TAM Group has established a dedicated air charter division and hired Fernando Carballal as its group charter director to meet demand for time-critical and specialised air cargo shipment solutions.
The Hong Kong-based GSSA said the division will provide flexible full and part-charter solutions for commodities such as perishables, pharmaceuticals, electronics, humanitarian aid, aerospace and automotive cargo, while supporting airline partners with overflow, ad hoc project and specialist charter opportunities that complement scheduled services.
TAM said that alongside catering for time-sensitive and specialist cargo, the dedicated charter unit is designed to help customers manage peak-season capacity pressure and network disruptions.
The air charter division follows the company’s successful charter operations in the Americas. TAM has been working on building its charter business since September 2024.
Operating from TAM Group’s Americas regional headquarters in Miami, the charter business initially focused on specialised charter opportunities across South America and carried out operations in markets including Brazil and Chile.
During this period, the team coordinated 30 charter operations, supporting customers across sectors including perishables, pharmaceuticals, industrial equipment, live animal and high-value cargo.
Charter director
As the new group charter director, Fernando Carballal will now be responsible for developing the charter business further and building a roadmap for global integration.
Currently based in Argentina, he has 11 years of air cargo experience, with a strong track record in airline, freight forwarding and charter brokerage sectors.
“The charter market is evolving quickly as customers look for greater flexibility, reliability and speed in their supply chains,” said Carballal.
“TAM Group has strong airline relationships, deep local market knowledge and a growing international network, which gives us a strong platform to build a charter business that delivers practical solutions for both airlines and freight forwarders.
“I am excited to join the team and help develop a scalable charter platform across the Americas and beyond.”
Fernando Garreton, vice president and managing partner of the Americas, TAM Group, said: “Since launching our initial charter operations in late 2024, the market response across Latin America has been very encouraging. Coming off a year of 23% growth in the Americas and our entry into the Mexican market, this is the right time to scale the business. We have proven the model locally; now we are building the structure to expand it.
“Bringing Fernando Carballal on board gives us experienced leadership to connect our regional expertise with our longer-term vision for global charter development.
“Importantly, this new charter division does not compete with our GSSA business, it strengthens it. For airline partners, charter capabilities can help capture overflow, project and specialist cargo opportunities without disrupting scheduled networks. For forwarders and logistics customers, it creates access to flexible capacity through a partner that understands local market execution.”
Last year, TAM told Air Cargo News it was actively pursuing growth in Latin America due to strong trade demand between the region and China.
TAM has opened new offices in Mexico City, Brazil, and Chile, where it benefits from a partnership with key Chinese and Latin American carriers.
