Alex Sadat-Shafai to head ACS's new Manchester office
With its first office in northern England, the charter broker aims to expand its client base in the region's technology and sports markets.
Air Charter Service (ACS) has opened a new office in Manchester. This marks the charter broker's first office in the north of England and its third in the UK. The expansion to Manchester, the UK's second most populous city and a burgeoning technology and sports hub, aligns with ACS's strategy to enhance its UK network.
The new office will be led by Alex Sadat-Shafai. He joined ACS 18 years ago at the London headquarters and has worked in both the Cargo and Group Charter teams. He specialises in charters for football teams, executives, sponsors, and fans.
While highlighting the rising opportunities in the region due to Manchester's rapid economic growth, Justin Bowman, ACS's Chief Executive, said, "We have been looking into expanding our UK network for some time now, and Manchester is the second most populous city in the UK, having overtaken Birmingham in recent years. It is a renowned technology and creative hub and is the fastest-growing city in the north of England, with the economy expected to grow at an annual rate of around 2.5% over the next two years, making it the third-fastest-growing city in the UK after London and Reading."
Bowman stated that the northwest is a highly active sporting area, particularly in football, with six Premier League teams located within a 40-mile radius of Manchester " as well as many other large lower league teams." Air Charter Service has established itself as a renowned provider of aircraft charters for the football industry, having facilitated over 1,500 contracts in the past five years. The new office is strategically positioned to expand its business further in the UK.
"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," said Bowman.
The global charter broker, which started in a basement in 1990, now operates 35 offices across six continents. In the past four years, ACS has made over a billion dollars by operating 28,000 charter flights annually.
