Global air charter specialist Chapman Freeborn has appointed Mark Thibault as president for Asia Pacific (APAC) and Alain Champonnois as president for India, Middle East & Africa (IMEA).

The appointments bring 65 years of experience to the organisation which, in conjunction with a new office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, forms part of its growth strategy in the regions.

Eric Erbacher, group chief executive at Chapman Freeborn, said: “Mark and Alain are both extremely experienced aviation professionals and we welcome them to the Chapman Freeborn team.

“Their decades of expertise combined with their local market knowledge for their respective regions gives me every confidence that they will be extremely successful in their new roles.

“I look forward to working with them closely to execute our ambitious growth strategies for both APAC and IMEA.”

Thibault has been in business aviation for 40 years, holding mission-critical business, quality, safety, and senior management roles for well-known operators in the Middle East, Asia, and the US.

Champonnois joins Chapman Freeborn having held senior positions in business aviation for over 25 years and is set to focus on accelerating Chapman Freeborn’s growth in IMEA.

The new appointments follow the company’s news at the start of 2024 which revealed Chapman Freeborn‘s growth figures for its 2023 operations, which included a 29% boost to its European sales team.

The air charter specialist and part of Avia Solutions Group also expanded its presence during 2023 to eight additional cities and onboarded over 30 new team members across the continent in its cargo, group passenger, and business aviation divisions.

READ MORE NEWS: Chapman Freeborn reports strong growth for 2023