International charter broker Air Partner has promoted Freight manager Richard Smith to director of Group Freight. In just five years with the company, Richard has transformed the Freight division from a small specialised operation serving a handful of clients into the global player it is today.

Air Partner’s freight business has more than doubled in the past five years and is now providing a significant contribution to overall Group profits. Based at Air Partner’s London-Gatwick headquarters, Smith heads an expanding freight team with in-house cargo specialists in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and USA based in London, Cologne, Paris, Tokyo, Dubai and Fort Lauderdale. Further Air Partner Freight office openings are planned with announcements expected in the New Year. Prior to joining Air Partner, Smith spent 16 years working for cargo charter operators, three of which were spent in Singapore where he managed a chartered Herculesaircraft.