From mid-air to on-time: How we avoided a line stoppage in the automotive industry
The mission
We regularly transport goods from Manila (Philippines) via Amsterdam (Netherlands) to Timişoara (Romania) for a customer in the automotive industry. But while one of the shipments was still in the air, a belt stoppage threatened the production line in Romania. The shipment on board the Emirates flight became extremely urgent!
The challenge
What do you do when the shipment is mid-air — but suddenly becomes super urgent? Our challenge was to organize the lightning-fast onward transport to Romania before the plane landed in Amsterdam. Time was running… challenge accepted.
The transport
A cargo charter was out of questions, since the estimated flight time of four hours was too long. So we organized a business jet that could fly from Amsterdam to Timișoara in 2 hours and 10 minutes – an option the customer was happy to agree to.
Arrangements were made to speed up the release and transfer of the cargo while time was running out — the Emirates flight would land soon at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport. Various parties had to be coordinated, such as customs brokers, handling agents, and couriers.
Despite the tight deadline, we demonstrated great flexibility and speed in ensuring that all the necessary arrangements were in place.
So, when the plane arrived in Amsterdam at 12:34 local time, this is the sequence of events:
- Customs cleared and goods collected from ground handler: 14:40 (this usually takes 3–6 hours)
- Transit to charter plane: 15:05
- Charter departs from Amsterdam to Timişoara: 16:15 (local time)
- Arrival at Timişoara: 19:00 (local time)
- Goods delivered to consignee at 20:30 (local time)
We managed transit, ground handling in Amsterdam, flight and delivery to the customer in Timişoara in under 5 hours.
The conclusion
Quickly adapting to the unexpected, we showcased efficiency and speed, ensuring on-time delivery. Our agility in responding to urgent transport needs is a testament to our commitment to your success.