FedEx Express reduces intercontinental transit times to Greece

FedEx Express has announced a new, direct served flight into Greece as part of the company’s commitment to strengthening its intercontinental services to Europe. The new route recognises Greece’s growing position in the global marketplace and shortens transit times for customers exporting from Asia, the US, and many parts of Europe.

Greece is experiencing a growth surge as GDP forecasts expect annual increases of 2.5% – 4.3% until 2007. According to Global Insight, a private forecasting firm, in 2004 imports from around the world to Greece are expected to grow at a rate of over 23%, while Greek exports are projected to grow by over 22%. Part of this growth can be attributed to the return of the Olympic Games to Athens this year, which will result in a significant increase in commerce and trade.

“There is an increasing need for transport and logistics systems that link Greece with the rest of the world. For example, whilst 45% of the in-bound traffic to Greece is intra-European, almost 30% is the US to Greece and 20% is Asia to Greece,” explained Alain Chaille, FedEx’s vice president of Operations for Southern Europe. “And with ‘speed to market’ becoming increasingly important to remaining competitive, these improved transit times will benefit our global customers.”

The five weekly flights begin today, and will operate to and from Athens, the country’s largest city and business hub. The new flight will be served by an Airbus A310 200 freighter, operating daily from Tuesday to Saturday, and will reduce inbound transit times to Greece from around the world by one full day.

One of those companies directly benefiting from this new flight is Veto, a Greek sportswear company. Artemis Zafiropoulou, shipping manager of Veto, said, “As a result of FedEx’s new service enhancement, our imported products will arrive much sooner. That is a great advantage to us in getting our products to the market and ultimately to our customers. It is just another example of how FedEx helps us to do business better.”