ACS Sees Significant Increase In Women’s Football Aircraft Charter Bookings

The world’s leading aircraft charter broker, Air Charter Service, has seen bookings for women’s football teams more than triple over the last two years, when comparing to previous years’ figures. The global aircraft charter company has suggested that this profound increase is not solely due to implications of Covid-19, but is fuelled by a significant increase in popularity and subsequent funding of women’s football.

With the latest postponed women’s international qualifying matches for Euro 2022 taking place over the past couple of months, ACS has been flying multiple teams around Europe. Football teams are opting for chartered flights more than ever before and ACS has organised flights for significantly more women’s teams in 2020 than in previous years. Funding of Women’s Football

With FIFA having promised $1bn (£800m) worth of investment into women’s football between 2019 and 2022, it is clearly an exciting time for the female sport. The success achieved by the US and English teams has helped with this rise in funding, as reflected in the subsequent increase in aircraft chartering. In the past two months alone, ACS has facilitated seven women’s football team aircraft charter bookings for a number of European teams and has more booked for the next round of Euro qualifying matches. This marks a sharp increase from the demand of just a couple of bookings per year for women’s football teams prior to 2019. On top of this upwards trend in booking numbers, in 2019 ACS organised charters for every team in the Women’s World Cup – 38 in total.

In the US, the women’s national team is followed as much as, if not more than, the men’s team. Meanwhile in England, the WSL (Women’s Super League) has grown dramatically in popularity, largely attributed to England reaching the semi-finals of the World Cup last year. As a result, the 2019-2020 season was a turning point for the women’s game in England. Even more money has been dedicated to women’s football, with big name players from around the world transferring to the WSL to compete in the league.

Alex Sadat-Shafai, Global Football Sales Director at ACS, comments, “It’s great to be part of the growth story of the women’s game – it is a testament to the amount of money that has entered the field in the past two years. As the world’s largest aircraft charter broker, with operations across the globe from a network of 27 offices, we have been able to assist teams around the world in sourcing aircraft for charter to tournaments, as well as training.”

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Since the start of the pandemic, every National Football Association that ACS works with is chartering around three times more than previously. Due to the current lack of scheduled flights offered by airlines, there are fewer transport options between most destinations for games and so teams are opting for private travel. In the post-COVID-19 landscape, Air Charter Service can facilitate tailored

flights to match specific sporting schedules that are not currently serviced by commercial flights. Chartering privately on their own schedule allows teams to fulfil more fixtures and media engagements in more locations, with players who are better rested for games and thereby maintain higher levels of performance.

Additionally, teams are seeking improved hygiene, personal space and flexibility – private air travel provides a secure and hygienic means to get from A to B. Alex Sadat-Shafai continues, “By chartering flights for both men and women’s football through ACS, all players can avoid busy airports and travel safely within their team ‘bubble’. National Associations, as well as the Governments they represent, cannot be seen to be paying for more hygienic, ‘COVID-safe’ charters for the men’s teams whilst sending women’s teams on scheduled commercial flights.”

www.aircharterservice.com ~ENDS~ About Air Charter Service Air Charter Service is a global aircraft charter broker with 27 worldwide offices, spanning all six major continents and we offer private jet, commercial airliner and cargo aircraft charters, as well as onboard courier solutions. We arrange more than 23,000 charter flights annually with revenue of close to 700 million dollars. We were formed in 1990 by Chairman Chris Leach and CEO Justin Bowman in the basement of a house, and we now employ more than 450 staff worldwide. For more information, an interview or additional images please contact: Glenn Phillips / PR & Advertising Manager Tel: +44 (0) 20 8339 8593 /+44 (0) 7799 692 629 Email: glenn.phillips@aircharterservice.com

Paul Cremer

My name is Paul Cremer, and this marks my 42nd year working within the business and general aviation industry. Over this time, I’ve had the privilege of overseeing a diverse array of sector activities, ranging from aircraft charter and management to air ambulance services, ground operations, air traffic control, airport management, technology implementation, and the outsourcing services I currently manage.

In my role focused on delivering advisory, technology, and outsourcing services to aviation customers, I handle a wide spectrum of responsibilities. This includes overseeing International Trip Support, Operations Control Centre Services (OCC), Continuing Airworthiness Management Service (CAMO), Airworthiness Reviews, ARC Services, Aircraft Delivery and Re-delivery Support Services, Maintenance Coordination Services including AOG, Tech Ops (Maintenance Control Centre), and managing myairops software products. As the Head of Aviation Delivery, I lead the customer-facing delivery of Technology & Outsourcing products and services for the market, drawing upon a wealth of knowledge, expertise, and industry connections within Gama Aviation’s Technology and Outsourcing Strategic Business Unit.

My journey into Business and General Aviation began during my teenage years while still in school. I was fortunate enough to be welcomed into the industry, starting at a flying club, and later working at the Air Traffic Services Unit at Blackbushe Airport. There, I maintained the ATC Movement Logs in the Control Tower during weekends, solidifying my passion for aviation. Upon completing my schooling, I seized opportunities at Fairoaks Airport, where I began as Ground Crew while pursuing my Aerodrome Flight Information Service Officer’s license. Advancements in my career led me to the role of Air Traffic Services Manager.

Since joining Gama Aviation in 1996, I’ve held various positions, including Operations Manager (Post Holder), Operations & Commercial Manager, Commercial Manager, Operations Delivery Manager, Head of Business Aviation Delivery, and currently, Head of Aviation Delivery. This role encompasses Gama Aviation Group’s Gama Aviation, myairops, and FlyerTech companies.

In 2023, I was honoured to be invited to serve as the Chair of the Operations Working Group for the British Business & General Aviation Association. This opportunity allows me to contribute to industry initiatives within BBGA’s membership of nearly 200 industry companies, focusing on challenges such as regulatory compliance, Air Services Agreements, technological advancements, workforce development, operational matters, and sustainability.

Marc Bailey

Marc Bailey has spent his entire career in aviation and has worked in most areas of Aviation Services with scheduled airlines, MRO’s, military contract support and latterly with associations, government, and its agencies.

Marc represents your position in Europe (even post Brexit) – as President of ECOGAS (European Council of General Aviation Support) which maintains a voice with EASA. All the major member states are represented on the ECOGAS board. With EASA restructuring its meetings with industry, ECOGAS is now well positioned to represent our position in all areas following industry partnerships with the European Independent Maintenance Group and with ARPAS the new drone and autonomous association.

Marc is chair of the UKASF (United Kingdom Airworthiness Strategic Forum) as part of an initiative to develop Aviation Services across all aviation activities. The UKASF pulls together airlines, MROs, Rotary, Drones, and commercial GA bodies to work with CAA and DfT. The objective is for industry to take the lead to drive strategic issues to benefit all parties. We are well positioned after four years to continue our good work and with the re-established role of Chief Surveyor in the CAA we have a good focal point to do this.

Marc chairs the CAA Finance and Services Forum which allows industry in the UK to discuss in the financial plans for the CAA and the value for money delivered by those funds paid by industry. This is a new and valuable new platform for all parties.

Under recent developments Marc has formed an alliance with, ARPAS, AOPA, BHA and BBGA so that we can strengthen our voice under a joint ‘GA 4 Biz’ banner. This alliance is working to do everything possible to represent the industry’s business interests with UK government and to help realise the Government’s desire to make UK General Aviation a Global Leader in a post Brexit environment. GA4Biz – GA4Biz

The next Generation initiatives with industry and government have continued to develop with the retention platform now evolving into the “Aviation Skills Recruitment Platform”. The platform now not only offers a vehicle for those offering and seeking posts in aviation, it also provides pathways with its TalentView portion seeking to provide pathways for new entrants into our sector. The recruitment platform is being further developed to include training opportunities across a wide range of providers, from government agencies through academic bodies. Getting our next generation activities right in the UK over the next couple of years is our single most important issue which we in aviation must grab with both hands. Marc is playing a central role to help develop many of these channels.

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