Chapman Freeborn has announced a restructuring of its European passenger division, alongside the appointment of Filipe Mendonca as Vice President Passenger Sales Europe, as part of a broader strategy to accelerate regional growth and enhance market coverage.
The leadership realignment reflects the company’s intent to sharpen its focus on both established and emerging European markets. Under the new structure, Mendonca will oversee passenger sales across Europe outside the United Kingdom and the DACH region (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland). Meanwhile, James Edwards will continue in his role as Vice President Passenger Europe, with an increased emphasis on strengthening operations within the UK and DACH markets—areas considered core to the company’s regional performance.
Mendonca joins Chapman Freeborn with more than 25 years of experience across multiple segments of the aviation industry, including airline operations, charter brokerage, ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance), leasing, and aircraft transactions. His career spans key global markets across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, reflecting a broad understanding of both commercial and operational aviation dynamics.
Prior to his appointment, Mendonca served as Vice President Europe at Air Partner, where he was responsible for leading trading and charter activities across continental Europe. His appointment is expected to support Chapman Freeborn’s ambitions to expand its footprint and strengthen customer engagement across diverse European markets.
Chapman Freeborn, part of Avia Solutions Group, has been progressively scaling its global charter operations, serving a wide range of clients including multinational corporations, governments, humanitarian organisations, and high-net-worth individuals. The company provides both passenger and cargo charter solutions, leveraging a global network and decades of operational expertise.
The latest leadership changes come amid continued growth in demand for flexible charter solutions, driven by evolving travel patterns, supply chain disruptions, and the need for customised aviation services. By refining its regional leadership structure, the company aims to better align its commercial strategy with market-specific opportunities across Europe.
Industry stakeholders note that the European charter market remains highly dynamic, with demand influenced by a mix of corporate travel needs, event-driven movements, and specialised transport requirements. Strengthening leadership capabilities is seen as a key factor in maintaining competitiveness and capturing growth in both mature and emerging segments.
With Mendonca’s appointment and the enhanced leadership framework, Chapman Freeborn is positioning itself to further expand its presence across Europe while reinforcing service delivery standards and operational coordination across its network.
