End-of-year news from Swift Freight International

Swift started a weekly groupage service from Dubai to Kampala and Mombasa, as well as weekly air freight charters from Dubai to Kenya and back. These charter flights offer large capacity for perishable goods out of Nairobi, such as flowers, fruits and vegetables, and fresh fish.

Swift Perishable Logistics is a new addition to the Swift Group and is dedicated to providing an unbroken cool chain for temperature-senstive cargo, even in the soaring temperatures of the Gulf region.

With headquarters in the Dubai Flower and Perishables Centre, Swift Perishable Logistics is uniquely positioned to provide value-added services such as repacking and de-palletizing before redistributing plants and flowers to consumer markets in Europe, the CIS, the Middle East, and the Far East.

A brand new website for Swift went live at the end of the year, offering new e-services for customers and simplified access to contact information for the company's 30+ global offices.

In December, Swift's Zambia office received the Best Cargo Agent Award from Kenya Airways for the year 2004-05. Swift's Dubai Cargo Village office also received an award for its commitment to environmental awareness.

Swift gained further recognition as its Chairman and CEO, Issa Baluch, launched his new book, Transport Logistics: Past, Present and Predictions. The book has garnered praise from international industry leaders, and its publication is an important step for both Swift and the regional logistics industry.

In the second half of 2005, Swift restructured its offices in Hong Kong, China, and Thailand. Swift Global Logistics (Hong Kong and Guangzhou) and Swift Logistics and Shipping (Bangkok) feed the Asia-Africa trade lane and support Swift's sea-air combined transport product via Dubai.

In the coming year, Swift plans to extend its coverage to new markets in Africa and India. 2006 will also bring the introduction of a new ERP package, which will provide an integrated platform for internal automation, interaction with customers, and interface with customs and government websites in countries where Swift offices are located.

Though the Swift network has now expanded to over 30 offices in 17 countries, challenges remain. "We have a fantastic plan to be unfolded in the months to come," said Chairman and CEO Issa Baluch. "The challenge in the coming year will be to convert our words into action as we take forward our business strategy."