It was in 2005 when AMI was incepted in Germany, thus building another knot within the worldwide network of the UK-headquartered Air Menzies Aviation Company and its cargo arm Air Menzies International (AMI). Now, the company’s Frankfurt-based branch celebrates its ten-year anniversary. On this occasion it’s time to look back on the operation and draw a tentative balance.
AMI Germany was the first independent wholesaler of air freight that set foot in the country, a niche business in cargo nobody had engaged in before. Its guiding principle is to offer services
exclusively to freight forwarders, keeping its hands entirely off of shippers.
AMI fills a gap
By doing so, the Frankfurt office fast developed into a preferred address particularly for small agents that concentrate on ocean freight and don’t run an own air freight department due to a very
limited number of shipments their clients asked them to take care of.
That’s when AMI comes into the game, offering agents transparent rates published in a rate sheet together with the full range of services for express shipments, standard cargo, temperature
critical goods and other products from beginning to end. This includes pick-up, customs brokerage, ground handling of the goods, air transport, collection of charges and delivery to the
consignees at the final destination.
The advantage for small agencies not engaged in air freight is obvious: By using AMI’s services they can rely on pros who know the cargo business from A to Z, are IATA licensed and possess the
required security permits.
Transparent tariffs
“As to the rates, I can say that we offer our customers very competitive and transparent air freight fares that are based on consolidation services to more than 280 destinations,” states
Gottfried Matheis of AMI Germany. He goes on to say that these tariffs are selling rates to the agents, giving them some room to add own percentages to up their profits.
A special market offering by AMI Germany are both Delivered Duty Unpaid (DDU) and Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) air transports to Russia and the CIS countries. This business has developed fairly well
up to now despite the downfall of the Russian economy and the difficult political situation the country is in, notes Gottfried.
This is shown by the figures. During the first 8 months of this year AMI Germany’s export business increased by 5,64 percent. It shows that in a time where the Chinese, Russian and South
American markets stagnate or even contract, forwarders end to work closer with wholesalers because there is less business in the market and wholesalers are able to offer better rates by bundling
goods, which is a convincing driver particularly in rough economic times.
Currently, AMI is working on their new winter tariff which should be out for distribution at the beginning of October.
Heiner Siegmund
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