DHL to buy drinks forwarder Hillebrand

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August 17, 2021

Deutsche Post DHL Group has signed an agreement to acquire up to 100% of specialist European-based beverages forwarder JF Hillebrand Group and its subsidiaries for around €1.5 billion. It will be combined with DHL’s Freight division.

Hillebrand specialises in ocean freight forwarding, transport and logistics of beverages, non-hazardous bulk liquids and other products that require special care, using innovative flexitanks and ISO tank containers. It generated revenue of around €1.4 billion in the last twelve months and will ship some 500,000teu in 2021. The company has more than 2,700 employees worldwide.

DPDHL group chief executive Frank Appel, said: “With the growing maturity of our freight forwarding business, this bolt-on acquisition of Hillebrand is highly complementary to our existing portfolio. In line with our Group Strategy, we strengthen our core logistics business and deliver profitable long-term growth.”

DHL Global Forwarding, Freight, chief executive, Tim Scharwath, described the acquisition as “an exceptional opportunity and an excellent fit with our strategy. We are excited to work with the entire Hillebrand team to further develop their best-in-class business on our platform.”

DHL said it would benefit from Hillebrand’s know-how and customer experience in bulk liquids and other special care commodities and also offered a wide range of value-added services,.

Hillebrand would in turn benefit from DHL Global Forwarding’s network in over 190 countries and global forwarding expertise in air, ocean and road freight.

JF Hillebrand group chief executive and chairman, Cees van Gent, commented: “The two companies are a perfect match and we are pleased to announce our agreement to unite and form a future together. I am proud of what the Hillebrand teams in true collaboration with our loyal customers and vendors have built over our 177-year history and we now look forward to joining forces with Deutsche Post DHL Group.”

The transaction is subject to merger control clearance in certain jurisdictions, including the EU and US, expected in the coming months. DPDHL intends to fund the acquisition with available cash.

DSV completes Agility takeover

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Chris Lewis

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August 16, 2021

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DSV Panalpina has completed its takeover of Agility’s Global Integrated Logistics business. The acquisition puts DSV is in the top three global logistics companies, with expected combined revenue of about DKK 160 billion (US$25.3bn)and a combined workforce of 75,000 employees in more than 90 countries.

It follows the Danish giant’s earlier purchases of Panalpina in 2019 and US-based UTi Worldwide in 2016.

GIL has an annual revenue of DKK 29 billion ($4.6 billion) with air and sea freight as the main contributor. The purchase will also increase DSV’s presence in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. It will also add 1.4 million square meters of warehousing capacity to DSV Solutions.

DSV Panalpina group chief executive Jens Bjørn Andersen said: “By adding the GIL network and competencies to our existing network, we improve our competitiveness across all three divisions: Air & Sea, Road and Solutions. This brings commercial synergies and cross-selling opportunities while at the same time providing our customers with an even higher service level and a one-stop-shop for logistics needs.”

The two organisations will be merged on a country-by-country process, which means that for customers and employees in many countries the coming period will be business as usual until the country-specific merger process is initiated.

Virgin steps up schedules

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Chris Lewis

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August 13, 2021

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Virgin Atlantic is to launch twice-weekly Airbus A330 flights from Edinburgh to Barbados on 5 December and twice weekly flights to Orlando, Florida in April 2022, reports Routes Online.

It will also start a three times a week seasonal A330-300 winter service from Manchester to Montego Bay, Jamaica from 6 November and increase frequencies from Manchester to Barbados from three times to five times a week.

The carrier will also launch a twice-weekly Boeing 787-9route from London Heathrow to Nassau, Bahamas from 20 November.

It will also return to St Lucia from 18 December with a three times a week A330-300 flight from Heathrow replacing the former service from London Gatwick.

It will also add four more flights a week to its Heathrow-Hong Kong schedule from September capacity to Hong Kong (HKG) using A350 aircraft.

IAG ships 10 million vaccines, but a long way to go

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Chris Lewis

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August 12, 2021

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IAG Cargo says it has transported over 10 million Covid vaccines worldwide on its constant Climate service. This includes a 4 million dose shipment to Abuja, Nigeria for UNICEF’s Covax initiative and 300,000 doses to Jamaica, donated by the UK government in partnership with its Crown Agents arm.

However, Crown Agents chief executive Fergus Drake said: “As of today, 29% of the world’s population has been vaccinated. Urgent help is needed to ensure 70% vaccine coverage in every country in 2022 as per the WHO’s recommendation.”

We’re back in business says Etihad

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Chris Lewis

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August 11, 2021

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Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Cargo says it has reclaimed 90% of its pre-Covid destinations and recorded a 20% increase in tonnage compared to the same period in 2019.

The carrier currently services 72 network destinations across the Middle East, Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas and has an active fleet of 65 aircraft.

In the past month, it has introduced flights to Malaga, Mykonos, Santorini, Phuket and Vienna, providing additional belly-hold capacity between Europe and Asia.

Charter operations and a cabin loading initiative – which saw the carrier modify five of its Boeing 777 aircraft by removing seats to provide additional capacity on key routes such as Dhaka and Ho Chi Minh City – have enabled the Abu Dhabi-based carrier to service increased Asian demand, with record loads recently achieved on a number of flights,

So far this year, Etihad Cargo has operated over 200 charter flights to 30 destinations not serviced through its network, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Comoros, Equatorial Guinea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Senegal, and others across Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas.

Direct data reduces forwarder burden

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Chris Lewis

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August 11, 2021

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Qatar Airways Cargo and software provider WiseTech Global are implementing a direct data connection between their global operating systems, CROAMIS and CargoWise, respectively. Direct data feeds will remove extensive data duplication and reduce the burden on forwarders. Air waybill data from the forwarder will be immediately available to the global Qatar Airways ground handling network. Qatar Airways’ chief officer cargo, Guillaume Halleux, said it would help eliminate intermediate data exchange points between freight forwarders and airline operating systems, while removing technical risk and reducing costs.

Carriers extend reach into Africa

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Chris Lewis

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August 10, 2021

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Silk Way West Airlines has signed an interline agreement with Kenya’s Astral Aviation to move shipments to its Dubai hub where it will hand over to its partner’s flight to Nairobifor connection to its network – and vice-versa.

The agreement will allow Silk Way West Airlines to broaden its network in Africa, a continent where it currently has no scheduled services.

Qatar Airways has meanwhile launched passenger flights between Doha and Lusaka, Zambia and Harare, Zimbabwe. The Airbus A350-900 will offer more than 30 tonnes of cargo capacity per week, each way.

Swiss debuts new temp-controlled container

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Chris Lewis

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August 10, 2021

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Swiss WorldCargo says it is the first airline to have carried out a commercial shipment between Zurich (ZRH) and New York (JFK) with an Envirotainer Releye RLP container.

The shipment was transported on flight LX 14 on 3 August on a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The container held a care-intensive shipment from a leading pharmaceutical company, requiring a specific temperature range.

Swiss WorldCargo recently approved the container and will add it to its portfolio in the coming weeks.

Cargo.One goes live in North America

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Chris Lewis

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August 10, 2021

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The Cargo One airfreight online booking system has gone live in North America, allowing US and Canadian freight forwarders to view and book real-time capacity from all major airports. It offers real-time visibility of capacity on 18 airlines, including Air Canada, ANA, Etihad, Finnair, Lufthansa and TAP. Cargo.one is free of charge for forwarders of all sizes.

Co-founder and managing director, Oliver Neumann (pictured), said it was “the moment freight forwarders have been waiting for…From today, freight forwarders can book air cargo shipments from the US and Canada to 248 destinations globally.”

Over the past few weeks, forwarders have been invited to try the platform before its official launch. Regional manager at Nosta Logistics, Tarik Muric, said registration took “a couple of minutes while the booking process “literally takes seconds” and would replace multiple phone calls and emails.

Further airlines such as Saudia Cargo and El Al Cargo will also go live in north America shortly. The platform is also planning to bring its services to the Asia Pacific region as new airline partners.

More transpacific flights for FedEx

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Chris Lewis

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August 10, 2021

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FedEx Express has added new intercontinental flights from Asia Pacific (APAC) to its network in response to surging demand. They include a flight from Guangzhou, China via Anchorage, to Oakland, California or to Indianapolis and Memphis, returning via Anchorage and Incheon, South Korea to Guangzhou, five times a week; and Beijing via Osaka, Japan and Anchorage to Memphis, six days a week.

It has also enhanced its service from China and Japan to its European hub in Paris.

The new flights add 1,400 tons capacity and will meet growing demand for e-commerce traffic.

The carrier says that, in 2020 alone, online retail sales in APAC generated US$2.45 trillion, accounting for more than 60% of global e-commerce sales.

Southeast Asian economies are also starting to rebound and are beginning to match pre-Covid levels, adds Kawal Preet, FedEx’s president of the Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa region: “These additional flights will empower our customers to harness the full potential of cross-border commerce, forging stronger intra-Asia, trans-Pacific and Asia-Europe trade flows, as economies across Asia Pacific continue to rebound.”