Summary

  • Charter flights are unscheduled flights that are hired for specific journeys and are not part of a carrier's usual schedule. They include private, public, cargo, and affinity charters.
  • Charter airlines offer tailored services with flexibility in timing, plane, and destination. They can provide full services with extra provisions such as catering and VIP offerings.
  • Charter services are utilized by various industries, including sports teams, the military, casinos, and package holiday firms. They offer opportunities for airlines to generate income and adapt to market demands.

Charter flights play an integral role in the aviation industry around the world. They provide useful services for travelers to get to their destinations while contributing significantly to the overall economy of the market. However, what actually are charter airlines? Let’s explore this field.

The types of flying

To get a better understanding of the nature of charters, let’s first take a look at the different types of flights. The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) classifies civil aviation activities into two groups - general and commercial.

Airplane Landing Silhouette
Photo: AleksSafranov/Shutterstock

General aviation includes instructional, pleasure, non-commercial business, aerial work, and “other” flying. Meanwhile, commercial services are split between scheduled and non-scheduled. The latter includes on-demand operations such as air taxis and commercial business aviation. Notably, non-scheduled also includes charter services.

Breaking it down

So, on the surface of it, a charter is an unscheduled flight. It involves an aircraft that is hired for a specific journey and not part of a carrier’s usual schedule. However, there are actually numerous types of charter flights.

  • Private: In general, a person hires an entire plane rather than booking specific seats on a commercial service with a private charter.
  • Public: When an airline offers service to certain destinations on a limited basis. They are often seasonal and could be provided by tour operators renting an aircraft.
  • Cargo: Just as with scheduled commercial services, goods can also be flown on charter services. The industry saw a ramp-up of this type of service amid the urgent medical supplies that had to move across the globe following the rise of the pandemic.
  • Affinity: With this type, travelers form part of a wider group or organization and pay for their own tickets. They may be sports or music fans going to a special event.

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The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) concludes the following:

"A charter flight is a flight that is not part of an airline’s published schedule. For example, an airline will not post on its website that the airline will operate a flight from Point A to Point B at 3pm every Wednesday. Instead, charter flights are typically operated for specific unscheduled itineraries."

Opening up opportunities

Altogether, flying can be an expensive and complex activity. Yet, it’s often the most effective way to get around. Subsequently, chartering can provide simpler solutions for companies and passengers needing to hit the air. The ability to choose the timing, plane, and destination goes a long way. Ultimately, the core advantage of this tailored service is flexibility.

Notably, charter airlines can offer full services. The likes of TUI highlight that organizations can arrange flights with extra provisions such as catering and VIP offerings with all the aircraft in the fleet. Therefore, groups can rent out TUI's Boeing 737, 767, and 787 for business trips, incentives, exhibitions, day trips, and sports events.

Charter carriers also have the gift of spotting opportunities across the board. They often snap up underutilized or aging aircraft and redeploy them across their operations.

There is a significant market for sports charters. For instance, football teams across Europe combine charter flights with trains and coaches to transport players between matches. With approximately a team of players, their coaches, and staff to transport, it's often a favored solution compared to flying commercially.

Private charters are also commonplace across the pond in North America. NBA and NFL teams regularly hop from city to city on a charter service.

Charter services had been a saving grace for airlines during the peak months of the global health crisis. For instance, Sun Country Airlines' chartered sports teams, the US Department of Defense, casinos, and even Amazon. These jobs supported the company's overall income while scheduled services were affected across the industry.

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Throughout the market

For the super-rich, it can sometimes be more cost-effective to acquire your own aircraft rather than chartering a private jet. This may be the case if you fly more than 100 hours a year.

All in all, charter airlines come in all shapes and sizes - from specialist charter outfits to major airline subsidiaries. A notable subsidiary is Air Canada Jetz, which commenced operations 22 years. As a branch of Canada's flag carrier, the operator primarily serves corporate clients and professional sports teams with its all-premium cabins. Across the spectrum, Spanish low-cost carrier Volotea operates a special service for Airbus employees, carrying them between Hamburg and Toulouse.

Full-service airlines have also been expanding their charter operations. Just this month, Iberia considerably boosted its charter flight offering for September. The flag carrier of Spain has planned more than 300 charter flights between July and September, catering to several various market segments.

An Iberia Airbus A320neo in Brussels
Photo: Markus Mainka/Shutterstock

You may have even been on a charter flight without realizing it. Several package holiday firms actually sell vacations to hotspots that transport passengers via charter airlines. From downturn to high demand, charter flights are a great way for the industry to adapt.

What are your thoughts about charter flights across the globe? How has your experience been with these services over the years? Let us know what you think of these operations and their history in the comment section.