DHL invests EUR 22 million for new handling facility in Bengaluru

 DHL Express invested about EUR 22 million (INR 200 crore) for the express industry’s largest airside facility in Bengaluru, India. Located within the Kempegowda International Airport, this newly expanded Bengaluru Gateway by  DHL Express spans over 112,000 sq feet, over four times larger than the previous facility.  

The new facility can handle over 90,000 tons of shipment per year. The additional capacity at the expanded Bengaluru Gateway enables DHL Express to offer 12 to 24 hours faster connection and delivery of imported goods across India and reduce the daily cut-off time for shipment pick-up by up to 60 minutes. 

Ken Lee, CEO, DHL Express Asia Pacific said, “As one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, India remains a critical node of the global DHL network. The Bengaluru Gateway is part of our EUR750 million investment to bolster our infrastructure in the Asia Pacific and enhance connectivity for countries and businesses. With strong international imports and exports driving the increasing cargo volume in Bengaluru, our new facility supports Bengaluru’s strategy to provide the capacity of one million tons at its airport in the next few years.”  

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Pharma. Aero appoint four experts to join Advisory Board

 Pharma.Aero has established an Advisory Board consisting of four industry experts among its Full Members, each representing a different segment of the air cargo supply chain: Airlines, Airports, Freight Forwarders and Ground Handlers. The newly appointed Advisory Board Members are:

1. AirBridgeCargo Airlines (part of Volga-Dnepr Group), Yulia Celetaria, Global Healthcare Director

2. BDP International, Simona Ravera, Director of Sales EMEA, LifeScience and Healthcare

3. Cargo Service Center India, Tushar Jani, Group Chairman

4. Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, Milton De La Paz, Vice President Airline Relations and Cargo Business Development

“The aim of forming the Advisory Board is to maintain a balanced voice from our members, who represent all segments across the pharma air cargo supply chain. The Advisory Board will help the organisation keep a 360° view on industry trends and supply chain innovation related to pharma and life sciences”, said Nathan De Valck, chairman, Pharma.Aero.

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CEVA Logistics transports vaccine using temperature-sensitive capabilities

 CEVA Logistics recently transported Covid-19 vaccines from China to Uganda by using its temperature-sensitive logistics solutions. The shipment of 700,000 doses of the Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine was transported from Beijing Capital International Airport to Entebbe International Airport for the Ugandan Ministry of Health.

The CEVA team provided the quick response and reliable solution that the customer needed to transport the 21 pallets of vaccines. With a challenging spot airfreight market, CEVA was able to secure the needed routing and timing to transport the cargo safely and efficiently.

Niels Van Namen, executive vice president of CEVA’s Global Healthcare Sector says, “Our healthcare customers, like the Ugandan Ministry of Health, are looking for transport options that keep the end patient in mind. Individuals receiving Covid-19 vaccinations should not have to worry about the reliability of their dose. That’s our job, which is why behind every shipment, we see a patient.”

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Airbus 9-months revenue up 17 percent on higher deliveries

 Toulouse, France-based Airbus delivered 424 commercial aircraft during the first nine months of 2021, an increase of 24 percent from 341 aircraft during 9-months of 2020.

The deliveries included 34 A220s, 341 A320s, 11 A330s, 36 A350s and 2 A380s, according to the statement issued by Airbus. One A330 was delivered on an operating lease without revenue recognition at delivery.

Consolidated revenue increased 17 percent to €35.2 billion from €30.2 billion for the nine-months ended September 30, 2020, mainly reflecting the higher number of commercial aircraft deliveries.

“The nine-month results reflect a strong performance across the company as well as our efforts on cost containment and competitiveness," said Guillaume Faury, chief executive officer, Airbus. "As the global recovery continues, we are closely monitoring potential risks to our industry. We are focused on securing the A320 family ramp up and striving to ensure the right industrial and supply chain capabilities are in place."

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Boeing reports 8 percent increase in Q3 revenue to $15 bn

 Boeing reported an 8 percent increase in revenue to $15.3 billion for the quarter ended September 30, 2021 driven by increased sales of commercial airplanes and services volume.

Net loss was down to $132 million from $466 million in the corresponding quarter of the previous year, according to the statement released by Boeing.

For the first nine months of 2021, revenue increased 11 percent to $47.5 billion and net loss was $126 million as against the earlier period net loss of $3.5 billion.

The freighter market remains robust, said David L Calhoun, president and chief executive officer, Boeing, in an earnings call after the announcement of the results. "With limited belly cargo capacity on passenger airlines, more dedicated freighters are being utilized to transport cargo. This is resulting in healthy demand for our freighter offerings, with 24 additional freighter airplanes ordered in the quarter and strong demand for Boeing converted freighters. In fact, our converted and new freighter orders through the first nine months of this year have already surpassed our highest annual freighter tally in history. As we look to the medium- and long-term, we see our original forecast still holds. We continue to expect passenger traffic to return to 2019 levels in 2023 to 2024, and then a few years beyond that, to return to long-term growth trends. "

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Kuehne+Nagel launches new fulfilment centre in Luxembourg

 Kuehne+Nagel expands its logistics footprint with the launch of its latest fulfilment centre in Contern, Luxembourg, comprising 34.000 m2 of warehousing space. Luxembourg is a strategic location for Kuehne+Nagel as it is in the centre of Europe with easy access to the continent’s most important consumer markets.

The opening ceremony was attended by Luxembourg’s Prime Minister, Xavier Bettel, Kuehne+Nagel’s Honorary Chairman, Klaus-Michael Kühne, and other political representatives. Marc Maurer of Swiss running gear brand On and Luc Provost of B Medical Systems, the CEOs of the two anchor customers of the new site, were also amongst the guests.

Klaus-Michael Kühne, chairman Kuehne+Nagel said, “Following a promising start 51 years ago, Kuehne+Nagel has been growing its multi-modal logistics solutions in Luxembourg continually and now further strengthens its function as a strategic contract logistics hub in Europe. This also underlines our confidence in the business location and the fruitful collaboration with the government of Luxembourg and the local authorities of Contern.”

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UPS hikes 2021 forecast on strong consumer demand

 Atlanta, U.S-based United Parcel Service Inc (UPS) has raised its full-year 2021 outlook to revenue growth of 13.8 percent and adjusted operating margin of 13 percent on strong consumer demand expected during the peak season and in the fourth quarter. 

UPS reported a 9 percent increase in revenue at $23.2 billion for the third quarter ended September 30, 2021 on a 12 percent rise in revenue per piece in the domestic market.

Consolidated operating profit was up 23 percent to $2.9 billion.

Carol Tomé, chief executive officer, UPS, said the key focus area is reducing the cost to serve through productivity and cost take-out initiatives. "I want to thank all UPSers for delivering what matters with great service to our customers. The actions we are taking under our better not bigger strategic framework to improve revenue quality, enhance productivity and remain disciplined on capital allocation are driving our positive financial performance.”

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ECS Group’s new brand identity reflects new business concept

 The familiar grey-white-blue combination logo is being replaced with a distinctive wordmark brand that is sleek, natural, light and dark blue colours. The new logo represents trust, security, and ECS Group’s calm, structured approach to challenges. 

ECS Group has been working towards its holistic business transformation since 2018, streamlining, harmonising, and digitalising processes and systems to create an unparalleled ‘Augmented GSA’ concept that will ensure the group’s leading GSSA role also in future. This change is now also reflected in the company’s corporate identity, which has been given an appropriate overhaul.

The bold Parade One typeface signifies the company’s strength and reliability, while the linear Parade Two font is reminiscent of taxiway markings on an airport landing strip. Thus, in combination with the sky blue colours, the lettering ties into air cargo and movement, and depicts ECS Group’s USP as a leading, global GSA catering for airline-specific requirements.

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DB Schenker, Lufthansa Cargo extend CO2-free freighter flights; Nokia join forces

 DB Schenker and Lufthansa Cargo created history on November 29, 2020, when a cargo flight flew on rotation between Europe and Asia, whose fuel requirements are completely covered by Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). To continue their contribution towards a greener future, DB Schenker and Lufthansa Cargo extend their weekly CO2-free freighter flights between Frankfurt and Shanghai.

The joint mission will be continued throughout the entire winter flight schedule until March 2022. Now Nokia has signed up for the initiative. Every week, the global telecommunication network provider will avoid greenhouse gas emissions by using the world’s only freighter flight 100 percent covered by Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), produced from renewable waste, such as used cooking oils.

The fuel requirement for the flight rotation from Frankfurt (FRA) to Shanghai (PVG) and back is covered entirely by SAF. This saves around 174 tons of conventional kerosene every week. During the summer flight schedule 2021, the initiative successfully achieved a net reduction of 20,250 tons of greenhouse gases (CO2e). In the upcoming winter flight schedule, from the end of October 2021 to the end of March 2022, another 14,175 tons are expected.

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GA Telesis orders six B737-800SF cargo conversions

 GA Telesis (GAT), a commercial aviation company, has ordered six B737-800SF cargo conversions with Aeronautical Engineers (AEI). The first conversions will commence in early 2022 and continue through early 2023. 

The order will be executed by GAT’s LIFT (Leasing, Investments, Finance and Trading) Group. This is the third order by LIFT and has completed 12 B737-800SF delivery conversion slots. 

“We have a very aggressive and deliberate strategy that has continued to grow since launching our first conversion over a year ago, and we will continue to refine it to include other aircraft platforms in support of our cargo airline customers worldwide,” commented Marc Cho, president, LIFT Group.

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Air freight rates up 86 percent in August 2021 vs 2019: DHL

 Air freight rates were 86 percent higher in August 2021 compared to the 2019 baseline and 20 percent more than the 2020 level.

Rates will remain high on huge demand growth against the limited capacity increase, according to the DHL report on the Airfreight state of the industry. 

Volume growth was strong at +21 percent year-on-year in August 2021. 

The airfreight market is set to see strong demand due to the upcoming ecommerce events like Black Friday and Singles Day. Another key reason for the high demand is the conversion of ocean freight to air due to port congestion in the U.S. 

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Hongyuan Group partners with Unilode for ULD management solutions

 Hongyuan Group, a corporation providing global trade, supply chain finance, logistics real estate and freight services, has entered into a five-year unit load device (ULD) supply and management partnership with Unilode Aviation Solutions, the market leader in outsourced ULD management and repair services. 

Within the next five years, the Hongyuan Group plans to increase its geographic footprint and expand its fleet to 15 aircraft. The new agreement will see Unilode supply and manage 1,000 digitised pallets to Hongyuan in the first year, and gradually increase the stock to over 3,000 pallets during the initial five-year term of the partnership.

Helen Chen, general manager of capacity management, Hongyuan Group, said, “Unilode's pooled pallet fleet will solve our previous ULD repositioning challenges and reduce our ULD-related costs. Digitalisation was also an important factor in our decision to select Unilode as Hongyuan's ULD management partner and we look forward to a successful long-term partnership that will support our company's rapid growth."

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Higher air freight demand, sea freight rates push DSV 9-months net profit to DKK 8 billion

 DSV, one of the world's largest freight forwarding companies based in Copenhagen, Denmark, more than doubled its net profit to DKK 8 billion for the 9-months ended September 30, 2021, from DKK 3.1 billion for the nine months ended September 30, 2020, on high demand for air freight and higher sea freight rates.

Revenue increased 44 percent to DKK 121 billion from DKK 84 billion, according to the results announced today.

For the quarter ended September 30, 2021, operating profit (EBIT) before special items increased to DKK 4.5 billion from DKK 2.7 billion in the year-ago period. Revenue was up 77 percent to DKK 49.5 billion from DKK 28 billion.

The operational integration of Agility’s Global Integrated Logistics business, which became part of DSV in August 2021. is likely to be completed by Q3 2022.

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BIAL Airport stakeholders adopt Kale Logistics ACS to digitalise cargo operations

 In June this year, Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (BIAL) signed an e-agreement with Kale Logistics Solutions, to develop the ACS platform in an effort to streamline its air freight logistics. Now the airport stakeholders have also adopted 95 percent of the Kale Logistics Solutions’ Airport Cargo Community System (ACS) to streamline their cargo operations as part of becoming a smart airport.

“The idea for the ACS was that we could orchestrate the cargo community, including building a single-window platform, to provide full visibility across the supply chain,” said Satyaki Raghunath, chief strategy and development officer, BIAL.

BIAL also hopes to achieve full digitalisation at the airport in preparation for anticipated growth in cargo throughput.

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DB Schenker with three other logistic companies launch Open Logistics Foundation

 DB Schenker, Dachser, duisport and Rhenus established the Open Logistics Foundation, a non-profit foundation in Berlin to build a European open-source community aiming to promote digitalization in logistics and supply chain management. 

Not only is a technology initiative like this unique in logistics to date, but the founding members are also taking on a pioneering role as to the future topic of open source. On the foundation's establishment, the board members were appointed. Jochen Thewes (Chairman), CEO of DB Schenker, Dr. Stephan Peters (Vice-Chairman), Member of the Board of Rhenus, and Stefan Hohm (Vice-Chairman), CDO of Dachser, were elected to the Executive Board. The Advisory Board is made up of Prof. Dr. h. c. Michael ten Hompel (Chairman), Managing Director of the Fraunhofer IML, and Markus Bangen, CEO of duisport, as well as Jakub Piotrowski CIO/CDO of BLG Logistics Group.

Aviance Ghana adopts CHAMP’s Cargospot Handling

 Aviance Ghana Ltd, an airline ground handling company on the African Continent, has implemented CHAMP’s Cargospot Handling solution that will provide support to the Accra-based handling company’s operations across the country.  

CHAMP’s Cargospot Handling is a comprehensive cargo operation and terminal management system that is efficient for ground handlers and terminal operators to use, allowing for easy training with minimal training time required. 

“In a time of crisis in the air cargo industry, Cargospot Handling has provided crucial efficiencies to our business. The delivery was a success and CHAMP Academy has furnished us with engaging and informative training materials that will no doubt be useful for our current and future employees,” says Mark Kamis, managing director at Aviance Ghana Ltd.

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Lufthansa extends contract with WFS; will also handle cargo-only operations in Brazil

 Lufthansa Cargo and Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) collaborate for another three-year contract to handle cargo carried onboard its passenger, freighter and ‘preighter’ services at São Paulo–Guarulhos International Airport, Brazil. The new contract extends WFS’ existing 10-year-plus relationship with Lufthansa in Brazil, covering security, ramp and porter services. 

Lufthansa Cargo has served the São Paulo air cargo market for over 30 years. It now offers daily Boeing 747-800 passenger services connecting the Brazilian city and Frankfurt as well as a weekly B777 freighter flight, which also provides cargo capacity for shipments from Viracopos International Airport and Argentina’s Ezeiza International Airport to Frankfurt.

Under the terms of the contract, WFS will also provide cargo handling services to support Lufthansa Cargo’s on-demand A340-300 ‘preighter’ flights ex São Paulo.

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SPEEDCARGO appoints industry veterans to its strategic advisory board

 SPEEDCARGO Technologies, an AI software and robotics company providing solutions for the logistics sector, announced the setting up of a strategic advisory board made up of leaders from the industry. 

SPEEDCARGO Technologies is a venture-funded technology start-up headquartered in Singapore. It provides the world’s first integrated solution for digitization, optimization and material handling of cargo for the air freight sector.

The new board includes Leif Christian Rasmussen, a veteran from the aviation industry with 27 years in SAS Scandinavian Airlines, including 11 years in cargo. Rasmussen recently retired from SAS as president and CEO of SAS Cargo Group. Based in Copenhagen, Denmark, Rasmussen remains highly engaged in the industry, and is currently chairman of Malmo Freight Terminal. He is a senior advisor with extensive and leading experience within sustainable and digital innovation in the transport and service industry.

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Cargolux launches SAF program; aims to reduce CO2 by 2050

 Cargolux, a Luxembourgian flag carrier cargo airline, introduces sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) program in the airline’s services and takes Cargolux's sustainability engagement one step further, cementing the company's commitment to decarbonizing its operations.

The airline aims to being carbon neutral by 2050 and has acted to be fully compliant with upcoming proposed European regulations and offsetting schemes. This new milestone is an additional step in the company’s endeavor to reduce CO2 emissions and lays the foundation for a customer sustainability program, that will offer more sustainable options for their transportation requirements.

“Our commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility is intrinsic to our business model and the introduction of SAF in our operation is a significant step forward for Cargolux. We are pleased to be part of an industry-wide initiative to make our business, our industry and our world more sustainable”, says Richard Forson, President and CEO, Cargolux.

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Avianca Cargo collaborates with IBS Software to digitize business

 Avianca Cargo join hands with IBS Software's iCargo air cargo management platform, to transform the end-to-end management of its air cargo sales and operations. iCargo system will provide a single unified cargo management platform for Avianca Cargo and all its affiliated airlines, including AeroUnion – a Mexico based all-cargo carrier. The implementation includes iCargo Web Portal suite, which provides a range of self-help tools to increase Avianca Cargo's cargo selling capabilities. 

"Implementing iCargo, the airfreight industry-leading system is one of the most significant IT developments for Avianca Cargo. With iCargo, we will deliver more digital advancements to be more connected to our customers and partners, raising the quality of our service, improving our efficiency and enhancing our decision-making process to a more agile and data-driven one," said Gabriel Oliva, CEO of Avianca Cargo.  

By implementing an end-to-end cargo management platform, Avianca Cargo has unified dissimilar business systems into a single platform used by all group carriers allowing them to offer consolidated routes and bookings.

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GEODIS to launch new logistics facility in Sweden

 GEODIS, a global leading supply chain provider, is establishing a contract logistics footprint in Sweden for the first time with the opening of 16,000 sqm facility at Arendal, near Gothenburg. The warehouse is said to open on December 1, 2021. 

Arendal is located only 15 km from the city of Gothenburg. It benefits from excellent connections to the regional motorway network with access to Stockholm and Malmö, as well as Oslo in Norway, and the wider Nordic region.

At the new facility, full range of warehousing and distribution services will be offered including, receiving goods to WMS, inventory storage, pick and packing, case palletization, value added services, returns processing, quality control and distribution. 

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Data proves why shipping assets are a better bet now than aviation

 Can you compare the values of a plane and a ship? Well, you clearly can and VesselsValue (VV), an online valuation and market intelligence provider for the aviation and maritime industries, has launched its service to value aircraft like ships.

“Similar to what we did in shipping ten years ago, we are the first to bring a daily updated, truly automated valuation model (AVM) to the aviation market,” Richard Rivlin, founder and CEO, VesselsValue said.

Numerous parallels exist between planes and ships, according to VesselsValue. "Vessels and aircraft are both high value, depreciating, globally movable and volatile assets. Most vessels and aircraft have values between $10-200 million, a lifespan of circa 25 years, and experience cyclical markets."

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Emirates, Qatar and Turkish among top cargo carriers in Q3 CY2021 from Mumbai

 Emirates, Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines catered to the highest tonnage in this period with 15,871, 14,149 and 9,255 tonnages respectively at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA). On the domestic routes, IndiGo saw the highest tonnage of 14,191 MT followed by Blue Dart and Air India with 13,230 and 10,291 tonnages respectively. 

CSMIA import and export (EXIM) movement witnessed an 8 percent growth in imports of pharmaceuticals goods, while the overall category contributed around 20 percent. The airport transported approximately 1,90,445 tonnes of overall cargo between July to September 2021, the official release said.

Cargo transported include essential and non-essential products such as pharmaceutical goods, vaccines and more. CSMIA also transported over 184 million doses of vaccine and witnessed a steady movement in airfreight demand between July to September 2021. The airport has been prioritizing the shipments of essential medical supplies and achieved an overall processing time of 25 minutes in international exports, and 12 minutes in domestic exports, including offloading and storage.

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Mesa Air Group and Flirtey to launch last-mile food drone delivery business in the U.S

 Mesa Air Group has signed an agreement with aerospace technology company Flirtey to order 4 delivery drones, with an option to order an additional 500 aircraft. The agreement marks Mesa becoming the first scheduled airline to launch drone delivery in the U.S.

Mesa and Flirtey are initially focusing on the last-mile food delivery industry, enabling Mesa to expand beyond the global airlines market and into the global food service market. The parties plan to expand the drone delivery service in the U.S. and New Zealand.

With this agreement, Flirtey, the aircraft designer and manufacturer, is supplying it's best-in-class technology including the Flirtey Eagle, an electric powered, advanced drone that conducts precision delivery to homes and businesses, and Flirtey's autonomous software platform that conducts autonomous flight operations, for Mesa to operate commercial drone delivery.

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Skyports, Irelandia Aviation become allies for drone deliveries in Columbia

 Skyports has created a joint venture with Irelandia Aviation Limited, world's premier low-cost carrier (LCC) developer, to bring drone deliveries to Colombia and wider Latin America (LATAM). The joint venture will bring an innovative, fast, frequent and reliable logistics service to Colombia, providing a cost-effective solution to connecting Colombia’s rural communities.

The Skyports medical drone delivery trials will be the first of their kind for Colombia, with flights expected to commence around mid-2022. Drone delivery operations will be launched across remote areas of Colombia including La Guajira and Chocó, to carry critical health supplies. The collaboration will be led by Skyports’ Bogota-based Colombia general manager, Daniel Salamanca, who brings years of drone delivery experience and expertise to the project.

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IAG Cargo first to integrate IATA’s new ‘Quote and Book’ service

 The International Air Transport Association (IATA) adds a new ‘quote and book’ function to IATA Net rates and IAG Cargo, the cargo division of International Airlines Group (IAG), becomes the first carrier to integrate the feature. This will enable airlines to offer freight forwarders dynamic pricing for booking their shipments.

“The pandemic has accelerated the appetite for digitalization across the air cargo industry. IATA Net Rates new ‘quote and book’ function simplifies and accelerates the rate distribution and booking process between airlines and freight forwarders, saving valuable time by eliminating manual, labour-intensive processes. We are pleased to expand our Net Rates partnership with IAG Cargo to support their efficient cargo rates distribution and booking capabilities, across the different airlines of the group,” said Frederic Leger, Interim Senior Vice President for Commercial Products and Services, IATA, & President, CNS.

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ANRA collaborate with ANA and other partners to enter Japanese Market

 ANRA Technologies together with All Nippon Airways (ANA), BIRD INITIATIVE, NEC Corporation and other partners announce drone operations and relevant use cases in Wakkanai City in Japan using ANRA SmartSkies airspace and delivery management software platforms that was launched in August this year.

SmartSkies SORA is a fully integrated Specified Operations Risk Assessment capability that enables pilots to perform a risk assessment for operations in the ‘specific’ category per European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) regulations. 

The announcement is showcasing ANRA’s airspace management and drone delivery software platforms as part of a project led by NEDO (National Institute of New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization) to develop a drone traffic management system for multiple drone operators to fly in the same airspace safely.

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American firmly on path to report $1 billion cargo revenue in 2021

 American Airlines, following Delta Airlines, is firmly on its way to cross $1 billion cargo revenue for 2021 on high yields and strong demand.

American more than doubled its cargo revenue to $973 million for the first nine months of 2021 from $484 million in the corresponding period of 2020.

Cargo ton miles increased 68 percent to 1.6 billion for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 as against 949 million during the same period of 2020.

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National Aviation Services acquires 51 percent stake in Siginon Aviation

 National Aviation Services (NAS), the fastest growing aviation provider in the emerging markets, has signed a strategic partnership agreement and acquires 51 percent stake in Siginon Aviation, a subsidiary of Siginon Group Ltd. provides complete airport ground handling and cargo management services.

Commenting on the latest partnership, Hassan El-Houry, Group CEO of NAS said, “During the pandemic, our cargo services came to the forefront by keeping crucial supply chains flowing uninterrupted. With the ongoing vaccine requirements around the world, we also handled almost a million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine at different African airports. With this growing demand, we expanded our focus on cargo management in Africa and the partnership with Siginon Aviation is indeed timely.”

In the last decade, Siginon Aviation has enhanced its ground handling capacity with several upgrades including relaunching its operations in a state-of-the-art air cargo terminal and acquisition of ramp equipment to boost its operations in JKIA, Nairobi. 

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United likely to report cargo revenue of $2 billion in 2021

 Chicago-based United Airlines is on track to report cargo revenue of $2 billion for the financial year 2021 on surging demand for capacity and higher yields.  

United reported $1.6 billion consolidated cargo revenue for the nine months ended September 30, 2021, an increase of 49 percent compared to the same period in 2020 and an increase of 88 percent from $863 million in the pre-pandemic period of 2019.

Cargo revenue tonne miles increased 26 percent to 2.4 billion from 1.9 billion during the nine months of 2020 but was almost flat compared to 2.4 billion in 2019.

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Kenya Airways to implement single nGen system by Cargo Flash

 Kenya Airways has replaced its operations and management systems with an India-based IT and business solution company, Cargo Flash Infotech's solution. Cargo Flash will provide its single, next-generation ‘nGen’ system that includes Cargo Reservations (RES) System, Cargo Revenue Accounting (CRA) System, Cargo Handling and Warehouse Management, ULD Management Solution, and Customer Portal.

 

Kenya Airways’ manifold of operations and management systems were either having limited connectivity options or systems working in silos, in which information sharing is restricted due to systems’ limitations. Furthermore, the new and additional systems included as a part of this single ‘nGen’ system are mail booking and handling system, e-commerce (Door-to-Door) system, target planning system, in addition to complaint and claim management system.

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Malta becomes first European operation base for DRONAMICS

 DRONAMICS has selected Malta as its first European operation base for its unmanned drone logistics service, Black Swan drone. Malta will now provide same-day delivery service with the Black Swan drone in 2022. This was decided after a detailed selection process with multiple national civil aviation authorities and leading customers in Europe. The first flights with the full-scale Black Swan aircraft which are scheduled for 2022.

Malta will serve as a starting point for the first commercial routes the company will offer, connecting the country via air first to mainland Italy followed by other destinations in the Mediterranean and all of Europe.

“Malta is the perfect operational and strategic location for our first flights of the Black Swan. We aim to connect Malta first with Italy where the Italian Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC) has established testbed airports for remotely pilot aircraft system trials. Transport Malta and the Civil Aviation Directorate have given us a clear path to establishing our first commercial routes and we aim to do the first demonstration flights in 2022.” said Sergio Oliveira e Silva, chief operating officer of DRONAMICS.

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Cargo carried by Cathay Pacific increased 20 percent YoY in September

 Cathay Pacific carried 130,997 tonnes of cargo and mail during September 2021, an increase of 20 percent compared to September 2020 but a decline of 24 percent from the pre-pandemic period of 2019.

The revenue freight tonne kilometres (RFTKs) increased 22 percent year-on-year but was down 14 percent compared to September 2019, according to an official statement.

“Overall tonnage in September increased by more than 5 percent month-on-month, the most cargo we’ve carried in a single month since the start of the Coronavirus pandemic,” chief customer and commercial officer Ronald Lam said. “Our time-sensitive Priority LIFT product as well as our charter and freighter solutions have also seen keen interest from customers.”

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Kerry Logistics Network and Hengan Group form joint venture company

 Kerry Logistics Network Limited (KLN) and Hengan International Group Company Limited (Hengan Group), the leading producer of hygiene consumables in China, have set up a joint venture company to create synergy in the business-to-business (‘B2B’) bulk distribution and wholesale market of medical, healthcare and hygiene products.  

By combining KLN’s strengths in domestic logistics and distribution and Hengan Group’s industry-leading sourcing power and comprehensive portfolio in hygiene products, the joint venture company will have unique competitiveness in meeting the new demands of medical institutions and public facilities. The joint venture company was established to explore a closer collaboration and provide innovative solutions to customers in both the public and private medical and healthcare sectors.

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Alliance Ground International acquires Maestro International Cargo

 Alliance Ground International (AGI), specialized in air cargo handling has acquired MIC Cargo (Maestro). Headquartered in Chicago, IL, Maestro was established in 2017 by CEO Edip Pektas and COO Sanj Rathi. This acquisition adds additional airport warehouses and aircraft parking at ORD as AGI continues to poise itself for many years of growth. AGI and MIC’s combined warehouse footprint at ORD is now over one million square feet.

Jared Azcuy, AGI CEO said, " Maestro is well known for its customer service and innovative solution offering at ORD. I look forward to working with Edip, Sanj, and the rest of the Maestro team, who share my enthusiasm for our employees, our customers, and the handling industry. AGI will continue to aggressively pursue opportunities to partner with companies like MIC to expand our growing presence in North America and beyond with a focus on air cargo and below the wing services to the dedicated air freighter and commercial aviation markets."

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Turkish Cargo completes 25 years of transporting medical goods

 Turkish Cargo, one of the strongest cargo flight networks, contributes its strength to Turkey’s medical experts. Flag carrier air cargo brand has been carrying Turkey’s medicine and medical products to over 50 countries in five continents for over 25 years.

In the nuclear medicine sector, Turkish Cargo plays an important role for cancer patients transporting high quality diagnosis and treatment products in Turkey and abroad. Flag carrier air cargo brand carries radioactive cancer diagnosis medicine used in the treatment of cancer and tumors to Germany, Colombia, India, Algeria, Taiwan and all around the world. With 8 percent market share in medical transportation, national brand gives hope to cancer patients by providing fast and safe transportation for radioactive medicine with half-life, which are produced at night by Eczac?ba??-Monrol.

Eczac?ba??-Monrol Nuclear Products General Manager Ayd?n Küçük stated; “Our mission as Eczac?ba??-Monrol is to benefit human lives with innovative and pioneering approaches when it comes to diagnosis and treatment of life-threatening illnesses. As Turkey’s first radiopharmaceutical manufacturer, we are one of the significant producers of nuclear medicine for cancer treatment in the world and we export our products to over 50 countries. With this in mind, Turkish Cargo is one of our strongest supporters since 1995 with its speed, operational quality and wide transportation network.”

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Kuehne Nagel 9-months air logistics turnover up 78 percent on strong volumes

Kuehne Nagel Group, one of the world's leading logistics companies based in Switzerland, reported a 78 percent increase in air logistics turnover to CHF 6.6 billion for the first nine months of 2021 from CHF 3.7 billion during the corresponding period of 2020 on strong volume growth.

Air freight volumes during the first nine months of 2021 were around 50 percent higher than in the same period of the previous year at 1.6 million tonnes of which around 20 percent is attributable to the acquisition of the Chinese air freight forwarder Apex, Kuehne Nagel said.

“With strong volume growth, air logistics once again posted market share gains in the third quarter of 2021,” the statement said. “Globally limited cargo capacities required tailor-made customer solutions. Services for pharma and essential goods as well as e-commerce continued to be in high demand.”

ECS Group launches Cargo Digital Factory

 ECS group announces the launch of Cargo Digital Factory (CDF), to drive a full digital transformation. Based in Paris, France, the CDF consists of 10 air cargo industry and technology experts, an equal balance of men and women, and follows three clear principles: harmonise and ensure uniform standards, digitise and automate processes, and offer new services to customers. 

Cedric Millet, chief strategy and digital officer at ECS Group, explains, “From the start, our focus in the Cargo Digital Factory has been to bring experienced air cargo and IT talents together to professionalise the way we work. By automating manual processes, we increase efficiency. At the same time, we focus on using the data and systems we have to create new, value-added services for our customers.” Alongside the CHAMP reservation system, which was enhanced to meet ECS Group’s requirements, three best-in-class, in-house products were developed over the past three years: Apollo, Pathfinder, and Quantum.

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Supply chain veteran Daniel Vanden Brink joins Locus as global VP

 Locus, a technology platform that uses AI-algorithms to automate complex supply chain decisions, recently on-boarded Daniel Vanden Brink as vice president product strategy. Daniel will lead the execution of product strategy and go-to-market for Locus' product portfolio across geographies. He brings with him rich experience of over 25 years in strategy, consulting and customer success.

In his previous role, Daniel was the regional vice president for customer success strategy at Llamasoft (a Coupa company), global leader in continuous supply chain design. His experience also includes vice president of advanced analytics and supply chain engineering with Schneider, a premier provider of North American shipping, transportation and logistics.

Nishith Rastogi, founder, Locus, said, “We are excited to have Dan join our growing team to lead and strengthen the product strategy. Locus’ is focused on investing in technology that simplifies the lives of their customers, and I am sure Dan will add immense value to the team. His experience in the supply chain domain will contribute immensely to driving our vision further.”

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