Since the beginning of the first Covid-19 wave, freight forwarders in the Netherlands faced issues with finding space within limited flights capacities from and to Amsterdam. JAS Amsterdam dedicated themselves to be flexible and creative to find the best solutions for their clients. Utilizing our extended JAS network and with the help of other offices in Europe like JAS Frankfurt, have arranged a weekly charter to provide our clients with the service they required throughout these difficult times.

One of our clients, Aviagen Limited, for whom JAS AMS builds specialty aircraft pallets containing day-old chicks, had a peak in shipments during the first half of the year. During that period, JAS Amsterdam handled more than 10,000 boxes and over 700,000-day-old chicks. All served with options through the BENELUX region.

This peak was almost parallel with the peak of Covid-19. The JAS Amsterdam team faced two major challenges. First, to find the required space, and second, to travel within the region while the travel restrictions were the strictest. Negotiations were taking place on a continuous basis with all airlines that are able to handle life animals such as day-old chicks.

In the middle of the restrictions in March, JAS had our first shipment for this peak from Belgium, Liege airport. JAS AMS went with a team to build up the ULD’s with one purpose, to deliver this shipment safely, and in time.

A couple of days later, the JAS team had to head to the south of the Netherlands for a full charter flight from Maastricht (MST), The Netherlands to Abidjan (ABJ), Côte d’Ivoire. This flight contained 7 ULD positions that were built into a Boeing 737F. 749 boxes and over 50.000 chicks. Which was again, safely delivered to the client.

This marked the beginning of a successful period, in which the JAS team made the impossible possible, and went above and beyond to fulfil our responsibility to our client. Today we continue these efforts through a wave of the avian influenza affecting the region and through the second wave of the pandemic. Nevertheless, we will continue providing the support and dedication our clients require. At JAS, people make the difference!

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In May of 2020 longtime JAS partner Aviagen®  and sister company Hubbard® required a large shipment of live, day-old chicks be transported to Bangladesh from the United States and France. These chicks needed to arrive the next day to their destination, safely and in good health. With the successful delivery of the chicks to Aviagen's customer in Bangladesh the broiler breeding stock will produce 110,393,893 kilograms (243,376,874 pounds) of chicken meat for the people living in Bangladesh.

This important shipment had to go out amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictions it has brought to the shipping industry, as well as required expertise to navigate the mine field of other special requirements in order to successfully deliver this live cargo next day, safely, and efficiently.

JAS Live Animals regularly organizes airfreight shipments to various destinations, and this shipment was important to Aviagen and marked a historic shipment for the company. Quoted from Aviagen "Several characteristics contribute to the historic nature of this shipment. First, it represents the most grandparent and parent stock chicks ever to be exported internationally in a single shipment. And it is the first-time multiple brands of multi-generational chicks destined for different poultry companies have shared an international flight."  JAS is honored to be part of such a historical event in the Live Animal Industry and to continue to work with Aviagen on future shipments.

This shipment required specialized pallets to be built, as well as overnight feeding to be done for the chicks on their long journey. The pallets, built in the USA, had to merge with the pallets built in France, by a competitor. Thanks to the dedication of the night shift, through their feedings and follow-ups the chicks were under constant care, and thanks to the partnership and clear communication between the customers, forwarders, and airlines this critical shipment was successful.

“This is really where the JAS motto People Make the Difference comes to life. Passion! Passion! Passion! We are dealing with live animals and not general cargo, you must have passion, dedication, and commitment to the cause. And those are the qualities that proudly makes JAS different from the competition, to the point where it seems like you are making the most incredible accomplishments for your customers, but for you it simply has become your normal daily routine.” JAS Live Animals Division Manager, Carlo Rebuffi

JAS is proud to have a strong relationship with Aviagen, handling shipments like this for them for nearly 2 decades. Starting in the United States, JAS worked hard to gain their trust and earn credibility with them, expanding into Europe and gaining the needed expertise to ship such a commodity as live animals to the point that JAS developed its own Live Animals division. This division continues to grow and has a dedicated team of experts willing to go over and beyond to deserve the business of our partners.

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