The turn of the year is traditionally both a time for looking back and for delivering an outlook for the coming 12 months. This is also the case over at Frankfurt-based agent, Quick Cargo Service GmbH (QCS). According to Managing Director, Stephan Haltmayer, the mid-sized agent’s 2025 results were better, compared to the previous financial year, though he did not reveal precise financial figures. Air freight remains the agency’s strongest pillar, but ocean freight has caught up. When asked by CargoForwarder Global about the company’s main goals in 2026, he said that QCS is pushing ahead with special air cargo verticals and AI implementation programs.
Vertical….
The cargo verticals strategy was recently launched. “We have transferred the pharmaceutical business from our core activities into a separate unit, which has already received GDP certification. This is crucial for maintaining the quality and safety of pharmaceutical products throughout the entire distribution process. It helps protect patients, assures customers of product quality, and ensures compliance with regulatory requirements,” stresses Stephan Haltmayer.
AirMc International GmbH is the brand name, based on the AirMc freight forwarding subsidiary which originally started as a franchise initiated by agent, Air Menzies, in Germany. Due to the special nature of the pharma product line, a study by global management consultancy, Roland Berger, shows that the prospects for success are much greater when managed as separate entity. The delicate and temperature sensitive cargo commodity requires specific services and needs to be handled with utmost care.
The QCS subsidiary, AirMc, is headed by the youngest member of the family, Nico Haltmayer. This personnel decision means that a representative of the third generation has taken on a leading management role in the family run company, which was founded in 1974.
… and horizontal expansion
Last year, QCS also continued to significantly expand its Europe-wide network. New branches were established in Venice, Italy and Sofia, Bulgaria. In London, QCS ended its long-standing partnership with local agent, Corten Forwarding, in order to manage the business independently and under its own company name. The situation is similar in Slovenia, where the cooperation with the previous franchisee, Bliteb, was terminated and QCS now operates in the local market under its own brand name. “By stepping out of the franchise contracts, we have gained better control over business processes and significantly increased the connection and exchange with our own European stations,” reasons Stephan Haltmayer.
Of QCS’s EU branches, Hungary reports the strongest growth in 2025. When founded three years ago and headed by Managing Director, David Kondor, only a handful of employees sat in the Budapest office. Today, it counts 25 staff. Similar to the other European QCS branches in Eastern Europe, Budapest offers customers the entire range of freight forwarding services, from air and ocean freight to rail and road transport and customs clearance services. According to Stephan Haltmayer, the branches in Romania and Poland have also developed very positively. Lubos Lukac, Director of Development at QCS Europe, who is also head of the branch in Slovakia, is responsible for this network of newcomers, lately established across Europe.
According to Haltmayer, setting up own stations in Europe, following the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, proved to be a strategically wise move. “For the past three or four years, we have seen a trend in European industry, toward nearshoring in order to minimize investment risks. Thanks to our broad pan-European network, we are benefiting greatly from this shift in production and trade.”
Focusing on AI
Also, QCS has set its sight on Latin America, with imports and exports between the EU and countries like Brazil, Mexico or Colombia, running well. In contrast, China remains at a rather low level, says the manager.
Further to this, QCS has decided to list AI high on its 2026 agenda. “This will be one of our investment priorities,” he announces. The agent also wants to increasingly be present at trade fairs such as Intermodal in Sao Paulo, WCA in Singapore, and Global Air Freight Alliance in Kuala Lumpur.
That leaves little room for contemplative days.
