A commitment to support local departures whenever possible, has seen direct exports via Manchester Airport (UK) top 75% for AMI – the world’s leading trade-only airfreight and express wholesaler. Using local departures has achieved later cut-offs for AMI’s freight agent customers, and saved 100,000 truck miles per year.
Since AMI first opened a Manchester operation in the 1980s, its declared aim has been to support Manchester departures wherever possible, instead of adopting the airfreight industry’s common practice of trucking all cargo 200 miles south to London Heathrow.
Continuing expansion of Manchester Airport’s international flights has enabled AMI to progressively increase its support for local departures. The company’s latest audit reveals it now exports 75% of all cargo booked through its Manchester office on Manchester-departing flights.
Manchester is the UK’s fastest-growing city, its second largest population centre and third largest metropolitan economy. Manchester Airport is the UK’s third busiest airport, with regular flights to Europe, North America, Caribbean, Africa, Middle East and Asia; AMI supports services to all these regions. Manchester is currently the only UK airport apart from London Heathrow that can accommodate the A380.
AMI’s Manchester branch covers the entire northern half of England, along with Scotland, and generates 25% of the company’s total UK cargo bookings. In addition to handling ‘back-to-back’ shipments, AMI Manchester operates 81 consolidations per week on 14 airlines flying from Manchester airport.
Thanks to AMI’s policy of favouring local flights, and following recent investments in a self-handling operation, state-of-the-art scanning equipment and increased staff levels, AMI Manchester has witnessed a steady increase in tonnages, despite tough market conditions.
Says recently-appointed Regional Manager - Northern England, Samantha Leaper: "We’re proud to support our local airport, and doing so also makes good business sense. Using flights from Manchester, we are providing the northern and Scottish agent communities, and the exporters who are their customers, with more direct routeings, later close-outs and keener rates. That makes them more competitive.
"Using ex-Manchester departures, we are consistently achieving flown as booked rates above 97%. With no congestion or queuing problems at our terminal, and fast-track deliveries for time-critical freight, we are finding we can offer unprecedented service standards to this market. At the same time, we are easing road congestion and protecting the environment.”
For the 25% of shipments which AMI cannot yet accommodate on direct Manchester departures, it continues to provide trucking services from its receiving centres in Liverpool, Belfast, Leeds, Hull and Sheffield into its Manchester terminal, which then connect with nightly express trunk services to London. From mid-March, close-outs for the Manchester-Heathrow service are extended to 21:00hrs.
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