Eating a variety of foods delivered from distant countries is a constant for modern people. This wide range of food has its limited period of duration, which is the main reason air transport is the best choice for FMCG.
Types of food and other FMCG transported by air
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Meat
- Fish
- Flowers
and more.
Factors influencing the transport of FMCG
This type of transport is still developing as the tendency of consumption in the markets are countinously changing. But besides that other factors are being changed:
- The decrees concerning the air transports
- The continuously raising expectations of the consumers
- The changing services
- Supply chains
Pros of the air transport in the FMCG sector
Air transport offers a range of benefits:
- Less inspections
- Better keeped goods at the appropriate temperatures
- Bigger capacity
Cons of the air transport in the FMCG sector
- Higher prices
- The need of waiting until filling the capacity – it is especially serious flaw in the FMCG transport.
Combining air transport with water transport
For satisfying the needs of the markets, it is usually used a combination of air transport followed by water transport. The initial harvest for the season is being send by air transport while forward packets are delivered by water transport as Markus Fellmann states, from Hellmann Perishable Logistics, a business based in Miami, USA.
Why air transport is better than water transport
Since the water transport is slower due to the fuel economy, there is no doubt air transport is better because of the faster deliveries. An example given by the manager of Global Green Team Marcel van der Pluijm gives view of the differnce between delivery time. He says that water transport from the Netherlands to New York can take up to 12 days while air transport gets the job done in just a couple hours. So, as van der Pluijm states, 99% of the exported bell peppers are transported by air.
Faster deliveries preserve the taste of the food
FMCG transported by air have a better taste since the time from picking off fruits and vegetables and processing meat is shorter.
Air transport hygiene of FMCG
For delivering the goods in good shape, the containers in which they are transported, are kept clean so conditions for pest and parasites are prevented.
Hygiene is observed and checked from the companies sending the packages. This is linked with tutoring the staff and getting the needed certificates for the employees to pack and transport the FMCG.