On Saturday, September 18, the international parcel delivery company Venipak will launch regular air freight service between Riga and Hong Kong airports, to better meet the needs of Baltic companies active in international trade. Now the flights will be operated every week and at least twice a week from mid-October.
The aim of the connection is to provide a service from the first to the last mile, to help customers with export and import procedures, thus facilitating the delivery of goods, which will also provide a shorter time than before.
Representatives of Venipak said that during the research, favorable conditions were seen to first choose Riga Airport as a cooperation partner, because currently flights from Europe are mainly organized via Frankfurt and Amsterdam, but it is relatively far from the Baltic States, so additional logistics services need to be organized. In the field of delivery services, time is one of the most important aspects, as well as it should be taken into account that the administration of Riga Airport was able to react quickly and help solve various logistics issues and offer solutions. “There are several automated e-commerce customs clearance procedures in Latvia, which are performed faster and easier, these are the reasons why we chose this type of cooperation,” says Justas Šablinskas, Chairman of the Board of Venipak.
Riga helps to solve airport capacity problems
The first flight was chosen to Hong Kong, which is the logistics center of China. The Covid-19 pandemic has also made air freight significantly more difficult, which has led to an increase in transit duration. “In order to reach the Baltic States, there is currently a lot of reloading work, for example, in Istanbul, Frankfurt or Amsterdam, which can increase a risk of goods damage. Due to the increased load, the capacity of the airports has decreased, so we were looking for a small but fast-reacting and professional airport located in the Baltic region, after the decision was made, we organize cargo through the “Riga” airport,” says J. Šablinskas.
Venipak has already invested € 2.5 million in air cargo freight, of which € 1.5 million is an initial investment to build a team of experts and an internet technology platform, as well as membership fees for various organizations, and an additional € 1 million invested in aircraft rental and maintenance at airports.
Artūrs Saveļjevs, a member of the board of Riga International Airport, emphasizes: “We are pleased that Venipak has chosen Riga International Airport as its home for air freight, and we can also mark Hong Kong on our direct cargo destination map. This confirms that the ongoing work to develop and strengthen the airport’s cargo segment is a step in the right direction and our customers appreciate the potential of Riga Airport as a Baltic aviation center and in the air cargo sector. Riga Airport provides both the necessary solutions and growth opportunities for our customers’ business.”
The delivery of intercontinental shipments and cargo by air had already been planned for some time in Venipak’s strategic business goals, so that by 2025 it would be possible to work on four continents, in 40 countries. “This is a strategically thought-out and internally discussed goal, which we start to achieve when we are ready to offer business customers a quality service that ensures fast and safe delivery of shipments. It took about six months from the final idea, to start the preparation of the first flight, ”says Martynas Bulovičius, Head of the International Department of Venipak.
Venipak is currently conducting further research in three areas: air cargo from Eastern Europe to Shanghai, from Eastern Europe to the east coast of the United States (USA), such as the Atlanta, New York or Chicago, and from Hong Kong to the west coast of the United States.
“Atran” was chosen as the cargo carrier, which was able to offer the necessary aircraft at affordable prices and on schedule, ensuring that the cargo volume could reach 21 tons.