Having taken its partnership with the Royal Mail to a new level earlier this year, Glasgow Prestwick Airport (GPA) is looking to capitalise on the e-commerce boom with an offering of speed and efficiency through its congestion-free environment. 

“The partnership with Royal Mail is transformational for our operations. We’ve been working closely with them, even running night and holiday trials over the past couple of years, which has only strengthened our collaboration,” GPA’s Operations Director Jules Matteoni, stated.

“We see tremendous growth potential in e-commerce. Our strategy is to land the first big opportunity and build from there. We’re pragmatic about our growth—we don’t want to overextend ourselves and fail to deliver. But once we prove our capability with this first partnership, we expect others to follow quickly. We have a five-year plan that includes expanding our facilities and hiring more staff to handle increasing volumes.”

Infrastructure upgrade

GPA has made significant investments in recent months, not just in equipment but also in its teams. Speed is critical in e-commerce, so the airport has been preparing staff to handle cargo more efficiently and introducing new cargo dollies, which will further speed up the transition from plane to truck and ultimately to Royal Mail.

“We now have a large warehouse at Prestwick dedicated to this partnership, allowing us to break down freight quickly and efficiently. This setup will enable us to move cargo from plane to truck within minutes, ensuring rapid delivery,” Matteoni explained.

“Our location is ideal for quick distribution across the UK. We’ve proven this in our trials, where we managed to offload an entire plane and have the first truck on the road within 15 minutes. 

“This truck was in London the following day. Our road network and the proximity of our facilities mean we can offer fast, reliable service, which is crucial in the e-commerce sector where margins are tight.”

Future opportunity

While GPA’s current focus is on getting this partnership right, the airport is clear that it is open to exploring other opportunities. The team at the hub see it as a gateway with a lot of potential, and they are confident that more partnerships will develop, especially after showcasing their capabilities at this event.

“Our partnership with Royal Mail significantly enhances the end-to-end visibility of packages. Once we hand over the goods to Royal Mail, they bring their expertise in advanced tracking technology, providing customers with reliable, real-time updates on their shipments. This level of transparency and reliability is something many e-commerce operators haven’t had access to before, and it’s a key strength of this partnership.” Matteoni explained.

The post Scotland’s e-commerce opportunity appeared first on Air Cargo Week.