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The weekly newspaper for air cargo professionals No. 1,079

Cargo in the blood

4 May 2020

Page 7

Boeing’s Dreamlifter lifts 1.5M face masks

OEING has used a Boeing Dreamlifter to bring personal protective equipment (PPE) from Hong Kong to the US. Working in partnership with Prisma Health, Atlas Air Worldwide and Discommon founder Neil Ferrier, the company transported 1.5 million

INSIDE UNITED INTRODUCES DUB-IAD

UNITED Airlines has introduced a three-times weekly cargo service between Dublin and its Washington/Dulles hub. The flights will carry a range ... PAGE 2

BIFA: JUSTIFY SURCHARGES

medical-grade face masks bound for healthcare professionals at Prisma Health in South Carolina. Discommon, the importer of record for the delivery, secured production of the PPE from trusted manufacturers in China and turned to Boeing to facilitate transport to Prisma Health, the largest

healthcare system in South Carolina. Boeing donated the cost of the mission transport, with Atlas Air operating the flights on behalf of Boeing. The Dreamlifter, a converted Boeing 747-400 Large Cargo Freighter, flew from Hong Kong to Greenville, South Carolina, with the face masks in its lower lobe. Following the delivery, the Dreamlifter returned to its home base in North Charleston, South Carolina, and delivered 787 Dreamliner parts in support of the global aerospace supply chain. Boeing continues

to support local communities and the heroic healthcare professionals working tirelessly to stop the spread of COVID-19. Additional airlift transport missions with the Boeing Dreamlifter and ecoDemonstrator are planned in the future. Boeing is co-ordinating closely with US government officials on how to best assist areas with the greatest need. “We owe it to our men and women on the front lines of our healthcare system to have the necessary resources to fight the COVID-19 virus. I want to thank Prisma Health, Discommon, Atlas Air and Boeing for stepping up to facilitate this important shipment of medical masks to South Carolina,” said senator Lindsey Graham.

THE head of the UK’s trade association that represents freight forwarders and logistics companies says its members are ... PAGE 3 VIRGIN’S 90+ CARGO-ONLY FLIGHTS

VIRGIN Atlantic will operate over 90 cargo-only flights per week in May as it helps customers reopen vital trade lanes connecting the UK with ... PAGE 4

PRIVATE JETS STEP UP TO THE PLATE

chiphol’s positive message to the global airfreight industry, neatly made up of tailplanes from many of its airline clients.

IN this current situation, grappling with the pandemic, we are rightly recognising our wonderful front-line staff in the UK’s National Health ... PAGE 5

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DAKOSY develops DGR app via INFr8

HAMBURG-based software company DAKOSY is expanding the INFr8 shipping portal to a mobile application. Beginning in the middle of the second quarter 2020, customers will be able to use the INFr8 app, an extension of the original platform which was developed jointly with Fraport. This will provide users with the best possible support in handling dangerous goods declarations and will make processes faster, more transparent and more secure. The app will be available for Android and iOS devices. “Our customers expect us to understand their processes and develop intelligent solutions to meet their needs. Mobile applications that are integrated into our clients’ everyday work have proven most effective. It was therefore a logical step for us to expand the INFr8 shipping portal in that direction,” says Anne Ebeling, project manager for INFr8 at DAKOSY. She adds: “With the app, we make linking and transparency along the entire process chain even easier and more targeted. Users want to be informed proactively and as early as possible if there are discrepancies in their documentation. We can meet this requirement perfectly with the INFr8 mobile solution.” The app is based on the design of the INFr8 web application. In addition to a configurable overview of ongoing processes, it also includes a dashboard that shows the logistical and technical milestones achieved, and more. Push notifications inform users about rejected eDGDs (electronic Dangerous Goods Declarations), for example, and other current events. In the next phase, the app will be expanded with additional functions. The main focus is on the interlinking of all modes of transport, especially for air and sea transport. However, the integration of IATA checklists and their adaptation for mobile devices is also to be implemented into the second development stage of the app. The INFr8 shipping portal, which went live at the beginning of 2020, digitalises and standardises the legally-required DGD (Dangerous Goods Declaration). As an eDGD, it can be checked early on in the process and quickly corrected if necessary. This avoids time delays and ensures the smooth flow of dangerous goods.

United Airlines introduces DUB-IAD 3x weekly service UNITED Airlines has introduced a three-times weekly cargo service between Dublin and its Washington/Dulles hub. The flights will carry a range of commodities including general cargo and temperature-controlled goods, as well as pharmaceuticals and medical supplies manufactured by Ireland-based companies. “Connecting products to people around the world is the United Cargo mission and that role has never been more crucial than during the current crisis,” said Liz Woolmington, United Cargo senior regional manager – Europe, Middle East, Africa and India.

BIFA: Brexit transition period extension “likely” AS the stalled negotiations between the UK and EU started again this week, the head of the British International Freight Association (BIFA) has described the UK government’s insistence that it will not ask to extend the 11-month transition period as a very risky move. Robert Keen, BIFA director general said: “In light of the huge issues involved with a sharp change in trading conditions at the start of 2021, we think an extension looks increasingly likely. “Even before the pandemic, there were concerns among BIFA members, which are responsible for managing the movement of a large proportion of the UK’s visible international trade, that the 11-month transition wouldn’t leave enough time to prepare for a potential no deal. “Our understanding is that there has been very little prog-

ress to date on key negotiating points. “There has been little meaningful consultation with UK trade regarding the policies and procedures required in order to ensure that trade with the EU can continue relatively uninterrupted post December 31 2020. “Trade deals are typically multi-year exercises, but in this case, the UK and EU realistically have until October to agree on terms, allowing time for ratification.” Keen argues that the transition period wasn’t just designed to facilitate negotiations, it was also there to give businesses time to prepare for the future relationship. He adds that whether or not a free-trade agreement is concluded this year, there will still be major changes to the UK’s trading relationship at the start of 2021, such as new Customs documentation.

K + N’s resilience in the face of crisis

AS a result of the coronavirus pandemic, business volumes declined sharply in Q1 2020. Kuehne + Nagel Group’s net turnover, gross profit and earnings were significantly below last year’s levels. Dr Detlef Trefzger, CEO of Kuehne + Nagel International, comments: “The coronavirus pandemic is an immense global challenge, also for Kuehne + Nagel. Industrial production and trade volumes weakened significantly. In this situation, Kuehne + Nagel maintained its operational performance, closely managed a number of specialty businesses and won new customers. In the case of

basic commodities and pharma, transport volumes were maintained at a respectable level. Our company will face major challenges in the coming months.” Since the beginning of March, Kuehne + Nagel has imported 300 million face protection masks for customers via airfreight from Asia. The business unit Air Logistics was particularly affected by the coronavirus pandemic from March onwards, when a large number of passenger flights were cancelled on the supply-side. Global airfreight capacity fell by around 60% in just a few weeks. At 372,000 tonnes, airfreight volume in the first quarter was 9% below the same period of the previous year.

skypooling approaches airlines to report ULD overstocks SKYPOOLING, the first online platform for the global exchange of Unit Load Devices (ULDs), is currently experiencing a significant increase in the quantities of offered and demanded ULDs. The value rose by almost 40% compared to the beginning of the year. Around 50 airlines currently offer and search for several thousand ULDs. skypooling matches compatible requests. In this way, the platform helps to ensure that the appropriate container and pallets are available for cargo and special flights despite the enormous reduction of worldwide air traffic and short-term flight schedule changes. “We are currently registering over-

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stocks of ULDs in many places, but about every third entry on our platform is a search query. We are therefore calling out to all airlines to report their overstocks on skypooling. “The more airlines take advantage of the service, the better the devices can be used for urgently needed freight. At the same time, storage costs for overstocks can also be reduced,” says Christine Klemmer, general manager of skypooling. To speed up the search for the right ULDs, skypooling is now offering the function for emergency enquiries, which is otherwise only unlimitedly available to premium users, to all participants free

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of charge. In this way, enquiries can be addressed to all users simultaneously. Leasing companies also have the option to offer their ULDs on the skypooling platform, so that users can contact the companies directly in an emergency, if they cannot find suitable matches. Furthermore, a new Lost & Found function has been made available on the platform. This allows users, including ground handling agents, to post lost or found ULDs in order to return the loading equipment to its owners as quickly as possible. Since its introduction, the first as found reported ULDs have already been successfully returned to their owners.

BIFA: Ground Swissport achieves a solid 2019 result handlers must justify surcharges

THE head of the UK’s trade association that represents freight forwarders and logistics companies says its members are querying whether surcharges being introduced by air cargo ground handling service providers are justifiable in the current economic circumstances. Though the surcharges are small, between 3p - 6p per kg, on a typical consignment of 10 tonnes they will represent a surcharge of around £300.00. Robert Keen, director general of the British International Freight Association states: “Every participant in international supply chains is suffering from the same financial and operational issues that ground handlers face, as they attempt to mitigate the effects of Covid-19. “Circumstances like shelter-in-place regulations are causing strain on all companies in those supply chains, which are all having to implement painful measures to cope with the pandemic, with a huge financial impact on their businesses. “BIFA members are now faced with the task of explaining the surcharges to their customers, which are also struggling, without understanding, nor necessarily agreeing with, the rationale behind them. “They deserve a full explanation of why and how the surcharges were decided upon, and evidence that ground handlers are not just using the opportunities presented by the difficulties to increase charges for services already provided.”

SWISSPORT achieved an operating EBITDA of €272.3 million in 2019, roughly on par with the previous year result of €273.2m. The group’s revenue from operating activities increased to 3.13 billion euros, up 4.7% from €2.99 bn in 2018. With revenue of €3.13 bn for 2019 Swissport’s turnover was 4.7%, up Y-O-Y despite a volume decline (2.3% up at constant currency. In air cargo handling, revenue was €0.59 bn, up 5.0%. The startups in the Middle East are steadily adding clients and were – prior to the coronavirus crisis – on track to operational break-even three years after the market entry. In Brussels, the company opened a state-of-the-art Swissport Pharma Center. Melbourne is scheduled to become the first Swissport cargo operation in

Australia. Swissport has also further expanded its airport lounge portfolio under the Aspire brand with 48 lounges in operation at year-end. “2019 was a solid year for Swissport. The 4.7% year-on-year revenue growth, our stable operating result and a positive free cash flow were driven by our operating performance, the first fullyear consolidation of our businesses in Australia and New Zealand and by our effective working capital management. Favourable foreign exchange effects also contributed to a solid performance,” says Eric Born, group president & CEO of Swissport International AG. Due to the unprecedented global market collapse triggered by the coronavirus pandemic, the company expects an 80% drop in revenue for April and May.

Despite fast and drastic measures to quickly reduce the cost base, including an investment stop and a variety of measures to reduce its payroll, Swissport will require additional liquidity in early summer. The company currently has 40,000 employees on furlough or other state-supported programmes like short-time work. Ten thousand employees had to be made redundant, leaving under 15,000 on active duty. Air cargo tonnes handled stood at 4.6m (2018: 4.8m). At year-end 2019, Swissport was operating at 300 airports in 47 countries. In 2019, Swissport International handled roughly 4.6m tonnes of airfreight at 115 cargo warehouses worldwide. Several warehouses have been certified for pharma logistics by IATA’s CEIV.

Saudia Cargo lifts record payload Lahore to Riyadh SAUDIA Cargo says it made a record payload carrying essential food supplies from Lahore, Pakistan to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh, using a passenger aircraft turned into an all-cargo flight, a new trend that emerged in the ongoing fight against the Coronavirus pandemic. The record 65.3 tonnes of perishables such as meat and vegetables were loaded into the lower deck of a Boeing-777 passenger plane and safely arrived in the Kingdom on April 25. Saudia Cargo has successfully expanded its freighter fleet since March 23 by using the passenger planes of Saudia Airlines as all-cargo only flights. Commenting on Saudia Cargo’s record payload and commitment to serve communities amid the pandemic CEO Omar Hariri says: “Saudia Cargo is committed to serve our customers and in less than a week after the airline grounded the passenger fleet due to the COVID-19 crisis, many of the aircraft were back in the air serving as cargo only flights. With reduced cargo capacity, it is more important than ever to maximise available cargo space to be able to serve the need for essential food, personal protective equipment (PPE), medical and pharmaceutical supplies.” Saudia Cargo has expanded its freighter capacity with more than 35 weekly flights operated as cargo-only passenger aircrafts, enabling the air cargo carrier to serve the Kingdom’s needs for essential food, medical and other supplies during this time of global health crisis.

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Trip & Co and SII Netherlands join forces for cargo seat bags TRIP & Co and SII Netherlands have joined forces in order to support airlines move cargo in aircraft cabins. With the enormous demand for PAX to cargo solutions which Trip & Co successfully launched a few weeks ago, the company has partnered with SII Netherlands to deliver these products with STC certification process even faster all over the world. “We are proud to announce that the companies SII Netherlands and Trip & Co will start a close co-operation on pax to cargo solutions,” according to Tijmen Koster, CEO at Trip & Co. SII Design is experienced in cabin reconfigurations, Mod-kit deliveries and STC applications whereas Trip & Co is experienced in air cargo equipment and production around the world. All the solutions will be delivered with an EASA Form-1 and approval for installation including manual supplements and loading instructions. Frank Kup, managing director at SII Netherlands, said: “Airlines are currently facing one

of their biggest challenges ever; our team is highly motivated to support Trip & Co with multiple solutions. The choices we make in our proposed solutions are driven by safety and short lead times.” One solution the two parties are working on right now is a new modification kit that can be installed on the seat track after removal of the seats.

Virgin Atlantic announces 90+ cargo-only flights weekly in May

VIRGIN Atlantic will operate over 90 cargo-only flights per week in May as it helps customers reopen vital trade lanes connecting the UK with prime freight markets in the US, Hong Kong and China, India, Israel and South Africa. The airline will also operate cargo-only flights through Dublin for the first time, enabling Ireland’s medical technology, electronics and other industries to achieve same day connections to New York JFK, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Tel Aviv and Johannesburg. Services will be operated using the airline’s Boeing 787-9 aircraft, which can carry up to 55 tonnes of cargo. The May flying programme includes: 17 flights a week to/from JFK; 9 flights a week to/ from Los Angeles; twice-weekly services from JFK and Los Angeles to Dublin; twice-weekly departures from Dublin to London; daily flights to/from Shanghai; 4 x weekly services to/from Hong Kong; twice-weekly flights to/from Tel Aviv; three services a week to/from Johannesburg; and, the resumption of two weekly flights to/from Mumbai.

Exclusive cargo charters

With 14 aircraft at its disposal for cargo-only operations, including four A350s capable of carrying up to 49 tonnes of goods, Virgin Atlantic will also increase its ability to offer exclusive cargo charters, which currently average 13 flights per week.

Dominic Kennedy, managing director of Virgin Atlantic Cargo, said: “I am amazingly proud of our cargo team and our colleagues across the airline who have enabled us to completely re-engineer our cargo business into a successful freight-only operation. “This means we’ve been able to help our customers re-establish trade routes to and from many of their major international markets. “I also want to thank DNATA, our handling partner in London, for the great work its team is doing to help us accelerate the volume of cargo we are carrying and to expedite connections over our London hub.”

Cool runnings: ZARGES delivers for Antarctic trip

ZARGES, one of Europe’s leading access technology and logistics equipment solutions providers, has played a pivotal role in a recent expedition to Antarctica, for a project co-ordinated by SP Films, tasked with filming the latest expedition of endurance swimmer and UN Patron of the Oceans Lewis Pugh. Steve Peters, founder and lead drone pilot of SP Films, said: “My work takes me to some of the most challenging environments.” Zarges’ K470 aluminium cases are available in 25 standard sizes, with capacity ranging from 13 to 829 litres and a total load weight of up to 200kg for UN-approved hazmat shipments.

Dimerco brings 80,000 COVID-19 masks for Italy DIMERCO Express Group, an Asia-based total logistics service provider, has supported the donation of 80,000 PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) masks from China to help combat the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy, assisting donors in collecting the masks from across China and successfully co-ordinating delivery of the PPE safely to its destination in Italy. The masks, which were gathered in China by donors, including anti-epidemic volunteers and the parents of overseas students, have arrived in five towns in Sicily and Sardinia. The dedicated team at Dimerco Zhongjing International Express, a subsidiary of Dimerco Express Group, provided the integrated logistics solution, co-ordinating with its strategic partner

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in Italy to guarantee on-time delivery to the Italian government. In addition to the PPE, the consignment included paintings from Chinese children, expressing blessing, care and encouragement from China. Recently Dino Giarrusso MEP, expressed the gratitude of Italy through social media for the generous donation and meaningful paintings. A spokesman for Dimerco commented: “Dimerco participates in various social projects that advocate environmental protection and aid those in its communities who are in need. As a global transportation and logistics service provider, Dimerco feels honoured to support the crucial supply chain at this critical time.”

Private jets that are joining the COVID-19 fight By Marc Bailey, CEO, British Business General Aviation Association (BBGA)

n this current situation, grappling with the pandemic, we are rightly recognising our wonderful front-line staff in the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) and beginning to understand the critical importance of supply chains. A key success factor is distribution, where aviation in general and business aviation in particular is playing a vital, but often overlooked role. In lockdown there are very few flights operating in scheduled aviation – probably around 10% of a typical schedule - but those that are flying are supporting all manner of critical flights. Even less well recognised is the key role being played by business aviation, which is delivering vital transport services, cargo, medical and repatriation flights, as part of the essential critical infrastructure in the UK and Ireland. Services at all the main bases throughout the UK and Ireland have remained operational 24/7, as the sector recognises its responsibilities to support the UK. At London Biggin Hill, which remains open, flights these past few weeks have included cargo operators bringing in essential equipment and medical supplies, including PPE (Personel Protection Equipment); flying technicians to manufacture ventilators and (with its close proximity to the NHS Nightingale hospital) handling the arrival of an Army Wildcat surveying the airport for potential Covid-19 operations. At London Stansted which has five FBOs, flights have been operating primarily for the military, ferrying medical supplies and technical parts globally. At London Luton too, there has also been a large number of repatriation flights for both Government and stranded members of the public, with the FBOs at both locations working flexibly to accommodate customer needs. At Luton, personnel and transport capacity

More used to flying the rich and famous and captains of industry, private jets are now turning their luxurious cabins into cargo holds to play their part in the global fight against coronavirus released from normal duties are being put to good use in the local community, helping with food deliveries and providing vehicles and volunteers to support the local charity ‘Signposts’ helping the homeless. We have seen private ferry flights supporting both medical supplies and staff around the continent to support key areas as the outbreak peaks in different areas. Among them was charter company Titan Airways’ departure to St Helena Airport, Ascension Island, one of the most remote islands in the world, carrying Covid-19 test kits, ventilators and 2.5 tonnes of supplies. Medical flights have seen business aircraft transporting patients in Epishuttle isolation pods – a stellar example of how our industry is supporting the work of our healthcare professionals.

FAI rent-a-jet AG is supporting critical air ambulance missions with its executive charter fleet of Bombardier Challenger 604 business jets. It is carrying portable self-contained isolation units, Epi-Shuttle, safely transporting infected patients without any risk for the flight or medical crew. All medevac missions are accompanied by a trained dedicated medical team, for pre-flight temperature screening, and the availability of medical/nursing care in flight as required.

Normal medevac continues Normal medical evacuation work also continues to support critical transfers of patients around the available network of medical facilities as dictated by the medical emergency. Southampton Airport remains a key airport for

London Biggin Hill: still open for business aircargoweek.com

medical flights from the Channel Islands. Its FBO handled a number of medical repatriation flights. These were not Covid-related, but the patients needed to be transferred to a more specialist hospital in Southampton. Another example of resilience was the repositioning of 25 nurses from the UK from Stansted to support the outbreak in Gibraltar. This could not have been achieved without the use of a business jet operating out of an FBO. There are similar stories at other bases: Our bases in Scotland have been serving Covid-19 medical flights from the Scottish Islands and Highlands as well as supporting military and coast guard flights in Scotland too. Military RAF Puma Helicopters / BAE 146 / Airbus A400M / C27J Spartan – medical and training flights (ready for the newly opened NHS Nightingale Hospital at SSE Hydro Scottish conference centre.) In Dublin one of our FBOs handled an Airbus A330 brought in for essential medical supplies for Ireland, whilst Birmingham Airport sits ready for any NHS Nightingale NEC medical flights. “We urge mainstream media to highlight the positive actions undertaken by our hard working sector through its operators, FBOs and airport networks at this unprecedented time,” highlighted Bailey, whose Association looks after the interest of 180 UK companies engaged in business and general aviation. “Not only is our members’ current support vital to the UK, but looking forward as we ease our way through the pandemic, it is vital that we are ready to offer all the channels we can to show that the UK is open for business. “Come the rebound, it will be business aviation, more nimble and agile, that will recover first. Let’s be positive about business aviation and thank those organisations for all they do too.”

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The world’s largest aircraft heads for Leipzig/Halle ermanent corona crisis operations are causing the aviation giant to now fly to Central Germany. The Antonov 225 Mriya, the world’s largest aircraft landed at Leipzig/ Halle Airport last week. German defence minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, and Götz Ahmelmann, CEO of Mitteldeutsche Flughafen AG, welcomed the crew after the aircraft had landed. The six-engine cargo aircraft transported more than 10.3 million face masks from China to Germany as part of the SALIS Project (Strategic Airlift Interims Solution). Using their experience, the employees at PortGround, a subsidiary of Mitteldeutsche Flughafen AG that specialises in handling aircraft and freight, unloaded the An-225 through its characteristic nose access point.

AN-124 lands

An Antonov An-124 had already landed at Leipzig/Halle Airport the previous day. It arrived from Shanghai, had landed in Almaty (Kazakhstan) en route and had 8.3 million face masks on board. Both aircraft belong to the Ukrainian airline, Antonov Airlines. Two Antonov 124-100 planes have been permanently stationed at Leipzig/ Halle as part of the SALIS Project since March 2006. The flights are co-ordinated and handled by Antonov Salis GmbH, which is based at Leipzig/Halle Airport. Götz Ahmelmann, CEO of AG, comments:

“Leipzig/Halle Airport occupies a key position in supplying the population with essential medical equipment in the battle against the corona pandemic. As Germany’s second-largest cargo airport, we’ve already been able to safely and reliably handle humanitarian aid flights with hundreds of tonnes of aid materials during the last few weeks – and we’ll continue doing so. “We’re delighted at the huge trust placed in our airport and our team so that we can now welcome another humanitarian aid flight here; it is transporting more than 10 million new face masks to Germany.” In addition to the Antonov aircraft, some 15 more aircraft have landed at Leipzig/Halle Airport with medical equipment since the end of March. PortGround has handled about 500 tonnes of these urgently needed supplies, including the SALIS flights. Other humanitarian aid flights are being planned.

Swiss WorldCargo cargo-only restored ASHWIN Bhat, head of cargo, Swiss International Air Lines, has announced the airline’s ambition to continue delivering its service solutions to its customers amid the turbulence cause by the spread of Coronavirus, Swiss WorldCargo will be operating an additional 100+ cargo only flights until the end of May. He said: “Specifically, we will operate a network of scheduled cargo-only flights between Zurich and the following destinations: Shanghai (SHA) up to 3x daily; Beijing (PEK) up to 2x daily; New York Newark (EWR) 3x weekly (LX18 / LX19 day 3, 5 and 7); Chicago (ORD) 2x weekly (LX8 day 4 and 6, LX9 day 5 and 7); Tokyo (NRT) 2x weekly (LX160

DAMCO’s ongoing investment in its Business Resilience Program is helping the freight forwarder to keep cargo moving through Covid-19 supply chain disruption.

first of a number of charters CharterSync co-ordinated on behalf of the Italian government. Commenting on the relief effort, CharterSync’s customer Modus Operations, acting on behalf of the Italian public sector, commented: “From the start the CharterSync team worked tirelessly to secure the fastest charter solutions available to us. Using their technology combined with their expert operations team, we knew we could rely on them to deliver the best options in the market”. Ed Gillett, co-founder of CharterSync commented: “As a young company, our ability to quickly adapt in a changing market has worked in our favour. We have been able to enter the oversized market quickly and find solutions for governments worldwide when they are needed most.”

DAMCO’s resilience programme keeps cargo moving

CharterSync leading the Italian aid relief effort CHARTERSYNC, the world’s first air cargo charter platform has “risen to the challenge in the global fight against coronavirus”. Within a dynamic and changing market the CharterSync team have proven to be agile and adapted quickly, expanding their service offering to support humanitarian aid relief charters, says the company. On March 30, CharterSync co-ordinated the movement of the first Antonov-124 aircraft into Italy, bringing millions of face masks and medical supplies from China. The Antonov-124 flight marked the

day 1 and 4, LX161 day 3 and 6); Bangkok (BKK) weekly (LX180 day 6, LX181 day 7); Singapore (SIN) weekly (LX176 day 7, LX177 day 1). “With these newly reinstated services, we hope to continue providing you with regular and easy access between Switzerland, Europe and the world. “We will continue to expand our network in the coming weeks and keep you informed accordingly. “In addition to this, we will continue to offer our SWISS Belly Charter service. Should you be interested in partially or completely requesting space on one of our flights with us, please contact us,” he said.

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Zera Zheng: Business Resilience is about procedure The Program, developed over the last 18 months, prepares all staff for over 47 different scenarios, which could disrupt the supply chain, including a pandemic. DAMCO local and global teams communicate in real time using a Business Resilience App developed for the program, which also stores information on procedure, as well as providing incident reporting, management functions, and links to relevant contacts. A new Instant Messaging feature for the App now allows the freight forwarder’s Business Resilience Team to contact specific users or groups of users to speed up information flow between local and global offices. “The Program means we can be agile and find flexible solutions to keep freight moving, it also means we can put established procedures in place to keep our staff safe,” said Zera Zheng, head of DAMCO Business Resilience and Security and an associate member of the Business Continuity Institute. “In early January 2020, our Business Resilience Team responded to reports about the impact of Covid-19 from DAMCO offices in China and were able to give global updates and advice using the App so that we were well prepared. “Business Resilience is about procedure, but it is also about culture, and that means having clear communication channels with customers, and making sure the people on the front line are able to both share information and have easy access to the information that they need.” Last year, DAMCO’s Business Resilience Team, working with front line staff, successfully managed 94 disruptive events globally, ranging from supply chain disruption in the wake of Typhoon Tisoy in the Philippines, to hold ups due to new Air Cargo Screening Regulations in Hong Kong.

NEWS TRADEFINDER Airlines

Cargo and Other Stories by Lemon Queen

Turkey

Cargo in the blood

Audrey Serdjebi, founder & CEO, Lemon Queen

NE year ago, NexGenLeaders brought together our industry’s biggest names to identify the talent of tomorrow. This year, faced with this unprecedented crisis, we all need the talent of tomorrow – today: NexGenLeaders-2 vs Covid-19. And our industry is bursting with talent. So, this column aims to showcase all of the fantastic talent that promises a bright future for our industry. They don’t all have a business plan, but they all share one thing: they’re young, they love cargo, and every day, they champion the future. In the middle of an unprecedented crisis, on lockdown like half the planet, I longed for some sun and some warmth. More than anything, just like a lot of people, aware of the tragic consequences this crisis is having and will have on many of us, I needed hope – to believe once more in our collective resilience. And then I had a virtual meeting with Stephanie Penarete, cargo manager Spain and Portugal at Qatar Airways Cargo. Stephanie’s faith in cargo is a godsend. We need to write a new chapter in the history of cargo and I strongly believe that we need talented people who are just as determined as her to help rebuild our industry and make emerging from this crisis a challenge to be overcome. Stephanie is half-Colombian, half-Argentinean. She loves to laugh, and she loves life. She speaks six languages, and despite her young age, has lived in seven countries. For the moment, she’s chosen to make her home in Barcelona in Spain. Stephanie doesn’t just like cargo. She lives and breathes cargo – it’s in her blood and her DNA. “I could go on and on about what makes working on the cargo side of the business a never-ending learning experience, challenge and adrenaline rush!” Although tourism had always been her goal, she suddenly found herself thrown into our complex industry. She was looking for a sales role on the passenger side of an airline, but it was the cargo department that spotted this diamond in the rough and used her thirst for knowledge to make her their secret weapon.

On one condition: that she followed the one-year “induction programme initiative” to learn the ins and outs of cargo. It was an invaluable experience. “In the cargo world, you simultaneously work in and are part of so many other industries, all at the same time. Everything around us is “Cargo”. Cargo is life”. Her passion for air cargo has made her an undeniable expert. Plenty of airlines knew it, but it was Qatar Airways that managed to convince her to join their HQ team. And when the airline offered Stephanie the role of global key account manager in Doha, she didn’t hesitate. “After my marriage, I think that was the best “yes” I’ve ever said in my life!” Young executives are an extremely precious resource for Qatar Airways, which understands that diversity doesn’t necessarily mean disagreement. “I can confirm with pride that from day one, my gender, race and age have never been a limitation at Qatar Airways. My voice has been heard loud and clear, my opinions have counted and been sought after, and career development opportunities have always been made available to me.” And today, this young “all-terrain” manager is actively working with her team to protect not only her airline’s business activity but also that of our industry more generally. “We have really gone above and beyond as a team, working endless hours to be able to deliver the service to the best of our abilities, being present for our customers, keeping our network alive and our aircrafts flying high.” Her passion and total confidence in our industry mean she’s convinced it will recover – it might be daunting, but it’s just another challenge to overcome. “There is no better feeling than achieving goals you have to work hard for, even if they come with a mix of laughter and tears. “It’s about standing tall, head up high and moving forward.” And with that, this young warrior concludes our virtual meeting, leaving me with a smile and the certainty that our industry can recover. Qatar Airways Cargo is clearly in good hands.

Freight Forwarders Hong Kong

Freight Forwarders USA

GSSAs

Charters

United Arab Emirates

Netherlands

Lemon Queen is an airfreight industry public relations and communications agency in Paris, France aircargoweek.com 07_04 May 2020.indd 1

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