Air One has appointed Ilya Gavrilin as business development director for the Asia Pacific region, strengthening its commercial leadership as the company looks to expand scheduled and charter freighter operations across one of the world’s most important air cargo markets.
Based at Air One’s regional headquarters in Hong Kong, Gavrilin will be responsible for developing new commercial opportunities, strengthening relationships with existing customers and supporting the expansion of the company’s freighter network across Asia Pacific.
His appointment comes as Air One continues to build its scheduled freighter presence from Hong Kong following the launch of Boeing 747-400F services to East Midlands Airport in the UK in September 2025. The scheduled operation builds on the company’s previous charter activity connecting Hong Kong and other Asian markets with international cargo destinations.
Air One currently manages a freighter fleet comprising 11 Boeing 747-400Fs and two Boeing 777Fs, providing capacity for both scheduled and charter operations.
Experienced Asia Pacific commercial leader
Gavrilin joins Air One from his position as vice president at Eures Express in Hong Kong.
He brings more than 15 years of commercial experience in the air cargo and logistics sector, with a career spanning major markets across Europe and Asia Pacific.
A significant part of his previous career was spent with Volga-Dnepr Airlines and Volga-Dnepr Group, where he held a series of commercial positions over more than 12 years.
During his time with the group, Gavrilin was involved in establishing its presence in Hong Kong and subsequently held senior commercial responsibilities, including deputy commercial director for Boeing 747 charter operations and head of integrated logistics services (ILS).
His experience covers freighter charter development, commercial strategy, customer relationships and the creation of new business opportunities across international markets.
Air One said his career has included securing major charter cargo agreements, exceeding revenue targets during challenging market conditions and developing new business verticals.
The combination of commercial experience and regional market knowledge is expected to support Air One’s efforts to develop its presence in Asia Pacific, where demand for dedicated freighter capacity remains closely linked to manufacturing, e-commerce, technology, automotive and other time-sensitive supply chains.
Focus on network and customer development
In his new position, Gavrilin will focus on commercial development across the region, working with customers and partners to identify opportunities for both scheduled and charter operations.
Air One chairman Guneet Mirchandani said Gavrilin’s experience across major Asia Pacific markets would support the company’s regional expansion.
“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,” Mirchandani said.
He added that Gavrilin would build on Air One’s existing presence as a freighter capacity provider while using its scheduled and charter capabilities to develop new opportunities for customers, the company and its partners.
The appointment comes at a time when flexibility has become increasingly important in international air freight. Scheduled services provide consistent capacity on established trade lanes, while charter operations allow carriers and freight providers to respond to short-term demand, project cargo requirements and changes in supply-chain flows.
For Air One, combining the two models provides a platform for serving both recurring and more specialised cargo requirements.
Hong Kong remains a key gateway
Gavrilin’s base in Hong Kong places him close to one of the world’s most important international air cargo markets.
Hong Kong has long served as a major gateway for manufacturing and high-value exports from Asia, while its extensive connectivity provides access to cargo markets across Europe, North America and other regions.
Air One’s decision to establish scheduled 747 freighter services from Hong Kong to East Midlands further strengthens this positioning.
The East Midlands gateway provides access to the UK’s central logistics region and its surrounding manufacturing, distribution and e-commerce markets. The route also provides a direct freighter connection between one of Asia’s leading cargo centres and an important European logistics hub.
Air One began scheduled 747 freighter operations between Hong Kong and East Midlands in September 2025, following a period in which the company had operated charter services from the region.
More than 2,800 freighter flights
Air One said that over the past five years it has operated more than 2,843 Boeing freighter flights connecting Asia Pacific with major cargo markets in Europe and other international destinations.
Of those flights, 1,874 originated from Hong Kong, highlighting the importance of the city within the company’s regional operations.
The accumulated flight activity also provides Air One with an established customer and partner base from which to develop additional scheduled and charter opportunities.
The company’s Boeing 747-400F fleet remains particularly relevant to its charter and long-haul operations, offering substantial main-deck cargo capacity for a broad range of freight.
The Boeing 777F fleet provides another option for customers requiring dedicated freighter capacity, while allowing the company to match aircraft type and capacity with individual market requirements.
Building the next phase of regional growth
The appointment of Gavrilin adds further commercial expertise to Air One’s Asia Pacific operation as the company seeks to develop its scheduled network while maintaining its charter capabilities.
For customers, the combination of established regional experience, dedicated freighter capacity and multiple operating models provides flexibility as international supply chains continue to evolve.
The focus for Gavrilin will be on translating that operating capability into new commercial relationships and sustainable network opportunities across Asia Pacific.
With Hong Kong continuing to serve as the centre of its regional commercial activities and the company expanding its scheduled freighter footprint into Europe, Air One is positioning its Asia Pacific operation around a combination of connectivity, customer relationships and flexible freighter capacity.
