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Aircraft on ground, Eastern Europe and Turkey
Why this route catches people out
Most forwarders can get a box to Vilnius. The difficulty is not the flight, it is everything either side of it.
Three customs regimes, not one. A part moving from the UK to Serbia crosses two borders and neither is the EU border it used to be. Turkey sits outside the EU customs union for most goods. Serbia is outside it entirely. Post-Brexit UK paperwork sits on top of both. Getting this wrong costs days, and days are what an AOG event does not have.
The parts are frequently dangerous goods. Chemical oxygen generators, batteries, pyrotechnic devices, life vests. We are DG accredited, so classification, the NOTOC and the shipper's declaration are done by us, before anything moves.
The aircraft does not know it is Friday. Most AOG events on this route begin outside business hours. A quote that arrives Monday morning is not a quote.
What we move
Rotables and line-replaceable units. Avionics, actuators, valves and pumps.
Aircraft engines and QEC kits. Air ride transport where the routing needs it.
AOG kits and tooling to and from Part-145 maintenance facilities.
Wheels, brakes and consumables on recurring replenishment.
How it moves
We pick the transport method to the deadline, not to the margin.
Next flight out. Commercial bellyhold on the first departure that works, often the same day.
Hand carry, on-board courier. A person and a seat, when the part cannot wait for a cargo acceptance cut-off. Common here because direct freighter capacity is thin.
Road, direct and dedicated. For the Baltics a dedicated van can beat an air routing on total door-to-door time once handling and customs are counted.
Charter. When the maths justifies it. We will say when it does not.
Freight Solutions for This Sector
Frequent AOG countries we ship
Lithuania. Vilnius and Kaunas. One of the largest concentrations of independent MRO capacity in Europe, and the reason this route exists for us at all. We handle recurring AOG movements for one of the region's major independent maintenance providers.
Serbia. Belgrade. Outside the EU customs union, which is precisely why generalist forwarders struggle with it and why we do not. We move parts in and out of Belgrade for an independent MRO on a recurring basis.
Latvia and Estonia. Riga and Tallinn. Frequently served better by road from Western Europe than by air, and we will tell you when that is the case.
Turkey. Istanbul, Sabiha Gokcen and Ankara. A large and growing MRO base, and a customs regime that rewards getting the paperwork right first time.
The response promise
We aim to respond to every AOG request within 15 minutes, day or night.
Every day an aircraft is on the ground costs somewhere between €50,000 and €250,000. A quote that arrives tomorrow is not a quote.
Already know you will need this?
Most AOG buying runs off an approved supplier list, and the worst time to add a supplier is during an AOG event. Get set up with us before you need us.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you handle dangerous goods on aircraft parts?
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Yes. Chemical oxygen generators, lithium batteries, pyrotechnics and life vests all move regularly on this route. We are DG accredited and handle classification, the NOTOC and the shipper's declaration ourselves.
How quickly can a part reach Vilnius from the UK?
It depends on the departure you can make and the cargo acceptance cut-off, not on the flight time. Next flight out is often the same day. Where the cut-off has passed, a hand carry on a passenger seat or a dedicated van can beat waiting for the next freighter. We tell you which before you commit.
Can you clear customs into Serbia and Turkey?
Yes. Both sit outside the EU customs union and both need paperwork that a UK or EU domestic forwarder will not produce routinely. We handle it as part of the movement.
Do you work outside business hours?
Yes, 24/7, and most AOG events on this route start outside them.