Air chartering company broadens service offering

Air charter solutions provider Chapman Freeborn Airchartering secured a new strategic cooperation agreement earlier this year with cargo carriers Lufthansa Cargo, states Chapman Freeborn cargo sales manager Patricia Monethi.

The global aircraft charter specialist conducts Lufthansa Cargo’s third-party chartering requirements, which enables the German airline to focus on marketing the charter capacity of its own fleet of 18 McDonnell Douglas MD-11F aircraft.

This agreement came into effect on April 1 and will give Lufthansa Cargo’s international sales force and client base access to the full range of charter aircraft through Chapman Freeborn’s global network of 35 offices – from helicopters and light aircraft for time-critical freight to giant Antonov AN-225 aircraft for heavy and outsized cargo requirements, states Monethi.

She adds that Chapman Freeborn clients will benefit from the enhanced access to Lufthansa Cargo’s freighter fleet, as it broadens the charter services available to them.

Consequently, she notes that Chapman Freeborn won the 2013/2014 biannual Stat Trade Times International Air Charter Pro- vider of the Year Award for the African region.
“The award reflects our professionalism in coordinating more than 6 000 charters a year and gives our clients peace of mind,” states Monethi.

She explains that Chapman Freeborn’s partners and customers along with those of other air cargo charter service providers voted. “The award shows old and new partners and customers that the company has a proven reputation in the air chartering industry,” she says.

Assisting with Challenges

Monethi notes that Chapman Freeborn assists the mining industry in dealing with cost, skills and security challenges by offering holistic air chartering solutions.
“The company delivers reliable and cost-effective cargo charter solutions to a diverse client base. Many industries demand the quickest, safest route in and out of various African locations, often with time sensitive requests, so a short lead time is provided,” she explains.

“The various industries always look for a reliable expert that understands their business. Winning awards, such as the World Cargo Award, for six consecutive years to date, as well as the Air Charter Provider of the Year Award, puts Chapman Freeborn in good stead across industries,” Monethi enthuses.

She points out that Chapman Freeborn can deploy specialist project managers to oversee operations from the ground. “Many of our personnel have obtained the highest-level military and government security clearance and have years of operational experience.”

Further, Chapman Freeborn can coordinate arrangements for the transportation of specialist equipment needed at mines. The added benefit of using an air charter is that cargo can be flown directly to the site. There- fore, from a logistics and security perspective, the benefits outweigh the costs.

Monethi notes that, traditionally, Africa has been difficult to operate in, owing to the various regulations specific to each country and a lack of road infrastructure. Chapman Freeborn, however, has overcome these challenges by employing recognised agents or representatives on the ground for each African region.

“These agents can inform us of specific legal requirements and infrastructure challenges, which help us choose the best air charter solution for our clients,” Monethi explains.

Chapman Freeborn is a global aircraft charter and aviation support company, with a proven reputation for innovation, expertise and professionalism.

Established in 1973, Chapman Freeborn has four decades of experience in providing specialised air charter solutions for outsized and time-critical cargo.

The company delivers reliable and cost- effective cargo charter solutions to a diverse client base of international freight forwarders, logistics providers, shippers, governments and humanitarian relief organisations.

With more than 30 offices strategically located worldwide, Chapman Freeborn’s multilingual air charter experts are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, Monethi adds.

Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition

Monethi highlights that Chapman Freeborn Airchartering exhibited at the Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (ABACE), held at the new Shanghai Hawker Pacific Business Aviation Service Centre, from April 16 to 18.

In partnership with the Shanghai Airport Authority and co-hosted by the National Business Aviation Association, the Asian Business Aviation Association and the Shanghai Exhibition Centre, ABACE 2013 put Asia’s growing private jet market in the spotlight, Chapman Freeborn states.

The company’s China team was joined by international colleagues at the event and showcased its expertise alongside inter- national aircraft operators and leading jet manufacturers.

Chapman Freeborn has had an established sales and marketing operation in Beijing since 2004, and with the recent opening of a second office, in Shanghai, the group strengthened its presence in China and says it has reinforced its commitment to the emerging market.

The Shanghai and Beijing offices are equipped with Chinese aircraft charter specialists to serve the domestic and international market.

With eight years of experience, Chapman Freeborn China provides specialised private air-charter solutions for a wide range of clients, including executives from international blue-chip corporations, high net-worth individuals, heads of State and well-known personalities from the entertainment industry.