“5,000 active airfreight containers”
How a US forwarder came up trumps at Basel’s EuroAirport. AIT Worldwide has now left its pioneering phase behind it. After its launch by a trio at the EuroAirport in Basel in September 2021 the airfreight enterprise has now grown to more than 30 employees in Basel. Christian Doepgen spoke to Patrick Preikschat, vice-president for European life sciences activities, and Giovanni Nardiello, vice-president in Switzerland, at Basel airport’s cargo terminal.
Mr Preikschat, Mr Nardiello, you’ve built up AIT Worldwide from scratch as a player at Basel’s EuroAirport (EAP). How did you get started?
Giovanni Nardiello (GN): In the first four months after September 2021 we created the practical basis for the business, by establishing our quality management, GDP audits and training, amongst other elements. From the very beginning we focused on introducing exclusively digital airfreight management processes.
Patrick Preikschat (PP): We quickly managed to build up a strong team, 90% of which consists of people with experience in airfreight. This was the only way to get off to a quick start.
How are you positioned in Switzerland?
GN: In addition to our centre at the EAP we also operate offices in Münchenstein, Zurich and Balerna.
What’s the European dimension of your business activities?
PP: Three employees are exclusively responsible for routing in Europe. The most important airports through which we direct our cargo, are Frankfurt, Munich, Paris, Amsterdam, Milan and Zurich. We additionally also offer a whole series of worldwide routes, of course.
How did you build your customer base?
GN: This is a complex process in our niche, because it takes a lot to set up a business relationship that passes all the tests. Things can move quickly though once technical and qualitative agreements have been developed, audited and approved.
How do you operate in practice?
PP: Customers are directly involved in our managing processes today. We work together via the ‘validate’ platform, which both shippers and providers can access. One part of a risk assessment of a route, for example, sees customers determine for themselves which transit points they prefer. There are plenty of choices. One of our in-house sayings is – “if someone says Chicago it doesn’t always mean Chicago.”
“Customers are directly involved in our managing processes today.”
On what basis are these decisions made?
PP: We analyse the situation concerned automatically, on the basis of comprehensive empirical values and up-to-date forecasts. Of course, in view of the climatic conditions, it’s also important which packaging a customer wants to choose. It’s also based on the requirements of Swissmedic, the USA’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the World Health Organization (WHO), so that customers can make their own decisions on the basis of comprehensive information.
How significant is the packaging solution selected to the shipping of pharmaceutical products?
PP: The whole approach to packaging is one of the key aspects of shipping highly sensitive pharmaceutical or biotechnological goods both safely as well as securely.
GN: We’re actually one of the few neutral carriers that can offer its customers all types of packaging solutions.
What range of packaging solutions do you have on offer?
PP: It’s made up of a rather long list! All in all, we offer packaging solutions in around 38 sizes, each with three to five temperature levels. This means that we’re talking about more than 130 variations that we have in stock. We supply our customers with a 3D visualisation of the list, so that they can easily assess every option.
GN: If you consider, for example, that one in three shipments in the life sciences segment consists of frozen freight, then you’ll understand that we’re in a constant consultation process with our customers. Data logging, monitoring and live tracking are all part of our service package.
Talking about storage, how do you handle the industry’s packaging requirements?
PP: Since March 2022 we’ve had access to a warehouse covering approximately 2,100 m2, it’s located in Schönenbuch (Switzerland) just 10 km from the airport. Our packaging material and replaceable cooling elements are stored in 15 reefer containers there. Pre-treatment for each cooling stage is thus guaranteed.
GN: We have a wide variety of coolers available, including vacuum-insulated containers from Vaqtec. Handling thereof in Switzerland is managed entirely by us. Five people take care of all our services, from pre-inspection of packaging to cleaning containers.
A daily shuttle service makes sure that the packaged goods arrive at the airport in about 15–20 minutes. This offer is important for sensitive goods such as DNA samples for stem cell therapies, for example.
“We move about 7,000 boxes and around 3,000 large containers a year.”
How have your overall volumes developed in the run-up to you starting your third year of business?
PP: We move about 7,000 boxes and around 3,000 large containers a year. In total, we have about 5,000 active containers, including Envirotainer and CSafe units, that is to say units with sensors that we monitor. We can confidently say that we’re definitely one of the biggest players in the country in this field.
Which mode of transport do you use for which goods today?
GN: The field has become increasingly differentiated since we started business, and thus requires a suitably broad range of service options. Approximately 70% of the imports that we handle consist of pharmaceutical goods, and 30% of general cargo; our exports, in turn, are dominated by biotech goods. In addition to airfreight, the central plank of our business, we also offer solutions by sea and road. Rail haulage represent an exception, however.
Returning to the cargo terminal at the EAP. How did you secure your space there?
PP: We just moved the border! (laughs). No, seriously, we submitted an application to the French authorities for more space, together with our partner Planzer, who also operates our warehouse. As space in the 21,000 m2 terminal, which opened in 2015, was really in great demand, we were very pleased to be awarded a lease after six months. Between the two firms we were awarded 500 m2 – a great success for us.