Air Partner firing on all cylinders in 2017 with successful automotive flights

Air Partner - 04 Oct 2017

Air Partner, the global aviation service group, firing on all cylinders in 2017 with successful automotive flights.

2017 Highlights

• Increase in number of automotive customers, with an expectation of further growth in 2018

• German office wins contracts with two premium players in the market

• Arranging flights for approx. 8000 passengers to Alicante, Spain, for the car launch of a prominent German brand

• Flying thousands of guests to Spain for the launches of the new BMW 5 Series and the new MINI Countryman

• Currently preparing for a car launch for approx. 20,000 car dealers in Oct/Nov 2017

2017 has been a busy year of automotive activity for Air Partner’s Commercial Jets team, and business looks set to accelerate into 2018. In addition to carrying out various projects for existing customers, this year has also seen a number of contract wins. In Germany, the team is particularly pleased to announce that it has won business with two new prominent automotive customers.

Air Partner is acutely aware of the unique demands of the automotive industry, where time and price efficiency are key: for instance, the ability to fly out members of the press to events in a time-efficient manner ensures a greater turnout at important events. In addition, automotive customers value the convenience and flexibility of private charter, as well as the ability to tailor their travel to suit their needs.

Just one example of Air Partner’s success in 2017 was a series of flights carried out in January and February, where the team pulled out all the stops to arrange corporate flights for a car launch for one of Germany’s biggest automotive brands. This involved transporting approximately 8000 guests over 33 days to Alicante, Spain, from a variety of locations in Europe. Elsewhere the team carried out a total of 76 flights for 7,670 guests for the launches of the BMW 5 Series and the MINI Countryman.

As well as high-volume charters such as this, the team also has the experience and expertise to assist with smaller, more intimate events, taking care in all cases to look after the finer details. For instance, Air Partner can offer its customers various marketing opportunities, such as branded headrest covers, which are requested by the majority of automotive customers carrying out flights in the UK. Leveraging its relationships and reputation built over 50 years, Air Partner works hard to provide innovative solutions to meet and exceed automotive customer requirements.

Automotive activity will continue to pick up pace into the latter part of this year. During October and November, Air Partner is gearing up to arrange more than 200 flights for 20,000 passengers for a big dealer experience in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. Looking ahead to 2018, car launches will continue to make up a large part of Air Partner’s automotive flight requests, particularly for new or revamped electric cars.

Clive Chalmers, Trading Director at Air Partner, commented: “We are extremely pleased with the solid growth in our automotive customer base this year, and the number of projects in the pipeline for 2018. The automotive sector is rapidly evolving and we look forward to what the next year brings in terms of new projects and opportunities.”