newstodate.aero

May 26, 2021 (newstodate): Volumes of pharma shipments out of Scandinavia are significant - but restrained due to the shortfall of belly cargo capacity on passenger flights during the Covid-19 pandemic.
   -Otherwise expected, we are actually not seeing a major increase in volumes, and it has become quite difficult to navigate. We are absolutely not where we had expected to be so far this year, says Soren Rorstrom, Air France/KLM Martinair Cargo Sales Manager Denmark & International Sales Manager Pharma Nordic.
   -As the opening up of markets after lockdown periods is still quite slow and cautious, lack of uplift capacity remains a bottleneck. All our AF/KLM aircraft are in the air, but many routes are underserved, and served with fewer frequencies than originally planned.
   -Also the routing of shipments has become more challenging; very often getting shipments to the final destination requires routing via various intermediate and lesser-known airports served by a variety of airlines due to lack of more direct routes.
   -In many cases, maritime transportation has replaced air transport due to shortage of uplift capacity and the issue of sky-rocketing air cargo rates - and once shippers turn to maritime transport solutions, it proves hard to get shipments back into the air.
   -Still, we do see big growth potentials in pharma where Danish companies like NOVO Nordisk and Leo Pharma secure a leading role for Denmark in pharma volumes out of Scandinavia. Even if many orders placed with these companies are actually sourced from subsidiaries outside Denmark, says Mr Rorstrom.