Clive Hope, Ecu-Line's airfreight development manager... serving
e-logistic needs
Anna Cox
GROUPAGE SPECIALIST Ecu-Line has diversified its previous seafreight only operation with the launch of Ecu-Air in South Africa.
Ecu-Air SA, which is a division of Ecu-Line SA, aims to establish both import and export airfreight consolidation services as a neutral operator primarily servicing the needs of freight forwarders and customs brokers, airfreight development manager Clive Hope told FTW.
This is a natural growth for the Ecu Group as Ecu -Line recognises that maritime transport has a transit time disadvantage in comparison with airfreight. We are convinced that by treating the concept with the right JIT philosophy and with the support of a solid tracking and tracing system, Ecu Line could well serve many e-logistic business needs in the future, he said.
Ecu Air was established in Belgium in 1991 as a division of Ecu-Line and approved as an IATA agent in 1992.
It has its own airfreight office at Brucargo with 2000sqm of warehousing space. The company climbed 11 places in IATA rankings in just three years between 1997 and 1999 and has experienced a 93% growth in turnover during the same three-year period.
Import cargo grew 10% in 1999 and exports to the Middle East, Africa and Far East by 95%.
We have over 120 Ecu-Line offices worldwide and a further 180 agents, of which about 50% either have separate air freight divisions or personnel who have air freight experience. We have a strong representation in South America, the Middle East, Africa, the Pacific Rim, China and the former Eastern block countries and naturally, in Central Europe, said Hope.
Ecu-Line also has its own transport fleet of trucks for the collection and distribution of cargo in Europe called Ecu Trans.
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