Smart’s Groundbreaking Benfica Flight for Sons of Struth takes off from Glasgow

Scottish football legend Willie Henderson joins once-in-a-lifetime flight.

The first ever chartered plane for a grassroots football club in Scotland.

Today (21 September 2021) 125 aspiring young footballers from Sons of Struth Football Academy departed Glasgow Airport for their groundbreaking trip to Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica, Portugal. The flight today was the first ever chartered plane for a grassroots football club in Scotland. Retired Scotland and Rangers football legend Willie Henderson, also joined the once-in-a-lifetime flight.

Leading global sports charter specialists, Smart Aviation, is the official aircraft charter partner for the flights, operated by Smart’s long-standing charter partner Jet2.com.

The players aged between six and 14 got to train like their heroes and be put through their paces at a special training academy before experiencing a private guided tour of the iconic stadium.

This exclusive trip for the children has taken months of extensive planning and fundraising by the academy. 190 passengers – including the young players, ex-Rangers legends, national journalists, coaches and volunteers – departed from Glasgow Airport on a next generation 737-800 aircraft on 21 September 2021 and will return later today.

Hawkins said: “We are thrilled to be working with Sons of Struth Football Academy and are truly honoured to have chartered the first chartered ever flight for a football academy in Scotland today. Football is very much at the heart of Smart and to be chosen to charter the flights for these young players brings us much delight. Everyone has worked so hard to make this happen and to see the kids so excited today has been wonderful.”

For further information on Smart Aviation and to book, visit www.smart-aviation.co.uk, email sales@smart-aviation.co.uk or call +44 (0) 01293 551244.