Pantos riding out downturn

PANTOS Logistics UK, the Korean-owned airfreight forwarder and logistics provider, has reported figures showing that it is managing to buck the trend in the current economic downturn.

The company reports a 20 per cent year-on-year increase in airfreight volumes over the last quarter of 2008 compared to 2007 and despite the dramatic global downturn managed a five per cent increase in January 2009 compared to last year.

Mark Talbot, business development director, said: “This performance has been achieved by working closely with customers to increase speed-to-market, thereby reducing their inventory levels.”

Successful exports to the US have been stronger than originally anticipated especially electronic goods over Thanksgiving and Christmas. More such flights will be chartered over the first quarter of this year.

Hyun Que Park, Pantos Logistics’ European president, (right) said: “We continue to monitor economic developments closely, but we see the present situation more as an opportunity than a threat and are well placed to grow in supporting the supply chain needs of our customers with our diverse range of products and services.

“Our IT system, ‘Single Window’, gives visibility to customers of more than 80 million items located across the Pantos network while enabling them to track shipments and place orders through the same portal”