From the evacuation of 15,000 people following unrest in the Middle East in 2011 to coordinating repatriation flights during the H1N1 outbreak – Chapman Freeborn has been there to support with solutions when they’re needed most. Nearly every emergency cargo and passenger airlift in the past 45 years has involved a Chapman Freeborn chartered aircraft.
The current situation with COVID-19 is no exception. Offices throughout the entire Chapman Freeborn network have been working around the clock to repatriate foreign nationals across the globe.
Recently, Chapman Freeborn broker teams have completed large-scale repatriation programs to the US from South America, from the Middle East, throughout Europe and across Asia.
Currently, due to the evolving rules and regulations set at local border and CAA levels, passenger flights are incredibly complicated and require very close monitoring. For example, crews are being held for varying observation periods. Some countries will only issue landing permits for passenger aircraft provided the passengers are citizens of that country, and some local operators cannot return if they operate flights outside of the country – this is happening worldwide to different degrees.
These rules and regulations make it highly challenging to bring aircraft in from foreign countries.
Chapman Freeborn’s in-house 24/7 flight support company Wings 24 has a dedicated team monitoring the situation daily – providing updates to the company’s worldwide charter departments.
Neil Dursley, Chapman Freeborn chief commercial officer, says:
“No one would ever wish for a situation like the one we’re facing to arise. However, I’m proud to be a part of a company that can respond when needed and provide genuine support.
“We’re working on behalf of global corporations, governments, NGOs and military divisions.”
Mr Dursley adds:
“As an organisation, we pride ourselves in the people that we employ, and I’ve witnessed first-hand the level of dedication and professionalism shown by our teams globally. We’ve had our repatriation projects covered in the national news – projects completed thanks to the hard work of our teams.”
Elsewhere in the Group, Chapman Freeborn continues to support with cargo charters for medical supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) from China as well as utilising in-house assets to bring cargo capacity to the market.