Taking the team on tour
As part of a series of international friendlies, an Asian national football team had matches lined up in Northern Ireland and Poland just three days apart.With no scheduled flights from Belfast direct to Katowice though, they’d need a charter aircraft to get them there on time. Chartering would also offer more privacy, so the team could relax or talk tactics en route.
OUR SOLUTION
On discovering the team’s match schedule, an Air Charter Service broker proactively approached their travel agent to see if we could help. Since we had previous experience arranging charters for sports teams and it was his first charter for the team, the agent was keen to take our advice.
Route: Belfast, Northern Ireland – Katowice, Poland
Aircraft: Boeing 737-800
Within a week, we’d shortlisted nine different aircraft capable of comfortably carrying 76 passengers and over 180 pieces of luggage.
After talking through the various options, the travel agent chose a Boeing 737-800, so players would have plenty of space to stroll around and unwind on board.
Everything went to plan and the flight was a winner, but unfortunately the team had less luck on match day. After a dramatic late equaliser, they were pipped to the post in the 90th minute.
THE FINER DETAILS
On the day of the flight, an ACS rep travelled with the team, guiding them through early check-in at Belfast airport and making sure everything went smoothly
The Extra Mile: On board, extra catering was provided for the hungry players, with each enjoying two meals on the short hop from Northern Ireland to Poland.