Story ID: 
Charter Brokers and Operators Address Sustainability
By: Charles Alcock
Caption: The Air Charter Association's Broker-Operator Forum met at FlyingGroup's headquarters in Belgium
Word Count: 205
The Air Charter Association held its first Broker-Operator Forum in Europe earlier this month, with delegates from 14 countries attending. According to the UK-based ACA, the event—hosted by Belgium-based aircraft charter and management company FlyingGroup—reflected its increasingly international membership, which now includes companies from the Netherlands, Germany, Norway, Lithuania, and the Czech Republic.
In the first session of the forum, brokers and operators addressed challenges and risks facing the sector. Environmental sustainability was high on the agenda, with panelists calling for greater regulation to ensure that efforts to reduce carbon emissions from flights are achieved while maintaining a competitive level playing field between different modes of transportation.
“Currently, the obligation lies with companies to determine their own sustainability strategies but the consequences often make them less competitive in the marketplace,” said the ACA CEO Glenn Hogben. “At the ACA, we support our members in developing their own sustainable strategies and policies, enabling correct processes and providing advance on the best approaches.”
ACA was founded in 1949 and now has more than 375 members worldwide. It operates a code of practice and provides training for brokers, as well as engaging with regulators over issues such as illegal charter flights.