Air Menzies International (AMI) – the world’s leading trade-only airfreight and express freight wholesaler – is now fully operational at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. The latest AMI branch gives the company a presence at three of Europe’s five top air cargo gateways, and brings its core network to a total of 24 branches on four continents. AMI Amsterdam has achieved IATA CASS status, so it can now buy space on departures direct from Schiphol, in addition to routeing cargo via its main London Heathrow operation as it has done since March 2014. The company can also now offer import clearance, breakbulk and delivery throughout the Netherlands. This will enable it to handle inbound traffic from other AMI stations throughout the USA, Australasia, South Africa and the Far East. AMI Amsterdam is headed by Rinaldo Vels (in the role of VP Continental Europe, which also embraces AMI’s Frankfurt operation) and Rob Groeneveld (Manager, Service and Operations).  Vels joined AMI in January 2014 from Dutch air cargo trucking specialist Jan de Rijk; prior to that, he spent 7 years at handling agent Menzies Aviation.  Groeneveld has 40 years’ airfreight forwarding experience, most recently as MD of SDV in Holland. AMI is currently sub-contracting its physical handling at Schiphol, while its transport operations are managed through carefully-selected local specialists in airfreight road haulage, whose combined abilities enable AMI to handle a wide variety of traffic including outsize cargo and aero engines. In addition to trade-only airfreight exports and imports, AMI Amsterdam is offering ocean FCL and LCL services via Rotterdam and Antwerp serving Belgium, the Netherlands and western Germany. AMI is also providing full- and part trailer load services throughout all main European markets. Says Rinaldo Vels: “Our top priority is developing scheduled lower deck and maindeck airfreight consolidations to and from all other AMI branches globally. Our aim is to become the largest neutral freight wholesaler in The Netherlands. After that, we will use AMI Amsterdam as the springboard to expand the AMI neutral wholesale concept into neighbouring European markets.” Looking further ahead, AMI Amsterdam aims to commence two-way services between the Netherlands and Scandinavia, extending to northern markets the much larger choice of carriers and destinations available through Amsterdam, London Heathrow and Frankfurt. “We have started to publish our rates in Denmark as of this month,” continues Vels. “Traffic from Denmark will come directly into Amsterdam, largely based on direct pick-ups from shippers on behalf of their freight forwarders. In due course, we hope to extend our catchment to include Sweden.  Adds AMI’s CEO, Stephen Koller: “European expansion is key for AMI: it will enable us to better serve our existing customers in Australasia, the Americas, Africa and Asia. In addition, it provides the opportunity to introduce the proven AMI neutral wholesale concept to some of the world’s most active freight markets. AMI is a game-changer wherever it goes; now we have the ability to level the playing field for small and mid-size forwarders throughout northern Europe.”