IAG Cargo has announced it has launched its innovative Cargo Connector service in Frankfurt, Germany, the first of its kind in the market. Freight forwarders in Frankfurt can now opt to have IAG Cargo collect and transport shipments, of less than 300 kilos, direct from their premises to the airport at no additional cost.
Through Cargo Connector, freight forwarders will be able to make bookings at short notice, and will not need to invest in their own driver and truck, which can be time consuming and costly during busy periods. These benefits are among the reasons that the Cargo Connector service has proved so successful in the UK and US. The launch comes at a time when IAG Cargo is enhancing its proposition in the German market. The carrier is strengthening its profile among the ‘Mittelstand’, Germany’s small and medium sized businesses, which have a longstanding importance for the German air cargo industry. In particular, the addition of a new sales office in Dusseldorf and the strengthening of its German sales force will better serve the country’s significant SME market and drive further business growth for IAG Cargo. Chris Nielen, Regional Commercial Manager, Europe at IAG Cargo said: “Germany is highly competitive and among Europe’s biggest markets, so we are proactively targeting the northern, eastern and south western German regions to increase our relevance among businesses there. The huge success of Cargo Connector in London and key US cities, meanwhile, makes it a logical step to bring this service to Frankfurt where we anticipate strong uptake from businesses. Being the first carrier to offer this kind of service in an area where low weight shipments are quite common, will raise the profile of IAG Cargo and support our growth ambitions in Germany.” Cargo Connector is available at IAG Cargo’s UK hub operation at London Heathrow and seven US airports (New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta, Seattle and Houston). Drivers arrive in IAG Cargo-branded vans and in addition to collecting freight are able to process new cargo bookings on-the-spot, making it easier than ever for freight forwarders to connect to IAG Cargo’s network of over 350 destinations.