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Pelican BioThermal and Nepal Flying Labs win 2020 TIACA Air Cargo Sustainability Awards
THE International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) has announced that Pelican BioThermal and Nepal Flying Labs are the winners of the TIACA Air Cargo Sustainability Awards 2020 sponsored by CHAMP Cargosystems. The awards aim to celebrate and encourage outstanding industry initiatives driving sustainability in air cargo.
The Corporate prize Pelican BioThermal was recognised in the Corporate category for their durable and reusable te m p e rat u re - co nt ro l l e d shipping containers Crēdo. Pelican BioThermal won a one-year free membership in the TIACA Sustainability Strategic Partnership Program, worth $10,000.
The Start-up prize Nepal Flying Labs won in the Start-up category for their Drone Optimized Therapy System (DrOTS) which flies humanitarian and medical cargo drones to remote and hard to reach locations in Nepal. As an up-and-coming start-up, Nepal Flying Labs will receive a $10,000
prize. The two runners-up BeOn IoT and Drone Delivery Canada will be recognised with $2,500 each. “All participants presented innovative and diverse solutions advancing sustainability in the air cargo industry, including carbon and waste reduction, drones, humanitarian aid, packaging, ULDs, process efficiencies, people focus and COVID-19 relief. In a year marked by a global pandemic which disrupted our industry, problem solving and forward-thinking companies like Pelican BioThermal and Nepal Flying Labs bring hope that air cargo can come out of this crisis stronger and more resilient,” stated Céline Hourcade, transition director and head of sustainability programme, TIACA. “Congratulations to all the winners and I look forward to seeing what the future holds for these companies.” The winners were selected by a group of independent judges representing TIACA’s Sustainability Strategic Partnership members, including TRANSOM, CHAMP Cargosystems, Turkish Cargo, Brussels Airport and Flexport, as well as TIACA’s members.
TIACA’S Digital Air Cargo Forum: How prepared is the airfreight industry? TIACA’S Digital Air Cargo Forum on December 8 was packed with informative webinars and plenty of opportunities to interact with industry professionals. ACW joined the Cargo4Vaccines - Prepping the air cargo industry for delivery of vaccines webinar to get more insight into the hot (or cold!) topic that is consuming the logistics industry: the COVID vaccine. The webinar featured industry professionals including Emir Pineda, manager aviation trade and logistics at Miami Airport, Bert Elsen, managing partner at 4Advice bvba, Jasiey Yip, Changi Airport and Neel Jones Shah, EVP and global head of airfreight Flexport. The webinar kicked off with Pineda outlining the Project Sunrays: Getting ready for COVID19 vaccine logistics by air paper which aims to shine a light on vaccine requirements for transport and the readiness of air cargo industry. Elson stressed that there are still a lot of unknowns in regard to the vaccine with some
information being confidential and therefore meaning industry readiness is only relative to information already known. There will be many challenges along the way with unknowns such as Brexit, border queues, equipment shortages etcetera playing a part. He reminded the industry that transparency along the supply chain and communication is key to ensuring efficiency. He stressed that efficiency will be imperative as the second dose of the vaccine must be administered 20 days after the first to be effective. Jasisy Yip, explained the findings of the survey measuring the readiness of the air cargo industry. Out of 196 respondents, which included airlines, airports and ground handlers, 46% reported they feel well prepared for vaccine transportation, contrasting with 22% feeling very unprepared. However, positively, 79% feel more prepared now than last quarter and 91% feel more informed.
“It is a real honour for us to support the Sustainability Program and we are proud of our strategic partnership with TIACA and our exclusive sponsorship of these important Awards. The Coronavirus pandemic is perhaps the biggest challenge our industry has faced but it is also an opportunity for a new beginning. Digitalisation, innovation and new technology are all elements that should be incorporated in our business plans and thinking to build a more sustainable future”, states Chris McDermott, CEO of CHAMP Cargosystems. All the Awards finalists presented their products and solutions live at TIACA’s digital edition of the Air Cargo Forum (ACF) on December 2, followed by an online voting for Start-up category by the TIACA members. The winners were announced online on December 10 at the closing of the ACF. An in-person ceremony is planned at the next physical TIACA event in 2021 following the loosening of the COVID-19-related restrictions should the pandemic be ended.
ACW 21 DECEMBER 2020
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