‘Zero Covid’ policy in Hong Kong and On Board Courier – Consequences and alternatives?
Prior to the ‘Zero Covid’ policy, it would have been natural to choose a door-to-door On Board Courier solution for very urgent shipments to Hong Kong. Indeed, this is the most rapid and responsive mode of transport, ideal for urgent parcels. It consists in a dedicated courier boarding the first available flight to the desired destination with your goods. No cargo terminal or freight consolidation… a much faster option than standard air freight!
Prior to the ‘Zero Covid’ policy, an urgent transport request received in the morning was easily handled. A courier would jump in the first flight to Asia from Roissy Airport and would deliver the next day, only a few hours after landing in Hong Kong. That was the ideal scenario before implementation of the strict lockdown policies currently in place in that country.
Current situation in July 2022: Organising an On Board Courier now means finding a courier with a valid visa, an up-to-date vaccination schedule, and, above all, someone ready to spend a strict quarantine period in a lockdown hotel. If that wasn’t enough, one also has to wrestle with the availability of typically overbooked, approved lockdown hotels. With a waiting list that can exceed 5-6 days, one needs to pray for a possible booking date!
Latest measures: the courier may have to spend the strict week-long lockdown in a hotel with their luggage. This means that your precious parcels that need delivering urgently would find themselves stuck in Hong Kong for 7 whole days with the courier!
On Board Courier loses the race at the final straight. So what is the best solution for your shipment?
An alternative to On Board Courier
Luckily, Air Time Critical® is able to offer backup solutions to its customers thanks to priority air freight. Not just bog standard air freight but priority air freight, which guarantees priority access to available flights, as well as dedicated, time-saving handling and customs protocols.
Under current conditions, it is possible to achieve average delivery times of 4-5 days between France and Hong Kong.
This alternative solution is admittedly not as fast as On Board Courier (prior to current restrictions), but it remains the best available option. You can expect to save 4 to 6 days on average compared with standard air freight!
This is good news for industrialists who cannot afford to wait 10 days to deliver to their Hong Kong customers while production recovery is in full swing.
Urgent shipment to Hong Kong?
Get in touch with Air Time Critical® via:
- its instant quote form
- telephone: +32 2 888 84 16