30 Vol. 10 / No. 5 / May 2018 Global Aviator
Charter for business or pleasure
One of the well appointed lounges at Federal Air's base at O.R. Tambo International Airport.Travel in style
With a wide variety of aircraft available
for charter and in use on the shuttle
service, guests will soon have the
opportunity to travel in style as part
of a newly launched and luxurious
Private Jet Service offering direct,
non-stop access from O.R. Tambo
International Airport to Singita in the
Sabi Sands Reserve.
The partnership between Federal
Airlines and Singita ensures that each
guest receives exceptional care on their
flight and during their stay in order
to experience the expansive space and
beauty of the reserves, limited guest and
vehicle numbers and consistent game
viewing at each of the Singita properties.
From 1 June 2018, guests travelling
to Singita’s private concession in the
Sabi Sand wildlife reserve with be
flown in either the nine-seater Cessna
Citation Excel or a four-seater Cessna
Citation Mustang, depending on the
size of the group. Guests will be met
airside at O.R. Tambo as they disembark
their commercial flight, go through a
VIP passport control counter and
transported to the Federal Airlines
terminal. Their guests are able toenjoy the amenities provided in the
beautifully decorated indoor departure
lounge or relax in the sun in the outside
lounge before boarding the aircraft.
Boarding the jet for the direct,
35-minute flight to the Sabi Sand
takes place directly from the lounge,
so there are no queues, hassles or
crowds. Apart from providing a
more comfortable and luxurious
option for guests, the introduction of
this service also reduces flying time
considerably. Guests will be sipping
sparkling wine at 35 000 feet for half
an hour, travelling straight to Singita’s
airstrip without any stops en-route.
For those who wish to travel on
to Singita Kruger National Park or
combine both locations as part of their
Singita safari experience, a 20-minute
hop in a Cessna Caravan can be easily
arranged. Federal Airlines can also
easily arrange charters for any guest
wanting to travel to other reserves.Charter services
- outlook for 2018
South Africa is going through
turbulent times with high fuel driving
costs up, a rather volatile rand, severe
drought in many parts of the country,
political uncertainty and the scare
caused by a Listeriosis outbreak but
Nik Lloyds-Roberts, commercial
manager at Federal Airlines, views
the year ahead as challenging and is
optimistic about the future, especially
with Federal Airlines' new service
scheduled to start service in just
one month - the introduction of
a jet service between O.R. Tambo
International and Singita Game Lodge.
"Introducing a jet service with
the nine-seater Cessna Citation Excel
and four-seater Cessna Citation
Mustang, was the logical next stage
and this will further increase the
charter division," he says.
Although 2018 may prove a
somewhat difficult year, charters remain
popular, particularly with businessmen
who need to reach a destination without
having to rely on a scheduled flight and
this is certainly true for those needing
to travel to distant or undeveloped
locations such as within the mining
industry or engineering projects.Services provided
When chartering an aircraft there are a
number of considerations to be looked
into before deciding on the operator.