The contract, which commenced in September, covers the complete Chevron fleet of four Bombardier Dash-8 Q400 aircraft, and ten Bell helicopters, which serve its offshore operations at its oil-producing base in Malongo.
The three-year contract, with an option to extend for a further two years, was awarded following a long, highly rigorous and competitive tender process. Bestfly was selected based on its ability to provide an efficient and competitively priced operation that could meet the high standards of safety, quality and audits required by the oil company. According to Chevron, safety was of paramount importance in the decision-making process, given the challenging operating environments in the region.
Commenting on the contract, Nuno Pereira, Managing Director of Bestfly, said: "We are very proud to be working with a highly respected company such as Chevron/Cabinda Gulf Oil Company. Our contract win is indicative of the high levels of service, safety and efficiency that we supply to our customers."
The newly awarded contract will typically involve four flights a day served by the Dash-8 fleet with a helicopter shuttle service. It is anticipated that Bestfly will be handling around 1,500 passengers per week on average to fulfill the contract.
Bestfly has already noticed a significant increase in passenger numbers transiting through its Luanda Airport FBO and it is anticipated that the company will see passenger numbers increase by close to 40% compared with last year. Following the contract win, Bestfly is bolstering its team with the addition of 70 new employees across its Angola-wide operations, with the expectation that it will reach 200 by the end of the year.
As a footnote, in April this year Bestfly was awarded ISBAO (International Standard for Business Aviation Operators) Stage 1 status, marking the first time that an Angolan company has achieved this accreditation. It is only awarded to a business following a lengthy audit that examines all areas of the business operations, and is the first of three stages.
