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All hands on deck to keep Covid kits moving

Chris Lewis
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All hands on deck to keep Covid kits moving

ACS volunteers helped keep Covid test kit supplies flowing earlier this month. Two flights arriving at Birmingham Airport in England with more than two million kits on board were unable to be offloaded by the local handling agent alone so the charter broker sent a team of ten people from its Surbiton headquarters to help unload every box by hand.
Group cargo director Dan Morgan-Evans, explained: “With the lack of freighters in the marketplace at the moment, ACS has been using ‘preighters’ (passenger aircraft loaded with cargo) as the solution for many of our clients’ shipments. 

“The downside of these aircraft is the additional manpower required for loading and unloading. Unlike a regular freighter where pallet-loads of cargo can be removed relatively quickly using a forklift or high-loader, this required taking off each box, one by one which requires a much larger number of staff to unload than a specialised freighter.”

He added that while ground staff at some airports have worked miracles, for two of the flights from Shenzhen to Birmingham it became clear that the ground handler simply couldn’t provide enough manpower to unload the A330 and B787 quickly enough to turn the aircraft around within the timeframe required. 

He said: “I sent out a message to everyone in our headquarters, asking for a team of volunteers to head up to Birmingham and I was staggered with the response. We had volunteers from our marketing, accounts, legal, IT and HR teams, all willing to get up early and to travel to Birmingham to do their bit in keeping this essential cargo coming into the country.”
The first aircraft, the B787-9, arrived shortly before lunchtime and the team quickly got to work, in conjunction with the handling agent. The complete offload took just over an hour, allowing the aircraft to depart for its next flight.

There was much more cargo on the second, larger aircraft, which arrived mid-afternoon. Again the handling agent and ACS staff worked well together and the offload went very smoothly. The aircraft departed later that evening for its next operation.
Dan Morgan-Evans added: “I was so proud to see everyone pull together to get the job done. These are exceptional times and people recognised the significance of what we were doing and dropped their day job to get their hands dirty”.
Video: ACS Volunteers – 2.3 Million COVID-19 Rapid Tests – Birmingham Airport – YouTube

We’ve moved a billion vaccines – but we must do much more, says Envirotainer

Chris Lewis
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We’ve moved a billion vaccines – but we must do much more, says Envirotainer

Airfreight coldchain specialist Envirotainer is calling for continued collaboration between pharmaceutical firms and the logistics industry as it marked the billionth Covid vaccine carried in its fleet of over 6,500 temperature-controlled air cargo containers.

With much of Europe introducing new lockdowns in the face of the Omicron surge, the whole sector needs to be ready to meet increased demand for vaccines and boosters, it says.

Just 56.9% of the world population has received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, it says and pharmaceutical manufacturers, forwarders, airlines and cold chain-solutions providers need to work seamlessly as extensions of each other, it says.

This calls for total transparency on which consignments are crucial and need to be prioritised and also requires further advance planning, not only in terms of keeping COVID-19 treatments moving, but also other life-saving drugs that are required every day across the globe.

Envirotainer’s chief operating officer, Niklas Adamsson, said: “We’re incredibly proud of handling a billion vaccines at a time when air freight has been restricted and demand has been sky high. This is thanks to the incredible collaboration we’ve been part of across the industry.

“We’ve worked closely with our partners and customers, and now want to work even closer with those efforts in the face of Omicron. It’s crucial we continue to work in unity across the cold-chain to get the next doses to the patients, where they’re needed. It’s our responsibility as part of the fight against coronavirus, and we’re ready to do all we can.”

Saudi Logistics extends at Jeddah

Chris Lewis
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Saudi Logistics extends at Jeddah

Saudi Arabian Airlines’ SAL Saudi Logistics Services arm has opened an extension of its Jeddah Station. The new extension spans over 656,6000sq ft (61,000sq m) for medical and food cold chain services, dangerous cargo and valuable cargo. The extension is expected to increase SAL’s annual cargo capacity in Jeddah to over 800,000 tons by 2030.

It forms part of a programme to transform the Kingdom into a global logistics hub and create investment opportunities.

Saudia Cargo sponsors female rally pioneer

Chris Lewis
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Saudia Cargo sponsors female rally pioneer

Saudia Cargo has signed a sponsorship agreement with the Kingdom’s first female accredited rally driver, Mashael AlObaidan – little more than four years after the country joined the rest of the world in allowing women to drive on public roads.

The 33-year-old driver will take part in Rally Dakar in 2022, as not only the first Saudi but the first Arab female participant.

Mashael aspires to lead a new generation of female rally racers in the Middle East, and represent women empowerment across motorsports in Saudi Arabia.

Saudia Cargo chief executive Teddy Zebitz, said: “It is important to recognize the shared values and attributes between rally drivers and Saudia Cargo, where both face challenging routes, undergo long-haul races, and recognize the necessity of overcoming obstacles with great elegance under pressure.”

Emirates vaccines top 600 million

Chris Lewis
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Emirates vaccines top 600 million

Emirates SkyCargo has flown more than 600 million doses of the Covid 19 vaccine since October 2020, from 35 origins to over 80 destinations. Divisional senior vice president, Nabil Sultan, said that that nearly two thirds of them were headed to destinations in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, with North America and Europe the main origin regions.

With the increasing roll-out of vaccination and booster campaigns, the carrier witnessed a steady increase in demand for the vaccines in the second half of 2021. In October and November 2021 alone, it moved more than 200 million doses, almost one third of the total transported by the carrier since the start of the pandemic.

FedEx completes Miami upgrade

Chris Lewis
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FedEx completes Miami upgrade

FedEx Express has completed an expansion of its air cargo hub at Miami International Airport. It will increase capacity and capabilities at the company’s Americas gateway, which connects the US and Canada to Latin America and the Caribbean.

The $72.2 million expansion adds more than 138,000sq ft to the main sort facility, bringing it to over 282,000sq ft. The enhancements include a new customs clearance area and a new 70,000sq ft cold chain facility, the largest in the FedEx global network, comprising multiple rooms ranging from -13 °F to 77°F for perishables and pharmaceuticals.

FedEx shipping volume through Miami-Dade County grew by 30.9% between 2019 and 2020.

Maintenance man moves into cargo

Chris Lewis
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Maintenance man moves into cargo

Dietmar Focke, currently vice president engine services at aircraft maintenance operator Lufthansa Technik, has been appointed chief operations and human resources officer at Lufthansa Cargo. He succeeds Harald Gloy, who is leaving the company at his own request.

ABC speeds deliveries to Russian far east

Chris Lewis
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ABC speeds deliveries to Russian far east

Russian’s largest online marketplace, Wildberries, has chosen AirBridgeCargo Airlines, part of Volga-Dnepr Group to speed up deliveries to consumers in the remote far east of the country. The first joint charter flight took place in early December carrying 1,700 parcels weighing 33,500kg from Moscow to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk aboard a Boeing 747-8F.

Huntsville reopens second runway

Chris Lewis
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Huntsville reopens second runway

Huntsville International Airport in Alabama has reopened its second, west, runway after a year-long renovation scheme. The multimillion-dollar included resurfacing of the 25-year-old west runway pavement and replacement of decades-old incandescent lighting.

Runway 18R/36L is 12,600 feet long and is the second longest in the Southeast US, able to accommodate aircraft up to the Boeing 747-8F and Airbus A-380 size.

Port of Huntsville chief executive Rick Tucker said it would help the gateway prepare for growth in cargo and passenger flights, adding: “It’s a matter of pride for us to be able to offer superior facilities and capabilities to our customers rivalling much larger airports yet with the convenience and personal touch we can offer as a smaller market.”

A fresh start thanks to SEKO Logistics

Chris Lewis
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A fresh start thanks to SEKO Logistics

SEKO Logistics is partnering with retail services client Buyer Connected to launch a logistics training program to create employment opportunities for previously incarcerated men and women in Atlanta, Georgia.

Part of the not-for-profit City of Refuge initiative, it aims to support individuals and families in one of country’s most struggling neighborhoods.

As well as offering food, housing, and emergency healthcare support, City of Refuge’s Reentry Hub provides opportunities to learn new skills through education, job training and financial literacy.

Starting in January 2022, the new logistics training program will help recently released, non-violent offenders to re-enter the workplace and begin successful careers. The two partners will provide training support for nearly 250 individuals who are transitioning from prison to the community. The two-week training program will host groups of up to 20 people per month and equip participants with the necessary skills to fulfill roles in the ever-growing logistics industry including warehouse management, forklift and health and safety certification. 

SEKO is participating in the program as part of its SEKO Cares initiative, which throughout the COVID-19 pandemic has also purchased and distributed PPE supplies to frontline healthcare workers in the US and other countries within SEKO’s global network.

The program to help detainees begins 18 months before their release. Case workers determine the individuals in a strong position to succeed, and who will be committed to the program and the opportunity it offers.

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