ACW 30th January 23

The weekly newspaper for air cargo professionals

No. 1,215 30 January 2023

ESS INC. Lands energy storage at Amsterdam Airport ...

WFS FAST TRACKS SUSTAINABILITY ACROSS CARGO AND GROUND HANDLING OPERATIONS AT SEVEN AIRPORTS IN SPAIN

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INSIDE

AIR Canada Cargo has announced a scheduled service to Liege with its Boeing 767 freighters will begin next month, while flights to....

Worldwide Flight Services’ (WFS) cargo and ground handling operations in Spain are helping to spearhead the group’s ‘Our Sustainable Flight Path’ programme with a series of initiatives and investments to significantly reduce emissions at its seven airport stations across the country. WFS’ ground support equipment (GSE) fleet in Spain is now 89% electric for all its cargo handling operations as well as 30% of the company’s ramp handling equipment. This includes electric towing tractors, passenger stairs and belt loaders, aircraft pushback tugs, and other heavy-duty vehicles. WFS Spain’s ‘Going Green Team’ are also continuing to test new green GSE and collaborating with start-up companies to evaluate the introduction of new types of electrically powered equipment, equipment engine conversions to hydrogen, and other electric devices, such as small cars.

Since fossil fuel powered vehicles cannot be eliminated in the short-term, WFS is partnering with Spanish firm O3-Protégelo to use its technology to reduce fuel consumption and emissions whilst evaluating longer term solutions.

The company’s airport stations in Barcelona, Madrid, Asturias, Santiago de Compostela, Sevilla, Valencia, and Vitoria are also the latest operations across WFS’ global network to be powered by 100% renewable energy, supported by energy solutions designed into new-build facilities as well as the installation of solar panels on the roofs of WFS’ existing handling centres.

Optimising the sustainable performance of equipment and vehicles is another key focus area for WFS Spain. To ensure they are used as efficiently as possible, new XOPS telematic geolocation systems have been installed to track and monitor usage. WFS is also participating in a specific initiative to pool some handling vehicles at Spanish airports between different ramp

operators to eliminate equipment redundancy in 2023.

“When it comes to sustainability, actions speak louder than words. WFS has set out a very clear sustainability strategy for its global operations and, in Spain, we are already at an advanced stage of delivering many of these targets through our strong green focus, our ability to invest in the best solutions, and the support of our teams across all our Spanish operations, who understand why this is so important and what they can do to contribute. We are continuing to move forward in all our focus areas and learning from the sustainability experiences of other WFS stations around the world. Our goal is to not only achieve our decarbonisation targets at our existing operations in Spain, but to have the opportunity to leverage the value of our sustainability programme at more airports across the country,” Humberto Castro, Managing Director of WFS Spain, said.

SILK WAY WEST AIRLINES SIGNS ... SILK Way West Airlines and Nippon Express Holdings have signed an Air Cargo Memorandum of Understanding to offer ...

PEGASUS AIRLINES CLOSES THE ... PEGASUS Airlines has closed the first ever sustainabilitylinked aircraft-secured term loan, which was guaranteed by UK Export Finance for ...

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TRANSFORMING ABU DHABI ...

A s Abu Dhabi looks to transform itself into a worldclass pharmaceutical hub, Etihad Cargo has become a key partner in the process

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AIR CARGO CANADA EXPANDS...

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Air Canada Cargo expands freighter network

AIR Canada Cargo has announced a scheduled service to Liege with its Boeing 767 freighters will begin next month, while flights to Basel are slated to begin in April.

Air Canada Cargo will operate flights twice per week to Liege, with service increasing to three flights per week later in the year. Basel, one of Europe’s premiere pharmaceutical hubs, will see two flights per week. They will originate in Toronto and have a stop in Halifax.

The routes will connect these European destinations to Toronto and Air Canada Cargo’s extensive global network.

“Air Canada Cargo continues to expand its freighter network to provide customers with reliable, year-round service that connects key European markets with Air Canada and Air Canada Cargo’s global network through its Toronto hub,” said Matthieu Casey, Managing Director, Commercial at Air Canada Cargo.

These new routes are in addition to the recent

start of service to Dallas, Atlanta and Bogota as Air Canada Cargo continues to expand its freighter network.

Air Canada Cargo, Canada’s largest air cargo provider as measured by cargo capacity, has a presence in over 50 countries and selfhandled hubs in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Chicago, London, and Frankfurt.

As the dedicated air freight division of Air Canada, Air Canada Cargo offers air freight lift and connectivity to hundreds of destinations across six continents using Air Canada’s domestic and international passenger flights, cargo-only flights with its fleet of Boeing 767300 freighter aircraft, and trucking services.

Unipart Logistics appoints

new Head of Aerospace Business Development

Emirates adds two more Australia services as demand soars

EMIRATES has taken yet another significant step in the resumption of its Australia capacity by increasing its service to two major cities – Sydney and Melbourne. The airline will also restart services to Christchurch, New Zealand via Sydney, offering a new path for Australians

to transport more than 55,000 passengers per week to and from its major cities. Melbourne and Sydney will be restored to flying at prepandemic levels, a milestone in the airline’s reinstatement of Australia services. The uplift in capacity supports the revival of tourism by

SCOTT Bairstow has been appointed Head of Aerospace Business Development at Unipart Logistics.

Bairstow brings an extensive aerospace industry background and knowledge gained from over 15 years working in the sector in previous roles including Head of Programmes at Northwest Aerospace Alliance (NWAA), leading the Aerospace Supply Chain Excellence Two programme.

“The Aerospace sector is rebounding with positive optimism from the pandemic and is gearing up ready to embrace the challenge of the critical future Jet Zero targets,”

Bairstow said. “I am delighted to join Unipart Logistics and am excited to engage with new customers requiring innovative logistics solutions, based on the principles of process excellence, world-class safety and sustainability standards.

“Scott joins at a really exciting time for Unipart, following the recent award of our multi-year production logistics contract with Airbus,” Simon Wheelton, Director, Aerospace, Defence & Utilities, Unipart Logistics, said. “I am delighted to add Scott’s significant experience to the business and look forward to working with him.”

across the trans-Tasman route.

From 26th March, Melbourne will increase from two to three daily services between Emirates’ Dubai hub via Singapore, with a third direct service to also begin to Sydney from 1st May. The service increase follows the airline’s recent announcement around double daily flights to Brisbane, starting from 1st June. The boost comes amidst another busy period for air travel and as the airline continues to reaffirm its ongoing commitment to growing its services to and from Australia. The two services will operate on a three-class Boeing-777 300ER.

By mid-year, Emirates will be operating 63 weekly services to Australia with the capacity

providing travellers with even more access to and from Australia, as well as bolstering trade and business opportunities with the large 22tonne freight capacity offered by the Boeing 777-300ER.

The newly restored third Dubai-Melbourne service means Emirates is providing a new connectivity option between Singapore and Melbourne to serve strong demand between both cities, as well as offering customers its signature, differentiated product and service experience. The Christchurch service via Sydney, beginning 26th March, will offer the only opportunity for passengers between the two cities to fly on an A380.

TIACA Appoints Eric Hartmann as Regional Representative – Latin America

THE International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) has appointed Eric Hartmann as its regional representative for Latin America.

“The appointment of Hartmann supports the mandate from TIACA’s Board of Directors and its members to have and maintain a regional presence in key areas across the globe. As a Regional Representative, Eric Hartmann will enhance relations within Latin America by networking and building relationships with current and prospective members, regional bodies and the respective government agencies. Eric is also tasked with promoting and implementing TIACA policies and positions within the region,” TIACA announced.

“We are excited to welcome Eric Hartmann to the TIACA Team. With Eric’s many connections throughout Latin America and his experience and knowledge of the air cargo industry, we are sure we will be able to increase our presence throughout Latin America and in turn increase

the value for all of our members,” Steven Polmans, TIACA Chair, said.

“I’m looking forward to being part of TIACA’s team in contact with all the participants in the region which make Air Cargo, our exciting industry move successfully. As an Association I’m convinced we can make important things happen,” Eric Hartmann, Regional Representative, Latin America, added.

“Latin America is just one of the regions TIACA is looking to increase its presence and we are excited to have Eric on board. We are still looking for a representative to fill the role within North Asia, Africa/Middle East and Asia Pacific. We also happen to be looking for an Assistant Manager – Operations in Miami, so if you know anyone qualified, pass the listing along to them. We look forward to growing the TIACA Team to help support our members and the industry, ” Glyn Hughes, Director General, stated.

Silk Way West Airlines signs memorandum of understanding with Nippon Express

SILK Way West Airlines and Nippon Express Holdings have signed an Air Cargo Memorandum of Understanding to offer enhanced solutions to their customers and to respond more flexibly to changing supply chains. This agreement strengthens Silk Way West Airlines’ presence in the Japanese market whilst helping Nippon Express Holdings to expand its business globally by providing cargo capacity across a worldwide network.

With the new memorandum, Silk Way West Airlines will play an increasingly important role in the region’s freight network, constantly improving the quality of air cargo transportation services for both Japanese and international partners.

“Last year we celebrated the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and the Republic of Azerbaijan. We are delighted and honoured with the signing of this memorandum, which will contribute to the further strengthening and development of economic relations between the two countries. Moreover, the conditions of this memorandum align perfectly with the growth strategy we are pursuing to increase our footprint in Japan, and we are sure that it will be beneficial for both companies,” Wolfgang Meier, President of Silk Way West Airlines, said.

Skyllence appoints Vilma Vaitiekunaite as new CEO

SKYLLENCE, a start-up air charter broker, has announced the appointment of Vilma Vaitiekunaite as the company’s CEO.

Vilma Vaitiekunaite joins the company from her previous role as Chief Communications Officer of Avia Solutions Group, a leading global aerospace services group with 100 offices and production stations providing aviation services and solutions worldwide. The newly appointed CEO has extensive experience in sales, business and NGO management, and communications as well as international market knowledge and strong leadership skills that will be a valuable addition when accelerating the company’s future growth.

“I am delighted to join Skyllence and

continue developing my career in the global Avia Solutions Group family,” Vaitiekunaite said. “Working with such an interesting product like private charter brokering is an absolutely exciting opportunity and having an experienced and dedicated team to share our successes with is even better. I am returning to business development and sales after a tenyear-long break, during which I deeply focused on the communications market, and I’m thrilled to take on this role.”

While sharing her delight, Vilma Vaitiekunaite also added: “There’s no doubt in my mind that together with the team, we will skyrocket Skyllence to new heights and make our mark in the air charter market.”

Pegasus Airlines closes the first ever sustainability-linked aircraft-secured term loan

PEGASUS Airlines has closed the first ever sustainability-linked aircraft-secured term loan, which was guaranteed by UK Export Finance for the financing of ten new Airbus A321neo aircraft.

Societe Generale acted as global arranger, sustainability structurer, facility agent and security trustee. The transaction is the first ever aircraft export credit facility incorporating sustainabilitylinked features, as well as the largest aircraft-secured sustainability-linked term loan executed in the market to date and the first one to be verified by a Second Party Opinion provided by an independent ESG ratings and analytics agency.

The terms of the financing are indexed on Pegasus Airlines’ future achievements in respect of two ambitious sustainability-linked Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): carbon intensity of flights and gender diversity in management positions.

Pegasus Airlines, which has pledged to reach net zero emissions by 2050, aims to reach its environmental targets through fleet optimisation,

TO support enterprises in their commitment to minimise their environmental footprint, Lenovo is joining forces with Kuehne+Nagel to create a first-of-its-kind logistics service in the technology industry. Through a purchase add-on, Lenovo customers can now ship IT equipment and devices with Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), a fuel produced from sustainable feedstocks that when used reduces GHG emissions. SAF is currently the most effective measure to significantly reduce the environmental footprint of airfreight. When opting for SAF, Kuehne+Nagel will provide an emission reduction certificate to Lenovo and its customers indicating the amount of SAF litres per purchased device for any trade lane and carrier handling the shipment.

“Kuehne+Nagel continues to develop easy and valueadding sustainable shipping options for its customers. We are pleased that Lenovo chose our innovative SAF concept which offers emission certificates not only to Lenovo but also to its customers and thus supports all stakeholders across their supply chain in achieving their Science-Based Target initiative goals,” Yngve Ruud, Member of the Management Board of Kuehne+Nagel, responsible for Air Logistics, stated.

“This innovative approach we have forged with Kuehne+Nagel continues our commitment to delivering sustainable products and solutions. At the same time, we continue to explore, deploy, and champion all opportunities to reduce emissions generated through handling, storage, and transportation of our products,” said Gareth Davies, Head of Global Logistics at Lenovo.

operations efficiency, and sustainable aviation fuels usage.

“We are happy to have closed this landmark deal with Societe Generale. We are also pleased to include the sustainability link...With this loan, we reaffirm our commitment to our long-term goals on carbon emissions and gender equality. It was particularly important for us to address both environmental and social initiatives with this loan, which is the first of its kind. We are proud to have pioneered this groundbreaking deal, while honouring our sustainability and social commitments,” Barbaros Kubatoğlu, Deputy Chief Financial Officer of Pegasus Airlines, said.

“Societe Generale is proud to be Pegasus Airlines’ and UK Export Finance’s partner on this landmark transaction. We are pleased to have supported Pegasus Airlines with its ambitious environmental and social development strategy, thereby contributing to the decarbonisation and sustainable growth of the industry,” Yann Sonnallier, Global Head of Aviation Finance at Societe Generale, commented.

Kuehne+Nagel teams up with Lenovo to support technology customers in reducing their carbon footprint

TRANSFORMING ABU DHABI INTO A PHARMA HUB

As Abu Dhabi looks to transform itself into a worldclass pharmaceutical hub, Etihad Cargo has become a key partner in the process. The UAE’s capital city has seen investment in strategic public and private sector collaborations grow in recent years, as the emirate establishes itself as a destination focused on global welfare and advanced life sciences.

In its Economic Vision 2030, Abu Dhabi identified pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and life sciences as key sectors in its transformation. “The emirate’s vision seeks to multiply the contribution of healthcare and life sciences to its GDP seven-fold within the next two years. As the country’s national carrier, Etihad Cargo has fully aligned with Abu Dhabi’s vision and expanded its dedicated pharmaceutical transportation product, PharmaLife, to support the emirate’s ambitions,” Fabrice Panza, Etihad Cargo’s Manager Global Cool Chain Solutions, Commercial, said.

To strengthen connections between Abu Dhabi and the rest of the world, Etihad Cargo has developed over 1,330 IATA CEIV Pharma and GDP-certified trade lanes, which seeks to ensure the integrity of products during transportation. A pharma-certified trade lane is covered when the origin and destination are linked by IATA CEIV/GDP Pharma-certified transport companies (such as an airline and a ground handler), throughout each stage of the journey from origin to destination.

“To enhance the expertise in the region and encourage the meaningful sharing of knowledge, we partnered with Pharma. Aero, the University of Antwerp and Khalifa University to host the Middle East’s first International Pharma Logistics Masterclass. Additionally, following the signing of an MOU agreement with the Belgian community, Etihad Cargo remains committed to sharing and continuously improving knowledge and training in the pharmaceutical logistics sector,” Panza added.

Ideal location

With a unique location that not only bridges Asia and Europe but also connects destinations further afield in the US and Africa, Abu Dhabi is a prime candidate to become a global pharma hub.

Etihad Cargo’s state-of-the-art pharmaceutical facility services all continents, except South America, so far, with the airline focused on establishing pharma interline agreements that will provide connections with countries they don’t currently fly to directly. As the hub grows, Etihad Cargo anticipates that, in the coming years, they’ll see more presence from all the main stakeholders in the pharma and healthcare ecosystem, from researchers and

manufacturers to distributors and shippers.

“Abu Dhabi Airport offers a fantastic opportunity for large companies across a diverse range of sectors, including pharmaceutical, to build facilities in close proximity to the airport. In recent years, Abu Dhabi has cemented its position as a global hub for business, offering world-class infrastructure with easy access to regional and international markets. The emirate facilitates investment in facilities linked to the capital’s airport, offering companies a strategic location to enhance or expand their operations,” Panza explained, citing the airline’s new stateof-the-art cool chain facility at Abu Dhabi Airport.

Dedicated services

Etihad Cargo’s award-winning PharmaLife product is dedicated to the safe transportation of pharmaceuticals around the world. In 2022, the carrier continued to expand its pharmaceutical capabilities and increased PharmaLife revenue by 46%. To meet the requirements for transporting dangerous goods in frozen and deep-frozen conditions, PharmaLife provides premium tailored solutions to handle temperature-controlled conditions from -80 to 25 degrees Celsius via the carrier’s portfolio of leased active and hybrid containers. Etihad Cargo also increased its dry ice capabilities, with its full freighters carrying up to 13 tonnes of dry ice, five times more than previously and one of the largest amounts of dry ice that airlines are permitted to carry.

“The new pharmaceutical cool chain hub at Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) will significantly enhance Etihad Cargo’s infrastructure and systems, consolidating the carrier’s position as the premier world-class carrier of pharmaceuticals in the region. The facility, a collaboration between Etihad Cargo, the cargo and logistics arm of Etihad Aviation Group, Etihad Airport Services Cargo and Abu Dhabi Airports, will further progress Etihad Cargo and Abu Dhabi’s shared vision of collaborating internationally to advance life sciences,” Panza said.

In the 12 months prior to the scheduled opening of the carrier’s newly launched cool chain facility, Etihad Cargo transported over 50,000 tonnes of cool chain products, including pharmaceutical and healthcare products, across its network, which reaches throughout the Middle East, into Africa, Asia, Europe and the US.

International reach

“In addition to launching a new pharma facility, we are also gradually adding new, exclusive features to our PharmaLife product across our network. We have just launched our new

“Abu Dhabi Airport offers a fantastic opportunity for large companies across a diverse range of sectors, including pharmaceutical, to build facilities in close proximity to the airport”

dedicated thermal covers for PharmaLife products into our top pharma origin stations, including Amsterdam and Paris. We also can provide this new feature on demand, so our customers can reach out to our dedicated PharmaLife team wherever they are in the world,” Panza said.

The PharmaLife product saw volumes continue to increase in 2022. In the first 11 months of the year, Etihad Cargo carried close to 10,000 tonnes of pharma cargo from a diverse range of origins with less inbound only dependency than in 2021. This has been very positive for Etihad Cargo, as it demonstrates the trust our customers have in our PharmaLife capabilities to move their highly sensitive commodities across our network. To further enhance the carrier’s pharmaceutical capabilities and accelerate the transportation of medication globally, Etihad Cargo has entered partnerships that will benefit the global pharma supply chain and further position Abu Dhabi as a global pharmaceutical and life science hub. As a founding member of the HOPE Consortium, launched in 2020 to provide a complete supply chain solution to address vaccine transport, demand planning, training, medical staff and digital technology infrastructure, Etihad Cargo has played a significant role in transporting over 260 million vaccinations to 60 countries and facilitating end-to-end vaccine delivery with the rapid on-ground deployment of medical and logistics experts, medical staff and equipment.

Furthermore, Etihad Cargo has also launched initiatives that have brought much-needed transparency, traceability and trackability to the sector, benefiting not only customers but also the global pharma supply chain. The HOPE Consortium, in partnership with Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC), Brussels Airport Company and Pharma.Aero, launched Pharma Corridor 2.0 between Brussels and Abu Dhabi.

“The main objective of Pharma Corridor 2.0 is to provide the highest levels of assurance in the quality of handling to pharmaceutical shippers and forwarders through the establishment of pharma corridors between airports with cargo handling communities certified under the CEIV Pharma programme. These pharma corridors will offer full transparency on the status of temperature-controlled pharmaceutical shipments, recording quality, time, temperature, potential deviations and actions. Reliable data, and the ability to freely share this data, will enable every stakeholder to track shipments in real-time and react dynamically as and when required,” Panza said.

ESS INC. LANDS ENERGY STORAGE AT AMSTERDAM AIRPORT SCHIPHOL TO ACCELERATE AIR INDUSTRY DECARBONISATION

American Airlines Cargo partnership delivers humanitarian supplies to Haiti

AMERICAN Airlines Cargo is taking part in a global effort to transport life-saving medical and sanitation supplies to Haiti as the nation struggles to control a deadly cholera outbreak. In partnership with Airlink, a nonprofit humanitarian organisation dedicated to bri-nging critical aid to communities in crisis, American is carrying more than 55 tonnes of medical supplies from Europe to Miami, where they will be staged for distribution to Haiti.

ESS Inc., a leading manufacturer of long-duration energy storage systems for commercial and utilityscale applications, will deliver its iron flow battery solution to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, the second largest airport in mainland Europe, in Q1 2023. The Energy Warehouse will be used in a pilot to enable the retirement of polluting diesel generators in the future as part of Schiphol Airport’s ambitious sustainability plan. Schiphol is to be a zero-waste and emission-free airport in 2030.

A pilot will be carried out with the Energy Warehouse to recharge Electric Ground Power Units (E-GPU). E-GPUs are batteries which will replace the diesel ground power units currently used to supply power to aircraft when parked at the airport. ESS’ solution was selected for its environmental and safety performance – ESS’ safe and non-toxic iron flow batteries pose no fire or explosion risk which makes them safe for use in close proximity to passenger aircraft.

“The decarbonisation of air travel is crucial and Schiphol is leading the way,” Alan Greenshields, ESS director Europe, said. “We are proud to partner with a leading airport operator to demonstrate and pilot the key role that long-duration energy storage will play in helping to decarbonise airport operations

and reduce ground level emissions, improving air quality for airport and airline employees and passengers.”

“We hope that the partnership with ESS enables Schiphol to advance our electrification and decarbonisation strategy,” Oscar Maan, Royal Schiphol Group manager of innovation, said. “If this pilot is successful, this is a double win as it both reduces our carbon footprint and reduces air pollution. This pilot will also be part of TULIPS, a consortium funded by the EU as part of the European Green Deal. The consortium aims to speed up the rollout of sustainable technologies in aviation and significantly contribute towards zero emissions and zero waste at the EU’s 300+ airports by 2030 and climate-neutral aviation by 2050.”

ESS iron flow technology provides cost-effective longduration energy storage and is ideal for applications that require up to twelve hours of flexible energy capacity. ESS systems provide resilient, sustainable energy storage wellsuited for multiple use cases including utility-scale renewable energy installations, remote solar + storage microgrids, solar load-shifting and peak shaving, and other ancillary grid services. ESS technology is safe, non-toxic and has a 25-year design life without capacity fade.

“We’re proud to partner with Airlink to make a positive impact on the world,” said Greg Schwendinger, President of American Airlines Cargo. “At American, our mission is to care for people on life’s journey, and we are honoured to play a role in transporting critical goods to the people and places they are needed most.”

Cholera, which spreads mainly through contaminated food and water, has sickened thousands of people in Haiti since the outbreak began in October 2022. The illness has worsened a humanitarian crisis caused by civil unrest that makes accessing supplies difficult for healthcare workers in the Caribbean country. American will serve as a vital link in moving personal protective equipment (PPE), clean water filters, nebulisers, blood tubes and other sterile items to help fight the crisis.

American first partnered with Airlink in March 2022 to ship humanitarian aid to those impacted by the conflict in Ukraine. Since then, it has carried nearly 90 tonnes of life-saving cargo to the region. Through this partnership, American helped transport cargo and relief personnel for 47 different non-profit organisations, supporting humanitarian efforts in 21 different countries.