Standing Offer for Air Charter Services

Provision of fixed and/or rotary wing air charter services primarily within the Northern Territory region.

The Commonwealth has an ongoing need for air charter services to support 114MCRU operations (based at RAAF Darwin), however the timing and quantity of services cannot accurately be determined in advance because of the constantly changing and often short notice nature of their tasking requirements.
Terrain conditions for air charter landing sites include the following:

a. totally unprepared sites, accessible only by rotary wing; or
b. unsupported dirt airfields, accessible by rotary wing or suitable fixed wing aircraft.

Typical payload requirements will be as follows:

a. 2 personnel, baggage and cargo, with an all up weight of 450kg; and
b. 5 personnel, baggage and cargo, with an all up weight of 750kg.

The Contractor shall ensure that the aircraft operator used in delivering the air charter service requirement (whether it be the Contractor, or a Subcontractor) must hold a current, approved CASA Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC), in accordance with CAO Section 82.1, for charter operations. Any tenderers who cannot satisfy this essential requirement will be excluded from consideration in accordance with Condition of Tender clause 3.4.
Tenderers should take particular note of Condition of Tender clause 2.14 that states the following:

In addition to a tender for both fixed and rotary wing air charter Services, the Commonwealth will consider a tender for part of the Services, being:

a. a tender for the provision of fixed wing air charter Services only; or
b. a tender for the provision of rotary wing air charter Services only.

The ideal outcome for this tendering process is to establish a Standing Offer with one or more approved fixed wing and rotary wing charter suppliers so that the appropriate aircraft type (fixed/rotary and appropriate of the relevant payload) is available when required by 114MCRU. The agreed Service Rates will be contained in the Deeds between the Commonwealth and each of the approved suppliers.