IAM sees high-value exports drive premium airfreight demand
The high value and urgency of many Irish airfreight exports is driving a mini-boom in express and time-definite airfreight services, according to IAM – Ireland’s largest cargo GSSA. Dublin-based IAM – which represents 13 leading airlines, and accounts for around 20% of all Irish airfreight exports – has seen steady growth in demand for premium-rated services such as American Airlines’ (AA) Expeditefs product, which promises priority loading and reduced transit times or a full money-back guarantee. AA alone uplifted 29000 kilos on the service from Ireland in March. Other IAM carriers are also seeing more business for their premium-rated priority services. Air Canada’s EXI, China Airlines, Austrian Airlines’ XPS, and South African Airways’ SAA Express are typical in offering later close-outs and priority loading, with some (such as Austrian) also pledging faster transfers at their respective hubs. Although airlines other than AA do not support their priority services with money-back guarantees, their policy is to reduce their rates down to the normal tariff in the rare event of non-performance. Total premium-rated traffic is now topping a worthwhile 5% of all IAM business, and still climbing, says IAM MD Ian McCool: “Although we pride ourselves on the ultra-reliability of our express road feeders to gateway airports such as London Heathrow, we can still find ourselves competing for space at peak times with locally-originating traffic. “Much of the export traffic from Ireland is now of such high value, and transit times and reliability so critical, that shippers and agents are willing to pay a little extra for total assurance. Our staff’s readiness to offer such solutions is good news for these customers, because it enables them to give their own consignees a solid commitment to delivery times. And for our airline principals, it represents a welcome revenue boost when rates on many destinations are too soft. Everybody wins.” IAM is Ireland’s largest cargo GSSA company, representing 13 leading airlines. It forms the core of an expanding group which now includes cargo handling, air cargo road transportation and aviation training activities. IAM is the exclusive Irish member of EGSAC – the network of independent cargo GSSA companies with 60 offices in over 30 countries. For further information please contact: IAM Group Pilot Marketing Services: |