Aerocharter Strives to Be One-Stop Shop for Mexican E-commerce

Q: How have your services evolved for both B2C and B2B clients and what added value does the company offer in these segments?

 A: Aerocharter was conceived as a one-stop shop. Our product offering evolved during the last few years to offer all services required for international and domestic carriers that want to do business in Mexico. We provide first, middle and last-mile services, road-feeding services, warehousing and trucking all across Mexico; and during the last year we handled 1 million packages in all our network

Our business started as a B2B company and now also caters to the C2C and B2C markets. We invested in technology and innovation, which allowed us to attract new customers. We are launching an app for VivaAerobus Cargo that will allow customers to book shipments, pay for their cargo or even schedule a pickup.

We are continuously improving our services because we believe that customer service is a priority. The customer is always right and most importantly, the customer is king. No matter how much we evolve, improvement should be a constant.

Q: Why do logistics companies need a partner like Aerocharter?

 A: We started as a ground handling company and gradually evolved into what we are now. During our transformation, we have built a significant body of knowledge and consolidated key alliances. In Aerocharter, clients will find a successful, reliable and trustworthy partner that understands their business, gets the job done and has a great reputation. We are not trying to get rich fast; we want to build strong relationships that last many years.

At this moment Aerocharter has 10 stations within Mexico with ground handling operations to attend or service passenger and freighter aircrafts

Q:  How is Aerocharter retaining and attracting talent at a time when there is a lack of personnel in the sector?

 A: The lack of qualified personnel has kept the sector up at night. The COVID-19 pandemic changed our operations and business dynamics. We adapted by implementing a remote-work model in 2020 and now we are switching to a hybrid model.

Every problem can be turned into an opportunity. Remote work allowed us to expand the talent pool beyond 30km from the office, which was unprecedented for us and helped us to find talent from all over the world. This has been essential for us because we prioritize both productivity and a work-life balance. The key to having competitive talent is to keep them happy so they can remain motivated. People also need to be challenged by working toward something that is important to them. Finally, good salaries are essential to retain great talent.

Q: The pandemic spurred a boost in cargo services. How did the company adapt and take advantage of this opportunity?

 A: The cargo business is cyclical, so the current demand might recede. For that reason, we are serious about keeping, retaining and gaining new customers. Aerocharter is not opportunistic because we want to make sure that customers have continuity.

We expanded our product offering to provide more stations for airlines and we looked for more strong partnerships. We have also gone into the warehousing market. These services are essential for our customers. We believe in supporting the Mexican industry and helping it to grow.

With 14 distributions centers within Mexico, 3 in the USA and 3 more to come; we can be a great partnership for cargo sales and distribution with our very experimented team.

Q: How will the international air cargo sector evolve given recent challenges, such as higher oil prices?

 A: The one thing that we know about forecasts is that they are always wrong. There are enough passenger planes making transpacific or transatlantic flights but most air cargo operators are operating at overcapacity. The growing middle class that demands more goods, inflation and the war in Ukraine are reducing capacity, so prices will go up to the point where people will not be able to afford to move products by air. That scares us. The world has not faced a simultaneous increase in fuel prices and shrinking capacity, so customers will have to pay higher prices at the end of the day.

Q: What strategies will Aerocharter implement to continue providing an excellent service in 2022 despite the uncertainty?

 A: We are working to obtain some procedural and security certifications to gain the trust of large international carriers. We are also working to improve transparency, visibility and user experience. We want to put the control back in the customer’s hands and ensure transparency through innovation and technology. In short, we want to make air cargo easier than it is today.

In the coming years, clients will order a package, have it picked up, sorted, taken to the airport, loaded onto a plane and delivered to the destination without issues. For the next couple of years, we will focus on supply chain processes. We want to be a one-stop shop for everyone who uses e-commerce in Mexico.

Aerocharter offers national and international logistics and courier services, cargo security, aircraft maintenance, crew transport and legal services for airlines. It works with both logistics providers and airlines.