Our client called us directly on Friday afternoon with an urgent request. Their supplier in China was delayed with production. The parts were now finally ready and had to be delivered to the Czech Republic on Sunday to avoid serious issues for our client.
How Air Time Critical® delivered from China during a weekend?
When the client first called, it was already 21:00 in China. It was too late even for a Next Flight Out solution which uses cargo space on first available passenger flights. Another issue was the shipper’s location. It was far from major hubs such as Shanghai or Hong Kong which offer regular direct flights to Europe.
It was too late for air freight – The only solution? An On Board Courier
Our only option was to fly the shipment with a courier as luggage. It was only one pallet weighing 120 kg. Fortunately, the shipper confirmed it could be broken down and repacked into 36 boxes. Due to the total volume, the shipment was split between 2 couriers. However, first, we used a domestic flight from the shipper’s location to Shenzhen. Express van then delivered the boxes to our couriers waiting at Hong Kong airport.
Due to the total volume, the shipment was divided between 2 couriers
See below all the steps of this urgent transport.
Details of the On Board Courier solution
- Type of flight: On Board Courier (hand carry service)
- Service: Door-to-door delivery China – Czech Republic
- Commodity: 36 boxes of 120 kg
- Flight route: NKG – SZX – HKG – DOH – PRG
Itinerary of urgent delivery from China to Czechia in less than 48 hours
Friday
- 15:00 / 21:00 in China: First contact with client. We immediately start checking available flights, and couriers and coordinate with shipper possible pickup time.
- 20:00 / 02:00: All confirmed with the client and shipper. Two couriers and their flight tickets are booked even though it is already 02:00 in China. Operation launched with immediate pickup.
Saturday
- 03:45 in China: Shipment picked up at shipper in Anhui province. As only 25 boxes is ready instead of 36, we double-check with the client that the total amount of parts is correct and provide him with photos of the shipment.
- 06:30: Arrival at Nanjing Airport (NKG)
- 08:30: Flight to Shenzhen (SZX)
- 10:20: Flight arrival SZX
- 13:40: Export finished and express van transfer from Shenzhen to Hong Kong
- 21:50: Shipment handed over to our 2 couriers at HKG airport
Sunday
- 01:45: Flight departure to Doha (DOH)
- 04:25: Flight arrival DOH
- 09:50: Flight departure to Prague, Czech Republic (PRG)
- 14:10: Flight arrival at PRG
- 15:20: Import customs finished and express van on the way to delivery
- 21:15: Shipment delivered to consignee
N.B: The times indicated correspond to local times
Air Time Critical® ‘s added value
- Choosing the best option: ATC® offers various types of emergency transports. For this shipment, shipping the entire pallet would be too slow, so we switched to sending boxes with On Board Couriers.
- 24/7 operations in China and Europe: The customer was able to reach our teams late on a Friday evening in Europe, and our 24/7 operations in China were able to secure express pickup, flights and two local couriers even though it was 02:00 a.m. in local time China.
- Detailed tracking of transport progress: The client received updates after every step including photos of the shipment when possible. It helped to confirm the correct number of parts to be shipped.
- ATC® takes care of everything from pickup to delivery: Our local agent communicated in Chinese with the shipper to arrange pickup and export. The consignee’s customs broker was informed and instructed about the arriving shipment to organize smooth import clearance at Prague airport. The shipment was delivered as fast as possible directly from the airport in an express van.
Do you need the fastest delivery from China to Europe?
You can contact Air Time Critical® team any time you have an urgent transport to organize. We will check what solution is the most suitable for your shipment based on your deadline and available flights. Our solutions are available for transport between Europe (France, Belgium, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany…) and Asia, Turkey, USA, Mexico, Canada, Morocco, Tunisia and South Africa.
Do not hesitate to send us your request and get a solution for your specific route and volume. You can use the online form or reach us by phone +32 2 888 84 16 (EN/FR).
Note: Dates, times, locations and names mentioned may have been changed to protect the confidentiality of our customers.
Also read:
Urgent On Board Courier Asia-Europe