What is air charter?

Air charter (or on-demand cargo charter) consists in chartering a private aircraft for the sole transport of one’s own goods. This is a bespoke type of air freight for industrialists who wish to charter an aircraft for a specific flight. Whereas regular flights follow a predetermined schedule, charter flights meet the customer’s needs in terms of date, time, route, and aircraft type.

Who can benefit from on-demand cargo charters?

Our air charter solution is exclusively reserved for professional customers who need to urgently ship spare parts, components, tools, and machines across Europe or its neighbour countries: Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey. Air Time Critical® can work with industrialists across sectors (energy, maintenance, aeronautics, shipowners). Our main customer base, however, is the car manufacturing industry, where just-in-time processes generate very tight time frames and occasional setbacks that require great reactivity.

The car manufacturing industry has to meet tight time frames

Our expertise allows us to meet those needs via dedicated air transport solutions tailored to each situation. We are proud to work with our tier 1 automotive suppliers and car manufacturers to offer an effective and reliable logistics service.

How much does air charter cost?

Several factors determine the cost of air charter: aircraft size, distance covered, cargo weight and volume, airport taxes and fees, as well as market availability.

Transporting up to 2 tonnes of goods will cost you at least EUR 10,000 to 15,000. Above this weight, you should allow a budget of at least EUR 30,000 to 35,000. These price ranges represent the overall cost of the service, including departure and destination airport fees.

For an accurate quote and a bespoke solution, don’t hesitate to contact us or to fill out our online request form.

In general, the cost of an air charter is much higher than that of standard air freight as dedicated air transport requires the exclusive booking of an aircraft for the transport duration. In contrast, standard air freight spreads the cost across several customers.

Line stoppage costs can rise to EUR 20,000 per minute in the industry

That said, the high cost of air charter can be largely offset by gains in speed and flexibility in some emergency situations. The effectiveness of dedicated air transport can indeed reduce or completely cancel out indirect costs related to delays and line stoppages (lay-offs, delay penalties, customer loss, unsold stock, line restart). And it is worth noting that these line stoppage costs can rise to EUR 20,000 per minute in the manufacturing industry.

What delivery time frames for air charter?

Delivery speed is one of air charter’s main advantages. Nevertheless, several factors impact air charter delivery time frames, such as run-in, distance to cover, weather conditions, airport waiting times, customs procedures, and any current flight restrictions.

Door-to-door deliveries within 6 to 8 hours in Europe

Unlike other modes of transport that can take several days, air charter can deliver goods within very short time frames, depending on destination and aircraft availability. This is a crucial aspect for spare parts and critical components, for which late delivery can generate costly production delays. Average door-to-door delivery time frames range between 6 to 8 hours in Europe.

What destinations for an air charter?

Air charter can cover a wide range of destinations in Europe. It can easily get to regional airports and remote production sites, which makes for an optimal supply chain, reduced delivery time frames, and fast and easy transport to even the most remote destinations.

Fast and easy transport to the most remote European destinations

Our air charter service covers the whole of Europe (from Portugal to Slovakia) plus the north of Africa (Morocco, Tunisia) and Turkey – all major car manufacturing countries. Thus, air charter offers the best available transit time for your most urgent parcels and pallets within a 600- to 2,000-km radius.

Best transit time for distances of 600 to 2,000 km

Some of Air Time Critical®’s main destinations by air charter: France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, but also England (including post Brexit).

What type of goods for air charter?

Any type of goods can be transported by air charter: automotive spare parts, components, tools, machines, and even replacement parts for emergency maintenance (energy industry, shipowners, blast furnaces, mould makers, etc.). Air charter can also prove useful for the speedy transport of dangerous goods (DGR) which would not be allowed on a passenger flight. We are able to offer customised loading options to meet the specific needs of each of our customers. Goods can be transported loose, on pallets or in containers depending on their size, weight, and nature.

What advantages does on-demand cargo charter offer?

Charter flights differ from regular flights that often have fixed schedules and limited routes, which can lead to delays and disruptions in the supply chain. Air charter makes for smoother logistics with its great flexibility around schedules and destinations, combined with a loading capacity that adapts to each customer’s specific needs.

Air charter transport is then very attractive for companies with urgent logistics needs:

• Speed: Air charter transport is considered the fastest mode of transport for goods, with delivery time frames much shorter than other modes. Aircrafts can be ready for take-off in a matter of hours and deliver goods swiftly and efficiently.
• Flexibility: Air charter schedules and itineraries can fit around customers’ needs. Flights can be scheduled to meet their specific needs, which can drastically shorten delivery time frames. Furthermore, our flights are available on demand 24/7 and we have access to many local airports in France (Paris-Le Bourget, Vatry, Nantes, Valenciennes, etc.) and Europe, which allows us to offer flights with unbeatable turnarounds.
• Reliability: Air charter is deemed one of the most reliable modes of transport for high value or high priority goods. Charter aircrafts are designed for freight and charter crews are specially trained to handle very urgent cargo.
• Fast handling of goods: Fast loading and unloading of aircrafts drastically reduces transit time.
• Customised process: Transport solutions are tailored to customers’   specific needs, which means they receive a bespoke service and benefit from advice, assistance, and real-time tracking throughout the transport process.

What other transport solutions does Air Time Critical® offer?

Air Time Critical® specialises in urgent goods transport. Beside air charter, we offer further services that can meet our customers’ needs for urgent transport:

• Urgent air freight (NFO): regular flights for the fast transport of goods across the world
• On Board Courier (OBC): door-to-door in-person transport for extra security
• Helicopter chartering: fast, flexible solution for urgent deliveries to hard-to-reach areas.

All these options allow Air Time Critical® to respond to the specific needs of our customers around time frames and logistics restrictions.

Logistics emergency in Europe? Think of air charter

Air Time Critical® remains at your disposal to handle your highest priority shipments in Europe.

Don’t hesitate to contact us:

• via our webform
• by phone: +32 2 888 84 16 (EN/FR)