Icy US weather boosts airfreight demand

Icy cold weather in North America at the start of the year saw an increased demand for airfreight as components manufacturers tried to ensure that their parts were delivered on time. “We’ve been very busy sourcing aircraft to keep our clients’ supply chains moving,” says Richard Thompson, executive vice president of ACS North America. “Michigan and Indiana have been hit particularly hard and our customers are telling us that their trucking operations are simply unable to complete their runs. When these kinds of delays hit, ‘go-now’ aircraft charters are often the only way to keep factories operational.” Thompson says it is not just companies based in North Western USA that have been affected: “Our Canadian and West Coast offices have both assisted local clients in coping with the effects of the weather. A lot of their suppliers are obviously based in the worst hit areas and this has had an impact on the entire industry. “We’ve chartered aircraft for other industries because of the weather, but none appear to be hit as hard logistically speaking as our automotive clients,” said Thompson.