News
ACASS launches U.S. opereations

Sept. 24, 2008, Montreal – ACASS, a leading international supplier of corporate aviation services, today officially entered the US market with the opening of an office in Atlanta, Georgia with emphasis on pilot and crew placement services for US-based business aviation operators conducting domestic and international missions.

Bringing a wealth of business aviation experience in the US market, the new leadership team includes:

Nick Houseman, Managing Director, USA. Prior to joining ACASS, Mr. Houseman was Program Director and Head of New Program Development (for the Global XRS and Global 5000 aircraft models) at Bombardier Aerospace. In this role, Nick was directly responsible for overall program profit and loss. Specifically, he led several initiatives, including increasing the Global 5000’s range and the Global Vision cockpit upgrade.  From 2003 to 2007, Nick Houseman was Director of Flight Operations at Bombardier Aerospace, where he managed demonstrator aircraft, interim lift, charter and pilot provisioning for Learjet, Challenger and Global flight operations, from bases in Wichita KS and Hartford CT. Earlier in his career, Mr. Houseman was General Manager of Bombardier Skyjet North America, headquartered in Washington DC, one of the leading companies that revolutionized the business aviation charter industry by introducing block hour programs and a Web-based brokerage service. In addition to bringing the company to profitability, Nick was also instrumental in Bombardier’s initial decision to acquire Skyjet in 1999.

Kevin Rodgers, Vice President Sales, USA. Before joining ACASS, Mr. Rodgers was a Regional Director of Sales at Jet Aviation. Earlier in his career, Kevin served as Vice President of Operations and Director of Sales at Bombardier Aerospace’s Skyjet North America division. Kevin Rodgers has worked with numerous clients, including Fortune 100 companies, to support business aviation needs. An active pilot and licensed dispatcher, Mr. Rodgers serves on the Board of Directors of the Georgia Business Aviation Association and is a member of the Southeast Corporate Aviation Management Association, which represents many leading flight departments in the southeastern US.

George Tsopeis, Director of Aircraft Services, USA. Mr. Tsopeis brings more than a dozen years of aviation experience to the ACASS team. Most recently, George was Director of Business Development at CAMP Systems, the number one global provider of business aircraft maintenance tracking services. Earlier in his career, George Tsopeis held several management positions with Bombardier Aerospace, including: Manager of Business Planning and Performance, and Manager of Strategic and Business Development.

With more than 7,000 pilots in its placement database (90% are FAA certified and the majority are US based), ACASS is extremely well positioned to serve the unique requirements of the US business aviation market. With the necessary resources to adjust to last minute flight plan changes, ACASS delivers levels of service quality that surpass industry standards.

“Having served at least 2,000 flight departments in more than 25 countries worldwide, our team of 100 full-time employees offers a resource-rich blend of experience and dedication to the US market. Despite the current economic situation, the US remains the most attractive business aviation market in the world,” said Andre Khury, President, ACASS. “We are proud to welcome our US management team, including several talented industry veterans led by Nick Houseman and look forward to serving our new American clients with the highest standards of professionalism and discretion,” Mr. Khury concluded.