Pilatus PC-12 NGX on 24/7 Standby for a Two-Month Mandate

Initial situation

For a two-month period, a client needed an aircraft available around the clock, every day of the week, at short notice. Lohn Aviation provided a Pilatus PC-12 NGX from its own fleet. The required alert time was just 30 minutes.

A permanent requirement at this level might support purchasing or leasing an aircraft. In this case, the need for availability was limited to a defined period.

The challenge

Keeping a PC-12 NGX at the operating location for two months involved more than positioning the aircraft. Scheduled maintenance and potential technical disruptions had to be factored into the plan while preserving the required short-notice readiness. Continuous crew presence, crew rotations, fuel, permits, handling and operational coordination also had to be arranged.

Our assignment

Lohn Aviation provided the aircraft and crew, positioning both at the client’s destination airport, a large airport in southwestern Europe that operates 24 hours a day. Our Operations Control Centre was staffed around the clock for the duration of the mandate. Lohn Aviation also coordinated permits, handling and the partners involved.

The operational solution

The Pilatus PC-12 NGX was stationed at the client’s airport and fuelled in advance, with sufficient fuel on board for the anticipated routes. Crew remained available at the airport around the clock. Regular crew changes maintained the continuous presence while accounting for crew duty limits.

To cover technical contingencies and short-notice disruptions, Lohn Aviation also kept an additional aircraft available as reserve capacity during the mandate. Maintenance planning and this additional capacity formed part of the readiness arrangements. The Operations Control Centre coordinated each alert and the operational steps, enabling the PC-12 NGX to depart within 30 minutes of an alert.

The result

For two months, the client had access to a Pilatus PC-12 NGX around the clock. The aircraft and rotating crew were positioned at the operating airport, with another aircraft available as reserve capacity. The PC-12 NGX could depart within 30 minutes of an alert.

Insight for aircraft owners or clients

When a high level of readiness is needed for a clearly defined period, purchasing or leasing an aircraft is not the only possible answer. A suitable arrangement can combine an aircraft and crew at the operating location with a 24/7-staffed Operations Control Centre, planned maintenance and available reserve capacity. The key is to plan readiness as a complete operating system, including crew rotations, fuel, permits, handling and technical contingencies.

Learn more about Lohn Aviation’s private jet services.

Transparency notice

The client’s destination airport is not named to protect the client’s confidentiality. It was a large airport in southwestern Europe that operates 24 hours a day. Further details about the client and the specific operating profile remain confidential. The underlying assignment and operational considerations remain unchanged.

The substance and factual content of this article come from the flying experience of our crew. AI assistance was used in drafting and structuring the text. It was reviewed and approved by our editorial team before publication.