Role of Air Charter Service in North America Cargo Sector

Role of air charter service in Canadian and North American industry. 

Transportation of freight by air is necessary for many industries and services. Air mode gives us confidence in the security of our goods, low risk of damage, high speed of transportation. According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics of the U.S. Department of Transportation Air mode, each year carries approximately 4 percent of all goods among USMCA members. 

However, such small numbers for Air are reasonable, as the Canadian main trade partner in the USA, and almost all trade with them is conducted by trucks and rail. If we look at Canadian trade on a global scale, the role of Air transport raises. In 2015, Canadian and foreign air carriers loaded and unloaded an estimated 1.2 million tonnes of freight at Canadian airports. The value of Canada’s international air cargo trade in 2015 amounted to $128.1 billion. That is 15 percent of all other modes of transport.

Airports in North America became an integrated part of the supply chain moving goods from market to market. Manufacturing goods entering Canada from abroad (such as machinery and electronics) was the primary driving force in developing of Canadian air cargo sector. Then with the growth in demand for online products, as well as the provision of increasingly rapid delivery times, e-commerce started to play a larger role for the air cargo sector in Canada. Global manufacturing activity driven by e-commerce activities is also expected to increase, placing additional importance for air cargo moving products internationally.

Uniqueness of transportation by air. 

Air mode is relatively expensive mode of transportation. However, companies that try to reach JIT (Just In Time) culture in their supply chain, level off transportation costs by keeping less inventory, having fast market responsiveness, and creating better customer value. Air mode allows delivering goods fast with a low probability of delays. Order placement-shipment-payment cycle is very fast in Air mode and last days. In other modes, it is way longer (marine could last months). Moreover, customs processes are simpler in Air mode, the cost of insurance is lower as well. 

There are hundreds of examples, which shows us Air mode as the only one mean to transport. It is even hard to imagine how many lives were saved thanks to the fast delivery of huge pumps from Germany to Japan after the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011. Such delivery was possible only by Air and by one aircraft in the world.

Ukrainian company “Antonov Airlines” and Russian company “Volga Dnepr Airlines” have a unique fleet of ultra-heavy aircraft. These aircraft do not have any competitors around the world and from day to day save lives by transporting medicine, machinery and humanitarian aid around the globe, where road, rail and even marine transport cannot reach.

Contact one of our specialists today for a time-sensitive air charter service to deliver materials and supplies worldwide!

Charter Airline for Sports Team Logistics

Any type of sport is logistically challenging with its particular travel needs. Charter airline service is a great solution to cover your team’s needs worldwide.

Logistics is a part of a competition and we get that performance of your team depends on the ability to move athletes, supporting staff, and sports equipment to the right place at the right time.

Our team specializes in providing logistics and travel arrangements for all types of major events worldwide, whether it’s a one-off show or travel needs for an entire season.

With us, your team will be provided with increased baggage allowances, catering of your choice, exclusive check-in arrangements, airport representation, and team-oriented interior branding options. So, VIP service is no longer your headache!

At Key Jet, we are aware that logistics for sports teams require hard work, determination, and attention to detail. We take a strategic approach to team travel management and corporate hospitality.


Feel free to get in touch with one of our sports travel specialists for a charter quote to fly a superstar player in private, to charter an airline for the whole team for a next event, or to deliver sports equipment worldwide!

We are ready for a kick-off 24/7!

Also, learn about Private Jet Charter for corporate and personal needs.

Humanitarian Relief Freight Forwarding & The Logistics of Disaster Response

Humanitarian aid logistics and relief freight forwarding specialize in organizing the delivery of supplies during natural disasters or complex emergencies to the affected areas and people.

Transport is key in mobilizing supplies to help emergency humanitarian assistance reach impacted regions. Key Jet’s team understands the importance of finding efficient solutions on short notice when flying to a disaster area. Our clients get emergency airlift in a matter of hours whenever in the world because it is essential to cover the initial needs in the immediate aftermath of any disaster.

Air charter response allows us to get to remote destinations as well as to come closer to the area of operations, even if it is a high altitude located village in the mountains or an island country.

We can also perform air dropping activities in emergency situations per client requirement.

Our strategic humanitarian aid team works with emergency management agencies, health organizations, United Nations, World Food Programme, and other NGO’s in order to support countries in securing supplies and equipment needed to fight ongoing natural or health disasters by providing relief flights.

We are here to locate an aircraft available based on the level of urgency, and geographical characteristics of affected zones.  We can also assist with the vital coordination of emergency supplies distribution.

Contact one of our specialists today for a time-sensitive charter quote for air freight forwarding operations to deliver humanitarian aid and relief goods worldwide!

Also, find out about Evacuation and Repatriation flights.

Charter Jet for Evacuation and Repatriation Flights

Evacuation and/or repatriation flights was something people used to hear in the mass media once in a while. However, during the latest world pandemic, which started at the end of 2019, evacuation and repatriation flights became usual and millions of people around the globe have flown home on unscheduled charter flights. Charter jet aviation market became so distracted that even the entire industries, like the marine industry, had to collaborate with IATA on the organizational level to fly 100,000 seafarers a month during the peak months of the pandemic. 

Natural disasters, local emergencies, and the latest global pandemic proved that aviation charters are probably the only way so far to unite continents and bring emergency relief in a matter of hours. Airlines discovered new airports and new routes they have never flown before to bring stranded citizens back to their country of residence.

Key Jet has a supportive team of aviation enthusiasts to stay on top of the news from around the world 24/7 to make sure that potential solutions are available before we receive time-sensitive requests from our clients. Our operations team then filters that news and identifies which emergencies would require actions from the governments and companies to move people from affected areas to safer places. 

We also collaborate with our partners in the ground transportation industry and marine transportation to have a wide range of mechanisms when we help our clients to deal with the evacuation and repatriation of people. 

Feel free to contact our ops team at operations@keyjetcharter.com to get a charter jet quote on time-sensitive solutions for evacuation and repatriation flights.

Also, learn more about how our team can handle The Logistics of Disaster Response.

Charter Plane for Energy Industry Crew Rotation & Cargo

Charter plane is a reliable solution for energy industry businesses to keep their remote sites operational without production line interruptions.

Natural resources are not sprinkled evenly around the world. Gas, oil, diamonds, ore, or gold deposits usually are not found nearby highly populated areas with enough skilled workforce. Energy companies need to bring those workers to the sites, so they can extract and separate natural resources from rock and make those goods available for transportation to the markets.

Due to the nature of the business energy crew workers need to work long hours on a two-three weeks rotation. A schedule like that allows to make sure that fewer people on site are not working at the given time, thus less space is needed for accommodation. The drawback of a schedule like that is the need to constantly rotate the workforce between their homes and the site. 

Key Jet can arrange a charter plane for the Energy Industry to deliver essential workers to the most remote places on Earth. We use different types of aircraft to meet specific needs for particular geographic locations of the site. Oil and gas platforms in the sea, diamond mines in the Arctic, gold mines in mountainous areas are not the full list of our expertise. 

It is generally expensive to keep people on remote sites. We understand that any delay in a rotating schedule brings huge financial losses to our customers as they need to cover overtime for people on the site as well as take care of the next rotation of people. Thus, our priority in the business of Energy Crew Rotation is strict on-time performance. 

KeyJet`s capabilities are not limited to moving production workers, but also maintenance and service workers. In addition, we provide cargo services for energy sites all around the world. 

Email us for a direct quote and we will make sure to find the best option for your specific charter plane requirement and geographical location. 

Aircraft Leasing – ACMI

What is aircraft leasing and why do airlines need an aircraft for lease ?

ACMI – Aircraft Crew Maintenance Insurance.

ACMI is a form of wet or damp leasing when the company that operates the aircraft (the lessor) agrees to provide services for another company that uses the aircraft to cover its own needs (the lessee) and pays for the hours operated.

The lessor is responsible for:

• Aircraft – lessor provides fully airworthy and good to go aircraft. Aircraft may be branded with the lessee’s logos and colors, depending on the agreement between them.

• Crew – lessor is responsible to crew the aircraft with fully trained staff according to the air operator’s certificate and ensures that the flight crew meets all flight operation regulations.

• Maintenance – lessor, as a holder of an air operator’s certificate, is liable for maintaining the aircraft in a good shape all the time. In other words, that is the lessor`s responsibility to arrange all appropriate maintenance work away from the home base. Usually, it is done by signing the contract with local maintenance providers (outsourcing). Lessee may offer its own facilities (if the company has them), but ultimately the lessor decides how and who is going to take care of the aircraft away from the base.

• Insurance – basic insurance package is also covered by the lessor, including third party liability insurance for the aircraft and insurance for the crew.

Lessee is responsible for:

• Marketing and sales – it is up to the lessee to advertise and sell the seats on the airplane. As mentioned above, the lessor gets paid “hourly” for flying an aircraft and has absolutely no control over fulfilling the cabin with passengers.

• Other expenses – lessee covers fueling of the aircraft, airport fees, ground handling of the aircraft (parking, servicing, deicing if required, etc), passenger handling (check-in, transportation, etc), overflight charges, and any other duties and taxes.

• Additional insurance – operation into the countries with high risk (war zone or military conflict) might impose additional insurance requirements as well as regulator itself might require special insurance, which in this case, will be covered by the lessee.

Why Aircraft Lease?

The information above gives theoretical knowledge about ACMI aircraft leasing. In this block, the main question will be answered, namely: “Why do companies use this option of aircraft for lease?”

Imagine a situation when an aircraft is getting ready to depart but accidentally got hit by a tow truck. Initial maintenance check shows that structural damage does not allow that airplane to operate safely. Aircraft becomes AOG until the necessary work is completed. Multiple legs on this airplane are canceled for today and the following days when the aircraft remains unserviceable. This situation becomes a huge issue for small operators, which does not have a big fleet to play with. Cancellations of all scheduled flights on this aircraft, reimbursement of the costs, and associated penalties jeopardize the financial sustainability of the airline.

ACMI leasing allows affected airlines to quickly get the job done and move the passengers the same day without enormous financial loss. It allows winning crucial time and moving all scheduled flights on the affected airplane.

There is a tendency all over the world to enhance passenger rights and regulators in different countries set more rigid rules and policies protecting air travelers. Delays and cancellations are getting too expensive and the ACMI option becomes a more attractive and effective way of dealing with AOGs.  

Companies also use ACMI to test the new routes. If an airline is unsure about profitability of the new route and does not have enough resources to allocate the airplane, train crew and so on, leasing the fully trained and ready crew for a month or two is a great idea to find out the load factor on the route and its profitability in general.

Optimizing the fleet availability during high and low seasons is another good example of right aircraft lease usage. A collaboration of European and Canadian tour operators is a classic example. Summer time is a peak for European charter operators flying passengers to the Mediterranean Sea, the Coast of Africa and Asia, whereas the Canadian recreational market is relatively calm. Everything changes during winter, when millions of Canadians want to escape from the harsh winter down to the Caribbean and Mexico. Airlines from both European and Canadian markets enjoy the ACMI aircraft leasing formula and keep their fleet and crews busy throughout the entire year.

In brief, that is what ACMI is about. Email us to share your ACMI experience or to get a free consultation on a specific case. Key Jet Charter makes sure every client gets the best possible ACMI solution.