AIR CARGOES TAXI TO SUSTAINABILITY LIFT-OFF

By John Bensalhia

In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, project cargo businesses have had to consider alternatives to seaborne shipping, partly on account of increasing ocean freight rates and also to expand to meet rising demand. While speed is the main attraction for project cargo air freight, reliability with accurate departure and arrival times is also appealing. But when it comes to environmental issues, the project air cargo industry needs to fly higher.

That’s one of the findings taken from the 2023 The International Air Cargo Association, or TIACA, sustainability report. Pressure to boost sustainability levels has increased from last year, according to 64 percent of respondents – an increase that the report attributes to both customers and regulators.

One regulation making its mark – and driving that increase – is the European Council’s Environmental, Social and Governance, or ESG, amendments. Large companies will now be required to report on sustainability issues – which as well as social and human – include environmental rights. These new ESG air cargo requirements are expected to be introduced this year. The European

Regions: Global

Problem: Fast and reliable project cargo air freight will come at an even greater cost in the future as sustainability targets take hold

Solution: Scaling up of sustainable aviation fuels and applying ‘skins’ to improve efficiency will help cap costs

Council explained that by providing data, companies can spot any potential risks, while allowing investors access to information that can help them to

Cargo implement sustainability-related issues into their investment decisions.

Greater awareness in tackling these issues is taking off. The TIACA report says that 76 percent of companies have sustainability strategies in place, with 82 percent already providing sustainability reports.

A spokesperson for shipper Neste said that the aviation industry has set itself an ambitious target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050. “Air cargo is an integral part of the aviation industry and IATA estimates cargo flights to represent around half of all flights. We also see a growing awareness among companies using air cargo to work on reducing the emissions related to their air cargo activities.”

With new projects being put into practice, sustainability considerations are being taken on board.

Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) – in conjunction with its operating partner, Atlas Air – has embarked on its mission to take cargo from the sea to the skies. Boeing has constructed the B777-200 freighter for the partnership. Four B777-200 air freighters are expected this year, making cargo deliveries to Europe, America, China and Mexico.

The MSC project has taken on the challenge of providing sustainable air cargo flight solutions. Lufthansa Technik and BASF have devised a surface technology called AeroSHARK, which is being used for all Boeing B777 freighters and is expected to save over 4,000 metric tons of kerosene per year as well as almost 13,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions. AeroSHARK takes its inspiration and name from its structure, which has been compared with shark skin. The surface film effectively mimics this structure, comprising 50 micrometer ribs, applied to the fuselage and engine nacelles of the Boeing 777 freighters.

Dorothea von Boxberg, CEO of Lufthansa Cargo, said: “We are proud to be able to operate our entire freighter fleet even more efficiently in the future thanks to Sharkskin technology and to further reduce the carbon footprint of our modern fleet. Our investments for the introduction of AeroSHARK bring us closer to our goal of being 100 percent CO2-neutral in the air by 2050; on the ground, we would like to achieve this goal as early as 2030.”

Playing a key part in the achievement of the project cargo air industry’s net zero target is sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF. Around 65 percent of the emission reductions needed to get to net zero are predicted to be delivered through using SAF.

Wednesday 07 June 16:10-16:55

Neste is the world’s leading producer of SAF and is also working together with stakeholders in the cargo industry to increase the availability of SAF. “For example, in November last year, we announced a partnership with