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British airport to be testbed for autonomous freight truck

Chris Lewis

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September 28, 2023

British airport to be testbed for autonomous freight truck

UPS and automotive firm Aurrigo are collaborating in a project to deploy an autonomous electric vehicle designed to move heavy cargo loads to and from aircraft at the UPS hub at East Midlands Airport.

The Auto-Cargo,will be able transport a standard full-size cargo pallet or two half-size aviation industry standard containers or Unit Load Devices up to a totalof 7.5 tonnes and can tow a further fully loaded cargo trailer.

It will allow the limited numbers of security-cleared drivers to perform other roles around the airport, while also producing zero tail pipe emissions.

The programme is supported by matched funding from Innovate UK, the UK Government’s innovation agency, and CCAV. The two companies will develop and pilot Auto-Cargo at East Midlands Airport over a 14-month period.

Aurrigo chief executive, David Keene, said: “This vehicle allows an airfreight operator to help decarbonise and automate its ground operations for lower emissions and greater efficiency. By combining the tractor and trailer into one unit, we save space, which in a busy cargo hub like East Midlands Airport is vital to efficient loading and unloading of aircraft.’’

WebCargo wins Chapman Freeborn

Chris Lewis

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September 27, 2023

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Following yesterday’s announcement that it had recruited transatlantic carrier Norse to its online platform, Freightos’ WebCargo has also recruited charter company Chapman Freeborn. The broker covers routes, such as Liège to Chicago, Dubai and Singapore, and organizes part-charters, backloads and other solutions for ad hoc, peak-season and project cargo.

It is a member of the Avia Solutions Group, the world’s largest ACMI air charter company with a fleet of 173 aircraft and 11,500 staff in 68 countries.

WebCargo to spearhead Norse invasion of US

Chris Lewis

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September 26, 2023

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WebCargo to spearhead Norse invasion of US

Transatlantic carrier Norse Atlantic Airways has signed a deal to offer its cargo capacity on the WebCargo by Freightos booking platform.

It will open up real-time booking for forwarders on its flights to and from Europe to seven destinations in the US.

Later this year, Norse plans to open capacity from London to Barbados and Jamaica, and from Oslo to Thailand, further expanding WebCargo’s footprint in Asia and the Caribbean.

The airline operates a fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners serving destinations including New York, Los Angeles, Orlando, Washington, San Francisco, Boston, Oslo, London, Berlin, Rome and Paris.

WebCargo chief executive, Manel Galindo, commented: “We’re excited to play a supporting role in Norse Atlantic’s growth as their primary air cargo digital sales platform. It’s a win-win for all–the thousands of forwarders currently on WebCargo, who will benefit from the increased cargo capacity, and the speed and flexibility of WebCargo’s unparalleled platform has the power to boost Norse’s cargo sales and brand growth.”

Norse Atlantic head of cargo, Jennifer Bendelow, added: “Cargo will play an important role in the future of Norse. Partnering with WebCargo is a testament to our commitment to innovation and to delivering exceptional services to our customers.

“Our Viking spirit of ingenuity, coupled with WebCargo’s platform, will extend our reach to key freight markets.”

WFS launches auto vehicle trial in Barcelona

Chris Lewis

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September 26, 2023

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WFS launches auto vehicle trial in Barcelona

Worldwide Flight Services (WFS), a member of the SATS Group, has started a proof-of-concept trial of autonomous guided vehicles (AGVs) at its cargo terminal at Barcelona Airport.

The trial of Linde AGV forklift trucks will last for seven months and, if successful, similar machines will be rolled out across other WFS stations in the Europe, Middle East, Africa & Asia (EMEAA) region.

They will move cargo from the breakdown areas to racking storage locations within the warehouse as well as to the cargo delivery area.

Two types of AGV forklifts have been chosen for their ability to provide automated transport of pallets and to serve both low and high cargo storage positions. The trial has also integrated WFS’s Cargospot Mobile warehouse management system, supplied by CHAMP Cargosystems, with AGV Robotic WMS to provide a one-system solution.

WFS is actively exploring automation, with trials also including AGV ground handling tractors to move cargo between warehouse and airport apron operations.

The AGV forklift trial will explore how the vehicles are able to reduce the number of transport tasks currently undertaken by personnel, giving them more time for other important duties, as well as assess opportunities for productivity improvements.

B&H offers carbon tracking tool

Chris Lewis

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September 26, 2023

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Aerospace logistics specialist B&H Worldwide has launched a new reporting tool to provide its customers with visibility of the carbon emissions on their shipments. Carbon SmartTRAC, is a Cloud-based analytical dashboard that gives end-to-end logistics data to customers who can then calculate and understand their CO2 emissions for each shipment by service type, routing and transport mode. Analysis functions which enable customers to view trends and drill down to individual shipment level.

Pledge puts emissions calculator on WCA website

Chris Lewis

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September 26, 2023

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Pledge puts emissions calculator on WCA website

Climate-tech company Pledge has integrated its Freight Emissions Calculator with freight forwarder network WCAworld’s website.

The calculator allows users to measure freight emissions globally across all modes of transport by entering cargo details, origin, and destination. Users can refine results by entering additional shipment data, including shipment legs, port calls, stopovers, transhipments, and warehousing.

Pledge chief executive and co-founder David de Picciotto (pictured, above), said: “New reporting regulations are being rolled out globally, requiring shippers to calculate and report on emissions, including in their supply chains.”

Regulations such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) in the European Union (EU) are already in force while the EU’s recently proposed Green Claims Directive and the UK’s Sustainable Disclosure Requirements (SDRs) will also mandate reporting of supply chain emissions, meaning shippers will soon have to get access to this data from their forwarders.

WCAworld chief executive, Dan March (pictured, below), added: “Providing WCAworld members with an industry-leading emissions calculation and offsetting tool enables them to offer their customers the data they require and helps the independent forwarding community stay at the forefront of changes required by new environmental regulations.”

Pledge’s calculator is accredited by the Smart Freight Centre to Global Logistics Emissions Council Framework standards for the calculation and reporting of logistics emissions. This means it is also ISO 14083-aligned.

Test Pledge’s Freight Emissions Calculator on the WCAworld website here: ECO Program (wcaworld.com)

Air Canada orders 18 Boeings

Airlines

Chris Lewis

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September 25, 2023

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On 25 September, Air Canada said it had placed a firm order for 18 Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner aircraft, with options for another 12. Deliveries are scheduled between late 2025 and early 2027. They will be used to replace older aircraft.

The 787-10 is the largest model of the Dreamliner family with 6,187 cu ft of cargo volume.

Air Canada currently operates 30 787-9 and eight 787-8 versions of the Dreamliner, with two more 787-9 aircraft scheduled for delivery from a previous order.

Hermes launches online learning platform

Chris Lewis

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September 25, 2023

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Hermes launches online learning platform

Hermes Logistics Technologies (HLT) has launched a Learning Management system (LMS), digital, self-service, educational tool for cargo processes.

All training content, in the form of structured courses, FAQs, instructional videos, and guides, is hosted on one centralised hub for use by HLT customers and employees.

Users can undertake regular training and maintain a consistent level of knowledge.

HLT chief executive, Yuval Baruch, said: “The LMS will lead to more knowledgeable staff, faster and improved onboarding, and more efficient software implementations, which makes it so valuable. To utilise the vast advantages and innovations offered by digitalisation, we must work towards a greater standard of digital proficiency than currently exists.”

The LMS also offers a customisable catalogue of courses covering all areas of the business; such as how to accept an air waybill, an introduction to dangerous goods, and ULD set-up, to and product-specific content.

HLT says that a significant number of customers are interested in using the LMS to train their staff and support upgrades or implementations.

Chief information security officer and project and applications manager, Groundforce Portugal, Mário Rosa, said: “The Hermes LMS represents the most efficient, cost-effective method of training we have used so far. The LMS has been easy to use and has provided our staff access to all the information they may need when using our Hermes technology, saving us time, effort, and money whilst ensuring our staff are the most knowledgeable they can be.”

Pictured: Hermes chief executive Yuval Baruch with global sales director, Stuart Piper

German-Thai alliance to boost air cargo

Airports

Chris Lewis

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September 25, 2023

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Leipzig/Halle Airport, Dresden Airport operator Mitteldeutsche Airport Holding has signed an alliance with Airports of Thailand PLC (AOT) to develop best practices in cargo operations and route development. Leipzig/Halle Airport is the second-largest air freight hub in Germany and the third-largest in Europe.

The Airports of Thailand PLC (AOT) under the Ministry of Transport, formed in 2002 by transforming the Airports Authority of Thailand into a public limited company. It operates six international airports in Thailand including the main gateway, Suvarnabhumi. AOT managers a duty-free zone, which provides about 660,000sq m with two cargo terminal operators, TG and BFS, offering capacity of 1.7 million tonnes per year.

Cool Chain Association to start pharma trials

Chris Lewis

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September 25, 2023

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The Cool Chain Association is to launch trails for temperature-controlled pharma shipments, following the conclusion of recent research into food perishables.

It will partner with member Lamprecht Pharma Logistics AG to track the most critical parts of the pharmaceutical supply chain, identifying pain points to further optimise performance.

The trial will be launched in the fourth quarter of 2023.

CCA has meanwhile produced a best practice video for perishables based on recent trials by another member, the Perishable Products Export Control Board (PPECB).

The trials examined transportation of raspberries and cut flowers from South Africa to the UK and Europe, and advisessuggested handling procedures to protect product integrity and maximise shelf-life.

The video explores highlights good agricultural practices, requirements for fresh air ventilation and taint, and recommendations for thermal protection of perishable products, including cartons, packaging, and labelling.

The guidance also covers optimal aircraft loading and transport procedures, and cold storage and pre-cooling of perishable products, offering advice on specific temperatures.