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The weekly newspaper for air cargo professionals No. 1,077

20 April 2020

A friend in need is a friend indeed

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INSIDE THE PUURRFECT JOURNEY

BRITISH Airways and AIA Cargo have flown neglected dogs and cats to their new homes in addition to flying tonnes of essential ... PAGE 2

LHR’S FRONT LINE IN COVID FIGHT

Muscle moves

n April 14, the AN-225 Mriya aircraft transported a record-breaking cargo of medical supplies from China to the capital of Poland – Warsaw as part of the fight against the world pandemic of COVID-19. The aircraft departed from Tianjin China Airport, loaded with about 100 tonnes of medicines, tests for laboratory analysis, medical masks and other protective equipment, with a total load of about 1,000 m3. This was the largest-ever cargo transported inside the cargo hold of an aircraft. After loading, the world’s larg-

est transport aircraft made a flight to Warsaw with a landing on the route at the Almaty Airport, Kazakhstan for refuelling and crew rest. This flight, chartered by Chapman Freeborn Airchartering Ltd (United Kingdom), was the first for the AN-225 after maintenance and modernisation performed by ANTONOV Company specialists. AN-225 Mriya has received a new engines remote control system, new liquid-crystal devices for control of engines’ work new modern LED lighting equipment with better characteristics, more energy-saving and more reliable.

Since the end of March, Antonov Airlines has carried more than 1,400 tonnes of cargo from China to different countries in Europe, Americas and the Middle East. Vitaliy Shost, Antonov Airlines first deputy director said: “Our company is very proud of the opportunity to contribute and join the fight against the global pandemic. “Planning and performing charter flights in the current difficult quarantine conditions imposed by many countries when there are restrictions applied for landing and crew rest permits, requires selfless dedication and commitment on

the part of all airline staff - from commercial personnel and ops planners in the office to pilots and technicians onboard. “Therefore, I would like to thank everyone who takes part in the setting up and arrangement of humanitarian flights from China and in particular those who were directly involved in the performance of the AN-225 flight to Warsaw. “We extend our exceptional gratitude to our customer Chapman Freeborn and partners for their cooperation and the opportunity to jointly carry out such an important and necessary mission together. “

LONDON Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye has spoken about how the gateway is supporting the wider UK’s efforts to combat the Covid-19 ... PAGE 3 SAA CARGO IN PAX FIRST

FOR the first time in its history, the Cargo division of South African Airways, SAA Cargo, operated a passenger aircraft for a pure cargo uplift. ... PAGE 6

AIR CARGO’S CORNERSTONE

PARIS-based ECS Group acknowledges Global Services Handling (GSH), a French air cargo handling company based at Roissy Charles de Gaulle (CDG) ... PAGE 7

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Save the date Tigers releases beyond the updates for its lockdown SmartHub:Connect

OPTIMISTIC organisers of the first SMART Airport-dedicated event in Europe, described as “a unique opportunity to showcase your products and services to this targeted and hard to reach audience,” have announced a September date for the event. Attendees will discuss, among other topical themes, managing the COVID-19 crisis - strong leadership and a road map for recovery; maintaining relationships with airport stakeholders, airlines, and tenants during crises; a new normal? Safety, social distancing, contact, contagion-containment, control passenger flow management; and, maintaining customer experience during disruptions. The event will be staged from Monday 28 to Wednesday 30 September 2020 in Vienna, Austria.

GLOBAL logistics and transportation company Tigers has released new updates for its SmartHub:Connect freight and e-commerce portal, which are designed to help customers during current disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and to support them in the aftermath of the crisis. SmartHub:Connect has seen a spike in logins and has been supporting increased e-Commerce volumes since the beginning of March. The new features, which will help manage rapidly changing customer demands, include streamlined purchase order functions, online notification to the customer or operations if a booking needs attention and bulk upload of order exceptions. “In the last month, we have continued to see an upsurge in health-related products and some of the more essential e-Commerce items, with conversely B2B and luxury clothing items seeing a dip,” said Mark Gatenby, chief information officer, Tigers. “At the same time, we are noticing that demand for outdoor leisurewear, while not increasing, is holding steady, and we believe we can reasonably expect a surge as people are more likely to take holidays nearer to home;

certainly, interest is there. “With the e-Commerce and logistics landscape changing so rapidly as these examples demonstrate, Tigers has been working on new SmartHub:Connect features designed to help people get through the crisis and its aftermath.” Tigers plans to release real-time alerts for delayed sailings or flights, and is further developing its SmartHub:Connect app as part of the ongoing improvements.

Safe transportation Tigers organised the safe transportation of over 1.38 million masks and 53 large ventilators on a charter flight from Shanghai, China, to Rome, Italy to support the Italian Government’s fight against Covid-19. The medical supplies travelled in the bellyhold and on the passenger deck of a Boeing 777-200 from Shanghai Pudong Airport, to Fiumicino Airport. A total of 1,385,000 masks, 53 large ventilators, and a consignment of ventilator accessories were delivered to hospitals across the Italian capital, with more flights expected over the coming weeks.

Oman Air returns citizens and supplies OMAN Air, the national carrier of the Sultanate of Oman, has completed 27 flights to eight different countries to return citizens home and supply the nation with food, commodities, medicine and medical equipment. In co-operation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Oman Air has returned citizens from Jordan, Qatar, UK, Tanzania, India and Saudi Arabia. A later rescue mission is to be staged to Thailand. The airline has also flown several cargo-only flights to China to collect medical supplies, along with a number of flights to India to bring food and commodities to Oman. Those flights will continue on an as-needed basis and Oman Air is prepared to conduct cargo-only flights to other destinations if the need arises.

The puurrfect journey to new homes BRITISH Airways and AIA Cargo have flown neglected dogs and cats to their new homes in addition to flying tonnes of essential medical supplies to the UK and around the world due to the impact of Covid-19. British Airways and its sister company IAG Cargo partnered with AIA Pets to fly 50 special four-legged friends on a cargo flight from Cyprus to the UK for new homes. The 36 dogs and 14 cats are neglected animals, abandoned and taken to pounds or left on the streets across Cyprus. A variety of charities in Cyprus rescued the animals, be-

ACW 20 APRIL 2020

fore giving them medical checks and finding new homes for them, all in the UK. Highly-trained staff and animal handlers ensured that the animals received specialist care and attention as they travelled on a British Airways 747 cargo flight from Larnaca to London Heathrow. In addition to the animals, the aircraft was also carrying food, perishables and essential medical supplies. On arrival at London Heathrow, the animals travelled by road to Gatwick’s Animal Reception Centre, before being safely collected by their new owners – both private

homeowners across the UK and a rescue centre, from where they will soon be rehomed. British Airways captain, Paul Walker-Northwood, who was a member of the flight crew operating the flight said: “In these difficult times, our teams are working around the clock to help bring customers home and fly essential supplies into the UK and to communities around the world most in need. As well as bringing in those supplies on this flight, we were pleased to support this mission to bring these new four-legged family members to the UK to give them the chance

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of better, more comfortable lives here with their new owners. At British Airways, animal welfare is important to us and we know how important it is to our customers. We are sure their arrival will bring real much-needed pleasure to their new families during a challenging period.” Airbridge International Agencies (AIA Pets) CEO Mark Andrew said: “We’d like to offer a special thank you to all of those involved in arranging this special flight and are proud to play our part in delivering these pets to their new home.”

LHR on the COVID-19 frontline

LONDON Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye has spoken about how the gateway is supporting the wider UK’s efforts to combat the Covid-19 crisis. He said: “Heathrow continues to serve the nation by keeping vital supply lines open, and helping people get home. Now is the time to agree a common international standard for healthcare screening in airports so that when this crisis recedes, people can travel with confidence and we can get the British economy moving again.”

Many of the 3m journeys made were repatriations, following travel restrictions across markets as well as the FCO’s advice against all but essential travel. The situation is expected to continue as initial forecasts show passenger demand in April is set to decrease by over 90%, with lasting and significant industry-wide effects predicted. In line with these forecasts, Heathrow moved to single runway operations on April 6, and over the coming weeks will consolidate operations into Terminals 2 and 5 only. Heathrow is now using its available capacity to prioritise cargo flights with medical supplies. The airport is well-placed to receive time-critical and temperature-sensitive medical supplies, such as ventilators, medicines and COVID-19 testing kits. The airport reported its busiest day for cargo-only flights on March 31, with 38 dedicated cargo movements in just one day. During normal operations, Heathrow usually handles an average of 47 cargo-only movements a week. Last year, Heathrow handled 41% of the UK’s pharmaceutical imports.

Overall cargo volumes were impacted by grounded passenger fleets. During normal operations, 95% of cargo usually travels in the belly hold of passenger planes. However, over 100,000 tonnes of cargo still travelled through the airport in March, down 32.5% compared to the same time last year. Heathrow has donated 6,000 face masks to NHS teams working at Thames Valley Air Ambulance and Hillingdon Hospital. The airport has also provided educational resources to local schools and has redeployed Heathrow Community Rangers to assist with delivering donations to local food banks. Glasgow-based airline Loganair flew from the UK’s only hub airport for the first time in its 58-year history. The airline will be operating from Heathrow on an interim basis following the closure of London City Airport to maintain vital connections between the capital and the Isle of Man. Heathrow is Britain’s only remaining air link to Belfast, with the airport serving as a vital airbridge to Northern Ireland during the pandemic.

Highlights of the airport’s activities include: In March passenger numbers shrunk by 52% compared to the same time last year, as the UK entered lockdown. IAG Cargo is operating a global network of cargo-only flights to keep vital medical supplies moving across the world to support the fight against COVID-19. It is leading on co-ordinating efforts across International Airlines Group (IAG) airlines including Aer Lingus, British Airways and Iberia, to transport critical goods like personal protective equipment (PPE), hand sanitiser and ventilators as health authorities seek fast, reliable delivery. Lynne Embleton, IAG Cargo’s chief executive, said: “The events of recent weeks have put our adaptiveness and agility as a business to the test. We have provided new services through charters and cargo-only flights.”

flydubai Cargo helps in its network and beyond flydubai has allocated six Next-Generation Boeing 737-800 aircraft to operate as all-cargo flights to enable the movement of essential goods across its network and beyond. This follows the temporary suspension of passenger operations as part of the precautionary measures announced by the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority (NCEMA) and the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) in the UAE.

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UPS expedites global QIAGEN test kit deliveries UPS has announced that it is working with QIAGEN, a leading global provider of molecular diagnostics and sample preparation technologies, to deliver nucleic acid extraction kits critical to COVID-19 testing, as well as its novel QIAstat-Dx Coronavirus testing cartridges to destinations around the world. With governments and public authorities classifying UPS as an essential service provider, the company is combining the flexibility of its global network with QIAGEN’s increased production capacity for COVID-19 testing kits produced at their facility in Hilden, Germany to help healthcare workers curb the spread of the disease. “Customers and governments around the world are turning to the reliability of UPS’s smart global logistics network to help fight this pandemic,” said Lou Rivieccio, president, UPS Europe. “Business continuity has never been more important for our customers and that is what we continue to deliver whether it be for delivery or storage of medicines, testing kits or medical supplies. And when it

comes to ensuring that increased production volumes of testing kits reach vital destinations around the world such as hospitals and labs, our teams are here to help customers navigate complexity and focus on fighting this pandemic. Agility, flexibility and fast response in the supply chain arena are helping to combat this outbreak as it shifts from Asia to Europe and North America.” In Europe, UPS has recently invested $2

SAA Cargo ramps up capacity in PAX first FOR the first time in its history, the Cargo division of South African Airways, SAA Cargo, operated a passenger aircraft for a pure cargo uplift. On April 6, in response to the increased demand for cargo flights to distribute critical and essential goods during the lockdown, SAA Cargo operated an Airbus A340-600 as a cargo-only flight, transporting essential goods between Johannesburg and Frankfurt. The outbound cargo included perishables such as fish, fresh fruits and vegetables, laboratory supplies as well as automotive and aircraft parts for repairs. On the inbound leg from Europe the aircraft landed last night in Johannesburg and the cargo included testing kits for COVID-19, immunological pharmaceuticals, insulin, surgical personal protective equipment (PPE), and processing equipment for food such as baby milk powder. “SAA has demonstrated agility and we are working with our partners to provide them and our country with solutions that are relevant in these difficult times. “The decision to deploy an A346 is based on both its capacity and range and so bolsters our freighter services during this time when

ACW 20 APRIL 2020

our customers in laboratories and hospitals are crucial at this time,” said Barthold Piening, senior vice president, head of Global Operations at QIAGEN. “Just as our teams at QIAGEN are working 24/7 to ensure production we know we can rely upon UPS as our logistics partner to make sure these kits and components arrive on time and in the right condition to where they’re needed most. We share our ambition with UPS, with its flexible global network, to make our solutions as widely available as possible.” To support the global relief effort in response to the novel Coronavirus, the UPS Foundation announced new grant allocations to United Nations agencies, humanitarian relief partners and international non-government organizations. In the United States, UPS is supporting Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) with ‘Project Airbridge’, a co-ordinated effort to expedite the arrival of critical supplies needed in US hospitals.

CSafe Global allows Kimera labs to meet continued demand

there is high demand for cargo shipments,” said SAA Cargo’s acting general manager, Justice Luthuli. The next pure-cargo flight departed from Johannesburg to Guangzhou on Friday, April 10. It operated on the same aircraft type for collection and delivery of medical supplies.

Stepped up SAA Cargo has stepped up as a trade facilitator and a solution provider to sustain supply chains to and from various countries. The solution is provided on a charter basis at the request of our customers, who are producers and suppliers of essential cargo. All flights are operated under strict operating procedures and in full compliance to COVID-19 civil aviation and health regulatory measures by both our staff and our customers. “As a national carrier, we are pleased that we can contribute in response to our country’s needs to bring in much needed medical supplies and other essential goods to assist in the fight against COVID-19. “We extend our gratitude to all our employees for their commitment and service during this time,” Luthuli concluded.

THE Boeing Company will release its financial results for the first quarter of 2020 on Wednesday, April 29. President and CEO David Calhoun and CFO and executive vice president of Enterprise Performance and Strategy Greg Smith will discuss the results and company outlook during a conference call that day at 10:30 ET. 4

billion in its network and services. This investment has allowed the company to implement dynamic contingency plans that can adapt to the rapidly changing business environment. Despite recent border closures, UPS is continuing to serve the needs of its customers. Through its European air hub at Cologne-Bonn Airport, the company is able to ensure swift and efficient transportation of essential shipments in Europe and to destinations around the world. “We have and continue to increase our production of reagents and COVID-19 testing kits to meet the current extraordinary demand for our products worldwide. Our supply chains, both to our production facilities as well as to

CSAFE Global, the leader in temperature-controlled container solutions, will begin providing its passive shipping containers to Kimera Labs this month, allowing the company to ship products anywhere in the world to further ongoing medical research. Kimera Labs is a leading exosome biotechnology laboratory specialising in the production of mesenchymal stem cell-derived (MSC) exosome products for scientific and clinical research. Until recently, the company was able to use short-duration temperature-controlled shippers because product destinations were rather close and overnight shipping was feasible. “In the past several months, we’ve received orders for our products from locations where overnight delivery is simply not an option,” noted Dr Duncan Ross, founder and CEO of Kimera Labs. “The containers we had on hand were not able to maintain the needed temperature long enough to ensure product integrity upon delivery. We had to find a solution that would meet our standards for quality and accommodate long-term growth.” CSafe’s Parcel portfolio offers protection, simplicity and efficiency by design. With an optimised design for pack-out simplicity, 50% longer shipment durations confirmed in a third-party testing facility against market-leading solution, and hibernation capabilities to mitigate unforeseen supply chain risks, CSafe has been able to not only provide a solution that will protect Kimera Labs’ products during longer transports, but also allows them to ship products five days a week instead of only four. “The superior VIP insulation in our parcel solutions provides extended hold times for 120+ hour shipment durations,” explained Emilio Frattaruolo, CSafe’s vice president of innovation, passive systems. “Combined with the fact that CSafe Parcels are qualified to ISTA 7D worst case challenge testing, the team at Kimera Labs can rest assured that their products will arrive in optimal condition.”

Latam Cargo announces daily flights between South America and Europe

ATAM Cargo Group has added a seventh weekly frequency in its operation, totalling a 40% increase in its offer compared to the period prior to the pandemic, between South America and Europe. “The dramatic reduction of passenger operations has significantly impacted the range of air transportation options available to our clients. This is particularly significant for clients that relied on the frequency and lower cost of belly capacity. In order to support all supply chains, and very specifically those dealing with aid and relief, we are focusing on adding more capacity on critical routes. Providing a daily flight between Europe and Latin America is tangible proof of this commitment,” commented Andrés Bianchi, CEO of the LATAM Cargo Group. With the new itinerary, Amsterdam is now

positioned as the main point of entry to the European continent. This benefits exporters coming from Chile, Peru, Guatemala and Brazil, although the route is available to all interested. The company recently reported a 15% increase in its offer from Miami to South America, going from 23 to 26 weekly frequencies. LATAM Cargo Group recently quintupled its offer from Santiago to Miami, reaching 31 weekly frequencies.

www.ceruleanaviation.com

Advertorial

The Real Alternative For Cargo

Air Cargo is Taking Off at Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP) is becoming the airport of choice for fast and efficient handling of specialized, time-sensitive cargo shipments. Since 2015, cargo volume increased by 91.8%; from 29,875 tons in 2015 to 57,209 tons in 2019. Carriers are finding that unlike traditional gateway airports, GSP enjoys an abundance of airspace and airfield capacity, short taxi times, and uncongested arrival and departure patterns. With an 11,001-foot runway, GSP can support the world’s largest aircraft and offer easy access to global networks and freight hubs around the world.

GSP Serves a Vibrant, Growing Region GSP is centrally located between Atlanta, Georgia and Charlotte, North Carolina in a 10-county region called Upstate South Carolina (SC). This area is business-friendly and a magnet for foreign investment. Nearly 500 international companies from over 30 nations now call the Upstate region home. Notable companies include BMW Manufacturing, Michelin North America, Adidas, Bosch, Fujifilm, Mitsubishi Polyester Film, and many others.

International and domestic companies are equally finding that Upstate SC is open for business. Offering well-educated and highly trained employees and a population in excess of 1.5 million people, companies are finding Upstate SC provides fertile ground in which to grow. Since 2010, the region has announced more than $15 billion in capital investment and more than 43,000 new jobs. The Upstate SC region has accounted for approximately 38% of the state’s new capital investment, and 34% of the state’s new job announcements.

Location, Location, Location GSP is easily accessible from the region’s superior roadway system. U.S. Interstates 85 and 26 provide east-west and north-south access to all points in the southeastern U.S. Ample rail lines allow product to move from points across the nation to GSP. In addition, an Inland Port located directly adjacent to the airport provides shippers access via rail to the Port of Charleston, a deep-water port in Charleston, SC.

Cerulean Aviation Having a superior location and abundant facilities is good, but having the ability to also provide ramp, ground handling, warehouse and fueling services through one entity is even better! Cerulean Aviation provides customers an all-in-one option for cargo handling. These efficiencies have allowed the airport to effectively handle thousands of air cargo operations in support of OEMs and tier suppliers worldwide in recent years. With Cerulean’s experience and competitive pricing, shippers and carriers know their shipments are in good hands. Through close coordination with on-site U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials, Cerulean is often able to reduce cargo on-airport times to levels not possible at other gateway airports.

GSP Offers a Solution for Your Unique Shipments. GSP is currently the only airport in North or South Carolina offering scheduled non-stop international cargo service. Boeing 747 flights regularly travel between GSP and Europe in support of local manufacturers. Charter flights serving destinations across the globe are also common. In 2019, GSP handled 57,209 tons of cargo valued at $3.46 billion (USD). This was an increase in value of 38.5% over the previous year. The same analysis ranks GSP 27th among US airports for total trade value and 26th by total cargo weight. The airport’s top imports and exports include motor vehicles, civilian aircraft, vehicle parts, medical instruments, navigational equipment, and electric board panels and switches. GSP’s top trading partners are Germany, Mexico, Malaysia, Hungary, and Canada. Unique shipments have become commonplace at GSP. In September 2018, Cerulean provided ground support for the world’s largest civilian equestrian airlift in conjunction with the FEI World Equestrian Games. Over 550 horses were transported to GSP from all over the world to compete in competitions taking place at the nearby Tryon International Equestrian Center located in North Carolina.

New Air Cargo Facility Accommodates Growth To accommodate the significant growth in cargo volume, GSP opened a new $33 million Air Cargo Facility in September 2019. The 110,000 square foot facility offers state-of-the-art handling capabilities, a 17-acre ramp, and parking for up to three 747-8 aircraft simultaneously.

GSP International Airport is Your Efficient Alternative If you are looking for an alternative to the delays and hassle offered by other gateway airports, try the Southeast U.S.’s convenient alternative airport, Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport.

Contact: Cerulean Commercial Aviation, Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP), 3090 Gateway Drive, Greer, SC 29651 T: +001 864-848-6226, E: cargosales@ceruleanaviation.com

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Covid-19’s fishy outcome

CHINA is the biggest market for seafood on the planet and its limiting of import and exports due to the spread of Coronavirus has created a huge gap in the market which has to be filled by alternative routes. Norway and Chile are the biggest importers of salmon to China, 24,427 tonnes and 23,571 tonnes respectively, and it is confirmed that importation from both countries has been cancelled by China. This creates a huge gap in the market for salmon exporters. Last year, through its subsidiary Agri-Joyvio, Chinese conglomerate Legend Holdings finalised a $922 million deal for salmon imports from Chilean salmon farmer, Australis. New World Currents, a joint venture for four Chilean salmon farmers to China, has reported that some salmon will be sent to US and Brazilian markets, but larger fish that will not be popular in these markets will have to be frozen. Whatever the outcome, stocks will have to be delayed and a lot of money will be lost, having a knock-on effect throughout both the fishing and freighting industries. Jordan has completely banned not only animal products but vegetable products as well from China, the same goes for Russia as they close 4,000 km of their border with the country. Other countries have followed suit with strict bans in an effort to limit the spread of the virus. With this, charter rates on long haul routes into China have shot up, some showing over a 200% increase in price. Such limits will only continue to get stronger as the death toll continues to rise. China’s market for Chilean salmon is a partnership reliant on the efficiency of air freight. In recent years the countries have developed efficient routes with businesses utilising excellent cold chain logistics to transport seafood 11,200 miles in just 4-7 days. Between January and July, China imported $165 million worth of whole fresh salmon from Chile, which equates to 16,557 metrics tonnes. From Norway the figure stood at 14,908 tonnes. worth $144 million and from Scotland 2,212 tonnes, worth $21 million. Both these countries are roughly half the distance away from China than Chile and would seemingly be easier markets to access.

SEAFOOD PERISHABLES

Flying fish O

from airport to final destination ensuring less mortality for live seafood,” Radford said. Longer transit time increases the risk of temperature fluctuations. Aircraft can be delayed on tarmac in hot conditions, all the time heating the cargo, which can be fatal for live seafood transports. There are measures that can limit this damage. “Customers are always striving to ensure their product arrives in the best condition,” explains Radford, “whilst it is the customers pack the product in their own Registered Export Facility, there are times where Tigers will add value to product by adding dry ice or gel packs to ensure the product is kept at required temperatures.”

n average live seafood needs to reach the consumer in less than 24 hours, starting from when it leaves the water, which means that the cool chain must run efficiently to minimise mortality rates and maximise profits for either end of the chain. About 5% of annual world production of fish is air freighted to long-distance markets. This is the fastest and best way to transport fish, especially live seafood, which has a shorter sea to consumer life, and can sell for a lot more than fresh seafood. But problems occur at each step of the cold chain. This is especially true in regard to live seafood, like lobsters, which is notably precious cargo and highly sensitive to environmental changes that increase mortality rate. “The main hurdle for transporting lobsters is to ensure the cargo is booked on the most suitable flight with the quickest transit,” explains Jason Radford, general manager at Tigers logistics. Delays can be caused by a number of external factors, problems at take-off or border control, environmental issues such as storms or even volcanic erupts such as the 2010 Iceland volcanic eruption that disrupted

Small changes in handling help to maintain a constant temperature. “We may suggest to a customer to load the cartons onto a wooden pallet to minimise the handling of each carton or we will add insulated foil to the

flights across Europe. “While the majority of shipments depart and arrive on time, from time to time there may be delays due to late departures or not connecting with onward flights,” says Radford. Even political complications can lengthen a journey, like imposing strict tariffs that mean freight must be detoured. “With the elimination of tariffs between Australia and China, in 2019 we saw a move of the live lobster trade from Vietnam’s ‘Grey Trade’ direct to mainland China, this decreased the transit time by approximately 8 hours

pallet to ensure the internal temperatures are kept ensuring the best shelf life,” says Radford. Technologies are being developed to ease transportation of live seafood, such as IATA approved FishPac, which uses an in-container oxygen system that reduces fish stress levels and lowers mortality rates from more than 50% to less than 1% per payload. These developments teamed with efficient logistics teams and airlines ensure that flown fish is the freshest fish.

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Constant temperature

ACW 20 APRIL 2020

USA CARGO

American Airlines transports critical supplies to US and beyond

MERICAN Airlines is expanding its cargo-only operation this month to provide more than 5.5 million pounds of capacity to transport critical goods each week between the US and Europe, Asia and Latin America. These flights will help transport life-saving medical supplies and materials to the US, including personal protective equipment (PPE) and pharmaceuticals. Other essential goods on these flights will include manufacturing and automotive equipment, fresh fruits and vegetables, fish, mail and electronics. “The air cargo industry plays a critical role in pulling the world together in times of crisis, and it takes all of us to get the job done,” said Rick Elieson, president of Cargo and vice president of International Operations. “With the expansion

of American’s cargo-only flights, we have more capacity to bring critical medical supplies and protective gear to the areas that need it most. We also play a key role in transporting essential goods to keep the world’s economy moving. I take immense pride in all the ways our airline and our industry are responding to make a difference when the world needs us most.” In March, the airline began operating its first cargo-only flights since 1984. These were operated between Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) and Frankfurt (FRA), transporting more than 350,000 pounds of medical supplies, mail for active U.S. military, telecommunications equipment and electronics to support communities impacted by the coronavirus (COVID-19) health crisis around the globe. In the coming weeks, American will expand

HAE US - State of the Union

WITH office locations in six different states, HAE US has been busy “keeping our staff safe while reacting to export and import requests,” notes Ian Hutchinson, president, HAE Americas. He says: “All our staff currently work from home. We have invested heavily over years in being able to react to circumstances which would force office closures. We were planning for extreme weather-related closures, but such planning has stood us in good stead. Our technology is industry leading and enabled us to continue business with any disruption.” While the UK-based company has been affected by some airlines cancellations, its GSA commercial and operational focus has been on Ethiopian Airlines and CAL, while always on the alert for opportunities related to offline contracts, such as Oman Air. “We are using every available CBM of ET’s flights from the US, with IAD being a key hub using scheduled and non-scheduled passenger flights to ADD. Where possible, based on IATA / FFA rules, we are using the

cabin of these aircraft to load suitable cargo. “The communication between ET US management and our organisation has been excellent, enabling us to take every opportunity possible. “Our partnership with CAL has proved strong also with our US team highly integrated into the CAL system, supported by CAL’s outstanding JFK team, especially around the schedule freighter operation ex IAH, which offers consistent lift as well as part charter

ACW 20 APRIL 2020

opportunities. “Our Solutions division has always been a major contributor to our business – we have operated numerous charter flights, both into and out of the US. “Our Global Team have also been able to provide our US team with competitive Import Solutions, where we are able to quote a US customer in a timely manner from most international origins, we can offer local billing and local customer service, which has proved a great success over recent weeks. “Our creativity, global reach, unique products but most importantly our people, led by Charlie Storcks, have enabled us to withstand the challenges this virus has thrown at us. The safety of our people remains the most important element in these times,” said Hutchinson.

its cargo-only service to multiple destinations with the addition of flights from DFW to Dublin (DUB) and Hong Kong (HKG); between New York (JFK) and London Heathrow (LHR); and between Miami (MIA) and Buenos Aires (EZE). The airline is also working toward adding cargo-only service to Shanghai (PVG) and Seoul (ICN) by the end of the month. In addition to this service, American contin-

ues to carry cargo on all of its passenger flights. Internationally, the airline’s widebody aircraft operate 17 weekly flights, with the capacity to move almost two million pounds of cargo per week. Passenger flights on widebody aircraft include daily service between DFW and LHR, MIA and LHR and three weekly flights between DFW and Tokyo Narita (NRT).

Delta Cargo expands DASH Door-to-Door to large shipments

elta Cargo has expanded its 24/7 pick-up and delivery service with Roadie to include DASH Heavy. Now customers can use the service for packages between 101 to 300 pounds, or between 90 linear inches (length + width + height) up to the maximum size that will fit on the aircraft, per piece for loose shipments. As offices move to homes and businesses explore ways to reach existing and new customers and clients, DASH Door-to-Door provides an easy solution in a matter of hours instead of days. From fresh flowers to auto parts, medical and electronic equipment to apparel, DASH Door-to-Door is a convenient logistics service that offers the fastest cross-country door-todoor delivery. Delta partnered with Roadie, an Atlanta-based same-day delivery service, to launch DASH Door-to-Door in 2019. The partnership is

an industry first for a US passenger airline. The service is now available in more than 60 cities with ongoing expansion. “This is an exciting opportunity for businesses to further benefit from DASH Door-to-Door by shipping large items and making nationwide expansion a reality,” said Shawn Cole, vice president – Delta Cargo. “We’re always looking for ways to enhance product offerings and make life easier for our customers.” DASH Door-to-Door pairs TSA-approved drivers with air cargo to create the fastest cross-country door-to-door service available in the U.S. with competitive prices. Customers can send time-critical shipments through deltacargo.com with a single booking for flights with pick-up/delivery and receive end-to-end tracking and real-time status updates. The service is backed by a limited service-level guarantee.

KF Aerospace adds second line for AEI

eronautical Engineers (AEI) of Miami, FL has announced that KF Aerospace is adding a second modification line to support AEI freighter conversion programmes. KF Aerospace began converting freighters for AEI in February 2017 and is currently the sole Canadian-based authorised AEI conversion centre. The current and foreseeable market demand for AEI freighters is driving the need for additional production line capacity.

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KF Aerospace has a long history of performing passenger-to-freighter modifications and is well-versed in the modification of AEI’s B737-400SF. AEI and KF Aerospace are looking to start B737-800SF conversions at the facility perhaps as early as the end of 2020. AEI has three additional authorized Conversion Centers worldwide, which include Commercial Jet Inc., in Miami, Florida, Commercial Jet Services in Dothan, Alabama and STAECO in Shandong Province, PRC.

aris-based ECS Group acknowledges Global Services Handling (GSH), a French air cargo handling company based at Roissy Charles de Gaulle (CDG) airport in France. Despite the difficulties GSH is facing in this period of unprecedented crisis, ECS Group is highlighting the essential nature of handling and handling teams, without whom airfreight forwarding would quite simply be impossible.

“

As in all sectors, we need to reorganise the way we work because of the crisis, with one further difficulty: remote working isn’t possible with goods handling. Our staff levels are down by around 25% but we are continuing to operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We are 100% operational thanks to our extremely hard-working employees. Our priority is still to make sure that cargo leaves and arrives in total safety,” says Pierre Perez, GSH’s managing director.

irlines are doing everything they can to offer more capacity: increasing the number of all-cargo flights, converting passenger flights into freighters, demonstrating greater flexibility, and more – which makes handling agents vital players in ensuring the continuity of the supply chain. Without them, it would be impossible to receive and load cargo, which in turn would also make air freight forwarding impossible.

n addition to the increased risks and greater workload as a result of reduced staffing levels, GSH’s agents also have to tackle the unpredictable nature of flight scheduling. Flight schedules fluctuate from day to day. With extra flights being operated and others postponed, cancelled or delayed for regular flights and even more so for repatriation and all-cargo flights, flexibility and versatility are essential.

Handling agents: air cargo’s cornerstone

ut Perez describes: “An amazing sense of team spirit, togetherness and solidarity” among his colleagues.

“

We’re all pulling together – we know that our work is essential in order to transport goods and keep the local and global economy running. Helping to save lives by transporting medical products is also a real source of motivation,” he says.

his remarkable work not only plays a crucial role in transporting goods, it also ensures the continuity of the supply chain and maintains the airfreight ecosystem on which all stakeholders are totally inter-dependent.

TRADEFINDER Airlines

Freight Forwarders

Turkey

Hong Kong

Freight Forwarders USA

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7 ACW 20 aircargoweek.com APRIL 2020

HE KNOWS A FRIEND IN NEED IS A FRIEND INDEED

We support our members – now TIACA needs support An appeal by Vladimir Zubkov, Secretary General The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA)

s our industry navigates through this unprecedented global crisis, we are faced with many challenges that are unique to each sector of the air cargo supply chain. TIACA is focused on supporting its members through: • increasing its collaboration with regulators by joining the specially created by ICAO “Technical group on joint actions related to COVID-19”; • working with our industry partners IATA, ACI, FIATA, CANSO and GEA to provide a unified voice on issues that are affecting our industry; supported in this by WHO and WCO; • reaching out to government leaders, that have implemented policies negatively impacting the air cargo industry, urging corrective measures; • ensuring our members have access to the most up-to-date information on this crisis through tiaca.org, through the shared websites of our industry partners, social media and within the media. Please devote some time reading information on objectives of and TIACA’s efforts within “ICAO Technical group on joint ac-

tions related to COVID-19” as well as all TIACA’s work. Your views, your feedback mean a lot to us. In order for us to continue to support our members in this time of crisis, we need your support as well. Our members can help the Association by: • alerting TIACA to challenges that they are facing during this crisis, allowing us by this to elevate issues to the governments level; • spreading the word on the importance of the air cargo supply chain and • supporting your Association financially by ensuring their membership dues are paid. We understand that the current situation is exceptional and there is a big strain on resources, but the Association needs the support of our Members who are vital to this great institution! Together we will get through this crisis and will do all possible for our industry to rebound. Vladimir Zubkov TIACA Secretary General

Together we will get through this crisis and will do all possible for our industry to rebound.

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