Vietnam Airlines and WFS collaborate for Amsterdam Cargo Operations

 Vietnam Airlines and WFS collaborate for Amsterdam Cargo Operations

Vietnam Airlines and Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) sign a multi-year contract as the airlines new cargo handling partner at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.

The contract will see WFS providing full cargo handling services for the airline’s twice-weekly Airbus A350-900 passenger freighter aircraft flights directly connecting freight forwarders, importers and exporters in Amsterdam and Vietnam’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport. 

Stephane Scholving, managing director of WFS in the Netherlands, stated, “Winning this new contract is a tribute to the responsiveness of our team in Amsterdam and the quality of our cargo handling operations. Vietnam Airlines initially asked for our assistance to handle an urgent flight and their positive experience of working with WFS has ultimately led to this long-term agreement. We now look forward to supporting the airline’s customers and flight operations in Amsterdam and contributing to Vietnam Airline’s growth in the Netherlands.”

The new contract is a further boost for WFS’ growing cargo operating in Amsterdam, which has also recently welcomed both LATAM Airlines and Saudi Arabian Airlines as customers. As well as in Amsterdam, WFS has existing cargo handling contracts with Vietnam Airlines at London Heathrow and in Dublin, and the airline is also a valued client of WFS Fueling in Hong Kong.

Menzies acquires Interexpresso in Central America

 Menzies acquires Interexpresso in Central America

John Menzies plc (“Menzies”), the global aviation services business announces the expansion in Central America with the acquisition of Interexpresso and additional contract wins in the Oceania region.

Menzies has agreed to acquire 51 percent of Interexpresso Costa Rica Corporación ILC, S.A.  (“Interexpresso”) which will see Menzies’ footprint expand in Central America.

Philipp Joeinig, chairman and CEO, said: “I am pleased to announce our expansion in the Central American region. We have found a knowledgeable partner in Interexpresso and, working together, we will be able to open doors in new, attractive, higher margin and emerging markets in the region.” 

Interexpresso is an aviation service provider operating in Central America and headquartered in Costa Rica. Interexpresso’s core business relates to cargo handling and aviation security services, primarily consisting of cargo document handling, cargo security screening and aircraft access control. 

Menzies’ initial focus will be on developing and growing Interexpresso’s core cargo and security offerings across the region with the potential to expand into additional air cargo handling and ground handling services. The joint venture has added three new countries to Menzies’ portfolio, creating a strong foothold in Central America to develop its product lines across the region.

In the Oceania region, we are delighted to have secured new business with Virgin Australia in Australia. From mid-October Menzies will provide ground services at Darwin, Cairns and Queenstown and will also provide air cargo services at Darwin.  

These wins, following a competitive tender process, are in addition to existing business retained at Sydney, Melbourne, Kargoorlie, Perth, Brisbane, Cairns and Gold Coast airports and are testament to the excellent service levels provided in the region.

Overall, the contracts will see Menzies handle c8,000 flights and c6,500 tonnes of cargo per annum at a total of 10 locations for Virgin Australia.

These new contracts represent a significant expansion of Menzies’ operations in the Australian market and build on the recent wins with Qantas and Jetstar.

RattanIndia Enterprises to invest in US based drone logistics platform Matternet

RattanIndia Enterprises to invest in US based drone logistics platform Matternet 

RattanIndia Enterprises Ltd. (“REL”) an electric power distribution company announces a strategic investment in US based Matternet, the world’s most extensive urban drone logistics platform. 

With this investment, REL has forayed into the deep-tech Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) industry, which is set to transform logistics ecosystems worldwide. Matternet, based out of Silicon Valley counts Boeing, Mercedes-Benz, McKesson Ventures and Sony as investors. 

Anjali Rattan, Business Chairperson, RattanIndia Enterprises, said, “We are highly impressed with the team and credentials of Matternet. The partnership with Matternet is in line with our philosophy of investing in new age cleantech companies with tremendous growth potential. We share Government’s vision of Drone as a futuretech, which opens new vistas of business opportunities”.

Matternet was founded in 2011 by Andreas Raptopoulos, a global thought leader in the UAV industry and a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Drones and Aerial Mobility Council. 

Andreas Raptopoulos, CEO, Matternet, said, “We are witnessing an inflection point in urban drone delivery and are excited to partner with RattanIndia to explore opportunities in India. India is a country with numerous densely populated and congested cities, an ideal scenario for Matternet drones to bring greater reach, reliability and speed to healthcare and other everyday needs of the local population, while at the same time decreasing pollution and traffic.”

The company is pioneering a paradigm shift in transportation and logistics by using emission-free drone technology to deliver items up to 2 kgs with precision over fixed routes over distances of 20 kms in a few minutes. These flights are Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) and Flight over People (FLOPS). All these deliveries are fully autonomous with remote monitoring from central control rooms. 

Matternet’s technology not only has been approved by government aviation regulators (equivalent to DGCA in India) but also has been deployed commercially for urban deliveries in developed countries such as the US and Switzerland. Matternet drones have flown more than 13,000 commercial revenue trips in the US and Switzerland.

Aside from healthcare services, UAVs have useful applications in areas such as e-commerce and food delivery. The precision of Matternet’s drone technology will prove to be extremely useful in developing countries like India, which have large urban agglomeration and ultra-high population density and congestion, making healthcare and ecommerce delivery by road time consuming and unreliable. 

Ethiopian Airlines Group and Israel Aerospace Industries announce cargo conversion program

 Ethiopian Airlines Group and Israel Aerospace Industries announce cargo conversion program

Ethiopian Airlines Group in partnership agreement with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) announces a global standard cargo conversion program to convert the passenger-to-freighter (P2F) B-767-300 ER to dedicated freighter services.

Ethiopian Airlines Group chief executive officer, Tewolde GebreMariam, said, ‘’In line with our Diversified Aviation Business Model of Vision 2025, we have been increasing our cargo capacity in fleet, ground service infrastructure and cargo connectivity network.  Accordingly, we are partnering with IAI, one of the global technology leaders in the Aerospace industry, in building a cargo conversion center in our MRO facilities in Addis Ababa Airport.  The Cargo conversion center will commence its first business with three Ethiopian Airlines owned B-767-300 aircraft. The Cargo Conversion Center in Addis Ababa airport will expand its services to all airlines in Africa and the wider region. We are very happy that we are able to collaborate with IAI to enable us to expand our cargo and logistics services which is already the largest and leading cargo network in Africa. The capacity building will also help us expand our MRO services with cutting edge technology and knowledge transfer.”  

Yossi Melamed, IAI's Executive VP and general manager of Aviation Group said, “We are witnessing a sharp rise in the demand for cargo aircraft as a result of the rise in e commerce, which has peaked to record levels during the COVID-19 pandemic. IAI has an excellent reputation as a conversion center of passenger-to-freighters aircraft, and we are constantly receiving requests to open such conversion centers in more and more locations around the world.  I am excited by the opening of the current center in Ethiopia and thank my colleagues in Ethiopian Airlines for the trust they have put in IAI’s Aviation Group, as the world’s leader in conversions." 

The new passenger-to-freighter (P2F) conversion centre, which will operate from the Ethiopian MRO centre in Addis Ababa, will provide solutions for the rising demand for cargo aircraft of B767 models. The conversion line in Ethiopia will join existing conversion sites IAI operates at its campus in Ben Gurion International Airport and in Mexico.  

It is to be recalled that Ethiopian MRO, with its internal capacity, temporarily converted 25 of its passenger aircraft to freighter to boost its cargo capacity as demand to transport emergency medical supplies soared.

IATA survey finds cargo demand to increase over next year

 IATA survey finds cargo demand to increase over next year

Airline chief financial officers and cargo chiefs were positive on cargo demand for the rest of the current financial year and the next year, according to an International Air Transport Association (IATA) survey done last month.

As many as 73 percent respondents reported that cargo volumes were higher than last year in Q2 as rising number of passenger flights eased the pressure on belly cargo capacity. 

JAS to acquire Greencarrier Freight Services International

JAS to acquire Greencarrier Freight Services International 

Georgia headquartered JAS Worldwide, the global freight forwarding services provider, has signed a Share Purchase Agreement to acquire Sweden headquartered Greencarrier Freight Services International AB, the freight forwarding, logistics, and supply chain management division of Greencarrier Group, once all regulatory approvals have been obtained from the relevant authorities.

Marco Rebuffi, CEO of JAS, said, "Through the acquisition of Greencarrier Freight Services, JAS is making a strategic acquisition to add to its position in the Nordic, Baltic, and Eastern European regions and strengthen existing operations in UK and China. Our respective organizations have enjoyed a longstanding partnership, and we fully expect this to be a continuation of that great atmosphere of cooperation and shared entrepreneurial spirit."

The completion of this acquisition will close an important phase in the history of JAS where the company has made four acquisitions in one year, each in a different region and each designed to enhance JAS’ presence and ability to serve its clients. Following the anticipated closing of the deal, the company will focus on bringing all of the acquired companies into the JAS family.

Mikael Forsberg, CEO of Greencarrier Freight Services remarked, “This is a great match of businesses, and we are excited to continue the journey with our long-term partner, JAS Worldwide. The two networks combined will enable us to offer our customers an even higher service level, broader solutions and access to a truly global network.”

Stefan Björk, owner of Greencarrier AB said of the transaction, “In an ever-evolving freight market it is my true belief, that scale, resilience and a multi-market approach will be key to more success in the future. That is why I am sincerely happy about handing over the torch to JAS Worldwide and the Greencarrier Freight Services leadership team to continue the good work and take care of our customers and employees.”

Hellmann and Hella Polska extend cooperation for four years

 Hellmann and Hella Polska extend cooperation for four years

The global full-service provider Hellmann Worldwide Logistics and Hella Polska, a global leader in the field of lighting systems and vehicle electronics, are extending their cooperation for another four years. As part of the contract extension, the cooperation will be expanded to also include cross-border logistics services. 

Hellmann has been the full service contract logistics partner of Hella Polska already since 2017 providing services such as the storage of around 10,000 indices (SKUs), the completion of lamp sets for bus and trailer manufacturers as well as the domestic distribution and export handling from Czeladź, Poland. 

"Thanks to Hellmann´s efforts and professional, solution-oriented approach, we are very pleased to extend our cooperation. Based on mutual experience, we share the common goal of optimizing processes while achieving synergy effects in our warehousing and transport operations,” says Marcin Wieteska, managing director, Hella Polska.

"The contract extension with Hella Polska underlines our commitment and understanding of our customer´s needs. Longstanding customer partnerships are a key pillar of Hellmann’s strategy, and as such, continuing to grow together is always our motivation for the future," says Jacek Przybyłowski, managing director Hellmann Worldwide Logistics Poland.

Delta celebrates 75 years of leading the cargo industry

 Delta celebrates 75 years of leading the cargo industry

Delta officially entered into the cargo business 75 years ago. In the first week of operation in 1946, the airline carried everything to customers across the U.S.: a 64-year-old, $1,500 soup tureen; 1,100 pounds of auto parts filling six crates; 450 pounds of candy; a box of silver coins.

Delta planes had served the Allied cause during World War II, transporting everything from food and surgical supplies to weapons and auto parts overseas. That helped give Delta what was needed to turn cargo transport into a full-fledged business.

“The airline has grown, and the nature of our Cargo business has changed significantly over the last 75 years, but we are still in the business of providing Best-in-Class service to our customers with any of their freight and logistics needs – large or small,” said Robert Walpole, vice president, Delta Cargo. “We are here to support our customers and communities in the U.S. and across the globe. We look forward to another remarkable 75 years.”

Today, Delta Cargo offers access to industry-leading shipping solutions and carries on average 2.2 billion cargo tons every year. Whether it’s transporting life-saving pharmaceuticals, organs for transplant, fresh flowers, seasonal produce or beloved pets, Delta Cargo’s strong product portfolio provides world-class service for every customer’s needs.

The team also regularly assists with humanitarian efforts in the communities it serves, carrying over 800,000 pounds of supplies to cities in need after Hurricane Maria struck in 2017. Delta also has carried essential protective equipment and medical supplies around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Qatar Airways Cargo expands WebCargo by Freightos across all its regions

Qatar Airways Cargo expands WebCargo by Freightos across all its regions 

Qatar Airways Cargo announces the further rollout of third-party eBooking platform, WebCargo by Freightos across the rest of the world, effective 23 August 2021.

Forwarders in the carrier’s worldwide network will be able to place eBookings from both, online and offline origins with access to live rates and capacity on the WebCargo platform. This will enhance their booking experience with the airline, resulting in higher efficiencies and real-time responses for availability.

Qatar Airways Chief Officer Cargo, Guillaume Halleux said: “Within a short span of six months, we will complete our global rollout of WebCargo by Freightos on 23 August and I am proud of all our teams who have worked dedicatedly all these months to ensure a successful implementation. At Qatar Airways Cargo, the customer is at the core of all our activities and we will continue actively with our digitalisation initiatives for the benefit of our customers.” 

Since launching WebCargo in February 2021 across France, Germany, Italy, South Africa, Spain and the Netherlands, the airline has been quick to implement WebCargo across several countries in Europe and most recently, the USA in July 2021. The global implementation across the carrier’s network will cover 72 countries where customers will have instant access to capacity and pricing.

Freightos Group CEO Zvi Schreiber commented, “Qatar Airways Cargo has been working closely with us to bring digitalisation and transparency to as many freight forwarders as possible since their launch of WebCargo by Freightos earlier this year. We are proud to now be expanding our partnership to include an additional 39 countries, allowing key markets such as India, Japan, and Latin America direct access to real-time pricing, capacity, and eBookings on the world’s largest cargo airline.”

American Airlines support Team Rubicon’s Disaster Relief Mission in Haiti

 American Airlines support Team Rubicon’s Disaster Relief Mission in Haiti

American Airlines is partnering with Team Rubicon to offer assistance to the country followed by the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti Saturday. Through a donation of 1 million AAdvantage® miles, American will transport first responders and medical professionals as the volunteers deploy to Haiti.

“American is proud to partner with Team Rubicon as their teams fly to Haiti to provide much-needed medical assistance following this devastating earthquake,” said José A. Freig, American’s vice president of International. “We have a long and proud history in Haiti, with this year marking five decades of service, and we will continue supporting the Haitian community as they work to rebuild and recover.”

American has worked with the veteran-led global disaster response organization, Team Rubicon, since 2017, together providing aid for those affected by Hurricane Harvey as well as supporting their COVID-related relief operations.

“American Airlines’ commitment of 1 million miles following the Haiti earthquake will allow us to rapidly deploy our medical teams to meet the areas of greatest need,” says William Porter, deputy director of Operational Support at Team Rubicon. “Flights are the No. 1 cost drivers on our operations so having these miles on hand will allow us to redirect our focus to our impact on the ground.”

American has served Haiti for 50 years, operating daily service to Port-au-Prince (PAP) from Miami (MIA) and Fort Lauderdale, Florida (FLL), during peak travel season.