Famous Pacific adds airfreight muscle in the East

FAMOUS PACIFIC Shipping (FPS) is expanding its airfreight operations worldwide, and the local operation is no different, says South African managing director Jacqui Etschmaier. "Historically FPS has been regarded as a major seafreight NVOCC, but there has been considerable expansion overseas in the airfreight field," she says. "A dedicated airfreight division has been created in Manila, in the Philippines as well as Sri Lanka. We are able to serve Far East destinations through them. "Right now we are busy building the air freight service from South Africa, and both our Durban and Johannesburg offices have been giving a great deal of attention to this development." One of the problems FPS has faced in this country is that of meeting the demands of airlines who require surety bonds and at the same time offer limited space to newcomers in the field. But the company has overcome this, says Etschmaier, by operating through a consolidator, an established company which has ready access to freight capacity and can negotiate rates on their behalf. "This will serve our needs in the interim, while we develop the airfreight side, and then we will be going all out to match them," she said.