A Kent air charter company is reporting a major increase in demand for its cargo services, with aircraft movements up 45% in the past year.
World Executive Airways (WEA), based at London Ashford Airport in Lydd, has seen enquiries and business soar as customers seek faster alternatives to rail and ferry services to transport urgent freight across the UK and Continental Europe.
While WEA, a division of Lyddair, can take most types of cargo, including dangerous goods, the biggest growth in demand has come from the automotive industry says the company’s Managing Director, Jonathan Gordon.
“We’re getting increasing requests to deliver urgently-needed car parts to production lines, with customers including BMW Mini, Honda and Porsche,” he says.
“We’re also seeing rising demand from airlines, such as Air France and British Airways, which have an immediate requirement for aircraft spares in order to service aircraft that are grounded and awaiting these critical spares – known as AOG (Aircraft on Ground).”
Jonathan says WEA’s highly competitive charter rates and its ability to respond at very short notice have been key to the growth in cargo operations.
“We can offer almost immediate departure,” he adds. “Within reason, we can be in most parts of the UK or near-Europe within two hours of a phone call. Our fleet, which includes jet, turbo-prop and piston-type aircraft seating up to nine passengers, also have wide access doors and can be quickly reconfigured to take small packages or medium-sized freight shipments.”
That speed and flexibility has never been more evident than it was this summer, when WEA saw a sharp rise in demand for its charter services as a result of Operation Stack – a traffic-management measure in which up to 5,000 lorries are parked (or ‘stacked’) on the M20 in Kent during disruption to Eurotunnel services from Folkestone or ferries from Dover.
June and July saw unprecedented use of the tactic, with the coast-bound side of the M20 closed for 24 out of 40 days because of disruption caused by striking French ferry workers and thousands of migrants attempting to get into Britain via Eurotunnel.
“With rail and ferry services paralysed for long periods, it was a logistical nightmare for hauliers,” says Jonathan. “WEA was extremely busy during that period as customers sought alternatives.
“We had more than 50 enquiries in those few weeks alone, resulting in a 15% increase in traffic. This included rush cargo, support for car production lines and shipping an urgently needed aircraft part to a commercial passenger jet in the South of France.
“We were collecting cargo from across the UK, France and Belgium and delivering to airports in Toulouse, Venice, Milan, Erfurt and Leipzig as well as Belfast, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Oxford, Birmingham and Manchester. At times we were flying throughout the night to meet demand.
“On top of that we helped a myriad of stranded holidaymakers, business executives and air and boat crew as well as a Channel 4 film crew which needed to get across the Channel to cover the chaos in Calais.”
The extra business that Operation Stack generated for WEA has led to the company forging strong relationships with new customers across Europe who have continued to use its charter services.
“While we have massive sympathy for everyone affected by Operation Stack, it gave us an opportunity to really showcase how fast, flexible and responsive WEA’s charter service is,” adds Jonathan.
For more details about the range of charter services available from World Executive Airways call 01797 322207, email info@worldexecutiveairways.com or visit www.worldexecutiveairways.com
London Ashford Airport, at Lydd, is easily accessible from the M20 and 20 minutes’ drive from Ashford International Station, which offers high-speed rail services from London St Pancras in just 38 minutes.