The Air Charter Association (The ACA) has hosted its first Level 2 Air Charter Broker Qualification training course at London Stansted airport.

Association member Harrods Aviation turned its FBO business lounge into a classroom for the day, and hosted 36 delegates for the intermediate course.

The course focuses on operational management and the value provided by air charter brokers to both clients and operators in supporting the set up and smooth running of charter flights. In the afternoon, sessions included airside experience with a tour of fellow member Titan Airways' engineering hangar, cargo aircraft and recently delivered all business class Airbus A321neo, as well as an introduction to handling equipment and the full capabilities on offer within the Harrods Aviation private terminal.

The ACA CEO Glenn Hogben says: “It was fantastic to be able to give our aviation professionals a hands-on airport experience as part of our Level 2 training course, and our thanks go to Harrods Aviation and Titan Airways for making this possible. Congratulations to everyone who successfully completed the intermediate course. We had a fantastic pass rate of 94 per cent, of whom 35 per cent excelled with a distinction.”

Julie Black, deputy chair at The ACA and manager of executive aviation at Hunt & Palmer, who co-presented the course, adds: “It was a refreshing change to get out of the traditional classroom and office environments to enable our attendees to see first-hand how flights are operated behind the scenes and what happens at the airport, FBO and in-flight operations. It was a great introduction to the next level in our Air Charter Broker Qualification, and I am really looking forward to seeing delegates complete our Level 3 course in April to gain their full qualification.”

The Broker Qualification takes brokers through a range of topics to build and refresh their air charter knowledge. The course teaches Foundation Knowledge at Level 1, progresses to understanding operational aspects and flight management at Level 2, and on to Advanced Broker Skills at Level 3.

Training is offered to members of The Air Charter Association at a subsidised rate as one of the many benefits of membership.