When Might an air Charter be a Good Option ?
If a shipper has 1 tonne of computers to fly from London to New York, the best option is to contact a freight forwarder. He will get a good deal to put it on the next passenger flight to New York as under floor (or 'belly hold') cargo. The golden rule is that charters normally do not make economic sense on a route that is well served by scheduled air services.
The charter comes into its own when (1) the cargo is particularly large, heavy or has unusual characteristics, (2) when the route is not served well by regular flights or with suitably-sized aircraft, or (3) when timing is critical and the scheduled flights cannot meet the requirements. Let's look at these three in detail;
1) The Cargo
Most international flights are performed with passenger aircraft and, although they may have considerable cargo-carrying capacity, the loading doors and cargo-hold weight and size restrictions may limit the potential. For example, an average sized truck will not go into any passenger aircraft in the world. A 12 metre drill pipe, or a 10 tonne generator will similarly be beyond the capability of a passenger airline.
Some airlines operate scheduled cargo flights with purpose-built freighter aircraft, but these tend to fly on major trunk routes, some of which can fill up very quickly. Sometimes, for example, it can be impossible to get space into Japan for weeks on end because all flights are full, despite the use of several large freighter aircraft every week.
So this is when a charter may become the best - or indeed the only - option. Large items (particularly with reference to height), heavy pieces (any one piece over 2000 kgs may become a problem on scheduled aircraft), vehicles, or livestock such as racehorses or large zoo animals, can all end up going by charter. Livestock, in particular, can receive more careful and sensitive treatment on a charter, because the specialised staff and equipment are more readily available, and the constraints and rush of timekeeping are not as critical as on scheduled airlines.
Similarly, valuable goods such as artworks, bullion or banknotes often fly by charter because it gives the owner extra control and security over his load (but don't forget to consider additional insurance cover if you are carrying this kind of cargo !).
Some commodities like radioactive materials or explosives are forbidden from being carried on passenger aircraft, so a cargo charter is often the only solution. Skyline Aviation can guide you through the many requirements for the carriage of dangerous goods, and provide a qualified operator with experience in these matters.
2) The Route
London to New York may be an easy shipping problem to solve, but Lima to Murmansk is another matter altogether. Cargo often has the unfortunate habit of needing to travel to odd places, frequently with inadequate air services and limited airport facilities.
When an uprising, natural disaster or famine leads to a major relief program, the goods may have to be flown into a country with no functioning airline, no regular passenger flights, and a damaged airport. The first aircraft that arrive with international aid will then usually be charters, with aircraft specially capable of easy offloading and self-sufficiency.
Ships spares, oil equipment and a host of other commodities can require unusual routings, and no regular service may be able to assist. In the same way, the vast areas covered by the former Soviet Union are increasingly becoming destinations for cargo loads, and many are not served adequately by air. All these cases lend themselves to the use of an air charter. It can be the cheapest, and certainly will be the quickest solution.
3)
The Timing
The growth in popularity of the overnight parcels services like TNT, Federal Express and DHL led to a great increase in the number of cargo aircraft operating at night. By its very nature, an overnight delivery requires movement of the item during the hours of darkness, and passenger aircraft fly very little at night. This, then, required the use of cargo aircraft on routes that may be very well served, but not at the times the customer required. These 'integrators' therefore had no choice but to charter aircraft specifically for the job or, in some instances, even buy their own aircraft.
Similar problems occur in smaller ways all the time. A top pop band may be playing in Paris tonight and Athens tomorrow night. There are plenty of flights between the two cities, but they need to get their equipment moving as soon as the first concert is finished. A charter at 2.00 am will allow the engineers all day in Athens to set everything up again, but the scheduled flights would not give them the times they need.
A tanker has run aground off the African coast and the only way to stop a major oil-spill is to rush special equipment from Holland. There is a regular freighter flight in five days time, but it will be too late by then. The only solution is a special charter which can deliver the goods in 24 hours.
It can be seen from the above examples that air charter can fill a particular need in many cases, but it is important to find the right aircraft in the right place at the right time at the right price. This can only be done by an organisation that keeps in close touch with the industry, has experience in handling the many different requirements that crop up, and can react quickly when the need arises. Skyline Aviation exists for this very purpose, and can save a great deal of time and money when a problem occurs and the shipper has a lot of other things to worry about.
It's a fact of life that charters often result from problems. Skyline hopes you don't get any problems but, if you do, make sure your affairs are in good hands - contact Skyline Aviation today.
