Luxembourg hub offers big benefits for Renfreight clients

Average turnaround time of two and a half hours for a Boeing 747 freighter Leonard Neill SWISS GLOBAL Cargo (SGC) now offers six freighter flights a week from its Luxembourg hub to South Africa using its own 747 freighters as well as others sourced from block space agreements. This allows Renfreight international partner Panalpina, which owns 100% of SGC, to consolidate and control cargo movement into and out of South Africa. "It is remarkable to witness the efficiency at this hub," says Bruce Thoresson, Renfreight"s sales and marketing director, who visited the Luxembourg facility recently. For a Boeing 747 freighter the average turnaround time is two and a half hours although one and a half hours can be achieved if necessary. Thoresson"s visit followed the recent agency agreement signed between Renfreight and Panalpina for the movement of goods into and out of southern Africa. Airfreight capacity restrictions and factors like the recent fuel crisis in South Africa are no longer problems for Renfreight as a result of this association, he says. "SGC has significant airfreight capacity, giving it a major competitive advantage. It has eight pallet loading bays within the Luxembourg Centre, which enables it to palletise its own cargo, ensuring Panalpina has control of its own consignments right through the transport chain, and can call on SGC"s exclusive truck network within Europe as well as globally. "Our major partners are Germany, UK and the Netherlands, so hubbing through Luxembourg is ideal. US cargo can also be hubbed out of Huntsville into Luxembourg and then on to South Africa."