French port strike boosts air charters

The labor strike at the French seaport of Calais is dragging on,  but it has created a surge in demand for air cargo charters. Chapman Freeborn Airchartering reported a sharp spike in demand for its charter service in response to the gridlock caused by the striking workers and the closing of the port.

With thousands of heavy goods vehicles and other commercial vehicles left stranded by the dispute, European manufacturers and freight forwarders turned to air charters to beat the blockade. British publication The Daily Mail reports that the dispute is over the threat of Eurotunnel disposing of its ferry arm, MyFerryLink, which could cost 600 jobs.

“The Calais strike last week had the potential to cripple production for many of our U.K.-based clients because crucial manufacturing parts were caught up in the shut-down. This has resulted in an unseasonable surge in demand for both charter and on-board courier services,” said Pierre van der Stichele, cargo business development director at Chapman Freeborn.

Various types of cargo aircraft, including Antonov An-12s and An-26s, ATR 72s, 727Fs, Dornier Do 228s and MD-11Fs, have been deployed by Chapman Freeborn to move time-critical cargo to the U.K. Additionally, logistics companies have been warned of the potential of further strike action at Calais by French ferry workers this week.

AP Photo: Ferry terminal backed up at Calais.