Page 13 - Volume 14 Number 7

The King Air 250 purchased directly from the factory for a new client and managed by DragonFly is a favorite with clients. The comfort of the brand-new interior adds the extra touch.
cut, requiring a shift in focus from the usual commercial activity to a fight for survival until such time as some semblance of normalcy is restored in the aviation world.
DragonFly’s last AOG flight was on March 21 from Hamburg, Germany, to London Gatwick. The U.K. lock- down restrictions were imposed on March 24. All five aircraft (the four King Air turboprops and the Nextant 400 jet) returned to Cardiff and were placed on a “care and maintenance” package to maintain their airworthiness, and most em- ployees were furloughed. All ad hoc charter bookings were canceled.
The shutdown came at a time of year when activity typically picks up after a quieter winter for both parts of the business (charter and AOG support). DragonFly has elected not to suspend its AOC but to maintain its operational capability. As a result it has performed a handful of emergency flights, and is in a position to become fully operational very quickly.
Howard said that the airline whose AOG recovery the business supports planned to resume a limited flight schedule in mid-June that would likely regenerate AOG activity in the near future.
“It is too early to judge the extent of the loss of income, but it will be substantial,” said Howard, who is of the view that when general travel restrictions are lifted in the U.K. there will be a surge in private charter, on the reasoning that clients who can afford it would prefer to fly in a private aircraft where the environment and precautions can be tightly controlled rather than trust their luck in the back of a Boeing or Airbus.
Howard concluded by saying: “We have been running and growing this business over a period of 16 years with all of the weather, economic and engineering issues that are a daily feature of aviation. Whatever it takes, we intend to get through this pandemic and continue to provide the quality service for which we are renowned.” KA
in piloting my own light aircraft for business travel and discovering firsthand the time savings and sheer convenience that I could achieve.”
Enduring pandemic times
Howard and Nerida are the sole directors and shareholders in DragonFly: he serves as CEO and accountable manager for the AOC, while she is the CAA-approved ground operations manager responsible for ground operations, day-to-day finances and human resources. They entered 2020 with 22 employees, including 14 pilots. Maintenance on the King Airs is carried out by an external company, Iscavia Ltd, based in South West England, a two-hour drive that is reduced to 15 minutes in the air by flying directly across the Bristol Channel.
We reached the Palsers while they were in self-isolation at their home just outside Cardiff. They were then 11 weeks into their ongoing isolation in compliance with strict regulations imposed by the U.K. and Welsh Governments to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. Restrictions on travel imposed by the governments meant that literally overnight both income streams were
JULY 2020
KING AIR MAGAZINE • 11