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The weekly newspaper for air cargo professionals No. 1,086

22 June 2020

LIBERTÉ, ÉGALITÉ, FRET AÉRIEN

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INSIDE CARGO.ONE AND IBS SOFTWARE

AFKLMP: making a virtue out of necessity GLOBAL cargo capacity has changed substantially in recent months. Although capacity is growing, it is still scarce and not all destinations are served in Air France KLM Martinair Cargo (AFKLMP) scheduled network. Gaps in the network are filled by operating charter services, but not all shipments justify a full-freighter solution. The carrier resolved this by developing a collaborative platform, where customers can jointly participate in charter solutions to destinations not currently served. Once there is sufficient groupage cargo to such a destination, the charter is operated. This shared charter solution has been branded KickCharter. “The idea for KickCharter came up quite spontaneously as a result of the pandemic,” said Robert Kunen, VP distribution and customer service (right). “Our team came up with the idea and even though we were not sure our customers would embrace such a revolutionary way of selling charters, we decided to go forward and at least bring it to a minimum viable product (MVP) we could bring into production and try out. The current service on our website is a MVP which we developed based on Salesforce.com technology, which allowed us to develop the facility in just three weeks. Based on positive results and customer reactions, we decided to structurally introduce this concept as long as there is a need from our customers.” The airline’s existing organisation only caters for

charter requests for full-freighter operations. It is only since the COVID-19 situation that there has been crew and fleet availability for wide-body passenger aircraft charter operations. “We put a dedicated team in place to handle charter requests for these passenger aircraft, because these have different requirements. However, this process still requires one single customer for a full charter rotation. “The beauty of KickCharter is that several customers can participate to a single charter, which made us enter a different market segment and serve customers that don’t have enough volumes to arrange a full charter operation by themselves,” says Kunen. “When building the MVP we were unsure if the mar-

ket would embrace the idea of this collaborative charter solution positively. We opened up KickCharter for a selected group of customers that were pre-informed it was a pilot for a new concept. “We are very happy that the reactions were positive, and have led us to making several improvements in the functionality. We have already operated the second KickCharter operation into Africa with a B777-200 operation to Lagos, Nigeria. All cargo on board, both to and from Lagos, was sold through KickCharter.” KickCharter aims to serve forwarders that already work with the carrier. Kunen says: “KickCharter serves a niche in the market to destinations where due to the COVID-19 crisis no scheduled operations exist. “As airlines gradually resume their scheduled operations the potential of KickCharter will reduce, as we do not plan to offer KickCharter options to destinations we also operate scheduled flights to. KickCharter was meant as a short-term solution to serve our customers with additional options in times where options were limited. “We are undecided yet if KickCharter will be a viable option in the long-term. Let’s see how things develop moving forward. “Even if KickCharter does not have a long term future, we are happy to have been of service to our customers and to have achieved a lot of learnings from launching this service.”

Cargo.one and IBS Software have announced a strategic partnership to empower airlines on their digital transformation ... PAGE 3

INTELLIGENT MEANS OF TACKLING LOSS

COVID-19 has disrupted supply chains around the world. Grocery retailers, for example, have seen demand increases of up to 25% ... PAGE 4 U-FREIGHT CHARTERS RUSSIAN AIRCRAFT

The U-Freight Group chartered an Aeroflot passenger aircraft, which had been reconfigured to handle freight only, to airfreight ... PAGE 6

POLAR AIR CARGO JOINS PHARMA.AERO

POLAR Air Cargo has become the latest full member of Brussels-based pharma airfreight trade body PHARMA.AERO. It joins airlines ... PAGE 7

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play booking for All Nippon Airways (ANA), cargo.one pioneers the implementation of the new iCargo Sales Platform which represents an industry-first standard integration for airlines running IBS’s iCargo software.

Catalyst Moritz Claussen, founder and managing director of cargo.one says: “We see that COVID-19 has been a catalyst for digital transformation within the air cargo industry. “This is reflected in the now 1,500 forwarder branches using cargo.one on a daily basis. “Furthermore, we see that distributing capacity online

ACW 22 JUNE 2020

at live rates is an essential part of the recovery for many airlines.” The seamless access and proven integration technology to the platform via the IBS iCargo Sales Platform will help the 30+ IBS airline customers to quickly use ‘out of the box’ services, without the need for major system changes. This helps airlines develop digital distribution capabilities which is a game changer for the industry.

Distribution “We truly believe that leveraging online distribution is the way forward for airlines to emerge faster and stronger from the crisis and we are excited to enable these connections with innovation leader cargo.one and our state of the art technology. It is heartening to see how both companies have worked together in these challenging circumstances to deliver innovative capabilities that will help the industry. “We have moved further in our broader goal of creating a ‘digital ecosystem’ by collaborating with complementing services, to bring greater value to customers using iCargo. “I am excited as we will see digitalisation accelerating further over the next months through our joint efforts,” concludes Ashok Rajan, senior vice president and head of cargo and logistics, IBS Software.

Aggreko ram control

cargo.one and IBS Software in strategic partnership argo.one and IBS Software have announced a strategic partnership to empower airlines on their digital transformation to emerge stronger from the COVID-19 crisis. The companies have been working together to create custom integrations for leading airlines, including Etihad Cargo and Nippon Cargo Airlines, to successfully help them to further develop their digital distribution capabilities. In 2020, cargo.one has already displayed hundreds of thousands of bookable offers for airlines running IBS iCargo, without the use of a standardised plug and play solution. With the first plug and

GEODIS has appointed Tomy Sofhian as managing director, Indonesia. He reports to Rene Bach-Larsen, sub-regional managing director ASEAN, who commented: “Tomy joins GEODIS with a wealth of experience in the supply chain industry and at a key time during our expansion of operations in Indonesia. We continue to support healthcare and pharma industries with our bonded warehouse equipped with cold chain facilities in Soewarna Business Park. Crucially, this facility enables us to manage and control pharmaceutical products from China and rest of Asia, which are being delivered to key facilities.” Sofhian joins GEODIS with a career long in both local and regional experiences, having spent nearly 20 years in the freight delivery sector.

WITH fleets of aircraft grounded due to the COVID-19 crisis, companies need to consider the risk of long-term damage due to uncontrolled humidity levels. With the pandemic having a marked effect on demand for flights, more aircraft than ever are grounded. Without adequate moisture control to protect critical components, electrical technology and structures, the condition of these aircraft could soon deteriorate, according to Aggreko. High-humidity conditions could lead to otherwise avoidable consequences for fleet owners and operators, including extended vehicle reactivation timescales and increased operating and commissioning costs. Uncontrolled humidity and temperature levels in storage can also impact maintenance projects such as re-coating aircraft, which requires a controlled environment to ensure coatings do not fail. By using ground-based dehumidification systems and associated distribution trunking to achieve sufficient air circulation and maintain optimum conditions, these vehicles can instead be protected against such concerns. Implementing monitoring systems to record and alert on conditions within storage areas also allows vehicle owners full transparency and peace-

PML creates new charter fr PERISHABLE Movements Ltd (PML) has appointed Gustavo Mundel to the newly-created role of charter freight manager. He joins the business with a solid track record in chartering airfreight having worked on both sides of the business, acting for airlines as well as operating as an independent charter broker. Most recently, Mundel worked as the regional business development manager for an Antonov-124 aircraft carrier specialising in outsized cargo. Prior to this he was the director of global sales and business development for a private air charter provider, a role which was preceded by spending almost eight years with two major aircraft charter specialists.

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o ramps up moisture

Brussels Airport streamlines airport-to-airport pick-ups and deliveries with Nallian

of-mind that the right parameters are being maintained at all times. “The coronavirus has hugely impacted both the aerospace and shipping industries on a previously unprecedented scale,” says Ryan Stanley, moisture control specialist at Aggreko. “This collapse in demand has often meant fleet owners and operators have had no choice but to place their [aircraft] in storage. “However, this presents its own problems – namely, that if the climatic conditions around these aircraft are not controlled, they could become impaired over a prolonged period

of time. In turn, companies already hit commercially by the pandemic could suffer a second blow as they take steps to resume regular operations. “Through the controlled dehumidification of internal spaces, including void spaces between machinery and pipelines, we can prevent issues including sweating, rust, humidity corrosion damage, condensation and moisture absorption. Applying and continually monitoring optimum temperature and moisture control parameters also enables necessary maintenance to be carried out while these aircraft are in storage.”

A graduate in aviation business management, the new appointment is indicative of a milestone for both parties. This is the first time that Mundel has worked directly for a logistics company, while for PML the charter freight manager position represents an exciting extension of in-house resources.

of the coronavirus pandemic but also given the uncertainties associated with Brexit and the potential for additional restrictions to be imposed on the movement of goods from one country to another. “PML is committed to maintaining its best in class service for the transfer of perishable and refrigerated cargo. “The company’s reputation for excellence is based on its ability to identify the optimum supply chain routes for its customers, and with airfreight representing an increasingly attractive proposition we are keen to bring in specialist expertise to always ensure access to the optimum air trade lanes.”

ter freight manager role

Dedicated charter freight Speaking about the decision to invest in the role, PML sales director Nick Finbow commented: “These are certainly challenging times for any logistics business both in terms

allian has extended its Landside Management Suite for airports with the Road Feeder Management app, empowering trucking companies and ground handlers to co-ordinate airport to airport pick-ups and deliveries. The application is an extension to Nallian’s Slot Booking app and is integrated with Be-Mobile’s mobile app for truck drivers, “Truckmeister”. The Road Feeder Management app enables trucking companies providing road feeder services and their associated ground handlers to also enjoy the benefits of slot booking, such as zero waiting time and accurate planning of resources; it also facilitates coordination through real-time updates of the estimated arrival times and communication with drivers on the road. Following recent successful testing, in a first phase the app will be used by handlers WFS and Aviapartner and by trucking companies H. Essers, Ninatrans and Jan De Rijk Logistics, starting July.

thanks to an automated, digital flow. As soon as an order is created in the TMS of the trucking company, the ground handler receives a pre-announcement of the pick-up or delivery, allowing him to plan and inform staff ahead Once this order is planned in the TMS, a slot is booked automatically based on the specifics of the order, such as ETA, import/export, load meters, etc. Similar orders are grouped into one slot to maximize efficiency at the zone During the drive, the actual ETA is updated via the Truckmeister app and time slots are adjusted accordingly; if an adjacent slot is unavailable the ground handler is invited to manually propose a new time. The ground handler can manage all reserved slots (Road Feeder slots and the “traditional” slots used by the on-premises community) from the same integrated User Interface.

Dynamic approach

Steven Polmans, director cargo and logistics at Brussels Airport, comments: “Since 2018 we have been successfully using Nallian’s Slot Booking app and we have seen the huge benefits it is bringing the local community, especially forwarders and handlers operating at our cargo zone, such as the elimination of 90% of waiting time. “We are delighted we can now also extend those benefits to our partners who are running Road Feeder Services and operate off-premises. “The app is yet another reinforcement of BRUcloud, our community’s Cargo Cloud and yet another step towards more integrated, collaborative work.”

Traditional slot booking empowers trucking companies and freight forwarders to book time slots for pick-ups and/or deliveries at a ground handler’s premises according to capacity. A reason for missed slots and inefficient transport planning is the increasing volume of traffic on European roads. With accurate ETA calculation and Nallian’s dynamic slot booking platform the waiting time, and therefore also the financial loss for transport, is reduced to the minimum. Using the Road Feeder Management app, the entire Slot Booking process is streamlined

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Brussels Airport first

ACW 22 JUNE 2020

Intelligent means of tackling cargo loss AS demand surges, cargo companies have been presented with an opportunity to evolve. By Asheesh Mehra, CEO and co-founder, AntWorks

OVID-19 has disrupted supply chains around the world. Grocery retailers, for example, have seen demand increases of up to 25%, spikes normally seen exclusively during the Christmas period. Supply chains are struggling to meet this demand simply because most countries are in quarantine and they have had no lead time to plan for this type of demand. Up to 75% of companies are experiencing significant disruptions in their supply chain due to COVID-19 related travel restrictions. This all means that processing and shipping cargo is a far more complex task than

it was pre-pandemic, and intelligent automation now plays a critical role in helping to address this challenge. Typically, cargo loss is one of the biggest problems in logistics. As many as 30% of all per-

ishable products never make it from the farm to the table, specifically due to problems in transit, whilst total cargo loss and theft is estimated to cost the industry $50bn annually, according to the National Cargo Security Council. There is also a global problem with freight reliability and, according to the European Commission, extended transit time would result in an increase in inventory costs and delays in delivery, together amounting to more than $9.34m annually in shipping costs. The current climate requires supply chain and logistics companies to evolve so they can manage operations both during and post-pandemic. Intelligent automation presents a triple-win opportunity to the logistics industry by helping to meet the demand driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, minimising the risk of cargo being lost, and helping to improve productivity in the long-run, by automating processes like forecasting, asset tracking and billing mechanisms.

Intelligent automation

Intelligent automation, powered by fractal science is superior to other automation tools as it can process all of the data, both structured and unstructured, that goes into a supply chain operation, like emails, pictures, documents, websites and voice messages. Data ingestion platforms, that utilise fractal science, can rapidly identify and learn self-repeating patterns from optimal data volumes. Further, the benefits of fractal-based solutions include delivering contextual, relevant, and accurate results without needing large volumes of data and extensive, costly resources for analysis and modelling. Automation tools that run on fractal science are ideal for integrated automation and can be easily scaled to achieve end-to-end automation of a business process. A process discovery strategy can quickly and accurately identify process automation opportunities and confirm technical feasibility. This procedure helps to optimise repetitive human-driven business processes and ensure scalability of enterprise-wide automation programmes. By identifying and calling out clean, available data as the single most important factor to the success of any business’s automation journey, intelligent automation can eradicate the root cause of why so many companies fail to scale automation.

Tracking assets

Ensuring assets get from point A to point B safely and intact is one of the most important metrics for supply chain companies. It is also one of the areas where the most mistakes happen due to human error and other factors which cause cargo loss. Part of the solution is to simplify the process of tracking. Intelligent automation can

ACW 22 JUNE 2020

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simplify inventory tracking and management by reconciling data across multiple systems from different types of datasets, which is beneficial for those responsible for tracking assets because it enables them to see all features in one system rather than in several disparate systems. Intelligent automation that has multitenancy features will allow for maximum bot utilisation, understand all types of data, and provide customers with a one-stop solution for data curation. It can also help build, deploy, and manage an AI-enabled smart digital workforce. It offers new perspectives on how business processes should be viewed – as end-to-end and not as a single business process. Simplifying this process through AI is also beneficial because it enables a logistics firm to manage cargo and transportation records across multiple systems, and process changes with ease. By linking systems, processes, and activities on demand and in real time, all Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and legacy information can be synchronised to further improve efficiency and narrow the scope for error. Intelligent automation also can fetch and integrate data from provider databases, which can then be used to track shipments for delivery over GPS. This integrated platform can send tailored messages to customers as proof of delivery, using customers’ preferred communications methods. Intelligent automation that uses Cognitive Machine Reading (CMR) as a data extraction tool also allows billing to be processed seamlessly. In fact, one of the world’s largest providers of transport and logistics services were experiencing significant shipment delays, resulting in lost revenues, and when they began to use AntWorks’ ANTstein SQUARE to automate billing, they reduced processing time by 93%. Logistics firms can use intelligent automation to schedule, update and report shipment status between internal systems and portals. What is unique about intelligent automation is that it can capture and understand shipment requests from emails and their attachments, log jobs in scheduling systems, and provide pick-up times in customer and/or carrier portals.

Forecasting

Forecasting and logistics planning is also an area which is often fraught with inconsistencies and inaccuracies, as sifting through data and making valid and accurate decision making from that data manually is a difficult and time-consuming task, which expands margins of error. Intelligent automation gives planners the ability to automate logistics planning by populating data from various sources, including digitised documents, and validate all those documents for accuracy, whilst generating a report afterwards for forecasting and follow through operations.

deugro in Mozambique AN-124 first

he project alliance of deugro and Manica Freight Services (Mozambique) has safely completed the first-ever double AN-124 flights directly to the gas-rich north of Mozambique. deugro Italy was recently awarded the shipment of 140 tonnes of time-critical air freight cargo. The industrial equipment was transported on an AN-124 flight and a Boeing 747

Here, the cargo was repacked to make it available for collection by the same AN-124 flight upon returning from Nacala, where the first lot was offloaded. The final leg of the project saw the cargo safely flown from Johannesburg to Nacala. Meanwhile in Mozambique, deugro’s exclusive in-country partner Manica Freight Services was directly liaising with the national airport operator

freighter, both starting in Houston, Texas, USA to Mozambique. Due to infrastructure and handling restrictions at Nacala Airport, Mozambique, widebody freighter aircrafts are traditionally unable to offload at this airport facility. Because Nacala was the closest airport to the job site in the north of the country, finding a solution to support the offloading of the cargo was needed. Extensive feasibility studies, performed by deugro’s regional project experts, were required to design a safe and efficient handling solution for all critical cargo to be flown to Nacala for this project. The AN-124 “Ruslan” aircraft, operated by Volga-Dnepr Airlines (VDA), was quickly identified as the best solution for this project. It was determined that the AN-124 flight carrying 100 tonnes would fly directly to Nacala Airport, and the remaining 40 tonnes were to be transported in the B-747 to Johannesburg, South Africa.

Aeroportos de Moçambique. Through proactive planning by the parties involved, all required permits were obtained in good time. Trucks and their lashing equipment were inspected, operational toolbox meetings conducted and the team in Nacala was on standby to receive cargo directly from the aircraft’s on-board cranes. “Due to the innovative solution, thorough planning and exemplary cooperation among all stakeholders, we were able to reduce the client’s cost expenditure and ensure a safe delivery while minimising door-to-door operational risk for this urgent oil and gas cons i g n m e n t ,” said Marco Furgada, branch manager deugro Italy. “As a result, the cargo was successfully delivered to the client’s yard in Nacala, where immediate commencement of uncrating, inspection and installation was possible.”

OVERSIZED CARGO To space and beyond with Volga-Dnepr

ON May 18, Volga-Dnepr transported an Atlas 5 rocket booster to Cape Canaveral, Florida, for a scheduled mission to Mars. The AN-124-100 ‘Ruslan’, is the only aircraft large enough to carry the Atlas 5, and flew the 32m rocket booster from Huntsville, Alabama to its final launch location. In addition to the over-length piece, Volga-Dnepr also transported payload fairings and RD-180 engines for the special mission. After unloading

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the unique cargo piece from the aircraft, ULA moved the rocket into the Atlas Spaceflight Operations Center for post-shipment checks. The high profile delivery signalled the start of a new phase of launch preparations for the Perseverance Rover, the centrepiece of NASA’s $2.5 billion Mars 2020 mission. The launch is scheduled at 09:10 (EDT) on July 17.

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U-Freight charters Russian aircraft to deliver PPE to the Big Apple

he U-Freight Group chartered an Aeroflot passenger aircraft, which had been reconfigured to handle freight only, to airfreight over 2,000 cartons of urgently needed personal protective equipment (PPE) from Beijing to New York. This was the most recent in a number of full aircraft charters that the Hong Kong-based logistics company continues to arrange for a variety of customers across the globe, providing forwarding operations for epidemic prevention materials to fight the spread of the COVID-19 virus, as well as other commodities including bulk e-commerce shipments. On this occasion, U-Freight’s client is one of the world’s largest manufacturers and distributors of quality laboratory equipment and supplies, and had purchased epidemic prevention materials from five different manufacturers in China. U-Freight’s extensive logistics network in China was deployed to collect and deliver the products, which included KN95 masks, non-medical disposable face masks, goggles and protective clothing, for consolidation at its logistics hub in Beijing. The company’s Beijing office also prepared all export cus-

Erdogan opens third runway at Istanbul Airport

stanbul Airport has opened its third runway, inaugurated in a ceremony by president Recep Tayyip Erdogan at which he called it “Turkey’s pride” when three Turkish Airlines flights took off from Istanbul Airport simultaneously. It makes Istanbul Airport the first airport in Turkey and only the second in Europe to operate three independent parallel runways. Airport managers say the third runway is the next step in Istanbul Airport’s grand vision of becoming “the largest airport in the world”, with a total capacity of 200 million passengers per year. Istanbul Airport will play a key role in positioning Istanbul as the heart of international aviation, leading Turkey into a golden age of aviation. As chief executive officer and general manager of IGA Airport Operation, Kadri Samsunlu, points out: “Istanbul Airport is the largest infrastructure investment ever put into practice in the history of the Republic and the most significant economic asset of our nation. Hence, Istanbul Airport will for sure be a locomotive force in the future development of our country.” The capacity for flight movements per hour will also increase from 80 to 120 with a daily capacity of more than 2,800 flight movements – the largest number of movements any European airport can handle.

toms documents, and undertook quality inspections on behalf of its client. On arrival in New York, U-Freight America assisted with expedited customs clearance of all 2,186 cartons, which was important as all the consignee’s logistics staff were in quarantine at home when the cargo arrived at JFK. CEO of U-Freight, Simon Wong commented: “We are very

grateful for all work that healthcare professionals are doing around the world during this challenging time. “We are pleased that we can do our part as a freight forwarding and logistics solutions provider to support the global community and the frontline workers by transporting these products to countries where the virus is still prevalent and assisting in combating this epidemic.”

WITH the acquisition of AMI Worldwide, CEVA Logistics is accelerating its expansion in East and Southern Africa. It is launching a three-part expansion plan for the African market, through which it aims to become a leading, continent-wide market player. CEVA Logistics has acquired a controlling shareholding in AMI Worldwide, a third-party logistics provider with an extensive network in East and Southern Africa. Effective July 1, the AMI Worldwide office network in 12 countries in East and Southern Africa and its almost 1,000 employees will have joined the CEVA network. CEVA Logistics is integrating three CMA CGM Inland Services facilities and opening its own new operations Three CMA CGM Inland Services (CCIS) facilities are also joining CEVA’s network in Mali, Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast. These intermodal sites provide a launch platform for the company’s freight management ambitions. CEVA is also expanding in Mauritania, where a direct presence has been established with extensive expertise in transit corridor operations, and in Ethiopia, where a new joint venture with MACFAA will be integrated into the CEVA network once all regulatory approvals are obtained. With these new strategic investments, CEVA is greatly expanding its capabilities in Africa, where it is able to provide a full range of logistics services to meet the rapid growth of the

retail and consumer goods markets there. Simultaneously, it is able to link its customers to its strong global network alongside its best-in-class services and unmatched expertise. Mathieu Friedberg, CEVA Logistics CEO, states: “Businesses across the African continent enjoy significant growth prospects, and logistics solutions are crucial to materialising these opportunities by ensuring supply chains work well and trade flows run smoothly. With our strategic, continental expansion plan, CEVA will play an integral part in supporting the continent’s socio-economic emergence, offering our customers our full range of tailored, innovative solutions along with our recognised expertise and our operational excellence. In so doing, we aim to become a leading, continent-wide market player.”

CEVA Logistics significantly expands in Africa

National Airlines flies into Mumbai to lift 100 tonnes of critic

NATIONAL Airlines has operated its B747-400 freighter from Mumbai to Chicago, carrying 100 tonmes of essential medicines on behalf of JUSDA India, a logistics and supply chain subsidiary of Foxconn Technology Group. With air cargo playing a crucial role in this pandemic, over the last three months National Airlines has been flying personal protective equipment (PPE) and other medical supplies to every state in the US and major hotspots globally. “We are extremely happy to associate with National to operate this flight from Mumbai (BOM) to Chicago (ORD) carrying essential pharmaceuticals for our esteemed pharma-

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ceutical customers. We intend to do more of such missions in the coming days,” said Saurabh Goyal, general manager of JUSDA India. Commenting on the pharma freighter operation, Jacob Matthew, president and board member of National Air Cargo, said: “We have had multiple flights from India during the current crisis.

“We have carried critical cargo into India and from India to the United States. We are very happy to associate with JUSDA for this pharmaceutical mission.” In March, immediately after the Indian government declared a complete nationwide lockdown, National Airlines had flown into Mumbai airport with ventilators and other COVID-19 related critical supplies from the United States. In the last three months, National Airlines has been flying around the world for the US government’s Project Airbridge by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other Government and Commercial en-

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Polar Air Cargo joins PHARMA.AERO POLAR Air Cargo has become the latest full member of Brussels-based pharma airfreight trade body PHARMA. AERO. It joins airlines such as Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Amerijet. “We’re so pleased that Polar Air Cargo has joined PHARMA.AERO,” says Lars Winkelbauer, EVP and COO, Polar Air Cargo. “Polar is aligned with the organization’s mission to achieve excellence in reliable end-to-end air

transportation for pharma shippers, and as we grow our own footprint in pharma air transport, we look forward to collaborating with PHARMA.AERO and its members.” PHARMA.AERO is a cross-industry collaboration for pharma shippers, CEIV certified cargo communities, airport operators and other air cargo industry stakeholders. It is an initiative from Brussels Airport together with Miami Airport, based upon the CEIV programme.

enya Airways has appointed the Paris-based ECS Group as its new cargo sales and service representatives for Netherlands, Germany, Austria, and the Nordics effective June 2020. The ECS Group will be tasked with commercialising airfreight capacity and handle all local cargo operations in these areas. They will also identify and open up new markets, customer segments, and additional channels through which to keep expanding our business. “This is in line with our cargo strategy to continue growing our footprint whilst retaining a competitive edge in the market. “It is an exciting time for our cargo business even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic as we are playing a key role in supporting economies by keeping essential supplies moving across the world. “Our partnership with the ECS Group will help solidify our position in the markets in Netherlands, Germany, Austria, and the Nordics and explore additional opportunities through which to serve our customers better in those regions” said Dick Murianki, director, KQ Cargo. “We’re proud to be part of Kenya Airway’s growth strategy. Our global sales network is unquestionably our best asset to support the business development

of our new partner’s cargo activities, not only in the European countries where we are represented but also beyond, constantly looking for new opportunities to offer them,” said Robert van de Weg, ECS Group CCO.

Kenya Airways appoints new European cargo GSSAs K

critical medicine

tities using its own fleet of freighters and passenger aircraft to carry personal protective equipment (PPE) and other medical supplies to every state in the US and world-wide. Project Airbridge was created to reduce the time it takes for the US medical supply distributors to receive personal protective equipment and other critical supplies into the country for their respective customers. National Airlines has been a critical stakeholder in these missions connecting the world including critical supplies to Haiti and the cargo carrier has done several of these charter missions in the last three months, said the airline.

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7 18/06/2020 16:45

Cargo and Other Stories by Lemon Queen

Cargo in the blood Audrey Serdjebi, founder & CEO, Lemon Queen

his week, I’m staying in France. Business is slowly starting up again. And I enjoy seeing the troops’ morale grow again – with optimism and hope as new national

vibes. Now we almost never hear the government report worrying figures, and nor are we deprived of our freedoms in the national interest. People no longer need a form to leave their homes, and masks are being thrown away, ending up in the sea... Pollution is gradually recolonising our lungs, cars have returned to their symphony of horns, and shops are delighted to welcome our wallets once more. And as for me, I love the sound of enthusiasm and optimism. Seeing people meet up and endlessly debating whether the government’s approach was fair or worthy of a George Orwell novel, or whether people simply acted like sheep or were resilient and well organized... What I love is people together. And Jonathan – let’s call him Jon – shares this love of people. He believes in the group’s strength. Today and throughout the entire crisis, he has never given up and I wanted to pay tribute to this talented young man who works behind the scenes at a group that is close to my heart, ECS Group. “I’m 35 and cannot believe it’s already been almost two years with ECS.” And this young business development manager has had to learn all about cargo. It might have seemed like a risk, but by recruiting Jon, ECS Group bet on talent and desire. “I come from a direct sales background right after finishing business school, and then moved to corporate real estate sales – so business development with a global company such as ECS Group was a natural next step. What wasn’t, though, was landing in the cargo industry…” Our industry isn’t exactly simple. But the GSSA that always wants more made the necessary resources available to ensure that this young business developer’s ambitions became a real asset for the group. “Transferring skills and competence is easy; however, understanding a completely new, global, high-speed environment can be quite a challenge. To overcome it, ECS provided the right mentors. “The right environment where different generations can learn from each other, and gave me the necessary time and opportunities to get myself in the game, step by step.” For two years, the GSSA

has been making its transformation a reality to keep pace with the industry’s own changes. And here Jon and ECS Group are on the same page. “I absolutely hate staying within my comfort zone, and the same can be said of ECS. Not only is ECS evolving and innovating, but they also decided to believe in me. I’m right where I need to be.” And at a time as crucial as a crisis such as the one we are living through, it is essential that people feel at home, especially when they’re given a front-line role. And if that role is different from what we’re used to, the important thing is not to hesitate but to play as a team. Jon adapted to the situation and retained his fantastic energy, supporting all of ECS Group’s customers’ cargo activities. He recognises the fact that “it is scary, we don’t usually like changes, we love a smooth ride – nobody likes being sick, everyone “loves when a plan comes together”, but he has his feet firmly on the ground and followed his mentors’ instincts. “Being a global company, when the crisis started back in January in Asia, that wasn’t a fun surprise – the surprise lasted 48 hours and then, for us, it was already “time to get back on our feet”,

focusing on solutions as a team, not letting the situation hold us back. We were very quickly able to be pandemic-ready and innovative as the crisis moved around the globe.” And so, while the crisis seemed to have stunned us, our activity didn’t stop. No time to panic. The GSSA chose the path of solidarity and togetherness – both within the group and with its clients. It demonstrated agility and creativity to overcome the situation and move forward together. “This is where pride comes from – when during difficult times, people get together to achieve the same level of results for our principal, their customers and ourselves as a business.” Supported by the group, its people grow and improve. They reveal their true selves. And Jon hasn’t disappointed. A stakeholder in the implementation and coordination of intense charter activity during the pandemic, he has successfully maintained strong relationships with his customers and has even convinced others to join the group. This young talent leaves no stone unturned, and it makes others want to do the same. Like everyone, Jon has experienced the shock of this crisis, but he has been able to find the silver lining and remain faithful to the group’s spirit. “ At the end of the day, when you look at it, the pandemic helps to bring profound changes to our economies and to governments’ environmental policies, as well as new business ideas for some and business diversification for others.” It’s this vitality that I love so much about our industry. Today’s young people are tomorrow’s leaders. And when they love their job so much they still see themselves in it in 10 years, I feel totally reassured about our future as air cargo stakeholders. “In 10 to 15 years’ time, this industry will be done with digital transformation, yet continue to modernise – it will be almost two times bigger than it was before the crisis, it will be cleaner in terms of CO2, and it will be faster.” But more than progress, Jon focuses on a value that to my mind is essential: “However, the basics won’t change. It will remain a people-focused business, and it will always be based on trust, reliability, efficiency, performance, customer service, work ethic and being able to have a positive mental attitude at all times, including through tough times.” And when the human aspect is put at the core of our sector, I feel even prouder that I belong to this community. Jon really is at home at ECS Group.

Lemon Queen is an airfreight industry public relations and communications agency in Paris, France

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