Regular charter fulfils mining industry demands

Mike Benney - ‘We work throughout Africa.’ ALAN PEAT CHARTER AIRCRAFT play a key role in the Africa-wide project movement of specialist project logistics company, FH Bertling, according to marketing director, Mike Benney. This, he added, using aircraft from its own UK charter company, Bosscargo. “Invariably, with projects, emergencies do happen, and we have been able to place aircraft at a good price to be able to overcome these problems.” The mining industry in Africa is the company’s main area of operation at the moment, with a Bosscargo Ilyushin 76 aircraft with 45-ton capacity being regularly flown into West Africa to deliver urgently required cargoes. “In the last month we have had two charter flights on this route,” said Benney, “and 10 before that. All this as part and parcel of a mining contract and mobilisation up there - where machinery and other strategic equipment has been required very quickly. “We have been transporting what are virtually whole villages - needed so that the civil and construction teams can get underway.” Bertling has also recently been involved in moving SA troops and equipment into their peace-keeping role in Rwanda and Burundi. “We work throughout Africa,” said Benney. “And charter flights often become necessary because there’s no other convenient way of taking goods into areas like the diamond areas in the north of the DRC, and some of the more remote mines in Angola.” So the company consolidates the cargo, and moves it in by charter, with the size of the plane dictated by both the size of the consignment and the ground landing conditions at the destination.