By: N. I Malik, Strategic Business Analyst
Global Air Cargo & Chartering is a quiet of competitive playground, where broker / consultant is the backbone to it, Over years we have observed many highs & Lows in this industry but the fact of the matter is a right broker can bring you out from faded colors of loss.
A broker has the experience and ability to study the load and then to source the most suitable and competitive aircraft for the requirement from a wide range of operators whether it be a well-known flag carrier or an obscure private aircraft operator. Along with volume buying power, this can provide a significant saving for clients.
The expectation on air cargo charter brokers is to deliver instant solutions – and to excel in this occupation an individual needs to be flexible and quick- thinking.
More than matching cargo and customer’s requirements to the right cargo aircraft, a charter broker has a myriad of considerations to cover before offering the best solutions, and the real challenges only begin upon securing a fixture.
The international e-commerce boom is integrating goods and air freight into the daily lives of hundreds of millions of consumers and businesses around the world, both at home and abroad. This includes, above all, the need for all stakeholders in the air logistics chain to fulfill our mission of speeding up the movement of goods, achieving rapid customs clearance, and offering customers a new level of visibility throughout the transport life cycle.
Anton Lomakin, Managing Charter Manager of Singapore-based Chapman Freeborn, founded his company in 1999 and has been the world’s leading charter company for aircraft for eight years. He sums up the role of an air freight charter broker as follows: “When the going gets tough, the tough get going, and when the going gets tough, the going gets tough.” Lomakin believes that three essential characteristics equip you to be an air cargo charter broker: good customer service, good communication, and good business acumen. Lomakin’s technical background served him well when he proposed innovative ideas for handling agents for managing exceptionally large air cargo. Many charter companies have come onto the market in recent years because it is very crowded with airlines and freight forwarders who also offer charter services.
We believe that for an international product, you need a charter partner with global reach and a long-standing reputation that take care of everything from finding freight forwarders to tracking your freight so you don’t have to. In a business era where time is of crucial importance, reaction time decides on lost or won business.
The cargo must be transported to one place as quickly as possible, and maritime; rail or road freight transport will simply not cut it.
For this reason, charter companies must be available around the clock, but even in the most urgent times, brokers are not spared; they are spared.
For this reason, brokers must always be prepared for any situation, not to mention keeping a cool head during a storm.
