Under the agreement, WestJet will deliver cargo to Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) where Flexport operates freighter services to Asian airports including Seoul’s Incheon International Airport, Shanghai Pudong International Airport and Hong Kong International Airport.
Canadian exports that will benefit from the services include seafood from Halifax and the Maritime regions, and WestJet will introduce regional flights from Vancouver to transport cherries to Incheon.
Neel Jones Shah, EVP of Global Key Accounts and Chief Customer Officer, says, “Our collaboration with WestJet Cargo is the latest example in Flexport’s mission to make global commerce so easy there’ll be more of it; by creating a fast lane for Canadian exporters to move their goods, we can break down global trade barriers and boost export volumes for these producers.”
Kirsten De Bruijn, EVP Cargo at WestJet Cargo, adds, “Together, we offer cutting-edge logistics solutions to meet the growing demand from Canadian exporters to Asia, particularly with regards to our valuable perishable cargo. Using ORD as a connection point, we are seamlessly able to transfer cargo within a matter of hours, further ensuring the freshness and integrity of key Canadian perishable exports.”