Triple i ties up with airasia

Triple i Logistics Group has joined hands with the country's leading low-cost airline, Thai AirAsia, to serve a higher demand for economy domestic air-cargo services.

The move aims to cater to companies seeking to lower their transport costs amid the looming global economic downturn.

The services will be managed by GSA Asia Cargo, an affiliate of Triple i Logistics Group.

Group CEO Tipp Dalal said the service was targeted at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

"We are confident that our cargo service via the low-cost airline will favour both producers and exporters in such sectors as fresh food, electronics, garment, and printing," he said.

He added, "Our services can help the enterprises save transportation costs by 30 to 50 per cent per kilogram."

Through Air Asia's domestic flights, GSA's cargo service is quoted at the single flat rate without surcharge with the loading rate of 25 minutes, the fastest rate in the region.

"The low-cost air cargo service will be a rising-star business next year," said Dalal.

In addition, Air Asia's total transits at the Sunvarnabhumi Airport account for more than 100 flights a day.

Under an agreement, GSA Asia Cargo provides air cargo service for Thai AirAsia and is responsible for marketing and selling air freights for the airline's domestic and international flights as well as overseeing the operation and ground-handling management.

Launched in May, the company has transported around 600 to 700 tonnes of international air cargo per month, between Bangkok and Singapore, Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, Macao, Hong Kong, Rangoon, Phnom Penh, and Shenzhen.

Dalal said the group could service customers to either ship their goods from any destination in the country to store at a warehouse or to transit their goods from international flights to domestic flights or vice versa.

He said the group planned to open the cargo service at airports in Hat Yai, Phuket, Chiang Rai and Udon Thani next year.

Customers can now transport their packs of products or parcels from Chiang Mai to Suvarnabhumi Airport via the group's local agent, PT Air Cargo.

Currently, Air Asia provides three flights from Bangkok to Chiang Mai and three fights from Chiang Mai to Bangkok a day.

The agent's cargo sales manager, Kanakorn Panusitkul, said what it needed was the ID and telephone numbers of senders and receivers. After that the parcels will be sent to the airport.