UK logistics firm Business Direct Group has launched weekday flights to Germany under plans tobuild up European distribution services.
Dutch company Sky Wings Cargo Airlines last week launched flights between Weeze Airport,close to Düsseldorf, and Coventry on behalf of the British firm. Flights are being operated with aShorts SD 360 – 30 freight aircraft which can carry up to 3.5 tonnes of freight.
The new air service will drastically reduce transport time for urgent shipments between NorthRhine-Westphalia or the Netherlands and Britain, the companies said in a statement. Thanks to thelate air service, shipments delivered to Weeze in the evening will reach their consignees thefollowing morning. Initially, mainly electronic and computer components, machine parts and urgentproducts for the motor vehicle manufacturing industry will be carried.
Paul Carvell, CEO of Business Direct Smart Solutions, said: “Our new service from WeezeAirport brings our business customers considerable competitive advantages. They can give us theirconsignments very late and we can deliver them to companies in Great Britain at the start of thenext business day. Our customers, the major freight distribution centres in neighbouring commercialcentres of the Netherlands, Belgium and North Rhine-Westphalia, have reacted very positively to thenew service from Weeze and scheduled their deliveries with us early on. We intend to show howquickly and seamlessly the new cargo service between these economic regions and the UK works.”
Dutch logistics company Schiphol Express is picking up the export shipments from customers innorth-west Germany and the Netherlands. Maarten van Rossum, general manager of Schiphol Express,said: “We intend to actively assist the development of the cargo service in Weeze right from thestart. With our experience and our European network we intend to use the favourable opportunitiesin Weeze and will certainly be playing our part in the success of this business start-up.”
Jos van der Lans, Managing Director of Sky Wings, added: “Our daily service between Weeze andCoventry is an important first step in our cooperation. We are convinced that this operation willbe a success. Over the long term we will be using more aircraft to expand Weeze Airport into a hubin our network.”
Ludger van Bebber, manager of Weeze Airport, said that the new express service took advantageof the airport’s central location between the major economic regions in Germany and theNetherlands, rapid airport handling and good road connections.
