Teesside International has appointed air cargo stalwart and consultant Steven Verhasselt as it looks to expand its airfreight operation.
Verhasselt, who owns consultancy FB Cargo Strategy, will help steer the northeast UK airport's cargo operation by leading business development and implementing strategy.
Speaking about the airport's potential, he highlighted the improvements in speed to and reliability that regional airports can offer.
"When you see what is happening in UK, you see very few flights for cargo in London airports. For cargo, if organised, Teesside is definitely a competitor," Verhasselt said.
“You can compete on speed and compete on reliability – that’s the benefit of a regional airport. Speed is important but in certain areas, such as automotive freight, reliability is key.
“The market offer in Northern England is under-developed and there may well be an opportunity there. You’ve also got Brexit which hasn’t quite been digested – companies are still working it out and there are logistic challenges so there are opportunities there.
“I see the potential to develop some very sustainable long-term successes – be it Africa with perishables, business in the US, and maybe Asia with stopovers.”
However, he added developing the cargo business at the airport will take time.
“You also need to be wise where we position ourselves – we’re not going to be landing 747s,” he said.
“It’s a challenge and it’s going to take time, but there are always opportunities in the short term – just look at the port strike on the US East Coast.
“We are going to get the groundwork done and position ourselves – but we’re also going to look at the short-term opportunities as well. That’s the balance in the whole approach. The key is to be on top of it.”
Verhasselt will be supported by his colleague at FB Cargo Strategy, Koen Servaes, who has 38 years of aviation experience.
Teesside Airport managing director Phil Forster said: “Having Steven and Koen boosting our team is a huge coup for us. Both are giants in the cargo industry – and what they’ve done throughout their careers is a testament to the hard work, contacts and talent they have.
“To have access to their vast knowledge and expertise is invaluable and we’re delighted they’ve seen our potential and come on board.
“Our cargo operation means we’re perfectly placed for distribution, our Business Park is growing, and we’ve put the building blocks in place to welcome more firms to our site to reap the benefits of our customs zone."
In a press release, Teesside International highlighted the role Verhasselt had played in developing the cargo business at Liege Airport, which is now known for its freight operation, particularly for e-commerce shipments.
“We got perishables through Ethiopia, e-commerce, and worked through Hong Kong and China," Verhasselt said of his time at Liege. "We offered a unique selling proposal by using our ingenuity around existing legislation.”
He added: “Running cargo is much more than just running airside operations. It’s about customs, licence checks, border control, taking cargo to its final destination. That’s what makes it interesting.”
The appointment comes as the airport has been looking to develop its cargo business.
At the start of the year, it was approved as a Border Control Point (BCP) meaning it can handle perishable produce such as flowers, fruit and vegetables.
In 2023, it opened a £2.5m freight facility last year, which offers a 21,000 sq ft hangar with security screening technology, handling, freight forwarding, customs clearage and storage.
This year also saw the northeast UK airport begin handling FedEx flights after the express giant signed a five-year deal for an airfreight handling facility at the airport.
The first flight of the new partnership was carried out by a Boeing 737-400 (OE-IAE) and arrived at Teesside from Edinburgh Airport in early June.
https://www.aircargonews.net/region/europe/fedex-completes-first-flight-to-uks-teesside-international/
