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08/04/2019 12:48
The weekly newspaper for air cargo professionals No. 1,052
7 October 2019
Who defeated the Flying Squad?
History in the making UPS operates first delivery flight for drone airline
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PS Flight Forward has operated its first delivery flight having received US government Part 135 Standard certification to operate a drone airline. The UPS subsidiary was awarded the certificate on Friday 27 September, and immediately a delivery flight took off at WakeMed’s hospital campus in Raleigh, North Carolina. The flight, using a Matternet M2 quadcopter was flown under a government exemption allowing for a “beyond visual line of sight” operation, also a first in the US for a regular revenue-generating delivery. David Abney, chief executive officer of UPS says: “This is history in the making, and we aren’t done yet. Our technology is opening doors for UPS and solving problems in unique
ways for our customers. We will soon announce other steps to build out our infrastructure, expand services for healthcare customers and put drones to new uses in the future.” Earlier this year, UPS partnered with Matternet to launch a healthcare delivery service on the WakeMed campus to demonstrate the business case for drone deliveries of medical products and specimens. FAA Part 135 Standard certification has no limits on the size or scope of operations, and UPS Flight Forward’s certificate permits the company to fly an unlimited number of drones with an unlimited number of remote operators in command. Elaine Chao, US secretary of transportation says: “This is a big step forward in safely integrating unmanned aircraft systems into our
airspace, expanding access to healthcare in North Carolina and building on the success of the national UAS Integration Pilot Program to maintain American leadership in unmanned aviation.” UPS wants to expand its drone network and plans deliveries to hospitals and medical campuses, as well as build-out of ground-based
detect-and-avoid technologies to verify drone safety, construction of a centralised operations control centre, and regular and frequent flights beyond the operator’s visual line of sight. Partnerships with drone manufacturers; and adding services outside of the healthcare industry are also planned.
customers. The OBC team delivers time-critical consignments of manufacturing components, prototypes and
product samples with hand-carry couriers accompanying the shipment from pick-up to final delivery. Since launching the service in Germany in 2006, Chapman Freeborn OBC has increased its footprint by recruiting couriers globally. A second operations hub was opened in Hong Kong to serve the Asian market. Nikolai Bergmann, president of Chapman Freeborn OBC says: “We already have a substantial client base in the US and the opening of the new sales and operations centre in Los Angeles will enhance our presence
and provide a strong support base for our customers. Working in combination with our hubs in Europe and Asia, the launch of our US business means we now offer real-time support and 24/7/365 coverage on a global basis.” Rob Allerman, head of operations in Los Angeles says: “Los Angeles is one of the most diverse and vibrant global cities on the planet; we have an amazing talent pool here with a location that is convenient for our clients in time-critical industries. Opening the LA office is a perfect way for us to expand our high standards of service delivery and we’re thrilled to be here.”
INSIDE HANDLING GOES DIGITAL
E-COMMERCE shipments arriving at Leipzig/Halle are now being handled entirely digitally through Zodiak customs software developed by Dakosy ... PAGE 2
WISETECH JOINS CARGO IQ
Chapman Freeborn OBC team delivered to LA
CHAPMAN Freeborn has expanded the presence of its on board courier (OBC) service to Los Angeles, California to provide dedicated support for US
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WISETECH Global has joined Cargo iQ to provide independent freight forwarders with access to best practices through its CargoWise One platform ... PAGE 5 LIVING THE HEALTHY LIFE
PHARMA traffic has turned from general cargo into a separate, dedicated traffic because of several factors, considers Fedor Novikov ... PAGE 8
STEADY GROWTH IN ABIDJAN
AIRFREIGHT volumes at Abidjan’s Felix-Houphouet-Boigny International Airport have been rising at steady rates over the past few years ... PAGE 10
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E-commerce to be handled digitally in Leipzig
ACWBITES KURT Larsen, 74, retired as chairman and member of the board of directors of DSV following the close of an extraordinary general meeting on 24 September. Thomas Plenborg has been appointed as the new chairman of the board of directors and Jorgen Moller was elected deputy chairman. Other points approved at the meeting were changing the group name to DSV Panalpina and making English the official corporate language. AIRFREIGHT throughput declined 8% at Singapore Changi Airport in August to 169,000 tonnes, bringing the total for the year to 1.32 million tonnes, down 6.2% on 2018. On 3 September, Singapore Airlines launched three flights a week to Seattle, USA. IndiGo also started daily services from Singapore to the Indian cities of Delhi and Mumbai. AMERICAN Airlines will increase flights from Miami and Boston to Latin American and European destinations in 2020. A third daily Miami – Lima will be added on 7 April using a Boeing 757, along with additional flights to Santiago, Chile and Sao Paulo, Brazil for winter 2020 using Boeing 777-200s. Boston – London Heathrow flights will take off on 29 March using a 777-200. ROYAL Schiphol Group and QIC have won the bid for a 70% stake in Hobart International Airport in Tasmania, Australia. Both partners will acquire a 35% stake and act as independent stakeholders. Tasplan will remain shareholder for the remaining 30%. SAUDI Arabian Airlines has taken delivery of its first Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner, complementing its fleet of 13 787-9s. The 787-10 is a stretched version of the 787-9, with a range of 6,345 nautical miles.
Quote of the week
“My talk was due at 11.30 and I am not talking until 12.10. What was the topic of this summit? Time critical airfreight,” Jonas van Stekelenburg, 12Send, on why things do not always go to plan.
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-commerce shipments arriving at Leipzig/Halle Airport are now being handled entirely digitally through Zodiak customs software developed by Dakosy. The Atlas Customs approved software is being used at Germany’s second-largest airfreight hub by ground handling service provider PortGround, a wholly-owned subsidiary of airport operator Mitteldeutsche Flughafen. About 70 cargo aircraft land in Leipzig/Halle a day, mostly laden with online shopping, and the new software has an integrated interface with the airport’s in-house IT systems and can process relevant customs information to automatically trigger processes. Ulrich Wrage, CEO of Dakosy Datenkommunikationssystem says:
“Especially in times of growing e-commerce business, a smooth supply chain is important to guarantee punctual delivery for customers and consumers. The digital handling of customs processes is an essential part of this. We are confident that with our support, Leipzig/Halle Airport will become an air cargo hub that pioneers the digitalisation of e-commerce for the future.” Zodiak is used as a Software-as-a-Service application, simplifying the workflow of customs clearance, with PortGround using an electronic interface to send flight manifest data for all expected shipments. Relevant customs information is automatically triggered, with the first message being the Import Control System declaration to the platform as required for all EU imports from third countries. For air cargo, this must take place at least four hours in advance of reaching the first airport within the EU. If the value of the shipment exceeds €22, Zodiak triggers the summary declaration to customs and automatically initiates customs import duty processing. Alexander König, managing director of PortGround says: “The new customs software expands our comprehensive logistics portfolio and supports us, especially in the steadily growing e-commerce business. As the fifth-largest cargo airport in Europe, we need to seize the opportunities offered by digitalisation. With Dakosy, we have a reliable partner who contributes a great deal of technical, logistical and customs know-how.”
Andersen named WFS chairman ECS Group acquires Wexco
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ils Andersen has been appointed chairman of the board of directors at Worldwide Flight Services, taking over on 19 September. He brings 19 years of leadership experience from executive and non-executive board roles at large listed and non-listed companies across industries including logistics, packaging, oil and gas, brewing and consumer goods. Andersen has served as president and CEO of Carlsberg and AP Moller, and as chairman of AkzoNobel, and as a board member of BP and Unilever. Welcoming Andersen to the board, Craig Smyth, CEO of WFS says: “I have no doubt that he will be a fantastic asset as we take the next step in the transformation of our company by combining our best-in-class service and market-leading security and safety with our ability to invest in new facilities, products, and solutions to support the growth of our customers.” Commenting on his new role, Andersen says: “I look forward to working alongside the board and executive team as the business continues to expand and take advantage of market opportunities.”
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exco has joined ECS Group, strengthening its network in Asia Pacific. Founded in Australia in 1979 and expanding into New Zealand in 2003, Wexco has a strong presence in the Australasian market, which ECS Group says was a crucial factor in making the acquisition. Bertrand Schmoll, chairman of ECS Group says: “We were not previously represented in either country and our strategy involves expanding our footprint in the Asia-Pacific region. Wexco is the perfect partner with which to do this, and one of its biggest assets is its unrivalled market expertise.” Russell Freeman and David Williams of Wexco add: “ECS Group is the world’s leading and largest global GSSA, not only in terms of its network but also in terms of innovation. ECS Group has digital tools that no other GSSA has developed, allowing it to constantly improve the way in which it meets the needs of its airline and freight forwarder clients. Furthermore, ECS Group’s values fit perfectly with our own. It made the decision to join ECS Group a simple one.”
LOT Cargo to use CSafe active containers Swissport to roll out self-service kiosks
LOT Cargo has signed a master lease agreement with CSafe Global to extend cold-chain services to life science customers. The cargo division of LOT Polish Airlines will use CSafe’s RAP and RKN active temperature containers, which offer the industry’s longest battery run times and broad ambient temperature ranges. They combine advanced compressor-driven cooling technologies with superior VIP insulation to regulate payload temperatures. Michal Grochowski, director of LOT Cargo says: “We are proud that we can co-operate with one of the best and the most innovative global companies that provide cold-chain solutions to pharmaceutical customers, and are confident that we will be able to develop this business relationship to further benefit our valued customers with best-in-class active containers.” Brad Jennings, vice president of global marketing at CSafe Global adds: “LOT Cargo’s strong network, with direct links between the key markets of Europe with the US, Asia Pacific and India, paired with the superior performance of CSafe’s active container range, will provide LOT’s pharma customers with the ultimate air cargo solution for their temperature-sensitive supply chain.”
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SWISSPORT is speeding up the airfreight handling process with self-service kiosks, which will be rolled out across the network within the next 24 months. The kiosks will reduce waiting times and increase the quality of documentation. They were initially rolled out at Brussels Airport and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. After the driver registers and is identified at the kiosk with official ID or a passport, they can scan all relevant documents. They then receive a text message with the information at which truck gate they must drop off their cargo. Shipping information can be entered via a kiosk-web portal by the forwarders directly, or the customer can link their IT systems via an API interface to Swissport’s database.
ULDs collapse in the main deck
VRR will unveil the world’s first ever fully certified collapsible main deck container for Boeing 737 and 757 freighters at Inter Airport Europe in Munich, Germany. The collapsible AAY container weighs 280 kilos and can be erected and collapsed by two people in two minutes. When folded, the container is seven times smaller and has a height of 25 centimetres. It can be stacked up to four high on a 737F’s main deck and six high on the lower deck of a wide-body aircraft. VRR says trade lanes are becoming more imbalanced due to increased traffic and the rise of e-commerce. VRR says the collapsible product provides customers with reduced container volumes, giving them more flexibility while significantly decreasing the environmental impact.
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Digital investment for Deutsche Post Strategy 2025
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eutsche Post DHL Group will invest €2 billion in digitalisation as part of its Strategy 2025, building on Strategy 2020. The new strategy is the group’s answer to trends in globalisation, digitalisation, sustainability and e-commerce, with digital transformation being stepped up. Till 2025, DPDHL will spend around €2 billion on digitalisation, a sum already included in the planned Opex and Capex spending, which is expected to lead to yearly benefits of at least €1.5 billion by 2025. Speaking at the presentation of Strategy 2025 in Frankfurt am Main, CEO Frank Appel (pictured) says the group has never been in better shape. He says: “We are convinced that future growth will come from a consistent focus on our profitable core logistics businesses – and digitalisation will become the greatest lever. We need not reinvent ourselves. We will digitalise ourselves.” IT systems will be modernised by integrating new technologies, offering employees targeted advanced training to improve services, processes and standards.
Efficiency will be improved by greater automation through warehouse automation and robotics programmes. Data algorithms will be widely applied to route optimisation, operational volume prediction and resource planning. Appel says: “Moving forward, we will bundle our technological capabilities as a Group in global Centers of Excellence. Here we will centrally develop key technologies like Internet of Things, IoT, and then provide them to our divisions. This way we can leverage the strength of our Group to push forward our digitalisation.” The group has set financial targets for 2022, including EBIT of at least €5.3 billion, generating free cash flow of €4.5-5.5 billion and planned Capex of €8.5-9.5 billion from 2020 – 2022. Chief financial officer Melanie Kreis adds: “Given the growing volatility evident in our markets and in the overall macroeconomic environment, we will be using a more flexible process for formulating our medium-term financial targets. Our guidance will cover a three-year period - for the first time also including a mid-term free cashflow guidance - and the targets will be rolled forward.”
FlowerWatch approval in Bogota AIR France KLM Martinair Cargo (AFKLMP) has achieved FlowerWatch approval in Bogota, Colombia to improve quality and vase-life of flowers. After launching the first FlowerWatch certification in Kenya in June 2019, AFLKMP has extended the programme, which features a unique degree-hour controlled shipping method designed specifically for flowers, to other markets.
Eric Mauroux (pictured), global head of perishable logistics at AFKLMP says: “By implementing the FlowerWatch quality insurance system in the main flower markets, we are not only improving the quality and vase life of fresh-cut flowers but also fostering vertical collaboration amongst all stake holders in the supply chain.”
Airfreight’s gogglebox moment returns
BRITISH television production company Back2Back productions, the company behind Mega Air, has been commissioned by Quest, owned by the Discovery network, to make a third series of its successful MegaShippers series. The first two focused exclusively on monster maritime movements. Producers now plan to expand its subject matter to all modes of freight action – land, sea and air. Carron Munro, casting producer on Mega Shippers, says: “This new series is taking to the skies. MegaShippers had access to some of the world’s largest cargo ships. “We are combining that hit series with MegaAir will be transmitted on Dave starting on Saturday, October 26 at 14.00.
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MegaAir. That means we are adding some of the largest cargo aircraft operating in the world. “We are looking for stories of large, unusual, difficult or time sensitive air cargo shipments going all over the world for this new global series.” Munro, who worked on Mega Air, is looking for stories for this new series now. If you are a freight forwarder or an airline who would potentially like to be involved in this incredible new series contact her on +44 (0) 1273 499 816 or email carron.munro@back2back.tv. She is also looking for those stories of people who have a difficult item they need moved. Filming is taking place from now until January 2020, she says.
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WiseTech Global joins Cargo iQ
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iseTech Global has joined Cargo iQ to provide independent freight forwarders with access to best practices through its CargoWise One platform. Users will have access to Cargo iQ’s latest quality standards and processes from within
the platform, once it is fully integrated, meaning significant time savings and removing the need to facilitate Cargo iQ in a separate platform. Richard White, founder and chief executive officer of WiseTech Global says: “Joining Cargo iQ lets us take its standards and processes further across the industry, helping members to measure success, and ultimately improve the value of airfreight for forwarders large and small, as well as their customers.” Freight forwarders of all sizes use CargoWise One and WiseTech will enable more SME forwarders to take part. Ariaen Zimmerman, executive director of Cargo iQ says: “Continued digitalisation is crucial for creating and implementing quality standards in air cargo and we offer a warm welcome to WiseTech Global, as our members continue to work on the value of airfreight for customers.”
Yodel and DG International deliver globally PARCEL carrier Yodel has partnered with freight forwarder DG International to launch a global outbound service for UK retailers. The Yodel International service has been developed to provide home delivery services to over 200 countries for parcels up to 30 kilograms. With overseas road and air services and customs expertise, the service offers full customer support and end-to-end tracking via the Yodel website using a single reference number. Transit times will vary from 3-5 days for European parcels and 6-10 days for the rest of the world. Duncan Lee, director of international business development at Yodel says that with UK online shopping slowing down, there is an increased retailer focus on cross border sales. He says: “Global internet penetration is increasing and our new international service has been designed to enable retailers to open their
online stores up to emerging markets that they possibly hadn’t considered before, as well as those already established.” James Appleby, managing director of DG International says: “With the spread of internet technology, the opportunities for retailers to enter new territories such as Israel and Saudi Arabia and offer customers a truly end to end service are really exciting. Cross-border distribution capability is a crucial component for UK e-commerce businesses, with consumers around the world expecting the same level of service as those based locally.”
Scanex to represent WACO in Azerbaijan
SCANEX Enterprises has been appointed to represent freight forwarding network WACO System in Azerbaijan. The Baku-based company is an independent freight forwarder offering road, air and sea freight services, and will be present at WACO’s extraordinary general meeting in October in Bangkok, Thailand. Richard Charles, CEO of WACO says: “Scanex is a young and dynamic company that offers a full range of logistics services, and WACO members will benefit from the opportunities that the company will bring to them for the central Caucasus region.” Azerbaijan’s economy is dependent on oil, and apart from international investment in oil and gas, the construction sector is growing rapidly. Kanan Sadigli (pictured), managing director of Scanex says: “Azerbaijan is a busy transit zone, which connects Europe, Russia, and Asia, and that will create many opportunities for our partners in WACO. We are very positive about joining WACO and have already received invitations to meetings from numerous WACO members, who we are also looking forward to meeting at the EGM.”
GDP for AIT Life Science Control Tower AIT Worldwide Logistics’ Life Sciences Control Tower has received Good Distribution Practice (GDP) certification from inspector SGS. The life science control tower in Itasca, Illinois underwent several document, process and procedure audits to obtain certification, including a two-day onsite assessment and a live product recall drill. SGS also reviewed AIT’s vendors and suppliers, as well as physical inspections of the control tower’s containers and packaging, sanitary conditions, security and temperature control variations. William Freidal, sales director of AIT Life Sciences says: “In an increasingly complex industry, GDP certification elevates our global offering. It not only affirms our commitment as a premium pharmaceuticals and life sciences logistics provider, it underlines our dedication to security and quality across the board.” Aaron Ambrite, global compliance director of AIT adds: “The certification process was all-encompassing to ensure that AIT’s cold-chain procedures meet WHO standards and provide customers with a secure, safe, and efficient supply chain for pharmaceutical cargo. We were well positioned going into the audit, and it provided an opportunity for the control tower to enhance and improve upon already existing procedures.”
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ir Cargo Week was the only media outlet at the recent one-day event in Amsterdam hosted by NAX time critical, part of the Neutral Air Partners (NAP) network
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hat determines whether a consignment is ‘time critical’ cargo is not the nature of the cargo but whether the shipper needs delivery made by a certain time or the consignment is a write-off. In this respect, anything can be ‘time critical’ if its arrival is the most important aspect of the delivery. However, there are certain products and categories of consignment that tend to fall into the time critical or time determined market. These can be automotive manufacturing, pharma, humanitarian aid, fashion, media and other things that have to be at a certain place at a certain time or else. Experts in the field of time critical shipments gathered in Amsterdam last week for a one-day meeting and workshop hosted at W hotel by NAX time critical, part of the Neutral Air Partners (NAP) network. The event considered some of the many issues surrounding time-sensitive and emergency logistics operations worldwide. It also looked at how air cargo companies need flexible time critical logistics solutions for moving essential aircraft and ships spares, automotive components or equipment, vital medical consignments to full charter humanitarian aid. Almost 100 delegates saw presentations from a dozen industry players and took part in the forum as well as enjoying a cocktail reception and social networking the previous evening.
most important traffics regulated by time. Our ‘friends’ are often moved around the world and they are transported with lots of standards and lots of attention. Achieving CEIV Live Animals is our aim in the near future.” He added that fresh food, by its nature extremely time critical, is a key target for the airline, as is the CEIV Fresh certificate. “This is an important target for us,” he said. For him, special handling occurs on the “tarmac and in the warehouse.” A small but very important strand of time critical cargo is “valuables.” They may be a minor volume but each will be transported with urgency and security.
Kickstarted
The event was kickstarted by Christos Spyrou of Neutral Air Partner who introduced the speakers. The first speaker off the rank was Francisco Pizzuto of IATA (International Air Transport Association) who set out the organisation’s stall. “We are not regulators, we set standards,” said Pizzuto. Pharma is a trade most closely associated with time critical transport and Pizzuto drew attention to CEIV pharma re-certification that Turkish Cargo has just achieved. “Recertification is more than just a certificate on the wall. It is about quality, doing it and doing it correctly.” He said it was a formal way to show a company has adopted a standard “and that the company has worked very hard to implement that standard.” The former Panalpina executive said: “Much time sensitive e-commerce depends on batteries. We in airfreight know how to handle them but we need to teach shippers how to ship batteries safely. We in IATA need to inform the big e-commerce portals on the safe handling of these products. Some of them don’t even know about IATA!” Turhan Ozen from Turkish Cargo followed. He talked about turning “challenges into opportunities” in the time critical market. “I am very excited as time critical services are a key foundation of future growth of Turkish Cargo,” he said. “Of course, for us, most special products are time critical – live animals is one of the
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He summed up Chapman Freeborn’s time critical readiness to locate and charter capacity: “If something happens, we are ready.” The next speaker suggested a startling reason why much time critical traffic is carried, especially in the hands of On Board Couriers (OBC). Sander Van Woesik of Wings on Board said: “One of the reasons there are so many OBCs is that manufacturers are located around the world. “They minimise the cost and are an effective solution to machine downtime. The automotive industry can face downtimes costing $32,000 a minute.” Other areas of activity, Van Woesik said, for OBCs can be aviation, such as Aircraft on Ground (AOG), healthcare, for example with stem cells in transit, fashion and high-end luxury goods. One sector he added that may not be immediately obvious is a “customer emergency”. This is where you just cannot say no to a customer and must get a product to them in the quickest possible manner or lose a contract. “You can’t tell your customer it is a holiday. It must be sent now,” he said. Wings on Board has dedicated teams to supervise time critical shipments. And relay real-time information to clients. London-based charter market disruptors CharterSync outlined the process of chartering capacity in a digital age. They used a clever demonstration of paper airplanes to get their message across.
Boxes in planes
Another surprising time critical cargo is dangerous goods. Items like medical or nuclear items have a shelf life often measured in hours. Textiles and courier traffic can also be considered time critical by the airline, he said.
Time critical cargo
According to Chapman Freeborn’s Reto Hunziker, the charter broker handles some 13,000 charters a year, from helicopters to B747 freighters. Typical time critical cargo charters include work for the United Nations, Red Cross and Red Crescent, humanitarian aid, dangerous goods, animal shipments, musical performance staging and sports movements, including NFL.
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Two years ago, bright minds at Schiphol decided to marry empty baggage hold capacity with the time critical service offering that sees cargo treated as baggage, allowing it to jump the queues to the airfreight sheds. 12Send was dreamt up, in days, recalled 1 2Send’s Jonas van Stekelenburg. He started his talk with a quip, aimed clearly at the slippage in time speakers were suffering. He said: “My talk was due at 11.30 and I am not talking until 12.10. What was the topic of this summit? Time critical airfreight,” he answered his own question to laughter. Stekelenburg had spotted that there was spare capacity in the luggage hold of KLM/Air France passenger aircraft at Schiphol. Why not utilise this by shipping time critical cargo in specially designed boxes that could travel much quicker in terms of airline handling than hold cargo? “This is about airfreight made into baggage,” he said. The 12Send service rollout has not been without problems and deadends but has been well received by those who have used it. “This is a product just for use in Europe.” While GAC Marine Logistics is mainly involved in maritime activities, it does use airfreight for “delivery of ships spares,” said Peter Orange. Some 95% of such consignments are airborne, he said “We call it door to deck,” he said.
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Virgin to challenge IAG’s dominate position at Heathrow
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for effective competition. Weiss says: “Britain, and those who travel and trade with it, deserve better than this. Air passengers and cargo customers need a choice and Virgin Atlantic is ready to deliver when Heathrow expands.” On Wednesday 25 September, Virgin Atlantic’s first flight to Tel Aviv touched down with a full cargo payload of cargo. The daily Airbus A330-300 service offers 20 tonnes of cargo to and from London’s Heathrow Airport as well as connections to major US gateways. With support from freight forwarders, Virgin Atlantic Cargo is confident of gaining a large share of the market, which produces high volumes of pharmaceuticals, e-commerce, express and valuable shipments, as well as high-tech products, fresh produce and other general cargo. Kennedy says: “It is an important cargo route and we have been extremely encouraged by the level of interest and bookings for both our direct services between London and Tel Aviv and the US connections we now offer over our London hub.” Capacity out of Israel is being marketed by GSSA partner WTA Aviation and Swissport is providing cargo handling services at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport.
irgin Atlantic wants to provide cargo customers with more choice by challenging IAG’s dominance at London’s Heathrow Airport. The airport handles over 70% of UK air cargo, totalling 1.7 million tonnes per annum, a figure that is projected to grow to three million by 2040. Over 30% of British trade flies through the airport, valued at more than £100 billion with 95% carried in the bellies of passenger aircraft. Virgin Atlantic plans to increase the number of international destinations it offers fourfold, connecting previously unserved destinations including Kolkata, India; Jakarta, Indonesia; and Panama City, Panama. Prime cargo routes such as Accra, Ghana; Austin, Raleigh Durham and San Diego in the USA; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Cape Town, South Africa and Osaka, Japan will receive more choices. Virgin Atlantic plans to serve 103 domestic, European and long-haul destinations in 2020. Dominic Kennedy, managing director of Virgin Atlantic Cargo says the airline’s volumes grew 6% in 2018, the highest level since 2010, adding that customers would give them a bigger share of business if they had the choice. He says: “At this pivotal moment for the UK economy, it is vital that our cargo customers as well as manufacturers, importers and exporters have access to the widest choice of routes and services and enjoy all the benefits that fair competition brings.” The UK government’s Aviation Strategy Green Paper aims to allocate additional capacity at Heathrow to facilitate competition, and improve connectivity to underserved or unserved routes. Virgin says that both passenger and cargo customers are largely limited to IAG or partner services, with no other airline holding more than 5% of slots. Virgin Atlantic says its plans address the need for strong, effective competition and while reducing costs for passengers, it will also enable freight forwarders, exporters and importers to benefit from greater choice. Shai Weiss, CEO of Virgin Atlantic says the summer of disruption severely impacted air cargo supply chains, showing the need
Militzer & Münch establish joint venture in Serbia
MILITZER & MÜNCH has established a joint venture with Serbian logistics company Invictus System Transport & Logistics to expand its network in the Balkans. The joint venture was registered as M&M Militzer & Münch Transport & Logistics on 25 September, and aims to be Serbia’s leading forwarder within the next two years. Filip Simovic is the managing director of the joint venture. Previously he headed up the transport operations at Invictus with Dragan Simovic, a former country executive of another international logistics corporation. On Militzer & Münch’s side, regional managing director South East Europe Sacho Todorov is in charge of the joint venture. Todorov says: “Serbia is a bridge to the EU, and is also of major geo-strategic importance in terms of the New Silk Road. As many German companies have production plants in Serbia, the joint venture is especially promising for our German country unit.” Filip Simovic says the company will initially focus on road transport, with services comprising of export, import and customs clearance. He adds: “In the near future, we are going to expand our portfolio, adding airfreight and sea freight, warehousing, intermodal traffics and project transports. Our objective is to develop the joint start-up within the next two years to become a leading forwarding company in Serbia.”
Smiths scans for e-commerce growth
SMITHS Detection has launched its HI-SCAN 145180-2is pro, specifically designed to screen international e-commerce. The scanner has two 200kV X-ray generators set at 90 degrees from each other with one positioned under the conveyor belt. The layout improves penetration and superior image quality, minimising the need for time consuming and costly re-scans, as well as easy access for maintenance and service. The generators are digitally controlled, offering advanced analysis and diagnosis capabilities as well as an internal memory, storing important lifecycle data. Matthew Clark, vice president technology at Smiths Detection says: “All our experience in screening air cargo has been leveraged to create a truly unique solution which fulfils the needs in the growing air cargo market for optimum performance from a compact and competitively priced scanner.”
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PHARMACEUTICALS
Airfreight that leads to healthie
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harma traffic has turned from general cargo into a separate, dedicated traffic because of several factors, considers Fedor Novikov, deputy general director, Special Products, AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC). “Like all other industries, the pharma sector has developed tremendously, with so many sophisticated medicines being developed over the last decade to help people live longer and healthier lives. The complexity of these medicaments usually comes with short-life cycles, strict storage conditions and special handling requirements. This results in pharma being high-yielding traffic for the logistics sector, as all the players are expected to go above and beyond and develop dedicated services for pharma-
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ceutical shipments which require special cold-storage facilities, personnel, equipment, and so on, as well as additional investments.” There is a spectrum of factors behind-thescenes, considers Novikov which facilitate temperature control and integrity throughout the supply chain. “First and foremost, we have introduced our dedicated ‘abc pharma’ product which covers all the areas of operations – sales, procurement, operations, with a team of qualified specialists in every region who are well aware of special procedures to be followed during the process of cold-chain logistics.” In-flight systems of ABC’s Boeing 747 freighters are combined with modern active containers which maintain desired temperature
environment, up-to-date equipment to monitor transport conditions such as temperature loggers which records temperature, humidity, shock condition and shipment movement by the use of GPS devices to transmit the data as well as special packaging solutions for pharmaceutical products.
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ABC transports all medicine-related products with care, following all security measures. Apart from in-flight monitoring through data loggers, the carrier uses video and photo surveillance at the warehousing premises to guarantee additional security of this cargo. “The global pharma sector will continue its rapid development, with major consumer markets being in North America, Europe, South East Asia. This will create opportunities for logistics providers capable of adjusting to strict requirements and investing in their business to comply with them. We will definitely see more major players turning their heads to this sector, and, hopefully, development of sufficient infrastructure for intact logistics, such as the building of dedicated cold-chain warehouses, usage of sophisticated temperature-control equipment, and implementation of digital technologies to be able not only to book pharma shipment online, but to track its status during the whole transportation and get all the notifications with ambient conditions,” notes Novikov. He considers that, given the increasing pharma volumes, there could be a pharma-only airline. He says: “[It] is possible but will be tough as there will be an issue of outbound-inbound traffic balance. While some regions might consume loads of pharma products, there will be nothing to fill in the capacities on the way back. Instead there will be more dedicated solutions for pharma traffic with a professional approach to comply with existing and emerging requirements.” ABC pays great attention to leveraging vol-
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PHARMACEUTICALS
Will CMA CGM pharma move be a bitter pill?
IN May, shipping line CMA CGM Group launched its new Reefer Pharma division, specially dedicated to temperature-controlled shipping of pharmaceutical products and boasting advanced expertise. Long avoided by pharma companies for its slow speeds and poor handling practices, the move by CMA CGM sees shipping challenging airfreight’s key role over the last decade in expanding pharma traffic. Figures produced by Pharma Logistics IQ show that only about 20% of pharma payloads are currently
moved via ocean freight, this is likely to increase to approximately 75% within the next decade. “For organising and closely monitoring the shipping of this highly sensitive cargo, CMA CGM provides its customers with a dedicated team of experts who ensure 24/7 monitoring from the Group’s head office in Marseilles, as well as aboard its ships and from the company’s operational centres in Singapore and Miami, said the company at the launch. Managers sought to assure potential pharma customers that what they would lose in terms of airfreight’s speed of delivery, they would not sacrifice in terms of consignment security as the service would enjoy “an innovative temperature-controlled solution for shipping medicines that meets health and safety requirements.” They went on to talk about the safety from “containers among the newest, guaranteeing the absence of external contamination.” Also offered is inspection of each container before it leaves the warehouse, sealed containers to deny access to those without authorisation and limited handling of containers during transportation.
umes of non-temperature pharma, such as medical equipment, surgical instruments, laboratory accessories. These are transported delicately as the final consumer is still the patient, the same as with medicaments, says Novikov.
Internal processes
“We have developed and introduced our dedicated ‘abc pharma’ team with all the members being IATA-certified. We have aligned our internal processes, keeping up with ongoing professional education, including with our partners and customers through joint workshops and seminars, adopting and adapting latest IT solutions. “The abc pharma team is fully engrossed into a three-party communication process, between manufacturers, freight forwarders and the airline, to receive information with precise requirements for safe and seamless transportation of pharmaceutical products. “The acquired knowledge, our experience and expertise helped us in the standardisation of our processes for abc pharma transportation. With strict procedures, which comply with customers’ requirements, we make sure that deviations are minimised. To have 100% control and monitoring of each dedicated shipment, we have introduced Control Tower 24/7 to guarantee that any deviation will be settled immediately with the most effective solution. “abc pharma was introduced with [an] aim to help people live longer and healthier lives. It echoes one of our core values, health, and forms the basis of our business. We believe that pharma delivery is simply not a journey of the medical product from point A to point B. It is a multi-tiered process which is focused on forming the platform for a healthy future of the global population,” he says.
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Steady growth for airfreight in the Ivory Coast
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irfreight volumes at Abidjan’s Felix-Houphouet-Boigny International Airport have been rising at steady rates over the past few years. Figures provided to Air Cargo Week by airport operator AERIA show that freight tonnage increased from 20,774 tonnes in 2015 to 24,794 tonnes in 2018. Freight on non-freighter aircraft rose from 15,020 tonnes in 2015 to 16,559 tonnes in 2018. Cargo aircraft volumes were up from 5,754 tonnes to 8,235 tonnes. Between January and September, 19,228 tonnes have travelled via the airport serving the capital of the Ivory Coast, with 11,654 tonnes on non-freighter aircraft and 7,574 tonnes in freighters. Industrial machines and apparatus remain
the biggest import at Abidjan, followed by machinery and appliances, ceramic work, dairy products and pharmaceuticals. Agricultural products are the main export, followed by chemicals, beauty products, plastics and gold. Paris Charles de Gaulle remains the primary cargo destination, though figures in recent years have been up and down. In 2015, 6,279 tonnes travelled between Paris CDG and Abidjan before passing the 7,000 tonnes barrier in 2016 and 2017, then going down to 6,349 tonnes in 2018. Abidjan also has connections to Paris Orly, with freight almost tripling from 1,026 tonnes in 2015 to 2,880 tonnes in 2018. At other European destinations, Luxembourg was 3,248 tonnes in 2015 before falling below 3,000 tonnes for 2016 and 2017, then hitting 3,192 tonnes in 2018. Brussels, Belgium has remained stable, handling 2,517 tonnes in 2015 and 2,516 tonnes in 2018.
Accra in Ghana is the busiest African trading partner with freight traffic more than tripling from 580 tonnes to 1,874 tonnes.
Air France scrambles to fly A350 to Africa
AIR France took delivery of its first Airbus A350 XWB on 27 September, with the first flights heading to important West African locations. The A350-900, the first of 28 on order, was handed over to Anne Rigail, CEO of Air France and Benjamin Smith, CEO of Air France KLM Group by Christian Scherer, chief commercial officer of Airbus during a ceremony in Toulouse, France. The first flights took off from Paris Charles
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de Gaulle Airport on 7 October, to be used on routes to Abidjan in the Ivory Coast and Bamako in Mali until 8 December, and from 10 February for the summer 2020 season. The A350 consumes 25% less fuel thanks to materials up to 67% lighter, and the noise footprint has been reduced by 40% compared to previous generation aircraft. Air France will have 28 A350-900s in its fleet by 2025.
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HE LIKES TO KEEP HIS HEAD DOWN
Drones defeat Flying Squad Police investigating the drone incident at London’s Gatwick Airport at Christmas 2018 that brought the airport to a standstill have confessed they are unlikely to ever solve the crime
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ussex Police have held up their hands to admit that they are no closer to finding the people responsible for the event. Flights were suspended for 30 hours after drone sightings in December, causing chaos for 140,000 passengers and belly cargo customers. Police received 129 separate reports of drone activity at the time, with 109 from “credible witnesses” including a pilot and airport police. Some 96 people of interest were ruled out. Without any new information, there are “no further realistic lines of inquiry at this time,” admitted the constabulary. During the summer, a senior officer revealed the idea that two drones were simultaneously used in the attack. While not considered terror-related, a state-sponsored campaign or interest-group-led attack, the event still cost Sussex Police almost £800,000 to investigate.
Be prepared
The incident has been commented on by Ben Marcus, co-founder and chairman of AirMap. “It is clear that not enough airports, Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs), Civil Aviation Authorities (CAAs) and governments around the world are prepared enough to respond to drone incursions, intentional or otherwise,” he says. These risks can be managed by the implementation of basic regulations such as electronic registration, remote identification (ID) and
tracking. However, airports need to consider implementing longer-term and broader solutions to cater for the increase in commercial drone usage expected in the coming years.
Clear regulations
Airspace authorities should establish clear regulations that require all drone operators to register themselves and their aircraft along with a simple, streamlined process for doing so. Implementing a digital registration system is relatively easy – drone operators can enter name, contact, and aircraft details on an Internet-enabled device, which populates a secured registration server, that also confirm identities and authenticate users. Mandatory registration can also require that a drone operator self-identifies to get authorised access to fly in controlled airspace near airports. Registered operators are responsible actors who have demonstrated intent to operate in compliance with regulations. Popular drone manufacturers already implement geofencing options and firmware updates to meet airspace regulations. In practice, geofencing prevents a drone from flying in restricted, controlled and other unsafe airspace, which helps ward against illegal drone operations by careless and clueless operators. Intentional bad actors may hack their drones, unlocking geofencing or spoofing their location. In these instances, the integration of counter-UAS (C-UAS) technology provides the ability to identify all aircraft movements within the
controlled airspace. Marcus says: “Much of the reaction to the Gatwick incident centred on C-UAS technology as the answer to all illegal drone operations. But as drone operations near airports increase with commercial demand, C-UAS alone will not be sufficient in determining whether a drone operation requires intervention because not all drone operations at airports are unlawful. Detection must be coupled with UTM intelligence to adequately inform and ensure the safety and smooth operations of all airports.”
Industry experts considered that the reactions by UK police, military, and government officials to the incident exposed a lack of preparation in responding to unlawful drone incursions. A spokesperson for Gatwick Airport estimated that the total cost to the airport and airlines was £20 million in lost revenue. Since the incident, a second event involving drones affected the Sussex airport. Three flights were diverted from Gatwick to Stansted Airport after a drone was spotted on April 28, 2019. No arrests have been made for this event either.
A selection of drone incidents recorded in the last six months by San Francisco drone manufacturer Dedrone.
Two flights diverted from Dubai due to suspected drones, September 22
Singapore Changi Airport shuts runway briefly over drone sighting, June 19
Aer Lingus flight to London came close to an illegal drone at Dublin, Ireland, September 2
Drone near-miss sparks concern at Windsor, Ontario airport, May 23
Drones nearly hit aircraft 117 times in Ohio since 2014, report reveals, August 26
Close calls between drones and aircraft in Mid-Michigan Airports Bay County, MI, USA April 8,
BA jet in near miss with a drone 6,000 feet above southern England, August 1
Drone sighting prompted 30-minute air traffic stoppage at Frankfurt airport, March 22
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