June 26 - NEO Air Charter, the recently-launched broker, and co-founder of the Global Charter Alliance - has appointed Active Airline Representatives as its sales agent covering the Netherlands.
Active's main business is general sales agency for airlines; it represents the 18 carriers managed by Leisure Cargo, along with Aeroflot, Coyne Airways, Olympic Air and Rossyia.
In its new role for NEO, Active will act as a local contact point for enquiries, and will add NEO's charter capabilities to its service portfolio.
Says Active's MD Ton Smulders: "There are strong synergies between a charter broker and a GSSA like Active. Most charter business originates through a freight forwarder, and this is precisely our own customer base - to whom we can now offer a valuable extra dimension to our service. Significantly, NEO pledges always to respect the forwarder's role in the charter chain, and this also fits well with our own close relationship with freight agents.
"In addition, freight agents often request our assistance in securing capacity for large or outsize shipments; whenever possible, we channel this business through our own client carriers. But sometimes we need to call upon the services of charter brokers and heavy lift carriers. Now, as agent for NEO, we have instant access to all the necessary knowledge, skills and capacity to satisfy any charter requirement to any location."
Says NEO Joint MD Stefan Kohlmann: "NEO already has agency agreements covering Poland, France and Austria. Our use of high-calibre agents like Active to provide sales coverage in key European markets provides a convenient local contact point.
"Ton and his team have considerable experience in working with freighters, outsize loads and loading supervision, which will enable them to provide their customers with valuable guidance in the early stages of an enquiry."
