Better Options for Expedited Air Service to Address Capacity/Congestion Issues

Despite its leading role in global manufacturing, China has a first-rate problem when it comes to reliable air service options.  Namely, that its two major airports, Beijing and Shanghai, rank dead last and next-to-dead last in terms of on time departures.  Flights taking off from Beijing were delayed 82 percent of the time during 2013, with a 71 percent late departure rate for Shanghai.

While many factors are at play in causing the delays – poor infrastructure, tightly-controlled air space, increased regulatory and security mandates, and overcapacity – the impact is taking a toll on supply chains dependent on goods arriving from China.

This is especially true for urgent, time-sensitive products traveling as “expedited” shipments, for which a premium price has been paid to ensure an on-time arrival.  Expedited shipments range from machinery parts that must arrive at a North American factory in time to avert an assembly line shutdown, to a shipment of desperately-needed temperature-controlled vaccines, to any range of reasons a shipment needs to be delivered as fast as humanly possible.

But as the China example makes clear, external factors are affecting expedited service providers’ ability to guarantee delivery times.

The good news though, is that innovative expeditors are finding ways to offer creative options to circumvent those external factors.  A new white paper from Purolator International, “Expedited Air Service:  Innovative Logistics Solutions for High-Value, Most-Urgent Shipments,” discusses some of the more compelling new options.

For example, many businesses are finding air charter services, generally thought of as cost-prohibitive, to be a highly efficient alternative.  Air charters allow an expeditor to customize a flight plan, so that busy, notoriously congested airports can be avoided.  Instead, a shipment can travel via a less congested alternative, such as a regional airport.  Or, a shipment can travel through a country with a more efficient customs clearance process, or that has a favorable trade agreement in place with the United States.

Expedited air service is a premium solution that offers on-time, seamless delivery.  As Purolator’s white paper makes clear, new solutions can help a service provider facilitate delivery of those high levels of performance.

Please click here to download a complimentary copy of “Expedited Air Service:  Innovative Logistics Solutions for High-Value, Most-Urgent Shipments.”