Inside GlobeAir’s operations during COVID-19

Private jet charters remain operative during COVID-19

How is GlobeAir tackling its daily activities and which measures are the team implementing in such critical times?

While the COVID-19 pandemic threatens our daily lives and forces us to change our behaviour, businesses find themselves needing to adapt in order to survive. Over the past few weeks, we have seen commercial airlines taking the heartbreaking decision to cease their operations for a limited time in order to lower the burden of fixed costs and concentrate on the recovery instead.

As much as operations at GlobeAir have been seriously impacted during the ongoing crisis, we have decided to remain operative, offering our bespoke private jet services to those who are unable to avoid travelling nowadays; the transport of expatriates, travellers stuck abroad, medical staff and cargo, embassies, organs and blood reserves being top of the list.

The team has shown high resilience in tackling entry barriers in many European countries as well as private jet terminal restrictions. Those sudden impediments have disrupted the way GlobeAir has been conducting its operations for more than ten years now, hence the need to implement six fast risk-mitigating measures. The measures have been put forward and carried out by GlobeAir's dedicated COVID-19 crisis team and are followed strictly by the entire company.

Measure 1: Ensure that the crew and the office employees are all healthy

All GlobeAir employees are healthy and in good shape

GlobeAir's priority is to ensure that all pilots and office employees stay healthy. Pilots are regularly asked to confirm their health status, making sure they are in good shape to fly. There is a high focus on prevention; GlobeAir's pilots follow EASA's safety directions wearing masks and gloves.

The office team has been working from home for two weeks and the company has applied for and recently been granted the status of “KurzArbeit”, a programme designed to protect jobs and workplaces, whereby businesses can temporarily operate with reduced working hours.

Measure 2: Ensure the highest health and safety standards.

Which precautions is GlobeAir taking against contamination?

GlobeAir is also taking the highest precautions against contamination with thorough disinfection of each aircraft after every flight.

Measure 3: Reduced fleet capacity, fixed crew system, and fully-operational maintenance facility in Linz, Austria

GlobeAir has decided to reduce its fleet capacity from 20 to six flying aircraft.

The decision was due to the reduced demand and was taken in order to mitigate costs during the COVID-19 crisis. The reduced fleet is home-based at fixed hubs in different European locations such as London, Paris, Nice, Munich and Linz. A set crew manages the aircraft, with the same commander-first officer combination for the entire duration of their rosters. Our maintenance facility in Linz is kept open and fully functional.

Measure 4: Crew are matched according to their home base country

How to tackle logistics which have become extremely complex.

Logistics have, unfortunately, become highly complex. Hotels and restaurants for the crew are hard to find as many have closed down for the time being. To face such challenges, GlobeAir has relocated some of its pilots according to their home base locations.

Measure 5: GlobeAir remains available 24/7

Ready to satisfy all challenging incoming flight inquiries as well as the highest health and safety standards.

No matter if GlobeAir has been forced to reduce its fleet, the customer care team members are available for all inquiries on a 24/7 basis. Adjustments have been made for all that concerns FBO selections too, as some facilities have stopped operating for the time being (Paris and Skyvalet, for example). GlobeAir is aware of all airports which are impossible or currently forbidden to reach (like Corsica – for which we can offer a combination of commercial airline (when available) or jet to Marseille in France plus another plane to Ajaccio or Figari).

Measure 6: The importance of a strong COVID-19 crisis team

To maintain constant internal communication keeping the employees' morale up

The designated crisis team at GlobeAir has been appointed to monitor all news and restrictions hour by hour. The team maintains constant internal communication and shares its knowledge with the objective to mitigate uncertainties and insecurities of the entire #DreamTeam.