What is Flight Support

What is Flight Support?

Flight Support is an Aviation Support Agency, which provides the services to Schedule and Non Schedule Airlines / Private Jets. Now a day’s this service is playing a key role in the Aviation Business and making connections between the different regions. According to this Support Services we can see that the tourism business is increasing day by day, numbers of Non schedule flights and private jets are operating in multi sectors. Many business men directly approach to Flight Services Agencies to receive a one window operation service for their trip. Air transport is a largest business in the world, and as the population is increasing this industry is also booming, it has many different branches such as PAX transportation, cargo supply from one station to another station, deportees Flights etc. Flight Support is having connecting with air transport which helps to Schedule, Non-Schedule operators and private jets to serve the service in all over the world.

The basic function of Flight Support is to manage the arrangements on time as per the client requirements for example Flight Permissions, Ground Handling arrangements, Cargo Handling arrangements, Fuel/AVGAS arrangements, HOTAC arrangements, Crew Visa arrangements, Flight Planning, Flight package print.

These all above functions are based on the contracts / agreements with the concern services companies such as ground handling agencies, fuel supplier, catering and HOTAC. The Flight Support Company provides the services to the operators on the behalf of these agreements and the Flight Permissions are provided on the behalf on Civil Aviation Authority license or directly by operators/agents by AFTN or ATC clearance. After all the fulfill requirements the Civil Aviation Authority issues the license to agents to entertain the Schedule/Non Schedule and private jets. The Director General of Civil Aviation has authorization to issues the license or rights to cancels the license if agents or Airlines are not following the rules or making any violation. Flight Support is a technical part of aviation industry. These companies are based on the priority of services needed by the client and with the trust level to entertain each and every demand on time. The commitment is the first priority. There are some steps by which we can understand the procedure and terminologies of Flight Support.

1. Flight Permission Procedure

What is permission? A license to do a thing, an authority to do an act which, without such authority, would have been unlawful. Obtaining the Flight Permission is a very sensitive procedure. Flight Permission is a legal authorization number, which is allotted by the CAA, ATC or some Special Forces agencies by this permission number the aircraft is allowed to cross the territory or land on that aerodrome any time by filling the FPL. We can see the following some steps for applying any Flight Permission application.

To obtaining the Flight Permission, initially we need to know the aircraft type, because the entire question for CAA starts from the aircraft type. The CAA Air Transport department checks that this type of aircraft is eligible to land on that aerodrome or it may allow crossing the require territory.

The secondary thing is the dispatcher must have information regarding the aircraft registration because some countries CAA has a policy to clear some specific countries registered aircraft by particular time after issuance of NOC, for example if a dispatcher applied for Indian registration aircraft in Pakistan, so according to PCAA policy the procedure time to clear the permission by NOC is to 15 days.

Some countries has some time restrictions to apply the application, the Flight Permission cannot apply or approve before that certain time. This rule is applicable to check the sensitivity.

Every country has its own set of rules, regulations and procedures for granting permission to flights desirous of landing or even entering their air space. To obtain the Flight Permission for OVF and Landing, the aircraft documents are necessary required. These documents are aircraft registration certificate, AOC, airworthiness certificate, insurance certificate, noise certificate. Some countries CAA also requires pilot license. If the Ambulance flight application than patient medical report is also require. The registration must be check before applying the application that the aircraft may not registered with any restricted countries, which require time frame to clear the application. The insurance certificate is also an important that is covering those countries insurance by which the aircraft will cross the territories or land to that aerodrome.

The Flight Permission has a time validity, different countries has different time validity. For example India Flight permission is valid till 48 hours + such as Pakistan is 72 + after that time the Flight Permission will expire.

After issuance of the Flight Permissions, if operator makes any changes for example aircraft type, aircraft registration, entry/exit points or CallSign, so in this case Flight Permission will revise. Again the same thing the different countries CAA has different rules, some has policy to only inform and they advise the same Flight Permission and some countries CAA revert back with Revise Flight Permission. Some countries CAA have policy to only if operator has change in entry/exit point so they have option to only mention the actual entry/exit points in FPL.

There are different categories for the Flight Permissions; we can read them as follows.

Schedule Flight Permission is issued to the Schedule carrier or Schedule operators, it means that operator have many flights per day, with different Flight No/CallSign. The Civil Aviation issue only one permission no for complete schedule.

Non-Schedule flight is basically unscheduled, it depends on the clients own planning. Only permission no is issue for one single flight. If the operator has another return leg flight or more flights so again only one single permission no issues for only trip.

VIP flight permission is fall on special flight permission. These permissions are for VIP PAX such as VIP business man, famous celebrities Chartered on round trip, VIP political meetings.

The Flight Support Agency is not authorized to apply or obtain this permission. This permission is also fall on very special permission.

MC clearance is a Military Clearance No. which is issue by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This clearance is issue to the military flights. This is a very secrete permission no, even no one is allowed to pass the information for this aircraft regarding the aircraft is ferry/cargo either entry/exit. Only operator and tower have the all operational information.

The flight permission is applied with the different channels, as per different countries CAA rules regulations. The following are the channels by which the permission can apply and obtain.

The following requirements are necessary to apply the application for OVF & Landing and to obtain the Flight Permission.

Aircraft Type
Flight Number / Call Sign.
Aircraft Registration Number
Complete schedule with date of flight, timings, origin/Transit-station/destination, entry/exit points with timings.
All aircraft documents & if the flight is Ambulance then patient medical certificate is also require.
Pilot license for Captain & First Officer including rating page of aircraft and English proficiency levels & medical certificate. (These requirements are for some countries of CAA)
Signed charter contract including charter flight schedule, charter rate and terms & conditions.

2. The Role of Flight Support in Ground Handling Arrangements

The role of Flight Support is to serve the aircraft ground facility. The initial step is once the Flight Support receives any ground handling request, they send the request to the ground handler with the correct complete information for example flight schedule, purpose of flight, crew details General Declaration, (PNL) PAX details, cargo information, fuel nomination, HOTAC name with driver name & transport Number (who is coming to pick &drop of PAX/CREW) . The Flight Support Company depute a supervisor on the flight, his duty is to supervise the flight from the touch down till airborne by supervision for preparation of documentation {custom, immigration, Gen Dec, PAX manifest etc.} fuel coordination; fulfill the crew on ground requirements. The supervisor continuously communicates and gives updates to their office and Flight Support Operations Department passes all the information regarding MVT messages and all other related ground information’s.

The flight supervisor has to monitor all the ground activity from the beginning till end; in case if any mishap he is the responsible and answerable. He must have all complete information of flight which he is deputed nature of flight, PAX INFO, cargo in & out INFO, fuel nomination INFO. The responsibilities of flight supervisor are as follows.

Take complete briefing from operations.
Coordinate with handling company supervisor before going on flight.
The supervisor must be in proper uniform and carry traffic jacket.
Before arrives the aircraft he may check the chocks are ready and all related ramp equipment is also ready and serviceable.
He must know the name of Crew, nationality of crew/PAX.
If the flight type is cargo loading/unloading, he may call to shipper to make the procedure smoothly for cargo documentation and for buildup pallets/bulk loading.
Greetings from Crew/PAX and show that he is receiving friendly, helpful service.
Check that all the flight related documents are completing on time for example Gen Dec, PAX manifest, custom/immigration procedure.
If the purpose of flight is ambulance, he must check the preparation of authorization letters are completing on time, to allow the ambulance and patient to enter into apron side, he also coordinates with hospital and he must aware about the ambulance drive name, cell number and ambulance number.
If the flight is on cash basis, he collects the cash from crew before departure.
If the flight is technical and crew rest, he also coordinates with HOTAC and van driver, his responsibility to see of the crew/PAX from terminal to HOTAC or from airport terminal till HOTAC transportation, also check the departure plan from crew.

The flight operation is a main department, which leads all the departments and it has connections with all departments. They have all information and updates for the flight schedules. This department update ASAP once they receive any information regarding flight schedule, AOG situations, any documentation issue or any mishaps. We can read some following import responsibilities of Flight Support flight operations department.

The flight operations must have updated AIP and aware about updated NOTAMS.
The operations may have updated contacts regarding all relevant business companies, such as ground agencies, fuel companies, CAA, ATC etc.
Once they receive handling request, they may check the purpose of flight, read the entire flight schedule from the beginning till end.
The request may send with the correct email address to ground handler, also coordination VIA telephone.
According to the purpose of flight, the operations may start the arrangement, for example if the purpose of flight is cargo, PAX in & out, TECH landing for fuel, so they must coordinate with ground handler concerning department.
Check the fuel is confirmed and they are award regarding the coming flight to avoid any last minute problem.
The operation must send the relevant documents to the handler on first priority such as, General Declaration, crew visa/passport copies, FPL, flight permission copy, Fuel release, patient medical report (if ambulance flight) etc.
Flight dispatcher must take print of all relevant documents and hand over to flight supervisor and also brief him with complete information.
If any change comes in the schedule the operation must inform to supervisor, handler and all concerns.
The operation must immediate pass the updates regarding the arrival and departure MVT messages, AOG (aircraft on ground) situations to operator, and if any updates receives from operator then must immediately pass to flight supervisor and handler.

3. Jet A1 Fuel/AVGAS 100 LL Bookings

The aircraft fuel sold and used at most FBOs. With the other services, the operator also requires the Jet A1 fuel and AVGAS 100 LL. The Flight Support provides this facility with the discount rates and with credit facility. The Flight Support has agreements with the fuel companies, so they get the discount rates.

The Flight Support provides this facility on the behalf of agreements with the fuel companies. The operator first checks the fuel rates from the Flight Support companies, if the gets a reasonable fuel rates they send the request for the fuel. The Flight Support forwards this request to the fuel supplier. If any changes or updated schedule receives from operator, so same has been forwarded to the supplier.

4. Flight Catering Services

The flight catering industry is a very large, global activity. The total market size is estimated to be around 12 billion euros. More than 1 billion passengers are served each year. What is flight catering? In-flight meal is called Flight Catering, a meal served to PAX on board/Crew airline staff in commercial airliners and with Non- Schedule, private Jets. These meals are prepared by specialist airlines catering services and normally served to passengers/crew using an airline/private Jets. The Flight Support companies also have agreements with the catering companies. The operator needs the Catering Services for technical flights, AOG (aircraft on ground) normal Schedule or Non-schedule flights/ private Jets, as per the agreed rates between operator and Flight Support Company, the Flight Support sends the official request to the catering company, in which the catering menu and flight schedule and catering delivery time is mention.

By the help of the following points, we can check how Flight Support can focus on the catering request.

Once the request received from operators/client, the flight support check the agreed rates are correct according to the agreement.
The catering request must check, if there is any mistake with time of the Crew/PAX arrival/departure, it must be match with the catering delivery timings.
If operator/client cancels the request, so the Flight Support must immediately send the cancellation to catering company and also inform VIA phone.
Flight Support must follow up with the catering company to avoid any last minute problem.
If the flight support provides this facility according to the agreed term mode of payment credit with client, so they must check that no catering staff may ask for the payment.
The catering loading and the packing of crew meals must be in a proper box.

5. Connection between Aviation and Hotels:

Hospitality is the blood of aviation. Aviation industry cannot survive without hospitality. Hospitality and aviation are the part of travel and tourism. Being the two branches of the same tree, both of these are widely interconnected. Every department of aviation that deals with customers’ needs hospitality.

As per all aviation support services the Flight Support also have an agreement with hotels with discount rates and credit facility. We can read some following important steps that how Flight Supports perform to deliver this hospitality services for his client in HOTAC booking.

Once they receive request for the HOTAC, the first step is they discuss regarding the rates and also what would be the mode of payment.
The operations send the request for the HOTAC with complete information CREW/PAX name, passport no, timings of check in & out.
If any updated schedule receives, the operations immediately inform them.
The operations must informs the correct terms and conditions to their clients.
Before arriving of the aircraft the operations, request for the HOTAC transportation no and driver contact, to provide the same to flight supervisor for coordination.
Once the flight land, the operations immediately information to HOTAC.
After the CREW/PAX arrives in the HOTAC, the flight supervisor checks with CREW/PAX that all requirements are as per request.
Once the departure plan confirm, the operations inform to flight supervisor for check out procedure.
The operations also coordinate with HOTAC and recheck the billing from the HOTAC receptions.
Once the HOTAC sends the invoice the flight supports also send the invoice to the client.