FORMALISING AN EXISTING WORKING RELATIONSHIP

Chapman Freeborn Greater China has been appointed as Magma Aviation’s general sales and service agent across Greater China, following the signing of an agreement on 25 June 2026. The appointment formalises a relationship already in operation: since the launch of Magma Aviation’s scheduled Boeing 747-400F services in China, Chapman Freeborn Greater China has supported the company’s commercial development and operational activity in the market.

The collaboration already extends to Europe, where Chapman Freeborn Cargo Capacity Management in Frankfurt acts as Magma Aviation’s general sales agent and supports its cargo management activities. Building on that cooperation across two regions, the GSSA appointment establishes what the companies describe as a deeper strategic collaboration in Greater China, combining Magma Aviation’s expertise in long-term and ad hoc air cargo charter with Chapman Freeborn’s local market presence.

The distinction between a general sales agent and a general sales and service agent is the reason this is a step rather than a renewal. A GSA sells capacity; a GSSA additionally takes on operational and customer service functions in the market – the handling interface, documentation and day-to-day support that would otherwise require the carrier to maintain its own local organisation. For an operator running scheduled freighter services into a market it does not have a base in, that is the difference between selling into China and operating in it.

WHAT EACH PARTY BRINGS

Peter Kerins, Chief Executive Officer of Magma Aviation, said Greater China remained a strategically important market and that the appointment strengthened the company’s presence in the region, reflecting a commitment to building closer customer relationships through a more localised approach. He said the collaboration would enable Magma to provide customers with the flexibility and specialist expertise they expect.

Allen Liu, President of Chapman Freeborn Greater China, said the company was pleased to strengthen its collaboration with Magma Aviation, and that the two would combine global air cargo capabilities with local market expertise to give customers across Greater China broader access to air cargo solutions and responsive support. The companies state the arrangement will provide faster response times, more tailored support and access to a broader range of capacity solutions by aligning resources across the Chapman Freeborn Group.

Chapman Freeborn has more than 50 years of experience providing private air passenger and cargo charter services for corporations, governments, NGOs, relief agencies and private individuals. The company is part of Avia Solutions Group, which operates a fleet of 136 aircraft and is the parent of more than 250 subsidiaries, supported by 11,000 aviation professionals across six continents.