UTi Worldwide has scheduled weekly charter service from Shanghai to the US to ease the backlog of goods needed in North America.

“Airfreight demand has spiked in recent weeks to levels not seen in years” said Ed Feitzinger, UTi’s executive vice president, Global Operations, “In order to provide relief to North American importers during these extraordinary times, we are offering dedicated premium lift service to the US Midwest.”

The 747 charter flights can carry over 100 tonnes of airfreight, with virtually no size, weight or commodity restrictions. The first charter is scheduled to depart Shanghai on 24th November with a second charter scheduled for 1st December. The flights will arrive in Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport and UTi can arrange on-forwarding to other destinations.

“Congestion at west coast US ports has reached a critical level and we think it will get worse before we see any improvements,” said Feitzinger. “Our charter service offers shippers an alternative to having their freight sit on a dock and miss this important selling season or be forced to shut down a factory for want of parts,” he added.