Israeli carrier El Al is offering real-time e-bookings and access to live rates and cargo capacity through Freightos’ WebCargo platform. EL AL Cargo will be rolling out WebCargo across the US, Europe, and Asia, giving over 2,500 forwarders access to its system.
Lufthansa to market Eurowings space to Vegas
Lufthansa Cargo is now marketing the freight capacities of the new long-haul flights of its Eurowings Discover subsidiary including, from the autumn, space between Fankfurt and Las Vegas.
Eurowings Discover is the new tourist airline of the Lufthansa Group and a wholly owned subsidiary of Deutsche Lufthansa AG.
Initially, it will offer routes from Frankfurt to the Dominican Republic (Punta Cana), Kenya (Mombasa), Namibia (Windhoek) and Tanzania (Zanzibar).
From October, Eurowings Discover is planning further flights to Las Vegas and Mauritius while the 2021 winter flight schedule will include Bridgetown, Montego Bay and Varadero will be added followed in November by Cancún as well as to medium-haul destinations such as the Canary Islands, Egypt and Morocco.
The first Eurowings Discover aircraft loaded with cargo took off from its home airport of Frankfurt am Main on 24 July for its inaugural flight to Mombasa with onward service to Zanzibar.
Lufthansa Cargo chief commercial officer, Ashwin Bhat, said the extra frequencies would complement existing connections “and help our customers in times of still scarce capacity.”
Portuguese carrier taps into CargoAI
Portuguese carrier TAP Air Cargo is now using the CargoAI online booking solution. TAP operates an average of 2,500 flights per week from its hub in Lisbon and the roll out will start in France, then the US and will the full worldwide network available at the end of August. Freight forwarders can request e-quotes and make e-bookings through the system.
North America leads recovery – updated
Airfreight volumes from North America grew faster than any other market in the week from July 12 to July 18 (week 28), said analysts WorldACD.
Compared with the previous week (week 27), volume increase by 9%. However the Central and South American markets experienced the largest decrease (-5%).
Total worldwide airfreight volume did not change compared with the previous week while worldwide capacity increased by +1%.
The average worldwide yield/rate in week 28 was the same as in week 27, WorldACD added.
WorldACD’s findings were confirmed a few days later by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which published its own June figures on 28 July. It said that North American carriers contributed 5.9% to the 9.9% growth rate in June. Compared with 2.1% for Middle and 1.6% for European airlines. Latin American carriers meanwhile lost ground by 0.5%.
First half-year air cargo growth was 8%, its strongest first half performance since 2017.
Overall capacity, which IATA measures in available cargo tonne-kilometers remained constrained at 10.8% below pre-COVID-19 levels due to the ongoing grounding of passenger aircraft. Belly capacity was down 38.9% on June 2019 levels, partially offset by a 29.7% increase in dedicated freighter capacity.
Underlying economic conditions and favorable supply chain dynamics remain highly supportive for air cargo, it continued. The US inventory to sales ratio is at a record low, meaning that businesses have to quickly refill their stocks, and typically use air cargo to do so.
The Purchasing Managers Indices (PMIs) – a leading indicator of air cargo demand – show that business confidence, manufacturing output and new export orders are growing at a rapid pace in most economies. Concerns of a significant consumer shift from goods to services have not materialized.
The cost-competitiveness and reliability of air cargo relative to that of container shipping has also improved, while the average price of air cargo relative to shipping has reduced considerably, it said. Reliability of ocean carriers has also deteriorated.
IATA director general Willie Walsh said: “Air cargo is doing brisk business as the global economy continues its recovery from the COVID-19 crisis. With first-half demand 8% above pre-crisis levels, air cargo is a revenue lifeline for many airlines as they struggle with border closures that continue to devastate the international passenger business. Importantly, the strong first-half performance looks set to continue.”
Emirates inaugurates Miami link
Emirates inaugural flight to Miami International Airport touched down in Florida at 11am on July 22. The four times a week Dubai-Miami passenger service – the first ever between the two gateways – is operated by a Boeing 777-300ER.
The Middle Eastern carrier has been operating passenger freighter services to Miami since October 2020 and has also in the past operated several charter flights on its Boeing 777 full freighter aircraft to transport champion horses from Miami to equestrian events around the world. Since 2019, the airline has moved more than 7,700 tonnes of cargo in and out of Miami.
Kintetsu steps up Skybridge space
Kintetsu World Express has expanded its Sky-Bridge charter services from Asia to North America, via Rickenbacker. The service operates from Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Cambodia, and Indonesia to via consolidation hubs at Incheon International Airport and Dubai International Airport. It is based on block space agreements with airlines, dedicated passenger-converted freighter service to Rickenbacker.
The forwarder says it is in response to ongoing traveler restrictions that have resulted in substantially fewer direct cargo flights and reduced passenger-belly capacity, while demand for US-bound air transport is expected to increase with the onset of late-summer peak season.
Volga-Dnepr to create central Russia hub
Volga-Dnepr Group has signed a strategic partnership agreement with the Republic of Tatarstan government to develop cargo sector at Kazan airport, about 600 miles east of Moscow in central Russia.
The signing ceremony was part of the official meeting between Tatarstan President, Rustam Minnikhanov, and chairman of the Volga-Dnepr Group’s Board, Alexey Isaykin at the International Aviation and Aerospace Salon in Zhukovsky.
The deal aims to increase transit and commercial flights and strengthen Kazan’s cargo infrastructure, enhance handling and create a competitive landscape for cargo including pharmaceutical and e-commerce. During the first six 6 months of 2021, Volga-Dnepr Group saw a six-fold year-on-year increase in its cargo volumes through Kazan.
Amsterdam Schiphol seeks slot solution as freight surges
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in the Netherlands processed 837,671 tonnes of cargo in the first six months of 2021, up 27.7% on last year. Some 572,111 tonnes were on freighter flights, up 23.4% and 265,560 tonnes in bellyhold, up 38.1%.
Schiphol has been facing capacity shortages for freighters due to slot restrictions, a situation which the airport is working to resolve with the Dutch Government and cargo community.
“The figures demonstrate that cargo remains important, not only for Schiphol and its local air freight community, but also for the economy of the Netherlands,” said head of aviation business development, Anne Marie van Hemert,. “We seek to find a joint solution to the slot issue.”
Schiphol appointed two cargo partnership directors after finalising a restructure, which has led to the creation of a new Aviation Business Development division under Airport Operations and Aviation Partnerships.
Olaf Van Reeden and David Van der Meer have joined Roos Bakker to shape and develop cargo processes at Schiphol, bringing together all airline and cargo commercial and operational businesses at the airport.
Under the new strategy, Schiphol will continue to drive its Smart Cargo Mainport Program and finalise the renewal of Cargonaut’s Port Community System over coming months.
Schiphol will also continue working with the Holland Flower Alliance and the Circular Plastics Alliance to use standardised boxes for flowers and help reduce waste.
Pictured left to right: Cargo partnership director, Olaf van Reeden; cargo partnerships directors, Roos Bakker and David van der Meer.
DHL adds pharma space in Germany
DHL Supply Chain is expanding its dedicated pharma space in Florstadt, 35km north of Frankfurt am Main, Germany with a 344,445sq ft logistics centre, bring the total at its pharmaceuticals and medical products campus to 753,473sq ft.
Scheduled to open in late 2021, it will offer temperature zones of 15-25°C, 2-8°C and -24°C zones and there will be a separate 18,837sq ft for hazardous materials. The site will feature continuous temperature management, state-of-the-art security and alarm systems, and has received all major life sciences and healthcare certifications including GDP, GMP and ISO 13485.
Dachser opens new site in Phoenix, Arizona
Dachser USA Air & Sea Logistics, the US subsidiary of German-headquartered logistics and forwarding company Dachser SE has opened a new, larger office facility in Phoenix, Arizona to handle increased volume.
As well as serving the region and the wider US West Coast, it will manage increased volumes of cross-border trade with Mexico.
The new Phoenix operation has over 7,500sq ft of space and includes a new office space.
Managing director of Dachser USA Air & Sea Logistics, Vincent Touya, explained: “This new facility in Phoenix will allow Dachser USA to grow within the Southwest region as well as expand our capabilities to service the growing market. As the supply chain evolves, Dachser USA is committed to responding to the needs of the marketplace, investing in regions that enable us to better serve our customers.”
He added: “Our customer-centric team will play a key role in further growing our capabilities, enabling greater efficiencies and more collaborative operating models as expectations have increased. The new Phoenix facility will better support opportunities for customers who look to Dachser as a competitive differentiator in their supply chain.”