Switzerland-headquartered aircraft charter, management and sales specialist Sparfell has made three appointments tasked with sustaining growth and aligning its business strategy. The group has recruited Vincent Cathelain as chief aviation officer in charge of flight operations, David Sorel as managing director of Sparfell Airways in Geneva, and Alexander Faust has been promoted internally to the position of chief technical officer.

All three employments are part of the strategic managerial restructuring within the aviation group to drive all Sparfell's standards, operationally and commercially, to the highest of the industry and to navigate through the very dynamic and challenging stage.

Cathelain will work with his team of NPOs, crews and dispatchers. In aviation for more than 20 years, he has acquired worldwide experience on many different business jets like the Hawker 125, Falcon 900 and 7X and Global 6000. He has previously held positions as chief pilot, flight operations manager and examiner, and is now operating the Airbus ACJ as captain and TRI/TRE.

He says: “I love the feeling that with business aviation, it is not just about flying but also about what is left of the heritage of the pioneers who could fly anywhere and at any time, but with the highest standard of safety. Working in a family-owned company where human values are essential is a real source of pride and the right way forward.”

Sorel started his career in 1996 and from 2000 spent eight years at TAG Aviation in Geneva in 2000 as ground operations manager. He co-founded D-Jet in 2008 and discovered the joy of aircraft brokerage and chartering. He says: “Life is made from encounters, and after 14 years with D-Jet, Philip and Edward Queffelec have given me the extraordinary opportunity to come back to where it all started: on the operator side, now combining my strong operational and commercial experiences from over the last 26 years. I am looking forward to participating in the expansion of Sparfell by sharing my experience and by embracing common human values.”

Faust became a licensed technician in Vienna in 1992, and became the first in Austria to obtain a CAT B1 licence number AML.A.001 when he held the position of deputy technical postholder. He then transitioned into engineering in 2001 and became the department deputy at a German airline. Since 2005 he has been part of Sparfell Luftfahrt, formerly LaudaMotion Executive, as the CAMO postholder.

He says: “I pride myself on contributing to the continuance of the highest levels of customer satisfaction, maintaining the highest safety standards within the aircraft continuing airworthiness management organisation and ensuring compliance with the Sparfell safety management system.”