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Air Charter Service’s Hong Kong office had the busiest period in its history in the final quarter of last year, and signs are that it may be bettered this year.

Stephen Fernandez, cargo manager ACS Hong Kong, commented: “Last year October and November were extremely busy charter-wise with large freighters mainly to supplement scheduled capacity to Europe and the U.S.  It came as a pleasant surprise after turbulent economic times worldwide and the lack of a peak season in 2008.

“In early October last year there was a sudden lack of availability on scheduled service B747s, which caused many forwarders to look at chartered flights to secure additional capacity. This year we have already seen clients booking a large number of charters - generally running from the end of September - in preparation for the upcoming peak season. So far we have mainly contracted B747 freighters, and have pre-booked more than 4,000 tons of cargo”. Fernandez continued: “Judging by the number of forward bookings, a very busy peak season is expected.”

Last year we wondered whether it was bit of a false peak season created by capacity that had been taken out of the market by airlines parking up some of their fleets, but demand this year already seems to be high.”

Air Charter Service has eleven offices around the world, and their offerings of cargo charters, private jet charter and commercial airliner charter, have meant incredible growth in the last few years and the company now operates more than 4,000 charters a year and has a turnover of over US$ 250 million.

Air Charter Service’s Hong Kong office has had a record first quarter. All of ACS’s ten worldwide offices have enjoyed a successful first quarter of the year, but Hong Kong in particular has thrived.

Gavin Copus, Director ACS Hong Kong, said: “The charter market here in Asia is booming at the moment. There was a real peak season with cargo charters towards the end of last year, and it has continued into 2010.

“We had a great 2009, but we’ve seen incredible growth in the first three months of this year. With sales in excess of US$ 2.6 million in what is traditionally the quiet part of the year is a great achievement, and all credit goes to my team, who have worked exceptionally hard.”

In recent weeks finding solutions for our customers affected by the volcanic ash cloud in Northern Europe has been our main focus. By the time Europe woke up to the news on Thursday 15th April, we had already been working on ideas to help our customers, including flying into southern Europe as soon as possible.”

Air Charter Service enjoyed a fantastic 2009 across its ten offices having its record year. The company operated over 4,000 charters.

For all your cargo charter needs contact our team: cargo@aircharter.com.hk

Air Charter Service’s Hong Kong office recently had an extremely urgent shipment of gas turbine parts to move between two Indonesian islands.

ACS received the call late in the evening to fly more than 12 tonnes of equipment from the capital Jakarta to Ujung Pandang on Sulawesi Island as soon as was possible. Air Charter Service found the perfect solution by locating a nearby B737 aircraft.

After a quick confirmation from the client, ACS positioned the aircraft into Jakarta International Airport in the early hours of the following morning, and the cargo was actually able to depart three hours earlier than the proposed schedule due to the client’s, airline’s and ACS’s organisation.

The client was extremely grateful for the early arrival, and therefore was able to use the parts that much sooner than expected.

For all your cargo charter needs contact our team: cargo@aircharter.com.hk

Air Charter Service’s Hong Kong office has flourished in a peak season that, to many, has come as a pleasant surprise. Freight volumes moving on charters have dramatically increased since early October.

Stephen Fernandez, cargo manager ACS Hong Kong, explains: “We started receiving enquiries in the middle of September, but it wasn’t until early October that they started booking the flights and the market really picked up. There was, all of a sudden, a lack of availability on B747s. At first most of the freight travelled trans-Pacific over to the States, and then the European market also saw increased demand. However in the last week or so the U.S. has got a little bit quieter in the run-up to Thanksgiving, but that’s to be expected”.

After last year’s distinct lack of peak season in the run-up to Christmas, and the general doom and gloom regarding the economy this year, this boom has come as a refreshing change.

Fernandez isn’t getting carried away though: “One theory is that this is a bit of a ‘faux’ peak season created by capacity that has been taken out of the market by airlines parking up some of their fleets. Still, it’s fuelled by demand, which can only be a good thing. How much this resurgent demand is galvanised by fewer aircraft is hard to say though”.

Air Charter Service has had a record year in 2009, both in number of charters, and in revenue. Their offerings of cargo charters, private jet charter and commercial airliner charter, along with the opening of three new offices in Paris, Johannesburg and Tokyo have played their part in this year’s success.

For all your charter needs contact: cargo@aircharter.com.hk

Stephen Fernandez, cargo manager ACS Hong Kong, recently had a request to fly a large hydraulic winch and some fluid for an offshore vessel from Singapore to Port Hedland, in the north of Western Australia.

The cargo weighed more than 65 tons, and the customer asked Stephen to transport it from their factory to the airport which proved the toughest part of the operation. This involved several flatbed trucks, a mobile crane for loading, and a police escort along the roads. Using his many contacts Stephen managed to arrange everything to allow the transportation to go ahead problem free. 

Once at the airport it was the relatively simple exercise of loading everything onto the waiting AN-124. The urgent freight touched down in Australia ahead of the original schedule, much to the customer’s delight.

For all your charter needs contact: cargo@aircharter.com.hk

Air Charter Service continues its global expansion with the opening of its second Asian office, in Tokyo, Japan. Able to offer both cargo services, along with executive & commercial jet passenger services, ACS Japan can cater for any charter requirement.

In charge of the Japanese operation is Toru Chiba, who brings a wealth of experience in the charter business with him. Toru has been in the aviation and charter industry for a total of 18 years now, and is excited by this new venture, which is part of a GSA agreement. He commented: “This is a great opportunity for ACS’s expansion within Asia. The Japanese market is a large one, which I know well, and I look forward to utilising my expertise in assisting the many other ACS offices worldwide with localised solutions.”

ACS managing director, Tony Bauckham, said: “Following the success of our office in Hong Kong since it opened, we have been looking to expand in the Asia Pacific region, and we targeted Tokyo a while ago. Many western business people travel to the region and having a local presence allows ACS to offer them the very best solutions using local knowledge. Obviously it also allows us to better serve Japanese clients as well, further expanding our customer base and further strengthening ACS’s position as one of the world’s leading charter companies. Toru has the perfect credentials to make the office as successful as all our others, and we look forward to its development.”

Stephen Fernandez reacted quickly when some 500 kgs of urgent gas equipment was required in Karratha for the North West Shelf Natural Gas Project - Australia's largest natural resource development. The cargo was in Perth and needed to be in Karratha as soon as possible.

Using his knowledge of local aircraft availabilities, Stephen knew of two Fokker 100 operators that had aircraft sitting on the tarmac in Perth. He offered a price to his customer within 15 minutes of receiving the enquiry, and it was all booked and confirmed half an hour later. Ninety minutes after that the aircraft was airborne and on its 2½ hour journey.  The whole process from initial phone call to offloading in Karratha took a little over 5 hours.

The customer was delighted and very thankful for Stephen’s speedy and professional approach.

For all your charter needs contact: cargo@aircharter.com.hk

In late May Stephen Fernandez, cargo charter analyst ACS Hong Kong, arranged a charter to move a very large, 8 ton rotor from Singapore Changi airport to Labuan - a small island just off the coast of Brunei.

Even though it is only 92km² (35.5m²), Labuan has several offshore oil and gas rigs. The airport there is a military base which made Stephen’s job a little tougher. After selecting a Lockheed Hercules aircraft as the correct one for the job, he applied himself for the landing permission to the Ministry Of Defence, as well as the Ministry Of Transport.

The operation went off without a hitch, and ACS Hong Kong had another satisfied customer.

For all your charter needs contact: cargo@aircharter.com.hk

With ACS Hong Kong's great contacts, and teamwork between Maureen and her client, they managed to receive the necessary landing permits required for the IL-76 aircraft on the last working day before the long public holiday weekend.

Maureen herself went to Shenzhen airport to make sure the loading went smoothly. The aircraft departed as scheduled, and arrived in Minsk on time.

For all your charter needs contact: cargo@aircharter.com.hk

When the Arafura Sea was too rough to transport 8 tons of soil samples from Indonesia to Australia the only other suitable option was to use an aircraft.

Stephen Fernandez, Cargo Sales Manager, was contacted to transport the 8 tons of soil samples which were split between two Antonov 26s. The closest available airport was Sorong in Eastern Indonesia. However both flights had to make a stop in Ambon as there is no customs at the airport in Sorong to clear departures for exporting out of Indonesia.

Both of the aircraft were inspected by customs officials and continued on to Darwin, their final destination.

Stephen Fernandez found the best possible solution as an alternative to shipping the soil samples. He also managed to ensure all the relevant checks were made.

For all your charter needs contact: cargo@aircharter.com.hk

When a shoe manufacturer had to transport 74 tons of shoes to Mexico City from Hong Kong before their export licence ran out they contacted Stephen Fernandez account manager at ACS Hong Kong to find a quick solution.

There are no direct scheduled freights services between Hong Kong and Mexico City, and because of the sheer volume of cargo a private cargo charter using a 747-400F aircraft was the best option.

The flight was arranged and completed before the customers export licence ran out, ensuring the cargo was not delayed. Air Charter Service’s account managers are trained to the highest standards ensuring maximum efficiency when organising charters and working to tight time schedules.

For all your cargo charter requirements contact:

cargo@aircharter.com.hk

Gavin Copus formerly passenger sales director of ACS London is taking his vast experience of the aviation industry across the world to take up the position of general manager Asia Pacific for ACS’ Hong Kong Office.

Starting at Interflight aviation over 15 years ago, Gavin has learned the aviation industry intimately. Learning his trade initially dealing with private jet flights out of Biggin hill airport, Gavin then went on to work for Monarch Airlines, Air partner plc and now ACS. Known for his attention to detail and passion for pulling out all the stops for clients, Gavin personally trained and monitored ACS account managers to reach the highest standards of customer service. Gavin’s knowledge of the aviation market is truly global and is respected by airlines and customers alike.

We wish him all the best and by taking his knowledge and experience over to Hong Kong we know that our clients will benefit from his dedication.