IAG Cargo launched a new service in November that it hopes will increase utilization of its narrow-body aircraft cargo space on its European short-haul network.
The service, called EuroConnector, will allow customers to send shipments to IAG Cargo’s 114 European destinations within either 24 or 28 hours. The carrier said the launch was timed to coincide with peak business demand in the run up to Christmas.
All routings are via London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Madrid or Barcelona, and are serviced by more than 6,000 weekly flights. The service is available for shipments of less than 300kg (661 pounds). Booking cut-off times range from two to six hours, depending on whether the cargo is loose or intact. This new time-definite service is designed for companies that need to ship many small, high-value shipments to and from Europe. For those customers choosing the 24-hour service for any of these routes, IAG Cargo will offer a 50 percent rebate on the rate if the delivery deadline is not met by them.
“EuroConnector offers global businesses a choice of time-definite, cost-effective solutions for shipping goods into, around and out of Europe,” said Steve Gunning, CEO of IAG Cargo. “Innovative services such as EuroConnector will prove hugely important to our continued long-term success; improving capacity utilization and helping us grow market share.”
“We took internal and external views when thinking about this service,” said Camilo Garcia, head of global key accounts for IAG Cargo. “We talked with customers around the globe and discussed how we can help them obtain financial benefits by placing their freight at their destinations at the time they need it.”
Garcia said IAG sees EuroConnector as an alternative to trucking. He expects some of the larger European airfreight hubs to be the largest users of EuroConnector