IRELAND\\\ Smooth transition for Byrne customers


Dublin-based freight forwarder EFL International ensured that customers of one of the city’s last independent airfreight agents had a smooth ride when the owner decided to call it a day. Ex-Aer Lingus employee Eddie


Byrne, who founded Byrne Airfreight in the early 1980s, retired in December 2019 aſter many decades of successful trading. But it was very important to him that his staff and customers found a worthy new home. The


answer was EFL


International, based just a few kilometres away south of Byrne Airfreight’s location to the north of the city airport. EFL International director Chris Radley explains: “With


the between long relationship our two companies


over many years, Eddie decided to direct all his customers and overseas agents to EFL to ensure continuity for the business, staff and, above all, customers. And, I am pleased to report, just about every customer has decided to come over to EFL.” June Shaw took up her


employment with EFL at the start of January and Darren Greene was due to follow shortly from Byrne Airfreight. The new recruits will help to further strengthen EFL’s already substantial airfreight activity and, crucially, will also add customs expertise in the run-up


to the UK’s Brexit at the end of the year. The Irish freight industry has


been gearing up for the UK’s exit from the European Union for some time now; much freight between Ireland and the rest of the world transits the UK, and Brexit could potentially have major implications. Byrne International’s activities


are now in the process of being wound up and the company has officially ceased trading. EFL, which itself has represented the Hong Kong-based U-Freight Group in Ireland for over three decades, will maintain Byrne’s existing


relationships with its


overseas agents to maintain continuity.


Chris Radley adds


that there is ample space at EFL International’s offices and depots to accommodate the new recruits and business. EFL International, like Byrne


Airfreight, has itself been an IATA (International Air Transport Association) member since 1986. It has also recently gained membership of the FIATA international freight forwarders association and is of course a member of the Institute of Freight Forwarders of Ireland (IFFI). It is also a member of the WCA and EGLN global forwarding networks. EFL


International offers a complete range of sea freight,


Up and down year for port of Dublin


Dublin Port’s unitised volumes (ro- ro and lo-lo containers combined) grew 3.6% to 1.5 million units in 2019 and has increased by 41.3% over the six years since the economic recovery began in 2013. But the continued strength in unitised growth in 2019 was offset by a large one-off decline in bulk solid commodities and overall tonnage growth for the year was just 0.4%. Containers and freight trailers


accounted for 83% of all cargo in 2019. Ro-ro grew by 2.6% in 2019 to 1.1m units while lo-lo container volumes grew by 6.5% to 774,000teu and have now, 12 years later, finally surpassed the pre- recession level of 2007. Imports of new trade vehicles


through Dublin Port decreased by 4.4% to 99,000 during 2019. Bulk liquid volumes, comprising


mostly petroleum products, grew by 0.9% to 4.7m tonnes driven by increasing road transport


and aviation activity. Petroleum imports through Dublin Port are now 14.4% higher than they were in 2007. Bulk solid commodities


declined by 23.4% to 1.8m tonnes. The previous year, 2018, was exceptionally strong for agri-feed imports. Also during 2019, exports from Boliden Tara Mines halted for a four-month period during major construction works at the port’s Alexandra Basin, although exports of lead and zinc ore concentrates have now fully resumed. Dublin Port’s chief executive, Eamonn O’Reilly, said:


“The


dominant feature of 2019 was the continued strong growth in the unitised modes.


Behind these


growth figures, however, we saw a marked difference between the UK and the EU-26. Where GB volumes declined by 0.2%, volumes on ro-ro and lo-lo services to Continental


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IPS Groupage Services Ltd - Dublin & Cork Tel: + 353 1 890 6600 Fax: +353 1 890 6666


michael.kane@ips-group.com www.ips-group.com overland trailer and airfreight


services to the Irish market, as well as operations in a couple of niche areas. These include Pets on Board, a pet and animal transportation service, with staff that include a fully qualified veterinary nurse and others trained to IATA Live Animal Regulations standards. The pets service handles the furred and feathered friends of people coming to live in Ireland –


of which there appear to be ever- increasing numbers, says Chris Radley - as well as animals being moved for breeders and the like. It also has a motorbike


transportation service - Bike on Board - whereby EFL moves bikers’ machines in specialised cradles by freight transport from Ireland to locations in Europe – or further afield- while their owners travel out comfortably by air to rejoin


Issue 1 2020 - FBJ Ireland


their machines and tour around the continent. The service is also offered in the return direction, particularly for German bikers wanting to travel around Ireland. EFL International also offers a similar service to people importing bikes into Ireland from abroad. EFL International director


Chris Radley says that the market in Ireland does appear to have settled down aſter the excitements and uncertainty of last year, although some customers were, in mid-January, still hanging back in


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case the politicians threw further spanners into the Brexit process. “The market is a little bit soſt,” he said. Nevertheless, there is still


brisk business for the forwarder, particularly the specialist bike and animal transportation services. A member of EFL International staff had given a number of talks to International Pet and Animal Transportation Association (IPATA) meetings and this had yielded substantial new business, said Radley.


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