Air Charter Service was asked by a French electricity supplier to transport 20 workers to Sweden during the Covid-19 pandemic to carry out maintenance work on a nuclear plant. With scheduled services cancelled and France in lockdown, we sprung into action to secure the necessary permissions and source a charter aircraft.
Nuclear plant workers, Sweden
Air Charter Service was asked by a French electricity supplier to transport 20 workers to Sweden during the Covid-19 pandemic to carry out maintenance work on a nuclear plant. With scheduled services cancelled and France in lockdown, we sprung into action to secure the necessary permissions and source a charter aircraft.
OUR SOLUTION
Route: Lyon > Gothenburg > Lyon
Aircraft: Saab 340
We quickly acquired documents from the electricity provider and nuclear plant confirming that the passengers would be carrying out essential work on a nuclear plant in Sweden, which were emailed to the French authorities in order to get permission for the flight to go ahead.
Our expert team sourced two possible aircraft for the job: a 37-seat Embraer ERJ135 jet and a 33-seat Saab 340 turboprop. The jet was much pricier, as it could complete the journey an hour faster, while the more cost-effective turboprop could still transport the group in under four hours. We liaised with the airport to ensure the necessary safety procedures were in place and worked with the airline to fully disinfect the aircraft and ensure masks were available for all passengers during the flight. We also arranged onboard catering of sandwiches, snacks and drinks.
The booking was initially for a one-way flight, as the client had a limited budget and was hopeful that the group would be able to return to France on a scheduled flight following their three-week stint in Sweden. However, when the borders were still closed a few days before the workers’ return, they realised lockdown wouldn't be lifted in time and contracted the return flight with us too.
THE FINER DETAILS
Exceptional Service: We called the client within five minutes of receiving the inquiry, which helped us to quickly build a relationship and secure the contract.
Unrivalled Expertise: The client initially wanted to depart from Lyon St Exupéry Airport, but we recommended Lyon Bron instead, as it’s a smaller airport that specialises in accommodating private charters. This allowed the group to enjoy a stress-free departure from a private terminal directly onto the aircraft, avoiding long walks through the terminal and heavy security procedures.