Platinum Air Cargo USA becomes member of Europe's ATC Group

PLATINUM Air Cargo USA, a general sales agent based in Houston, has become a member of Europe's ATC Group, ending two years of merger negotiations.

ATC said the acquisition would not affect staff based in Europe and the US, as there are no plans for any layoffs. Neither is the merger intended to affect UK-based Platinum Air Cargo Holdings, which will remains an independently owned and operated business in the UK and Europe.

But Platinum USA will drop its brand name over time and operate under the name of its new parent by year-end, reports Atlanta-area Air Cargo World.

It said both GSAs will continue to offer their partner airlines global and regional cargo management and sales solutions.

Said ATC chief executive Ingo Zimmer: "I am very pleased that we have reached an agreement which strengthens both companies and which offers the combined enterprise more promising market perspectives."

Platinum's, US founder and president Don Cochran, added: "The ultimate winner of this merger will be our airline clients. They will greatly benefit from the uniform, integrated global network that our merger brings, as well as our intended IT harmonisation with ATC's global integrated IT platform."

Mr Cochran will hold his equity interest in Platinum USA, and become managing director of ATC's new US subsidiary, which will remain headquartered in Houston.

ATC will assume Platinum's existing US office network in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York and Washington, DC, coinciding with the launch of ATC and Platinum Etihad's Washington-Abu Dhabi service.

Founded in 2003, Platinum Air Cargo represents NCA Cargo, Egypt Air, Centurion Cargo, SAS Cargo and Etihad Cargo. It also acts for Leisure Cargo and Lufthansa Cargo Charter in various US geographic regions.