ACE Dailie Day 1 2021

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DA ILY NEWS The official daily newspaper of Air Cargo Europe 2021

04 May 2021

WACA GOES AHEAD ONLINE I

N a time like no other, we are holding a World Air Cargo Awards (WACA) like no other.

Air Cargo Week World Air Cargo Awards, now in their 15th year, recognise excellence across a wide range of activities within the global air cargo industry. Due to the ongoing COVID19 pandemic, this year’s event will be held virtually in conjunction with Messe Munchen’s transport logistic Online (air cargo Europe) from May 4 - 6; a not-tobe-missed high-quality and broad online conference programme being held over three consecutive days.

The Awards ceremony itself will be held live on the evening of Tuesday May 4 2021 at 17:30 (CET); 16:30 (BST); 23:30 (Beijing); 11:30 (New York) .... and promises to be an exciting climax to several months of online voting!

In This Issue:

Attendance is FREE to all registrants of transport logistic online….. and all are welcome!

AWARD CATEGORIES:

Airfreight Forwarder of the Year Air Cargo Handling Agent of the Year Air Cargo Charter Broker of the Year Airport of the Year Air Cargo General Sales Agent of the Year Air Cargo Industry Customer Care Air Cargo Industry Achievement Information Technology for the Air Cargo Industry Air Cargo Industry Marketing and Promotional Campaign Cargo Airline of the Year

A FULL YEAR OF SUSTAINABLE AVIATION FUEL PAGE 3

FEDEX OPERATIONS: CARBON-NEUTRAL BY 2040 PAGE 4

WHEN AIRFREIGHT HITS THE ROAD PAGE 6

IAG CARGO: NOW WE ARE TEN PAGE 8

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ACW DAILY NEWS

A full year of sustainable aviation fuel AIR FRANCE KLM MARTINAIR CARGO WELCOMES KOPPERT BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS TO ITS SUSTAINABLE AVIATION FUEL PROGRAMME with Koppert Biological Systems, a leading Dutch company that attaches great importance to sustainability. The SAF programme enables different stakeholders in the logistical airfreight industry to power a percentage of their flights with SAF. Customers determine their own level of engagement and we ensure that their entire investment is used for sourcing SAF. "By participating in our programme, our customers not only reduce their carbon footprint, but confirm their commitment to leading the industry towards a more sustainable future.

Only with the support of all stakeholders can we successfully develop a more viable market for SAF," he says.

Koppert's live cargo of beneficial insects, fungi and other microbiological substances must be handled with special care so that they arrive at their international destinations in good health and can be used to control pests and diseases in food, floriculture and other crops around the world. Koppert's biocontrol products offer a sustainable alternative to chemicals in horticulture and agriculture.

"We have signed an agreement under which we will purchase a full year of sustainable aviation fuel, reducing our carbon dioxide to a level comparable to emissions from our shipments flown by AFKLMP to our main market, the North American continent," says Martijn van de Waarsenburg, corporate manager supply chain at Koppert. “The SAF programme works in the same way as green energy: SAF is not actually used on the specific flights carrying our shipments but we are participating actively in AFKLMP's total fuel pool.

"By taking part in AFKLMP’s SAF programme, Koppert is acknowledging its responsibility to make transport more sustainable. We hope to set an example for other airfreight agents and shipping companies. SAF is currently the most effective way to reduce the aviation industry’s carbon footprint.

Together, we can really make a difference.”

GertJan Roelands, SVP sales and distribution for Air France KLM Martinair Cargo, says: “We are proud to partner

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04 May 2021

Green energy

Air Cargo Europe 2021

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oppert Biological Systems and Air France KLM Martinair Cargo (AFKLMP Cargo) has entered a partnership within the framework of the airline's sustainable aviation fuel programme. Under the partnership, AFKLMP Cargo will use sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) on selected international cargo flights carrying Koppert's agricultural and horticultural products for biological pest control.

SAF is a jet fuel made from renewable sources such as cooking oil and a sustainable alternative to fossil fuel that reduces carbon emissions by a minimum of 75%. It is blended with conventional fossil fuel and can be used by all aircraft engines.

Koppert is a pioneering Dutch company that prioritises sustainability and is committed to improving the health of people and the planet. Its mission and vision fit in seamlessly with Air France KLM Martinair Cargo’s leading role in making the air cargo industry more sustainable. Koppert and AFKLMP Cargo have been working together for almost 20 years. Koppert will be the first AFKLMP Cargo freight shipper to join the SAF programme.

The international biocontrol company is participating in AFKLMP Cargo's SAF programme in an effort to reduce its transport-related carbon emissions by 50% by 2030.

ACW DAILY NEWS

FedEx: carbon-neutral operations by 2040

Air Cargo Europe 2021

FEDEX Corp, home of the world’s largest cargo airline, has created an ambitious goal to achieve carbon–neutral operations globally by 2040.

To help reach this goal, FedEx is designating more than $2 billion of initial investment in three key areas: vehicle electrification, sustainable energy and carbon sequestration.

This includes a pledge of $100 million to Yale University to help establish the Yale Centre for Natural Carbon Capture, accelerating research into methods of carbon sequestration at scale, with an

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initial focus on helping to offset greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to current airline emissions.

“We have a responsibility to take bold action in addressing climate challenges,” said Frederick W Smith, chairman and CEO, FedEx Corp. “This goal builds on our longstanding commitment to sustainability throughout our operations, while at the same time investing in long-term, transformational solutions for FedEx and our entire industry.”

Key steps toward reaching the carbon neutral goal include:

Vehicle electrification electrification.

By 2040, the entire FedEx parcel pickup and delivery (PUD) fleet will be zero– emission electric vehicles. This will be accomplished through phased programs to replace existing vehicles.

For example, by 2025, 50% of FedEx Express global PUD vehicle purchases will be electric, rising to 100% of all purchases by 2030.

Sustainable customer solutions. solutions FedEx will work with customers to offer end-to-end sustainability for their supply chains through carbon–neutral shipping offerings and sustainable packaging solutions.

Sustainable fuels. fuels FedEx will continue to invest in alternative fuels to reduce aircraft and vehicle emissions.

Fuel conservation and aircraft modernisation. FedEx will build on its modernisation successful FedEx Fuel Sense initiatives designed to reduce fuel consumption in its aircraft. Since 2012, the FedEx Fuel Sense and aircraft modernisation programmes have saved a combined 1.43 billion gallons of jet fuel and avoided over 13.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

Facilities. FedEx will continue efforts Facilities to make its more than 5,000 facilities worldwide more sustainable through continued investments in efficient facilities, renewable energy, and other energy management programs.

Natural carbon sequestration. sequestration FedEx funding will help to establish the Yale Centre for Natural Carbon Capture to support applied research into natural carbon sequestration solutions.

The path toward sustainability requires new strategies for removing and storing Earth’s excess carbon. The Yale Centre for Natural Carbon Capture will catalyse interdisciplinary research across the natural sciences and engineering in an effort to accelerate this work.

Centre researchers will develop methods

that build on natural carbon storage systems, including biological ecosystems and the geological carbon cycle, improving, where possible, how quickly carbon can be absorbed, how much can be contained, and how long it can be stored. Through these efforts, Yale scientists aim to create a portfolio of carbon removal strategies that have impacts on a global scale.

Building upon initial successes in the aviation sector, the centre will broaden its scope to address additional global sources of emissions – publishing and sharing its findings so that businesses, industries and governments can benefit from work that will accelerate the adoption and implementation of natural carbon capture strategies around the world.

“Addressing climate change is a complex challenge that demands urgent action, and natural carbon capture strategies will be one key part of that action,” said Dr Ingrid C. “Indy” Burke, the Carl W Knobloch, Jr dean of the Yale School of the Environment.

“Through the creation of the Yale Center for Natural Carbon Capture, we aim to develop measurable carbon capture strategies to help offset carbon emissions globally.”

Mitch Jackson, chief sustainability officer, FedEx Corp said: "While we’ve made great strides in reducing our environmental impact, we have to do more. The long-term health of our industry is directly linked to the health of the planet.

“At FedEx, we are committed to connecting people and possibilities resourcefully. The steps we are taking today will contribute a positive impact for generations to come.”

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ACW DAILY NEWS

Cargolux achieves record results in its jubilee year THE year 2020 proved to be an exceptional year for the Cargolux Group, which celebrated its 50th anniversary at the same time. Cargolux earned a net profit after tax of $768.7 million with an EBIT margin of 31.3%. Cargolux’ s balance sheet was further strengthened by the result achieved.

Business highlights

Over a year after the initial outbreak, the COVID-19 pandemic is still not behind us and much uncertainty remains as to the evolution of the virus and the pace and effectiveness of vaccination programs.

This development would indicate that the supply chain will continue to need to rely on freighters to keep logistics chains running as the bulk of long-haul passenger aircraft remain grounded.

Cargolux remains committed to continue adapting its services to market demand and ensure supply chains keep moving and goods are delivered where required, says the airline.

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Outlook 2021

Air Cargo Europe 2021

Last year was marked by the outbreak of the COVID-19 global pandemic that heavily impacted the aviation industry, including air cargo.

The outlook for the year was originally quite bleak with production halted in China, due to the outbreak of what ultimately resulted in the COVID-19 pandemic. The situation resulted in a significant shortfall in available air freight capacity due to the grounding of most, if not all, long haul passenger operations The airline experienced unprecedented demand for the transport of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) supplies as well as for other products which came to rely on air transport to keep logistics lines intact.

Cargolux played a key role in delivering essential supplies throughout the COVID-19 crisis, alleviating the void left by grounded passenger aircraft and keeping supply chains moving. Cargolux continuously navigated changing restrictions worldwide to respond to market demand.

Cargolux is currently (in 2021) ranked fourth in IATA’s ranking of the world’s top 25 international scheduled cargo carriers.

The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of air cargo in the global supply chain.

True to its flexible and agile processes, Cargolux strived to respond to the increased demand worldwide. The company adapted its network to optimise its services and operate according to global market needs. The airline’s dedicated 747 fleet proved to be a strong asset in an operationally challenging year. Demand for charter services also remained strong throughout the year.

Cargolux is proud of the fact that the airline honoured all blocked space agreements, with our customers, that were concluded in 2019 when market conditions were significantly less favorable.

At the end of December 2020, the total fleet of 30 aircraft comprised sixteen Boeing 747-400 freighters (10 B747-400Fs and 6 B747-400ERFs) and fourteen Boeing 747-8 freighters. This uniform fleet enables Cargolux to respond to changing market conditions in a flexible and timely manner.

ACW DAILY NEWS

When airfreight hits the road Like many centenarians, Wallenborn had planned a great party to mark the milestone. Unfortunately in 2020 a virus had other ideas. But that hasn’t stopped the company marking 100 years in road transport.

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Air Cargo Europe 2021

here is a certain irony in that in 1920 when Metty Wallenborn launched his eponymous company the world was getting over the 1918-1919 Spanish flu pandemic. A century later, bookending the first one hundred years of business, another pandemic has come upon the business.

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However, for the company this is just a speed bump in terms of the exciting future the company has for the coming decades. Now headed by current president and CEO Frantz Wallenborn, the third generation of the Wallenborn family to take the helm of the Luxembourg-based Road Feeder Service (RFS) operator, Wallenborn has achieved its mission to establish a feeling of

confidence and security amongst customers and partners to associate Wallenborn with reliability, integrity and openness.

Frantz Wallenborn said: “The past twelve months brought us closer to our customers and partners and proved the benefits of trust-based business collaborations.

The multiple and fast changing challenges caused by the pandemic required new levels of inventiveness and agility and the ability of our people to relentlessly perform has certainly increased trust in Wallenborn.”

While there is much to look forward to for Wallenborn in the coming decades, in its first decades it has marked some significant achievements. For instance, in 2009 Wallenborn became the first trucking company to publish performance data measured against Cargo 2000’s service level agreement for road feeder services.

Wallenborn said: “I realised that RFS was overlooked by the standard milestones and processes and that shipments were off the radar unless they were at online stations. This was during a period when many airlines were embracing direct delivery and pick-up services to offer extra value to their customers.

“Simultaneously, telemetry technology was rapidly improving and this created an opportunity to improve the visibility of shipments whilst in the custody of RFS providers. The initial focus was on FSU messaging but has since shifted to STM (surface transportation movement) messages which are automatically triggered by vehicle telematics and give more accurate updates and ETAs than FFMs. “The next step is to integrate with the Warehouse Management Systems of transit sheds to optimise ground operations at busy cargo hubs. We’ve also added capability to send ULD messages to airlines so they can better manage offline inventory. “ The same year, the company obtained AEO certification.

Workload

Approximately 55% of Wallenborn’s sales revenue is air cargo RFS. Other important revenue streams are from specialised services including security transport for various vulnerable products, temperature-controlled

transport and outsized transport.

Demand for the first two was much higher in the past year while demand for the latter was lower due to fewer new aircraft deliveries and a reduction in MRO activities.

Wallenborn said: “Our expertise in these specialities has benefited our RFS customers and supported them as they’ve developed premium products. It also helped us to improve geographical balances within our network and buffered us against volatility in the airfreight sector.”

Expansionist

Since the turn of the century, Wallenborn has become very expansionist. Wallenborn said: “We anticipated that the RFS market would change in a number of ways, that airlines and forwarders would use it more to promote and extend their services and that data integration would become essential. We decided to develop harmonised solutions on a large scale such as extensive pan-European networks, common digitisation platforms, local and personalised customer care and premium products.

“We’re fortunate that our key accounts are also ambitious and focused on growth and improvement. In fact most are amongst the global top 20 cargo airlines and have grown at very impressive rates. They expect us to provide an extensive and flexible network that meets the highest quality and security standards and this is why we accelerated our growth strategy.”

All Wallenborn-owned trucks that drive internationally are compliant with the European Union’s tough Euro-6 emissions standards.

Has this deterred the company from investigating the possibilities from electric vehicles?

“We already tested electric vehicles (EV) over shorter distances and will be testing alternative fuels over longer distances this year. Our typical trip distance is approximately 400 kms and we will enthusiastically embrace EVs that are capable of meeting that challenge. In the meantime, we invest heavily in green technology, training and monitoring to minimise our environmental impact and the solar array at our HQ – the largest of its kind in Luxembourg – generates 1,000 MWh per year,” said Wallenborn.

This has been a collaborative effort and clients understand the current technological

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If there had not been a pandemic, Wallenborn says the 100th anniversary milestone would have been appropriately marked.

“We planned to throw a big party for our customers and partners but now is not the time to celebrate,” said Wallenborn ruefully.

“In 2019, the countries where we grew most were Belgium and Netherlands due to growth at freighter hubs such as AMS, BRU, LGG, MST and OST and countries that are normally highly dependent on passenger flights including Denmark, France, Italy, Sweden and the UK.” During COVID-19, there have been many changes and “our business continuity and recovery management systems have been continually tested and adapted,” said Wallenborn.

“We have been using cloud apps for more than 12 years so home-working was not a technical challenge but we have chosen to keep all of our branches open. One of the biggest operational challenges has been to keep our drivers safe.

"Whilst truck drivers have so far been exempt from most restrictions on movement between European countries, the volumes of administration required to ensure they have the necessary authorisation to cross borders has been immense.

“Negative COVID-19 tests are also mandatory to cross some borders especially from the UK. This was especially challenging in December when trucks could not enter France from the UK for several days. We’ve also invested in extra sanitary equipment and all trucks are deep-cleaned between shifts.

“Another operational challenge has severe delays that have built up at some major hubs such as those we’re currently experiencing at AMS and FRA. Aviation has been unevenly affected by the effects of COVID-19.

"Cargo volumes at some airports have been low for more than a year now whilst other airports have been swamped at times,” said Wallenborn.

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COVID-19 challenges

Air Cargo Europe 2021

limits. Moving cargo by RFS to and from mega-hubs is inherently more sustainable and is boosted by Wallenborn’s ability to offer LTL service on over 900 city pairs in Europe.

However, the company has not taken a position on driverless trucks as fault-tolerant autonomous applications on the routes it operate are five to ten years away.

At present, the company continues to benefit from high levels of driver retention and makes great efforts to optimise the driver experience. Wallenborn drivers take ferries to Denmark, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, the UK, Morocco and Tunisia and in total make approximately 20,000 Eurotunnel crossings in a normal year.

“It’s interesting to note that most of our drivers do not follow a routine and they typically visit five to ten countries in a week.

Whilst our busiest hubs are in the heart of Europe, we cover the entire continent,” said Wallenborn.

“We have separate teams of drivers with specific skills and experience for example life sciences, aircraft engines or high value cars. 80% of our drivers are qualified to transport dangerous goods and 100% are trained and certified according to EU Aviation Security standards.”

ACW DAILY NEWS

IAG Cargo marks its tenth anniversary, following a decade of expansion and innovation

With the integrati

IAG Cargo celebrates its 10th an

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AG Cargo, the cargo division of International Airlines Group (IAG), has celebrated its tenth anniversary – marking a decade of transporting vital shipments safely and efficiently for customers across the world.

IAG Cargo was created in 2011 following the merger of British Airways World Cargo and Iberia Cargo, bringing together two distinct brands focused on providing a quality services for their customers to unlock the full potential of their networks. Since then, IAG Cargo’s mission – to be ‘always moving’ – has led it to become one of the largest cargo operators in the world, serving key sectors of the global economy including e-Commerce, tech, manufacturing, automotive, pharmaceutical and aerospace.

In total, in the last decade it is estimated that IAG Cargo has served nearly 14,000 freight forwarders, operated 950,000 flights, transporting millions of tonnes of cargo and flown to over 450 destinations worldwide using 30 models of aircraft.

Today, the business is trusted by some of the world’s best known brands to transport their precious cargo, from ancient artefacts for The British Museum, endangered animals for BornFree, vaccine shipments for Biological E to airplane parts for Boeing.

IAG Cargo operates in 60 countries, across 5 continents and employs more than 2,250 pro-

fessionals worldwide. The business has grown significantly in its first ten years – integrating Vueling in 2013, Aer Lingus in 2015 and Level in 2016 to expand its network; invested in new facilities to increase capacity and developed innovative and specialist product offerings in areas like pharmaceutical, live animals and high security shipments.

John Cheetham, chief commercial officer at IAG Cargo said: “This is a major milestone for IAG Cargo. It’s been exciting to see the business grow and transform into one of the largest cargo carriers in the world today.

“We’ve built a strong relationship with our customers across the world to understand their needs and adapted our products, as

Line maintenance sourcing strategies

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ver the past two decades, airlines, air cargo operators, and their maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) suppliers have continuously adapted their business models and sourcing strategies to changes in the marketplace – from the introduction of low-cost carriers that intentionally re-engineered the airline maintenance business model and determined that building in-house maintenance capabilities was not an efficient use of capital and no longer an airline’s core competency, to managing the increased complexity of new-generation aircraft, which requires more highly skilled, specialist technicians to ensure their airworthiness.

And when compared to other MRO segments, such as heavy airframe, engines, components, line maintenance has been by far impacted the most by changes in the cargo market.

Today’s line maintenance technicians must be – in baseball jargon – a “utility player”; they have to be prepared (and trained) to play multiple positions at a moment’s notice.

These unique skills include troubleshooting live, supporting in-theatre aircraft-on-ground (AOG), communicating with pilots and airline maintenance control for minimum equipment list (MEL) relief, fixing a myriad of complex cabin-related items, in addition to complex cargo loading systems. These same utility-player capabilities must also be extended to the range of engine and propulsion systems of different fleet types and aircraft generations. There is no aircraft operator segment where this unique technician utility-player expertise is more acute than the air cargo market.

By Jonathan Berger, managing director, Alton Aviation

Because of its proximity to an operator’s most important performance metrics (i.e. on-time performance and dispatch reliability), line maintenance is critical to a commercial airline and air cargo operator’s ability to meet its customer expectations and shareholder commitments.

These characteristics apply to air cargo operators just as much, if not more than, passenger airlines. And while the air cargo market has shown impressive growth in the past several decades, it too is not immune to black swan events. Most recently, it has been supercharged by the dramatic growth of e-Commerce – further amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic – which is shifting the focus of traditional cargo operators to express air carriers that can efficiently deliver online goods over long distances at short notice.

Additionally, the explosive growth of Ama-

zon Air is dramatically disrupting the express cargo market – a transition to dynamic, agile, just-in-time air cargo operations (i.e. the Amazon effect). Consequently, increasing demand for capacity is causing a commensurate renaissance in the passenger-to-freighter conversion business. These converted aircraft tend to be 25+ years old which, from a dispatch reliability perspective, creates unique challenges for air cargo operators, as these older aircraft are far more prone to maintenance issues driving further dispatch reliability challenges.

Consequently, air cargo operators must continue to adapt their line maintenance programs and sourcing philosophies in order to stay competitive. Corporate agility and flexibility will undoubtably be a key differentiator to effectively compete in this ever-increasing competitive market segment.

Future booms and busts in the global economy and the air cargo market will produce winners and losers dependent upon who can most quickly react to external events and market opportunities. This will become increasingly challenging for operators tethered to legacy in-house line maintenance infrastructure.

Under this new world order, air cargo carriers will be required to open and close stations at short notice to accommodate seasonality; likewise, their existing station operations will need to scale up and scale down rapidly and efficiently at the direction of their customers.

Thus, while the tangible, quantifiable costs of different line maintenance sourcing models remain virtually unchanged, the value of controlling the ever-increasing intangible costs will become more relevant in the future (i.e., where

the puck is going to be).

Given the staggering e-Commerce growth trends, the future for air cargo operators looks extremely bright. Capital investment will understandably gravitate toward air cargo, with new market entrants creating a more competitive industry.

The winning operators will need to continuously innovate and become more agile, flexible, and scalable to unexpected changes in demand.

Behemoths As e-Commerce behemoths such as Amazon, Alibaba, and other drivers of express cargo continue to leverage their scale with air cargo carrier suppliers, contractors and integrators, they will award new contracts to those that can keep up with their pace, their efficiency and their cost requirements.

Over the past two decades, having bounced back from the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the financial crisis, and now the COVID-19 pandemic, the aviation industry has proven itself resilient.

Nonetheless, the only certainty about the future is external shocks and black swan events will continue.

Thus, in an uncertain and ever-changing demand environment, operators that remain flexible and “variable-ise” as much of their cost structure as possible will be best positioned to weather downturns and capitalise on future opportunities.

For the great majority of air cargo operators alike, this will entail leveraging high quality, trusted third-party line maintenance partners.

aircargoweek.com

integration of Vueling, Level and Aer Lingus the business has transported cargo on almost one million flights

anniversary

well as launched new products and routes to support them. We’re very proud of our ‘always moving’ spirit to provide some of the most flexible options for customers, helping them get their freight across the world 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

"We look forward to continuing to expand our offering in the years to come.”

Highlights: 10 Years of IAG Cargo

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ajor moments from the last decade include:

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acilities – 2019 - IAG Cargo opens its start-of-the-art pharmaceutical centre in Madrid. In its first two years, it processed over 20,000 consignments of pharmaceutical cargo, including life-saving vaccines for diseases such as polio, diphtheria, and measles. The centre complements the Constant Climate centre at London Heathrow that opened in 2013.

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ustomer- 2017 - IAG Cargo launched a new loyalty programme named FORWARD.REWARDS allowing businesses to earn points every time they ship, converted into commercial flights, hotel stays or cargo credit.

igital – 2017 - IAG Cargo enhanced its e-booking portal, offering customers the chance to book shipments in under 2 minutes, and track shipments automatically from the start to the end of the journey.

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roduct - 2016 - IAG Cargo launches ‘Critical’ its premium product for urgent and emergency shipments, serviced by its own customer service team – within 6 months of its launch over 1,000 shipments were delivered.

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ircraft 2011-2020 - The last ten years has seen the fleet available to IAG Cargo increase by 53 per cent from 348 in 2011 to 533 in 2020. The fleet has also seen significant upgrades, with the introduction of the fuel-efficient A330-200 and A330-300 in 2013 and 2015 to Iberia’s metal, as well as the A350-900 in 2018. British Airways also saw the Boeing 787 enter service, with the B787-8 in 2013 and B787-9 in 2015, an extra 20 feet and offering more capacity. In 2019, the A3501000 was brought on board for BA, while the latest iteration of the Dreamliner joined the fleet in 2020.

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KG-LHR-UIO – 2012 – Launched a seamless route for customers looking to transport cargo from Hong Kong to Quito.

ide-body airbridge LHR-MAD - 2011 – Launched a wide-body “Airbridge” between London and Madrid, facilitating a seamless journey for cargo to any corner of the world.

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OVID-19 – 2020 - IAG Cargo focused on the fight against COVID19, transporting over 20,000 tonnes of PPE and large quantities of sanitiser, ventilators and COVID-19 testing kits. In 2021, COVID19 vaccine shipments are a priority shipment, and the business had already transported over one million doses by the end of January and has joined the UNICEF Humanitarian Airfreight Initiative to support the COVAX initiative.

ACW DAILY NEWS

Trucking CDM: popular choice

S Air Cargo Europe 2021

ince the launch in January 2020 of the Trucking CDM platform developed by the Amsterdam based Cargo IT software provider CargoHub, several leading operators have been successfully testing the system. Considering the added pressures and challenges faced by supply chains during the pandemic, this is a welcome step.

Dnata and Menzies World Cargo, two of the leading cargo handlers involved, have fully committed its operation at Schiphol to the experimental pilot of the Trucking CDM platform.

The platform communicates pick up notifications to road feeder operators, allowing all parties to plan efficient trucking itinerar-

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ies. The CDM platform also sends automatic load advices electronically to loading and unloading stations. This not only eliminates the considerable volume of paperwork and emails, but saves time, money and unnecessary emissions from waiting vehicles as a result of unpredictable arrivals of trucks. The process is supported with slot booking functionalities.

Paperless cargo solutions such as this, are very much part a strategy of a growing number of ambitious ground handlers for providing End-to-End shipment management for its customers, incorporating value added, reliable and cost-effective service. The benefits of the Trucking CDM platform are very much in line with this philosophy.

Airlines clearly benefit from more efficient

planning of trucking operations, especially in times of intense competition.

China Southern Airlines and Air China has recognized the advantages of the system and has joined the CDM pilot which enables them to monitor the full transit – import, export as well as the ULD flow, using a convenient single window dashboard.

Some leading road feeder operators such as Wallenborn and Jan der Rijk Logistics, are eager to promote digital transformation to optimise loading and unloading with their business partners.

Raoul Paul, founder and managing director of CargoHub, welcomes air cargo operators and states. “We have set new milestones on the communication and information exchange between truckers, handlers and airlines and are excited to work with our pilot partners to

Raoul Paul set new industry standards.”

“Trucking companies, handling companies and airlines operating within Europe, are invited to sign up to the CDM platform to contribute and benefit to immediate transparency and predictability for all air cargo trucking movements between stakeholder."

ACS brings in new management team in France to deliver growth

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s part of its commitment to grow its business in France, leading aircraft charter specialist, Air Charter Service (ACS), has appointed a new management team in an effort to deliver its long-term strategy for growth. Former director of ACS’s office in Switzerland, Alexandre Busila, has been appointed as chief executive officer of ACS France, whilst Loubna Tagmi has been promoted to work alongside him as director.

New Management Both Busila and Tagmi have been working at Air Charter Service for nearly a decade, with Busila starting his career in Paris before moving to Geneva to grow ACS’s Swiss market.

He already has extensive experience in the French air charter market, now returning to Paris in order to drive the local business forward and expand ACS’s presence in France.

Justin Bowman, group CEO of Air Charter Service, comments: “Appointing Alexandre with Loubna alongside him to lead our operation going forwards was an easy decision. They have the knowledge, attitude and experience to drive our business forward as we look to further expand into the French market.”

Air Charter Service’s office in France is in the process of growing its experienced team ahead of what it hopes will be a strong recovery in the market post-pandemic, growing the team by 30% before the end of the year.

French market ACS will also be resetting its French marketing strategy, with the overall aim of diversifying its customer base into new industries in order to navigate this changing marketplace.

Busila comments: “One of the main reasons our customers choose ACS is that they understand our solid financial base, especially in a time when, regrettably, some parts of our industry are struggling.

"One of my goals is to ensure that we continue to be a strong business by increasing our presence in new markets.”

The team in France is located in the heart of Paris.

The office has been fully refurbished, creating space to accommodate more desks as part of their recruitment drive.

Bowman concludes: “We are very excited that Alexandre is returning to Paris and we feel that he and Loubna will make a great team, breathing new life into our French operation.”

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EDIFly PARTNERS WITH CARGOFLASH INFOTECH FOR ADVANCED ENCRYPTED MESSAGING

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nGen Cargo Management System meets the nextGen Messaging Technology

tions to the global air cargo market,” adds Gautam Mandal, director products, Cargoflash.

EDIfly provides innovative software for seamless integrated messaging in aviation and logistics since 2010. The company provides banking-like data security, superior rule-based message routing + monitoring based on IATA standards. It provides a highly scalable message broker to handle Type B/Type X, XML, EDIFACT, Type A communication, from small and medium enterprise to complex environments involving high availability and multiple locations for a wide range of back-end systems. EDIfly uses standard RSA/AES encryption and obtains a real-time non-repudiation proof-of-delivery from the receiving address.

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connects with the partners without legacy circuits or fixed links.

With EDIfly, the affiliates will experience a lower cost-base and improved data security compared to that of the legacy providers,” he adds.

“As the aviation cargo moves towards cloud-based computing for mission-critical applications across all areas, Cargoflash is thrilled to have EDIfly come on board for an advanced messaging system. Many of our airline clients, including Garuda Indonesia and Raya Airways, already enjoy the free and encrypted messaging technology provided by EDIfly. With this association, we aim to reach out to all our existing as well as potential stakeholders, and effectively provide seamless solu-

Air Cargo Europe 2021

ince Cargoflash Infotech, one of the leading Technology and Business solution providers in India, has partnered with the Luxembourg-based EDIfly, providing innovative messaging software for the aviation and logistics sectors. Starting April 2021, Cargoflash has embedded the technology of EDIfly into its cloud-based, digital platform to enable free, encrypted messaging for its air cargo management solutions.

With this partnership, Cargoflash can now enable all users of the advanced EDIfly technology to benefit from the free, web-based exchanges with stakeholders in ground handling and warehouse management, airline trucking, forwarding, logistics, cargo community systems, and even governments, for that matter.

The implementation is completely seamless for Cargoflash’s clients as EDIfly relies on the same IATA addresses, already in use by the legacy aviation messaging providers, including SITA and ARINC. With this recent association, EDIfly shall add value to the exchanges of Cargoflash’s communication as there is an instant proof-of-delivery through a digital signature, allowing complete process control for its business partners.

Conceptualised by a team of air cargo domain’s veterans and experts, having over 500 years of combined experience, the next-generation ‘nGen’ by Cargoflash is an end-to-end air cargo management system delivering solutions to the global aviation cargo industry.

Through the ‘nGen’, the company caters solutions to airline carriers, GHAs, GSSAs, and Forwarders. ‘nGen’ Ingo Roessler provides instant, integrated and seamless solutions to the air cargo industry for reservation, revenue management and accounting, D2D, and warehouse management.

“Some clients on the comprehensive nGen management platform by Cargoflash work without a connection to legacy Type B providers while relying on the global IATA messaging standards and end-to-end encryption instead of using unsecured email for mission-critical communication.

With the quick i m p l e m e nt at i o n and seamless integration, we aim to rapidly spread the disruptive concept that EDIfly can bring to the global aviation industry,” Gautam Mandal says Ingo Roessler, chief commercial officer, EDIfly. “Our software handles current and future messaging standards (Type B, Type X, EDIFACT) and

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28/04/2021 16:30