018 FIFA World Cup, hosted in Russia, during which Air Partner flew a number of international teams, their families and corporate sponsors. In addition to this, the company also arranged flights for numerous other competitions, including the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and La Liga, the top professional league in Spain.
In total, Air Partner was entrusted to fly 35 professional teams over the past 12 months alone, which is a testament to their expertise in the football industry. As well as large fixtures, 2018 saw the Air Partner group arranging 10 pre-season tours and training camps, which are becoming increasingly popular. There is a current trend towards long-haul destinations such as China, the USA, Asia and Australia, which require additional planning and co-ordination.
Customised service that goes the extra mile
With more than 50 years of experience chartering aircraft for elite sports teams across the world, Air Partner has an expert team which works directly with clubs, travel agents and travel management companies that also understand the unique demands of the industry.
The team continues to go the extra mile for its sports clients, ensuring that catering is in line with athletes’ requirements by liaising with clubs’ nutritionists. Air Partner is also relied upon to oversee the handling, unloading and clearance of critical kit and equipment – which in 2018 totalled an excess of 100 tonnes.
Chartering enables sports clients to work to their own schedule, save valuable time, and travel in comfort and privacy. By avoiding queues at check-in, flying to the airports closest to the venue and using private terminals, players are also able to avoid unnecessary fatigue and hassle. What’s more, the group also offers a CharterPLUS guarantee, which gives clients reassurances including additional insurance coverage and financial protection, for total peace of mind.
To guarantee a superior experience, the Air Partner team can personalise the whole charter from start to finish - providing headrest covers with the club’s crest, branded pre-printed boarding cards and iPads pre-set according to the team’s language requirements.
Clive Chalmers, Trading Director, Air Partner, commented:
It’s been another busy year at Air Partner, and our teams have been working hard to facilitate a wide array of football related flights. We value our relationships in this industry extremely highly and are always looking for ways to provide the best possible service.
Air Partner on the ball with football flying PDF (102kB)