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The weekly newspaper for air cargo professionals No. 1,126

5 APRIL 2021

We talk with WePlan founders Lana and Franziska

A safe delivery of Russian reindeer for Wuppertal Zoo

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INSIDE OMAN AIR MARKS EARTH HOUR

OMAN Air joined individuals, businesses and organisations around the world to mark Earth Hour 2021. This year’s ceremony was toned down ... PAGE 2

COVID-19 VACCINE BRUCURE READINESS

AIR Cargo Belgium and Brussels Airport Company’s dedicated COVID-19 vaccine taskforce, BRUcure, is launching as of today a readiness ... PAGE 2 UKWA SPONSORS TRANSAID

THE UK Warehousing Association (UKWA) is proud to be the lead sponsor for Transaid’s 2021 UK fundraising event, ‘Way of the Roses’, a 170-mile ... PAGE 4

irBridgeCargo (ABC), one of the leading all-cargo carriers in the transportation of live animals, has successfully delivered four reindeer from Moscow to Frankfurt. The transport has been accomplished in partnership with Astra Brokers for Moscow Zoo, one of the oldest zoos in Europe. Under the regular animal exchange programme the reindeer were delivered to Wuppertal Zoo in Germany. Four twoyear-old animals, weighing around 150 kg each, were comfortably carried in dedicated cages to guarantee their well-being during the flight.

Peter Novozhenov, regional director, Russia and CIS, said: ‘We have transported deer previously, which has special aspects the carrier needs to be aware of. The whole journey, organised under IATA LAR and customer’s requirements, went smoothly and the animals feel safe and comfortable right now. “I would like to thank our local team for their great contribution and teamwork. In 2020 we enjoyed a significant increase in animal transportation, meeting the growing demand from the customers. We will keep on sharpening our

expertise in this sector to guarantee high-quality service.” Amid the pandemic, more ABC customers called on air cargo when it came to moving animals to keep the agricultural programme going, to support zoo exchange programmes and equine sports events. AirBridgeCargo has been developing its dedicated services for animal transportation worldwide training its personnel, aligning its internal procedures and co-operating with trustworthy and reliable partners.

WHY WE ARE A WACA SPONSOR

TRADITIONALLY, the Awards evening in Munich has always been a highlight that the entire industry looks forward to. This year, there won’t ... PAGE 4

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NEWS

DIMERCO STARTS OPERATIONS AT FIRST BONDED LOGISTICS CENTRE IN INDONESIA Shih says: “We are proud to be leading the market in providing best-in-class e-Commerce fulfilment services in Indonesia. Dimerco is the only logistics company licensed to handle e-Commerce cargo in this region and our vision is to provide a ‘one-stop shop’ solution at this first bonded logistics centre.” Dimerco will be able to move goods faster than standard B2C e-Commerce operations as they will already be in the BLC warehouse ready for local delivery, while fully automated processes ensure maximum efficiency and keep costs low. The BLC operation, in business since August, 2019, has now a potential throughput of over 150,000 units per day and is operated with the support of Dimerco’s local strategic partner (Uniair Cargo). Dimerco has over 30 years’ experience operating in Indonesia and is a strategic partner with a domestic network including over 100 branches and agents, delivering to more than 3,000 districts and destinations.

GLOBAL freight transportation specialist Dimerco has commenced operations at Indonesia’s first and only e-Commerce Bonded Logistics Centre (BLC). The 10,000 sq m bonded warehouse is the first of its kind in the region and will provide an integrated, multimodal transport service to customers and deliver significant benefits, including faster e-Commerce fulfilment and reduced costs. The new facility utilises e-Commerce for rapid clearance and manages domestic deliveries, typically with a lead time of 1-3 days, compared to direct B2C deliveries where standard lead time is up to 14 days. In a bonded warehouse such as Dimerco’s BLC, B2B2C shipments achieve faster customs clearance and there is no requirement to pay duty and tax in advance, which is a major cash-flow advantage for customers. Commenting on the new operation, Dimerco chief executive management Jeffrey

Emirates to operate special flight to mark UAE milestone

mirates is showcasing the UAE’s progress in its vaccination programme with a special flight that will carry only fully vaccinated crew and passengers onboard. On April 10 2021, special flight EK2021 will depart Dubai International Airport at 12:00 local time, to cruise over various areas across the UAE. The flight will return to Dubai at 14:30 local time. The one-off flight EK2021 is a unique event that not only celebrates the success of the UAE’s vaccination programme to date, but also highlights Emirates’ progress in vaccinating its staff and in particular its pilots and cabin crew. Aviation has been and continues to be an irreplaceable force for good, connecting people and cities, facilitating important trade flows and passenger journeys that bring economic prosperity and joy to millions of people. The UAE has been one of world’s leading countries in administered vaccinations for citizens and residents, and has made four COVID-19 vaccines available for free to everyone. To date, over eight million vaccine shots have been administered in the UAE, protecting over half of the UAE’s population. The Emirates Group has supported the national vaccination programme by making COVID-19 vaccines readily available to

its UAE-based workforce at multiple locations within the company’s premises. To date, over 35,000 Emirates employees have received their COVID-19 vaccine shot from one of the company’s vaccination centres, with over 85% of the airline’s pilots and cabin crew already receiving two doses of the vaccine.

Launch of COVID-19 vaccine BRUcure readiness label AIR Cargo Belgium and Brussels Airport Company’s dedicated COVID-19 vaccine taskforce, BRUcure, is launching as of today a readiness label. This label can be used by companies in the taskforce and indicates that a company is fully ready to transport, handle or store the COVID-19 vaccine. Furthermore, the label strengthens the image of the taskforce company that is using the label. To obtain the label should a company need to store the vaccine, they have to have dedicated pharma storage. Based on the exercise, there is approximately 30,000 sq m of cold pharma storage at BRUcargo. The companies who obtained the label also follow the BRUcure Guideline Document on top of the existing Pharma Handling SOP’s and apply the guidelines that Air Cargo Belgium has created where applicable.

ACW 5 APRIL 2021

The companies use the Airside Pharma Transporter (APT) in procedure. It aims to guarantee there is no temperature deviation for the COVID-19 vaccine shipments. The companies intend to implement the digital platform CargoFlow Explorer. It is a digital solution developed by Nallian (invested by BAC) in order to get a full visibility for all pharma shipments.

Currently, 15 companies within the BRUcure Taskforce have already obtained the label: Aviapartner Cargo; Bolloré Logistics; DHL Global Forwarding; Dnata; EFL Global; Expeditors; FB Logistics; Hazgo; Kuehne + Nagel; Lufthansa Cargo (Lufthansa, Brussels Airlines, Austrian Airlines); and, Singapore Airlines; Swissport Cargo Services; TUI; United Airlines; and, WFS.

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Oman Air marks Earth Hour 2021 with commitment to sustainable operations OMAN Air joined individuals, businesses and organisations around the world to mark Earth Hour 2021. This year’s ceremony was toned down to respect COVID-19 safety measures, with lights switched off symbolically at the company’s headquarters in Muscat, coinciding with network destination outstations. “Tackling climate change is a priority issue for airlines around the world and continues to shape the future of eco-efficient air transport,” said Oman Air CEO Abdulaziz Al Raisi. “Oman Air has always championed the cause of climate change by prioritising a fleet of ultra-efficient aircraft, implementing fuel-saving ini-

tiatives, and reducing waste across our business operations. As we mark Earth Hour 2021, we hereby renew our commitment to responsible travel and reducing our environmental footprint in the years ahead.” Oman Air’s participation in Earth Hour reflects the airline’s efforts in recent years toward sustainable aviation. In the last quarter of 2019, and for a second year in a row, Heathrow Airport’s Fly Quiet and Green programme ranked Oman Air second place among fifty airlines as one of the cleanest airlines serving the airport, the highest-ranked Middle East carrier. In 2019, the airline saved 7.8 million kg of jet fuel.

NEWS

Lödige Industries achieves triple ISO certification for Hong Kong subsidiary LÖDIGE Industries has achieved certification for the quality management, environmental management, occupational health and safety management of its Hong Kong subsidiary. The certification is part of the company’s ongoing commitment to quality, health, safety, environment and continuous improvement, a journey that began with the certification of its German head office in 1997. Lödige Industries’ Hong Kong operations were audited by SGS, one of the world’s leading inspection, verification and certification companies. In Hong Kong, Lödige Industries delivers airport logistics, automated parking systems, lifts, warehouse logistics solutions and logistics control software, from planning, designing and manufacturing through to installation and maintenance. The local subsidiary, launched in 2004, serves as the regional headquarter for the Asia Pacific region and employs over 250 staff across eight offices in Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. ISO 9001:2015 is the world’s most widely recognised quality management standard, guiding companies in developing a quality management system that aligns with their global business strategy. It emphasises evidence-based decision-making and accountability across all organisational processes to improve efficiency, customer focus, communications and employee engagement.

Ambition Issued to companies that demonstrate conforming to a stringent set of environmental standards, the ISO 14001 affirms Lödige Industries’ ambition to reduce the environmental impact of its Hong Kong operations and create new opportunities by adopting structured and systematic environmental practices in line with the highest standards of environmental responsibility. The ISO 45001 certificate recognises the company’s occupational health and safety management, addressing issues like training and emergency preparedness in an internationally standardised framework. The certification is a core element of Lödige Industries’ commitment to protect the health and safety of its employees and others. Nicholas Tripptree, managing director of Lödige Industries for Asia Pacific, celebrates the triple certification: “Throughout the accreditation process, we documented, reviewed, developed and implemented robust management systems for these core areas of our business. “Lödige Industries has a long history of combining a strong focus on customer benefit with a firm commitment to protecting our personnel and the environment.”

Airport Authority Hong Kong welcomes new board members THE Airport Authority Hong Kong (AA) has welcomed the re-appointment of Jack So Chak-kwong as chairman of the board for a term of two years by the chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The AA also welcomes the re-appointment of three serving members and the appointment of two new members to the board. The three reappointed members include the Hon Frankie Yick Chi-ming and Dr Allan Zeman for a term of one year and Adrian Wong Koonman for a term of three years. The two new members are Ir Edwin Tong Ka-hung and Sabrina Chao Sih-ming, who will serve a three-year term. The

terms will be effective from June 1 2021. So Chak-kwong said: “It is my honour to be reappointed as chairman of the board for a further two years, giving me the opportunity to finish the third runway on time and within budget by 2022. I would also like to express my gratitude to retiring members Billy Wong Wing-hoo and the Hon Steven Ho Chun-yin for their invaluable contribution, and welcome the new members, who are all qualified leaders in their respective fields. “I look forward to working with all Board members to spearhead the airport’s future development.” From June 1 2021, the AA board will comprise 17 members.

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NEWS

UKWA to sponsor Transaid’s ‘Way of The Roses’ 2021 UK THE UK Warehousing Association (UKWA) is proud to be the lead sponsor for Transaid’s 2021 UK fundraising event, ‘Way of the Roses’, a 170-mile cycling challenge, which will take place from September 24-26 2021. The international development organisation’s sixth UK cycling event challenges logistics and transport professionals to take part in the Morecambe to Bridlington adventure and raise money in support of Transaid’s work in sub-Saharan Africa, improving logistics safety and healthcare supply chains for communities across the region. UKWA CEO Peter Ward said: “We are pleased to be able to support our chosen charity yet again this year by sponsoring the ‘Way of the Roses’ UK cycling challenge – an event more important than ever to Transaid this year as

ECS Group Why we are a WACA Sponsor

planned fundraising activity during 2020 was cancelled. In 2019, our own 75th Anniversary year, UKWA members raised £75,000 for the charity and we look forward to helping Transaid achieve a bumper year in 2021.” This year’s challenge will involve two days of scenic cycling through the beautiful Lancashire countryside and Yorkshire Dales.

TRADITIONALLY, the Awards evening in Munich has always been a highlight that the entire industry looks forward to. This year there won’t be any reunions or festivities but it’s nonetheless essential to recognise the excellence and dedication of all stakeholders in our industry. That’s why ECS Group wanted to continue to be a sponsor rather than putting it on hold. As a GSSA, airlines are our closest partners. This year, we thought it was more important than ever to recognise all of their work. Sponsoring the Airline Of The Year award is a way for us to celebrate the work they do, from shipping PPE to maintaining global supplies, as well as their incredible level of resilience. They’re always memorable evenings because they acknowledge teams’ dedication and hard work. It’s a real achievement to be recognised by the ‘Oscars’ of the airfreight industry, and so we’re delighted to be able to support the ceremony and keep the tradition alive. Sponsoring events such as this, and especially the airline of the year award, is an opportunity for ECS Group to get together with our industry’s leaders. These awards recognise the stakeholders that make up the industry today and will continue to do so in the future and it’s

important to ECS Group that it takes part in this prestigious challenge. The Awards give us amazing visibility – all the teams at AZura International and ACW do exceptional work showcasing the nominees, the sponsors and the ceremony as a whole. We’re so proud to be able to take part in this event as a sponsor and to be involved in these awards that are so highly prized in the industry. It’s also the reason we’ve been sponsoring this ceremony for years. What would I say to other companies that are considering coming forward to sponsor other categories? I’d tell them to go for it without a moment’s hesitation! This event is extremely important for our industry and it’s highly prestigious. As well as having a really enjoyable evening, it’s also an opportunity to build relationships and do business in a more relaxed way. How long did it take to make the decision to come forward to sponsor our category? A few seconds! We’ve been sponsoring this event for over a decade in one way or another, and we’ve sponsored the ‘Airline of the Year’ award for several years. We’re still just as satisfied, and that’s why we’re continuing.

cargo.one to welcome Air Canada cargo.one has entered into a letter of intent with Air Canada, through its cargo division Air Canada Cargo, to offer its capacity on cargo. one’s leading air cargo booking platform. Upon conclusion of a definitive agreement, freight forwarders will soon have access to a first-class booking experience with real-time capacity and quotes. The airline is poised to become the first North American airline on the cargo.one e-booking platform. “We are delighted to double down on our global expansion strategy and look forward

ACW 5 APRIL 2021

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to welcoming Air Canada Cargo on board as a first mover in the North American region. Air Canada Cargo’s constant drive for innovation and technology to offer customers the best possible service is very much in line with cargo.one’s values and strategy,” stated Moritz Claussen, managing director of cargo.one.

“Given the current capacity constraints out of Europe to North America, cargo.one’s growing user base will now have additional real-time access to much sought-after space at the click of a button.“

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NEWS

AMI relocates at LAX AIR Menzies International (AMI) has moved to a new facility at LAX, allowing expansion and adding to its already significant presence at Southern California’s premier airfreight hub. The move from an existing facility will more than double their warehouse space and place them just 500m from LAX International Airport, conveniently allowing freight forwarders to drop off cargo without having to queue at airlines cargo facilities. The move is part of a major investment in its US facilities to increase and improve its consolidations services, add new trade lanes, and being able to offer new services including bonded storage, transit cargo handling, import e-Commerce, and de-vanning ocean containers. The impending change to the international air transportation standards mandate for security screening is also a significant factor in the move to a bigger facility. From June 30, 100% of international all cargo aircraft flights are required to receive the same level of security screening and scrutiny that cargo shipments on passenger fights undergo now. It is expected the demand for X-ray screening services across the US will rise dramatically after this date, as US freight forwarders

seek to comply with the mandate or risk having their shipments blocked from being loaded onto the aircraft. Speaking of the move, Tibor Fodelmesi, VP for the Americas said: “Our new facility will help us to add even more services, expand and diversify our consolidations services internationally, but crucially introduce new solutions that we have been unable to provide before in our previous LAX facility. “Also, with the end of June deadline on cargo screening fast approaching, it is providing us with a large increase in warehouse space, as we anticipate a big uptake in our X-ray screening services. This move will be the first of many investments into our facilities across the US, with further moves planned for New York, Chicago and Miami.” Recently appointed Adam Cooper, head of sales for the Americas added further: “With the growth in online sales increasing significantly over the last year, the requirement to have a flexible and dynamic range of services is key in today’s market. AMI’s ability to quickly adapt and provide the solutions our customers require here and now, as well as in the future, is a major part of the ethos at AMI.”

Changes to Swissport executive team in APAC Brad Moore will join Swissport as new managing director for the Australasia region.

AFTER 23 very successful years, Glenn Rutherford, Swissport executive vice president for Asia-Pacific, has decided to depart the company at the end of 2021. Brad Moore will join Swissport from Qatar Airways as new managing director for the Australasia region. Rutherford will spend three months ensuring a smooth transition after Moore commences in early April, before moving to a role supporting Swissport executive management with postCOVID strategy until the end of 2021. “Over the past 23 years, Glenn Rutherford’s achievements have been extraordinary, growing the Australasian business from 35 employees to some 4,000, culminating in its acquisition by Swissport in 2018,” says Christoph Mueller, president and CEO of Swissport International. “We thank him for his impressive contributions to our business globally and to the sector in the region. We are delighted he has agreed to support Swissport until the end of the year, despite making the decision to follow his ambitions elsewhere.” Looking at Asia beyond Australia and New Zealand, Swissport expects air traffic demand to return relatively quickly to its dynamic pre-pandemic growth path. The company’s strong foothold in Japan and Korea together with its leading market position in Australia and New Zealand will help it to capitalise on this trend.

KLN posts 30% revenue growth

WILLIAM Ma, group managing director of Kerry Logistics Network Group, said: “Even as the pandemic forced millions of corporate employees around the world to work from home, our teams have been working tirelessly on the frontline, maintaining 24/7 services across some 150 international hubs to support various industries and sustain people’s daily lives.” Revenue increased by 30% to HK$53,361 million (2019: HK$41,139 million). Core operating profit increased by 20% to HK$3,320 million (2019: HK$2,765 million). Core net profit increased by 33% to HK$1,828 million (2019: HK$1,374 million).

ACW 5 APRIL 2021

NEWS

African

In my opinion… Sanjeev Gadhia on

AERO AF

how Kenya and East Africa are preparing for vaccine transportation “WITH the arrival of one million doses in Kenya and 840,000 doses in Uganda of the AstraZeneca Vaccines from the COVAX Facility and a donation of 100,000 doses to Kenya and Uganda by the Government of India, both countries have rolled out country-wide vaccination program targeting the medical workers and the elderly, in phase one. “Kenya plans to vaccinate 15 million of its population in 2021 and will require 30 million doses of vaccines, which will be met by the COVAX Facility and direct purchase. “Uganda plans to vaccinate 23 million people and will require 45 million doses of vaccines, which will be met by the COVAX Facility and direct purchase of 21.5 million doses in

2021 and the balance in 2022. “While Uganda and Kenya have a vaccination programme, Tanzania is recovering from the shock of the untimely death of its president who insisted that the country was free from COVID-19, and advocated the use of herbs and steam-inhalation instead of vaccines.

“East Africa continues to prosper despite the negative effect of COVID-19 on its tourism and hospitality sector and will achieve a growth rate of 4.8%. “Kenya is one of three African countries which can handle large-scale storage of COVID-19 vaccines at the freighter-friendly airport, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, which boasts 9,000 m2 of air-side cold-storage facility which can hold over 200 million doses of vaccines. “With the combined fleet and network of Astral Aviation and Kenya Airways Cargo, the Nairobi hub will play an important role in the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines to and within Africa.”

NEUTRAL air cargo broker, Aero Africa is beginning to gain momentum and significant air cargo market share within the African logistics industry and has plans to develop operations throughout the continent this year. “Following the successful launch of our neutral airfreight import consolidation product from China to South and East Africa earlier last year, we are pleased to announce the kick-off of our new blocked space agreements (BSA) airfreight consolidation programme ex Europe,” said Jade Da Costa CCO, Aero Africa. “In partnership with Neutral Freight Services BV (NFS Airfreight) one of the leading and most recognised neutral airfreight wholesalers and consolidators in the EU, we offer MD (Main Deck) and LD (Lower Deck) services on premium airlines, and at competitive rates through our BSA contracts with the carriers. In addition, we offer an innovative EXW Door 2

Ethiopian Cargo and Logistic Services: “more than re A fter transporting the first vaccine consignment from China to Ndjamena back in February and the second arriving from Mumbai in early March, Ethiopian Cargo and Logistics Services told ACW it is “more than ready to serve globally” in what IATA has labelled “the mission of the century for the global air cargo industry.” “Now with a vaccine in sight, with are ready

to facilitate the safe transport and careful handling of all sensitive cargo including the COVID-19 vaccine, we believe that we will play a key role and will have a major share in distributing the vaccine to the world,” said a spokesperson for Ethiopian Cargo & Logistics Services. The infrastructure is already in place. Ethiopian’s ‘Pharma Wing’ is equipped with three climate chambers ranging from -25OC to

+25OC dedicated for the handling of time and temperature sensitive healthcare products. These facilities are capable of storing more than 1.45 million kilos of temperature controlled cargo at a time.

Airport-to-airport “We have also developed airport-to-airport supply chain solutions with the aim to deliv-

NEW ROUTES

On April 1, 2021 Caribbean Airlines launched a non-stop service between Barbados and John F Kennedy Airport operating as one-way sectors on Thursday out of Barbados and Saturday out of New York. This will facilitate seamless onward connections to the islands of Dominica, St. Vincent and Grenada.

· Oman Air resumed flights to Milan on March 28. The twice-weekly flights will operate on Sundays and Wednesdays as WY143 from Muscat and WY144 from Milan. Flights from Muscat will depart at 14:35 and arrive in Milan at 19:45. Flights from Milan will depart at 22:05 and arrive in Muscat at 06:40.

provide customers with access to Delta’s extensive global network.

· Throughout March, American Airlines increased its summer schedule by restarting 10 routes to the U.S. from airports across the UK and Europe including; Barcelona, Dublin, Frankfurt, London Heathrow, Madrid, Milan, Paris CDG and Rome.

· Delta announced it will offer a new daily non-stop flight to/from Salt Lake City beginning May 5. The new service to Salt Lake City and the previously summer-seasonal service to Minneapolis/St. Paul is expected to extend to year-round to

· To increase links with the European vaccine production hub, Cathay Pacific Cargo has announced it is adding additional capacity to operate on the Pharma Corridor between the Belgian capital and Hong Kong until June.

ACW 5 APRIL 2021

· Delta will also be increasing frequencies on its existing FAI flights to Seattle and Minneapolis/St. Paul, adding a third nonstop flight to SEA, and a second nonstop flight to Minneapolis/St.Paul, both beginning on June 19.

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er time and temperature sensitive healthcare products including vaccines, pharmaceuticals, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), blood and blood derivatives, life science products, biotechnologies and other medical supplies to reach their destinations safely and help to improve the lives of end users. “A thorough knowledge, training and experience of the management and cold chain experts in healthcare logistics has helped us to rollout a legacy product, ‘Pharma Wing’. “We have made all the necessary preparations to make use of our modern freighter & belly hold ﬂeet, the largest and best-equipped cargo facility. Our facility has a capacity to carry one million tonne annually, more than 56% of which is dedicated for cold chain facility. “Our connectivity, freighter network as well as the geographical location of our hub at Addis Ababa give us a competitive advantage for the transportation of much needed vaccines and other medical equipment.”

UNICEF Ethiopian has also partnered with UNICEF to help secure the transport of vaccines and other life-saving supplies worldwide. The cargo carrier reports it has committed to prioritising the transport of the life-saving supplies, ensuring measures such as temperature control and security and adding freight capacity to routes where needed. The UNICEF Humanitarian Airfreight Initiative has been formed with leading global airlines to support the COVAX Facility, a global solution to the COVID-19 pandemic that ensures participating countries have fair access to vaccines, regardless of their income level. The amount of vaccines to be shipped into Africa is to be determined by the demand of different countries taking their capacity and population size into account.

NEWS

an airfreight A

AFRICA GAINS MOMENTUM Airport product from over 15 European countries, under one centralised service centre, and a simplified per kilo Europe EXW Tariff. “Aero Africa recently launched regional B737F feeder freighter operations and RFS via JNB to/from Southern Africa and Indian ocean islands, and we are very excited to partner with leading regional cargo carriers in East and West Africa.” Aero Africa was founded by a group of air cargo entrepreneurs and consultants with a vast experience and extensive knowledge in the global aviation and airfreight industry. Due to the accelerated economic growth on the African continent, the increase in logistics activities and the direct trade with Far East and the world, it has become critical to providing the logistics and aviation sector with a tailor-made and simplified air cargo solution, as well as with a secure financial transacting plat-

form with Africa. As a neutral air cargo broker and virtual airline, the company has developed all cargo and wide-bodied scheduled operations, as well as full charter flights, from Asia, Europe and the Americas to over 70 hard to reach destinations in the African continent. The company’s vision is to inject a greater degree of advanced air cargo expertise into

the African logistics industry, promote the Far East & Americas trade with Africa through wide-bodied and cargo aircraft scheduled operations, as well as to delivering reliable and innovative African final mile freight solutions to the international logistics community, including A2D, DAP, freight collect, time-critical and special handling services.

an ready to serve globally”

ACW 5 APRIL 2021

THE BACK PAGE

PLANE SOUQ takes off

New upcycling company, PLANE SOUQ, is bringing retired aircraft parts back to life

LANE SOUQ is designed to be an online marketplace for upcycled aircraft parts. Developed by aviation entrepreneur and owner of the Albion Aviation Group Lewis King, the PLANE SOUQ marketplace responds directly to an increased interest and demand in up-cycled aviation memorabilia, such as aircraft skin tags, repurposed aircraft windows, galley trollies and seats. “The aircraft teardown and upcycling market has always intrigued me and with an acceleration of aircraft retirements due to COVID-19, we want to try and preserve some of these iconic aircraft before they are lost forever,” said King. “For any aircraft graveyards or teardown companies reading this article, please get in touch as we want your scrap!” PLANE SOUQ’s launch skin tag is the limited

edition “Queen of the Skies”, which has been cut from the tail of British Airways B747 aircraft G-CIVI or otherwise known as the “City of Gloucester” or “Victor India”. The tags are

designed and made in the UK, but are available for worldwide shipping. PLANE SOUQ has also partnered with UK based aviation charity The Air League and for

every tag sold by PLANE SOUQ, a donation will be made to the charity. The Air League is an aerospace charity with a vision focused on changing lives through aviation.

Air Cargo Week readers can redeem an exclusive discount on PLANE SOUQ’s “Queen of the Skies” B747 skin tags by quoting “air cargo week” at the checkout.

PLANE SOUQ’s website is www.planesouq.com

We talk WePlan with founders Lana and Franziska

an you remember a time when the constant, steady roar of aircraft overhead was so normal that you didn’t look up? Believe it or not, the skies above us are much busier than you might think. 100,000 air cargo flights each and every day are travelling through air corridors, transporting $18.6 billion worth of goods, keep the global supply chain running. The absolutely critical need to fly COVID-19 vaccines has led to air cargo operators needing to optimise operational and logistical performance to the max. But WePlan’s story does not start today. The solution to optimised cargo transportation began more than ten years ago in the warehouses and offices of cargo operators. Franziska Burmester was then a young analyst, part of an international aviation consultancy, and deeply frustrated at the waste within the industry she loved and still loves. Burmester could only watch as overtime and shift changes sore as employee satisfaction and attrition became an increasing issue. But it was not the planners who were at fault, delayed in-bound flights and trucks, limited planning transparency, rigid union agreements, sickness amongst staff and other unexpected events all contributed to the chaos and cost. There had to be a better way. Lana Jansen also worked in the aviation industry, with a passion for aircraft and aviation. Jansen spent much of her time leading large projects for airlines and airports. Watching the profits being eaten away by increasing labour costs, Jansen was left with

Franziska Burmester & Lana Jansen

the same feeling: there had to be a better way.

Watercooler The two women ended up working for the same company and maybe it was by the water cooler, or maybe by the coffee machine, but

one day they got together to swap war-stories and in doing so the kernel of an idea hit them, which has since become WePlan. Burmester explains: “We decided to use our experience in resource planning to develop a solution that truly solves the problems that planning teams face on a daily basis, enabling

them to get transparency on actual cost of service and then make cost-optimal decisions. In times of growing complexity, we wanted to create a tool that simplifies the planning process and optimally supports the planner.” WePlan is a manpower planning tool that makes creating resource plans and scenarios for even the most complex operational environments simple, flexible and time-efficient. It eradicates the need of inputting large amounts of data into spreadsheets. In fact, spreadsheets are not needed at all. Flexible planning takes the complexity out of operational planning, as Jansen explains: “WePlan enables smart, intuitive and flexible manpower planning for both long and shortterm. The innovative technology that we have applied to WePlan means that analysing, forecasting, and comparing different scenarios can be achieved in seconds. The WePlan team is working with both carriers and handlers, along with others in the world of air cargo. WePlan’s estimator feature lets planners input information such as flight schedules, tonnages, planning rules, process times and a wide variety of further information into the tool to estimate the exact workforce demand within seconds.

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