The number of published airport-airport rates direct from Manchester has leapt from 52 to 272 in the latest AMI UK tariff, including the introduction of new consolidations to Abu Dhabi, Brisbane, Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Rates to some key destinations have also seen significant reductions.
Manchester ' the UK's third largest cargo airport - already accounts for 17% of AMI export traffic from the UK, and the five-fold growth in services aims to further increase its importance. Says Business Development Manager Nigel Moolenaar: 'We have always believed in supporting carriers operating from Manchester and this move is intended to provide our customers with much greater choice.'
AMI's Import division also receives a boost, with the introduction of additional services including Amman, Incheon, Manila, Mexico, Osaka and Tokyo. In order to simplify the process of importing cargo to the UK, AMI has introduced an all-inclusive Customs clearance and nationwide delivery option that enables agents to arrange airport-door services in a single booking.
'We are receiving more and more enquiries for import rates every day. Origin points that we do not list in our tariff can be handled by our 'spot rate' department which now caters for imports as well as exports'. Continues Moolenaar. 'The growth of our own branch network in Africa, the USA and Australasia has been a major factor in the development of our import business, and has also generated a great deal of cross-trade traffic which never touches the UK.'
AMI is the world's largest trade-only airfreight wholesaler, with 13 owned bases in Australia, New Zealand, the USA, UK, Germany and South Africa. It is part of publicly-listed John Menzies plc, which also has extensive interests in aviation ground handling and cargo handling.
