Emirates SkyCargo and United Cargo have signed a Memorandum of Understanding mirroring the broader commercial agreement between the two airlines.
Under the MoU, signed at the World Cargo Symposium (WCS) in London by the carriers will expand cargo interline options and blocked space agreements, pending regulatory approvals. This will build on existing cargo interline arrangements between them and offer freight customers access to more capacity on a larger combined global network.
United Cargo will gain access to Emirates SkyCargo’s network through the belly-hold of passenger flights to over 100 global destinations and 11 freighters, whilst Emirates SkyCargo will have access to over 200 cities in the US and 300 cities across five continents through United Cargo.
Nabil Sultan said: ” Cooperating with United, which is a leading airline in its own right with strengths and a network that are complementary to our own, will allow us to add value for our customers and help them reach new markets more speedily.”
Jan Krems added: “As one of the leading carriers worldwide, Emirates SkyCargo is an important player in the industry, and our supplementary capabilities allow us to provide new service offerings to our customers worldwide. We share a common commitment to providing industry-leading solutions for our customers and we look forward to working together in the future.”
Air Canada Cargo is to operate a Boeing 767 freighter five times per week between Frankfurt, Germany and St. John’s and three times a week from Madrid to the Newfoundland gateway. The carrier already operates service to Halifax.
Lufthansa cargo and forwarder Kintetsu World Express have signed an agreement on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Kintetsu will reduce around 5% of its total CO2 footprint of transported airfreight with the airline for one year by committing to using SAF from October 2022 to September 2023. It will also offset ‘well to tank’ emissions generated during the production and provision of SAF through certified climate protection projects.
The first-ever fully electric commuter plane, Eviation Aircraft’s Alice has successfully completed its maiden flight at Moses Lake, Washington, USA. Alice lifted off yesterday on 27 September from Grant County International Airport (MWH), flying for a total of eight minutes and reaching an altitude of 3,500 feet.
DHL has ordered 12 cargo versions of the aircraft.
DHL Express chief executive John Pearson, said: “Completing its maiden flight confirms our belief that the era of sustainable aviation is here. With our order of 12 Alice e-cargo planes, we are investing towards our overall goal of net-zero emissions logistics. Alice’s range and capacity makes it a unique sustainable solution for our global aviation network, supporting our aspiration to make a substantial contribution in reducing our carbon footprint and ultimately, achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.”
CEVA Logistics has added five more stations to its network of air freight locations certified under the CEIV Lithium Battery program. Frankfurt, Incheon, Shanghai (PVG), Singapore and Tokyo join Amsterdam and Hong Kong, which were certified in 2021. CEVA became the world’s first company to receive the new IATA CEIV certification in 2021 after teaming with IATA to support the development of the new program. CEVA expects to receive the certification at Atlanta and Detroit by the end of 2022, bringing its total number of certified stations to nine.
UPS has appointed Cathy O’Brien as its healthcare vice president for international sales. Based in Ireland, she will be responsible for Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America the pharmaceutical, medical device, laboratory and dental segments.
She joined UPS in July 2016 as a managing director for UPS Healthcare’s European business and took on further responsibility for the ISMEA region in 2020. Before joining UPS, she held several commercial management roles including driving global strategies in cold chain and pharma logistics.
Recently, O’Brien and her team worked closely with some of the leading manufacturers to deliver ultra-cold Covid vaccines to over 110 countries.
UPS Healthcare recently announced plans to acquire the Bomi Group, which operates temperature-controlled facilities in 14 countries in Europe and Latin America and will add nearly 3,000 team members to UPS Healthcare. With the approved completion of this acquisition due by 2023, UPS Healthcare will have more than doubled the footprint of its facilities since 2020.
It is also investing in UPS Premier express delivery service, that offers advanced technology for small packages as well as priority in the global network. Earlier this year, UPS Healthcare expanded its specialized temperature-controlled fleet across Benelux and Italy, adding to existing cold chain transport services in the UK, Italy, Hungary, and Poland.
SATS is to acquire Worldwide Flight Services, the world’s largest air cargo handler from existing owner, Cerberus Capital Management for €2.25 billion. The companies said the combination would create a global air cargo platform with stations across Asia, the Americas, and Europe. Customers will benefit from the combined platform’s broader suite of services, operational best practices, and integrated technology. WFS chief executive Craig Smyth said: “WFS has become the leading global air cargo logistics provider thanks to our commitment to customers, our experienced team, and our partners at Cerberus. “This combination will deliver exciting benefits for our customers and our people. We have great respect for SATS and enjoy similar values. By bringing together our respective strengths, we will be able to build on our trusted relationships around the world.” SATS chief executive Kerry Mok, commented: “WFS is an industry leader because it has dedicated people and an unwavering commitment to customers. Our proposed acquisition is a transformational opportunity for SATS and will create a global leader and a go-to provider of mission critical aviation services. In our newly combined markets, SATS and WFS will be at the heart of global trade flows, operating in the world’s busiest airports and supporting the biggest companies.” Following the close of the transaction, WFS will become a wholly owned subsidiary of SATS and the WFS management team will continue to lead the business. The transaction is subject to regulatory and SATS shareholders’ approval and is expected to close by the end of March 2023.
Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has become the latest global container shipping company to develop an air freight arm.
MSC, which by some counts in the world’s largest container shipping operator is developing an MSC Air Cargo solution to complement its seafreight services.
It follows similar moves by Maersk and CMA CGM.
The service will be available from early 2023, following the delivery of the first of four MSC-branded Boeing 777-200F aircraft that will be operated by Atlas Air
MSC has also appointed Jannie Davel, formerly of Delta Cargo, Emirates SkyCargo and DHL to develop its air cargo business and to build the team that will implement it.
MSC chief executive Soren Toft said: “We are delighted to announce the development of MSC Air Cargo and to welcome Jannie Davel to spearhead this
exciting new offering for MSC clients. This is our first step into this market and we plan to continue exploring various avenues to develop air cargo in a way that complements our core business of container shipping.”
Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) and Diagnose are pioneering detection of undeclared lithium batteries using dogs. It follows a six-month trial in France.
Currently, there are few means to physically check for undeclared lithium batteries, which pose one of the biggest threats to flight safety due to their fire risk.
WFS and Diagnose partnered in March 2022 to carry out a feasibility study using dogs to detect the presence of lithium batteries in cargo shipments, mail and baggage.
The test phase was conducted at WFS cargo terminal in Lyon and involved two dog detection teams, specially trained by Diagnose, and their trainers. Derived from the free-running explosives detection method which Diagnosed mastered over 20 years ago, the trial enabled the dogs to check large volumes of different types of cargoes and has produced remarkable results.
Global Head of Health, Safety, Security & Environment (HSSE) at WFS, David Clark, said: “Over the six months, the two dogs involved in the trial were very precise in their detection of lithium batteries, with 100% accuracy. They located both lithium ion and lithium metal phone batteries in various cargo units whose volume sometimes exceeded 2 to 3 cubic meters.
More specifically, they were able to detect a single button battery (ion metal battery) within a 1 cubic meter shipment. In response to one of the biggest aviation safety challenges, WFS and Diagnose believe this can help to significantly strengthen safety measures.”
The testing period also allowed for the development of an operational protocol, a standard training programme, and an end-of-training and ongoing performance evaluation.
WFS and Diagnose, a subsidiary of the ICTS Europe group, will now make France the centre of excellence for the detection of lithium batteries by dogs. In future phases, dogs could be deployed across EU airports or in response to customer requirements within 5-6 months as more dog detection teams are trained. Diagnose is currently present in nine countries, equipped with 400 teams of dog-handlers.
Oren Sapir, CEO at ICTS Europe group, added: “The challenge presented by lithium batteries is a major concern for aviation safety. Goods that are properly declared, correctly packed and, above all, in good condition present little risk, but it is clear that batteries, or devices containing batteries, are transported every day in passenger luggage and in airfreight shipments without being declared.
“By working in partnership with WFS, we believe the results of our dog detection trial can be a very important breakthrough in ensuring the highest standards of aviation safety, which are our shared priority. We will be presenting the results of our trials in France to IATA and the regulatory authorities in the next stage of this initiative.”
Earlier, at the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) AGM in June, Director General, Willie Walsh, called on governments to develop and implement research methods for lithium battery detected. H said: “The industry is raising the bar to consistently apply existing standards and share critical information on rogue shippers. But there are some areas where the leadership of governments is critical. Stronger enforcement of existing regulations and the criminalisation of abuses will send a strong message to rogue shippers. The accelerated development of standards for screening, information exchange, and fire containment will give the industry even more effective tools to work with.”
Emirates SkyCargo capacity is available for ebookings on the WebCargo platform on 27 September. It is part of a phased introduction, with the UK Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy and Turkey going live on that date. Capacity will be available to customers across all of Europe at the end of October, followed by Australia and the US in November. Customers in Asia and Africa will have access by January 2023.
With the launch, airlines representing over 40% of global air cargo capacity are available for bookings on WebCargo, including Qatar Airways, American Airlines and Turkish Airlines.
