The Kontinental Hockey League is an international professional ice hockey league founded in 2008, which comprises 27 member clubs based in Belarus, China, Finland, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Russia and Slovakia.
In addition to the CIS countries, where FCG OPS has traditionally offered its services, Riga, Helsinki, Bratislava and Beijing are included in the ground handling network operated by the company.
Sergey Starkov, head of the FCG OPS dispatch center, said, “In previous years, we successfully served the flights of the KHL teams and had time to thoroughly study their requirements. Unlike usual charter flights or business aviation flights, this requires special attention to comfortable conditions for a large group of hockey players with oversized luggage, as well as convenient logistics for their movements before and after the flight.
“Knowledge of the specific features of each airport and detailed planning of the flight make it possible to make the arrival and departure of the team as comfortable as possible.”
FCG OPS is one of the largest certified dispatch centers in Europe. It is based in Riga, and coordinates the operation of a network of ground agents at each of the airports.
The company offers a package of services to meet the requirements of a hockey team’s flights, such as special meals on board the plane, convenience, and rapid settlement of border and customs formalities, as well as the provision of additional security.
If possible, a bus is provided for picking up the team directly on the airfield or they travel through dedicated VIP areas on foot.
In addition to specific services, classic services are also offered: ground handling, refueling, issuing of landing and transit permits, and crew services including hotel accommodation and transfer.
