Flight Planning 2.qxp_Finance 24/04/2018 15:27 Page 3
OPERATING T FLIGHT PLANNING
▲ Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan ▼
of its GDP. Business travelers here would be well served to note the following advice… • Apply for landing permits at least three days before the flight. • You’ll need a local business partner for sponsorship and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) needs confirmation of this from the sponsor. • Kinshasa airport is secure, but some travelers prefer additional or dedicated security for the aircraft while it’s at the airport. Beyond the airport, security for travelers should also be arranged.
Turkmenistan
Although the government of Turkmenistan encourages foreign investment and business, it doesn’t conform to business norms. Nor do they make it easy to travel to this destination on business. Nevertheless, some businesses do respond to the encouragement for foreign investment and business. If you’re flying here, you need to know the following: • Visas are hard to come by (for citizens of non-CIS countries visas are always difficult if not impossible). • Visa should be applied for well in advance of any planned travel. Application processing can take 20 days or more. • If you are staying more than three days, you must register with the State Migration Service. • There are few English speakers in the airports or the 106
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Civilian Aviation Association (CAA). Landing permits for business and tourist flights have to be approved through the diplomatic channels (Ministry of Foreign Affairs).
In Summary
These are merely a handful of the destinations that have cumbersome requirements. With any of them, the process gets easier with experience. Requirements, though, can change from one trip to the next. Be sure to check. Experienced trip support companies plan for thousands of trips to difficult destinations every year, filing the paperwork and arranging for fuel and catering, while also being on hand to provide solutions should problems arise. They should also have local connections or staff on the ground to arrange for payments on your behalf. Ultimately, regardless of the difficulty of the destination, you should acquaint yourself with the potential problems and hurdles and act accordingly, seeking the right help to ensure you can focus on your business at hand. T More information from www.jetex.com
www.AVBUYER.com
Bernard Ratsira enjoyed a long career with Jet Aviation, opening an FBO at Seletar in 1997 and another at Dubai International Airport in 2006. He became Director of Client Relations and then Project Manager for Jet Aviation EMEA & Asia before joining Jetex as Network Manager, where he manages expansion to new countries, implementing and raising standards for operations and personalized service. Aircraft Index see Page 161