PrivatPort Promotes Aldo Salzillo to COO and Desigen Vythilingum to CCO Ahead of NBAA-BACE

PrivatPort, the standalone executive aviation company launched by Swissport in July 2026, has promoted two members of its leadership team, effective Oct. 7, 2026. Aldo Salzillo, previously Global Head of Operations, has been named Chief Operating Officer. Desigen Vythilingum, previously Global Head of Commercial & Business Development, has been named Chief Commercial Officer. Both report to CEO Josua Hildbrand.

As Chief Operating Officer, Salzillo will oversee operations across PrivatPort’s nine dedicated FBOs and wider network of more than 70 partner locations across four continents. He has spent 25 years with Swissport, 23 of them in executive aviation, and brings firsthand experience leading operations teams around the world.

“Our clients judge us on the minutes between touchdown and the car door,” said Salzillo. “My job is to make sure those minutes feel just as effortless at every PrivatPort location, wherever in the world they land. As Chief Operating Officer, I will work with our teams to deliver one operating standard across the network, with safety first and hospitality in every detail. A standard only lives if the people on the ramp and at the front desk own it, so I will be out where they work, listening and making sure they have the training and tools they need. We will know we have succeeded when a crew can land at any of our locations and know exactly what to expect.”

As Chief Commercial Officer, Vythilingum will lead PrivatPort’s commercial strategy, partnerships and network development worldwide. Working alongside PrivatPort’s teams, he will focus on strengthening customer relationships, developing lasting partnerships and expanding the network’s footprint with clear commercial purpose.

“This appointment is both a personal honor and a responsibility to the people who will shape PrivatPort’s future,” said Vythilingum. “My vision is to build an international network that our clients will trust for its operational precision, and passengers and crews remember for its hospitality. As Chief Commercial Officer, I will work alongside our teams to strengthen customer relationships, develop lasting partnerships and expand our footprint with clear commercial purpose. I believe leadership means giving people a shared direction, listening to their experience and empowering them to succeed. We will measure our success through sustainable growth, the loyalty of our customers and the pride our colleagues take in what we achieve together.”

“Aldo and Desigen have helped build PrivatPort since day one,” said Josua Hildbrand, CEO of PrivatPort. “These promotions recognize what they have already delivered and put them at the center of where we go next.”

One point of contact, around the clock: PrivatPort’s OCC

PrivatPort’s Dubai-based Operations Control Centre (OCC) is the central coordination hub behind every mission in its global network. It operates 24 hours a day across every time zone.

From the moment a request is received to the final post-mission closeout, the OCC holds a single thread of accountability. Flight planning, slot coordination, ground handling, crew welfare, passenger movement, fueling and permits are all managed by one team.

For clients, one point of contact replaces what would otherwise take a network of vendors, coordinators and calls across multiple time zones.

Meet PrivatPort at NBAA-BACE 2026

Salzillo, Vythilingum and Josua will attend NBAA-BACE in Las Vegas from Oct. 20-22, 2026. Operators, flight departments, partners and media are invited to meet the team. Topics include PrivatPort’s global network and its Operations Control Centre. To arrange a meeting, contact Desigen Vythilingum at desigen@privatport.ch.