"Trend-setting' joint venture creates one-stop grouping

Leonard Neill CARGO CONNECTION has entered into a strategic partnership with Swissport in South Africa to establish a joint operation, believed to be the first of its kind internationally involving an airfreight general sales agent and a ground handler. It follows the call made in the May issue of Airfreight Express by Cargo Connection managing director Gerd von Mansberg for GSA companies and other operatives connected to the airline industry to "consolidate, diversify or die.' Blake Sclanders, Swissport's South African marketing manager, took up the challenge and the result has been the establishment of "Swissport Cargo Sales' which will use Swissport services internationally but will be driven by Cargo Connection's GSA operation in this country. "Airlines want more than a single service these days," says Von Mansberg. "They want all the outside work handled for them, so we have consolidated the entire operation under one roof. It will go right through to the warehousing sector as well, with Swissport giving us access to its warehouse where applicable. We will however work together as a single force." The two parties have not disclosed at this stage which airlines will be affected immediately. Both have individual airlines which they represent in their own spheres and which are not jointly involved. "There are some which have a separate GSA or ground handler, but our immediate marketing will be to our individual customer airlines," says Sclanders. "We will be advising airlines on correct pricing, something of which some of them are unaware. It is a venture in which great synergies can be created." Sclanders has had the go-ahead from his Swiss head office which has described his initiative as a "great venture' and considers it as internationally unique and a trendsetter.