Football matches are important moments for fans, athletes, clubs, and nations alike, and with such importance comes planning. KlasJet, which specializes in VIP charter flights, is responsible for the transport of teams and football clubs across Europe. While the Paris Olympic Games have recently instilled lessons about the effective transport of teams of athletes in charter aircraft around the world, preparation work for next year’s sporting events is underway. Planning for the sports season is very dynamic and requires advanced attention, and KlasJet’s Chief Commercial Officer, Lukas Petrauskas, shares some insight into the work that goes into such preparation.
“We begin by conducting an overview of sports events so we can develop plans and continuity plans for our customers,” Petrauskas said. “Work is already underway for some pivotal matchups in UEFA Champions, Europa, and Conference League.”
In the case of football, preparation work for matches is an everyday occurrence for the flight department. This is because the needs of teams are not limited to seasons and can sometimes be altered. “Exciting and dramatic football can lead to prompt needs from KlasJet, and vigilance is the first part of our flight team’s success,” he said.
Each plan will include aircraft positioning, permit acquisitions, communication and coordination with airports, and price-finding to ensure the best value for repeat conference champions and up-and-coming teams that require air transport during seasons that will define a club for generations. From the perspective of the flight operations department, key focuses include punctuality, flexibility, quality of service, crew, communication, food, presentation, and privacy.
“When customers contact us well before their season begins, this time is used to prepare everything in advance, so cost can be predicted and changes made,” Petrauskas said. “With more time to plan, we can develop plans more intricate and tailored for the team’s needs.”
Given the nature of the football and basketball schedules, there is a combination of championships planned long in advance and result-dependent tournaments that can offer little preparation time. Increasingly, airlines are combating a capacity crisis resulting from a lack of new aircraft deliveries and impending retirements of trusted fleets.
“We can make plans for sports such as basketball a year in advance due to the schedule of play,” Petrauskas said. “We present our team’s annual plans so that both customer and airline can have assurances and dependability delivered ahead of matches to preserve focus on the game itself.”
“Looking at the perspective of a regular commercial airline, there is a dramatically short window of time which causes a measured paradigm shift in the flight department,” Petrauskas said. “While we specialize in pop-up services, we maintain conviction for flawless execution of a plan on any notice.”
Needs are known to change depending on the sport. Charter airlines and regular scheduled carriers that lend aircraft for ad hoc operations are prepared for a variety of sporting requests.
During intense games, fans, athletes, and coaches are all watching the clock. Whether it’s seconds in the overtime of a championship game, or precision, time is essential to the flight planning process. Teams need to understand and be briefed on the exact time their teams will arrive ahead of a match, or in the hours following a match for planning of press conferences. Degrees of flexibility must be maintained for after-match flights, and this will be considered in any plan to ensure comfort and rest on the ground and in the air.
“Our focus is to provide the best flight experience possible for all of our clients; we specialize in the experience,” Petrauskas said. “For sports, the aircraft provides both an extension of the locker room in the sense of team camaraderie and a critical breath of peace during high-stress tournaments in areas packed with fans and press.”
Athletes’ success is inspiring to fans and people. KlasJet has flown several teams, some representing entire nations in competition and play. During our time as a charter, VIP, and ACMI provider, KlasJet has been both inspired by and committed to the teams’ success by providing the best experiences in the air between matches.
