Reflections on Sudan

Tuesday 10th October 2006

In October 2004, AYR deployed several rotor-wind and fixed-wing aircraft to Sudan in support of the African Union Mission in Sudan, AMIS. AYR had been contracted by a US Government contractor and service provider; funding for the project is being provided by the US Department of State.

Since their initial deployment, the AYR fleet has accumulated more than 10,000 hours of accident-free flight time, and has transported:

• 23,700 passengers
• 14,500 tons of cargo
• 1,000,000 gallons of jet fuel.

AYR achieved all of this without any significant unscheduled down-time of its aircraft and our performance record in Sudan is second to none. Operating in an environment like the Darfur region entails dealing with unique challenges. Meteorological conditions ranged from debilitating and performance-decreasing heat, to flooding of enormous proportions.

AYR's Director of Operations, Stefan Jocks, a highly experienced helicopter pilot with more than 10 years of Africa experience, explains: "Operating a fleet of aircraft in the Darfur region in Sudan has been one of the most challenging tasks in my career. Countless bureaucratic hurdles have to be dealt with on a daily basis. Maintaining a sufficient flow of personnel, spare parts and consumables proved to be extremely difficult. Civil unrest has erupted spontaneously on many occasions, requiring aircraft to be recalled or rerouted in-flight."

Stefan considers the operation in Darfur a prime example of AYR's successful turn-key strategy in providing not only the aircraft but also staff of unrivalled experience.

James Chladek, AYR Aviation Project Manager in Darfur, also has much praise for his team: "Never in my long career as a helicopter pilot, have I encountered an environment more punishing to man and machine. I am very proud that all our staff performed flawlessly under such circumstances."