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IRELAND Serving the whole island of Ireland


only served Dublin, but started bringing steel coil into the then Corus [now Tata] plant near Lisburn, using a former Coastal vessel.” Warrenpoint is a useful export gateway for Northern Ireland’s big industrial manufacturers such as Powerscreen and Wilson, and as a distribution point for the whole island


containers.


The port has almost completed a £20 million capital expenditure programme that will see 300 metres of quay, representing two berths


out


of a total of six, deepened to 7.5 metres of water from the previous 5.4 metres.


New multi-purpose cranes were brought in and


As other parts of the world continue to recover from the global downturn, the air export sector will continue to rise - despite the loss of some manufacturing, predicts Ian McCool of air cargo general sales agent, International Airline Marketing (IAM). Two large exporters


have Warrenpoint: a distribution point for the whole island of Ireland


Last year was better than expected for Warrenpoint Harbour, says financial director Kieran Grant. Seatruck Ferries continues to expand there, but in November 2009, C2C withdrew its container service linking the port with Waterford


and Zeebrugge.


“There was nothing we could do when they decided to go ro- ro into Dublin,” he says. “But we were only a short time without a lo-lo service, because Cardiff Container Line came in from March 2010. CCL had previously


recently moved their production from Ireland - Dell from Limerick to Poland and IBM from Dublin to Singapore. While both these companies retain a very substantial presence in Ireland, in development, sales, marketing and finance they now have very few manufacturing activities. These sorts of events are reflected in the country’s total air exports, but the worst may be over. Total airfreight tonnage fell 23% in 2009 over 2008 but in the first 11 months of 2010 had recovered somewhat, by 4%. McCool says: “This is a long


Cardiff Container Line ships steel coil on custom-built carriers


of Ireland, Grant says. “Our central location is still a benefit to


many companies, simply


because we’re not Belfast or Dublin,” he says. “We do our own stevedoring and have a flexible labour pool who can switch from timber to grain or general cargo. It gives us a fast vessel turnaround.”


Seatruck’s Warrenpoint-Heysham service continues to thrive


As well as the specialist coil carriers, Cardiff Container Line transports flats and regular


Ireland


Address: Sandford Freight Ltd., Unit P1 & P2 North Ring Business Park, Swords Rd, Cloghran, Dublin 9, Ireland. Telephone: +353-1-8162700 Fax: +353-1-8162701 / 8162702 E-mail: freight@sandford.ie


Ian McCool: Predicts an upturn


of the few sectors in Ireland that are showing strong results,” McCool continues. “There were 47 new foreign direct investment projects announced in 2010 as well as expansion plans announced by 79 existing foreign companies in Ireland.” IAM’s own exports volumes


Sandford Freight Ireland and Sandford Freight (UK) Ltd, the No. 1 Independent Freight Forwarder in Ireland and the UK. We deliver on our promise.


United Kingdom www.sandford.ie


Address: Sandford Freight (UK) Ltd., Abbeygate House, Challenge Road, Ashford, Middlesex TW15-1AX, United Kingdom. Telephone: +44 (0) - 1784 - 254900 Fax: +44 (0) - 1784 – 256900


fell off slightly, by 3% in 2010 but yields increased. “The


Warrenpoint saw the benefit by recording a good year for timber movements in 2010, in contrast to Belfast, with volumes more than doubling to 150,000 cu metres. Grain throughput


has fallen back,


but timber and steel were both “much better than expected,” Grant says. A relatively new export stream in scrap metal and other recyclables has also begun to open up.


way off some of the growth seen in some major European markets but taking into account the large volumes from Dell and IBM, which disappeared from the equation, the future looks well set for recovery.” Despite Ireland’s well- publicised debt problems, exports are setting records. “The general feeling is that exports will greatly assist in the recovery of the Irish economy from the current downturn as this is one


ISSUE 2 2011


Airfreight on the up again, says IAM


reduction in volume can be put down to a number of factors – the AA widebody was only on the Dublin-Chicago route for a very short season last year. Austrian Airlines were integrated into the LH group and we no longer sold them for the second half of the


year. We sold Air Baltic, Cyprus Airlines and Air Malta on behalf of a UK based GSA for a number of years but lost these accounts when the UK GSA opened up their own office in Ireland this year – and the first half of the year saw many carriers chasing market share and selling at close to cost or below cost.”


On the plus side, “the quality of service of the IAM portfolio of carriers, matched with our continual drive for improvement in our levels of customer service, as well a much focused sales drive, saw the yield for many carriers


above the average


market levels. Many of the more sensitive exporters are pushing for quality above price as the importance of getting their goods to markets as planned is of greater value than some lower priced options.” The last quarter saw yields harden to levels not seen for at least two years, as capacity on many key routes was restricted.


In early 2010 IAM was appointed agent for Egyptair in Ireland and the business grew by over 162% over 2009.


McCool concludes: “The outlook for 2011 looks good with, for instance, American Airlines re-introducing their B767 aircraft on the Dublin- Chicago route in early April. Air Canada will also operate 6 x B767 on the Dublin Toronto route for the summer period. And China Airlines are now running three passenger services as well as three freighters per week.”


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