Women’s Football Can Deliver A Big 2023 For Air Charter Companies
Rise of women’s football can deliver a big 2023 for air charter companies thanks to World Cup and Champions League.
Air charter experts believe 2023 could be the biggest ever in the sector for women’s football thanks to the World Cup and a fast-rising Champions League.
Interest in the game is at an all-time high following the success of England’s Lionesses in the Euro 2022 tournament, which was watched by 365 million people globally.
Now the FIFA Women’s World Cup is ready to eclipse even those figures when it takes place in Australia and New Zealand in July and August.
That is good news for the game but also for the air charter industry as national associations, travel management companies and supporter groups look to book group travel.
Catriona Taylor, Group Passenger Operations Director at Chapman Freeborn Air Chartering said: “These are exciting times for women’s football and the rise of the game is being felt in our industry, too.
“The days of national women’s teams travelling to tournaments and to matches on scheduled airlines in economy will soon be in the past. Many now travel by charter, just as the men have done for many years.
“We are seeing an increasing interest from national associations in charter flights, and from club sides for tournaments such as the Champions League in Europe.
“In addition, the raised awareness of the game is leading to greater interest from sponsors, businesses and supporter groups.
“This year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup is being billed as the biggest ever, with 32 teams in action, and the Champions League gets bigger every year.”
The advantages of chartering a plane for group travel are obvious. It gives associations, clubs and travel management companies greater control over the experience, from choosing which airports are used to what time the flight leaves and even the safety measures on board.
Just as importantly, in the wake of a pandemic, it helps players stay healthy by avoiding interaction with the public at busy airports and lounges. Tailored catering and the ability to choose to fly in greater comfort and reduce jet lag are also crucial.
European champions England, who were criticised for flying to a match in Portugal on a budget airline in 2019[1], are expected to upgrade for New Zealand & Australia this time, according to coach Sarina Wiegman.
In a speech at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year show in December she said: “We’ll fly business class. That’s changed, too. You want to recover real quick and you have to perform so you’re trying to travel under the most comfortable circumstances.” [2]
Other rivals are expected to charter, especially those closer to the destination, and flights will also be required between matches in a tournament which features 10 stadia spread across two countries.
“Travelling by charter can often be quicker, more direct as well as more comfortable for players, which is vital when it comes to performance levels,” added Catriona at Chapman Freeborn.
“We are seeing many more clubs in the Champions League choose charter and it’s inevitable that international football will follow.”
The FIFA Women’s World Cup kicks off at Eden Park in Auckland/Tāmaki Makaurau on Thursday, 20 July with co-hosts New Zealand taking on Norway before Australia take on Ireland. The final is at Stadium Australia, Sydney, on Sunday 20 August.
Before then, the first-ever Play-Off Tournament for the FIFA Women’s World Cup takes place in Aotearoa New Zealand from 17-23 February. Cameroon, Chile, Chinese Taipei, Haiti, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Portugal, Senegal, and Thailand take part.
This year also sees a high-profile Women’s Champions League reach a climax.
Arsenal, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Lyon, Paris Saint-Germain, Roma and Wolfsburg play in the quarter-finals. The final will be held at PSV Stadion in Eindhoven on 3 June.
“Attendances for Champions League games are rising all the time – a record 91,553 were there for the quarter-final between Barcelona and Real Madrid last year,” said Catriona.
“So, it’s not surprising to see a new focus on travelling to games in greater comfort. We’re seeing even smaller clubs who have never chartered before starting to make enquiries.
“All in all, 2023 promises to be one of the biggest ever years for women’s football and that’s good news for the air charter industry, too.”
For more information visit www.chapmanfreeborn.aero
