James Gregory, Head of VIP Charters, was contacted last Friday morning at 8 a.m. to find a replacement aircraft for a client due to take off at 9 a.m.. The flight, for a family of three, was scheduled to travel from Farnborough to Middlesbrough. Due to crew sickness, the flight was cancelled at late notice. This left the family stranded at Farnborough Airport after having just transferred there from London Heathrow, straight off a long haul flight. Unfortunately, the original brokers the family booked with offered no alternative solutions to help the family.

There was one big challenge: due to Brexit laws, only UK registered aircrafts can travel domestically at such late notice. This meant that the pool of aircraft was instantly reduced. 

James was swiftly able to secure a Hawker 850 that was on the ground in Belfast. Tracking the aircraft the whole journey to Farnborough and updating the client throughout, the aircraft arrived so the family were able to depart just slightly later than planned. 

James said: “This wasn’t an easy charter to turnaround but I persevered, as I always do, and found a cost-effective and timely solution for the client. I couldn’t leave the family stuck there. Crew sickness happens, as well as other complications too, but we would always go above and beyond to recover this type of situation if it was one of our clients. That’s the Smart difference”.

Clive Head, Senior Charter Broker, was contacted directly last Wednesday and was given 48 hours to sort out a cancelled charter for a corporate company that was taking 70 staff on an incentive trip to Marrakech for the weekend. The company had booked a return journey on a VIP 737 with an aviation jet operator but it was cancelled with no reasonable explanation. The client was offered no support or different options. 

Due to Clive’s extensive list of aviation contacts, he easily sourced a suitable aircraft that was available. Clive had to ensure that the original slots booked were cancelled, so we were then able to reapply and book the same departure times for the client. Slots, handling and permits were quickly arranged. 

Clive said: “This charter was particularly challenging as time was not on our side regarding the permit. There were lot of twists and turns but I was delighted that within 48-hours, the permits, slots and catering requirements were all finalised. The client was delighted with our management of this charter, as well our clear communication throughout .” 

About Smart:

Smart Aviation was founded in 2005 by Managing Director Mark Hawkins, an established sports charter specialist with over 30 years’ experience in senior operational roles within the travel and aviation industry. Previously Hawkins managed sports charters at Excel Airways, which included flying over 4,000 fans to a football final. Over the last 17 years, Smart Aviation has arranged successful charters for leading sport fixtures, transported thousands of passengers on their annual pilgrimages to Lourdes, and flown VIPS on exclusive private jet charters on a weekly basis around the world. 

For VIP charter enquiries, please contact james.gregory@smart-aviation.co.uk and for commercial charters, please contact clive.head@smart-aviation.co.uk.

Why choose Smart?

Our business revolves around you

– Exactly what you need

– You’re dealing with the experts. Our goal is excellence in service and execution – our extensive knowledge and expertise ensure we deliver.

Cost effective with no compromise

– Our unrivalled operator relationships and leverage in the European market ensures you get the most cost-effective solution, without compromising on quality.

We are always available

– Our operational support team is on-hand 24/7, 365 days a year, to deal with the unexpected and keep you flying – for total peace of mind.

Call or email us today – sales@smart-aviation.co.uk / + 44 1293 551244