Press Release
Issued by Chapman Freeborn Airchartering .
October 16, 2008
The Chapman Freeborn Group is celebrating 35 years of success in the aviation industry. The internationally renowned, award-winning charter firm has grown from a tiny operation based in the UK to a global player on the world charter map.
The company will be joined in London next month by clients, suppliers and service partners at its annual Beaujolais night event, which will see celebrations to mark more than three decades of chartering excellence.
Chris Chapman said:
"Our annual wine evening is always an opportunity to gather friends and thank them for their support and custom, but this year's is extra special. It's a proud moment to raise a glass and toast 35 happy years of Chapman Freeborn Airchartering. Our team and indeed customer base has grown beyond the modest expectations that we started out with, but I'm pleased to say, I feel we've remained humble, maintained and improved the service to our clients; and built solid relationships with our partners. I hope we can continue in the same vein for many years to come. And most of all to remember that without you we'd never have made it - so thanks to you all".
Founded in 1973 by Chris Chapman and Mike Freeborn, the company was originally established to market Alaska International Air's fleet of Hercules freighters. At its peak Alaska International Air operated five aircraft, but with business faltering in the local oil and gas industry new revenue streams were urgently required.
Chapman Freeborn successfully swapped snow boots for sun hats by using the Alaskan aircraft for ad-hoc charters and longer term contracts in Africa and, later, across the globe.
Mike Freeborn stepped back from an active role in the company in 1978 but Chris Chapman remains group chairman to this day and has seen the business soar skywards.
Today the company has 36 offices in 20 countries across four continents and coordinated more than 4,500 cargo and passenger charters last year, in addition to aircraft lease contracts.
Furthermore, the company's charter work has generated two successful subsidiaries, Air Dispatch International and Paragon Global Flight Support, providing outsourced airline representation and flight operation services respectively.
Delivering excellence
Chapman Freeborn has long been renowned for providing cargo charter solutions and although this still makes up the majority of our business, the cargo / passenger mix is shifting towards a more even split.
Alongside day-to-day work for freight forwarders and logistics providers, regular aid movements are also managed for NGO clients and agencies, such as the United Nations.
Chapman Freeborn has provided support in almost every emergency airlift of the last 30 years - including the major African famines during the 1980s, Asian Tsunami in 2004, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the Chinese earthquake and Burmese floods earlier this year. More recently, it transported humanitarian aid to Haiti to help those left homeless by the storms that battered the Caribbean country.
As well as regular cargo charters and vital humanitarian aid, we have complied with an array of unusual requests over the last 35 years. The company was once contracted to fly in a large consignment of red tape for a government, although it later transpired this was in fact for fingerprint voting. Elsewhere, live animal cargo has included everything from 73 show-jumping horses to pink flamingos and an elephant. However, the most unusual request - a payload of monkey heads to be transported in Africa - had to be politely declined.
We were proud to be voted by customers and suppliers alike as Air Cargo Charter Broker of The Year in both 2007 and 2008 in the Air Cargo Week Awards.
Strong passenger performance
While Chapman Freeborn's initial focus was on cargo, it has always embraced passenger operations - both on large airliners and small business jets - and this part of the business has developed steadily over the years.
Since the end of the 1980s the company has developed niche expertise in managing flights for high profile music tours, movie promos and other entertainment industry clients, high net worth individuals and corporate customers.
Working with celebrities brings its own unique challenges, and the Chapman Freeborn team is famed for its discretion and willingness to go the extra mile for its clients - from customising aircraft liveries with the band's logo, to helping stars dodge the waiting paparazzi.
The company is also seeing growth in other passenger markets including corporate and incentive travel. It was recently nominated for Best Executive Aviation Provider at the Buying Business Travel Awards, the result of which will be announced this December in London.
Meanwhile, Chapman Freeborn's ACMI and leasing activities continue to go from strength to strength. There are currently two B767's on long-term dry lease and five other aircraft on long-term wet lease.
A proud history - but a company looking to the future
Chapman Freeborn has always grown organically as a business. It has proved successful in adapting to what is a constantly changing market place, and this will continue into the future.
In 1981 the company opened its first overseas brokerage in Frankfurt, Germany, and the winning formula has since been replicated in offices stretching from the Americas and Europe to the Middle and Far East.
The most recent addition to the global network is an office in Sao Paulo, Brazil, which opened in 2007 and is celebrating its anniversary this month.
