S.B.MAN &CO LTD (www.sbmangh.com)

S.B-MAN and Co is an air charter broker and flight operations manager based in Accra, Ghana. It arranges charters worldwide and manages flight operations across Africa.

The company runs a 24 hour operations centre and handles what a flight needs from there. It says it wants to change how people see operating in Africa and to ease some of the hard realities that crews meet there. It also has an office at Kotoka International Airport in Accra and a European representative office in the UK.

Traffic rights are the first step of many trips. The company obtains overflight and landing permits for ad hoc flights in good time. On the billing side, credit invoices come with supporting papers from third party providers, and the company says there are no hidden fees. It gives estimates on request and says the final invoice is usually very close to them.

Ground handling covers the right equipment and staff to meet the aircraft. The company also provides movement reporting, catering, ground transport, hotel bookings, ATC filing help and passenger handling. Where operators want security for crew, passengers or aircraft, it supplies armed and uniformed staff or other personnel, around the clock.

Through supplier contracts, the company can arrange aviation fuel at about 2,200 locations worldwide. The team confirms fuel before the aircraft arrives, and the company accepts all the major carnet cards. It also obtains visas when they are needed. It explains that crews in uniform, named on the general declaration, often do not need visas in Africa. Passenger rules vary by nationality and where the flight starts.

For charters, the company keeps a database of operators in many regions, including some that are not listed anywhere else. It can source a Dauphin helicopter for area mapping, a DC3, a VVIP jet or an AN124 for project cargo. It looks at airworthiness, endurance and cost when it picks the aircraft.

The company describes its team as African, responsive and pro-active. It serves clients and vendors around the world. The company lists separate mailboxes for operations, fuel, charters, sales and accounts, and also gives SITA and AFTN addresses.

Services

• Air charter brokerage
• Flight operations management
• Traffic rights
• Ground handling
• Aviation security
• Aviation fuel supply
• Visa services
• Flight administration
• Hotel and ground transport
• ATC filing assistance