The Latin American cargo carrier has added flights between Western Europe and Southern Brazil to its route map by linking Amsterdam with Curitiba in the State of Parana. Main objective is to bringing pharma products complemented by general cargo to the Brazilian metropolis. The flights will depart in AMS every Tuesday and Saturday. The entire routing reads: MIA-AMS-FRA-VCP-CWB-SCL-MIA.
By strengthening connectivity between Europe and South America transportation time is reduced through a more direct alternative which goes hand in hand with enhanced capacity offered to the
market. "At LATAM Cargo, we are constantly reviewing our cargo itinerary, always seeking new opportunities to benefit our customers. In this context, the opening of this route is part of an
initiative that will enable us to provide a more direct and efficient service to Curitiba from Europe," commented Gudny Genskowsky, VP of Network and Alliances at LATAM Cargo.
The carrier operates B767P2F aircraft on the transatlantic route.
Amsterdam as destination was also chosen for import reason because “we are using these flights for the flower business, carrying flower consignments from Quito, Ecuador to Europe”,
explains Jorge Carretero (JC), Sales Director for Central Europe. So no specific traffic right is needed for the leg between MIA and AMS, because no shipments originating in the U.S. bound for
Europe are loaded on board the B767F in Miami during the aircraft’s stopover in Florida.
We asked Jorge, what makes Curitiba attractive for LATAM Cargo as a destination for transatlantic flights?
JC: LATAM Cargo has 14 strategic points within Europe that allow us to connect with our network of more than 155 destinations. We are constantly reviewing our itinerary in search
of new opportunities for our customers, and in the case of this route this was the case. We saw the need for them to have a more direct and expeditious offer to Curitiba from Europe, so we
provided them with two weekly frequencies that will significantly improve transit times.
CFG: Which main products will be transported on the east-west leg demanded by the economy and consumers in and around Curitiba?
JC: Curitiba primarily focuses on importing a range of products, with a significant emphasis on automotive parts, machinery, and pharmaceuticals. Notably, the transportation of
pharmaceuticals requires a temperature-controlled supply chain to maintain product integrity.
On the export side, the cargo market in Curitiba doesn't have a specific export business niche. Instead, many of the flights departing from Curitiba International Airport (CWB) are destined for
other international airports, with Quito, Ecuador (UIO), being a key transit point. From UIO, we primarily load these flights with flowers bound for European markets. This highlights the role of
Curitiba as a connecting point in the global cargo supply chain, facilitating the movement of products between South America and Europe.
CFG: Which agent handles LATAM Cargo in a) AMS and b) Curitiba?
JC: In Amsterdam we work with WFS, and in Curitiba it is local agent PACLOG.
CFG: Why did LATAM Cargo choose AMS as a destination in Europe and not CDG, LHR, or MAD for example, knowing that AMS is about to cut thousands of slots, affecting also cargo
carriers.
JC: Amsterdam is a place where we have been operating for a long time, which provides us with good connectivity within Europe. For this particular route it serves as a point of
departure from Europe and Curitiba adds to our network of South American destinations with which we connect.
Solidifying its market position
In the case of Brazil, the cargo group currently serves 53 destinations within Latin America’s largest economy and another 19 international destinations. The carrier expects that its AMS-CWB
flights will further solidifying its position in the cargo industry within the South American region and on routes across the South Atlantic.
Heiner Siegmund
We welcome and publish comments from all authenticated users.
Write a comment