Breitling ends sponsorship contract with Apache Aviation

For the 2020 season and beyond, Jacques Bothelin, Apache Aviation President, is setting up a sponsor research strategy using unique know-how, developed over 37 years of aerial demonstration. His team’s future will be hopefully ensured either through an exclusive sponsor or a pool of co-sponsors.

Apache Aviation announced that from the end of the season 2019, its seven L-39 Albatros team will no longer fly under the colours and brand name of Breitling.

Breitling has decided not to renew the sponsorship contract at the end of this year with Apache Aviation, operator for 17 years of the Breitling Jet Team.

Breitling Jet Team was established in 2003 as the first professional civilian jet team in the world flying in Europe, Asia, Middle-East, North America. The team has performed hundreds of displays with its 7 L39 Albatros jets, as well as bringing the thrill of aerobatics formation flying to thousands of passengers, being the only organization to offer this experience with multiple jets.

Apache Aviation has operated an aerobatic team since 1982 under Martini, Ecco/Adecco, and Breitling colours and has performed 3,000 safe displays in 39 countries.

"The fighter jet is a flying machine of excellence, an unsurpassed communication vehicle to ensure unique visibility to a brand, whether at public events, via the Internet and social media or by all the private operations for which the team remains available to the sponsor. Aerobatics offers a fascinating show, it is the quintessence of mastery and style." recalls Jacques Bothelin.

Flexible, transgenerational and unconstrained by a sporting calendar, the aerobatic team is the communication tool offering the best return on investment and an unforgettable customer experience.

The future Apache Aviation partners will benefit from the 30 annual demonstrations in 10 Europe countries, complemented by tailor-made operations.

Located in Dijon-Longvic and founded in 1982 by Jacques Bothelin, Apache Aviation is a professional aerobatics team operator and aerial work operator, referenced for the last 12 years by the Ministry of Defense with a fleet of 20 aircraft, mainly jets and turboprops. The subsidiary firm Apache Aviation Training & Services created in 2018 offers an UPRT (Upset Prevention & Recovery Training) training module and jet formation flight training with a fleet of 6 TB-30 Epsilon.