Air Partner, leader in global private charter and freight aviation solutions, has announced that it will be further expanding its team and product range throughout the Asia Pacific region from the Air Partner office based in Marina Bay, Singapore. The Singapore office was established in summer 2019 and, after early success, was a key player for Air Partner in facilitating the freight charter of personal protective equipment (PPE) following the unprecedented demand earlier this year.
Air Partner is slowly seeing increased activity now in non-PPE movements, corresponding to the gradual industrial recovery since Covid-19 restrictions have begun to ease, and is also looking forward towards peak cargo charter season as production lines begin to build up towards Christmas.
The expansion has been overseen by Mike Hill, Air Partner Director of Freight, who joined the business in 2007 to establish the freight department in Germany, and has now relocated to Singapore in order to strengthen Air Partner’s presence in the region with his experience in building freight business in new markets. “We’ve worked hard during the last 12 months to build trust with our new client base and to export the Air Partner experience and service excellence into the Asia Pacific region. Our dedication to detail has ensured the smooth running of our client’s freight operations during the most challenging times of the PPE peak. Alongside this, we’ve provided solutions for disrupted supply lines in oil and gas, aerospace and e-commerce on some very time-critical projects.”
The unprecedented demand for PPE globally has seen Air Partner most active in the major trade lanes between Asia/USA and Asia/Europe with PPE cargo charter flights on both freighters and passenger freighters. “Enabling the vital supply of PPE and other hygiene products has naturally been the major focus for us this year”, says Mike Hill. “During the high demand period for PPE, our Singapore office was critical for Air Partner freight globally, in not only serving their own local clients, but sourcing operator capacity for the group from the region, as well as coordinating local arrangements on the ground in Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and China for the hundreds of flights we operated into the US and Europe from April through July.”
Air Partner sees significant opportunity for future growth in the Asia Pacific region. The Covid-19 pandemic has provided opportunities in the region, as manufacturing hubs have begun to re-open after localised lockdowns and business suspensions. “Going forward we will be working alongside our valued freight forwarders clients to further build on these new relationships. Onboard Courier Freight (OBC) activity is now getting back on its feet, as more commercial flight routes are opening up and I am excited to see the green shoots of recovery in OBC since the Covid hiatus.” Mike continues. “We’re looking forward to supporting existing and prospective clients in the region with the full suite of Air Partner products.”
“The last few months have really emphasised the importance of reliability in time-critical freight operations and consistency in supply lines, and we’re confident our team in Singapore can help partners meet every freight challenge, from the ordinary to the extraordinary.” The office in Singapore was originally set up as a freight office, but will now begin to provide the full range of Air Partner’s service offering, including private jet hire, group charter and services supplied by Air Partner’s Safety & Security division, comprised of Baines Simmons and Redline Assured Security.
Air Partner is a global private charter and freight aviation leader, with nearly 60 years of experience. Listed on the London Stock Exchange, Air Partner employs over 400 aviation professionals globally and has 16 locations across the world, with its headquarters near Gatwick airport. For more information, visit www.airpartner.com
