In a challenging air freight market it’s time to remember the basics

With factories closing across China, ahead of Sunday’s start of the Lunar new year holidays, air freight demand on major routes has continued to decline, prompting our commercial team to remind their colleagues what makes Metro’s air freight product stand out from the crowd.

With air freight rates now significantly below 2021 levels, the market is normalising and means that time-sensitive shippers could benefit from some significant opportunities on the most popular trade-lanes…the perfect time to highlight our air freight and time-sensitive credentials!

One of the UK’s leading logistics exporters by air, Metro are recognised as an award winning innovator for air cargo, with strategic relationships at regional airport hubs, including Heathrow, Birmingham and Manchester.

Freight

We ensure that your cargo always arrives on time, at the lowest cost, by using the optimum blend of carriers, service and transit time. Always ensuring that you have the right balance of expected transit and cost and every option available in a turbulent time-critical market.

Charter

We leverage our long-standing carrier relationships, or as we prefer to consider them partnerships, to secure and position cost-effective charter aircraft for urgent cargo and project shipment needs.

Courier

We have access to the most competitive integrator rates and services for valuable consignments and samples, with solutions for the most urgent requirements.

Our team

We share a sense of urgency and attention to detail, anticipating issues and preventing them from happening, or working around them whatever the challenge – we have our finger on the daily aviation pulse. We communicate openly with each other, customers, partners and carriers. Together we are committed to continuous improvement. Optimising every movement and ensuring deadlines are met – in fact that will always be one of our first questions – what delivery date is required?

We operate regular inbound and outbound consolidation services and work with leading global carriers, together with selected regional carriers, and where needed our own dedicated charter flights. Total control.

By integrating carrier schedules, we offer the widest choice of routes, transit and services, to provide the most cost-effective solutions for every need, from next flight out to time-definite and economy.

Key products

We are dangerous goods specialists, for all hazard types and are particularly skilled in the safe handling and transportation of Lithium Batteries.

Our team offer European cross-trade solutions, that complement export and import services. We cover the world with our network – the majority of the air freight movements we carry do not originate or are destined for UK/ Europe.

When market conditions are favourable our Sea/Air solutions via our dedicated Singapore and Dubai hubs are the most cost-effective, reliable, secure and flexible solution available in the market.

We handle all types of cargo, door-to-door, dealing with paperwork and arranging customs clearance anywhere in the world, for a wide range of verticals including garments, food and beverage products, retail consumer goods, automotive and chemicals. 

Shipments move directly from origin to destination, or on cross-trade routes embracing Europe | USA | ISC | SE Asia | China | Latin America. We always provide every option available as standard, to and from every destination globally.

For further details on our time critical movements, air freight products or ‘distressed ocean freight’ please contact Elliot Carlile who will talk you through the current week’s solutions, or long term contracted fixed validity rates, that we can deliver throughout 2023. Listening to the requirements, designing and creating solutions is what Elliot thrives on, with his team of cargo aviation experts – proven and proactive.