A travel agent asked Air Charter Service to help complete a crew change for a ship in Romania in June 2020, flying new workers out from Latvia before returning with the original team. With scheduled flights grounded during the Covid-19 pandemic, the client had no choice but to charter – but with a limited budget, we had to use our expertise to complete the urgent job as cost-effectively and quickly as possible.
Ship crew change, Romania
A travel agent asked Air Charter Service to help complete a crew change for a ship in Romania in June 2020, flying new workers out from Latvia before returning with the original team. With scheduled flights grounded during the Covid-19 pandemic, the client had no choice but to charter – but with a limited budget, we had to use our expertise to complete the urgent job as cost-effectively and quickly as possible.
OUR SOLUTION
Route: Riga > Constanta > Riga
Aircraft: Fairchild Metro 23
Using our contacts, we quickly sourced a competitively priced Fairchild Metro 23 turboprop that could accommodate the 16-man crew within the client’s tight budget. The aircraft needed to complete both flights within one day, involving an early-morning departure and a late-night return. This created logistical difficulties – we had to secure enough plane crew to cover the long shift and the return flight needed to land in Riga by 10.45pm, before the runway closed at 11pm. We also weren’t sure whether extra time was needed to refuel on the way. Thankfully, our experienced team worked tirelessly to ensure we had enough staff onboard and both flights ran smoothly, with the return leg making it back to Riga in time without the need for a fuel stop.
THE FINER DETAILS
Available 24/7: We assigned a dedicated account manager, who coordinated everything personally and was available around the clock to make last-minute changes if needed.
Unrivalled Expertise: We proposed a back-up plan for the return flight to land at Liepaja if the aircraft didn’t make it back to Riga before the runway closed, giving the client added confidence that the crew would return to Latvia within the specified timescale.