DHL Global Forwarding, DHL Group’s air and ocean freight specialist, has been re-certified to the CEIV Pharma Standard by IATA. CEIV is a globally recognized industry standard established by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to promote best practices and achieve globally accepted standardization in air cargo. DHL has certified its global stations to the standard since 2016.
WFS to run CBP Central at New York JFK
SATS subsidiary Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) has won a five-year contract to operate US Customs and Border Protection (CBp)’s new Centralized Examination Station at New York’s JFK Airport, due to open in early 2025.
It will combine all CBP inspections, a first in the air freight sector, and will also be the first on-airport examination facility at JFK, processing import, export, and USDA (Department of Agriculture) goods. The nearest CES to JFK is currently at Newark Airport, on the other side of the Hudson River.
JFK is North America’s busiest international airport with over 85 international airlines moving around 1.4 million tons of cargo a year through JFK’s 20 on-airport air warehouses.
The CES will be at WFS’ Building 151 at with over 100,000sq ft of warehousing, offices and facilities. WFS said that being close to the ramp would provide fast airside access from the airside and shipments for inspection would be transported to the CES from airline facilities. This would help improve CBP’s efficiency as officers would no longer have to move around the airport to inspect cargo.
WFS will modify the building to CBP requirements and develop customised software, making JFK the first paperless CES. WFS already offers dock management software for processing trucks and digital dashboards to monitor the progress of shipments.
New York JFK is one of WFS’ biggest international cargo stations, serving 40 airlines at eight handling facilities and the handler will increase its cargo capacity by 20% when it opens a new 346,000sq ft terminal in 2025.
CBP port director at JFK, Salvatore Ingrassia, described the new CES said: “The efficiencies realized from this facility will allow CBP to optimise resources and enhance our enforcement efforts to keep bad things, such as dangerous precursor chemicals, goods that infringe on intellectual property rights, and imports that place the American people at risk for their health and safety, out of the commerce of the US.”
He added that the CES would also allow legally imported goods to move through JFK faster and more efficiently.
Chief executive of the Americas at WFS, Mike Simpson, added: “This partnership marks another exciting chapter for WFS and underscores our unwavering commitment to safety, security, and innovation in air cargo handling. We look forward to delivering exceptional service and contributing to the continued success of JFK and the air cargo industry.”
New chief for Virgin Atlantic Cargo
Virgin Atlantic Cargo has appointed Nick Diesel as its new managing director, effective 4 August, replacing Phil Wardlow who is leaving the airline.
Diesel has been at Virgin Atlantic for nine years and was most recently vice president, financial planning, with responsibility for post-pandemic recovery.
With a background in strategy and operations consultancy at Deloitte, Diesel has worked on high profile projects at Virgin Atlantic, including as finance lead for the expanded joint venture agreement with Air France-KLM and Delta Air Lines.
He said: “Virgin Atlantic Cargo is one of the most important business units we have, and collectively this team delivered amazing achievements through the pandemic, enabling our recovery. The cargo division continues on a successful trajectory for 2024 and I look forward to building on this with the team.”
Chief commercial officer, Juha Jarvinen, said that he had played a fundamental role during the pandemic transformation, adding: “Our Cargo division offers fantastic opportunities for our people, and I look forward to working closely with Nick, as he leads the cargo team into its next phase.
“I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank Phil for more than twenty years of service at Virgin Atlantic and his exceptional leadership of the cargo team. We wish him all the best in his new endeavours.”
Menzies gains CEIV Pharma status in Nairobi
The Menzies Aviation-Siginon Aviation partnership has been awarded IATA CEIV Pharma accreditation for its recently expanded facility in Nairobi, Kenya. It is the seventh Menzies Aviation location to be awarded the certification, and its first in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. The cargo facility has been expanded from 15,000 to 21,000sq with cold room space increased from 90 to 250 aircraft pallet positions alongside new docking stations for refrigerated trucks. A new yard area has also been completed while additional security cameras and lighting have been installed.
American Airlines signs up to CargoMART
American Airlines Cargo has signed a partnership to increase booking capabilities on CargoAi’s CargoMART, platform.
It will give forwarders access to its routes through a streamlined booking process. It will complement the carrier’s own digital booking platform, aacargo.com.
CargoMART provides a range of features including real-time capacity and rate visibility, quoting, e-Booking, and Track and Trace. It can also compare flight options by carbon emissions, track CO2 emissions at shipment level and purchase sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) whenever required.
Prestwick upgrades cargo capabilities
Glasgow Prestwick Airport has invested £2.17 million in new cargo equipment, cold storage solutions with a controlled range of -30°C to +25°C and a Rapiscan X-ray machine with 7.5mm steel penetration.
The Scottish hub, which has no flight restrictions, has taken delivery of its second new high loader, supporting turnaround times of under two hours for a 90-tonne consignment.
“We have one of the fastest turnaround times for air cargo in the UK, no slot requirements, and no restrictions,” says business development director, Nico Le Roux.
Prestwick’s new equipment also includes a heavy duty pushback tractor and 12 new dollies.
Le Roux added: “We offer a cost-effective solution delivered by an experienced team, and our road, rail, and ferry connections make us an excellent choice for e-commerce operations seeking unrestricted services.”
Patti Cole to head up time critical for Air Partner
Air Partner has appointed Patti Cole as head of time critical services for North including Next Flight Out (NFO) and onboard courier (OBC). Her appointment follows the recent appointment of Oliver Giesen as head of global OBC in April. She will be responsible for heading up Air Partner’s time-critical market presence in the US by implementing compliance procedures to ensure smooth operations, introducing a platform for enhanced shipment visibility and processing and recruiting the talent.
She joins Air Partner from DHL Global Forwarding where she worked for over 16 years, most recently as the global head of the Same Day and the Temperature Management Solutions Team.
Air France KLM, Skycell and KN get together to track ULDs
Air France KLM Martinair Cargo (AFKLMP Cargo) has chosen SkyCell as its preferred partner to enhance unit load device (ULD) tracking capabilities across its fleet.
It will give real-time visibility into ULD operations for pharmaceutical transport, using SkyMind’s advanced technology, including sophisticated readers and tags.
At the same time, freight forwarder Kuehne+Nagel, has installed gateway readers at its warehouse at Frankfurt Airport, the first AFKLMP customer to use this method of tracking ULDs
AFKLMP Cargo global key account director, Andy Newbold said: “With SkyMind, Air France KLM Martinair Cargo will gain complete control over its ULD operations — mitigating the extensive manual efforts historically associated with ULD tracing and tracking, leading to substantial time and cost savings, as well as boosting operational efficiency.”
Tower Cold Chain publishes ESG report
Temperature-control technology company Tower Cold Chain has published its first Sustainability Report, highlighting the company’s commitment to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles. The Report emphasises the environmental benefits of using its passive temperature-controlled containers for the transportation of pharmaceuticals and life sciences products.
It documents the company’s sustainability roadmap, focussed on achieving carbon neutrality by 2030. Tower’s ESG strategy is aligned with internationally recognised benchmarks including Global Report Initiative (GRI) and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
Highlights of the Report include a detailed explanation of how Tower containers enhance supply chain sustainability through product innovation, development and circularity. It also covers company governance and Tower’s social commitments to its workforce and the wider community.
Emirates delivers to Saudi
Emirates SkyCargo has extended its Emirates Delivers e-commerce solution to Saudi Arabia. Shoppers from across the Kingdom can now shop online in the US, UK and the UAE and use Emirates Delivers for international, shopping at retailers that don’t deliver to the Middle East. Emirates Delivers will bring the packages to their door in 3 to 5 days.