• 14 April 2021
  • 13:00

Starlite Aviaition – Africa Operations

Since 2013, Starlite Aviation Operations, has been a major player in Mali, providing a blended solution of helicopter and fixed wing aircraft, in support of the European Union Training Mission (EUTM) who play a critical role in supporting the safety and stability of the country. Starlite, skilled at working in Africa, provides a full turn-key service to this end encompassing all elements of aircraft, medical personnel, equipment and training.

During the recent Covid-19 pandemic, the company extended their services to meet these challenges. Rising to the challenge, meant that Starlite embarked on further emergency readiness procedures to provide an efficient, wellequipped fleet of aircraft and highly trained personnel – on call 24/7. Starlite Aviation is African-rooted and is today – one of the largest African operators serving the EU and other world agencies and organisations, ensuring that mission-ready aircraft are available to provide critical aeromedical evacuation and patient care.

As the Coronavirus spread across Africa, the threat placed a severe strain on health service providers. Starlite set the benchmark for the best practices to perform rapid and efficient air transportation in Africa. Highly proficient in mobilising a blended offering of helicopter and fixed wing aircraft, equipped with technologically advanced intensive care units for emergency evacuations, Starlite’s standard of delivery has proven to be incomparable, in any call to action. Starlite began preparations to deal with the pandemic in March 2020, with the acquisition of isolation units, the implementation of strict health and safety procedures, rigorous onsite training for all personnel and strict sanitisation and disinfectant regulations for the operation of aircraft which are adhered to without comprise, setting the standard in Africa.

Starlite’s mission-ready fleet of H215 Airbus Super Puma helicopters and fixed wing aircraft, are the workhorses of the companies remote operations, performing particularly well in the harshest environments in Africa.

Further challenges of operating in a landlocked country are the diverse seasonal weather conditions, from week-long sand storms to intense tropical storms and micro-bursts, along with year round heat extremes, all familiar to crew and medical personnel who have operated in some most austere environments world-wide.

These aircraft are on 24/7 standby, for medical emergencies. Helicopters provide transportation of patients from the point of crisis in remote areas to medical facilities.

Starlite is a forward-thinking, progressive company. They employ a highly effective team at the helm. Fiona McCarthy, managing director of operations and accountable manager, Nicolette Papaphotis, flight operations manager and Tabitha Nicholson, medical operations manager, are a formidable force who work tirelessly to ensure solutions to Africa’s needs are met at all levels.

Having operated in 30 countries and on five continents in some of the most challenging environments in aviation for more than two decades, Starlite prides itself on being experts at taking on complex assignments in remote and austere locations, focusing on fast deployment to provide solutions to client specific requirements.

A PROUD AFRICAN HISTORY
During the Ebola outbreak, Starlite was the first operator to evacuate patients in 2014. The company has used this to leverage their expertise and experience in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

There is no doubt that, given the critical need for medical services across Africa, that we shall see Starlite expanding its reach into neighbouring countries in the near future.

Starlite’s operational versality and ability to mobilise a variety of aircraft with interchangeable configuration options in response to any rapid call to action, is one of the company’s major strengths.

This backed up by a dedicated operations team with years’ of combined experience in planning and implementation for complex contract work makes for another strong point.

Starlite’s people involved are innovative and forwarding thinking in their approach, all of which combine to ensure their clients’ needs are more than met. Operating an extensive and superior fleet of helicopters, with a proven track record, in some of the harshest environments, Starlite Aviation is a proudly African operator.

Their highly skilled air and ground crew in the medevac, rescue and relief, passenger and cargo transportation, marine salvage, firefighting, and oil and gas sectors, makes Starlite a strong contender to tackle any challenging aviation work.