ACS had to overcome aircraft shortages and Covid-19 restrictions when we were asked to plan a complex charter flying tennis players to an Australian tennis tournament.
Flying players to the Australian Open tournament
In late 2021, an Australian sporting body asked us to help fly several tennis players and their support teams from South America to Sydney for an upcoming tournament, along with arranging domestic shuttles from Melbourne to various tournament locations. With limited aircraft availability and Covid-19 restrictions impacting air travel, we had less than a month’s notice to deliver a seamless solution for this complex request.
Our Solution
Routes: Buenos Aires > Santiago > Sydney
Melbourne > various tournament locations
Aircraft: Boeing B-777 VIP
Our teams in Brisbane and Los Angeles worked together to charter an 88-seat business class aircraft to collect passengers from Buenos Aires and Santiago en route to Sydney. The aircraft was ideal as it had plenty of space for the large group and a lounge, dining room and bar where players could relax ahead of the tournament.
Once the international charter was confirmed, it was a race against the clock to secure the necessary permits and coordinate baggage handling for athletes connecting to the departure airports from other South American cities. Through all stages of the planning and execution of this charter consideration needed to be given to the strict testing protocols imposed by various governments and the sporting body.
Our experts also operated domestic shuttles to transport players from Melbourne to various tournament locations around the country.
The Finer Details
Global Presence: Utilising our international network of offices, we were able to deliver an ideal solution within 24 hours of receiving this complex request.
Unrivalled Service: Our teams in Australia and Los Angeles worked through the Christmas period to get all permits approved in time for the flights.
Available 24/7: Our round-the-clock operations team helped monitor flights, whilst dedicated account managers maintained constant communication with the client and aircraft operator.
Airport Representation: An ACS representative was on-hand at the airport to manage all aspects of the departure from Buenos Aires. Other team members also assisted in coordinating the domestic shuttles from Melbourne.