During Airtrade’s 35th anniversary, CEO Jeroen Martron announced some important milestones and future plans of the company. Martron started his speech with pride in the fact that Airtrade has been around for 35 years. ‘An average lifespan of a company is 12.5 years. The fact that we have been around for 35 years is truly unique,’ says Martron. He emphasized that the key to this long-term success lies in constant innovation and the ability to adapt to the market. The anniversary also became a moment to make some important announcements. Martron revealed that Airtrade has signed a new three-year deal with Toer Business, which he presented as a ‘scoop’. In addition, KLM’s stake in Airtrade has grown to 100%, which further strengthens the cooperation between the two companies. Martron emphasized the importance of innovation and adapting to market changes, such as the integration of new technologies. However, he mainly emphasized the human side of the Airtrade. ‘The most important thing, and I’m 100% convinced of this, is that it’s a people’s business. And I’m so incredibly proud of our employees,” he said. During his speech, Martron gave special thanks to Frank Wester, the CFO of Airtrade, who is leaving the company after almost twenty years to take on a new challenge as a teacher. “Frank has made a huge contribution to our company and I will miss him terribly. He even made me a techno fan!’, Martron joked. As Wester’s successor, Laurens Vonkeman was announced, who was chosen by the entire team for his technical skills and strong personality. Martron is convinced that Laurens will be a worthy replacement and will continue Wester’s work. The anniversary ended with an ode to the founder of Airtrade, Wim Butte, and a word of thanks to all employees and customers who have remained loyal over the years. “We continue to focus on connections and relationships, both with customers and within our team. We look forward to the next 35 years,” said an optimistic Martron. Photo: Suzanne Al, Marco Ammerlaan (both Sunny Cars), Jeroen Martron (Airtrade) and Hubert van Velden (Prijsvrij Vakanties).
