Brittany Baird, manager of operations, discusses the services Avplan offer for planning and trip support.
Can you describe the trip support and planning services Avplan offers?
Avplan Trip Support is a 24/7 operation that supports all aspects of Part 135/91 charters. Our team of experienced licensed dispatchers and meteorologists are passionate about what they do. From flight planning and weather briefing to permit handling and hotel accommodations, our team walks operators through each step of the process to correctly execute every international travel requirement.
Planning a trip with Avplan can be as comprehensive or simple as customers like. We plan every last detail of a trip in close collaboration with customers and truly listen to their needs to build trust.
Our team members are always up to date on each detail of an operator’s trip and are available 24/7 for questions and emergencies if they arise.
How do you adapt to the evolving needs of operators?
Avplan Trip Support holds an abundance of knowledge when it comes to international travel requirements. We have close relationships with multiple handlers, FBOs and partners in different countries. We obtain updated information from these points of contact for each trip, reaching out based on an operator’s desired location to understand all the current regulations.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, our team equipped itself with the knowledge and resources to tackle the multiple and constantly changing restrictions. We learned lessons that we still use to this day.
How do you integrate eco-friendly practices into your services?
Avplan always encourages flying more sustainably. Part of our capabilities is connecting operators with the fueling locations they need. Being a subsidiary of Avfuel, Avplan has direct access to Avfuel’s fueling network, giving it the ability to connect with 13 FBO locations with a consistent supply of Avfuel’s Neste MY Sustainable Aviation Fuel. Should an operator’s journey take it near one of these locations, Avplan can suggest putting a SAF fuel stop on the flight plan.
Outside of these locations, if a corporate flight department is interested in receiving a load of SAF, purchasing SAF through book and claim, or purchasing carbon credits to offset its emissions, Avplan can directly connect the customer with the solutions it needs in-house via Avfuel’s sustainability and alternative fuels team.
How does Avplan facilitate international trip planning?
Avplan uses repeated updates and weather expertise to accomplish a sound system for trip planning. Keeping its systems up to date with all IATA travel information for each location, Avplan releases updates every month—these updates are reviewed before each trip.
Meteorologists and licensed dispatchers track important and relevant NOTAMs for each location on an operator’s flight plan to avoid disruptions or surprise restrictions. Following each trip carefully, Avplan tracks potential weather hazards that could affect travel plans.
How does Avplan foster strong partnerships with industry stakeholders, such as FBOs?
Avplan leverages Avfuel’s strong relationships and robust fueling network of more than 3,500 global fueling locations to better connect flight operators with the services they require wherever they’re needed.
The array of vendors and partners we work with all rank on a scale based on performance, rates and response times. Avplan always chooses the best performance entities suited for an operation’s unique travel needs to fulfill a flight plan.
We continuously hold post-trip meetings to ensure operations run smoothly and uncover any details that may need to be fine-tuned for future trips. We record this information, put it into a database and we act on it. That’s what makes the Avplan difference.
