Issuu

GLOBAL A

MANAGEMENT

WORLD ACW Digital is sponsored by AIRPORTS.COM FREIGHTERS.COM

FREIGH

FRE

Tabloid page bled.indd 1

06/07/2020 16:55

The weekly newspaper for air cargo professionals No. 1,095

24 August 2020

Are greener aviation fuels set for take-off?

EMIRATES RAMPS UP BEIRUT RELIEF FREIGHTER OPERATIONS

n the wake of the devastating Port of Beirut explosions, Emirates stood with Lebanon to provide critical emergency relief and aid to the hundreds of thousands of people affected by the blasts. Emirates SkyCargo ramped up its freighter operations to Lebanon by dedicating over 50 flights to deliver much needed airlift to the country. Emirates provided people around the world the opportunity to donate cash or pledge their Skywards Miles, through a dedicated, secure and convenient portal via the Emirates Airline Foundation. For the next three months of donations, the Emirates Airline Foundation will in turn directly co-ordinate shipments of urgent food, medical supplies and other much needed items with a range of NGO

partners to ensure donations directly help those affected on the ground in a swift and transparent manner. Work is underway to mobilise recognised humanitarian partners. For every donation, cargo capacity will be provided for humanitarian organisations to transport critical medical equipment and supplies, food and

other emergency relief goods directly to Beirut through Emirates SkyCargo. Additionally, Emirates SkyCargo will further contribute by providing a 20% reduction on airfreight transportation charges for approved shipments, underscoring its commitment to expedite emergency relief efforts to Beirut. HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al

Maktoum, chairman and chief executive of Emirates Airline and Group said: “Today, the world is banding together to stand in solidarity with Lebanon, providing urgent relief and immediate recovery support to those affected by this tragic disaster. Emirates supports the UAE’s ongoing humanitarian efforts to support Lebanon and is committed to bolster its global emergency response to ensure that it can support organisations which provide urgent care, shelter, food and medical support to the Lebanese people. People from all corners of the globe have been sending their support to Lebanon and we are proud to facilitate a means for them to tangibly and proactively assist the Lebanese people with relief and recovery efforts on the ground during this difficult time.”

Page 8

INSIDE AIRFREIGHT IN POETRY

FOR months we’ve seen the world’s not been the same Each day we rise and scan the sky for planes At first we denied it ... PAGE 2

SWISSPORT WINS QATAR AIRWAYS

SWISSPORT and Qatar Airways Cargo have renewed a contract covering airport ground services and air cargo handling at Amsterdam’s Schiphol ... PAGE 3 HANDLE WITH QARE

IT has to be airfreight’s ultimate giveaway: one million kilos of Qatar Airways Cargo capacity given to charities to ship medical or humanitarian ... PAGE 4

Top university backs Trucking CDM THE InHolland University of Applied Sciences has conducted in-depth research into the Trucking CDM platform which claims to offer transparency, predictability and a slot allocation planning mechanism between truckers and handlers. Giovanni Douven, project manager and research fellow states: “Our students have analysed the current situation regarding the flows in both information and goods in the air

cargo sector. Co-operating with several parties involved with the Trucking CDM platform, they have compared the existing and the desired situation and the differences between the two. Based on this analysis, they provided insight into how these differences can be bridged.” Douven continues: “The Trucking CDM platform is the starting point for future research into a comprehensive Cross Chain Control Center

(4C) project for air cargo. The complexity of connections between parties involved provides extensive research and education possibilities for InHolland. The 4C project forms a ‘living laboratory’ to further examine and educate. After all, the connection between parties goes beyond the mere pick-up and delivery of shipments. The air cargo industry is, despite many improvements, a fairly traditional sector involving many

SKY GATES ADDS NEW SERVICE

different parties. InHolland believes that everyone in the air cargo industry should be connected in the cloud, where each player should share relevant data with other parties involved.”

AS a result of successful technical landings over the last few weeks, the Russian cargo airline SKY GATES Cargo Airlines is launching ... PAGE 7

aircargoweek.com

A slam poem by Audrey Serdjebi, founder and CEO of Lemon Queen For months we’ve seen the world’s not been the same Each day we rise and scan the sky for planes At first we denied it and wished we were wrong But the very word ‘hope’ almost slipped from our tongue Like it or not, it’s cargo that forged us, Cargo shows who we are, and cargo rewards us. All around I’ve found people with passion and drive For planes and their cargo make us come alive. Deafening silence, deserted skies, In my mind I look back to bygone times. The times when the skies were a hive of activity The times when we strived to find yet more capacity This is our sector where we’ve carved out our space And I know you’ll agree that it can’t be replaced. Payloads, cargo, AWBs, bookings, airlines, GSAs, Forwarders, airports, ETDs, ETAs, rates and GHAs. With a single thing gone the sky becomes bare, Its beauty is barren: nothing but air. The world closed its borders, locked its doors, stayed inside, No more trade shows or travel, no more exercise. Passion and adrenaline, competition, contracts, It’s now the new normal but we all miss the contact. But we see those who strive and who fight every day, Airlines, freight forwarders, GHAs, GSAs Our industry is brimming with brave heroes and true talent While the world is afraid, freight fights on, bold and gallant. These strange times of crisis bring change and confusion But together, we’re clear that we know the solution: Our industry is here, relentlessly working With its wings and its drive, to cure our world’s hurting To my colleagues, to my friends, who keep our routes running Working magic and miracles to keep the goods coming Thanks to you all and your heart and your might Once-grounded aircraft are now taking flight And so came the planes, bringing hope to us all Bringing masks by the millions as they answered the call Not to save the sector but to see the way is paved With the sole and simple goal of ensuring lives are saved. The globe’s borders opened, eyes turned to the air To discern what you’ve earned through your heart, grit and flair You freed us from the fears that darkened our days Our once-hidden industry is now known and praised Some airlines were relentless in their quest for innovation, While others hoped to help the world through great determination. So from critics who claim planes are abominations Let us hear their admiration of the sector’s dedication To all those who work in supply and logistics To all those who suffer and brave the statistics To all those who remade our traditional ways Of working and meeting as we travel this maze To all the men and women who work hard to ensure That the passion we all share will always endure To all those working in our great industry, The world and its people thank you eternally

ACW 24 AUGUST 2020

SAS CARGO PARTNERS WITH NOVO NORDISK TO SECURE TRANSPORT OF MEDICINES

SAS Cargo has signed an agreement with Novo Nordisk to secure capacity to transport life-saving medicines “during these highly challenging and unpredictable times.” The relationship between SAS Cargo and Novo Nordisk goes back a long time. When airfreight was still in its infancy at the end of the 1960s and Novo Nordisk needed to transport insulin and enzymes quickly and safely around the world, Novo Nordisk turned to SAS who was hailed as the best airline in the world in the 1960s. These two strong companies with extensive geographical reach from Scandinavia have several things in common. Apart from the core structure and company values being based on the Scandinavian DNA, one key element dominates both companies’ way of doing business: they never compromise on quality. SAS Cargo leads the IATA ranking of airfreight quality by continuously maintaining their number one position. SAS Cargo and Novo Nordisk also have a very strong sustainability agenda in com-

GECAS Cargo delivers for S7 Airlines

GECAS (GE Capital Aviation Services) has announced an agreement with S7 Airlines for two 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighter (BCF) aircraft. S7 Cargo, general agent for cargo operations sales of S7 Group, will manage freight services. S7’s air freight programme currently utilises belly capacity on passenger planes and these narrowbody freighters will mark the inauguration of dedicated air freighters for the Russian-based operator. GECAS, Boeing’s launch customer for the type, expects the freighters to deliver in November 2020 and January 2021. The aircraft will fly medium and shorthaul routes for S7. “The delivery of our first freighters is a significant milestone in S7 Airlines’ cargo operations. Thanks to the new freighters, we expect to increase total volume of carried payload and mail by 30%”, said Ilya Yaroslavtsev, CEO of S7 Cargo. “We are delighted to support S7 Airlines in the launch of their new dedicated cargo programme,” said Richard Greener, SVP and manager of GECAS Cargo.

mon. SAS has recently invested in a new aircraft fleet – the A350 – which reduces the fuel consumption compared with the aircraft it replaces, leading to reduced carbon emissions by up to 30%. The external noise footprint is also reduced by 40%. CO2 offset and the option to purchase biofuel are among many other sustainability initiatives that SAS offers their customers. Making every flight, and thereby every cargo flight, more sustainable. Novo Nordisk has an ambitious programme to achieve zero environmental impact. This agreement with SAS Cargo will ensure that Novo Nordisk is one step closer to realising its Circular for Zero ambitions, as the proportion of biofuel used on its flights is significantly increased.

“We are extremely proud to enter this agreement with one of our most long-standing and loyal partners. We strive for excellence in many areas but transporting life-saving medicines in a safe and reliable way is what we do best. Being

based in one of Europe’s strongest life-science clusters, Medicon Valley, has enabled us to gain extensive experience of transporting time and temperature sensitive products. It’s a great acknowledgement to have one of the largest pharma companies in the world entering an agreement for continuous transport of their most precious shipments”, says Leif Rasmussen, president and CEO, SAS Cargo. “Our pharma product offering means we have special handling procedures and cooling facilities for the most sensitive shipments and being certified by IATA (CEIV certified) guarantees the absolutely highest standard possible”, continues Rasmussen. “We are very pleased to enter into this agreement with SAS Cargo. It will ensure a safe, reliable and more environmentally friendly transport of our products. And it will provide a distribution setup which ensures that patients worldwide can be assured that - even in times of crisis -they will get their medicine,” says Rune Sylow, corporate vice president of strategic sourcing in Novo Nordisk.

THE COVID-19 pandemic has seen businesses implement flexible working practices including remote operations at a record rate in order to protect the workforce and provide business continuity. Although everyone is anxious for the pandemic to be over, there is much uncertainty and new guidelines and protocols will continue for some time to come. This leaves companies adjusting to a new way of life. To assist in this new situation, UFO has recently finished its first Virtual 1-2-1 Meeting Week where members were able to book 30-minute meetings with each other to discuss existing and potential new business using their specially developed in-house booking system. A key feature of the system was being able to make notes against each meeting as well as one-to-one messaging so that members could engage with each other before, during and after the Virtual 1-2-1 meeting week. UFO president, Rachel Crawford said: “We are aware that communication and

connections are vital and want to ensure that UFO continues to evolve and provide its members with a strong networking platform. Indeed, belonging to organisations like UFO could be essential to the survival of many independent forwarders over the coming years. “We are delighted that our first virtual event went so well as video meetings are an excellent way to connect in the absence of our annual gatherings.”

Proud

UFO HOLDS FIRST VIRTUAL 1-2-1 MEETING WEEK

Saudia Cargo expands scheduled flights, adds Shanghai to network

SAUDIA Cargo has expanded its cargo network with the addition of Shanghai station to its flight schedules which commenced last Saturday, August 15. Saudia Cargo now operates two flights a week, Saturdays and Tuesdays, originating from Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport and Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport to the new destination using a Boeing 777 Freighter which has a 95-tonne capacity. The Saudi national air freight carrier’s network expansion was in response to the growing demand for air cargo capacity, according to reports issued since last March. Using charter flights booked by clients, the company has so far transported over two million kilograms of medical and pharmaceutical supplies required for facing the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to millions of other life-saving cargoes needed at the height of the Coronavirus pandemic.

aircargoweek.com

Saudia Cargo CEO Omar Hariri said the company took proactive and practical steps to ensure the continuity of cargo operation to the Kingdom through non-stop charter flights despite the challenges COVID-19 posed. The company, he added, operated 29 unscheduled all-cargo flights from Shanghai International Airport to the Kingdom to meet the growing demand for cargo. “Saudia Cargo’s high-level flexible schedules enabled it to respond swiftly to the increasing demand for cargo during the suspension of flights. “We enhanced the charter flight services while our teams conducted an in-depth analysis of markets and order rates, which helped in the decision-making process for the network,” said Hariri who also expressed gratitude to the dedicated Saudia Cargo teams who performed their jobs despite the virus threat.

Swissport wins Qatar Airways cargo business in AMS, MAN and BHX S wissport and Qatar Airways Cargo have renewed a contract covering airport ground services and air cargo handling at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport and signed new five-year contracts for cargo handling at the airports in Manchester and Birmingham in the UK. The renewed agreement covers airport ground services and cargo handling at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The contract includes ramp handling and air cargo warehousing as well as handling of general cargo, pharmaceuticals, dangerous goods and temperature-sensitive goods. The contract is valid until the end of 2025. The renewed agreement provides Swissport with a substantial baseload of cargo tonnes per year at Amsterdam airport, where, thanks to direct ramp access, it offers fast and secure transfers of cargo shipments to and from air-

craft through the Swissport warehouse. Via its Manchester and Birmingham warehouses, Swissport can also link Qatar Airways Cargo to regional airports across the UK utilising its road feeder services to Aberdeen, Belfast, Bristol, East Midlands, Glasgow and Newcastle, which are not served directly. These new five-year contracts, commencing September 1 2020, further strengthen the longstanding relationship between Swissport and Qatar Airways Cargo.

Honoured “We are honoured to again be entrusted by Qatar Airways Cargo, one of the leading air cargo carriers,” says Rudolf Steiner, Swissport’s senior vice president cargo for EMEA. “Through consistent performance and reliable quality delivered across all airports, we con-

tinue to prove the value of our services to our global customers.” Guillaume Halleux, chief officer cargo at Qatar Airways said: “Our long-term partnership with Swissport in Amsterdam, Manchester and Birmingham will allow us to offer our customers fast, seamless and efficient handling for all types of cargo. “With a strong focus on sustainability and compliance, we see Swissport as the perfect fit for cargo handling at these destinations.” The airline’s renewed vote of confidence came after a thorough selection process and the successful co-operation to date. Qatar Airways Cargo is moving significant volumes of business via Swissport’s cargo hubs in Amsterdam, Basel, Liège and London Stansted where Swissport provides both ramp services and cargo handling related activities to them.

Air China Cargo and Cainiao grow at Leige AIR China Cargo Airlines and Cainiao Smart Logistics Network, Alibaba Group’s logistics arm, have started a new e-commerce route to speed up average delivery times between China and Europe. The first B777F flight landed at Belgium’s Liege Airport on August 13. Three flights will be operated each week from Hangzhou to Liege with final destination Madrid. By establishing its eHub

at Liege, Cainiao aims to improve overall logistics efficiency and expand its line-haul network in a bid to deliver globally within 72 hours. For Air China Cargo, this is the first direct cooperation with a cross-border e-commerce player. “Liege Airport Cargo community welcomes more #freightersfirst and connectivity,” said Steven Verhasselt, VP-commercial at Liege Airport.

S&P Global Platts has launched the first-to-market Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) price assessment in Europe to bring additional transparency as the industry embraces energy transition. Vera Blei, head of oil markets pricing, S&P Global Platts, said: “Despite an environment where airlines are under exceptional pressure from demand destruction, the green agenda is still being progressed and airlines remain committed to decarbonisation. While the Sustainable Aviation Fuel market evolves with the emergence of a spot market, our new cost-based assessment will add critical transparency allowing market participants to compare the price of traditional jet fuel with the cost of new Sustainable Aviation Fuel.”

aircargoweek.com

ACW 24 AUGUST 2020

HANDLE WITH A

The first question which the priest and the Levite asked was: “If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?” But…the Good Samaritan reversed the question: “If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him Martin Luther King Jr.

Guillaume Halleux, chief officer cargo, talks with ACW about why Qatar Airways Carg

t has to be airfreight’s ultimate giveaway: one million kilos of Qatar Airways Cargo capacity given to charities to ship medical or humanitarian aid free of charge. But this charitable act does not stand alone. It is part of a four-pronged initiative branded ‘We Qare’. According to Guillaume Halleux, chief officer cargo, Qatar Airways Cargo, We Qare is a series of actions built on the four fundamental pillars of sustainability – its economic, social, cultural and environmental dimensions. He said: “We Qare is designed to be dynamic and a ‘work in progress’, and as such is capable of adapting to meet needs, address developments and target our priorities. 1 Million Kilos, which is the first chapter of We Qare, is the perfect illustration of this. But We Qare will go further. These are actions

designed by and for the air cargo industry. This is a crucial element of We Qare: ensuring that our industry moves towards a more sustainable business model, both for itself and for the world around us. “We Qare is built in partnership with our employees and/or put in place by them. In terms of internal cohesion it’s also very positive, and it’s clear to see just how proud our employees are, for example, to be involved in 1 Million Kilos.”

Free kilos To clarify things a little, no charity will take all one million kilos because the standard supply chain process remains unchanged. It is the freight forwarders who select the charity or charities of their choice. The airline’s only requirement is that the charity confirms that it has been offered a free shipment. The free kilos will therefore automatically be distributed among several charities, but the airline is not able to give precise figures at the moment of which forwarders will take how many free kilos. “To give an idea of the scale, we have several dozen forwarder partners involved in this operation, and if they each support two or three charities we will soon have helped a large number of people. Our aim is to have the widest possible range of charities across all of the world’s regions. This is the best way of achieving that,” said Halleux. “What we have observed from our previous experience in this sector, and what will probably happen in the 1 Million Kilos campaign, is that the vast majority of the requests will cover very well-known charities who operate in this sector. “For example, one of the first shipments booked was for the World Food Programme, co-ordinated by UNICEF, with 50 tonnes of humanitarian aid shipped from Shanghai to Dhaka.”

The airline will not turn away charity cargo to take paid-for cargo. “Qatar Airways Cargo is a cargo carrier with one of the highest flown as booked ratios in the industry, a key performance indicator (KPI) of quality. Once you book with us we will use space as it is available, but once we accept a booking we will stick to it. “We will not offload charity cargo to take commercial cargo instead. That would defeat the purpose of the programme,” he said.

Charitable shipment As with all cargo, each charitable shipment of goods will be checked and will be declared in compliance with the relevant rules, and no commercial shipments will be authorised. In addition, each charity must also specify that its shipment is completely free. In its terms and conditions, the airline has reserved the right to accept a

ACW 24 AUGUST 2020

aircargoweek.com

H QARE A

NOT LIVE ...

W E I V E R P 0 2 0 2 A M R A LOGIPH ... ONLINE

ays Cargo has a million reasons to Qare.

charity or not. Halleux said: “In reality, I am not too concerned about this aspect as I’m pretty sure the kilo donations will often go to large and wellknown charity organisations. “We would expect the majority of the donations to be COVID-19 related but it is up to the freight forwarder to choose the charity, which may involve other global emergencies worldwide. “Typically, in the charity sector you are transporting mostly dry food or aid and relief equipment.” The guideline for the Qatar Airways team is to allow the movement of medical equipment, humanitarian relief aid and essential products, as long as they fit in the aircraft and do not mean an additional cost to transport, such as live animals and products requiring special handling. This cargo will be shipped only on QR aircraft as it is the biggest carrier in the world so its cargo capacity, global network and frequencies will serve the needs of its customers. “While we offer this charity space we must control the cost as much as possible. We like to carry the cargo with our own capacity rather than paying somebody else, so interlining has been excluded from the 1 Million Kilos campaign,” said Halleux. “In my opinion interlining in these days of COVID-19 is just dead. Nobody interlines anymore because the schedules are so erratic, and capacity is so volatile that it is very difficult to book on other carriers. It is very difficult even with your own fleet and dealing with other carriers is very, very complicated. “The beauty of this campaign is that when you do something good you generate such a buy-in that everybody loves it and wants to get involved too. First, with the freight forwarders, we have found that quite often they are offering pro bono pre- and post-airfreight pick-up and delivery by truck or other modes, as well as free customs brokerage. “It’s the same with third-party handlers. I have received lots of offers from ground handlers all around the world offering free handling charges if a 1

Million Kilos shipment transits through their facility. “For instance, HACTL in Hong Kong has already offered to waive charges if a shipment originates or arrives in Hong Kong as part of the programme. I would like to thank HACTL for their generosity,” he said. This action was triggered by the COVID-19 crisis. If there had not been this crisis, would this initiative still have been launched? Halleux said: “We have already been very active for many years in terms of corporate social responsibility. It’s clear that the crisis has strengthened our conviction that we were going in the right direction by including sustainability in our business activities. It has also inspired us to go further with We Qare, starting with the 1 Million Kilos initiative. “So I would say that the crisis accelerated the process. Perhaps we wouldn’t have created the 1 Million Kilos initiative in its current form, perhaps we would have created We Qare differently, but we would inevitably still have launched it. It’s the logical progression of our actions.”

LOGIPHARMA is the longest-running supply chain event and celebrating its 20th anniversary year in 2020. Since its inception thousands of supply chain professionals from the top pharma, generics and animal health companies took their careers to new levels by learning new skills and making new contacts onsite. LogiPharma has grown 82% over the last five years as it claims to continue to strengthen its position as the industry’s leading event. Having outgrown past venues in Switzerland, it had been time to open doors at a new LogiPharma 2020 location in Nice. Events have since overtaken organisers to move the event into the digital world. Some 900+ leaders in pharma supply chain, logistics, distribution, planning, IT, quality and sourcing attended LogiPharma in 2019. The event has now been moved online to November 9 - 12, 2020 aircargoweek.com

ACW 24 AUGUST 2020

ATRAN Airlines expands Chinese coverage amid bullish e-Commerce ATRAN Airlines, express air cargo carrier within Volga-Dnepr Group, has expanded its network by bringing Shijiazhuang, China into the loop. The carrier intends to operate the flights on a weekly basis to Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow where it is based. The maiden flight, operated on August 8, lifted almost 15 tonnes of e-Commerce-related consolidated cargo. ATRAN is planning to deploy Boeing 737-400SF and Boeing 737800BCF frieghters to guarantee high-quality services for its customers and final consignees. With Shijiazhuang being the capital of Hebei Province and neighbouring Beijing and Tianjin to the north, the city covers the catchment area of North China. After booming growth of e-Commerce and its penetration across first-tier cities of China, second-tier cities, like Xi’an and Shijiazhuang, are becoming active

game-players and accumulate stable traffic to Russia.

“Amid lockdowns across various countries of the world with closing of the most shops

and movement restrictions within the cities, e-commerce came as a breath of fresh air when people were not lacking essentials and other items of their life. We experienced a considerable increase in e-Commerce volumes for the first six months of this year. Not only do we attribute it to the strict measurements and decrease of passenger belly capacities but rather to our stable development of long and middle term contracts with our customers, being flexible and agile in terms of network development and enhancing our service quality,” said Vilatiy Andreev, general director of ATRAN Airlines. Shijiazhuang is the latest addition to ATRAN’s network which complements existing Xi’an, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Urumqi and Zhengzhou most effectively and will provide greater delivery options for ATRAN’s customers.

he Albion Aviation Group has partnered with industry pharma expert Aynur Rzepa from Rzepa Consulting to deliver the aviation industry’s first training module on the successful handling of vaccine charter flights. Rzepa boasts an impressive industry record having worked with one of the world’s largest airlines to develop their cold chain product and currently works as an independent validator and instructor for IATA’s Centre of Excellence for Independent Validators (CEIV) in Pharmaceutical Logistics. The module was written in direct response to requests made by Albion’s existing client base and their wider industry partners who are preparing for a potential surge in charter demand should a global COVID-19 vaccine become available. The first training module on handling vaccine charter flights is set to take place at the end of August. The module is designed to help to identify and mitigate pharma risks when handling a vaccine charter flight. Topics include avoiding the important pitfalls in offering a pharma charter flight and learning how to become a reliable and attractive partner in the pharma

supply chain with controlled liability and appropriate pharma safety know-how. Rzepa comments: “Partnering with Albion gives an opportunity to share important knowledge and expertise in handling vaccine charter flights. “The pharma industry needs more GDP-compliant, competent and reliable service providers (air transporters) which are currently in great shortage. This partnership creates the opportunity for the air cargo transporters to become preferred partners for the pharmaceutical manufacturing and distribution industry.”

Albion Aviation Group delivers industry first T

EMIRATES will resume passenger flights to Warsaw from September 4 starting with twice-a-week services and increasing to three-a-week from October 7. The resumption of flights to Warsaw will expand Emirates’ current network to 75 cities.

ACW 24 AUGUST 2020

aircargoweek.com

EVENTFINDER 11-13 November 2020 Istanbul

SKY GATES adds new airfreight service AS a result of successful technical landings over the last few weeks, the Russian cargo airline SKY GATES Cargo Airlines is launching new scheduled airfreight services to and from Moscow Zhukovsky International Airport in August 2020. Last year, the airport introduced regular passenger services. This July a newly constructed state-of-the-art air cargo terminal opened, equipped with sophisticated warehouse technology and able to handle all kinds of cargo. This terminal also offers a dedicated area for temperature-controlled cargo. SKY GATES started to operate scheduled flights out of Frankfurt-Hahn, Baku and Zhengzhou to Moscow-Zhukovksy a total of three times a week, completing its Russian network, as they already serve Moscow-Sheremetyevo and Novosibirsk on a scheduled base. SKY GATES also covers customs clearance and last mile delivery service with Moscow and the region provided by the partner companies of SKY GATES Cargo Airlines. “This service is unique. Through modern technologies and online customs clearance pro-

ceedings we can offer a truly integrated product, be it through Moscow Sheremetyevo and now as well through Moscow Zhukovsky, covering a dedicated last mile delivery via ZIA,” comments Alexander Khmelevskikh, the SKY GATES general director. The new base at Moscow Zhukovksy International Airport includes a 9,200 sq m modern cargo terminal with a temporary storage warehouse, customs infrastructure and storage areas for temperature-sensitive cargo and live animals. The apron with an area of 90,000 sq m will be able to serve four Boeing 747 type aircraft or six medium-sized aircraft. He further comments on the co-operation with Moscow Zhukovksy International Airport and its management: “We truly appreciate the efforts and partnership we have developed with Zhukovsky Airport which is located near the Eastern municipal borders of Moscow. With our scheduled operations to Moscow Sheremetyevo we complete our product portfolio to and from Moscow, offering a very interesting alternative air cargo gateway to the buoyant Russian capital,” he said.

azfreight.com Premium Listings

GECAS Cargo inks Boeing order

GECAS (GE Capital Aviation Services) has inked an agreement with Boeing converting 11 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighter (BCF) options to firm orders and adding nine additional options to the GECAS Cargo order book. This agreement marks a repeat order by the commercial aircraft leasing and financing arm of General Electric for the 737-800BCF, bringing their total order book for the type to 74 (60 firm and 14 options) since the narrowbody conversion programme was announced in 2016. The 20 in this agreement are scheduled to complete conversions between 2022 and 2024. “We are very pleased to expand our order book for the 737-800BCF with Boeing,” said Richard Greener, svp and manager, GECAS Cargo, adding: “The versatility and reliability of these freighters is appealing to our air cargo customers, not to mention the greater efficiency, lower operational costs and better environmental credentials for the growing express and e-Commerce cargo market.” To date, Boeing has delivered 23 of the converted 737-800 next-generation (NG) freighters to

GECAS for its leasing customers. The 737-800BCF carries more payload, up to 23.9 tonnes (52,800 lbs), and has longer range, 2,000 nmi (3,750 km) than other standard-body freighters, providing capability to open new markets. The 737-800BCF freighter also offers operators newer technology, lower fuel consumption and better reliability than standard-body freighters. Its primary use is carrying express cargo on domestic or short haul routes. “It is an honour to extend our strong partnership with GECAS as they place their third repeat order for the 737-800BCF. GECAS is renowned for providing great freighter solutions and this order is another testament to the 737-800BCF’s ability to extend the life of an airplane and help cargo carriers reduce operating costs,” said Ihssane Mounir, senior vice president of commercial sales and marketing, The Boeing Company. “The marketplace continues to prove that the 737-800BCF is the ideal standard body freighter to meet the growing demand in e-commerce and express cargo today and in the future.”

aircargoweek.com 07_17 August 2020.indd 1

ACW 24 august 2020

7 19/08/2020 14:37

In the past couple of weeks we’ve seen more aircraft returning to the skies since lockdown began. However, aviation is well known for producing high volumes of carbon emissions. As thoughts of a green recovery continue, how can aviation go green to reduce its emissions?This short article from Matthew Stone, Renovare Fuels chairman, explores the options available to airlines.

Are greener aviation fuels set for take-off? THE MAN WHO WANTS A GREENER WORLD

HE aviation industry is synonymous with producing high volumes of carbon emissions. In 2019, flights produced 915 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) according to the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG). As such, making air transport ‘green’ has become a top political priority, with the UK Government recently announcing funding to support these efforts. Matthew Stone, chairman of Renovare Fuels, a specialist in carbon-neutral liquid fuels, explores how aviation can go green. The volume of CO2 produced by aviation in 2019 accounted for approximately 2% of the total 43 billion tonnes produced globally. This may seem like a comparatively low percentage, but when we consider the overall volume of emissions and the rate of climate change linked to it, it’s still 2% too much. Unfortunately, the number of flights operated every year has increased consistently in the past few years. In fact, it has increased so much that a 2019 study by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) highlighted that aviation carbon emissions grew between 2013 and 2018 at a rate that was 70%

faster than was predicted. Although the COVID-19 response limited the amount of air journeys and thus curbed the emissions for 2020, it is time to find ways of improving the sustainability of aviation long-term. The aviation sector will have many issues to address due to the difficulties presented by COVID-19 and, in reality, we cannot expect sustainability to be the immediate priority of many in the sector. However, improved sustainability should continue to be a midand long-term goal. Even with these challenges, the need for this long-term change continues to be an industry talking point. It is reported that, following the first meeting of the UK’s Department for Transport’s (DfT) net zero board, international aviation and shipping will be included in the UK Government’s net zero target in the

coming years, driving a need for greener aviation. Each of these was likely an influencing factor behind the UK Government’s Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) recently announcing £400 million funding for green aerospace research and technology. However, it is not only aerospace design engineers that can make aviation greener: end users can too. A few years ago, many airlines and users elected to follow the UN’s Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA). There are several ways that aviation businesses can offset emissions, but perhaps one of the most impactful is to blend a portion of biofuels into their traditional fuel stock. Biofuels derived from waste offer significant value to airlines and aviation

fuel users. Because the feedstock for the fuel can come from biodegradable waste products of other sectors including agriculture, it removes carbon from the environment during its growth, requires no additional energy input and does not compete with existing produce or crops.

Second-gen biofuels

Second generation biofuels for aviation, such as those being developed by Renovare Fuels, thus can provide an objectively carbon neutral source of fuel for end-users. The best part is that using these fuels is as simple as partnering with the biofuel producer, easily creating sustainable fuel supply chains that significantly offsets emissions. This is one option for making aviation greener. While the BEIS is certainly right to address the need for continued research into technologies that can support better fuel economies, end-users using biofuels for aviation to offset emissions is unquestionably beneficial. If we are to see green aviation take off in the near future, aviation fuel users can take key actions today to make overall emission levels decline tomorrow.

aircargoweek.com