Mini freighters are answer for NEO automotive charters

Frankfurt based trade-only charter specialist NEO has completed a programme of twenty air cargo charters from Spain and Portugal to the UK, carrying urgent automotive components.

The flights operated from Spain and Portugal to Birmingham and Liverpool UK using Metro, Saab 340, ATR42 and ATR72 freighter aircraft with capacities ranging from 2.1 to 9.2 tonnes. The palletised loads comprised from 1 to 25 packages per flight, each item measuring 120cm x 80cm x 120cm, and weighing 360 kilos.

All shipments were extremely urgent, and were needed to maintain car production lines. Flights were typically booked at a few hours’ notice, with departures and arrivals always required on the same day.

Says Ismail Duran, Time Critical Sales Manager of NEO: “This was a challenging period in which ongoing temporary supply issues led to sporadic and unpredictable component needs. The only common denominator was the extreme urgency of the shipments, to avoid production line shut- downs.

“Sourcing suitable, available nearby aircraft and operating them at such short notice, while also minimising the costs to the client, created a few challenges – but nothing we couldn’t solve. Smaller freighters provided the solution. It all went to plan, and the end customer was able to maintain production throughout with minimal disruption and at sensible cost.”