Geodis launches air charter and rail services for urgent shipments

Geodis is offering a number of air charter services to assist customers with urgent shipments during the ongoing Covid-19 crisis. In addition, rail alternatives are being offered to/from China.

With disruptions in ocean freight and restrictions in air cargo with established carriers cancelling scheduled flights, Geodis is providing alternative means to move customers’ cargoes between China and Europe as well as on Transatlantic routes.

The first of the air charter services departed from Frankfurt (Germany) on a one-way to Shanghai on February 12. In order to facilitate the resurgence in westbound freight out of China, the company did another round trip service on Feb 21 departing from Liege (Belgium) to Shanghai Pudong International. As of February 28, weekly round trip flights were established from Frankfurt, with Shanghai departures each Tuesday. This schedule will remain in place throughout the month of March when consideration of a further extension will be made and is being complemented by flights from Hong Kong to Europe.

Geodis has continued with its newly introduced direct, dedicated service from Hong Kong to Guadalajara, Mexico, through March. The next flight departed Hong Kong on March 22.

Geodis’ rail solutions from major cities in China are also on track. Two options are scheduled from Xi’an and Chongqing to the German destinations of Hamburg and Duisburg. The standard services have an 18 day transit time and from Xi’an to Hamburg an express, 12-day solution is provided. Return routings are also available.

Following the decision by US authorities to close its borders to visitors from Europe and to prepare for the consequent sharp decrease in commercial cargo capacity, Geodis established a return air charter program linking Amsterdam and Chicago on a four flights a week schedule. The first flight from Amsterdam will be on the 21st March.

Onno Boots, CEO for Asia Pacific region, Geodis shared “We are positively building on our capabilities as a key supply chain partner to our customers by responding to their needs for an undisrupted supply chain through strengthening our capabilities in air freight, with the inclusion of these new services. We hope our prompt response with these quick solutions will continue to assure our global customers that GEODIS is committed to ensuring we deliver the quality of service they have come to rely upon from us”.