GEODIS will offer a schedule between China and Europe until early 2021 as part of its AirDirect service.

The company will offer weekly Shanghai Pudong-Amsterdam service to cater for an expected "post-COVID resurgence in demand" during the traditional fourth-quarter peak season.

GEODIS originally instigated its full aircraft charter arrangements on this route in March with ad hoc flights and introduced a weekly timetable in June to meet the urgent need for air cargo capacity which had diminished due to the effects of the pandemic.

Now, with both freighter and passenger belly-hold space still in short supply, the logistics provider has announced a permanent schedule reaching into next year. 

Weekly direct flights will depart from Shanghai every Monday and from Amsterdam each Sunday to service what is expected to be a post-COVID resurgence in demand during what is traditionally a fourth-quarter peak season.

GEODIS said among the customers requiring such a service are, in particular, a European auto manufacturer equipping its plant in China with sub-assembly parts. Lenovo is also one of GEODIS’ customers of its AirDirect Mexico service (Hong Kong/ Guadalajara) as well as its weekly direct flights from Shanghai-Amsterdam. 

“It is vital for our customers in China to be not only assured of regular capacity but also that their freight partner is controlling the transport service network, including flight operations,” says Onno Boots, GEODIS’ regional president and CEO for Asia Pacific.  

GEODIS is also considering establishing a China-India connection and linking Hong Kong and Singapore in its network aimed to provide a hub that will seamlessly link with our GEODIS “Asia Road Network.”

“Both the Amsterdam and Shanghai hubs are ideal for coordinating multi-origin and destination cargoes. Our network of operations in Europe, as well as Asia, is designed to maximize connectivity, giving our customers full flexibility in terms of pick-up and delivery points,” said Stanislas Brun, SVP Global Air Freight.