Flamengo negotiating lease of aircraft for exclusive club use | OneFootball

Flamengo are negotiating to lease an aircraft for full-time club use, with the deal expected after the World Cup to speed up travel and cut reliance on airlines.

"We will secure 30 to 35 flights with one company. If all goes well, the aircraft will sit in Rio de Janeiro and take off only when we want. It could also serve other clubs," club president Bap said. He told Flamengo TV.

The negotiation is for a three to four year deal as the board invests in logistics to reduce players’ physical strain. Currently all flights are chartered but availability issues mean preferred timings are not always possible.

With exclusivity, the aircraft would be kept on the ground in Rio, allowing the team to pick take off times for outbound trips and returns.

Before any deal, internal processes were tightened so flights are booked early and aligned with training. Within a day of the Libertadores draw, a club representative was in Cusco, Peru, to arrange the opener.

The schedule is intense until the World Cup pause, with the last game on 31 May. Over the next two months Flamengo have 18 matches and 27,660 km of travel across the Campeonato Brasileiro, Libertadores and Copa do Brasil, with eight trips including long hauls to Independiente Medellín at 9,586 km and Cusco at 6,406 km.

After the World Cup, the calendar will be even more demanding, with decisive stages and a near two month stoppage compressing fixtures.

Source: Globo.com