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22/03/2021 16:43

The weekly newspaper for air cargo professionals No. 1,125

29 MARCH 2021

BESPOKE TRAINING BASED ON REAL-LIFE

COVID-19 vaccine: its impact on air cargo and ULDs

n February and March, 2021, South Carolina-based Priority Metrics Group (PMG) conducted a study of the impact of COVID-19 vaccine distribution on international air cargo. The study was sponsored by ULD provider ACL Airshop. To get insight into the current state of international air cargo, in-depth conversations with eight individuals at senior levels in air cargo companies around the world were conducted. The interviews were conducted by telephone and lasted 30 minutes on average.

Key findings While air cargo volume is strong, passenger volume will remain low for the balance of 2021 and not return to pre-COVID-19 levels for 3-5 years. Other than the loss of specialty business, such as specialty charters, air cargo has not seen a big impact from COVID-19. Consequently, air cargo forecasts are largely positive. The impact of vaccine distribution has been – and likely will be – nominal. Most carriers are not seeing an uptick in volume from vaccine distribution. Large freight carriers are perfectly set up for handling the vaccine, which is a pharmaceutical product like many they carry daily. As of spring 2021, large carriers are not seeing big volumes of the vaccine, and so are largely unaffected by vaccine distribution. In the developing world, the picture may be a bit different. This part of the world has not yet seen vaccines. Distribution outside of the developed world will begin in late 2021 and continue

through 2022. And getting the vaccine to the ground in these countries is the easier part of the distribution challenge. The lack of cold chain infrastructure in many developing countries will make vaccine ground distribution a substantial challenge. Vaccine distribution in the developing world will take much of 2022. The threat of vaccine nationalism – the perceived inequitable distribution of vaccines – could quickly become a point of international contention. Freight volumes are up globally, but conditions in the developing world are not favourable to translate that volume into high levels of profitability as shipper credit is often questionable and carriers are struggling to keep up with volume. PMG also examined other factors that may be influencing cargo volumes including Brexit, passenger volume and e-Commerce. Brexit appears to have had more impact on road freight than airfreight. None of the people PMG spoke with see Brexit as having a major impact on global air cargo volume. As passenger volumes will not begin to return until the end of 2021, the supply

of below-deck freight capacity will remain at low levels for the near term. e-Commerce has increased, but the impact of COVID-19 has been somewhat muted. Much of the increase is a continuation of a trend that began 5-10 years ago. Cold chain capabilities have been recently improved. In aggregate, there has been long-term improvement in capacity and capability for movement of temperature-sensitive goods. Cold chain capabilities – dry ice or cold chain ULDs – are already in place for major carriers. New cold-chain warehouses represent future asset for distribution of temperature-sensitive products.

Technical limits In the midst of these industry dynamics, ULD fleets are growing, partially due to increased volume, but also to the need for better utilisation. Pain points for freight carriers are the timely communication of ULD location and technical limits of accurately tracking the fleet. The trend to off-site break-down, and inadequate communication between owners and customers, is driving the need for improved standards and tracking capability. Steve Townes, chairman and CEO of ACL Airshop and founder/CEO of Ranger Aerospace said: “Periodic voice of the customer surveys have allowed us to listen, learn and act. When the customer himself helps you co-author your growth strategy, it is smart business to respond to that. Customer feedback has also reinforced our goal to always remain a high-performance culture.”

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INSIDE WE ASK ONE QUESTION

ACW: You were promoted to president and CEO of GEODIS in Americas right before the pandemic. From a leadership perspective ... PAGE 2

UNITED CARGO 11,000+ CARGO-ONLY

UNITED operated its first flight carrying cargo without passengers on board. While the passenger cabin was empty, its cargo hold was ... PAGE 3 WALLENBORN 100-NOT OUT

LIKE many centenarians, Wallenborn had planned a great party to mark the milestone. Unfortunately in 2020 a virus had other ideas. But that ... PAGE 5

WHY WE ARE A WACA SPONSOR

THE industry is in a moment of great difficulties but also great opportunities. We have been sponsors in previous awards, but we feel that ... PAGE 2

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NEWS

Swissport signs lease for new Vienna facility THE expansion of Swissport’s cargo business at Vienna Airport is officially underway following the signing of a lease agreement for a brand-new air cargo facility. The new location will increase Swissport’s local warehousing capacity by nearly 50%. Swissport has signed a 7-year lease for two air cargo terminals nearby Vienna Airport. The adjacent 8,000 sq m warehouses are part of the Deutsche Logistik Holding‘s ‘SkyLog park Vienna’ in the Fischamend region and will allow Swissport to further expand its cargo activities at Vienna Airport. The building will offer warehouse and office space in the centre of the industrial zone and increase the warehousing capacity by nearly 50%, allowing Swissport to grow its share in forwarder handling.

It is the second major investment in Vienna, following the opening of a warehouse with direct tarmac access right at Vienna Airport in mid-2019. The completion of construction work is scheduled for Q4 2021, when operations will move from the 4,600 sq m Cargo Nord Object 10. Swissport in Vienna will then operate two state-of-the-art facilities.

Mike Honious, president and CEO of GEODIS in Americas ACW: You were promoted to president and CEO of GEODIS in Americas right before the pandemic. From a leadership perspective, what have you learned in this time? Mike Honious: Without question, this pandemic highlighted what I already knew to be true: our GEODIS teammates are the lifeblood behind our operations and number one priority. From the beginning of the pandemic, we committed to doing whatever it took to ensure our teammates had the proper safety equipment and protocols needed so we could carefully continue our business operations with minimal disruption to our customers. Once we ensured our teammates were safe, we could best work to protect our customers’ unprecedented volume and capacity needs. The pandemic created diverse challenges for our customers and we saw that they needed us in entirely new ways than before.

While 2020 resulted in unimaginable tragedies, I do believe we have to look for the silver linings and take those with us moving forward. For one, the pandemic showed just how flexible and resilient our team is. They became our supply chain heroes and worked tirelessly and nimbly to adjust to meet our clients’ needs. That spirit will stay with us moving forward. Secondly, COVID-19 reinforced that our customers count on us for so much more than simply transporting freight, picking, packing and shipping. They come to us for innovative solutions that will move the needle on their overall business models. This solutions-minded approach will continue guiding GEODIS in the future and I believe this will be more important than ever, as the pandemic underscored just how vital a flexible supply chain process is to the success of a business.

Why we are a WACA Sponsor

THE reason we decided to sponsor the Air Freight Forwarder of the Year category further extends Etihad Cargo’s appreciation and mission to continue strengthening our relationships with our customers and partners and to recognise the support they have provided us throughout the pandemic. The value of sponsoring an award extends beyond the brand exposure of this prestigious award and is more in the opportunity it provides to be part of celebrating the success of our partners. Our support of one of the leading awards for the logistics sector aligns with our own ethos to collaborate with like-

ACW 29 MARCH 2021

WE ASK ONE QUESTION: Mike Honious

Etihad Cargo

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minded companies who strive to achieve such successes. We understand that the past 12 months have been a challenging period for the industry and we would encourage those who are able to sponsor to show their support so that the industry can come together to mark our combined achievements and congratulate those who truly deserve the recognition. We had no hesitation in choosing a category that aligned with our tag line, ‘Air Cargo Partner of Choice’, to show that these are not just words but a belief we stand firm on and take pride in celebrating our partners success as well.

NEWS

United Cargo operates more than 11,000 cargo-only flights in one year A year ago, United operated its first flight carrying cargo without passengers on board. While the passenger cabin was empty, its cargo hold was completely full, carrying more than 29,000 pounds of commodities from Chicago O’Hare International Airport to Frankfurt Airport. A year later, United Cargo has operated more than 11,000 cargo-only flights, carrying more than 570 million pounds of freight. To support the COVID-19 pandemic recovery efforts, United Cargo has also transported more than 113 million pounds of medical and pharmaceutical products on both cargo-only and

passenger flights as well as approximately 10 million COVID-19 vaccines, providing global communities access to the items they have needed most. “At the beginning of the pandemic, we knew we were uniquely positioned to utilise

our widebody aircraft and our network to keep commodities moving, so we quickly mobilised various departments throughout the airline to launch a cargo-only network of flights that would keep commodities moving,” said United Cargo president, Jan

Krems. “Thanks to those efforts, United Cargo has delivered millions of items to countries all around the world. “We would not have been successful without the steadfast support of our employees, industry partners and our customers.” Since last March, United Cargo has transported almost 850 million pounds of freight on cargo-only and passenger flights. The airline will continue to monitor market trends and adjust its cargo-only flight schedules to help ensure we are meeting our customer’s evolving shipping needs.

Oman Air celebrates 28th AEI to provide Aviation anniversary of its first flight Holding with more freighter conversions

OMAN Air has celebrated the 28th anniversary of its first-ever flight, which took place between Muscat and Salalah in March 1993. The inaugural flight, operated by Boeing 737-300, saw the beginning of the airline’s regional footprint in Oman, and launched four months ahead of its first international flight to Dubai in July the same year. “Oman Air has come a long way since our beginnings as a regional carrier,” remarked Abdulaziz Al Raisi, CEO of Oman Air. “It’s a milestone that we’re proud to celebrate, and we look forward to continuing our remarkable journey in the years ahead.”

AERONAUTICAL Engineers, Inc (AEI) will provide Aviation Holdings with three more B737-800SF freighter conversions. The total number of AEI B737-800SF freighter conversions ordered by Aviation Holdings now stands at eight. The first aircraft of this new order is scheduled to commence modification in April 2021. Modification touch labour will be performed by the authourised AEI Conversion Centre, Commercial Jet in Miami, Florida. The remaining two aircraft will commence modification in May 2021. The AEI converted B737-800SF freighter offers a main deck payload of up to 23,904 kg and incorporates eleven full-height

88” x 125” container positions, plus an additional position for an AEP/AEH. The conversion also incorporates new floor beams aft of the wing box, a large 86” x 137” Main Cargo Door with a single vent door system. AEI’s forward-thinking design allows for containers to be loaded into the aircraft a full 16.5” aft of the forward door jamb, ensuring ground operators have sufficient manoeuvring room which minimises potential door and aircraft strikes. Additionally, the AEI B737800SF includes a flexible Ancra Cargo Loading System, a rigid 9g barrier, five supernumerary seats as standard, a galley and full lavatory.

e-Commerce growth brings opportunities for U-Freight THE head of the U-Freight Group says he welcomes reports that the changes in demand patterns associated with the ongoing emergence of e-Commerce, is also driving development in merchandising, warehousing, and distribution patterns. “It helps justify our company’s early entry and on-going investment to meet the ever-increasing challenges of providing logistics services to this rapidly expanding sector of global trade,” said Simon Wong, the chief executive officer of the Hong Kong-based international freight forwarding and logistics group.

Distribution centres He noted that currently there is an explosion in the development of distribution centres as many traditional importers, exporters and traders now need fulfilment capability because they have shifted more of their business to an e-Commerce model. “Our development of e-Commerce logistics solutions is continually trying to address the key issues stemming from increasing volumes of business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) e-Commerce shipments and the time sensitivity that is associated with this business,” said Wong. “Examples of those efforts include investment in several of the company’s warehouse facilities to enable them to act as complete e-Commerce fulfilment centres (EFCs). Over the last few years, U-Freight has opened EFCs across Asia, North America, and Europe. “Currently, one of our logistics hubs in Hong Kong is being modified to convert part of it into smart warehouse equipped with a fleet of Automated Guided Vehicles (AGV) and an intelligent racking system so that it can perform as a fully-fledged EFC. “The hardware is due to be installed early next month with system implementation by the end of April.”

Airport Authority Hong Kong extends relief package

THE Airport Authority Hong Kong (AA) is extending its relief package for the airport community for another two months to the end of May 2021, in view of the prolonged impact brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. AA will closely monitor the operating environment

and provide necessary assistance to the airport community during these challenging times. The relief measures will be adjusted from time to time depending on the air traffic and business recovery at HKIA.

ACW 29 MARCH 2021

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS OF 100 YEARS OF TRUCKING THE BEGINNING... Wallenborn Transports was founded in 1920 by Metty Wallenborn. 1930 BENZ TRUCK FOR WATER TRANSPORT Wallenborn trucks were used to transport water pipes and distributors to facilitate clean drinking water.

When airfreight h Like many centenarians, Wallenborn had planned a great party to mark the milestone. Unfortunately in 2020 a virus had other ideas. But that hasn’t stopped the company marking 100 years in road transport.

1960 EUROPEAN-WIDE TRANSPORT WITH HANOMAG TRUCKS In the 1960s Metty’s son, Paul Wallenborn, became involved in the business. Hanomag trucks start to be used. 1964 BÜSSING & VOLVO TRUCKS The one Volvo is a model F495 and the other is the first F88 in Luxembourg used for international transport. 1990 FIRST SK MERCEDES EQUIPPED WITH ABS The first of Mercedes’ SK line to be equipped with ABS / ASR pneumatic suspension used for international transport. 1992 WALLENBORN’S FIRST VOLVO FH12 The PW060 was Wallenborn’s first Volvo FH12. 1993 ONE OF THE FIRST MEGA TRAILERS The PW753 was one of the first trucks to have a connector as low as 950mm. 2008 REGULATED AGENT (RA) CERTIFICATION In 2008 Wallenborn Transports became a regulated agent. 2009 ACQUISITION OF HAUGSTED AIRCARGO SERVICES 2009 WALLENBORN BECOMES THE FIRST TRUCKING COMPANY TO JOIN IATA CARGO 2000 MAY 2009 ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFICATION Wallenborn successfully completed the audit to become ISO 9001 : 2008 certified. JUNE 2009 AEOS CERTIFICATION Wallenborn successfully obtained AEOS certification.

here is a certain irony in that in 1920 when Metty Wallenborn launched his eponymous company the world was getting over the 1918-1919 Spanish flu pandemic. A century later, bookending the first one hundred years of business, another pandemic has come upon the business. However, for the company this is just a speed bump in terms of the exciting future the company has for the coming decades. Now headed by current president and CEO Frantz Wallenborn, the third generation of the Wallenborn family to take the helm of the Luxembourg-based Road Feeder Service (RFS) operator, Wallenborn has achieved its mission to establish a feeling of confidence and security amongst customers and partners to associate Wallenborn with reliability, integrity and openness. Frantz Wallenborn said: “The past twelve months brought us closer to our customers and partners and proved the benefits of trust-based business

collaborations. The multiple and fast changing challenges caused by the pandemic required new levels of inventiveness and agility and the ability of our people to relentlessly perform has certainly increased trust in Wallenborn.” While there is much to look forward to for Wallenborn in the coming decades, in its first decades it has marked some significant achievements. For instance, in 2009 Wallenborn became the first trucking company to publish performance data measured against Cargo 2000’s service level agreement for road feeder services. Wallenborn said: “I realised that RFS was overlooked by the standard milestones and processes and that shipments were off the radar unless they were at online stations. This was during a period when many airlines were embracing direct delivery and pick-up services to offer extra value to their customers. “Simultaneously, telemetry technology was rapidly improving

MARCH 2011 NEW OFFICE IN STOCKHOLM Wallenborn and its affiliate Haugsted AirCargo Services open an office at Stockholm Arlanda airport. JUNE 2012 TAPA TSR CERTIFICATION Wallenborn is amongst the first in the world to be TSR certified, and the first asset-based company in the EMEA region to be certified at levels 1, 2 and 3.

ACW 29 MARCH 2021

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and this created an opportunity to improve the visibility of shipments whilst in the custody of RFS providers. The initial focus was on FSU messaging but has since shifted to STM (surface transportation movement) messages which are automatically triggered by vehicle telematics and give more accurate updates and ETAs than FFMs. “The next step is to integrate with the Warehouse Management Systems of transit sheds to optimise ground operations at busy cargo hubs. We’ve also added capability to send ULD messages to airlines so they can better manage offline inventory. “ The same year, the company obtained AEO certification.

Workload Approximately 55% of Wallenborn’s sales revenue is air cargo RFS. Other important revenue streams are from specialised services including security transport for various vulnerable products, temperature-controlled transport

and outsized transport. Demand for the first two was much higher in the past year while demand for the latter was lower due to fewer new aircraft deliveries and a reduction in MRO activities. Wallenborn said: “Our expertise in these specialities has benefited our RFS customers and supported them as they’ve developed premium products. It also helped us to improve geographical balances within our network and buffered us against volatility in the airfreight sector.” Since the turn of the century, Wallenborn has become very expansionist. XX said: “We anticipated that the RFS market would change in a number of ways, that airlines and forwarders would use it more to promote and extend their services and that data integration would become essential. We decided to develop harmonised solutions on a large scale such as extensive pan-European networks, common digitisation platforms, local and personalised customer care and premium

t hits the road products. “We’re fortunate that our key accounts are also ambitious and focused on growth and improvement. In fact most are amongst the global top 20 cargo airlines and have grown at very impressive rates. They expect us to provide an extensive and flexible network that meets the highest quality and security standards and this is why we accelerated our growth strategy.” All Wallenborn-owned trucks that drive internationally are compliant with the European Union’s tough Euro-6 emissions standards. Has this deterred the company from investigating the possibilities from electric vehicles? “We already tested electric vehicles (EV) over shorter distances and will be testing alternative fuels over longer distances this year. Our typical trip distance is approximately 400 kms and we will enthusiastically embrace EVs that are capable of meeting that challenge. In the meantime, we invest heavily in green technology, training and monitoring to minimise our environmental impact and the solar array at our HQ - the largest of its kind in Luxembourg - generates 1,000 MWh per year,” said Wallenborn. This has been a collaborative effort and clients understand the current technological limits. Moving cargo by RFS to and from mega-hubs is inherently more sustainable and is boosted by Wallenborn’s ability to offer LTL service on over 900 city pairs in Europe. However, the company has not taken a position on driverless trucks as fault-tolerant autonomous applications on the routes it operate are five to ten years away. At present, the company continues to benefit from high levels of driver retention and makes great efforts to optimise the driver experience. Wallenborn drivers take ferries to Denmark, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, the UK, Morocco and Tunisia and in total make approximately 20,000 Eurotunnel crossings in a normal year. “It’s interesting to note that most of our drivers do not follow a routine and they typically visit five to ten countries in a week. Whilst our busiest hubs are in the heart of Europe, we cover the entire continent,” said Wallenborn. “We have separate teams of drivers with specific skills and experience for example life sciences, aircraft engines or high value cars. 80% of our drivers are qualified to transport dangerous goods and 100% are trained and certified according to EU Aviation Security standards.”

COVID-19 challenges If there had not been a pandemic, Wallenborn says the 100th anniversary milestone would have been appropriately marked. “We planned to throw a big party for our customers and partners but now is not the time to celebrate,” said Wallenborn ruefully. “In 2019, the countries where we grew most were Belgium and Netherlands due to growth at freighter hubs such as AMS, BRU, LGG, MST and OST and countries that are normally highly dependent on passenger flights including Denmark, France, Italy, Sweden and the UK.” During COVID-19, there have been many changes and “our business continuity and recovery management systems have been continually tested and adapted,” said Wallenborn.

“We have been using cloud apps for more than 12 years so home-working was not a technical challenge but we have chosen to keep all of our branches open. One of the biggest operational challenges has been to keep our drivers safe. Whilst truck drivers have so far been exempt from most restrictions on movement between European countries, the volumes of administration required to ensure they have the necessary authorisation to cross borders has been immense. “Negative COVID-19 tests are also mandatory to cross some borders especially from the UK. This was especially challenging in December when trucks could not enter France from the UK for several days. We’ve also invested in extra sanitary equipment and all trucks are deep-cleaned between shifts. “Another operational challenge has severe delays that have built up at some major hubs such as those we’re currently experiencing at AMS and FRA. Aviation has been unevenly affected by the effects of COVID-19. Cargo volumes at some airports have been low for more than a year now whilst other airports have been swamped at times,” said Wallenborn.

NEWS 2013 INTEGRATION WITH VIP TRUCK A new entity called VIP Wallenborn is formed. FEBRUARY 2013 NEW OFFICE IN DUBAI Wallenborn Transport Co. LLC opened in Dubai. JULY 2013 NEW OFFICE IN MILAN (MALPENSA) Wallenborn opened an office at Milan’s Malpensa airport in July 2013. AUGUST 2013 NEW OFFICE IN BARCELONA Wallenborn opened an office in Barcelona in August 2013. OCTOBER 2013 GDP CERTIFICATION Global Good Distribution Practice (GDP) certification. NOVEMBER 2013 NEW OFFICE IN SHARJAH Wallenborn opens its second UAE office at Sharjah International airport. JUNE 2014 WALLENBORN MOVES TO DNATA CITY IN THE UK Wallenborn moved its London office to the multi-million pound dnata City at Heathrow airport. MARCH 2015 NEW OFFICE IN VIENNA Wallenborn opens an office at Vienna International Airport. MAY 2016 NEW OFFICE AT LUXEMBOURG AIRPORT OCTOBER 2016 HAUGSTED AIRCARGO SERVICES A/S BECOMES WALLENBORN SCANDINAVIA A/S FEBRUARY 2017 MADE IN LUXEMBOURG Wallenborn gets the “Made in Luxembourg” label. MARCH 2017 NEW OFFICE IN LIÈGE APRIL 2017 WALLENBORN TAKES DELIVERY OF 12 NEW BI-TEMPERATURE TRAILERS MAY 2018 ISO 9001:2015 CERTIFICATION In May 2018 Wallenborn successfully completed the audit to update ISO 9001 : 2008 accreditation to the 9001 : 2015 certificate SEPTEMBER 2018 EQUISTONE PARTNERS EUROPE INVESTS IN WALLENBORN MARCH 2019 BELGIUM GETS ITS OWN FLEET JULY 2019 WALLENBORN BELGIUM BECOMES A REGULATED AGENT OCTOBER 2019 DNATA JOINS FORCES WITH WALLENBORN SEPTEMBER 2020 WALLENBORN EXPANDS IN BELGIUM

ACW 29 MARCH 2021

NEWS

air cargo Europe conference - Tuesday, May 4, 2021

13:00 Airfreight capacity constraints and rate volatility – how serious are they and when do we see an end to them? STAT Media Group 14:30 Is the digital twin the new beauty of the skies? How digitisation can be beneficial for the air cargo industry STAT Media Group 16:00 Air cargo of tomorrow: Shaping the future of the industry Air Cargo News 17:30 Air Cargo Week World Air Cargo Awards Air Cargo Week

All times are CET

Online event brought to offices and mobile devices in 2021

IN 2021, transport logistic fans cannot be welcomed live on site in Munich as they have been over the years. However, in order to still enable the transfer of know-how with a trade fair feeling, the conference programme will be brought to the participants’ homes, offices or mobile devices - presented compactly over three days. In co-operation with conceptual sponsors, transport logistic, including air cargo Europe, is being held online. From May 4-6, 2021, there will be three days packed with valuable content. Click in, stay tuned and join the discussion, say organisers. The conference programme with detailed information on the events is updated continuously so organisers invite online visitors to check with the website frequently. The next transport logistic in Munich as a physical trade fair will take place from May 9 to 12, 2023.

Messe München expansion In 2019, Messe München succeeded in further expanding its worldwide position and logistics portfolio. With the acquisition of air cargo Africa, air cargo India and air cargo Forum Miami, three further important and successful events enrich the global transport logistics cluster. Due to the current corona pandemic, most of last year’s trade fairs and congresses had to be cancelled or converted into digital formats.

Scenes @ air cargo Europe 2019

ACW 29 MARCH 2021

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new technology

SPEEDCARGO: digitising physical cargo has become of key importance SINGAPORE-BASED, SPEEDCARGO Technologies is collaborating with Microsoft to disrupt air cargo and logistics with advanced 3D vision technologies. In this collaboration, SPEEDCARGO leverages advanced 3D sensing technologies by Microsoft in its AI and robotics solutions for digitisation, optimisation and automation in the air cargo and logistics space. The airfreight industry has been traditionally slow in adoption of new technologies, with the current efforts being largely focussed on ensuring free flow of documentation across different stakeholders.

SPEEDCARGO is poised to help drive this industry transformation across warehousing, freight forwarding, trucking and logistics, airfreight ground handling and air freight space. SPEEDCARGO’s three modular solutions CARGO EYE, CARGO MIND and CARGO ARM form a suite of solutions using intelligent systems that provide accurate dimensioning, digitisation of cargo, planning & optimising of operations that enable automation for the stakeholders in the logistics value chain. The adoption of this automation has helped an initial customer with a 20%-25% increase in revenue from underutilised assets. Suraj Nair, founder and chief technology officer at SPEEDCARGO, told ACW how he believes the pandemic will spur on industry digitalisation. “The industry has been pushing for digitisation for a very long time. IATA initiatives like digital cargo, eAWB and OneRecord have been around for a while but adoption has been very slow over the years. “COVID has got the industry stakeholders to reflect hard and unanimously accept that operational efficiency, reduction in cost, increased visibility and traceability

are key for future sustainability of the business. With this impetus we see digitisation picking up at a faster pace across the board (large and small players). “With cargo capacity wiped away due to passenger jets, businesses will have to adopt

technology faster than ever to optimise the available capacity. The industry is mainly used to digitising paper. “However, for capacity optimisation digitising the physical cargo has become of key importance.”

ACW 29 MARCH 2021

TRAINING

(noun): the education, instruction, or discipline of a person or thing that is being trained

aeroconcept: “bespoke training concepts based on real-life experience”

ith over 20 years of experience in the air cargo industry, James Wyatt took the decision to set up his own consulting company, aeroconcept, in May 2019. Since then, aeroconcept has been providing aviation consulting, operational support and management training for the aviation and air cargo industry.

Utilising experience Wyatt’s wealth of experience, which includes working with Lufthansa Cargo, AeroLogic, Qatar Airways, DHL Express and IATA, is something he draws heavily on. In doing so, aeroconcept is able to provide an extensive range of services, including training, which Wyatt noted, now also includes IATA training in cargo and logistics. “During 2020 I qualified as an IATA external instructor which now enables me to moderate IATA training courses in the cargo and logistics sector of our industry. This is a great addition to the aeroconcept portfolio and I am looking forward to providing my first IATA training in April.”

Full circle aeroconcept’s first client for training was Lufthansa Cargo, fittingly the carrier Wyatt worked for at the start of his career for seven years, before moving to AeroLogic. “Lufthansa Cargo invited me to develop a concept for them to train all of their station managers, worldwide. The objective was to give them the required skill set to be ‘responsible’ for their operation in all aspects, from

legal to supplier relationship management. Unfortunately for aeroconcept as a new company, like many others, face-to-face training didn’t last long with the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic. As global lockdowns hit and life as we knew it changed completely, the ability to adapt became imperative to continue to support the aviation industry. With the majority of client work temporarily paused, Wyatt adapted to the changing circumstances. “During this time I entered into various strategic partnerships focused on operational resource planning, sanctions and trade compliance, human factors, dangerous goods and aircraft charter brokerage. I started to work on various new concepts including a

concept for universities. “When you reach a certain point in your in your career and to an extent in your life journey, you realise that you can give something back, and this is a great feeling,” he explained. “Working together with a university in Germany that specialises in logistics and transport management I realised there was a clear demand for real life expertise rather than just having the ‘standard theory’. “I therefore based the training concept on real life experience. I created case studies and brought in a few guest speakers from the industry to enhance the real life view from different sectors of the industry including the express integrator, cargo IT, cargo airline and ground handling agent.” Wyatt noted that this has to be done virtually, a shift to Zoom or other means we are all too familiar with now. It does however create a unique set of challenges, in particular engagement. This was another reason to ensure that there were a variety of training methods to keep the students interested. “I’m delighted that this concept has developed and I am pleased to be able to offer this to worldwide universities in the near future – watch this space! “I’m very much a traditionalist. Even though I’m very open to change and I love change management, when it comes to training I simply love to stand up in front of people and to train. “Virtual training does still deliver but engagement can be hard. You really have to break up the sessions because you can lose people after a short time if you are not careful. Interaction is key.” With vaccine rollouts starting across the

globe, the light is starting to glimmer at the end of the lockdown tunnel and hopefully this will kick-start some normality in which face-to-face training can resume in greater depth. Air cargo is a fast-paced industry and over the last year the pandemic has acted as a catalyst for many industry changes. “You have to be very aware and up-todate with what is going on in the industry. The pandemic has certainly proved to be an accelerator for digital transformation and this is great to see,” said Wyatt. “Lecturing at the University, I dedicated a section of the course to the impact of COVID-19 on aviation and what it means for our industry: capacity constraints caused by the severe loss of belly space on passenger aircraft, airline crew handling due to the constantly changing government regulations for entry and exit requirements, the large increase in e-Commerce, due to the B2B towards B2C.”

Bespoke What makes aeroconcept’s training different? It is bespoke explained Wyatt. “I think what makes my experience unique is that I’m able to train in a way that reflects the role of the person that I’m training. It’s vital to be able to connect on the level of your audience and adapt the delivery accordingly. This drives engagement and therefore knowledge transfer and retention. “I’ve had significant experience on the ground, middle and senior management levels in all of the organisations I have worked for. I believe these are valuable assets.”

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