AIR ONE appoints Ilya Gavrilin as APAC Business Development Director

Global aviation group AIR ONE has appointed Ilya Gavrilin as Business Development Director APAC to support the commercial growth of its scheduled and charter freighter operations across the Asia-Pacific region. Operating from AIR ONE’s new regional headquarters in Hong Kong, Gavrilin will lead strategic commercial expansion, strengthen key client partnerships, and enhance network connectivity across vital trade lanes.

In his new position, Gavrilin assumes responsibility for commercial oversight across AIR ONE’s managed freighter fleet, which comprises 11 Boeing 747-400Fs and two Boeing 777Fs. His appointment comes at a crucial phase as the company continues to bolster its maindeck cargo capabilities to serve growing international freight demand between Asia, Europe, and beyond.

AIR ONE has established a consistent operational presence ex-APAC since launching AIR ONE Aviation in April 2020. Over the past five years, the organisation has operated more than 2,843 Boeing freighter flights connecting Asia Pacific with prominent international cargo hubs. Demonstrating the strategic central role of the region in the company's network, more than 70 per cent of these flights originated from APAC countries, with 1,874 departures originating directly from Hong Kong.

Building upon its foundation in charter operations, AIR ONE expanded its service model in September 2025 by introducing its first-ever scheduled cargo services. Supported by ongoing fleet expansion, the group launched dedicated Boeing 747F scheduled services connecting Asia Pacific and Europe. The network currently operates two rotations per week linking Hong Kong with East Midlands Airport in the UK, providing clients with regular, reliable maindeck capacity.

Gavrilin brings over 15 years of commercial aviation and air logistics experience to his new leadership role. He joins AIR ONE from his previous position as Vice President of EURES Express in Hong Kong, where he forged strategic commercial partnerships with prominent cargo airlines. Earlier in his career, Gavrilin spent over 12 years with Volga-Dnepr Airlines and Volga-Dnepr Group in senior commercial roles spanning Europe and APAC. During his tenure there, he established the group’s operational presence in Hong Kong and subsequently served as Deputy Commercial Director for Boeing 747 charters, as well as Head of Integrated Logistics Services (ILS).

Throughout his career, Gavrilin has demonstrated a strong track record in securing major charter agreements and surpassing revenue targets, even during challenging air cargo market cycles. Having worked across both airline operations and freight forwarding, he offers a comprehensive understanding of client demands and complex operational logistics.

Welcoming him to the leadership team, Guneet Mirchandani, Chairman of AIR ONE, stated: “As a seasoned commercial leader with over 15 years of experience and deep expertise across major Asia-Pacific markets, Ilya will help to drive our expansion across the region. His focus is to build on our well-established presence as a leading provider of freighter capacity, and to leverage our scheduled and charter capabilities to open new business opportunities for our clients as well as for AIR ONE and our partners,” said Guneet Mirchandani, Chairman of AIR ONE.

With Gavrilin at the commercial helm in Hong Kong, AIR ONE is well-positioned to drive its next phase of growth across APAC trade lanes.