Blog | Air Cargo Vision | Air Cargo News ACV Air Freight News Air Cargo Vision

TIACA appoints green awards jury

People

Chris Lewis

-

February 7, 2022

The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) has appointed a six-strong jury for its 2021 Air Cargo Sustainability Awards, run in partnership with IT solutions providers CHAMP Cargosystems. The two awards recognize outstanding businesses and industry initiatives to make air cargo more sustainable. – one for start-up/small business and the second for corporate and established businesses.

The jury comprises Chris McDermott, chief executive, CHAMP Cargo Systems, Jaisey Yip, general manager, cargo and logistics development, Changi Airport Group, Liana Coyne, director, Coyne Airways, Andrea Tang, international trade lawyer, FIATA, Patricia Varela, assistant manager operations innovation and change management, IATA and Hendrik Leyssens, vice president, global operations, cargo, Swissport.

The three finalists in the Start-up/Small Business category will be asked to share their initiative with the audience during the Executive Summit in San Francisco, March 22-25. The audience will then participate in the decision as to which initiative will receive the first-place prize of $10,000 USD and the two runner-up prizes of $2,500 USD each.

The winner in the Corporate category will be announced ahead of the event and recognized for their efforts in making air cargo more sustainable.

Women’s group launches mentoring scheme

People

-

February 3, 2022

0

Women in Aviation and Logistics (WAL) has launched its mentorship scheme, matching 27 industry leaders – 16 women and 11 men – with aspiring female professionals around the world. The free-to-join programme will run until April, with mentors and mentees making a minimum four-hour commitment over four months. Participants will provide their feedback and lessons learnt at the end of their mentorship for further improvement of the programme.

The programme aims to empower female professionals who will be the future heads of cargo companies and board members.

Chief commercial officer of aviation software firm Awery, and WAL mentor, Tristan Koch: said: “I am delighted to be part of the WAL initiative and I hope that my experience of the air cargo industry will be helpful in ensuring that everyone has an equal opportunity of succeeding in what is a vitally important global service. I was fortunate to be one of the inaugural mentors on the American Airlines’ mentorship programme promoting female development throughout the company.

“I saw the incredible success stories that emanated from that and am keen to take that to the wider industry.”

Megha Palkar, assistant manager at IATA’s Cargo iQ quality program and WAL mentee, added: “The mentoring programme and database of speakers are concrete steps that can change the tone of the entire industry. I am looking forward to learning from the experience of ‘people that made it’ and making air cargo a more innovative and equitable space for all.”

Over 50 delegates joined the WAL mentorship kick-off call hosted by Céline Hourcade (pictured top left) and Meantime Communications’ Emma Murray (bottom left).

Qatar signs up for Boeing’s new 777-8 freighter

Airlines

Chris Lewis

-

February 3, 2022

0

Qatar signs up for Boeing’s new 777-8 freighter

Qatar Airways is to be the launch customer for Boeing’s new 777-8 freighter with an order for up to 50 aircraft.

The Middle East carrier has signed a firm order for 34 jets and options for 16 more worth more than $20 billion at current list prices and the largest freighter commitment in Boeing’s history by value.

The 777-8F will be the largest and longest-range twin-engine freighter ever, with payload nearly identical to the four-engined 747-400 freighter and a 25% improvement in fuel efficiency, emissions and operating costs.

It has a range of 4,410 miles (8,167 km) and a maximum structural payload of 118 tonnes, helping operators to reduce stops and reduce landing fees on long-haul routes.

Under the agreement, Qatar Airways will convert 20 of its 60 777X family orders to the 777-8 Freighter. The carrier is also ordering two current 777 Freighters to capitalize on the buoyant air cargo market.

IAG restores Latin America routes to pre-Covid levels

Airlines

Chris Lewis

-

February 3, 2022

0

IAG restores Latin America routes to pre-Covid levels

IAG Cargo says it now offers capacity to nearly every destination in Latin America which it operated pre-pandemic. It has has increased services Madrid, London and Barcelona to Colombia and Argentina from Madrid and is now offering daily capacity between Sao Paolo and Buenos Aires. The carrier – which comprises British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia and Vuelling now serves 17 destinations in Latin America from.

Some 14 flights per week now operate between Madrid and Bogota, Colombia, compared with ten previously along with three existing flights per week to Cali. It has also increased flights between Madrid and Buenos Aires from 8 to 10 and between London-Heathrow and Mexico City from five to

IAG Cargo’s new service between Sao Paolo and Buenos Aires will not only provide cargo capacity between the two cities but offer the opportunity to fly freight across its network onto transatlantic routes. All services are operated wide-body aircraft.

IAG Cargo now operates over 250 weekly services to the region, all using wide-body aircraft. The service has proved particularly valuable to the automotive and manufacturing and to the medical sector. The extra capacity also benefits perishable exporters seeking to transport fresh produce into Europe and the UK, an important period in the run up to Valentine’s Day.

Rodrigo Casal, Regional Commercial Manager for Latin America at IAG Cargo, said: “These additional flights will provide a welcome boost to businesses trading between Europe, UK and Latin America. Additionally, we are delighted to be able to offer regular wide-body capacity between Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires, on flights that feed into London and Madrid. Our global network allows customers a gateway to the world, connecting automotive freight to assembly plants in Europe, or perishables onto the supermarket shelves in the UK.”

IAG Cargo announced a new route from Heathrow to Guayaquil, Ecuador in 2021 along with increased flights to Sao Paolo, Brazil and Mexico City. Regular flights to San Juan, Puerto Rico and from Heathrow to Rio de Janiero were also re-started in 2021.

Lufthansa scores top marks in iQ test

Airlines

Chris Lewis

-

February 2, 2022

0

Lufthansa Cargo has been recertified by auditing company SGS to IATA’s Cargo iQ Standards for quality management. The carrier achieved three out of three for, among other things, implementation of the Cargo iQ milestone system, in particular for its performance in the Corporate Social Responsibility, Innovative Spirit and Contribution to the Cargo iQ Community. Cargo iQ is an IATA community of interest, connecting more than 60 members in the air cargo industry, including airlines, forwarders, ground handling agents and IT providers. It provides metrics and a quality management system to monitor and evaluate compliance with customer promises.

Online bookings nearly triple at AirBridgeCargo

Airlines

Chris Lewis

-

February 2, 2022

0

Online bookings nearly triple at AirBridgeCargo

Volga-Dnepr Group ‘s AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC) says its digital bookings increased by 274% in 2021 compared with 2020.

The company has been developing its eBookings and eFreight systems on its website as well as approaching online booking platforms.

The carrier says it was one of the first cargo operators to join online booking platforms back in 2019, starting with Cargo.One followed by WebCargo and CargoAi.

It has worked closely with the booking platforms to expand online booking capabilities for customers in China, Japan, South Korea and other Far East countries.

Commercial director Alexey Zotov said: “With customers becoming more digitally minded, we aim to adapt the same digital experience they have become accustomed to as consumers and transfer it in the business-to-business environment. We have been in close dialogue with our key accounts to see how we could increase online bookings and integrate our capabilities into their internal transport management systems. This will enable more seamless customer experience and open new opportunities for further cooperation, including in the area of integrated logistics solutions which we are set to expand”.

In 2022 and beyond, AirBridgeCargo and Volga-Dnepr Group plan to transform their internal cargo management system to create smoother booking and confirmation, but also offer customer relationship management (CRM), invoicing and revenue management.

Qatar offers online emissions tool

Airlines

Chris Lewis

-

January 31, 2022

0

Qatar Airways Cargo has developed an emissions calculator to allow its customers can now determine shipments’ carbon footprint. Available under the eServices menu on the airline’s website: https://www.qrcargo.com/calculate-emissions, it determines the total CO2 emissions in kilos or pounds, based on origin, destination, flight date, and weight.

Live Animals completes CEIV triple for Etihad

Airlines

Chris Lewis

-

January 31, 2022

0

Live Animals completes CEIV triple for Etihad

Etihad Cargo has gained IATA CEIV certification for Live Animals, making it the first airline in the Middle East and third globally to hold IATA’s CEIV Live Animals, CEIV Fresh, and CEIV Pharma certifications.

If followed an IATA-led assessment of Etihad Cargo’s dedicated LiveAnimals, for animal transportation, and SkyStables, for equine transportation, products, as well as its logistics’ audit checklist to ensure compliance with standards, requirements, and Live Animals Regulations (LAR).

Etihad senior vice president Martin Drew said: “The transportation of live animals requires specific conditions and the CEIV certification further underlines Etihad Cargo’s experience and commitment to animal welfare and safe transportation. Etihad Cargo is proud to have secured certification for its LiveAnimals and SkyStables products. This recognition further endorses the industry-leading service we provide global customers.”

Key benefits of the certification include improving animal welfare and safety through appropriate quality and risk management, and enhancing standardisation and professionalism in the handling and transportation of live animals in a multimodal environment.

Handler to build state-of-the-art Schiphol site

Ground Handling

Chris Lewis

-

January 31, 2022

0

Handler to build state-of-the-art Schiphol site

Handling company dnata is to invest €200 million investment in a 61,000sq m (656,600sq ft) fully automated cargo centre at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. The facility is scheduled to open in 2024.
Cargo City Amsterdam, at Schiphol South-East, will include 19,000assq m (204.500sq ft) warehouse space and an annual capacity of over 850,000 tonnes. It will comply with the highest industry standards, including perishables, pharmaceuticals, dangerous goods, mail, live animals, aircraft engines and vehicles.
It will be developed by Schiphol Commercial Real Estate and equipped by Lödige Industries. The facility will have two separate automated storage and retrieval systems for up to 2,500 pallets with 12 stacker cranes with a separate storage areas for ULDs serviced by four elevating transport vehicles (ETV).
Seven Lödige Industries intelligent automated guided vehicles will move ULDs within the terminal, the first large scale application of the technology. Smart gates will automatically record the volume and weight of all incoming consignments by scanning them in 3D.
Other developments by dnata include new cargo facilities in Manchester (UK), Karachi and Lahore (Pakistan), and additional cargo capacity and infrastructure in Brussels (Belgium), Sydney (Australia) and Toronto (Canada). In March dnata will open the second phase of the dnata City East project at London Heathrow.

Kenya Airways to end monkey transport

Airlines

Chris Lewis

-

January 31, 2022

0

Action for Primates has welcomed a commitment by Kenya Airways to end the transportation of research monkeys and has renewed its call to Spanish holiday charter airline Wamos Air, to do the same.

Kenya Airways said it would not renew a contract to transport the monkeys which expires in February this year. It follows a recent US truck crash involving 100 long-tailed macaques that had been flown from Mauritius to JFK by Kenya Airways.

Action for Primates says that a number of other including American Airlines, British Airways, United Airlines, South African Airways, Air China, China Airlines, Delta Airlines, Eva Air and Air Canada have ended their involvement in the trade.

It adds that Wamos Air has transported thousands of long-tailed macaques from Cambodia to Houston for Envigo, a global contract testing corporation with the monkeys confined to small transit crates for around 40 hours.