UNTIL last month, if your child was at boarding school in the UK and wanted to travel to Cyprus to visit their family, they had to use the trooper from Brize Norton unless civilian flights had been authorised.
AFF is delighted to announce that this policy has now changed so that your child can once again use civilian flights as well as the trooper. This is great news as it means that your child will be able to travel from an airport much closer to their school rather than having to head to Oxfordshire.
You will need to choose an economy seat and claims for additional flight extras such as increased baggage allowance, additional leg room, fast pass boarding and subsistence are not permissible – you need to pay for those things yourself.
Booking a civilian flight
To use civilian flights, simply submit an application on JPA – ideally at least three months before the date of travel. Once approval is received you then need to go to your travel cell with details of the flights you want to use. The great thing about this is that you do not need to pay for the travel and then claim the cost back.
If you would like your child to travel from an airport other than the one closest to the boarding school, you need to seek the permission of your soldier’s Commanding Officer. You might want to do this if the nearest airport does not offer direct flights to Cyprus or a service for unaccompanied minors.
For more information, including where your travel cell is located, contact your local AFF Co-ordinator www.aff.org.uk/contact_us