Blacklane launches in Asia-Pacific, appoints ex-Daimler executive as COO/CFO

Professional driver service Blacklane is expanding into the Asia-Pacific market, launching services in 64 cities, including Beijing, Osaka, and Manila.

It will open a new regional office in Singapore in January and has announced a partnership with Asia Miles, the frequent flier program for the Cathay Pacific and Dragonair airlines.

Berlin-based Blacklane offers fully-insured ground transport services. According to figures provided by the company, APAC accounts for 30% of the world’s travel market with 577 million inbound visitors last year.

“International visitors are flocking to the region while its booming middle class is exploring the world. Therefore, more and more travelers desire a single trusted driver service for their global travel,” said CEO Jens Wohltorf. “A familiar and professional experience gives passengers and corporate travel managers peace of mind around the world.”

The company has also appointed Ralf Echtler as chief operating and chief financial officer. Echtler is a former executive at Daimler, which is an investor in Blacklane, and sat on Blacklane’s board of advisors. Echtler will be responsible for the company’s finance and legal teams, customer care, and driver relationship and will report to Wohltorf.

“In my previous position I had a front-row seat to watch Blacklane grow its footprint and add key travel partners,” said Echtler. “I am excited to help accelerate Blacklane’s growth and scale our services around the world.”

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