Press Release

Issued by ASA South China.

October 21, 2009

Hong Kong's ASA Group, which offers security, ground handling and concierge services in the Asia Pacific region, last week helped forty seven Spanish relief workers and nine crew on board a MacDonnell Douglas MD-87 to arrive at a mercy mission to Indonesia.

The private charter relief flight operated by Spain's Swiftair had landed in Mumbai and wished to depart to another destination closer to Indonesia while the passengers' destination permits were in process. Scott Stammers, ASA's director of operations received a call at 3am in his home base of Bangkok from trip support specialists Commercial International Trip Planning Services by Jeppesen (Commercial ITPS) requesting assistance for the aircraft to travel onto Don Muang Airport in Bangkok. Stammers made several calls to his local contacts to organise permits and visas and also woke his team mates to enlist their support with finding accommodation for the stranded passengers and crew.

Stammers said: "When I took the initial call I thought this is impossible, but I made a call anyway. The first one I made was fruitless, then I made another. I continued calling until someone said "yes". Don Muang does not start handling operations until 7.30am unless prior coordination is made in advance, so I advised the captain to wait for a short while before leaving India. You cannot land in Thailand without prior permission.

While Stammers was busy coordinating ground services, his colleagues Pik Bunphalamlert and chief Simon Wagstaff were arranging accommodation and permits. Wagstaff said: "We have several great contacts in Bangkok, so were fortunately able to get the entire flight rooms together in the same hotel as well as arrange private coaches and mini vans for when they landed."

Mike Sotir, Commercial ITPS manager of business development said: "ASA enabled us to get relief workers to where they would be of most assistance as quickly as possible. They did an excellent job of accommodating all the required needs, from getting the aircraft into another location to assisting with visas and hotel accommodation."

Stammers added: "We were delighted to be able to support the workers who were en route to offer aid to people affected by the aftermath of the West Sumatran earthquake. Our knowledge of how airports in Southeast Asia work meant we were able to rise to the challenge."