27 Tonnes of Emergency Medical Equipment by Air Freight

When a European Government needed emergency medical supplies at the beginning of 2022, the rush was on to facilitate the delivery before the start of Chinese New Year.

Two shipments bounced despite the carrier taking a deposit

Just days before a clients cargo was due to be shipped by air cargo from China to Europe, the carrier informed Spatial Global, it had returned the deposit and bounced the cargo because it had sold the space at a higher rate. With only days before China shutdown for their New Year holiday celebrations, Spatial Global was left with a big problem.

The importance of Agency and Carrier Connections

A combination of limited carrier slots; escalating prices; larger customers muscling in, and gazumping booked shipments; has resulted in one off cargo projects becoming difficult to place. Although let down by the carrier, the Spatial Global freight team were determined to get the urgent medical goods delivered to the European Government on behalf of their UK based client.

Despite the odds, this was successfully achieved, and only possible because of the Spatial Global teams extensive industry connections. Connections built over decades in the business – coupled with a creative, solutions focused approach, to overcoming obstacles. This combination of connections and know-how, got the urgent medical goods from China to Europe, as cost effectively and quickly as possible. This shipment could have cost £1000’s more, but Spatial Global managed to get the goods moved for around the original budget.

A creative freight forwarding solution from the 'can do' people

The 27,000 kg consignment was spilt down into two shipments;

Shipment 1, a 1000 cartons (13,500 kgs) were split over 3 air waybills for transit, all went via Amsterdam and then needed to be checked and configured on pallets for strict booking in at HSE. Where they were then consolidated into a single load and transported several thousand kilometers by road, to their final destination.

Our agent then found space on a scheduled charter already booked but via Hamburg for shipment 2. The remaining 1000 cartons (13,500 kgs), were shipped on a single air waybill from Shanghai to Hamburg. The onward journey from Hamburg to the final destination, was again consolidated into a single load and transported several thousand kilometers by road.

Air freight capacity should begin to grow again as passenger flights return

Whilst there are some clear signs of normality as passenger flights return, the global air cargo system remains under capacity pressure. This is partly due to the war in Europe, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Planes are banned from Russian airspace, are now flying from China via Kuala Lumpur, Dubai and on to Europe.