Story ID: 345
KlasJet Takes On 'Most Demanding' Repatriation Mission
By: Jerry Siebenmark
Caption: Charter operator transports Covid-19 positive workers from Ghana to South Korea in five-day, 10-flight mission.
Word Count: 227
KlasJet, an Avia Solutions Group private jet charter company, took on what it said was one of its “most demanding assignments” when it repatriated a group of Covid-19 positive workers from Ghana to South Korea. The mission lasted five days and required 10 flights—including aircraft repositioning and overfly permissions from 14 countries on three continents, crew positioning and safe accommodation, and Covid testing.

A mission that would normally take up to two weeks to plan instead took five days, despite working through logistical, medical, and operational issues. Using a Boeing 737-500, KlasJet compartmentalized the aircraft to keep passengers, crew, and onboard medical staff from spreading the virus.

The mission required organizing multiple crews who needed to be tested, repositioned, transported, and accommodated in isolation. It also required specially prepared and packaged food to be delivered along with the requirement to dispose of any waste safely. Additionally, ground transportation had to be arranged in minute detail. In case any technical issues arose during the flights, an aircraft technician from KlasJet’s sister company, FL Technics, accompanied flight crews.

KlasJet COO Ugnius Valiauga added that knowledge the operator gained before and during the pandemic prepared it for this mission. “Our teams are proof that we have the operational readiness and the right attitude to deal with whatever comes our way,” he said.