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Sep 24, 2012 (newstodate): Opened in May 2010, Sweden's Stockholm Arlanda Airport's perishables handling facility, APH Logistics is seeing good business in the import sector - but exports are lagging behind..
Alongside its cargo terminal services, APH Logistics operates the airport's BIP for inspection of all imports of perishables and live animals on behalf of Swedavia, integrating this operation in the same facility.
-As procedures prescribe that we are the gateway as for imports of perishables into Stockholm Arlanda, this business has developed as envisaged, but the situation is very different with the export of perishables, says Einar Longva, APH Chairman of the Board.
-Both Spirit Air Cargo Handling and Cargo Center Sweden offer similar export services, and in a waning market customers are understandably reluctant to change providers while we are all certainly keen to keep existing customers. So we see little progress in this line of business.
-We had pinned our hopes on attracting exports from especially Northern Norway's salmon producers that would gain in access to uplift compared to the Oslo-solution. But decisions on these issues are made in Norway, and after all Norway's seafood exports are palletized in Norway ready for flights and trucked into Oslo and other airports, including Stockholm Arlanda where no terminal holds a special preference.
-We are, however, constantly on the look-out for other niches, and one of these is the export of pharmaceuticals that requires similar special handling and procedures. We are already into this business and certainly hope to see it developing.
-In the meantime, APH Logistics' 2,500m terminal remains under-utilized while we are constantly adjusting resources spent in a flexible way, awaiting future growth as markets start to expand again, says Mr Longva.
Alongside its cargo terminal services, APH Logistics operates the airport's BIP for inspection of all imports of perishables and live animals on behalf of Swedavia, integrating this operation in the same facility.
-As procedures prescribe that we are the gateway as for imports of perishables into Stockholm Arlanda, this business has developed as envisaged, but the situation is very different with the export of perishables, says Einar Longva, APH Chairman of the Board.
-Both Spirit Air Cargo Handling and Cargo Center Sweden offer similar export services, and in a waning market customers are understandably reluctant to change providers while we are all certainly keen to keep existing customers. So we see little progress in this line of business.
-We had pinned our hopes on attracting exports from especially Northern Norway's salmon producers that would gain in access to uplift compared to the Oslo-solution. But decisions on these issues are made in Norway, and after all Norway's seafood exports are palletized in Norway ready for flights and trucked into Oslo and other airports, including Stockholm Arlanda where no terminal holds a special preference.
-We are, however, constantly on the look-out for other niches, and one of these is the export of pharmaceuticals that requires similar special handling and procedures. We are already into this business and certainly hope to see it developing.
-In the meantime, APH Logistics' 2,500m terminal remains under-utilized while we are constantly adjusting resources spent in a flexible way, awaiting future growth as markets start to expand again, says Mr Longva.