CFR launches named day airfreight export consols

This month sees the launch by independent consolidator CFR Freight of namedday export airfreight consolidation services to Europe and the US. This follows the company’s phased introduction over the past year of named-day import services based on contracted space agreements with premium carriers, covering all South Africa’s major trading partners. “The import product has been very successful, and on the back of that we’ve launched the named-day export product into the UK, Western Europe and the US,” airfreight director Dave Graham told FTW. “We have negotiated rates with premium carriers on a named-day basis – with departures on days three and seven which are optimal days for uplift. “With the muscle of our Air Cargo Group network partners in those countries we believe we have a strong product to sell – at a highly competitive rate.” This effectively closes the loop for the company which now has a fully fledged named-day product in the UK, Europe and the US on both imports and exports, said Graham. Once the service is bedded down, CFR will be looking at replicating it in other markets like the Far East and South America. With the next Soccer World Cup and the Olympics being held in South America, Graham believes it’s a market of significant potential. “But our immediate priority will be to ensure that the UK, Europe and US services are up and running before we spread our wings.” Reflecting on business growth so far this year, Graham is more than satisfied with results. “Volumes increased in the first three months, and in line with industry trends slowed down in April thanks to the proliferation of public holidays. We have however set an aggressive budget for the year ahead and we’re holding up well so far.”