Reinforcing its leading role in the regional freight logistics industry, Swift Freight International recently set another high standard by moving a record amount of cargo via sea-air combined transport in 2002.

The November-December 2002 shipments were Swift's highest sea-air tonnage ever, a 90 per cent increase over the previous year's November-December figures.

Emirates Airlines & KLM recently acknowledged Swift as one of its top cargo agents for 2001 and 2002 in their annual awards ceremony.

'It has been a tough but good year. We are happy as an organisation, said founder and chairman of Swift Freight Issa Baluch in recent remarks. 'We are a highly people-powered organisation. Our people will remain the strength of the organisation.'

Baluch is widely recognised as the pioneer of sea-air combined transport in the region, having introduced this unique facet of freight logistics in the Middle East in the 1970's, one that seamlessly combines sea freight and air freight services.

Swift Freight International has been acknowledged as the largest sea-air operator in the region. It has received awards for being the largest sea-air operator from Sharjah International Airport for each of the last eight years.

A recipient of over 80 international prizes, Swift Freight International is one of the leading transportation logistics service providers in the region and possesses a world-wide network of 33 offices and an agency representation that covers the globe.

Baluch believes that the GCC customs unification, which commenced on January 1, will change the logistics picture in the region.

He said recently that customs unification looked very appealing and creative but that after the euphoria of the early days it would offer many challenges to the logistics industry

Baluch recalled that some years ago, some European countries stopped importing goods from the more distant markets, preferring instead to import from neighbouring countries. Such a development could happen in this region, he said, adding that the logistics industry should be prepared to face any eventuality.

With customs union occurring in the prime region of its operations, Swift was prepared for any surprises and challenges, said Baluch.

He observed that the sea-air trade, notwithstanding ups and downs, had successfully passed the initial phase and was now a permanent system, providing shippers in the east and consumers in the west with an alternative in transportation.

He recalled there had been doubts about the survival, efficiency and impact of the sea-air trade, but it was now clear that it not only survived but also had become even stronger due to Dubai's infrastructure as a seaport and aviation hub.

While the multimodal system had arrived and done well, those involved in that system would have to expect challenges, including one related to security. Describing it as a necessary evil, he said it had to be introduced on a global scale. The costs would pass on to the consumer.

When Dubai developed itself as a base for air and sea transportation between East and West, Baluch joined hands with SAT (Sea-Air Transportation) as its exclusive handling agent in the Middle East to develop transit operations in Dubai.

As Cargo Village News, a bi-monthly publication of the Department of Civil Aviation, Dubai, reported, the sea-air cargo trade has come a long way. Before it was introduced, there were just two ways of moving freight from the Far East to the West. On the one hand there was sea freight with an approximate transit time of six to eight weeks and on the other hand there was airfreight with one working week of transit time, 'In between these 'duopolies' there existed nothing at all. Besides the huge difference in time there also existed a substantial gap in price. Sea-Air fitted perfectly into this gap, offering a service that was midway with regard to both transit time and price,' it said.

'From a macro perspective, the UAE soon became the entrepot handling the highest volume of sea-air cargo. Swift Freight International today holds the number one position in the UAE sea-air transhipment business,' the Cargo Village News observed.

Commenting in the journal on the state of the sea-air transhipment industry in the Middle East, Baluch commented: 'Every five years I renew my views on the rise and fall of sea-air transhipment. Many times in the past sea-air transhipment has been declared dead and finished, but now I am convinced it is there to stay. Broadly speaking, there is nothing spectacular about the September 11 fallout as far as our industry is concerned.

'I would like to say that this resilient industry is used to numerous upheavals. Go back 10 years, 20 years or even 30, here are so many of them. Whilst one can admit that this specific September 11 incident has indeed slowed down the economy generally, we are still fortunate in the Gulf region that we are better off than many.'

Of the sea-air cargo business it handles, an average of 75 per cent is said to be door-to-door and 25 per cent door-to-port shipments

Thomas Varghese, manager for sea-air operations, believes that ultimately the key lies in 'immaculate operational efficiency and accuracy that is as close to 100 per cent as possible.

'The only reason we are the leaders is because our operational expertise is unmatched in the market. We simply do not tolerate the slightest error as even a small mistake can sometimes have disastrous effects,' said Varghese.