By John McDermott
The Benefits of Outsourcing Your Flight Support Operations
Among the biggest challenges aircraft owners face is finding quality people to operate their aircraft. Finding pilots, cabin crew and other staffers may seem daunting, but outsourcing flight operations has a number of benefits.
One of the biggest positives of outsourcing flight operations is flexibility. Aircraft owners can find crews to fit their own schedules and meet their needs. Firms that employ crews often have bases scattered around the country – or even around the world – meaning that it’s easy to match a crew with an aircraft owner in specific locations no matter the task at hand. And the firm will often manage its employees’ own accommodations, so aircraft owners don’t need to spend their own time managing extra tasks.
Not only do aircraft owners have the flexibility of immediate access, but they can also rely on firms for trips of varying lengths. Regardless of whether the owner needs a crew for a day trip or a weeks- or months-long mission, firms can assemble crews that meet the aircraft owner’s needs without hassle.
Outsourcing flight operations also affords aircraft owners immense expertise. Flight operation firms pull from highly-trained staff that are among the best crews in the aviation industry. And crews aren’t limited to “traditional” crews. Firms often have crews trained to operate in various aircraft, regardless of whether fleet size or whether fleets are “traditional”; in various environments, including those where specialized training may be required; and in a wide range of situations.
Not only are crews skilled, but they also practice safety. They are certain to take steps to make sure flights operate smoothly and without incident, keeping passengers and aircraft alike safe. Safety practices can be standardized across firms, too, so that regular customers are always certain that their pilots are following state-of-the-art safety procedures. Aircraft owners know that they will be in good hands no matter where they are operating or what they need.
Perhaps the best reason to outsource flight operations is cost. Flight operation outsourcing costs only a fraction of total flight costs, so aircraft owners can focus on issues besides hefty crew fees. Firms use economies of scale to keep costs lower across their networks. They also handle human resources costs for their crews, allowing business customers to focus resources on their own human resource (HR) needs or, in the cast of private owners, not worry about HR at all.
And outsourcing firms are often insured to fly various fleets, so, in the unlikely case of an accident or incident, aircraft owners can enjoy lower insurance and repair costs. If crew firms handle all aircraft maintenance, they can save customers who own their planes tens of thousands of dollars in aircraft maintenance.
Ultimately, outsourcing flight operations needs to an external contractor offers major competitive advantages. These firms use flexible and cost-effective techniques that provide aircraft owners access to invaluable expertise. Flight operations firms are active around the world and hire highly skilled crews, offering aircraft owners the peace of mind that they can get where they need to go promptly and safely. And outsourcing affords ample economic benefits that only sweeten the deal.
John McDermott is a student at Northwestern University. He is also a student pilot with hopes of flying for the airlines. A self-proclaimed “avgeek,” John will rave about aviation at length to whoever will listen, and he is keen to call out any airplane he sees, whether or not anyone around him cares about flying at all. John previously worked as a Journalist and Editor-In-Chief at Aeronautics Online Aviation News and Media. In his spare time, John enjoys running, photography, and watching planes approach Chicago O’Hare from over Lake Michigan.
