Air Charter Service has opened a new office in Bangkok, Thailand, further strengthening the company’s presence in Asia. Steve Fernandez, formerly head of the company’s Hong Kong office, has moved to Thailand to spearhead the operation.

Chris Leach, ACS’s Chairman, said of the development: “Over the past decade Steve has built up the Hong Kong office to one of our best performing operations and, as Regional Director, has overseen the opening of our Shanghai, Sydney, Singapore and Brisbane offices. We are very excited about the prospect of opening the new region of Thailand and the Indochinese Peninsular, with the objective of gaining a foothold in the new manufacturing growth in the region.

“Recent years have seen the move of many manufacturing businesses from China, where economic growth means the savings previously gained through production in the country are not what they once were, to emerging economies, such as those of Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. We feel this region requires a specific focus and the ACS office in Bangkok will be the local headquarters from where Steve will build an ACS team, serving these countries.”

Fernandez said of the move: “We have been exploring strategies for many months to gain a foothold in what is an exciting emerging market and I can’t wait to get started here in Bangkok with my team. It is an exciting time for the region, and from this office we will be looking to serve both the passenger market and cargo operations.”