9 October 2023: Smart’s long term leasing operation continues to thrive as we head into Q4. Leading airlines are reaching out to Smart, the global charter and leasing specialists, requesting our assistance with fulfilling their seasonal demand out of the UK and Europe this autumn and winter. 

Global airlines are relying on Smart’s knowledge and expertise to help them source additional capacity to enhance their seasonal networks, meaning our ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance) bookings are booming.

‘Go-Nows’:

Jamie Milsom, ACMI Operations and Support Officer, confirmed four substantial ACMI bookings in a 24-hour period this past weekend. Two of the bookings were ‘Go-Now’, requested on Saturday and departing just hours later. An aircraft was stuck on the runway with some technical difficulties, so the airline urgently needed a replacement. 

Smart Aviation’s Head of ACMI, Daniel Parker, said: “Jamie sought a convenient and timely solution to this problem for one of our long-standing airline partners. He managed to successfully turn it around within an hour of the request coming to contract the operation and get the supplier airline scrabbling their crews to get them and their aircraft ready and in the air as quick as they could to ensure the live passenger flights flew seamlessly, without causing any further disruption or delays to the airline’s European operations.”

The second of the ‘Go-Now’ bookings was for an AOG (aircraft on ground), so a stand-in aircraft was needed to avoid any delays for the passengers. We worked extremely closely with our clients and strategic supplier airlines to ensure we got the job done and our clients operations covered in a speedy fashion.

We are in talks with multiple airlines for winter operations but nothing confirmed yet. We have hopes of some current summer seasonal leases extending into the winter. 

Earning the trust and delivering exceptional service:

The Smart Team has also been working hard to gain the trust of a leading European airline, who usually use their local broker for any of their ACMI requirements. After successful negotiations, Smart was finally given the opportunity to shine last month, when we were asked to source a support charter for a couple of days. The client was so impressed with Smart’s management of the lease and the on time performance by one of our reliable suppliers, that they extended the lease of the A320 almost immediately for another three weeks. Our chosen supplier provided excellent service on all days, without any issues. 

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 all ACMI enquiries 24 hours a day, please contact Daniel.Parker@Smart-Aviation.co.uk and ACMI@smart-aviation.co.uk

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