CHAMP expands by buying Softair

Monday, 30 November -0001

ACQUIRING Softair AG, the Zurich-based provider of integrated software solutions to cargo carriers and their distribution partners has boosted the market status of CHAMP Cargosystems as a full-service provider in its field.
Headquartered in Luxembourg, CHAMP is owned jointly by SITA and Cargolux International.

Softair was set up in 1985 and is best known for its Cargo One workstation product. More recently it has introduced the first of its new Cargospot suite which utilises Java/Oracle. This has sold well to many of Softair’s 100-plus airline customers.

John Johnston, CHAMP’s chief executive, said that the acquisition accelerated the company’s “vision to deliver the world’s first integrated enterprise model capable of powering any cargo operation to success”.

It would allow CHAMP “to expand and reinforce its addressable market to include ground handling agents, general sales agents and forwarders”.

Gabriel Weisskopf, Softair’s founder and chief executive, said the merger made “clear business sense” for both companies.

“The combination of expertise and best-of- breed systems means that CHAMP can now offer both licensed and hosted software services, providing benefits to all participants in the air cargo process, no matter what size of cargo operation, based on an open systems platform.”

On the web: www.champ.aero