Chapman Freeborn Show the Way Air Cargo Has Helped During the Pandemic

The aviation industry has been one of the hardest hit by the pandemic. However, Chapman Freeborn have shown how the sector has stepped up to help during the crisis.

Here, we’ll look at how the company has helped throughout the pandemic and the challenges the sector has faced.

Shipping medical equipment where it’s needed

One of the ways Chapman Freeborn has helped during the crisis is by teaming up with Avion Express to deliver medical supplies.

There has been a significant global demand for medical supplies and PPE since the start of the pandemic. However, as passenger flights have been cancelled, getting supplies where they need to be, has been much more difficult.

The partnership with Avion Express allowed the charter company to use their A231 and A320 passenger fleets for cargo. Together, they achieved necessary approval to operate cargo-only flights. They have been able to deliver PPE and medical supplies to the UK and neighbouring European countries.

The Cargo Director of Chapman Freeborn, Pierre Vanders, states:

“We’re proud to be working with Avion to bring much needed capacity to the market.

At the moment, any additional capacity is making a huge difference as it increases the volume of life saving equipment that’s making its way to our hospitals.”

This isn’t the only collaboration Chapman Freeborn has had to deliver medical supplies across the globe. One of the group’s companies, Intradco Global, worked together with GTA GSM to deliver almost 1,000 cu m of PPE and medical supplies.

The company also used its Antonov AN-225 Mriva to carry cargo abroad. The plane is the largest operating aircraft in the world and it has carried out 11 flights in two months to aid global efforts.

A focus on Repatriation efforts

As well as delivering life-saving medical equipment, the charter company has also played a role in repatriation.

When the lockdown was imposed, thousands of people were stranded abroad. Chapman Freeborn helped to get 10,000 back home through 180 separate flights. These included VIP and commercial flights.

The large-scale repatriation program focused on getting people back home from South America, Asia, the Middle East and Europe, to the United States.

This isn’t the first time the company has helped during a crisis. In 2009, when the H1N1 Swine Flu pandemic broke, it helped to coordinate flights to bring people home. It also helped in 2011, during civil unrest in the Middle East which saw 15,000 people stranded.

The Chief Commercial Officer of Chapman Freeborn, Neil Dursley, states:

“No-one would ever wish for a situation like the one we’re facing now, but thankfully, as an experienced aircraft charter business there are things we can do to help.

We are currently working around the clock on behalf of global corporations, governments, NGOs and military divisions to get people home.”

The aviation industry has been hit with a lot of challenges during the pandemic. In terms of cargo, passenger flights usually reserve a set amount of space for cargo. So, as millions of flights have been grounded, it has made it difficult to transport as many goods as before the pandemic. The shipping industry as a whole is facing significant challenges.

While these times may be challenging for cargo companies, Chapman Freeborn has managed to use its services to help around the globe. The above are just some of the great work the company has carried out throughout the pandemic.