‘Challenges in Africa nothing more than opportunities’

Operating in the fast-paced charter industry brings with it unique challenges that some operators shy away from but Chapman-Freeborn Africa (CFA) director Iain Clark believes they can be turned into workable, cost-effective solutions for clients. “People charter aircraft for many reasons – there are no scheduled services, cargo is urgent, valuable and sensitive – the areas are hostile or remote or just difficult to operate into etc. These may be seen as the challenges facing chartering and/or operating in Africa but we at Chapman-Freeborn see this as our opportunity to provide a cost-effective, workable solution where others cannot,” he says. “I believe in Africa and the chartering industry. What others see as challenges are merely our chance to succeed for our clients,” he adds. Chapman-Freeborn is the largest air charter/private jet broker in the world, with 32 offices in 22 countries worldwide. “We operate over 6 000 air charters a year. That is more than 16 a day, every day of the year,” he says. Clark, who has been in the industry for 11 years, has been director for Chapman- Freeborn’s Africa division for about three years now. “Within Africa there seems to be more structure with a lot more emphasis on quality and reliability than taking chances with very dodgy operators and badly maintained aircraft.” He says at CFA they insist on 100% reliability of aircraft and the operators they do business with. “Just because you are operating a five-ton capacity aircraft into a remote gravel landing strip on a mine is no less reason to think about safety. We make sure we do meet all industry quality and safety standards,” he says. “We are agent flexible in terms of pricing requirement and offer full transparency. We fly VIPs and the world’s biggest stars anywhere in the world on executive aircraft, arrange charters for a variety of industries – oil and gas, mining & exploration, military & government, NGOs, construction, and automotive – and also operate evacuation and relief flights for some of the world’s biggest corporations and governments. Chapman-Freeborn was established in 1973 and has an annual group turnover of over $800m and employs over 400 staff worldwide. What makes the company special? “Offering creative solutions is what can set you apart and is one of the reasons why Chapman-Freeborn has excelled in providing solutions into Africa,” he says. Clark adds that, as a company, they spend time assessing best points of transit, routings, aircraft type and having expert knowledge of what cargo is loadable on to which aircraft, and the availability is paramount. “It may sound obvious, but in many circumstances cargo that may or may not seem loadable to most, may, in fact, with some creativity, be accommodated on a better and more cost-effective solution than competitors can offer – we also, wherever possible, aim to put our own representation on the ground for our clients’ peace of mind as a direct point of up-tothe- minute contact – local knowledge… global buying power!” When asked what does it take to succeed in such a tough industry, Clark says: “Sometimes the most obvious is not the best or cheapest solution – creativity – understanding the aircraft, the cargo, the client and the local laws and customs. Attention to detail is critical for client satisfaction and client retention.”