We had chance to chat with Paul Skellon, Director Marketing, Communications & PR for one of HFIA’s newest Associate Members, Pacific Air Cargo.
By: Alexis Chapman
Tell us a little bit about what Pacific Air Cargo does?
Pacific Air Cargo offers premium air freight services between Los Angeles and Honolulu, 6 days a week, with connecting services to the neighbor islands and also two-weekly service to American Samoa and Guam. Through our Road Fedder Service, we also offer seamless connections to all major US mainland gateways.
What makes shipping to and from Hawaiʻi uniquely challenging and how do you handle that?
Currently, the biggest challenge, while improving all the time, remains the post-pandemic supply chain issues creating delays or product shortages especially in the e-commerce sector.
What kinds of foods can you ship?
There is just about nothing that we cannot ship when it comes to food and fresh produce. If the department of agriculture allows the product to ship in or out of State, then provided the produce is correctly packaged, we can fly it. With a flight time of less than six hours, freshly harvested produce can be in stores or on tables within 24 hours or less.
In addition to shipping between Los Angeles and Hawaiʻi, you also ship to Pago Pago, American Samoa, and Guam. What’s different about these routes?
Because the flight frequency is not the same as to the US mainland, products shipped to or from these markets have to be more carefully considered for shelf life.
What are some challenging/unique/interesting shipments you’ve made recently?
We are the ‘go-to’ air cargo carrier between Los Angeles and Hawaiʻi when it comes to special or precious cargo. For example, in recent years, Pacific Air Cargo (PAC) partnered with the Honolulu Zoo as part of our PAC Gives Back community philanthropy and we’ve shipped giraffes, hippos, rhinos, chimps, and storks. All of these particular animals are part of the zoo’s endangered species care and breeding programs. We also ship high-value traveling art exhibitions as well as sound, lighting, and stage equipment for many of the big-name performers who visit Hawaii, and we support many of the large exhibitions which take place in Honolulu. On multiple occasions that I’m aware of, we have provided a business lifeline to local hotels and restaurants when vital equipment, such as stoves, fridges, and elevators, required parts or critical components to get them back up and functioning. Perhaps the service we are most proud of is when we provide an actual lifeline to Hawaiʻi and the Pacific Islands, partnering with FEMA to deliver emergency, time-critical supplies when disasters such as hurricanes and tsunamis strike. One example is that we shipped the first life-saving COVID-19 vaccines to American Samoa at the height of the pandemic.
What is something you want your fellow HFIA members to know about Pacific Air Cargo?
The team at Pacific Air Cargo prides ourselves on our exceptional service that has created long-lasting, trusted partnerships with our customers over the past quarter century. As a home-grown business, we understand many of the unique challenges posed by Hawaiʻi’s geographic isolation and the high cost of living and doing business here. We really enjoy working with local growers and small businesses to understand their specific challenges and to offer our expertise, experience, and support wherever possible to help them grow and prosper. Aside from our scheduled services, we also offer part and full charters throughout the Pacific specializing in over-size cargo, and we are looking forward to soon opening exciting new markets with direct service to the islands, so watch this space! As a fellow member of this great food industry organization, I would like to say, if you have a question or a specific challenge that you think Pacific Air Cargo may be able to help with, call us, we’d love to be part of your solution and your ongoing success!
