Leading aircraft charter broker Air Charter Service (ACS) has expanded its UK presence with the opening of a new office in Manchester, its third in the country and first in the north of England.
The move comes as ACS looks to capitalise on growing demand from the thriving technology and sports sectors in the region, which is home to six Premier League football teams within a 40-mile radius.
ACS Chief Executive Justin Bowman said Manchester, now the UK’s second-most populous city after London, was a “renowned technology and creative hub” with an economy expected to grow at an annual rate of around 2.5% over the next two years.
“The north-west is also an extremely busy sporting region, especially in football, with six Premier League teams within a 40-mile radius of Manchester, as well as many other large lower league teams,” Mr Bowman said.
“Air Charter Service is already a leader in aircraft charters for the football industry, having arranged more than 1,500 contracts in the past five years, and this new office is perfectly situated to increase our business even further in the UK.”
The Manchester office will be headed up by Alex Sadat-Shafai, who joined ACS 18 years ago in its London headquarters and has worked in both the cargo and group charter teams, specialising in charters for football teams, executives, sponsors and fans.
“I moved here more than a year ago, with the plan to open this office when we had the correct set up in place, which we now do,” Mr Sadat-Shafai said. “I’m excited to be moving into the new office and working with the new team, continuing to support our work in sports charters in the region.”
ACS, which has 35 offices worldwide spanning all six major continents, arranges over 28,000 charter flights annually with revenue exceeding $1 billion for the past four years. The company offers private jet, commercial airliner and cargo aircraft charters, as well as onboard courier solutions.
Founded in 1990 by Chairman Chris Leach and CEO Justin Bowman, ACS now employs more than 600 staff globally.
The expansion into Manchester reflects the growing demand for private aviation services in the UK regions, driven by factors such as congestion at London airports and the convenience of flying closer to home for many travellers.
It also highlights the increasing use of charter flights by sports teams and organisations, with football clubs in particular relying on air travel to transport players, staff and equipment to domestic and international matches.
