Recently formed Wholesale by Vels and established Australian wholesaler Consol Alliance have entered into a strategic partnership to disrupt the air cargo business on the Europe-Australia route.

As a start, the new alliance will operate weekly, trade-only unitised airfreight consolidations from Amsterdam Schiphol to major Australian airports. Import services from Australia to Europe are also on the near-term agenda, with plans to collaborate in Auckland and Chicago.

The service caters for general cargo, dangerous goods and e-commerce and will feature late cut-offs, fast releases and flexibility when needed. Discounts will be offered for dense cargo under 6000cc/kg in volume, and forwarders will have the option of using the service’s master air waybill, or their own individual air waybills.

“This is still a challenging time for forwarders trying to support their customers. Carrier rates are generally high, capacity is limited and service is often less than optimal,” said Rinaldo Vels, managing director at Wholesale by Vels.

“Working together, we are determined to restore quality and reliability, as well as value-for-money, to airfreight between Europe and Australia,” he added.

Receiving and build-up facilities have been set up by Wholesale by Vels in Amsterdam, whilst Consol Aliance will use its own handling centres to break bulk in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne, for local release or transfer of cargo to its other regional stations in Adelaide and Fremantle.

Melbourne-headquartered Consol Alliance, launched in 2011, is equally active in both airfreight and ocean freight wholesaling, with around 40 percent of its airfreight business attributed to UK and Europe.

“We are already one of the big three operators on this route, and the trusted partner for some of the world’s most recognized forwarding brands,” said Alana Raitt, airfreight product manager at Consol Alliance.

“We are truly hands-on, and we know the carriers and routes that can be trusted to deliver,” she noted.

Together both companies are focused on providing exemplary customer service and innovative solutions for moving air freight.

“Our goal is to support our trade customers and provide them with the best possible tools to go out and win more business,” added Vels.

“No wholesale operator should regard this route as theirs by right: you’re only as good as your last service. We think it’s time for a market reset!”