26 Jan 12 Air Partner opens a dedicated Italian freight operation as strategic expansion continues

Air Partner has opened a specialist cargo department at its Milan office in Italy as part of its strategic expansion plan to develop its worldwide freight charter services.

This comes a year after the aircraft broker’s launch of a dedicated freight department within its US operation and two years after the opening of Air Partner Freight in Turkey.

The Air Partner group now has specialist freight teams in nine of its 21 worldwide locations based at the company’s UK HQ and in France, Germany, Japan, Dubai, Hong Kong, Turkey, the US and now Italy.

“We are confident this was the right time to add a permanent local freight presence in Italy, despite the current economic uncertainty in Europe,” said Regional Freight Manager Mike Hill. “In addition to our well-established passenger charter services, our transient Italian freight business has been growing at a healthy rate for many years.

“Air Partner’s ability to provide local expert knowledge 24/7 is a key factor when clients choose to appoint us as their partner for bespoke aviation charter requirements. Additionally, the recent European launch of our Time Critical product and its tailormade real-time RedTrack door-to-door freight tracking system allows us to offer this new service to Italian clients, including those in the automotive and aerospace logistic sectors.”

The company’s newly-appointed Milan-based freight manager is aviation specialist Domenico Di Roberto. Throughout his career he has held senior sales and commercial director positions at Air Mauritius, Turkish airlines, TWA, Pescara Airport, Italy’s Baltour travel group, and Skylink Aviation.

“Air Partner has been trading for 50 years and over the last 14 the company has established an international reputation a ‘go now’ specialist able to meet every request, even those involving flights into remote areas and outsize loads,” he said. “The company continues to evolve and I am looking forward to the challenge of developing relationships within the diverse Italian freight sector.”

In the financial year to 31 July 2011, Air Partner Freight’s client numbers in the industrial and commercial sector increased by 19 per cent.

About Air Partner
Air Partner has been trading for 50 years and is a world leading provider of aviation charter services to industry, commerce, governments and individuals worldwide. The Group is globally recognised as a leading charter broker and organises ad hoc aircraft charters of every type for any reason. Its three main divisions comprise Air Partner Freight, Air Partner Commercial Jets and Air Partner Private Jets. The Commercial Jets division charters large airliners to move groups of any size. Private Jets offers the company’s pre-paid JetCard scheme and on-demand charter. With its headquarters alongside Gatwick airport in the UK, Air Partner operates 24/7 year-round and employs 225 aviation professionals across its 21 offices in key business centres globally. Air Partner is fully listed on the London Stock Exchange and is the only company in the aviation industry to hold a Royal Warrant, a globally recognised mark of excellence.

About Air Partner Freight
Air Partner Freight charters aircraft of every size to fly cargo anywhere, at any time, whatever its weight, size or shape. Serving governments, leading industrial shippers and relief and humanitarian organisations, the freight team provides bespoke air charter solutions to meet a wide range of cargo charter needs. From urgent ‘go now’ requirements moving small quantities of automotive spare parts between plants through to the most complex project cargo shipments taking several months to plan, Air Partner Freight has the skills, experience and expertise to ensure shipments are handled securely and reliably. London Gatwick-based Air Partner Freight’s cargo specialists in the UK, USA, Dubai, Germany France, Turkey, Italy, Hong Kong and Japan provide strength of knowledge by utilising regional carriers for tailored charter services.

For more information please visit:
http://www.airpartner.com/freight/
http://www.airpartnertimecritical.com/