London, 26th April 2023

AALTO HAPS, manufacturer and operator of Zephyr, the world-record-breaking, solar-powered High Altitude Platform Station set to enter commercial service in 2024, appointed Hassan Kabbani as its Chief Commercial Officer (CCO).

Hassan will lead AALTO’s move to support the telecommunication mobile industry, with a new way to extend MNO network coverage to underserved and unserved areas. By using the Zephyr aircraft as a Tower in the Sky, thousands of kilometres can be covered without the need to build, service, protect and fuel ground-based towers, especially in the rural areas where terrestrial solutions are not feasible.

Providing connectivity from the stratosphere delivers greater resilience and security – enabling those below to experience direct 4G or 5G connectivity on their own same devices. AALTO’s stratospheric connectivity will enable a complete Direct to Device solution with an ultra-low latency of less than 10 milliseconds, while using the MNO’s own spectrum.

Hassan’s appointment further strengthens the leadership team of the new Airbus’ stratospheric services subsidiary that has been in development as a separate business entity since 2021. Comprising the technical expertise of Airbus, and the connectivity knowledge of industry leaders.

Hassan has accumulated more than thirty years of experience successfully leading large telecom operations in multiple countries with proven track-record of building high performing organizations delivering significant value to stakeholders, and will lead AALTO’s partnerships with MNOs looking to embrace this new game-changing technology.

Hassan has been CEO at several mobile operators including Zain Saudi Arabia, CEO of Orange Egypt (Mobinil), and CEO of Orascom Telecom Algeria (Djezzy). Prior to that, he served as the CEO of Telcel International, a group of 12 telecom companies in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Samer Halawi, AALTO’s CEO commented: “Hassan is highly experienced in the telecom and technology industry. He has a proven record of accomplishment in developing successful business strategy, operations management, business development, and transformation. We are delighted that he has chosen to join us at AALTO, as we enter advanced partnership discussions with leading MNOs, ahead of our 2024 Entry into Service.”

Hassan Kabani, AALTO’s new incoming CCO, said: “AALTO’s Zephyr HAPS is a revolutionary technology, set to redesign the connectivity industry as we know it. It’s very exciting to be a part of this project at a time when the business is actively engaged in so many discussions with major connectivity players looking to benefit from early adoption of new technology, and I look forward to leading these conversations.”

Hassan is currently an advisor and director on the boards of multiple companies.

He is a holder of a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from the Lebanese American University. He is also a certified Board Director from the IFC - World Bank, in addition to holding certification from the International Director Program (IDP), INSEAD.

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