AVIAPARTNER APPOINTS KEITH PURDOM AS CARGO SALES AND DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

Feb. 2, 2007

Brussels, 5 January 2006 – Aviapartner, Europe’s leading independent ground handler, announces the appointment of Keith Purdom as Sales and Development Manager of the Business Unit Cargo for the whole Aviapartner network, with immediate effect.

Keith Purdom will be responsible for all commercial matters, for all the cargo operations of the group, jointly with Steven Polmans, currently also holding the position of Sales and Development Manager Cargo. The fact of splitting the cargo sales function will dramatically strengthen Aviapartner’s sales force on the cargo handling market. As a team, Steven and Keith will further develop and implement Aviapartner Cargo’s commercial strategy, together with the Cargo General Managers Christian Roigk (Germany), Maurice Schmittbiel (France), and Geert Keirens (Belgium) Keith. Keith will also play a leading role in continuing to establish strong partnerships with our customers in Aviapartner’s 32-station cargo-handling network in Europe. And he will be instrumental, with Steven, in the further expansion of our cargo-handling network.

A British national, aged 56, Keith is a professional in the aviation services industry, having worked for a long time in senior general and commercial management positions at Globeground/Servisair. More recently he has been active as consultant and business development manager to Pannone Llp Solicitors.

In his new position, Keith Purdom is based at Aviapartner Cargo’s Head Office in Brussels. He can be reached via:

Tel.: +32 (0)2 723 04 86
Fax: +32 (0)2 723 04 89
Email: [email protected]

Note to editors

Aviapartner, whose origins date back to 1949, is the leading independent ground handler in Continental Europe, with headquarters in Brussels. Its main shareholder is 3i, a world leader in private equity and venture capital.

The Aviapartner group provides a wide range of services at 32 airports in 5 European countries: passenger and baggage handling, ticketing, cargo and mail handling, ramp services, aircraft servicing and maintenance, flight operations and crew administration, load control and communications, surface transport of passengers and crews, operation of airport lounges, catering services, security services and executive aviation services.

In 2005, it served 22 million passengers, provided ramp handling for some 210,000 aircraft and handled 913,000 tons of cargo. Aviapartner generated a turnover of 275 million € in 2005 and employs more than 4,900 staff.

Aviapartner Cargo:

Aviapartner Cargo offers the complete range of cargo handling services throughout its network of 32 stations in Europe. Aviapartner Cargo’s portfolio includes more than 100 airlines and forwarders, among which Air France Cargo, British Airways World Cargo, Cargolux, Cathay Pacific Cargo, Egyptair, El Al, Eva Air, Lufthansa Cargo, Nippon Cargo Airlines, Saudi Arabian Airlines, and Singapore Airlines Cargo. Aviapartner Cargo’s growth (+ 38% since 2001 – 913.000 tons in 2005) is supported by highly motivated and qualified staff, an unparalleled quality management system, including web-based quality statistics, and state-of-the-art cargo and warehouse automation systems. In Europe, Aviapartner Cargo’s extensive European network enables it to truck cargo in the whole of Europe, even beyond its 32 station network. Aviapartner Cargo offers a single point of contact for a network of preferred handling suppliers throughout Europe, which have been selected according to very stringent quality criteria in line with Aviapartner’s traditionally high standards for quality.

More information on www.aviapartner.aero.

For further information, please contact:

Christine Karels, Communications Manager, Aviapartner Head Office
Tel.: + 32 (0) 2 723 03 84 – Fax: + 32 (0) 2 723 09 81 – Mobile: +32 (0)476 90 01 16
Email: [email protected]
Heidestraat 32; B-1930 Zaventem (Belgium)