We live in a fast-paced world. Businesses operate in minutes and hours rather than days and weeks. So, when something stops production, or keeps an aircraft on the tarmac, it can cost tens to hundreds of thousands of pounds. In most cases, it is imperative to get operations back up and running as quickly as possible.
Often, some of the biggest delays can come from the smallest complications. And when sourcing a replacement part and arranging its transportation, every minute is costing the business money. When it comes to moving cargo, there is no faster method than by helicopter. With an Operations Team and pilots available 24/7, we can respond to urgent freight charter requests immediately.
In the aviation industry, these flights are called a ‘Go Now’. After receiving a call, aircraft can be airborne within 60-90 minutes. The cargo can be collected from its location or delivered to the aircraft to reduce the transit time even further. Once collected, the helicopter will make its way directly to where it is needed. Our Operations Team will have already secured the most suitable and convenient landing site, as close to the cargo’s destination as possible. In many cases, this will be directly on site.
Just-in-time
Over recent years, just-in-time (JIT) production has become ever more prevalent in variety of industries. It is a methodology that attempts to reduce production times and response times from suppliers to customers. This is achieved by production and deliveries of materials only happening exactly when they are needed. When things are running smoothly it improves efficiency and reduces operational costs, however when things go wrong, there is little to no room to accommodate delays and expenses can spiral. This is how much of the automotive industry operates and we have been called frequently to help deliver critical components to help keep cars rolling off the production line.
AOG
Another industry commonly in need of urgent freight transport is the aviation industry. Commercial airlines have come a long way to become more reliable and making delays much rarer. However, things can still go wrong. Aircraft safety standards are continuously monitored, and inspections are routinely carried out after a certain number of flying hours. These inspections are designed to pick up problems on the ground before the plane takes off with passengers onboard. When a problem is detected and the aircraft cannot depart, it is referred to as Aircraft On Ground or AOG.
Often any issues that are picked up involve faulty electronics or small mechanical parts. These are often fixable simply by swapping out the faulty component. However, if the plane is due to depart on its next flight, and a spare part cannot be located nearby, we get the call to collect and transport the replacement part to where it is needed. Passengers are waiting to get going and some will have connecting flights they cannot miss. Getting that aircraft off the ground safely is priority number one for the airline and for us. So, having a large fleet of reliable AS355 and H125 helicopters ensures we can be ready at a moments notice to carry out an urgent freight charter request.
