Logistics company GEODIS announced it is extending its AirDirect service with the addition of a twice weekly flight routed London Stansted (STN)/Amsterdam (AMS)/ Hong Kong (HKG)/STN/AMS. With the new schedule coming into effect from October, GEODIS’ APAC customers will have access to almost 80 percent of European destinations within 24 hours. This new investment underscores the company’s enhanced focus on the APAC region and its commitment to serve a greater range of business verticals in Asian markets. GEODIS will in part use its new A330-300 full freighter aircraft to operate this rotation between Europe and Asia.
As manufacturing in Asia continues to be the backbone of several key European business sectors, the requirement for exporters to secure reliable and well-priced freight forwarding services has become even more critical through the disruption brought about by the COVID-19 outbreak. The new route launch comes on the heels of the introduction of GEODIS’ Shanghai to Guadalajara flight in March this year, which has improved cargo connectivity to the West Coast of the Americas. GEODIS also continues with its dedicated service from Hong Kong to Guadalajara.
The new flight will also help expand GEODIS’ operations in Asia with increased connectivity, aiming to build on its existing customer base consisting of pharmaceutical, high tech, and retail clients. The new service will offer all the existing AirDirect options of AirFast, AirFlex, and AirSave services with much needed guaranteed capacity. “The strength of our network in Europe plays a critical role in driving our growth in APAC. Opening up new and in-demand routes to better address our customers’ needs is a pivotal element of our aim to increase our footprint in growth markets,” said Onno Boots, president and chief executive officer, Asia Pacific, GEODIS. “Our business in APAC has seen steady and significant growth over the past few years and therefore we want to add more routes into our current network.”
The new route will connect more locations in the APAC region to markets in Europe and the Americas by leveraging GEODIS’ road network in Asia. This network plays an important role in the company’s business growth in Southeast Asia. GEODIS’ cross-border trucking operations offer scheduled departures for consignments along the Singapore-Kuala Lumpur-Bangkok axis, with multi-modal gateway services beyond these hubs.
New facility in the Netherlands
GEODIS also said it is acquiring 21.5 hectares of land at Trade Port Noord from Greenport Venlo. Here, GEODIS plans to build one of the most sustainable logistics facilities in the Netherlands: a 130,000m2 contract logistics site servicing customers from various vertical sectors and designed to accommodate the current growth in e-commerce. The Venlo region is one of Europe’s prime spots for logistics activities, located near the Dutch border with Germany, acting as a link between the nearby air and seaports of Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Antwerp with the major industrial markets of the continent.
“Trade Port Noord has excellent connections to the European multimodal infrastructure via road, river, rail, ocean and air. This makes it the ideal location for GEODIS to operate cargo flows for international clients, and to manage their warehousing and logistics needs utilizing our European distribution network – and to expand our Benelux-Germany-Poland corridor at the same time”, says Marie-Christine Lombard, CEO of GEODIS.
The construction of the new facility will start in 2022. GEODIS is committed to protect the environment and ensure the well-being of its employees. This new build will be designed to standards aimed at a BREEAM “outstanding” certification, and a WELL Silver certification. BREEAM is a world-known sustainability assessment method for buildings; WELL is an international standard for creating spaces that enhance human health and well-being.
To ensure all standards for the desired certifications will be in place, GEODIS has involved real estate services and investment company CBRE, advising on the land acquisition and project management.
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