Humanitarian Air transport: Commercial or Private?

[only4GT]

Could someone shed light on the following topic: Quite a few NGOs under "Loi 1901" status (ASF-B, ASF-F, etc.) carry humanitarian workers in Africa and neighboring countries. Most of them do so without AOC claiming that the type of operations conducted is not PUBLIC transport (aka Commercial Air Transport) hence falling under private aviation. Most of them fly for FREE in the sense they do not charge the users but they do receive money from 1/3 parties, e.g. donors, to carry out their air transport operations in support of humanitarian projects.

Any input is welcome.

cheers

[steelbranch]

The UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) isn't free. Have been an aid worker for some time and these flights are generally operated by third party operators, wet or dry leased. At the moment Somalia flights are operated out of Wilson or JKIA in Nairobi, using Caravans, one or two CRJs, B1900s and various other types including an RJ85 at one point. The agencies pay for the tickets on these flights, whether UN or NGO. For the UN, the World Food Programme (WFP) is the organisation that coordinates the air services on behalf of NGOs and partner UN agencies. Congo is another story, I am not sure who selects the air operators there or how it's done, but I lost a friend there when an ATR 42 went down a number years back, carrying UN workers. so in terms of the internal UN oversight from country to country, I'm uncertain as to how standardised it is, if it is at all. In Liberia we used to go around on UNMIL Mil-8 helicopters, which was fine but not that safe. A couple of low-level non-fatal crashes led to most agencies not allowing their staff to use those things. The usual stereotype of the vodka-fuelled Russian pilots prevailed, how true it was I'm not sure.

[tommybobby]

ASFF is under AOC
in partnership with UNHAS

[Mobotu]

Steelbranch - I don't remember an ATR42 going down in Congo while flying for NGO's....are you not confusing the Beech 1900C(Cemair) operating for Air Serv which went down on approach to Bukavu routing from Kisangani????

[steelbranch]

Hi Mobutu, you're right, it was B1900, not an ATR. Long time since I thought about it, and for some reason in my mind I had it as an ATR.

[cavortingcheetah]

Humanitarian Air Transport?
Cargo de Luxe?

[mini]

Steelie,

I lost a mate in that crash also, initials DG ring a bell?

I stepped off the merry go round a few years ago but back then all UN humanitarian air ops were run under the aegis of the WFP air support unit in Rome, even if chartered locally by a different UN agency the deal had to be run through the guys in Rome first, they checked paperwork, licences etc.

As an aside, Mi8's were a no no for Pax, something about dodgy providence IIRC.

[steelbranch]

Hi Mini,

DG is exactly the guy. A sad loss. PM me, I'd be interested to know where you are. Cheers.

After a couple of incidents with the Mi8s, pax were no longer allowed, as you say. That was the experience in Liberia, can't speak for other places.

I think third party oversight can be a problem in some of these places. And yes, also trying to get off the merry go round of aid work and get a bloody CPL. Some would say I'm mad :D

[only4GT]

Thx for input tommybobby

Does this mean that ASFF has obtained from French CAA this European AOC (had a look at their website...) because of the nature of their operations,i.e. commercial air transport?

[tommybobby]

sort of "commercial" airline with all the commiments but without profit as a non-profit organisation registred iaw 1901 french law