Chartersphere is continuing to consolidate its growing reputation by offering a high quality alternative in a competitive marketplace, managing director Paul Bennett (pictured below) tells Air Cargo Week’s (ACW) staff writer, James Muir.
He says though this year has generally been slower in terms of opportunities compared to 2015, there has been a significant increase in demand for Boeing 747 flights of consumer goods from China to Europe and Africa, something he expects to continue for the rest of the year.
Bennett tells ACW: “We have also seen solid gains for our government and NGO charters to some of the more remote locations in Africa and Central Asia especially for IL76 flights. Again, this is an area we anticipate continuing to develop into 2017.”
He adds: “There are a lot of unpredictable factors still clouding the horizon at the moment but we are confident that demand for more B747 consumer goods charters from China will remain strong as will continuing opportunities for IL76 flights on behalf of our government and NGO clients.”
Chartersphere put 747s and IL76s to good use in one particularly complex job for a client bringing freight from China to multiple locations in Africa and the Middle East by trans-shipping through the UAE combining the flights to meet the client’s requirements.
“The Chartersphere team were able to exceed our client’s expectations with a one-stop-shop proposal that satisfied them on price and time critical cargoes” Bennett comments.
Chartersphere has also started offering passenger charters, designed to compliment the cargo business. Bennett says this has help enhance the company’s reputation and has attracted high profile clients including world leaders, telling ACW: “Diversification allows us to provide a more complete service to our clients whose needs can often include both cargo and passenger charters.
“We are very pleased with the way the passenger department is progressing and believe it is further strengthening the Chartersphere brand in the global marketplace.”
The Chartersphere team is expanding, welcoming Mark Middleton to the team. Bennett says: “Mark is a highly-respected broker with an international reputation built over 30 years in the industry. He will be using his vast experience and extensive contacts to lead the development of our brokering team over the coming months.”
Bennett is also looking at the Middle East, he tells ACW: “The Middle East remains an area of continued opportunity for us and we are actively considering the possibility of expansion there to support our regional growth plan in some key markets.”
Bennett says the biggest challenge all players in the cargo charter market is increasing value in a competitive market, but he thinks Chartersphere remains in a strong position.
“Our team is one of the most experienced and forward-thinking in the business and we are well-placed to continue to provide innovative charter solutions to our growing client list.
“Despite the challenges, we are confident that opportunities for companies able to bring added value for clients will continue to grow. This is particularly true in emerging markets such as Africa,” he explains.
