Rhenus becomes a force in Latin American forwarding

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September 6, 2023

German-headquartered forwarder Rhenus is expanding its presence in the Latin America (LATAM) market through acquisition of Colombia-based BLU Logistics and a taking 51%shareholding in Rotterdam-based LBH Group, including its six operations in the region.

BLU Logistics is present in Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay and Uruguay as well as in Mainland China and Hong Kong. Headquartered in Bogotá, the company specializes in and air and sea cargo, warehousing, customs, and logistics services. It is the number one maritime transport company in Colombia with an import cargo volume of more than 180,000teu.

Founded in 1984 in Rotterdam, the LBH Group expanded its operations to include the transport of bulk commodities and opened branches in 24 countries as well as alliances in additional seven, with a strong focus on Australia and Africa.

The Rhenus Group itself already operations across Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico. It says that combining the BLU and LBH teams will increase its LATAM workforce by 2,200 employees.

Rhenus Group chief executive and chairman, Tobias Bartz, said: “Our strategic acquisitions allow us to further strengthen our global network and service portfolio in the LATAM region, where we see increasing demand for logistics services, especially for the e-commerce industry.

“In addition, the region’s proximity to the North American market fosters a robust environment for nearshoring, which aligns perfectly with our growth strategy. Together with BLU and LBH, we (will) create a unique position with the value of a family-business for our customers and people by offering a strong footprint in key markets to secure more robust supply chains globally.”

Rhenus added that the expansion would complement its position in the Asia-LATAM corridor, leveraging BLU’s robust trans-Pacific freight forwarding network while enabling BLU to extend its reach to European and Indian trade lanes. David Kassin, previously associated with BLU Logistics, will assume the role of chief executive for Rhenus Air & Ocean LATAM.

He said: “This is a win-win-win for BLU Logistics, Rhenus, and above all, our customers. The global Rhenus network gives us the possibility to further explore other regions and to expand our client base to new segments and geographies, especially to India and the Middle East, as well as Southeast Asia, Europe, and North America.”

FedEx signs deal for Istanbul air hub

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Chris Lewis

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September 4, 2023

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FedEx Express Europe has signed an agreement to build a new global air transit facility at iGAIstanbul Airport (IST) by November 2024.

Turkey’s new gateway is already in the world’s in the top five cargo airports in Europe and the second busiest for international passengers.

FedEx currently operates a shared third-party facility at iGA Istanbul Airport. The new dedicated 25,300 sq m (272,325sq ft) facility will allow it to in-source operations for greater reliability and is more than two times the size of the current operation. It includes three parking spots for FedEx aircraft, space for 32 vans, and seven truck doors, and will use state-of-the-art sorting technology to handle up to 3,000 pieces per hour.

The facility is also designed with separate parcel and freight processing, benefitting businesses who want to bundle both shipment types in a single network with a single interface. Processing parcel and freight separately also creates operational efficiencies, including reducing forklift movements.

FedEx Express vice president operations for Southeast Europe, Israel and Turkey, Eser Sezek, said:

“We’re excited about our expansion at Istanbul Airport, which gives FedEx an even stronger foothold at this strategic location and unlocks growth opportunities for customers trading intercontinentally. It also demonstrates our strong and continued commitment to our business and our customers in Türkiye, which goes from strength to strength as a major cargo and logistics player.”

Chief executive of iGA Istanbul Airport, Kadri Samsunlu, added: “The fact that FedEx has chosen to locate its new global air cargo facility on our site, reflects iGA Istanbul Airport’s position as a strategic super hub, not only for passengers, but also for the cargo and logistics sector”, commented. “We are confident that this new facility will further cement iGA Istanbul Airport’s vision and mission and commitment to being a global hub and gateway to the world.”

New interim chief for Netherlands’ Maastricht

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Chris Lewis

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September 1, 2023

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Maastricht Aachen Airport, the Netherlands’ second-largest cargo hub, has appointed Former Schiphol airport director Jonas van Stekelenburg as interim chief executive for an initial term of nine months, taking over from Jos Roeven. The changes come as part of a strategic initiative following the joint investment commitment of the Provincial Council of Limburg and the Royal Schiphol Group.

Former chief executive Jos Roeven, said: “My initial plan was to lead MST for five years when I started in 2017. That journey extended to six and a half years ¬– a period during which our team achieved remarkable milestones in cargo and passenger volumes.”

Swissport gains CEIV Pharma status in Liège and Toronto

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Chris Lewis

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September 1, 2023

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Swissport has gained IATA’s CEIV Pharma certification for its cargo centres at Liège Airport in Belgium and Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada. The handler now operates 21 Pharma Centers and more than 70 pharma-capable air cargo facilities worldwide.

Liège is Swissport’s second CEIV Pharma-certified facility in Belgium after Brussels and Toronto the second in Canada. It gain certification at Montréal-Trudeau International Airport in 2018.

The Pharma Centre in Liège comprises two temperature-controlled storage units which operate at 02-08° C and 15-25° C, each with an area of 180sq m and able hold up to 15 ULDs. Facilities in Toronto are similar.

In June, Swissport opened a new 400sq m facility for temperature-controlled cargo at Dublin Airport in Ireland and in May renewed its CEIV Pharma certification in Barcelona. While the facility aat Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya, was expanded to include a new 750sq m cold storeroom.

Emirates achieves green and wildlife standards

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Chris Lewis

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August 31, 2023

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Dubai-based Emirates has gained IATA Environmental Assessment (IEnvA) Stage One and IEnvA Illegal Wildlife Trade certifications. The carrier has implemented Stage One of the IEnvA environmental management system, covering its flight operations and corporate activities, along with the Wildlife module that supports its commitment to preserving animals and habitats. Employees undertake wildlife awareness training which has also been extended to employees in passenger services. It has also committed US$200 million to research and development projects focussed on reducing the impact of fossil fuels in commercial aviation.

Etihad boosts bellyhold across the board

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Chris Lewis

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August 31, 2023

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Etihad Cargo will add 29 weekly passenger flights to new destinations and add 90 flights to existing routes in its winter schedule. The Abu Dhabi-based airline will offer capacity to two new European gateways with four flights a week to Copenhagen in Denmark and three to Düsseldorf in Germany, bring its total number of services to Germany to 28 per week, including four freighter services to Frankfurt.

In Asia, it will operate five passenger flights per week to Osaka, its second Japanese gateway, add three more flights per week to Beijing and four to Shanghai. Etihad Cargo recently announced a new freighter service to the freight-orientated Ezhou Huahu Airport in China. New passenger routes operate to Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram in India, along with seven new flights to Chennai, eight to Kochi, two to Islamabad, seven to the Maldives, five to Cairo and seven to Phuket per week.

Lufthansa launches Detroit upgrade

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Chris Lewis

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August 30, 2023

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Lufthansa Cargo and handling partner Avflight are upgrading cargo operations at Detroit Metropolitan Airport.

The German carrier has moved into a temporary warehouse on the apron pending construction of a new warehouse in the near future.

It says that the new location make for more streamlined operations and shorter distances for loading and unloading aircraft.

With currently more than 500 tons of cargo handled per year on seven weekly passenger flights and multiple truck connections to Chicago, Detroit is an important location for Lufthansa Cargo in the automotive region of Michigan with potential for expansion.

Lufthansa Cargo is now operating out of a former aircraft hangar converted into a temporary cargo warehouse. The more direct location allows for shorter handling times and offers opportunities to meet the requirements of special cargo shipments, such as animals, valuable cargo and dangerous goods shipments.

In the second phase of the project, Lufthansa Cargo will support Avflight in designing a new cargo facility next to the existing structure, which the handling partner is under contract with the airport to construct. The goal is for this to be operational by the end of 2024.

Henry Julicher, Lufthansa Cargo head of sales and handling Michigan and head of sales Midwest said: “In Detroit, there is a great demand for secure and professional transport solutions, for example, urgently needed components in the automotive sector. There is a lot of weekly freight traffic here between Michigan and the world, including destinations in Germany, Europe, South Africa and Thailand.

“Our dedicated ground handling agent, Avflight, is providing us with significant support in these endeavors.”

((Pic – Detroit))

Sea-air solution shaves day off Singapore-Dongguan transit

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Chris Lewis

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August 29, 2023

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Freight forwarder Dimerco has partnered with Cathay Cargo to pilot an air-sea solution from Singapore to Dongguan, China via Hong Kong, shaving up to a day off the established air-truck schedule.

The Dimerco team worked closely with Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) to optimize the transit time for a shipment of integrated circuits for a leading semi-conductor distributor. Originating in Singapore, the shipment travelled by air to HKIA, then by sea to the port of Dongguan (DGM) and by truck to DGM Logistics Park and on to the delivery destination. Total journey time was three days.

After the cargo was released from the air terminal without the need for customs clearance, it was towed to the seaport. The sea portion of the operation provided a more cost-effective alternative to trucking, and Dimerco had identified that, with the planned introduction of more frequent sailings, transit time could be reduced by between 12 and 24 hours.

The three participants in the pilot – the Airport Authority, Cathay Cargo and Dimerco – analyzed the outcomes of the pilot and identified further efficiencies, including the documentation procedure and customs data integration. This will improve the process flow for future operations.

Pallet-building tech to optimise Etihad cargo flights

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Chris Lewis

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August 29, 2023

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Air services company Dnata has partnered with logistics technology solutions provider Speedcargo to deliver services to Etihad Cargo at Singapore Changi Airport.

Following successful trials, Speedcargo’s artificial intelligence (AI)-based Cargo Eye and Assemble solutions installed at Dnata’s facilities will help optimise cargo capacity for the carrier’s daily flights from Singapore.

Cargo Eye uses advanced, vision-based 3D technology to scan and capture exact cargo dimensions, volume data, images, and labels. This information is then fed into Assemble which creates a digital plan, advising Dnata’s cargo handling teams of the optimal method of building a pallet. Charles Galloway, dnata’s regional chief executive, airport operations – Asia Pacific, said: “Working alongside Speedcargo, Cargo Eye and Assemble will enable us to provide Etihad Cargo and its customers with digital audit trails of how their cargo has been handled, improving efficiency and providing a quality end-to-end service.”

Emirates goes live on CargoMART

By

Chris Lewis

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August 29, 2023

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Emirates SkyCargo is now live on CargoAi’s CargoMART marketplace solution. It is being launched in the Netherlands, Spain and France, and will open up to customers in select countries across Europe, the Americas, Africa, the Far East and Australasia in the coming months. Customers will be able to access Emirates SkyCargo schedules, tariff and contract rates, along with real-time access to available capacity and make immediate bookings. Once the system is fully operational, over 10,000 freight forwarders on CargoAi’s database will have access.