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The weekly newspaper for air cargo professionals No. 1,133 24 MAY 2021
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Stratolaunch Roc in second test flight
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INSIDE
ALLCARGO’S NEW DIRECTORS
ALLCARGO Logistics, India’s largest integrated, end-to-end logistics solutions provider, has announced the appointments of ... PAGE 2
WIDERØE AIRLINES AND SMARTKARGO
ATLAS AIR AND POLAR RECEIVE CEIV PHARMA
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tlas Air and Polar Air Cargo have each achieved the Centre of Excellence for Independent Validators (CEIV) Corporate Pharma credential from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). In pursuing this credential, Atlas Air and Polar Air adopted standard operating procedures to handle temperature-sensitive products. The
companies also completed a multistep process to train ground and warehouse personnel, as well as vendors, in these new procedures, which also included an independent audit. “Even as the COVID-19 pandemic has added unrelenting operational complexities to our business, our employees around the world are dedicated to meeting and
exceeding our customers’ needs in transporting sensitive medical and pharmaceutical products,” said Michael Steen, executive vice president and chief commercial officer of Atlas Air Worldwide. Lars Winkelbauer, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Polar Air Cargo Worldwide, said: “Polar’s CEIV Pharma certification affirms the company’s long-stand-
ing track record for successfully transporting temperature-sensitive goods like produce and other perishable commodities. “I am immensely proud of the Polar team for achieving this certification, underscoring our ability to maintain end-to-end temperature-controlled shipments across our network.” Atlas Air’s and Polar’s CEIV Pharma certification is valid through 2024.
SMARTKARGO has announced the successful go-live of its state-of-the-art e-Commerce shipping solution for Norwegian-based, Widerøe ... PAGE 2 ANTONOV STATEMENT ON INCIDENT
ON May 11, at 05:15, local time, an Antonov Airlines AN-124100M overran the runway after landing on runway 09L at São Paulo-Guarulhos ... PAGE 4
VOLGA-DNEPR TO INDIA
VOLGA-DNEPR Airlines has operated three charter flights to India from China, Ireland and Germany carrying out an aid and relief mission ... PAGE 4
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NEWS
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WIDERØE AIRLINES PARTNERS WITH SMARTKARGO SMARTKARGO has announced the successful go-live of its state-of-the-art e-Commerce shipping solution for Norwegian-based Widerøe Airlines. The partnership enables Widerøe to take a giant leap and empowers entry into the promising e-Commerce shipping and delivery market. Widerøe will now deliver e-Commerce shipments to the entire Norwegian population by leveraging its network across 42 destinations in Norway and seven abroad. The Cloud solution also gives Widerøe seamless connections with a range of airline interline and ground delivery partners while also providing direct connectivity with major e-Commerce retail sites. SmartKargo introduced the innovative e-Commerce solution last year to enable global airlines to open new streams of
revenue with e-Commerce shipping and package delivery. “The growth of e-Commerce provides an important opportunity for airlines like Widerøe, especially in these times when revenues from passenger travel have decreased,” said Thomas Lone, Widerøe’s
cargo manager. “SmartKargo integrates all of our partners and enables us to more fully utilise the cargo capacity of our aircraft, to leverage our strong brand throughout Norway and generate the higher yields from integrated logistics.”
Senior management acquires 20% of Air Atlanta Icelandic A 20% share of Air Atlanta Icelandic and its affiliates has been acquired by Baldvin Hermannsson, the company’s CEO and a group of senior management. Air Atlanta reported that the objective of the transaction is to further strengthen and grow the business in coming years. It currently operates a global network of nine B747-
400 freighters and intends to further strengthen its solid position in the world’s international freight market. Chairman of the board Hannes Hilmarsson said: “I believe that Air Atlanta is ready for new challenges after a phenomenal effort to get us through COVID-19 with our amazing staff. We have a great brand and a loyal customer
base. We have implemented a very flexible fleet strategy that gives us a competitive edge. “We are financially healthy with a strong cash position and an equity ratio of around 30% after the sale. Behind the company now stands a united team of owners who strongly believe in the future of Air Atlanta.”
Allcargo Logistics appoints new directors of the board ALLCARGO Logistics, India’s largest integrated, end-to-end logistics solutions provider, has appointed VS Parthasarathy, former group CFO and CIO of Mahindra & Mahindra, and Martin Mueller, a Swiss national and a former partner at global consulting giant McKinsey, as independent directors on its corporate board of directors. Mueller and Parthasarathy have also joined the board of Allcargo’s wholly-owned subsidiary ECU Worldwide, the Belgian multi-national that operates the Group’s global operations with presence in over 160 markets. ECU Worldwide is the world’s largest lessthan-cargo load (LCL) consolidator. Shashi Kiran Shetty, founder and chairman, Allcargo Logistics, said: “Allcargo has always set its sights on creating global benchmark in corporate governance. “With Partha and Martin joining our board, in addition to other distinguished members on the board already, I expect this intellectual and diversified combination of cross-functional leadership and professional expertise will help us immensely as Allcargo prepares to move forward in its journey of excellence leading to meet our vision for the future.”
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SWISS to resume London City-Zurich
SWISS will resume flights from London City Airport to Zurich. SWISS will operate two rotations per week to Zurich initially, although their schedule will increase as travel restrictions are relaxed in the UK and Europe this summer.
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NEWS
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Volga-Dnepr operates three charters to India
VOLGA-DNEPR Airlines has operated three charter flights to India from China, Ireland and Germany carrying out an aid and relief mission to help the nation in its battle against severe COVID-19 resurgence. Over 200 tonnes of vital medical equipment containing oxygen storing containers, concentrators and cryogenic containers were delivered onboard AN-124-100 and IL-76TD90VD to various parts of India, which is experiencing a shortage in oxygen equipment amid the surging number of new COVID-19 cases. Upon arrival at the airports, the vital medical supplies were transported to the final destinations to be tested and checked for further use. Ekaterina Andreeva, commercial director of Volga-Dnepr Airlines, said: “With the situation in India worsening we have started getting charter requests for transportation of ISO
tanks. Together with a team of experts from various departments and powered by competence in dangerous goods transportations we were able to advise our customers on loading, packaging, and conditions of tanks. “Working with our long-standing, reliable customers, Chapman Freeborn, Maersk Special Project Logistic team and Air Charter Service India, we organised charter flights within the shortest timeframes in line with biosafety
requirements and completed another humanitarian mission.”
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Menzies Avition: G’Day to United MENZIES Aviation has won new cargo contracts with United Airlines at Sydney and Melbourne Airports, as well as renewing ground handling contracts with the airline at the same stations. The agreements also include provision of services at Brisbane should United flights resume there. These new contracts mean that Menzies now provides handling services to United Airlines across all of its Australian network. From late May, Menzies will begin its cargo partnership with United Airlines at Sydney and Melbourne, providing full cargo handling services to the airline for the next three years. These new contracts represent further significant growth for Menzies’ successful cargo operations at the two largest airports in Australia.
well beyond the 240-hour minimum. The container will maintain the desired temperature indefinitely with the addition of dry ice as needed. “Using innovative engineering design concepts, the CSafe team was able to exceed BioNTech’s requirements for a high-performance container that will maintain -70°C for more than 10 days,” said Patrick Schafer, CSafe global CEO. “Additionally, we were also able to reduce the amount of dry ice needed by more than 30% from our original projection by making additional tweaks to the design. CSafe has always been a purpose-driven company and every one of our employ-
ees could not be prouder of this tremendous achievement and our role in helping BioNTech put an end to the pandemic.”
Antonov statement on Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport incident ON May 11, at 05:15, local time, an Antonov Airlines AN-124-100M overran the runway after landing on runway 09L at São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport (GRU), Brazil. The nose landing gear rolled out from the paved surface of the runway by six metres. The main landing gear remained on the runway. “A push-back to the runway was requested once all required safety and inspection checks had been concluded. “There were no injuries to the crew, there was no damage to the 99 tonnes of PPE
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CSafe to provide Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine shipping solution CSAFE Global is partnering with BioNTech as the thermal shipping solution provider for Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine shipments from BioNTech’s facility in Germany. The custom thermal shipping container maintains -70°C for a minimum of 240 hours to help ensure the vaccine arrives safely at locations around the world. The custom container uses a double wall of best-in-class Vacuum Insulated Panel (VIP) technology, and a custom payload box with product vial trays with a built-in handle for simplified packing and unpacking. Thermal testing exceeded all expectations and the shipper consistently performed
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cargo, no damage to the runway, and no damage to the aircraft. “The airline, in close co-operation with Brazilian Aeronautical Accidents Investigation and Prevention Center (CENIPA), is performing an investigation of this incident. “Preliminary findings show the incident was caused by changeable weather conditions, which made it possible to safely carry out the flight, but in the second half of the run along the runway, the plane entered heavy fog, which affected the timely taxiing of the plane from the runway.”
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SPECIALIST FOOD TRANSPORTATION A
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TASTY GROWTH FOR LOGISTICS
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pecialist food transportation is a growing sector of the logistics industry. Supply chains must ensure end-to-end compliance of cargo to religious and regulatory standards to ensure integrity throughout the food’s journey. Two of the largest religious food standards are halal and kosher, each requiring different standards and practices along the chain.
Proper and permissible In Hebrew, kosher means “proper” or “right”. Kosher standards are derived from Jewish law primarily from the biblical books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy. The standards are based on a covenant with God to be disciplined, committed to eating only those foods that are considered clean, and maintaining suitable clean cooking and storage facilities and environments. Some of the main kosher dietary guidelines ban certain food combinations, particularly that of meat and dairy. In Arabic, halal means “permissible”. Halal food is that which adheres to Islamic law, as defined in the Koran, and has been subjected to the reading of tasmiya or shahada during the slaughter. For halal food shipments, it is imperative there is no cross-con-
tamination or contact with haram produce (alcohol, pork, etc.) during the transportation process. In March, Nippon Express expanded its domestic halal logistics services in Japan with the start of a new halal-certified domestic air cargo transport. Last month, dnata also received halal certification for a spe-
cial storage room in its coolchain facility, indicating the demand for halal logistics is growing. Mohd. Zulkefly Ujang, chief operations officer, MASkargo explained how the airline ensures the halal standards of the food it ships: “MASkargo received it its certification for Halal Logistics from the Malaysian Department of Islamic Development (JAKIM) in September 2019. “Before the certification was obtained, MASkargo had to go through a series of audits along with adjustments in the warehouse to create a dedicated handling area for halal shipments. “Strict SOPs have also been enforced to maintain the halal integrity of the shipment throughout the supply chain.” For specialist food demand, staff must be trained in the correct handling processes. “For Halal Logistics, MASkargo follows the Malaysia Halal Management System (MHMS 2020) standards. In addition to the required aviation and cargo handling training, MASkargo personnel who are involved with Halal Logistics are also required to attend training sessions on halal SOP compliance,” explained Zulkefly Ujang. “Contamination is not a big issue as we transport products which are already in compliance with the high packaging standard required for air cargo transportation. “In the case of packing non-compliance, the inspected cargo will be rejected prior to acceptance.”
Nippon Express sees halal growth in Japan S
pecialist Nippon Express Co., Ltd. is expanding its domestic halal logistics services in Japan with the start of a new halal-certified domestic air cargo transport service. Japan’s Muslim population numbers about 200,000 and, with an increase in foreign visitors/residents from a diversity of cultural backgrounds anticipated, demand for halal products in Japan is expected to rise. High certification standards for quality assurance and hygiene control have also expanded interest in halal products among health and safety conscious consumers. In 2014 Nippon Express became the first Japanese company to obtain halal logistics certification in Malaysia, and it has since been developing global halal logistics services. After obtaining its first halal certification for warehousing in Japan in 2016, the Company introduced halal-only roll boxes for consolidatedtransport of small-lot cargo amounting to less than a full truckload as well ashalal-only rail containers for large-lot cargo into its warehouse-based transport services as it expanded its handling of halal products. By incorporating halal logistics system-certified work procedures into its “Express Hi-Speed” domestic air cargo transport product, the company has created a rapid halal transport service capable of handling shipments as small as a single cardboard box. With interest in halal products growing in Japan, Nippon Express has been constructing a halal logistics service network to support customers’ supply chains and provide safety and
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peace of mind to Muslim customers and others. Features of “Express Hi-Speed” halal transport include: • Improved visibility for halal products (special labels affixed on cargo) • Halal education for employees engaged in operations • Delivery modes tailored to specific needs (nationwide nextday delivery service, specified delivery time service, charter
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delivery service) • Easy-to-use product design (packaged fees (by region/ weight), multiple-item shipments, business office stop-off service) • Visualisation of transport status through centralised management (trace control through up to seven transit points, confirmations via Nippon Express’s website)
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Lui: Our people are our most treasured capital ones in these months, and I have a familiar feeling being back! ACW: What have you learned during this time in the new role? Has there been anything you have not been able to plan for? Lui: Although I have worked at Chapman Freeborn for more than five years prior to this re-joining, I have seen many different things in this new role during this unusual period we are experiencing, living through the COVID-19 pandemic. Such as massive preighters operating, working together across the group to give assistance of leasing/selling aircraft etc. ACW: At Chapman Freeborn how do you aim to develop the Asian cargo charter market? Lui: As Russi, our chairman, in the past always emphasised,
our people are our most treasured capital. We fully rely on our growing professional team to help our customers solve their air logistic challenges within budget. In addition, over many years we have had a deep understanding of how freighter airlines work and can therefore add value there. ACW: What do you believe will be the pandemic’s long-term effects on the cargo charter market? Lui: COVID-19 has made cargo charters a very hot topic, more so than ever before. Though we all expect the market to slowly return to normal once the passenger airlines get back in the sky, we expect more customers will choose air charter in the future especially while we see continued demand.
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n February this year, Chapman Freeborn appointed Allen Liu as cargo director for North Asia. With 15 years’ experience in aviation, Lui began his career in 2006, gaining industry knowledge at several air cargo businesses before taking on a senior role as cargo manager China at Chapman Freeborn in 2013. After five years generating and developing business in the Chinese market fo Chapman Freeborn, Lui joined AirBridgeCargo in 2018. However, the success of his time at Chapman Freeborn pulled him back, and he rejoined Chapman Freeborn this year. Lui’s role is to develop the North Asian market, working to expand Chapman Freeborn’s presence in Japan and Korea, as well as in Hong Kong and China. With almost four months under the belt in the new role, ACW caught up with Lui to see how operations are going. ACW: How has your experience been starting the position of cargo director, North Asia in the most difficult time the aviation industry has seen? Allen Liu: Although the market is challenged and there is a high demand for freighters with low capacity, we are still working hard to find solutions and to exceed our customers’ expectations. We have a strong network, perfect teamwork and our team’s impressive industry knowledge/experience. I have experienced a lot of exhausting days but also exciting
Chapman Freeborn appoints new CIO CHAPMAN Freeborn, the global air charter specialist and part of Avia Solutions Group, has appointed a new Group Chief Information Officer (CIO) as it seeks to optimise its operations and transition into a fully digitised, paperless organisation. Laurent Jossa, who has over 20 years of experience working at a variety of aviation and air freight companies, joins the business from a leading IT provider dedicated to the air cargo sector, where he served as head of sales. In his new role at Chapman Freeborn, Jossa will manage the company’s IT framework, analysing and mapping functions and processes across all areas of the business, before implementing digital systems to drive efficiencies and improvements. “By fully digitising the way we handle data and automating where possible.
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SECOND TEST FLIGHT FOR STRATOLAUNCH ROC
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he six-engined Stratolaunch Roc, which supporters claim is the largest aircraft in the world by wingspan, last month successfully completed its second test flight over southern California. The flight lasted more than three hours in duration and took off from the Mojave Air and Space Port, known as the Civilian Aerospace Test Center, in Mojave, California. With a eye-watering wingspan of 117 metres, the twohulled aircraft is as wide as three B747s parked wing-tip to win-tip. It has been financed and planned for some of the world’s most expensive and delicate air cargo: supersonic vehicles launched at high altitude. The test flight saw the plane reach an altitude of 4.2km and
a speed of 320kph. “We’re very pleased with how the Stratolaunch aircraft performed, and we are equally excited about how much closer the aircraft is to launching its first hypersonic vehicle,” Zachary Krevor, COO of Stratolaunch, told the media. The aircraft’s first test flight was two years ago. It is designed to carry a rocket and payload with a combined weight of up to 259 tonnes. This equals the payload of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket which is ground launched. Since the first test flight in 2019, there has been a change of ownership and a change of direction in the project. The aircraft was the brain-child of Microsoft founder Paul Allen. He planned to construct an aircraft that could reach the
stratosphere to launch rockets and satellites into a low orbit. However, his death in October 2018 derailed the project. After the first test flight the following year, the Stratolaunch operation, including the aircraft, was put up for sale with a price tag of $400m. Cerebus Capital Management subsequently bought the company. The new owners decided that the aircraft would be used as a mobile launch platform for hypersonic vehicles. These travel at Mach 5 (6,174 k/p), five times faster than the speed of sound. It has developed its own, the reusable and autonomous Talon-A. That aircraft remains more than year away from flying.
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