A night of victory and pride

Airlift Asia Inc. (AAI), the country’s leading Filipino-owned freight forwarding company, marked its 25th anniversary in December with a uniquely Filipino fiesta celebration.

"AAI in its 25 years has been very much like the Philippine fiesta–you can find it anywhere in the country," said AAI managing director Alfonso L. Santiago. "Good times or bad, our people will always celebrate the fiesta. It’s not because we have to, but because it is important to the whole community that it is celebrated."

AAI, which started out with just a one-room office and a staff of only 10 employees in 1981, has now grown into a multi-million-peso business in an industry that has become one of the pillars of trade in the country.

"Today, AAI is an organization of hundreds of people across the country who move as one, think as one and all strive towards one future," said AAI chairman Rico V. Brizuela. "And over the next years AAI will build upon this foundation – this family, this organization – and strive to become even bigger and better."

AAI currently employs 500 people in its head and satellite offices in Cebu and Davao. About 14 percent of them have a service record of 10 years or more.

One of the highlights of the anniversary celebration was the special tribute paid to them for their loyalty and dedication.

"Our employees come to work everyday with the dedication and commitment to render the best work possible. They have what Filipinos call pagmamalasakit and this has allowed us to persevere and grow. It has made us work hard everyday to achieve our vision," Brizuela added.

AAI’s commitment to quality service has been rewarded with an ISO 9001 certification and a distinction as one of the top 10 agents of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) for several years. It is the only Filipino-owned airfreight forwarding company to have gained this recognition.

AAI is also the exclusive agent in the Philippines of the World Air Cargo Organization (WACO) and is a member of the Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines (SEIPI), the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), and the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines.

It recently added another feather to its cap with a TAPA-A (Technology Asset Protection Association) certification.