Logistics company J&T Express has launched its network in Brazil, following the start-up of operations in Mexico. It has now expanded its global delivery network to 12 countries in Asia and Latin America, including Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, Singapore, China, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
It says the rapidly growing e-commerce market presents significant opportunities for the express logistics industry in Brazil, where it covers all 26 states and one federal district.
Head of J&T Express Brazil, Andy Wang, said: “Compared to countries and regions with well-established e-commerce and logistics businesses, the Brazilian market is developing rapidly with a great potential for further growth.
We believe J&T Express is well positioned to leverage its determination and capabilities in building local operations to establish a refined service network in Brazil. “
Swissport says that its ‘Milk Run’ supply chain optimization initiative at Schiphol Airport has been a success. It combines freight to and from several cargo forwarders into a single truck, and has saved 20,000 individual truck runs since the start of the operation seven years ago.
However, the handler says that many freight forwarders still arrange their trucks individually and many vehicles are driving around with 75% of their capacity unused.
The Milk Run initiative at Schiphol was launched by a small number of handlers and forwarders in 2015 and has grown ever since. In early 2021, it was expanded to include export cargo.
Loading and unloading of Milk Run trucks is carried out at a dedicated truck dock.
Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) has launched an ‘Our Sustainable Flight Path’ plan to steer the next level of its Environmental, Social & Government (ESG) strategy and support the responsible growth of its global airport and aviation services.
The strategy has been created with the support of PwC’s Sustainability team and aims to coordinate, build upon, and accelerate the numerous WFS sustainability projects across the company’s network at 168 major airports in 17 countries.
WFS has already invested in initiatives aimed to reduce its carbon footprint. These include building sustainability solutions into new cargo terminals or LED lighting in over 30 warehouse operations nearly 1,000 electric ramp and warehouse vehicles and biodegradable plastics to wrap airfreight pallets.
Solar panels have been fitted at some WFS locations and trials of further electronic ground support equipment and hydrogen-powered vehicles are continuing. WFS is also participating in ‘green’ projects at some of the airports where it operates.
Chief executive Craig Smyth commented: “Despite the global disruption to the aviation industry and all of its partners over the past two or more years, and the business challenges this has brought, we have remained focussed on our sustainability ambitions because we recognise they are essential for our future success.
“With the great support of WFS teams around the world, we can show some significant achievements across ESG topics already, but this is not enough. We must continue to take collective and individual action as a company and as employees to maintain our leadership position in safety, security, ethics, and compliance whilst reducing our carbon footprint, supporting local communities, and developing our people.”
Global head of health, safety, security and environment at WFS, David Clark, stated: “Sustainability journeys can have no end date because we are learning all the time, new solutions come to the market, and the environment around us is ever-changing.
“We are not at the start of our journey because we have been implementing ESG initiatives into our operations for many years, but now we have a more integrated programme to take us forward, with the clear ambition to maintain our position as a global air cargo logistics leader and a premier provider of ground handling services at airports across the globe.
“Our new strategy reflects our responsibility to our stakeholders to steer our business towards more sustainable operations.”
American Airlines Cargo is to boost its transatlantic services this summer with direct service from key cities in Europe to ten US gateways from mid-May onward.
It will operate service to New York JFK, Dallas/Fort Worth, Boston, Los Angeles, Miami, Philadelphia, Chicago O’Hare, Raleigh-Durham and Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT). Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (from London Heathrow) will be added to the schedule this summer.
All routes will be operated by wide-bodied Boeing 777, or Boeing 787 aircraft.
Leading European cities with flights to the US this summer are: Amsterdam, Athens, Barcelona, Paris, Dublin, Rome, Frankfurt, Lisbon, London, Madrid, Munich, Milan and Zurich.
Regional cargo sales manager, Northern Europe, Andy Cornwell, said: “Capacity to the US is gradually getting back to normal following the pandemic.” “We continue to see strong demand for all kinds of cargo including automotive parts, perishables and life science products including pharmaceuticals.
“With the number of flights growing month on month our European customers are continuing to take advantage of our extensive trucking network to send freight on the direct flights which best suit their needs. They can also benefit from the comprehensive onward network we offer from our US hubs.”
As of April 25, 2022, WebCargo (a Freightos Company)
Customers based in the UK, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain can book direct flights to the US and beyond on American Airlines Cargo through the WebCargo platform.
Swissport has officially inaugurated its new air off airport cargo center near Vienna Airport with a dedicated electric truck shuttle, the first of its kind in the handler’s global network.
The new 8,000sq m facility is in the DLH SkyLog Park in Fischamend close to the. Swissport is one of the first occupants at the site.
A 900,000-kWh photovoltaic system produces enough electricity to power about 260 households. High-performance charging available allows the Swissport e-truck to shuttle between the two locations without restrictions.
Air Canada Cargo has made a series of new appointments as it ramps up its freighter network.
Matthieu Casey has been named managing director, commercial – cargo, overseeing global sales, revenue management, and cargo analytics.
Dotane Harel has been named director, regulatory and operations process engineering and will have oversight of Cargo’s worldwide airside, warehouse, and freighter operations.
Herve Riboulet becomes director, cargo analytics and CRM and will be accountable for establishing a CRM and Analytics Centre of Excellence.
Jeffry Edwards is now director, cargo network control.
Tal Mor has been named director, global partnership programs, Sebastian Cosgrove becomes director, global customer service and Stephen Phillips is now director, cargo sales.
ECS is to open an office in Los Angeles to handle flights operated by Korean carrier, Air Premia. It will carry out cargo sales, reservations, and ensuring the handling of regular and full charter flights. ECS Group also represents Air Premia in the rest of the world.
The GSSA recently opened a subsidiary company in Korea, GAC Korea.
Air Premia is due to launch a Los Angeles route in August its first US destination, and ECS Group will be opening an office there to manage sales out of the North and South America.
Air Premia will also add flights to Narita in August and already serves Singapore and Ho Chi Minh city in Vietnam. The airline plans to add two B787-9 aircraft to its fleet every year until 2025 and to operate wide-body freighters by 2026.
Freight forwarder CMA CGM has signed a deal Air France-KLM for a joint freighter network and to take a stake of up to 9% in the Franco-Dutch airline.
The freighter deal will initially create a fleet of ten full aircraft – four from CMA CGM and six from Air France KLM – but will include a total of 12 additional aircraft that are on order for the two operators. The joint venture will ultimately include CMA CGM’s outstanding orders for eight additional aircraft and Air France-KLM’s outstanding orders for an additional four aircraft, potentially creating a fleet of 22 freighters.
The deal will also include Air France-KLM’s belly aircraft capacity, comprising over 160 long-haul aircraft.
CMA CGM Group also plans to become a shareholder of Air France-KLM Group and plans to take up to 9% of Air France-KLM’s ex-post share capital, subject to approval at the next shareholders’ meeting on 24 May.
The partners will also create a single sales force. The move is expected to increase revenue significantly as well create a more integrated and resilient supply chain.
Marseille-headquartered CMA CGM created its CMA CGM Air Cargo arm, including full freighter operations, in March 2021 and its acquisitions over the last three years include CEVA Logistics, and logistics company GEFCO.
Chairman and chief executive of the CMA CGM Group, Rodolphe Saadé said the move would significantly accelerate the development of CMA CGM Air Cargo, and was fully in line with CMA CGM’s strategy to become a leader in integrated logistics
Air France-KLM Group chief executive Benjamin Smith added: that it would significantly strengthen and expand its position in the air cargo industry.
Kuehne+Nagel North America has launched an electric truck service to shuttle air cargo between Los Angeles International Airport and its Torrance airport warehouse. It is part of a sustainable airport corridor solution for pick-up and delivery service from the airport within a radius of 70-80 miles. Kuehne+Nagel plans to expand the new sustainable offering to other major US air freight hubs.
IAG Cargo has appointed Caroline Andrews as chief people officer. She joins from DHL Express where she was vice president of HR, UK and Ireland, and in her new role will focus on the development of IAG Cargo’s talent strategy globally, overseeing employee experience for a workforce of 2,250.
IAG Cargo recently launched its biggest ever recruitment drive, looking to hire 500 new employees.
