GLOBAL A
I
R
C
A
R
G
O
W
E
E
K
MANAGEMENT
A
I
R
C
A
R
G
O
W
E
E
K
WORLD ACW Digital is sponsored by AIRPORTS.COM FREIGHTERS.COM
FREIGH
FRE
Tabloid page unbled.indd 1
08/04/2019 12:48
The weekly newspaper for air cargo professionals No. 1,034
What’s in a name?
3 June 2019
Airway Bill investigates
Emirates SkyCargo revs it up for Gumball rally
F
or the second year running, Emirates SkyCargo will partner with Gargash to transport cars for the Gumball 3000 rally. The partnership was signed by Nabil Sultan, divisional senior vice president of Emirates SkyCargo, and Shehab Gargash, managing director and group CEO of Gargash Group, one of the largest distributors of premium cars in the UAE. Emirates SkyCargo will transport four Mercedes Benz GT63s from Dubai to the Gumball rally and back on a Boeing 777 Freighter from Dubai World Central.
Sultan says: “We had a successful collaboration last year which helped us showcase Emirates Wheels, our specialised product for transporting automobiles, to a large audience in the UAE as well as the rest of the world. We look forward to offering our First Class treatment to the Team Gargash cars participating in this year’s rally.” Gargash says: “We are proud to be working once again with Emirates. Two Pioneering UAE companies are collaborating to make the extra-ordinary happen this year, and automobile enthusiasts’ heads will turn around the world.”
A
INSIDE BIG CATS FLY WITH LATAM
MELENA and Tika the lions were the first of five big cats transported by LATAM Cargo from Argentina to their new home in South Africa ... PAGE 2
JETTHUB INAUGURATED
JETTAINER has inaugurated its logistics centre for unit load devices, the so-called JettHub to ensure reliable handling and maintenance of the devices ... PAGE 4 WAR OF WORDS AT ATLAS AIR
IATA: Demand keeps going down in April ir cargo demand fell 4.7% in April, continuing the negative trend that began in January, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) reports. Brexit-related trade uncertainty in Europe and trade tensions between the US and China both contributed to declining new export orders. In month-on-month terms, export orders have increased only
Page 12
three times in the past 15 months and the global measure has been indicating negative export demand since September. Capacity measured in available freight tonne kilometres grew by 2.6% in April, and has now outpaced demand for the last 12 months. Air cargo volumes have been volatile in 2019, due to the timing of Chinese New Year and Easter, but the trend is clearly downwards, with volumes 3% below the August 2018 peak.
Alexandre de Juniac, director general and CEO of IATA says that while demand has declined, cost inputs are rising, trade tensions are affecting confidence and global trade is weakening. He says: “Airlines are adjusting their capacity growth to try and fall into line with the dip in global trade since the end of 2018. It all adds up to a challenging year ahead for the cargo business. Governments should respond by easing trade barriers in order to drive economic activity.”
ALTAS Air has hit back at union claims about safety and working conditions, accusing them of conducting a misinformation campaign ... PAGE 5
DHL COMBINES VIENNA SERVICES
DHL has opened its new campus at Vienna Airport, combining overland, air and ocean freight services for optimal handling and transportation ... PAGE 6
aircargoweek.com
A
Old News
I
Instability in Iraq making business tough 2 November 2015
raq is undoubtedly one of the most challenging airfreight markets to operate in due to the ongoing political instability and conflict. Iraq freight firm Mateen Express has felt the effects and says it has seen “better years” with volumes up and down. The firm’s chairman, Majid Barzanji, tells Air Cargo Week the market is not expanding and is constantly changing and flucuating. However, there are opportunities: “There is a great potential in both Kurdistan and Iraq, but this is not conditional. There are no real opportunities in the foreseeable future.” Barzanji notes in addition to normal business chalenges, there is safety and security issues and the unpredictablility of the next day, and next week. The firm works with regional, local, national and federal agencies in Iraq such as the Ministry of Defence, local security and police. More stability in the region would clearly be welcomed.
I
Rhino job for IAG Cargo
AG Cargo welcomed six white rhinos on British Airways’s first Airbus A380 flight to Miami on Sunday, 25 October. The rhinos embarked on the journey from Johannesburg to Miami to ensure the continued genetic diversity for breeding programmes which are part of a global conservation effort. IAG Cargo product manager for live animals Gabriella Tamasi says the rhinos each weighed one tonne each. Rhinos in Africa face a range of external threats including poaching and an encroachment on their space by humans.
Quote of the week
“We have achieved a great deal. I sometimes think we are too modest and should bang the drum more often,” Edwin W Kalischnig, Cool Chain Association (CCA) board member
I
R
C
A
R
G
O
W
E
E
K
Big cats fly with LATAM Cargo
M
elena and Tika the lions were the first of five big cats transported by LATAM Cargo from Argentina to their new home in South Africa. The big cats – two lions, one lioness and two tigresses - lived in a decommissioned zoo in Santiago del Estero before local authorities arranged their rescue and obtained the permits required for relocation. The journey to Johannesburg, including land portions lasted approximately 70 hours on the way to their new homes at Ubuntu Wildlife Sanctuary and Drakenstein Lion Park. Esteban Bojanich, operations manager at LATAM Cargo says the airline ensured it was in full compliance with IATA and LATAM Cargo’s safety live animal standards. The animals were given regular access to water and measures were taken to reduce their exposure to heat and noise sources. He says: “This difficult task is especially hard to achieve in a cargo warehouse and air freighter environment but is nonetheless crucial to making their journey as stress-free as possible. And we certainly delivered.” The transportation was co-ordinated by freight forwarder New-
port Cargo, with the cats being flown onboard a freighter from Buenos Aires to Sao Paulo, where they were transferred to the belly of a passenger aircraft bound for Johannesburg. Bojanich says: “At LATAM Cargo, we contribute our expertise in the carriage of various live animals, from domestic pets to horses, bulls and rescued wild animals. For example, a few years ago we took the challenge of transporting a group of rescued elephants.”
LATAM Cargo signs lease deal with CSafe Global
L
ATAM Cargo has signed a Master Lease Agreement with CSafe Global, making RAP and RKN active containers available to customers shipping temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals. The active temperature-controlled containers offer the industry’s longest battery run times and ambient temperature ranges of -30C to +54C for the RAP and -30C to +49C for the RKN. CSafe’s system design combines advanced compressor-driven cooling technologies with VIP insulation to regulate
payload temperatures for up to four US pallets of pharmaceutical products. The active containers have approvals to fly on both upper and lower decks of aircraft. Rodolfo Marré, product development senior manager for LATAM Cargo says: “We understand that minimal deviation from the defined temperature ranges can greatly affect the quality of the products and that is why we are constantly evaluating new options for our Clients. CSafe containers offer cutting-edge technology that will continue to strengthen our PHARMA ACTIVE
Product.” Brad Jennings, vice president of global marketing and partner alliances for CSafe Global says: “With a comprehensive cargo network serving key markets in the Latin American region, and a robust CEIV pharma programme, we look forward to a very fruitful collaboration with LATAM Cargo as we collectively strive to best serve pharma companies seeking that ultimate peace of mind when transporting invaluable life-enhancing medications to their patients in the increasingly important pharma market across Latin America.”
ABC adds third weekly Oslo flight
Asia Pacific demand falls 9%
AIRBRIDGECARGO Airlines has added a third weekly flight from Oslo Airport for seafood exports bound for South Korea. The first flight was operated on Tuesday 28 May, complementing existing Tuesday and Friday departures, heading to Seoul via Moscow. The Russian airline now offers 230 tonnes of seafood capacity from Oslo on Tuesdays, operating the route with a Boeing 747-8 Freighter. In 2018, AirBridgeCargo moved 500-million-krone worth of seafood out of Norway on its two weekly flights from Oslo Airport. Martin Langaas, director of cargo at Avinor says: “AirBridgeCargo is an important part of our aim to facilitate more capacity for the Norwegian seafood industry to our largest trading partners in Asia.” He adds: “Freighter routes are boosting the competitiveness of Norwegian seafood and provide efficient access to our biggest markets in Asia. With the new departure, capacity is estimated to increase by another quarter billion krone in annual export value.”
CARGO demand has declined 9% in April with further declines in new export orders affecting trade activity, the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) reports. Freight tonne kilometres were down 9.1% on a year-on-year basis, with the fall in air shipments coinciding with production declines in the region’s technology equipment sectors. Demand in freight tonne kilometres was down 6.3% between January and April, with capacity up 1.4%, pushing down load factors by 4.8 percentage points to 57.5%. Andrew Herdman, director general of AAPA says: “The first four months of the year saw a 4.9% increase in the number of passengers carried by the region’s airlines to an aggregate total of 125 million, whereas air cargo markets experienced a 6.3% decline in demand during the same period.” He adds: “Since the last quarter of 2018, however, air cargo volumes have recorded declines as unresolved disputes and the imposition of trade tariffs led to a marked slowdown in international trade flows.”
Royal guest helps British Airways celebrate centenary BRITISH Airways had a special visitor when Her Majesty The Queen came to the Waterside headquarters at Heathrow Airport to celebrate the airline’s centenary. Her Majesty was introduced to staff wearing heritage uniform and visited British Airways’ museum where she was shown artefacts and memorabilia relating to her historic journeys with the airline throughout the reign. Aircraft models that the Royal Family have travelled on lined The Speedbird Centre route along with items from Royal flights such as the Royal book, which has been signed by members of the family. During the visit, Her Majesty was
2
ACW 3 JUNE 2019
introduced to members of the airline’s Community Investment team and champions who raise money for Flying Start, British Airways’ charity partnership with Comic Relief. To conclude the visit, Alex Cruz, British Airways chairman and CEO made a short speech and invited Her Majesty to unveil a plaque with the airline’s centenary logo and the words: Her Majesty The Queen visited Waterside to mark British Airways’ centenary – 23rd May 2019. Cruz says: “We are so honoured that Her Majesty The Queen has chosen to visit us on this very special occasion to help to mark our centenary – a landmark
aircargoweek.com
in aviation.” He adds: “This is the absolute highlight of our centenary year celebrations and something we will all remember for many years to come.”
Tabloid page unbled.indd 1
29/05/2019 10:25
A
I
R
C
A
R
G
O
W
E
E
K
Leipzig/Halle hosts humanitarian logistics conference
L
eipzig/Halle Airport, working with the Volga-Dnepr Group and the Akkon University of Human Sciences organised a specialist international conference focusing on humanitarian logistics. About 60 representatives from research institutes, government and non-government organisations, logistics companies, airports as well as airlines attended the event held in Leipzig on the fringes of the OECD’s International Transport Forum on 21 May. Workshops were organised at Leipzig/Halle Airport as part of the specialist conference and were designed to promote an active exchange of knowledge and experience. The workshops dealt with topics such as requirements that global disaster operations place on all those involved in supply chain including aid organisations, logistics companies, airports and airlines. Another major emphasis at one workshop was civil protection in Germany and how to effectively make use of aircraft, helicopters and drones if any national disasters occur. During the remainder of the event, the participants had the opportunity to observe typical loading procedures of Vol-
ga-Dnepr’s Antonov AN-124 and IL76-TD-90VDs. Götz Ahmelmann, CEO of Mitteldeutsche Flughafen and chairman of the board at Leipzig/Halle and Dresden airports says Leipzig/Halle offers excellent conditions for aid flights. He says: “We’re happy to share our wealth of experience in
handling cargo flights for disaster and aid missions so that we can continue to develop processes with all those involved in order to be able to act more quickly and efficiently in an emergency.” Dr Timo Ulrichs, head of the international emergency and disaster aid BA and Global Health MSc courses at Akkon University says that the Ebola epidemic in West Africa showed how important it is to enable active civil and military cooperation on missions. He says: “Without the air bridge maintained by the German Armed Forces, it wouldn’t have been possible to guarantee continual supplies of consumables or the safety of the personnel if they caught Ebola.” Stuart Smith, director global humanitarian at Volga-Dnepr Group says: “We were able to demonstrate the unique ramp loading features of our AN-124-100 and IL-76TD-90VD fleet as well as the access possibilities into our wider group partners with Boeing 747 and 737 freighters. The aircraft tours at our Leipzig operational base were also able to show the difference loading and preparation methods for medical and disaster response cargo.”
Jettainer inaugurates JettHub JETTAINER has inaugurated its logistics centre for unit load devices, the so-called JettHub to ensure reliable handling and maintenance of the devices. The 18,000 sq m JettHub in the Four Parx Gross-Gerau near Frankfurt Airport offers up to 6,600 containers and pallets at the same time. Larger and modern stackers and racks allow for a more efficient use of the storage space, so that around 2.2 times as many ULDs can be stored and maintained in the same area. A 24/7 shuttle to the Lufthansa Cargo ULD provisioning area is available to transport the containers to the airport quickly and reliably. As part of the co-operation, Deufol SE has also moved its workshop to the JettHub so the provider of packaging services carries out
maintenance and repair work on pallets and containers in a hall-in-hall construction. Frank Mühlenkamp, director operations of Jettainer says: “The move has not only given us more space, but also created additional opportunities for further growth thanks to efficient shelving systems.”
Stubbings and Morley to chair BIFA
Rachel Morley (left) and John Stubbings JOHN Stubbings has succeeded Mark Bromley as the elected chair of the British International Freight Association (BIFA), with Rachel Morley being elected vice-chair. Stubbings has been associated with BIFA for years and the group director and company secretary of Woodland Group is also chair of BIFA’s Legal and Insurance Policy Group.
4
ACW 3 JUNE 2019
aircargoweek.com
Morley, the general manager for operations at Spatial Global was appointed a director of BIFA in 2017 and chairs the trade association’s Midlands region. Charles Hogg, commercial director of Unsworth Global Logistics has joined the board of BIFA as a director. He is chair of BIFA’s Maritime, Road and Rail Policy Group. Hogg replaces Andrew Melton of Ligentia, who has stepped down after 14 years of service on the board. Robert Keen, director general of BIFA says: “In welcoming John and Rachel into their new positions, I wish to express my appreciation for the contribution made by Mark Bromley over the past few years; and by Andrew Melton over the last 14 years. I am also pleased that Sir Peter has agreed to continue in office.” Sir Peter Bottomley remains BIFA president.
A
I
R
C
A
R
G
O
W
E
E
K
Atlas Air accuses pilots of spreading misinformation
A
tlas Air has hit back at union claims about safety and working conditions, accusing them of conducting a misinformation campaign, much to the anger of pilots. The airline has called on the union to put aside protests to work with the company to achieve a Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement to increase pay for pilots. It says protests are common tactics often used by unions to spread misinformation and gain leverage in contract negotiations. On its website, Atlas Air has an article called “Atlas Air Sets Record Straight” where it highlights the union claims or myths as it calls them, and gives its point of view. It refutes the claim that safety is being compromised due to pilots being overworked, saying that there are legal and contractual obligations to adhere to rigorous safety standards. Dismissing claims that pilots are burning out due to unruly schedules, Atlas Air says pilots fly an average of 42 hours a month compared to an industry average of 53 hours a month. Denying that it has recruitment issues, saying the workforce has doubled in four years, with over 91% staying over three years with the average pilot having over 6,500 hours of experience. Atlas Air says pilots have been receiv-
ing annual pay rises, saying they are getting increases on an annual basis under the Collective Bargaining Agreements, adding that it is committed to increasing current pay scales. Unions have accused Atlas Air of not wanting to agree a new contract, but the airline insists this is not true saying it is eager to reach a new contract. The airline also denies that customers control operations, saying they play no role governing operations or setting work rules, adding the pilots work for Atlas Air, not the customer. The pilots have reacted with fury to the fact-checker, with Captain Robert Kirchner saying: “We take umbrage with Atlas’s false accusation that we are somehow inventing Atlas’s increasingly deteriorating operations in an effort to leverage contract negotiations. Atlas executives are either grossly out of touch with reality or desperately trying to hide their operational problems from their customers and the public.” The executive council chairman for Atlas Air pilots of Teamsters Local 1224 says the staffing and operational problems are of the airline’s making, saying that its “foot dragging over contract negotiations” has driven pilots away from the carrier and hurt its ability to hire and retain pilots.
LUFTHANSA Cargo’s newest Boeing 777 Freighter, D-ALFF was officially named at Tokyo’s Narita Airport, taking the name Konnichiwa Japan. The aircraft was named in a joint ceremony by Peter Gerber, CEO and chairman of the executive board of Lufthansa Cargo; Dr Hans Carl von Werthern, the German ambassador to Japan; Yasuo Ishii, administrator of Narita International Airport; and Futoshi Osada, senior executive vice president of Narita International Airport Corporation. In keeping with Japanese tradition, a sake barrel was opened and the aircraft was sprinkled with Japan’s national drink. The name was chosen for the aircraft, Kon-
nichiwa Japan, symbolising Japan’s importance in the global air cargo market. Gerber says: “The greeting ‘Konnichiwa Japan’ expresses the close connection between Lufthansa Cargo and Japan. We are very proud to have been flying to the Land of the Rising Sun with our own freighters since 1969, thus contributing to trade between these markets.” In response to weaker global air cargo demand, Lufthansa Cargo is adjusting schedules to reduce capacity in the second and third quarters of 2019. Lufthansa Cargo says services will be cut across the entire flight programme in line with demand, with regional offices informing customers of changes in good time. The airline says mid-year adjustments to the flights is also in keeping with the planned rollover from the MD-11 Freighter to Boeing 777 Freighters. Two new 777Fs were integrated into the Lufthansa Cargo fleet in spring, the changes to the schedule will also pave the way for the withdrawal of two MD-11Fs by the end of the year.
Lufthansa’s new 777F says Konnichiwa
Kirchner says: “Atlas has gone to great lengths and has wasted a great deal of time and expense trying to blame the union and its pilots for its problems, but, like a king with no clothes, Atlas now stands exposed to the public for its gross mistakes.” Expressing disappointment at Atlas Air’s statements, Kirchner says claims that operations are not significantly stressed are not true.
He says: “Atlas’s fuzzy math using numbers from well before our staffing crisis began do not change the facts, and its efforts to manipulate numbers is only a lame attempt to hide what the public is now coming to understand is a significant problem: Atlas’s staffing crisis is negatively affecting its and its customers’ current and future operations and business and is putting our pilots’ safety at risk.”
THE foundation piles have been placed for a new logistics building on the west side of Brucargo, with direct access to the tarmac. The construction at Brussels Airport is part of a €100 million investment in the modernisation of Brucargo. The building will be completed in the course of 2020 and can then be taken into use by the tenants Kuehne + Nagel, Worldwide Flight Services and Expeditors. Construction also incorporates various sustainability aspects including a green roof and solar panels on the office block. The buildings will be economical with water thanks to the installation of a water infiltration system and rainwater wells to reuse rainwater. The building will also be equipped with LED lighting and heat pumps. To improve mobility at the airport, charging stations for electric vehicles will be installed, together with two additional bus stops and a new cycle path in the area. The symbolic laying of the first stone took place in the presence of Marc Grootjans, mayor of Machelen, and the CEOs of the three future
tenants. Arnaud Feist, CEO of Brussels Airport Company says the airport is increasing the handling space on offer, particularly refrigerated storage. He says: “These temperature-controlled rooms are not only of considerable importance for various key sectors in our country including biotech and pharmaceuticals, but also for the import and export of fresh and perishable goods. Two niche markets in which Brussels Airport is specialised and in which it is investing further.”
Brucargo lays foundations for logistics building
Oustanding performance for Air Partner’s Freight team AIR Partner has built on its outstanding performance in 2017 with the Freight division’s profits growing 45% for the year ending on 31 January 2019. Gross profits for the Freight division increased 45.3% to £4.9 million, up from £3.4 million in 2018 and representing 13.8% of the group’s overall gross profit. The Freight team was established at the Fort Lauderdale, USA office and offices were opened in Houston, USA and Singapore in early 2019, with Freight services on offer. Cargo work was carried out over a number of sectors including automotive, aid, aerospace and energy, with customer requirements varying from a small box via the on-board courier service to chartering an Antonov AN-225. The Fort Lauderdale team were busy on numerous projects including co-ordinating 30 charters carrying humanitarian aid to Guam and Saipan during the typhoon season. The Turkey office arranged the transportation of 500 tonnes
of construction material to West Africa, and the UK benefitted from supporting airlines in aircraft on ground recovery, as well as government flights. In Germany, the team continued to see high levels of activity from the automotive sector and delivered its 11th consecutive year of growth. Mike Hill, director of Freight at Air Partner says: “I am delighted that the Freight team has maintained the momentum from 2017 and delivered another record year in 2018. The new offices have created a wealth of exciting cargo opportunities across a range of sectors and regions, and we look forward to capitalising on these in the coming months. As always, we remain committed to delivering unparalleled levels of service while further growing our already enviable customer base.”
aircargoweek.com
ACW 3 JUNE 2019
5
A
I
R
C
A
R
G
O
W
E
E
K
DHL combines services at Vienna Airport campus
D
territories.” Previously, DHL Global Forwarding and DHL Freight conducted business from three separate locations around Austria, which have now been consolidated at the new campus. Along with 3,500 sq m of office space, DHL’s Vienna Airport campus includes two freight terminals, each measuring 12,000 sq m, consisting of roughly 5,000 sq m for DHL Global Forwarding warehousing and handling as well as 7,000 sq m for DHL Freight. DHL has added capacity for temperature-controlled goods, with DHL Global Forwarding dedicating over 1,200 sq m to the products. Uwe Brinks, CEO of DHL Freight says: “Our longer-term goal is to be the market and quality leader in European overland transport, which is why we continue to invest in the expansion and further development of our transport and groupage network.”
HL has opened its new campus at Vienna Airport, combining overland, air and ocean freight services for optimal handling and transportation of goods. The Vienna Airport hub in the county of Fischamend adds another important logistics hub and gateway to the DHL Global Forwarding, Freight worldwide network, opening up Austria and Eastern Europe. Prominent guests at the opening ceremony included Johanna Mikl-Leitner, governor of the state of Lower Austria; Thomas Ram, mayor of Fischamend; and Günther Ofner, CEO of Vienna Airport. Tim Scharwath, CEO of DHL Global Forwarding, Freight says: “The new DHL campus at Vienna Airport adds another important logistics hub to our global transportation network, which we use to service over 220 countries and
Compare and book with myDHLi
DHL Global Forwarding has launched myDHLi Quote & Book to compare quotes and make bookings for air and ocean freight, and door-todoor shipments. The service allows customers to directly compare available options including DHL Ocean Connect as well as two speeds for airfreight, DHL Air Connect and DHL Air Economy. Users can also book transport insurance for the shipment, with the service available at quote.mydhli.com. Saying the new service will continue the company’s digital transformation, Tim Scharwath, CEO of DHL Global Forwarding says: “During the development of myDHLi Quote & Book, we listened to our customers’ needs and improved upon our prior online tool. We added new features, increased coverage and
implemented a highly intuitive user interface to achieve a simple and effective customer experience.” The tool allows access to air and ocean freight quotes, allowing customers to compare rates and lead times to select the best option. For airfreight, customers can choose between DHL Air Connect with typical delivery times of 3-5 days, and DHL Air Economy, a cost-effective option that uses alternative carriers and routes to deliver in about 5-7 days. Both booking options cover general cargo up to two tonnes per shipment. DHL Global Forwarding is one of the first freight forwarders offering an insurance option with its online quotation and booking service, with customers selecting the right transport mode and product, and the good’s value.
Air New Zealand commits to 787-10s
AIR New Zealand has committed to buying eight Boeing 787-10s to grow its network and replace older aircraft. The 787-10 complements the 787-9s and 777s in the fleet. Boeing says the 68-metre-long 787-10 offers 25% better fuel efficiency than previous aircraft.
6
ACW 3 JUNE 2019
Christopher Luxon, CEO of Air New Zealand says: “This is a hugely important decision for our airline. With the 787-10 offering around 15 percent more space for both customers and cargo than the 787-9, this investment creates the platform for our future strategic direction and opens up new opportunities to grow.” He adds that Air New Zealand has worked closely with Boeing to ensure the 787-10 meets the airline’s needs, including flights similar to 777-200s. Ihssane Mounir, senior vice president of commercial sales and marketing at The Boeing Company says: “Air New Zealand is one of the world’s leading long-haul carriers that has built an amazing network to connect the South Pacific with Asia and the Americas. We are honoured that Air New Zealand has chosen to grow its future with the 787-10, the most efficient widebody airplane flying the skies today.”
First of 14 777Fs joins DHL fleet
DHL has taken delivery of the first of 14 new Boeing 777 Freighters, with N-705GT taking off from Cincinnati on Saturday 25 May. The aircraft took off from Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport bound for Bahrain on its commercial maiden flight. Replacing older intercontinental flights, the 777F, which is operated by Southern Air, will strengthen DHL’s intercontinental services and connect major hubs in Cincinnati, Leipzig, Hong Kong and other locations. John Pearson, CEO of DHL Express says:
“The delivery of our first Boeing 777 Freighter marks an important milestone in our mission to overhaul our intercontinental fleet. This efficient, long-range and high-capacity freighter will enable us to serve even more markets with non-stop flights and significantly contributes to greater sustainability in line with our sustainability strategy ‘zero emission by 2050’.” The 777Fs, which will replace older Boeing 747-400Fs have a payload of 112 tonnes and a range of 9,200 kilometres. Another three 777Fs are scheduled to arrive this year.
CEVA opens own office in Phnom Penh CEVA Logistics is expanding its presence in emerging Southeast Asian markets with the opening of its own office in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. CEVA has been operational in Cambodia for six years through a network partner. Through its own facility, CEVA will offer services in multimodal, land transport, sea-air and EPZ/CFS facilities. CEVA has assumed responsibility for all its network operations and
financial services, billings and intercompany settlements. Russell Pang, managing director – emerging markets for CEVA Logistics South East Asia Cluster says: “With our longstanding regional expertise and newly opened office, CEVA is well positioned to provide robust logistics solutions that will facilitate rapid business development for our clients and contribute to the development of the logistics sector in the country.”
Dachser extends Bangladeshi network DACHSER has strengthened its presence in Bangladesh, with a new office in Chittagong, the country’s second-largest city. The new facility is located near the port, which is the busiest seaport in the Bay of Bengal and the third-largest in South Asia, making it an important gateway for imports and exports. Chittagong is also the centre of Bangladesh’s largest production facilities and textile business. Jude Crasto, managing director of Dachser Air & Sea Logistics Bangladesh says: “The econ-
aircargoweek.com
omy is growing very steadily and the demand for better and more reliable services is growing. Chittagong is a strategic location not only because of its strong infrastructure and reach, but also because of its proximity to its customers.” Dachser employs 40 people in Bangladesh divided between Chittagong and Dhaka. The Dhaka office offers airfreight consolidation. Dachser Bangladesh also has storage space in Tongi near Dhaka, where it organises the distribution of goods throughout Bangladesh.
ACL Airshop is your strategic partner for air cargo solutions around the world. With servicing operations at more than half of the world’s Top 100 cargo hub airports on 6 continents, ACL Airshop provides customized comprehensive ULD programs and cargo control products. We are the largest and best in the world for short-term leasing solutions when pallets, containers, straps, and nets are needed at times of peak or unexpected demand. ACL Airshop operates in five pillars of highly complementary business segments: l ULD Leasing l ULD Sales l ULD Repair l ULD Control and Bluetooth l Cargo Products Manufacturing Our recent innovations in ULD Tracking solutions include our implementation of Bluetooth real-time tracing and logistics technology. A vertically integrated operation, ACL Airshop manufactures air cargo products at its ultramodern large new production facility in South Carolina USA, plus a robust global supply chain in Germany, China, and Taiwan. For over 35 years, ACL Airshop has been a leader in ULD Leasing. Our programs can be short-term or long-term, as flexible as the customer needs. Our worldwide network allows us to deploy and offer ULD equipment where and when it is needed, offering quick deliveries, corporate branding, reduced need for the customer to make excessive capital outlays, and seasonal/charter support. Our steadily expanding global airports network allows ACL Airshop to offer ULD Sales just about anywhere. We offer an extensive variety of ULDs for airlines, whether new or used pallets and containers, covering all brands in the marketplace. And we stock equipment at major hubs across the world. We are equipping additional stations for ULD Repairs, strategically embedded in key locations in our network. We hold certifications from both FAA and EASA (Part 145) for the repair of all types of containers, pallets, and nets. Our well qualified,
highly skilled workforce has years of experience on ULDs, and ULDs are our only business. ULD Control is a valuable program for ACL Airshop customers. It is a proprietary logistics management program, tailored to the customer’s ULD fleet. We have laced our entire network with sophisticated logistics software and skilled fleet managers who yield better fleet efficiencies to our customers. We have Operations Centers in Amsterdam, New York JFK, and Hong Kong as the control nodes for this useful customer resource. We are investing continuously to enhance and extend our ULD Control programs, including pairing with Bluetooth tracking for even more robust cost-effectiveness and fleet optimization. Bluetooth Tracking is one of our latest technology innovations for our airlines customers. We were first-inmarket (in air cargo) with these important new technologies. ACL Airshop provides Bluetooth ULD Tracking for cargo control and tagging of carrier shipments, air cargo fleet management, asset tracking, and reporting solutions. Keeping track of your valuable assets has never been easier, and it enhances the airlines’ service reliability to its end-user shippers.
ACL Airshop manufactures all types of air cargo nets and cargo straps for the airline and trucking industries in our modern new LEAN production facilities in the USA. Our cargo products are built tough to meet or exceed stringent standards. Moreover, ACL Airshop has a global supply chain for pallets, containers, and other cargo products in the USA, Europe, China, and Taiwan. We are one of the largest independent annual buyers of ULDs in the industry, as we invest continuously in expanding our own fleet and satisfying customers’ requirements.
ACL Airshop is propelling on a new trajectory, a transformation designed to create the largest and best company of its kind in the industry. The company is improving every aspect of its service delivery, global scale, technical efficiencies, and people factors. ACL Airshop has become a technology-driven ULD logistics solutions enterprise with deep skills and long history in the air cargo sector. It’s a wallto-wall comprehensive worldwide game-plan of continuous improvement, executed with precision and speed. ACL Airshop customers consistently say the company is very nimble, very fast. That, of itself, is a major competitive advantage. In fact, with a single message to sales@aclairshop.com the company’s entire network of 24/7 experts are immediately alerted, and action happens promptly for the customer. The company gauges its service effectiveness in minutes or hours, not days or weeks. People are a centerpiece consideration in ACL Airshop’s reputation for superior service. The company has a “People First” human resources approach all around the fast-growing network to improve communications, career development, onboarding, training, incentive programs, reporting rhythms, and customer service. The company seeks to attract, motivate, grow, and retain the best team in the industry. ACL Airshop already has terrific teams and leaders in place today who have risen to the fast challenge of doubling, and is now looking to add “a few more eagles to the nest,” said CEO Steve Townes. “ACL Airshop wants to remain the Employer of Choice for aviation enthusiasts with The Right Stuff.”
AC L A i r s h o p A d v e rto r i al I n s e rt M ay 2019 cs6 version.indd 1
30/05/2019 15:35
TEMPERATURE SENSITIVE
A A
I
R
C
A
R
G
O
W
E E
E K K E
Stopping food waste in a hungry world “Cool Chain” or “Temperature-Sensitive Supply Chain” is the subset of the total supply chain that involves the production, storage and distribution of products that require some level of temperature control
I
t was a very different world in perishables and cool chain airfreight in 2003, the year of the formation of the Cool Chain Association (CCA). According to Edwin W Kalischnig, CCA board member, at the turn of the century perishables and cool chain traffic was almost completely unregulated and price-driven. He says: “Logistics was treated by buyers as
just a cost. They selected services just on the basis of cost.” There were barely any standards and “partners in the supply chain hardly ever spoke to each other,” he recalls. This led to a lack of understanding of the importance of temperature control throughout the supply chain. Now, 16 years later, the perishables and cool chain sector is vastly different, no thanks to the efforts of the CCA and its members. “We have achieved a great deal. I sometimes think we are too modest and should bang the drum more often,” says Kalischnig. Sixteen years after its founding, Kalischnig is on the board of an association that has shifted the conversation along the supply chain from
just moving the product based on price to becoming a partner in the worldwide battle against food waste. “As an association, CCA is a non-profit organisation which means we can have higher objectives. One of these is to fight food waste. This is an important topic,” he says. Kalischnig is looking to battle the third of food that becomes waste in the supply chain. “There will be 9bn people by 2050. We must work to reduce food waste, of course, but it is not only vital food that is wasted when food is ruined. The water used in that food’s production is wasted, as is the labour and capital involved in its production as is the kerosene wasted in flying the produce to market,” he says.
Proactive
Instead, CCA is “proactive” in end-to-end discussions in the supply chain. It talks to the growers, supply chain operations and retailers on how to reduce spoilage and food waste in the chain. In the sixteen years that CCA has worked to develop the perishables and cool chain industry, Kalischnig points to three achievements that
have worked to improve the business of moving perishable products. He says the first is “awareness.” He is pleased that not only CCA run conferences and events on the topic but others do as well, to generally raise the debate and interest in the sector. “Between 2006 and 2009, the association and its members developed the CCQI, the Cool Chain Quality Indicator,” he notes. The CCQI standard was later used by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) as the basis for its planned CEIV Fresh standard. Lastly, Kalischnig is proud that CCA members have reached out to customers to develop techniques and products to aid the safe transport of perishable products. One example he shows is the work between CCA member Cargolux and international chemical manufacturer DuPont that resulted in a widely used thermal blanket. As well as being a CCA board member, Kalischnig is a consumer like every ACW reader. He too enjoys airfreighted products moved around the world that serve his Dutch homeland. “I particularly enjoy blueberries flown in from Mexico and South America,” he says.
Moving blood safely PELICAN BioThermal has revealed its new Golden Hour One. a smaller-scale, nimble, reusable thermal packaging container for transporting whole blood products. With Golden Hour One, military units can more easily transport life-saving blood to far-forward combat areas where they are needed most during the first critical hour after injury — regardless of extreme conditions.
8
ACW 3 JUNE 2019
aircargoweek.com
Golden Hour technology was invented by Pelican BioThermal in 2003 at the request of the US military to address the need to securely and safely transport blood to battlefields away from fixed medical facilities. These battlefields are often situated in regions with extreme conditions that could result in temperature excursions that damage blood supplies.
A
I
R
C
A
R
G
O
W
E
E
CHINA
K
Atran Airlines provides Baltic link for Cainiao Network
A
tran Airlines has added a new route to its network between Hangzhou, China and Riga, Latvia for Cainiao Network e-commerce shipments. The flights from Hangzhou, the emerging technology hub and home of China’s e-commerce industry will operate on Thursdays using a Boeing 737-800BCF, providing up to 23 tonnes of cargo capacity for Alibaba Group’s logistics arms. The service is another step of the co-operation between Volga-Dnepr Group and Cainiao Network following the signing of a memorandum of understanding at the end of 2018. Dmitry Obsharov, general director of Atran Airlines says: “We have been focusing on satisfying growing demand of cross-border shipments, analysing best-case scenarios for the consumers and launch of the Hangzhou-Riga lane is a result of our joint cooperation. “Atran Airlines will offer cargo connection between Hangzhou, a major city in the Yangtze River Delta region, and Riga, which
opens up distribution possibilities to both Russian and EU markets.” James Zhao, general manager of Cainiao Global says: “Cainiao is striving to enhance cross-border logistics service for merchants, brands and consumers. We are pleased to partner with Atran Airlines to leverage its freight capabilities to provide efficient cross-border delivery.” Ilona Līce, chairperson of the board of Riga Airport says it is the first Baltic airport to have a regular e-commerce service to China. Līce says: “It provides invaluable opportunities for both businesses and the economic co-operation between the Baltic region and China in general, especially considering that Atran will also provide a connection to Russia, thus providing new opportunities for Baltic exporters.”
MASkargo returns to Guangzhou MASKARGO will relaunch freighter flights between Kuala Lumpur and Guangzhou to take advantage of the e-commerce boom in both regions. The first Kuala Lumpur – Guangzhou service is set to commence on 4 June until December 2019, operating on day 2 and 5, departing Kuala Lumpur at 22.10 and arriving in Guangzhou at 02.15 the next day. An Airbus A330-200F with 60 tonnes of capacity will be used on the route.
Mark Jason Thomas, chief commercial officer of MASkargo says: “We are pleased to re-introduce these KUL-CAN scheduled freighters, in view of the increasing demand of eCommerce shipment from China into Malaysia and also vice versa. The scheduled services will further boost MASkargo’s revenue by capitalising on the untapped business. It is MASkargo’s strategy to mount scheduled services to the new destinations to cater for the impending demand.” The Kuala Lumpur – Guangzhou freighter service will support belly service that operate to 10 points in China, paving the way for more e-commerce movements.
Henan-Budapest partnership strengthens Belt and Road initiative HUNGARY and China are strengthening air cargo links within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative. To foster future development, co-operation
and information exchange, Budapest Airport and the Henan Civil Aviation Development Investment Co signed an agreement in the presence of the state secretary from the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. China’s fifth largest province has been strengthening connections to Hungary with two direct flights a week between Zhengzhou and Budapest, operated by Cargolux. The development of air cargo between China and Hungary was the main topic on the agenda of the Chinese-Hungarian seminar, attended by 140 delegates and experts from both countries. The Chinese delegation was headed by Yu Hongqiu, deputy secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Committee of Henan Province. Tamás Menczer, state secretary from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade says:
“Sino-Hungarian relations were never as positive as right now. Direct investment by Chinese firms has reached $4.5 billion, and these enterprises create 15,000 jobs for Hungarians.” After the signing ceremony, Jost Lammers, CEO of Budapest Airport said: “Budapest Airport offers the ideal location for transporting goods between Europe and Asia, along the Aviation Silk Road. The cooperation agreement signed with the HNCA is the next big step in intensifying cooperation with our Chinese partners and making Budapest Airport the leading cargo hub in Central Eastern Europe.” Budapest Airport has invested $46 million in
the construction of the BUD Cargo City, with 21,000 sq m of warehouse and office space, an 11,000 sq m forwarder building and a 32,000 sq m cargo apron to allow simultaneous handling of two Boeing 747-8 Freighters.
New office, new opportunities for ACS HAVING opened a second office in Shanghai, Air Charter Service (ACS) is confident that business will continue to grow. Having opened the Shanghai office on 1 March, regional director APAC Stephen Fernandez is very happy with its performance. He tells Air Cargo Week: “It is in line with budget and already profitable. It’s likely we will be expanding the cargo team sooner than expected as a result of the early successes.” As the commercial centre of China, having an office in Shanghai made sense for ACS. Fernandez says: “With an already large and growing customer base in Shanghai Fernandez looked after by
our Hong Kong and Beijing ACS account managers it was the next most logical location on the mainland to incorporate.” Fernandez can confirm that the company is looking at adding Chinese offices, but is not at liberty to say where. For the region, cargo director at the Hong Kong office Joseph Tam says that 2017 was an exceptional year with the global upswing in economic activity. There was a bit of a downturn in 2018 but ACS performed well. As for this year, Tam says: “This year the charter business is proving to be more challenging, but I am confident that our team will continue their hard work and we will not slow down in terms of growth.” China has unique restrictions for charter operations, says Tam. He says: “We use our expertise to manage our operations whilst abiding by these rules. ACS is a well-known global charter company and we support Chinese forwarders for all kinds of charter
aircargoweek.com
projects over the past decade.” Tam believes that the air cargo market can only grow in the future. He says: “The Chinese government’s Belt and Road strategy is an opportunity for ACS. Our global network of 25 offices cover the countries under this initiative, therefore giving us the advantage in helping our Chinese customers to overcome all the charter operation challenges encountered in these countries.”
ACW 3 JUNE 2019
9
CSR
A
I
R
C
A
R
G
O
W
E
E
The transport sector gets onboard with social value
K
Chris Farrell, managing director of Impact Reporting, a bespoke social impact reporting tool, considers how the airfreight sector can prioritise social value and improve reporting to make a real difference to the bottom line.
S
ocial value’ and ‘social investment’ have become buzz words within the aviation sector as more and more organisations have a growing awareness that they need defined social, environmental and sustainability goals. Businesses are looking at practical ways to reduce emissions through energy initiatives and people-focused outreach programmes such as staff training, by working with community groups and recruiting from diverse communities. The list of initiatives an organisation can undertake is exhaustive, with the challenge being how to prioritise what’s important. The frameworks and methodologies associated with social impact measurement may differ between organisations and sectors, however some key themes are pertinent across all sectors. For example, analysing common inputs - money invested in charities, time spent volunteering, or trees planted - is often balanced with common outputs - jobs created, lives saved, and carbon emissions prevented. Social value is often calculated as a ‘Social Return-on-Investment’ (sROI), which relates to the perceived societal value of an organisation’s impact. It is important to be aware of the qualitative data - the narratives and experiences - that also exist. These are often overlooked but are an effective way of contextualising your impact and humanising reporting about your corporate social responsibility (CSR.)
Capturing accurate data
CSR is drastically influencing business behaviour in the transport sector and increasingly being seen as an effective and responsible strategy for setting organisations apart. This is reinforced by the expectations of consumers and employees and their ever-growing want to engage in pro-social initiatives. However, to get to a point where you are truly trusted by prospective customers and seen as a desirable employer, the clear measuring and reporting of your impact is imperative. Employees need to understand why they are engaging in a social or environmental project
10
ACW 3 JUNE 2019
and whether the outcomes have contributed towards the business’s purpose. They want and expect transparency. It’s important to reflect on your current business behaviours to understand if all stakeholders are working towards a common goal and if your CSR budget is being allocated efficiently. How social impact is recorded, analysed and reported is just as important as how it is created - the information you get out is only as good as the data you put in. Updating and quantifying data live is crucial. It’s already standard practice for HR, sales and financial data to be captured robustly and accurately in real-time - and now the norms for social value data capture are catching up. Google Analytics, Xero, SalesForce, and intranet systems are all updated live, and reports can be gathered at the click of a button, without the hassle of manually compiling data from multiple sources. In short, having all social value data feeding into one central database is advantageous as it allows for regular updates.
The benefits to transport businesses
It’s important to make the analysis of your social responsibility an ongoing requirement, and refrain from solely relying on an annual report. Modern software is making this not just possible, but practical, taking in feeds from CRMs and intranets and calculating social value in real time. Aviation organisations must ensure their organisational purpose - rather than monetary metrics - drives their CSR strategy. All forms of CSR activity should be encouraged, however if you only invest exclusively in activities that produce a high ROI you are in danger of ignoring other projects that may be more valuable in the long run or provide a broader range of benefits to society. It’s easy to pay lip-service to social value and not be truly committed, however eventually your stakeholders will see through this. The real and rewarding challenge comes when you take control of the agenda, using strong figures to support your decisions. Driving with purpose-first means that decisions reflect the preference of the end-user or community you want to help, rather than the needs or whims - or indeed quotas - of the exec-
Chris is in the centre of the group shot utives. To truly understand whether you are making a difference in communities, you need more than high-level figures; you need stories driven by real people.
Reaching the right goals
Quantifying social value in an accurate and consistent way is key for all transport organisations. Aligning to and supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – 17 global goals set by the UN in 2015 – is a straightforward and ethical way of benchmarking the impact of many value-based businesses. These are a blueprint to achieve a more sustainable future and address global challenges related to poverty, inequality, climate, environmental degradation, prosperity, and peace and justice. We encourage our aviation clients to align to the UN’s SDGs because of their worldwide and future-proofed applicability. Organisations track and report on their pro-social and pro-environmental activities according to which SDGs they contribute towards – to provide structure and help employees understand the greater goals they are helping to achieve. Indeed, given the vast array of activities that rail, or aviation organisations can carry out, it is not surprising that many of these cannot be understood in simply monetary terms. To focus strictly on this approach, and to exclusively report on quantitative data, organisations are missing an opportunity to truly understand the scope of their impact. It’s about the long-term difference an organisation is mak-
aircargoweek.com
ing to the lives of real people and environmental sustainability.
Aviation takes off
Manchester Airport Group (MAG) - the owner and operator of three airports: Manchester, Stansted and East Midlands - is now focused on the measurement of their social and environmental impact. MAG has over 60 million passengers flying through its airports every year and employing another 40,000 staff on-site. MAG owns and operates three of the top four cargo airports in the UK, which handle over £27.5bn and 745,000 tonnes of air cargo to and from the UK every year. Keeping track of company-wide social value is firmly on the organisation’s agenda. The CSR team at MAG standardised the way they captured their social value work. They create monthly overview summaries of their social and environmental impact, to gauge month-onmonth progress, to share with stakeholders.
The power of social investment
Social value aids aviation organisations by making them more efficient and leads to higher engagement amongst employees. Delivering social investment initiatives is key for the aviation sector which was established to be used by the public and impact on the environment and society. It will be an interesting journey ahead as CSR becomes increasingly central to the success of the airfreight sector.
1
TRADE&EVENTSFINDER Airlines
Freight Forwarders
Turkey
Hong Kong
Freight Forwarders USA
Industry Event
azfreight.com : Featured Company Listings
Video Broadcasts
aircargoweek.com 11_03 June 2019.indd 1
ACW 3 june 2019
11 23/05/2019 14:47
HE PRETENDS TO KNOW WHAT HE’S TALKING ABOUT
What’s in a name?
M
any of my airfreight friends spend their working days planning deliveries or collections at airports around the world. It’s what they do. When their planes have taken off, in that downtime before the next arrival, I often play a pub quiz game with them – who are the people behind the names given to airports? Who was this O’Hare fellow? What made LaGuardia worthy of an airport? Why did George Best deserve an airport? Wasn’t John Lennon just a Beatle? I decided to look into this for my many readers and asked my good friend Mr Wiki and an aviation nut of my acquaintance, thanks GB, about the many eponymous airports named after aviation pioneers and politicians, the vast majority of whom were men. While I expected that, I was soon put right, thanks again RM, there is a handful of airports named after a rather unexpected bunch - celebrities, musicians, and the occasional hero of Sherwood Forest. And they were all just too great to keep to myself.
Idlewild grounded
GB let me into the fascinating story as to how JFK became JFK. John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, had passed through Idlewild Airport in NYC just six weeks before his assassination. New York joined the US in mourning following the televised funeral of President Kennedy on 25 November, 1963. Calls immediately rose to commemorate the president in the city. On 4 December, less than two weeks after his death, Mayor Robert Wagner announced that he would submit a bill to
the city council to honour Kennedy with a name change to Idlewild. In so doing, he obliterated the memory of another notable American. While Idlewild was the popular name for the airport which opened in 1948, its official name was New York International Airport, Anderson Field, named for Major General Alexander E. Anderson, a decorated World War I veteran and Queens businessman.
So who was O’Hare?
I asked GB about O’Hare International Airport, Chicago. It seems it is named after Edward Henry “Butch” O’Hare, a World War II flying ace for the US Navy. O’Hare won the Medal of Honor for engaging a group of Japanese torpedo bombers in a dogfight during an attempted attack on the aircraft carrier USS Lexington. His father was a lawyer who was originally friendly with Al Capone before turning against the gangster. Unknown gunmen mowed down the elder O’Hare while he was in his car in 1939. Another US gateway that marks a military hero is Logan International Airport, Boston. It takes its name from a military hero, General Edward Lawrence Logan, a Boston native and Harvard grad who served in the Spanish-American War and later commanded infantry in World War I. LaGuardia Airport, New York, the smallest of the New York area’s three major airports, bears the name of Fiorello LaGuardia, who served as New York’s mayor from 1935 to 1945 and oversaw the airport’s construction. Thanks to RM, the best one has to be Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport. How can you not love an airport named after the creator of Peanuts? The airport’s logo even features
When it comes to an airport, quite a lot it seems
Snoopy in his full flying-ace getup. The airport is located in Santa Rosa, California where Schulz lived for 30-plus years. Managers in Italy’s “Queen of the Adriatic” probably didn’t spend too much time selecting the name Venice Marco Polo Airport for their aviation transport hub. Polo was one of the first Westerners to travel in China, spending time with Mongol ruler Kublai Khan in what is now Beijing. It seems, according to RM, Chinggis Khaan International Airport in the Mongolian capital of Ulan Bator, is named after the latter’s grandfather, Genghis Khan. Fly to the Italian maritime city of Genoa and you’ll land at Genoa Cristoforo Colombo Airport, named for Christopher Columbus.
in 2006, Belfast City Airport became George Best Belfast City Airport. This commemorated the life of a player renowned as much for his off-field antics as those on it as some said naming the duty-free concession after the Northern Irishman might have been more appropriate. A Londoner and part-time resident of Jamaica who wrote more than a dozen novels about a British spy called James Bond was posthumously honoured when a 2011 rebranding resulted in the Ian Fleming International Airport. Authorities on the island of Crete renamed Greece’s second-busiest landing strip Heraklion Nikos Kazantzakis International. Native-born novelist Nikos Kazantzakis, famed for his masterpiece Zorba the Greek in 1946, was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature no fewer than nine times.
In tune
Salzburg only had one choice for naming its airport - Salzburg Airport W.A. Mozart after its most celebrated son.
Doubles
Little Rock Airport, in the US state of Arkansas, is better known as Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport, while Tenzing-Hillary Airport in Lukla, which serves Mount Everest Base Camp, honours another Hillary (Edmund) and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, the first climbers to reach the summit of the world’s highest mountain, in 1953.
Footballers
Renaming Madeira’s aeropuerto as Cristiano Ronaldo International in March 2017 did not go quite as planned as a peculiar-looking bronze bust lightened the mood and was variously described as an “unlikeness”, “horrifying” and “hideous”. For football fans of an earlier generation, George Best, another iconic figure to have worn the red of Manchester United, was regarded by many as the greatest footballer of the 1960s and
According to GB, the first British city to join the naming game was Liverpool when authorities decided on John Lennon Airport in 2001. A 2.5m statue bearing a striking likeness to the late Beatle graces the check-in hall. Another statue, this one of a gravel-voiced trumpeter, stands at the entrance to the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, which was rechristened in 2001 to mark the 100th anniversary of the jazz legend’s birth.
aircargoweek.com