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Air Charter Service Hong Kong is very concerned over the recent plane crashes / accidents in Iran and Mexico. With the recent developments and expansion of Chinese enterprises and institutions overseas, Chinese entrepreneurs’ travel requirements have increased in foreign countries. However, as aviation safety regulations vary from country to country, Air Charter Service Charter Executive Dora Chow encourages companies’ senior management to consider using a private jet as their transportation of choice to ensure safety whilst travelling. Air Charter Service has 9 offices worldwide, so not only can we arrange chartering out of China to any destination, but also connections to your long haul flight at Dubai, Johannesburg, New York, London, etc.

Please call us on +852 2167 8853 immediately for a quotation. Or email on passenger@aircharter.com.hk

Contact our Hong Kong passenger sales team on passenger@aircharter.com.hk

Demand for executive jet service is taking off in Asia, the place of investment opportunities. Air Charter Service (ACS), a leading London-based international air charter broker, has tapped into the trend by setting up a Hong Kong office to enter the Asian market.
According to Gavin Copus, ACS CEO Asia Pacific, Hong Kong has the fastest growing business aviation terminal in Asia. "Hong Kong is one of the few places in the region that has a Fixed Base Operation, with its own set terminal, own dedicated immigration and security." A third business jet hangar is under construction at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) to cater to growing demand.

ACS started as a cargo charter business in 1990, but branched into the executive aircraft business when demand for the service started picking up, especially in North America. But according to Mr Copus, Asia Pacific is the new frontier, with exceptional growth in private jet usage in the region. But the infrastructure to accommodate rising demand remains lacking in many Asian cities, although facilities in Shenzhen, Shanghai and Kuala Lumpur are now under construction, and the executive terminal in Beijing opened in time for the Olympics.

"It's an interesting time to get involved," Mr Copus noted. "Previously, there was not enough business in the region for a broker. But in the last two years, with China's development, the relaxation of its air space and with its doors open to foreign investors, the demand for the executive aircraft business has been growing and will continue to grow."

Steady growth

HKIA figures show there has been steady annual growth of between 35 and 40 per cent in executive jet movements since 2003. Mr Copus, though, stressed that the industry is still developing in the region, with the biggest potential growth in the Chinese mainland. Since setting up in Asia, ACS has been working with others in the business to ensure business develops in a safe environment, and to encourage the further construction of infrastructure. "We're here for the long haul," he said.

ACS caters to clients whose destinations, such as Laos or Cambodia, are not frequently serviced by commercial airlines; or for those who want to avoid congested airports such as in Jakarta. The company's clients range from the new Russian rich, looking for investments in the region, to finance executives from America, Europe and Hong Kong. Mr Walsh explained that ACS is a one-stop shop for customers looking for convenience. He cited an example of a Russian group that needed to get to Sanya, in the southern mainland province of Hainan, to attend a hotel opening. After flying into Hong Kong on a commercial flight from Russia, the group was whisked to a separate security and immigration clearance and was airborne in 45 minutes in their private jet. "They would still have been waiting three to four hours for a connecting flight to Sanya, but these people don't have time to wait around," Mr Copus said.

Besides high net-worth individuals, the company also provides charter services for shippers and freight forwarders and delivery of heavy equipment for oil and gas exploration in the region. ACS, which also provides emergency medical evacuation services, has been involved in humanitarian aid charters, and as a result of its work in the field, was appointed official air charter provider for the British Government's Department for International Development in 2003.

Easy to do business

With offices in New York, Dubai, London, Johannesburg, Bilbao and Moscow, the company this year posted a US$200 million turnover. It eventually plans to open offices in other parts of the region, but the choice of Hong Kong as its regional base was no accident. While ACS ultimately aims to enter the mainland market, Mr Copus said setting up a regional office in Hong Kong, with its first-rate infrastructure, gives it the flexibility to provide a full range of services. "Setting up in Hong Kong has given us new business that we otherwise would not have had."

And while Hong Kong's location, positioned about five hours away from half of the world's population, also makes it easy to do business, Mr. Copus said choosing Hong Kong also has a certain prestige. "You have more credibility if you say that you have an office in Hong Kong."

Contact our Hong Kong passenger sales team on passenger@aircharter.com.hk

Gavin Copus formerly passenger sales director of ACS London is taking his vast experience of the aviation industry across the world to take up the position of general manager Asia Pacific for ACS’ Hong Kong Office.

Starting at Interflight aviation over 15 years ago, Gavin has learned the aviation industry intimately. Learning his trade initially dealing with private jet flights out of Biggin hill airport, Gavin then went on to work for Monarch Airlines, Air partner plc and now ACS. Known for his attention to detail and passion for pulling out all the stops for clients, Gavin personally trained and monitored ACS account managers to reach the highest standards of customer service. Gavin’s knowledge of the aviation market is truly global and is respected by airlines and customers alike.

We wish him all the best and by taking his knowledge and experience over to Hong Kong we know that our clients will benefit from his dedication.

Contact the Hong Kong Passenger Sales Team passenger@aircharter.com.hk

A Typhoon that hit Hong Kong led to many flights being cancelled out of Hong Kong. This meant that ACS Hong Kong’s Yan Fang was unable to fly her passengers out of Hong Kong to Kuala Lumpur as planned. Once the airport was back in operation the aircraft they were meeting there could still not reposition due to no slots being available for that day.

The aircraft was in Macau, ACS organised a helicopter despite the unpredictable weather within 45 minutes to take the group over to Macau and the awaiting aircraft. The aircraft was a brand new Hawker 900 XP which is a medium sized business jet. On landing in Kuala Lumpur they were met by ACS’ complimentary limousine service, which then took them to their hotel also arranged by the ACS Hong Kong team.

The client arrived back in Hong Kong a few days later and despite the complications due to the weather, was extremely pleased with the personalised and professional service they had received. Yan Fang was able to ensure that her clients were able to get to their destination with the minimum amount of disruption to their journey. This is another example of ACS Hong Kong team going the extra mile to get the job done.

Contact an account manager: enquiries@aircharter.com.hk

Yan from ACS Hong Kong had a last minute request for a trip from Hong Kong- London- Paris- Hong Kong. Due to time constraints there was not an aircraft available that could fly direct. A Gulfstream IV was sourced, which had to make a fuel stop in Dubai on the outbound trip and a fuel stop in Abu Dhabi on the inbound trip. The day before the first leg of the trip Yan and the operator worked until midnight to ensure all of the permits were in place.

On the day of the Hong Kong to London flight Yan met the passengers at The Hong Kong Business Aviation Centre to give them all of the last minute details of their flights. They arrived in Dubai and were met by Maya from ACS Dubai who had a private limo to take them to and from the hotel to ensure they were on time to continue their flight to London after the aircraft had been refuelled.

The passengers arrived in London where they had a couple of days before they flew to Paris for shopping. They flew from Paris back to Hong Kong with a fuel stop in Abu Dhabi. The passengers decided they would like to make the most of the fuel stop and requested a Chinese speaking guide to show them the sights of Abu Dhabi. Yan arranged for a Chinese speaking guide to meet her passengers at the hotel. After touring the city they decided they would like a Chinese meal and their guide found the perfect place. They decided to stay in Abu Dhabi for one more night and Yan arranged to postpone their departure until the following day.

Every aspect of the client’s trip was tailor made and being available 24/7 ensured that any changes the client wished to make were possible.

Contact one of our passenger sales team: enquiries@aircharter.com.hk

ACS passenger brokers from Moscow and Hong Kong brought their two teams together to ensure a VIP customer reached their destination ahead of schedule and without the hassle of endless hours in transit.  With just a week’s notice the solution from ACS came in the form of a Gulfstream 200, a nine seater mid-size executive jet, which was met by the passengers who were collected from the steps of their scheduled flight by two limousines.

The initial enquiry was received from the PA of an esteemed Russian client who had been tasked with arranging flights between Moscow, Russia and Sanya, China via Hong Kong. He was particularly keen to reduce the transfer time from the scheduled flight into Hong Kong onto the next leg of the journey, so turned to ACS for a last minute solution.

Mike Walsh, Director, ACS Hong Kong said:
“With only one week to plan the flight and our team preparing for the June 2nd opening of our Hong Kong office it was testament to the knowledge of our suppliers and regional contacts in the Asia-Pacific region that we were able to offer our Moscow office and their VIP client such an ideal solution.”

Andrey Gerasimov, a passenger broker at ACS Moscow, said:
“Working with our colleagues in Hong Kong meant that at 09:45am the scheduled flight arrived into Hong Kong from Moscow and was met by two awaiting limousines, barely half an hour later, at 10:20am, the party took off on the final leg of their journey to Sanya, China.”

Contact:  Andrey Gerasimov, Moscow based Passenger Broker and team at Moscow@aircharter.ru
Or Mike Walsh, Hong Kong based Passenger Broker and team at paxsales@aircharter.com.hk

Air Charter Service Plc (ACS), the worldwide passenger and cargo air charter broker, today announces the opening of its latest office in Hong Kong SAR, China.

ACS has positioned itself to benefit from the growing Asia-Pacific and Australasian market which has seen exceptional growth in private jet usage with official figures showing that since 2003 Hong Kong International Airport has seen steady year on year growth of between 35 and 40% in executive jet movements through it’s Business Aviation Centre, a trend which is set to continue throughout Asia.

Heading up the Asia-Pacific team is Mike Walsh with 12 years aviation experience, who has relocated from the firm’s London office and is to be supported by charter brokers, trained by ACS in London to handle both passenger and cargo enquiries. Yan Fang, Thomas Chan and Stephen Fernandez join the Hong Kong team bringing the languages needed to provide the highest levels of service, namely Cantonese, Mandarin, English and Korean. Soon to join the team is office manager Money Cheng who is also tri-lingual and has worked in aviation for five years with Chinese carriers.

Mike Walsh, Director, ACS Hong Kong said: "Serving the Asia-Pacific region from Hong Kong see’s the realisation of a long term dream for ACS and the opening of the office here has been driven by our analysis of customer demand. This is a huge opportunity for ACS and we have now secured a permanent office in the Central district of Hong Kong. Business in Hong Kong, China and the region in general is undertaken face-to-face so it was vital that we established a key team here in China.”

Tony Bauckham, Managing Director, ACS said: "This is a significant move for ACS, our established global offices network in London, New York, Dubai and Moscow have seen an overall increase in flights consisting of both passenger and cargo of  285% over the last four years and we know that by expanding our presence into Asia these growth figures will be sustained.”

Dave Heeley, who completed his recording breaking 777 feat; seven marathons, seven continents in seven days, on the 13th April 2008 to raise funds for The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, turned to ACS to help him make this possible.

Mr Heeley, who has been registered blind since 1986 and has been running to raise funds for ‘Guide Dogs’ since 1999, travelled to the Falkland Islands in the Antarctic to start his first marathon at 00:01 GMT on Monday 7th of April and passed the finish line at 04:15.  The whole team supporting Dave were then met by a Learjet 55 provided by ACS, to fly the 4 ½ hours to Rio de Janeiro in time to start the second marathon on Dave’s second continent.  Dave was able to start at 13:38 GMT and completed his second marathon 4 hours and 45 minutes later.

He went on to complete five further Marathons in Los Angeles, Sydney, Dubai, Tunis and finally London to become one of only four to complete the gruelling challenge.

Mr Heeley commented:
“I am the first blind person to do this. It's been a fantastic adventure and one I'm going to talk about for a long time.”

Here at ACS we are proud to have been a part of such an incredible achievement and warmly congratulate Mr Heeley on successfully completing this remarkable feat.

Contact: Sam White passenger charter broker and team at London@aircharter.co.uk

When a family of four urgently needed to visit a relative abroad, ACS made sure they were airborne within 3 ½ hours of taking their first call.

ACS’s client, who acted on behalf of the family, needed to organise a return flight between Scandinavia and the Canary Islands. ACS passenger broker, Matt Purton, acted quickly to secure the use of a Gulfstream G-IV, a luxury, long-haul aircraft, equipped to transport up to 14 passengers for the five hour flight. Purton commented:

“We could tell the customer needed to get to his destination urgently and we located the aircraft that was closest to him. We also chose a Gulfstream G-IV because the interior can be rearranged into double beds, which would allow the family to sleep and rest prior to their arrival in the Canary Islands."

Contact Matthew Purton, London based Passenger Broker and team London@aircharter.co.uk

One of the leading real estate agents in the Middle East employed the services of ACS’ Dubai office to give investors a unique view of the region from the air.

ACS is one of only a few companies in the region able to meet the requirements and provide helicopters for executive charter due to significant lack of availability. The one hour tour started from Dubai Marina Festival City and took in views of the Dubai World Central airport and the latest building projects developing in the area.  The party of four, which included the real estate company’s CEO, had time to discuss potential investments whilst enjoying a touch of luxury with impressive bird’s eye views.

Dmitriy Korshunov, General Director of ACS Dubai, said:

“As the Broker of this flight I accompanied the executives on board. Seeing Dubai from the sky was an amazing experience and the trip was considered excellent value for money for my customer and his investors.  I have already confirmed another flight for the same purpose next month.”

Contact: Mike Walsh, General Director of ACS Dubai and team enquiries@aircharter.com.hk

On the 16th January 2008 ACS’ Moscow office received an urgent request for a private jet to be positioned at London Heathrow airport the very next day to take two passengers to Moscow’s international Sheremetyevo airport in Russia.

The businessmen were due to arrive in London on a flight from Africa but one of the passengers was unaware of the need for an entry visa into the UK to transit through the airport. ACS was able to obtain a permit to allow the passenger to transfer to the executive jet whilst the second passenger could travel through the immigration process and collect their luggage.

The passengers requested a one hour window between their flight from Africa arriving and the private jet departing to Moscow; landing permits at London Heathrow are extremely hard to negotiate. LHR is one of the busiest airports in the world and landing slots for small private aircraft are few and far between.

Sergey Vekhov, General Manager ACS Russia, said:

“It is testament to the hard work of the ACS team in Moscow that landing rights at London Heathrow airport, the third busiest airport in the world were secured at such short notice! The aircraft departed exactly on time and the businessmen were delighted with the service they had received from ACS.”

Contact: Passenger Sales team at london@aircharter.co.uk

Air Charter Service (ACS) one of the leading names in cargo and passenger air chartering, organised a Boeing 737-200 to carry a group of 19 passengers from Dubai (DXB), UAE to Sana’a (SAN), Yemen on Sunday 23rd September to sign a deal for a Nuclear Power project. And all this was successfully achieved with just three days notice.
The project to fund five nuclear power reactors over the next 10 years is estimated at a cost of $15 billion, and aims to generate electricity and desalinate sea water in order to meet the needs of Yemen’s growing urban population and boost the country's industrial development.
The VIP passengers included American and Canadian investors who had originally requested the use of a Boeing Business Jet (BBJ), but due to the limited notice given an alternative aircraft had to be found.

Dmitriy Korshunov, General Manager of ACS Dubai commented:
“The customer was looking for a particular executive aircraft, but due to the extremely short notice the requested BBJ was unavailable. ACS continually monitors in excess of 50,000 aircraft worldwide, so we were able to more than satisfactorily cater for our customer’s needs by recommending the B737-200, which they were delighted with.”

Not only was the flight a complete success, ACS additionally on request provided an exceptional VIP arrival and departure service, which is convenient and can be arranged for groups of any size.

ACS prides itself on quality service with great flexibility to suit the customers’ needs. Once again ACS was able to deliver a full service and leave another of their valued customers satisfied.

Contact the ACS team at london@aircharter.co.uk

ACS Hong Kong believe that there is a marked increase in 'Medical Tourism'. Gavin Copus, CEO of ACS Asia Pacific, commented: "We are increasingly getting enquiries from people wanting to use air ambulances from China to Hong Kong for both routine or emergency medical treatment". An Air Ambulance is an aircraft used for emergency medical assistance in situations where a traditional ambulance is simply not viable.
Copus added: "For Singapore and the surrounding countries of Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, there is a trend for air ambulance demand moving patients into Singpaore for the very high quality medical treatments available there".

For any passenger enquiry, please contact Gavin and his team passenger@aircharter.com.hk

There are several benefits of working with a well established global company like Air Charter Service. One of these is their global presence giving clients access to charter experts around the world. Dedicated account managers work together using local knowledge which ensures the most cost effective and time efficient solutions are found.

Recently a European client needed to fly within Asia; this immediately throws up the problem of time zones, however not for an ACS client as their account manager in London called the Hong Kong office. Gavin Copus CEO Asia Pacific began working to find the perfect solution, using his knowledge of local operators and being able to take advantage of local prices.

By linking commercial flights with a light jet, a solution was found within the client’s budget. This wouldn’t have been possible without having local knowledge at the end of the phone. Whether you need a private jet for business or a weekend away ACS will find the perfect solution for your needs.

Email one of our account managers now passenger@aircharter.com.hk

Aberdeen Executives take the rain to Spain…
Executives from, one of Scotland’s 100 largest companies, chartered a private jet from Aberdeen to attend the launch of a ship in San Sebastian last month. The Aberdeen based company has a shipping arm with a fleet of offshore support vessels, predominantly serving the North Sea.
The journey would have taken the executives fifteen hours had they used scheduled flights, as opposed to the two and half hour direct flight from Aberdeen that ACS was able to arrange for them, saving considerable time. For senior company Executives the ability to decrease the amount of time spent traveling is seen as a significant cost saving and enables them to spend more time in the office.
Passenger charter analyst at ACS, Mark Christie, said:
“The customer’s immediate thought was to call ACS for this flight as they knew we could provide a service at very short notice that would be tailor made to their needs. We were asked to look for an aircraft on 24th September, booked the flights on the 25th and they flew the next day.
 “We chartered a Citation Excel for the team, a medium size executive jet that suited the flight and passengers perfectly and they were able to use the executive terminal at Aberdeen.”
Contact Mark Christie, Passenger Sales Co-Ordinator at ACS and team at london@aircharter.co.uk

A Silverstone British Grand Prix will draw crowds of 100,000 people, many of whom will want to avoid the inevitable train delays and motorway congestion out of London which often accompanies such a popular event – our perfect solution, a helicopter charter from Central London’s only heliport – Battersea.

Our regular clients are used to experiencing the best service, flights that are chartered well in
advance as well as last minute solutions operated with absolute precision. The British Grand Prix of the 7th and 8th July 2007 left ACS with a large number of helicopter charters to book into slots out of Battersea, which are like gold dust and into Silverstone which operates a strictly ‘subject to slots’ operation so the ACS team had to find slots that corresponded with both locations.

Andrew Summers, Passenger Charter Analyst, ACS said:
“Helicopters were sourced matching each client’s exact requirements for both the qualifying on
Saturday and race day on Sunday. At ACS we offer each and every client the best possible service but when the stakes are so high with regular customers requiring aircraft for a time when slots are so hard to come by it makes our team go the extra mile. I am proud of the way we handled each and every charter this weekend and our 100% on time record meant that all our customers were completely satisfied.”

Contact: Andrew Summers and Joel Fenn, Passenger Charter Analysts at london@aircharter.co.uk

During May, June and July this year the music industry and its fans have enjoyed some brilliant shows such as The Big Weekend, T in the Park, Naas Oxegen Festival , Live Earth and of course Glastonbury with each event welcoming one or more ACS charter.

Given the music industry is a primary market for ACS, the infamous summer festivals and
beginnings of World and European tours have kept ACS on their toes delivering some of the world’s best selling artists to countless shows so far. Unsurprisingly, ACS was called upon to charter a variety of executive jets and helicopters for the artists headlining some of the biggest festivals in Europe.

With ACS's expertise at choosing the ideal aircraft types, one of the charters involved a unique 19 seat helicopter to get the artists as close as possible to the crowded festival sites, avoiding the traffic and getting them on stage on time. Some of these flights have been planned since the beginning of the year, with countless changes and updates - some enquiries were even received within 24 hours of being airborne! No matter the timeframe to get the bands in the air, ACS have continue to provide the winning service that ensures the crowds see their favourite artists perform.

Production Manager for a best selling number 1 artist said:
“Despite having worked with other brokers on music charters, ACS has proven to be the most
professional, delivering unbeatable service 24/7. Finding a supplier who fully understands the
demands and often temperamental nature of this industry is difficult, however working with ACS has proven that their dedicated Account Management is 100% tuned in with what we need. I would not contemplate going back to work with anyone else.”

Carmen Vanegas, Passenger Sales Manager, ACS said:
“Having specialised in VIP and music charters, I find that arranging these flights can be rather like a complex jigsaw puzzle with the added pressure of a tight schedule. Our team has the resources and experience to help the bands put together all the pieces of the puzzle within some very tight deadlines and budgets! In the end when the customer is happy there is a great sense of satisfaction among the team. Despite the bad weather this summers’ music festivals have been tremendous fun and a great success for ACS.”

Contact: Carmen Venegas, Passenger Sales Manager and team at london@aircharter.co.uk

With thousands of fans descending on the small islands that make up the West Indies, the local security forces needed some outside help. Assistance arrived from all over the world with forces from each of the 16 competing nations sending representatives. Due to the nature of some of their equipment and the difficulty in getting large groups on the same scheduled flight, a private aircraft charter provided the perfect solution.

One of Air Charter Service’s account managers, Tim Rees, was contacted to arrange such a charter to take 75 passengers and 5 tonnes of equipment from South Africa to Granada, with a strict schedule and a stricter budget. Tim quickly got to work finding the most cost effective charter solution. A larger aircraft would have flown direct, however with only 75 passengers this would not have been financially viable. So Tim sourced a Boeing 737-800 to take the passengers to Granada with quick fuel stops in Libreville and Sal all within the budget dictated by the client. Tim recalls,

“Due to the long sectors over water we needed an aircraft not only with the range required but also the legal requirement of an ETOPS certification and the 737-800 I sourced had both. It was the best aircraft for the job and despite high demand I managed to secure it for the dates required.”

Tim was on hand to make sure everything went smoothly and to answer any questions there may have been on the day. Being a cricket fan, Tim was more than happy to do his bit to ensure the World cup was a fantastic event for all involved.

Contact: Passenger Sales team at london@aircharter.co.uk

Picture this: 300 people, located in different parts of the UK, all need to attend an event in southern France. Do you really believe that any airline will have scheduled flights departing and returning at convenient times, with that many empty seats? If you do, you might also consider that these people have to be made to feel special.

This was the scenario facing Joel Fenn, ACS passenger charter executive, recently. Schneider Electric, the globally respected manufacturer, was hosting its annual company event in Nice. It needed 300 of its UK staff to attend, to help with serving the 4,000 potential customers it was expecting from across Europe.

Joel arranged for flights from Manchester and Luton, on separate Boeing 737 aircraft - one of which was brand new, making its first commercial flight. Schneider's staff received personalised ticket envelopes, were greeted by special signs at check-in and boarded their aircraft to find that even the head-rest covers carried the Schneider branding. Departure times were arranged to suit the customer, with high-quality catering enhancing the journey. For the return flights, the Schneider personnel were treated to more top-class food and drinks in their own reserved room at Nice airport, before taking off again in style.

Contact: Joel Fenn Passenger Charter Analyst and team at london@aircharter.co.uk

It was a typical English winter's day when 38 people turned up at Farnborough: overcast, gloomy and not notably warm. There was, however, anticipation and curiosity in the air. Even top managers from a global leader become a little excited at the prospect of a mystery trip.

Tim Rees, passenger charter analyst, had ensured that the events company booking the trip had everything it required, which meant keeping the destination a complete secret from the passengers. While they enjoyed a champagne reception in the private lounge, one or two did try to quiz the ground staff, but - as with everybody else capable of giving away the secret - they had been thoroughly briefed.

They boarded a Bombardier CRJ200 regional jet, only to find that the crew would happily answer any of their questions except 'the big one.' It was, therefore, still a complete surprise a little over three hours later when the VIPs landed and emerged into the warmth of Marrakesh. Discretion is an everyday attitude within Air Charter Service so, while this level of secrecy is a little beyond the norm, keeping the secret was never a problem.

Contact: Passenger Sales Team at london@aircharter.co.uk

When you plan a special event, everything about it has to be special. Carmen Vanegas, senior charter analyst, happily agreed when a customer said this to her recently. He intends to celebrate his 50th birthday by hosting a weekend party in Venice for his closest friends and family, but was finding his plans blocked by commercial carriers.

"He wants the whole party to fly together," explains Carmen, "but, even with months of advance notice, the airlines are unable to help. Although his birthday is not until June, everyone is already saying that they just do not have the seats available at the right times. It should be a celebration, but was beginning to turn into a nightmare."

The gentleman was equally unhappy at the thought of arranging the logistics for his guests to travel to different airports, taking different flights and not arriving at the same time. Knowing that everyone would have to check-in two hours before departure, then queue for baggage collection in Venice, was also a dispiriting prospect.

He liked Carmen's answer - and a booking was swiftly confirmed. The customer will meet all of his guests at the exclusive, newly refurbished London Farnborough Airport. They will have a terminal to themselves, where drinks and refreshments will be available during the 30 minutes between check-in and take-off.

Once aboard their stylish, 46-seat Canadair Regional Jet, they will enjoy a three-course "Business Class" style meal, before arriving in Venice. Upon arrival, bags will be off-loaded immediately, so that everyone will be leaving the airport within just 30 minutes of arrival. The return journey will be equally smooth, helping to ensure a hassle-free party for all concerned.

Contact: Passenger Sales Team at london@aircharter.co.uk

If you were in charge of catering for an airline, what would be your worst nightmare? High on the list might be an aircraft full of world-class chefs, all waiting to see what you are going to serve them. Fortunately for Matt Purton, in the ACS London office, this was not a problem when Practical Travel Agents contacted him to arrange just such a flight.

The Icelandic Chefs Association needed to get to Lyons for the International Chef of the Year competition. As well as their competing chefs, they wanted to take guests and well-wishers. With approaching 150 people all travelling together, scheduled flights would not have been an attractive option even if it had been feasible.

Matt arranged for the party to fly to Lyons and back in their own Boeing 737-800, cutting out check-in delays and waiting times and ensuring that take-off times were convenient for the Association and its supporters. As for the catering, everybody was thrilled by the standard of the in-flight menu: ACS happily arranged to take delivery, store, load and serve food prepared by ... members of the Icelandic Chefs

Contact: Matt Purton Passenger Sales Manager and team at london@aircharter.co.uk

Air Charter Services Senior Charter Analyst Carmen Vanegas flew a series of 5 return flights to Munster from various destinations around the UK.

With up to 50 pax on each flight Carmen really had a huge job on her hands. The flights were for an international agricultural event, chartered from a British based customer and took over two months of planning.

The specialist aircraft used for these flights was a Saab 2000-Regional Turboprop, and with every flight going exactly to plan, both customer and passengers were delighted with the service they received.

Air Charter Service provided flexible flight schedules allowing the trip to run smoothly and swiftly without the executives having to worry about missing flights. The company thanked the New York office for the fantastic service and informed them the flights were a great success.

As specialists in charter travel, and with offices in London, New York, Moscow and Dubai, Air Charter Service works round the clock to provide an unrivalled, fast response whether for the individual executive or large groups.

Contact: Passenger Sales Team at london@aircharter.co.uk

Air Charter Service's London office arranged a private aircraft charter for a party of ex-professional football players, TV football pundits and press reporters to fly down to Sardinia for a two day golfing break last month.

The aircraft charter was requested by a big sports sponsor client who was treating the VIP group, which included Sky and BBC presenters, to an all expenses paid trip to play one of Europe's best courses.

Andy Christie, who specialises in sports event flights, laid on a Saab 2000 commuter turboprop aircraft for the charter from London to Sardinia. The Saab 2000 aircraft allowed the celebrity party to fly as a single group, and the use of VIP airport terminals kept the group away from the chaos of busy airports.

Contact: Andy Christie Senior Charter Analyst and team at london@aircharter.co.uk

Air Charter Service's sports charter specialist Andy Christie was this month delighted to be asked to arrange a helicopter charter for a prominent member of the England football team the day after the Euro 2008 qualifier against Macedonia.

The star was needed for a promotional event in central London so his agents requested a helicopter to pick him up from his clubs training ground on the outskirts of the city and fly him directly to the Battersea, South London.

Andy arranged for an AS-355 Twin Squirrel to fly the player high above the traffic gridlock down below. In a helicopter with a capable cruise speed of 224 km/h the flight was completed within minutes and the star was transferred to the event by limousine.

For more information on chartering a helicopter contact Air Charter Service.

Contact: Andy Christie Senior Charter Analyst and team at london@aircharter.co.uk

With winter only just round the corner we thought now the perfect time to announce our new partnership with Elemental Adventure - specialists in providing customised heliskiing packages to some of the most exciting destinations around the world - including Canada, Alaska, Russia, Turkey and Greenland.

The role of Elemental Adventure is to provide you with the experience that you want, tailor made to your requirements and taking care of the planning of your trip down to the last detail.

In order to minimise time spent travelling and maximise your time on the snow, Air Charter Service can arrange for your private aircraft to take you directly to your destination with speed and comfort. With so many destinations only a short flight from your local airport an exclusive weekend heliskiing becomes both easy and practical.

Whether you are an experienced skier looking to pioneer first descents in the Himalayas, or a confident intermediate who has never been heliskiing before; Elemental Adventure and Air Charter Service make it happen with minimum planning and hassle on your behalf.

Visit www.eaheliskiing.com for more information on heliskiing.

Air Charter Service have seen a sharp rise in demand for private charters since August's terror alert as VIP and executive travellers try to avoid crowded airports and scheduled flight security scares. The dramatic rise in business came during what is usually the slowest time of year for private aircraft charters.

The new security measures and flight delays caused serious difficulties for the business community, with routes to key European cities and transatlantic destinations heavily affected at the height of the problems.

In addition to business traffic, executives who normally hired private jets only for business trips were using them for family vacations as well.

Gavin Copus, passenger sales manager at Air Charter Service, revealed that his team had been working around the clock with business almost double the normal levels for August due to the scare.

He added: "Executives and their families feel reassured by the reliability and security that companies such as ours can offer, which is why we have seen such demand in recent weeks."

Contact Air Charter Service to charter a private aircraft

Air Charter Service's VIP sales team were recently able to enjoy a familiarisation flight on an 18 seat Boeing Business Jet from London to New York. The aircraft had originally been chartered into London by a royal guest and needed to reposition to New York for another flight.

A group of twelve Air Charter Service brokers from the London and New York offices were given the chance to fly on this most famous of VIP aircraft. Familiarisation trips are so valuable as they give the brokers first hand experience of the product they are selling, allowing them to better serve their clients.

The BBJ - a modern, ultra-luxurious version of the Boeing 737-700 - is considered to be at the absolute top-end of the VIP market - essentially a full scale self contained home and business centre, complete with meeting room, dining room and a bedroom for the passengers.

Contact:  Passenger Sales Team at london@aircharter.co.uk

Air Charter Service have played an important role in both evacuating foreign nationals and transporting aid cargo to Lebanon as the crisis in the Middle East unfolds. Large scale operations continue in order to help alleviate the suffering of civilians caught up in the conflict.

Air Charter Service's passenger department arranged four MD-82 charters from Larnaca carrying a total of 646 Scandinavian evacuees back to their homeland. The flights were completed within 24 hours of receiving the request.

In the first three weeks of the crisis Air Charter Service's cargo department have also been involved in flying relief aid to the region. As the aid effort got underway ACS arranged five AN-12 charters with cargo of food and essential goods into Larnaca (LCA).

With new aid routes now opening up ACS are also working on charters into other airports including Damascus (DAM) - where an ACS chartered DC-8 has delivered a consignment of relief goods from Copenhagen (CPH).

Air Charter Service took its clients up the river in style this month. The river in question was the River Thames, where ACS had charted Raven's Ait, a leafy island right in the middle of this famous stretch of water, and converted it into the Wild West for the evening.

ACS Managing Director Chris Leach said a big 'thank you' was due to all those who made the past two years a success period for the company - and that included its clients, staff, 'The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly', service providers - and even the media.

Guests were treated to live country and western music, entertainers and line dancing on tap for the 200 guests, and a 'Clint Eastwood' lookalike. They feasted on a dinner of ribs, barbeque chicken wings, corn and more while card sharps, knife throwers, stilt-walkers and a guitar and banjo duo entertained the revellers.

Contact:  Passenger Sales Team at london@aircharter.co.uk

Air Charter Services Senior Charter Analyst, Ros Shergold jumped into action and arranged a last minute trip on an Embraer 120 aircraft for some avid Australian football fans who work for a large asset management company in London, to watch Australia v Italy on Monday 26th July.

Despite a tight time schedule Ros even managed to arrange 5 star hospitality onboard the 20 passenger aircraft and secured a VIP coach to transfer the passengers from Saarbrucken Airport to the Kaiserslautern Stadium. The company thanked Ros for the fantastic service and enjoyed the trip despite the disappointment of Australia losing what proved a very close game.

Air Charter Service's Dornier 328 propeller aircraft (pictured right) has also proved a resounding success with fans travelling to the World Cup in Germany, notching up 9 charters before the quarter final stage.

The 31 seat aircraft, based in the UK , has proved especially popular with corporate groups travelling to the biggest games. Other key players involved in Air Charter Service's World Cup campaign have included Citation, Challenger 604, Hawker 800 and Fokker 50 aircraft.

Contact Air Charter Service for more information on chartering aircraft to sporting events.

With summer holidays in full swing Air Charter Service flew a top city banker and his family to Palma De Mallorca on a Citation Excel for a yacht holiday. However, in a problem all too common for business executives, the office called during the break and urgently required the banker for an important meeting.

The PA for the banker called Air Charter Service again to see if they could get him to the meeting in Frankfurt quickly and without fuss so as to cause minimal disruption to the holiday.

Gavin Copus and Joel Fenn immediately provided a Citation II aircraft to whisk the banker to Frankfurt, where at the VIP terminal the banker was able to change into a business suit his PA had made available for the meeting.

Following a successful meeting and business dinner in Frankfurt the banker was able to return to the waiting private jet and fly straight back to Palma De Mallorca to join his family on the yacht.

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Air Charter Service recently had the opportunity of flying the music band Razorlight and Record Company officials who were performing to Radio 1's Big Weekend in Camper Down Park, Dundee. The production team called Carmen Vanegas in the build up to the event to request the charter for the stars who were working to a tight schedule.

Carmen from the London office Sourced a 48 seat VIP Canadair Regional Jet, striking the perfect chord with the stars who were looking for a luxurious and relaxing flight before the gig.

Timing was crucial and everything was scheduled to match the bands slot at the show. The flight time from Luton to Dundee was just 1 hour on this VIP jet so the group arrived perfectly fresh for their performance.

Razorlight put on a great show before returning to the waiting aircraft for the flight back to Luton.

In addition to the Razorlight charter, Air Charter Service's Music Broker Carmen also recently arranged another charter for an infamous rock star to a concert in Berlin.

The star contacted Air Charter Service requiring an immediate flight for a gig. Carmen Vanegas supplied a Premier 1 jet for the star who made it to the venue and delighted fans who had waited patiently for a number of hours.

Contact Carmen Vanegas for more information on VIP charter flights

Last month Air Charter Service's executive charter broker Mark Garza received an urgent request from a client late on Sunday looking to charter a private aircraft for a member of a Middle Eastern royal family. The VIP passenger was looking to fly to Paris for an exclusive function that very evening.

Despite the short notice Mark was able to secure a Beechcraft KA200 turbo propeller aircraft seating 8 passengers and it was ready to go within hours of receiving the request.

The aircraft was quickly positioned for boarding before the royal party arrived at Stapleford Airport. Within minutes the aircraft was in the sky and on its way to Paris Le Bourget where limousines waited to take the guests to the event. The red carpet was also rolled out the following day for the return flight back to London.

Contact any of our brokers 24/7 for more information on VIP charter flights.

Another major UK automotive manufacturer has called upon Air Charter Service to provide them with a charter to assist a new product launch in Turkey . The company were delighted with both the CRJ 200 regional jet provided and the use of new VIP facilities at Farnborough.

Ros Shergold handled the group charter, offering the CRJ 200 which is ideal for moving small to medium sized parties at a very economical cost.

Air Charter Service also arranged to route the private charter flight out of Farnborough to make use of it's brand new VIP terminal facility which has only just opened.

The manufacturer was able to further brand the trip with the help of Ros by placing one of the brand new car models at the entrance to the new terminal.

Contact Ros for more information on group charters.

It is months before the first ball is even kicked, but the build up to the FIFA World Cup 2006 is already reaching fever pitch with as many as 95,000 England fans alone planning to travel to Germany during the competition.

With Germany only a short flight away the tournament is ideal for fans and corporate guests looking for a day trip only, and chartering a private aircraft makes that a very real option.Air Charter Service are seeing high demand for their services, as reported in national newspapers such as The Times.

The charter boom is in large part due to their status as a leading provider of private air charters to sporting events.

Included in the aircraft available throughout the World Cup is a Dornier 328 operating exclusively for Air Charter Service. The aircraft, based in the UK , offers quality leather seating for up to 31 passengers and has already received bookings from numerous corporate groups.

In the build-up to the holiday break Air Charter Service's group charter specialist Sam Wood was able to provide a Beech 1900 regional turboprop aircraft to help a group of oil workers make it home in time to see their families for Christmas.

Despite having a well earned holiday in the pipeline, the workers based in Angola were finding it impossible to find a scheduled service out of their remote location.

However, Sam Wood was at hand to arrange a slick charter operation to ensure the workers would not be disappointed. She was able to source a Beech 1900 to fly the workers from an airfield near their base to Lanseria , South Africa.

From Lanseria the delighted workers were able to pick up scheduled services to their home cities in time for the holiday season.

Dubai , U.A.E. The London based charter company - who already boast other centres of excellence in New York and Moscow - were granted an official trade licence by the Dubai Airport Free Zone Authority (DAFZA) earlier this month.

The Dubai office location promises to further enhance Air Charter Service's global reach and was welcomed by both clients and suppliers.

Air Charter Service FZCo will be headed by Peter Sheppard - Director of Middle East Operations - who will lead a team of highly experienced charter brokers at the new office situated within the Dubai Airport Free Zone.

Group Chairman Chris Leach revealed: "Due to Air Charter Service's dramatic growth it has been a strategic plan to open a Middle East office for sometime - and we are delighted with the choice of Dubai"

He added: "We have found the authorities very professional to deal with and we have high expectations for the future"

For more information contact the Dubai office.

Air Charter Service's Moscow office has relocated to larger new offices in the city to further facilitate the growth that the company has experienced in recent years. The new office will allow for the addition of further brokers to the team.

The new office is situated in a prestigious complex on the carriageway dubbed 'Putin Road' due to the fact many of Russia's business elite and ministers use the road to travel to work each day from the west of the city.

The office is also conveniently located on the blue metro line, between Krylaskoe and Molodezhnaya stations.

For the full address and contact details visit www.aircharter.ru