ACW 8th June 20 by Azura International

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The weekly newspaper for air cargo professionals No. 1,084

8 June 2020

Out of Africa with a virtual conference

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Qatar Airways and UNHCR move aid QATAR Airways has announced a two-year partnership with UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, to deliver on its purpose of providing humanitarian relief and assistance to the displaced globally. The partnership, which is a first between both organisations, will involve a strategic collaboration whereby Qatar Airways will support with the delivery of crucial aid supplies to those most in need during these unprecedented times. The airline will provide air cargo services for up to 400 tonnes of essential supplies. The agreement, which was signed in Doha on May 19 2020, is a synergy between Qatar Airways and UNHCR

and a clear response to the current challenges that are presented by COVID-19. The partnership, which will be effective to May 2022, will see UNHCR work closely with Qatar Airways to utilise the airline’s hub-and spoke network out of Hamad International Airport in Doha. By having access to a fleet of more than 200 aircraft, UNHCR will be able to deliver lifesaving support including water, medical care and hygiene materials to keep refugees, internally displaced people and host community members safe around the world. Speaking about the new partnership, Qatar Airways Group chief executive Akbar Al Baker said: “We are incred-

DHL Express has come up with a special gesture to thank frontline workers amid the Coronavirus pandemic. A DHL aircraft with rainbow symbols and huge stickers saying ‘Thank you’ shows DHL Express’ gratefulness for all essential workers who keep operations and its network with hubs and gateways in more than 220 countries and territories up and running.

INSIDE PAPER TIGERS?

DIGITAL disruptors will no more kill-off today’s forwarding sector than the advent of European rail did in the 1800s, according to ... PAGE 2

WILL COVID-19 KILL THE WIDE-BODY?

FOLLOWING the recent adoption of new guidelines on air transport safety by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) ...

ibly proud to join efforts with UNHCR to provide relief aid to people and communities most in need. By having a robust international network, we are pleased to be able to give a helping hand to support this great cause. During this crisis, we have worked closely with governments and NGOs to prioritise the shipment of medical and aid supplies transporting over 175,000 tonnes, the equivalent of approximately 1,750 fully loaded Boeing 777 freighters. “We are committed to making a difference and by working together, we are confident we will overcome the current adversities with strength, solidarity and resilience.”

“We’re excited to express thankfulness for our brave people as well as all the courageous health care and nursing personnel who guarantee that our world can keep going in the current global crisis” says Alberto Nobis, CEO DHL Express Europe. “Thanks to their efforts, we are able to maintain the stability of supply chains and critical infrastructure. With our special aircraft we want to

emphasize our deepest gratitude and respect for their selfless actions and willingness to fight for a good cause.” The DHL “Thank you” aircraft is being used as a normal network flight and different destinations across Europe and beyond. Until now the aircraft has stopped in 23 different countries and 32 different gateways.

PAGE 3 BEZOS BUYS INTO BRITISH FORWARDER

LONDON-BASED Beacon, the next generation freight forwarding and supply chain finance company, has raised over $15 million ... PAGE 4

VD BUILDS ON HUMANITARIAN HISTORY

IN response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, Volga-Dnepr Airlines recently delivered oversized urgent medical supplies ... PAGE 5

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Future per A

Airfreight PR and comms agenc of airfreight professionals. Here

Ken

Caio Pimiento

ARE you in love? I think I’m in love with love. I never get tired of seeing happy couples and what I love even more is love stories. And at such a difficult time for us all, I wanted to share a brief moment of respite with you. For this e-visit, I’ve returned to Brazil – the perfect country for the start of a love story, surely? And I’m meeting guitarist Caio Pimiento. But how can a guitarist end up in a story about cargo? Through love, that’s how. Firstly by accident: “I had recently quit my Pharmacy and Biochemistry studies and was looking for a part-time job to get some money to pay my rock band’s expenses, as we wanted to record a CD.” And then through love: “As my English was good, a forwarder hired me as a trainee in the airfreight department and I simply fell in love with the crazy routine and pressure of the airfreight environment. After a few months I decided to start studying busi-

ACW 8 JUNE 2020

ness and the rest is history.” And that’s how, a few years later, Caio Pimenta became head of airfreight at DB Schenker – Brazil: “I’m responsible for leading DB Schenker Brazil Airfreight Products through all challenges – building and executing strategy, procurement, business development, operation set-up and execution, and team building as well”. Quite the portfolio. Love gives you wings – and expands your skill set. And so, when Caio joined DB Schenker in January, it was love at first sight between him and the company – and a crisis only makes bonds grow stronger. “I’m very new to the company but onboarding in the middle of this unprecedented crisis meant I saw just how strong and beautiful this company is much more quickly.” And the reason is that DB Schenker’s values are what spur Caio on. “In every decision we make, we think about people’s lives, and even though money is important, since the beginning we’ve had clear guidelines not to

take advantage of the situation.” This way of seeing business and of conducting business sustainably fosters loyalty among the talents who join our industry. Today’s young people seek out humanity and concrete action. “It’s really nice when you see the “Core Values” going from paper to actions.” Caio loves life and his fellow humans. He’s also enthusiastic: “I put a lot of passion into everything I do and I believe there’s no other option than to be yourself, trust and respect your feelings and look for a lesson in every situation.” To me, this constant desire to learn and to emerge stronger from every situation brings real added value to the company. This man is bursting with ambition: his humanity is a valuable asset when tackling the still-uncertain future of the entire industry: “It will take some time to recover but we will, and we will grow once again.” And so, while the industry has never experienced such a crisis,

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“without airfreight logistics, the world would have lost many more lives, and its importance will only grow from now on.” Caio has faith – in humanity and in cargo. This crisis won’t dampen this young man’s guiding hope:

“It’s still to make my team members believe they can be better every day, and above all, learn, learn, learn from every single thing to become a better person.” Because above all, cargo is a story of men and women. And of love as well.

I headed to Singapore to meet Ken. Virtually, I mean. In France, we no longer have to stay at home, but we do have to stay within 100km of home – so my travel and meetings still have to be virtual. This time, it’s Asia. Singapore. This young generation are altruists. It’s not the first time I’ve thought this. Relationships with other people are crucial. You hear people talking about digitalisation, robots and digital, but when the younger generation speak, their focus is often on people and their relationships with others. What if our industry’s transformation could take place through empathy and generosity of spirit? ‘Customer service’ isn’t a meaningless phrase for these young people. Could strong human values be a driver of change in our industry? I’m counting on it. And my e-meeting with Ken only confirmed my belief. When he talks about himself, he talks above all about his role, his customers, and the way he serves them. Ken, 31, is operations manager at Greenlane SC, an independent freight forwarder in Singapore that specialises in the transportation of time-critical freight for the aerospace industry. Ken is interested in the world around him: “I would say I am curious and willing to learn. I like to know about the ‘how’ of things and situations.” The interview’s already off to a good start. In his everyday work, he describes himself as “a problem solver for my customers”. Better and better. Ken’s entry into our industry was a gradual one. “It was a part-time job that gradually turned

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full-time. These are truly challenging times for us. I feel excited that we need to band together to work for our collective survival as an industry. Trade associations, airlines and forwarding agents – we are all linked together.” It seems that the effects of this crisis will also bring about a new way of seeing freight and its day-to-day management. Ken confirms this: “Mutual co-operation and healthy competition will create innovations to tide us through this crisis.” I don’t know about you, but personally, I love this way of talking about competitors and the idea that the sector can and should work together. Of course, this doesn’t mean being naive, but it’s crystal clear that Ken sees team spirit – motivated by the desire to meet customers’ needs – as a way of ensuring the survival of hundreds of people. And it’s clear that, for this talented operations manager, it’s not just a temporary attitude. Quite the opposite. “COVID-19 will be a watershed moment which will shape the industry. Travel restrictions are in place, flights are cancelled, airlines are shuttering. “This will create a ripple effect for years.” While Ken is optimistic and fiercely believes in a better future for our industry: “I believe global trade will recover, and air cargo will still be the fastest option” – he knows that once again, resilience will be a key factor in creating that future: “The industry will need to come up with creative ways to compete”. And I firmly believe that our industry will need creativity infused with empathy and co-business. Greenlane has understood this need. Welcome to the future of our industry – today.

James Ryu

Ashton Parks

he crisis has been devastating, but there are also rays of light. This column showcases the talents who make our industry what it is day after day. In today’s world, where lockdown means isolation for many, I needed to feel some solidarity and team spirit. And that’s exactly what drives these three talented Americans. Ashton Parks is a senior analyst, Cargo Sales Development, and describes herself as “a data person, constantly thinking, calculating, and looking for opportunities for improvement.” James Ryu is a manager, Cargo Control Center. A sports fan, he’s also an Atlanta native, and so, he says: “I’ve grown up flying Delta my whole life.” Finally, David Bodary is cargo station manager in Chicago, and he believes in diversity: “When you build a diverse team that has various experiences and skills it makes for a well-rounded and more versatile business.” Welcome to Delta. The airline has been working all hours since 16 March implementing Cargo Charters. Since then, it has operated over 140 flights between Dublin and Atlanta, Los

Angeles and Sydney, and Chicago and Frankfurt, among others. And since China resumed business, Delta has been operating flights between the People’s Republic and the New World. Ashton, James and David are driven by this desire to contribute to a vital and life-saving human chain. The airline must be proud of the commitment they show every day. They truly are brilliant, and they chose our industry because it gave them a genuine mission: maintaining links. For James, “cargo is more than just moving freight or packages. Cargo is about connecting people with the things that bring meaning”. Similarly, Ashton sees cargo as “a piece of the global market that connects each of us”. And because by working for our industry, “we are moving things that add value to everyday life,” as David puts it, their involvement in combating this crisis is undeniable. They all decided to leave no stone unturned in the fight against COVID-19. Demonstrating extraordinary resilience, they have managed to meet the essen-

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David Bodary tial needs not only of clients but more wider, people the world over. Said David in Chicago: “With the many challenges we are facing at this time you must think differently, solve problems and innovate in order to keep moving forward”. Faced with this unprecedented crisiBeyond their absolutely crucial technical expertise, the three professionals all say unity is a central element in any success. They constantly reiterated how this strong value – one the airline has always emphasized – would now ensure collective success, both within the airline itself and for the world’s citizens. Their continued positivity and “can do” attitude keep the company going by leveraging Delta’s strengths of operational reliability combined with an increased focus on innovation”. Fighting side by side today for the sake of tomorrow. This crisis may be wreaking havoc, but it is also enabling entire airlines to stand together in the face of adversity. It seems that Delta’s motto – “No One Better Connects the World” – couldn’t be more appropriate.

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Intradco Global charters Paper tigers? AN-225 for PPE moves

igital disruptors will no more kill-off today’s forwarding sector than the advent of European rail did in the 1800s, according to director general of the British International Freight Association (BIFA), Robert Keen. This week he described comments from one industry disrupter that with digitalisation accelerating globally as a result of COVID-19, it believes the future of the traditional freight forwarder is more precarious than ever as PR puff. He said: “Over the last five years I have read reports that suggest the rise of software startups spelled the end for forwarders. I feel like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day. “There’s this idea that if forwarders do not adapt, they will die – but you just need to look back at the sector’s history, it has always adapted. “One forwarder I know – a family-owned European firm – has in their archive a letter from a great-grandparent proclaiming the company’s demise with the arrival of rail in the mid-1800s. it’s still going strong. “We keep hearing the usual spin from digital start-ups on how their presence in the sector will lead to the death of traditional forwarders,” said Keen. “It’s a load of rubbish. We have strong empirical evidence showing what [our members] are up to in regards to digital transformation of their role in the supply chain. “BIFA members are already developing and delivering technology-led products and ser-

vices that will meet their customers needs more effectively, enhance their experience and cut their costs. He added that what “really irritates” him is software providers “preaching” about systems that will kill forwarders, without recognising that forwarders are already using a lot of them.

Technology laggards Defending forwarders tarred as having a reputation as technology laggards, Keen said forwarders were “incredibly adaptive”, saying that there is evidence daily of freight forwarders developing systems comparable with those of digital disruptors. “A company I visited recently is developing its own integrated solutions,” he said. “They’re not only hiring forwarders, but software development staff – and our members large and small are making a fantastic effort to embed themselves in their customers’ entire supply chains.” Keen agreed that there is significant change on the way, but believes that forwarders will be part of an industry-wide global solution to the digitisation process. “We do foresee a different outlook in the years to come, and there will be changes,” he added. “But I’m certain there will still be a BIFA, with a healthy membership of freight forwarding companies, in 10 years’ time.”

ACW 8 JUNE 2020

allowed our clients to import quickly, and at more cost-effective solutions than we saw the market was offering. McMullen adds: “Chartering the magnificent AN-225 is a rare occurrence for even the most seasoned of airfreight professionals, so the whole team will enjoy seeing this bird flying for Intradco Global”. Tom Lamb, Intradco Global regional manager – North America added: “It was a fantastic team effort and a great early achievement for our New Canadian office Intradco North America and our partner GSM/GTA. We are very proud to be assisting in the fight against COVID-19 by delivering this essential PPE equipment to the people who need it most.” Later this year, Intradco Global is set to announce a newly formed wing of its organisation – Intradco Projects - to focus on unique missions like these.

EMIRATES SkyCargo will resume its cargo services to and from Manchester, England helping to reconnect the English North West and its businesses to key markets across the globe. The first Boeing 777-300ER passenger freighter touched down in Manchester on Saturday May 23, before the outbound flight took off with several tonnes of exports destined for China, Vietnam, Australia and Singapore. The load included medication and pharmaceuticals supplies. In the last few weeks, Emirates SkyCargo has introduced a series of new protocols

around the world to put the safety of its people and operations first. In this time, the air cargo carrier has consolidated all of its cargo operations at its Dubai hub,and set up thermal temperature scanners and sanitisation facilities to enhance the safety of employees and protect global operations. Ross Barnett, UK Cargo manager at Emirates SkyCargo said: “The return of the Emirates SkyCargo service to Manchester is an important moment for the region and will help boost the local economy by providing businesses with export opportunities.

Emirates reconnects UK North West as SkyCargo flights resume

More international flights Virgin Atlantic increases cargo-only from Munich in June flights by over 33% in June LUFTHANSA will be flying regularly from Munich to Brussels, Milan, Rome, Vienna, and Zurich again within the next few days. On June 2, the airline reopened its route from Munich to Chicago. Qatar Airways, which has maintained its operations in Munich over the past several weeks, will continue flying to Doha four times per week. Greece’s AEGEAN Airlines has re-established its connection from Munich to Athens and is offering three weekly flights there to start with. Luxair is again providing service from Munich to Luxembourg five times a week, and airBaltic has reactivated its service to Riga.

INTRADCO Global, in collaboration with GTA GSM, has completed a significant charter operation – transporting 13,000 cartons, totalling nearly 1,000 cu m of medical supplies and PPE on board the Antonov AN-225. The world’s largest aircraft arrived at Toronto Pearson International Airport, having flown from Tianjin Binhai International Airport with fuel stops at Chubu Centrair and Ted Stevens Anchorage airports. Charlie McMullen, Intradco Global director, says: “Difficult times call for adaptability, and I am proud of the Intradco Global team for adjusting our usual offering to assist in the PPE supply chain efforts. “As live animal movements became very restricted, we switched our resources to seeking out new air charter capacity while there was a surge in demand for PPE. I am glad our efforts played a small part in the global effort, and

VIRGIN Atlantic will increase its cargo-only flights by 35% to nearly 600 in June with the launch of new routes including Beijing and Brussels following the success of its May programme. June will see a total of 597 cargo-only services. As the airline continues to extend its network highlights for customers include: the launch of daily flights connecting London Heathrow and Beijing; Virgin Atlantic’s first-ever flights to Brussels, arriving from New York JFK before connecting directly to London twice-aweek; three flights a week to Chicago, starting on 4 June; Increased Mumbai services to three a week, with UK departures every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday from June 6; three-times week-

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ly London-Atlanta flights from June 9; a return to Nigeria with weekly Lagos flights to and from London; increase to daily flights to and from Hong Kong The airline’s growing schedule means cargo customers now have access to direct cargo capacity Shai Weiss, CEO of Virgin Atlantic, said: “I want to personally thank all of our cargo customers who have supported our cargo-only flying.” In May, Virgin Atlantic operated 446 cargo-only flights, including 66 charters for customers, averaging 52 weekly departures from the UK. The airline carried 4.4 million kilos of cargo into the UK and 5.3 million kilos of exports, producing the highest monthly cargo revenues in the airline’s 36-year history.

GlobalData: will COVID-19 kill the wide-body? A

ollowing the recent adoption of new guidelines on air transport safety by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Nicolas Jouan, aerospace and defense analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers his view. He says: “As a UN agency, the ICAO is expected to play a leading role in the recovery of the air travel industry in order to ensure global connections on which the world economy relies. For this purpose, ICAO’s Council Aviation Recovery Task Force (CART) recommended in a report the adoption of new guidelines concerning good practices for professionals of air transport. However, the strengthening of standard safety and hygiene procedure has the potential to render long-haul wide-body aircrafts a relic of the past. “Harmonisation of safety standards is argu-

ably the most important issue for the ICAO to resolve in order to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The confined and cross-border nature of air travel immediately exposed the industry to lockdown measures. It is now necessary for

airlines and airports to adapt to new standards of hygiene and social distancing as mentioned throughout the CART’s report. “For instance, airlines will have to consider modifying their seat assignment process to ensure physical distancing between passengers. This means in practice that traditional passenger density in twin-aisles such as the A350 or the B787 could be considered unsustainable. “Passengers will also be asked to limit movements, which could pose obvious issues with long-haul flights. “Qantas already shelved its super-long flight Project Sunrise between Australia, New York and London, and Emirates’ president declared that there was no future for wide-body aircrafts such as the A380 or the B747. New safety standards such as those defined by the CART could confirm these fears.”

Cargo Connections’s ‘Virtual 1-2-1 Booking System’ to go live in July FROM July 1, members of the Cargo Connections network will be able to use the ‘Virtual 1-2-1 Booking System’ which will officially go live. The system allows users to view a schedule, make periods of time unavailable, book or cancel meetings, make notes and message. The network says: “We are aware that communication and connections are vital, and we have very much enjoyed ‘seeing’ everyone during our regular virtual get-togethers. At the moment, we are living in a very different world and we don’t yet know what the future holds with regards to the gathering of large groups. “We want to ensure that Cargo Connections contin-

ues to evolve and provide you with a strong networking platform so that you are in the best position possible when the outbreak dissipates. Indeed, belonging to organisations like Cargo Connections could be essential to the survival of many independent forwarders over the coming years. “We are aware of the importance of the 1-2-1 meetings during our annual Assemblies, where members are able to discuss existing and potential new business. “Therefore, we have invested in a Virtual 1-2-1 Booking System and are encouraging our members to take part in our Virtual 1-2-1 Meeting Week, which will take place from 10-14 August 2020.”

Cargo improves in May but final two weeks are concern

GLOBAL industry data for May supports the continued small recovery of air cargo volumes but a fall in demand over the last two weeks of the month may signal more challenging times ahead as airlines return capacity to the market. The latest week-by-week analyses by CLIVE Data Services for May pinpoints a slightly deteriorating condition as the month progressed. The month of May 2020 was not as bad for the global air cargo industry as April 2020. March ended far worse than it started, while for April it was the other way around. During these last two weeks, the capacity growth rate versus the previous week was higher than the volume growth, thereby reducing the dynamic load factor for the first time in weeks by 0.5%. This easing of pressure on capacity had a downward impact on freight rates on major tradelanes, as recently reported by the TAC Index. “Looking at the last 12 weeks, it is clear to see that market volumes remain erratic and that this will continue for the foreseeable future. We can see some dark clouds gathering and this is a cause of concern for air cargo. We do not see signals yet that the increase in capacity is being met by growth in demand. With the announcements of increases in passenger schedules, global air cargo revenues may suffer ‘collateral damage’ of more capacity returning to the market,” said CLIVE’s managing director, Niall van de Wouw.

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cargo-partner strengthens its Benelux position THE international transport and info-logistics provider cargo-partner is broadening its service offering in Western Europe. It has opened two new locations in Belgium and the Netherlands. A new warehouse including office space in Roermond, Netherlands, as well as an office at the airport in Liège, Belgium, mark the expansion of cargo-partner’s regional network. The airport in Liège has stood out recently with strong volume growth, a complete absence of flight restrictions and customer-friendly solutions while other European air freight transshipment sites have stagnated. Numerous companies from the pharmaceutical and automotive industry have moved into the region and are benefiting from the favourable geographic and economic situation with a broad catchment area. It has developed into a significant e-commerce hub. As the cargo-partner shipping volumes at LGG have grown continuously, the decision was finally made to establish a new branch office, which went into operation already in April. Little more than an hour’s drive away, cargo-partner has opened a new office and warehouse site in Roermond, The Netherlands, at the start of May. Three capital cities and the German Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region with 10 million residents are all located within 250 kms of this logistics hotspot. In addition, 60% of the purchasing power of the European Union is situated within 500 km. The most important airports of the region are also close by. The new warehouse has 7,000 sq m of storage area as well as a cross-docking area and eight truck docks. Stefan Krauter, CEO of cargo-partner, on the decision to open the two cargo-partner locations. said: “The positive business developments of our branches in the Benelux countries led to the decision to expand our network in this dynamic region with its important hubs. We are certain that the outstanding work of our local colleagues will add tremendous value and enhance the service quality of our entire company.”

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AIPUT strengthens the Bezos buys into resilience of vital LHR British forwarder pharma airfreight facility

berdeen Standard Investments’ AIPUT fund (Airport Industrial Property Unit Trust) has secured a lease extension to 2030 with Kuehne+Nagel for its Heathrow South Cargo Centre warehouse at Heathrow Airport, securing the site’s pivotal role as a nationally-important facility for the movement and storage of imported/exported pharmaceuticals and other medical products, such as life science-related IT equipment. Heathrow South Cargo Centre is one of a number of AIPUT’s locations working to boost the nation’s resilience in the fight against COVID-19. Kuehne+Nagel, the world’s second largest airfreight forwarder, is an established customer of AIPUT, having operated out of the 20,800 sq m Heathrow South Cargo Centre since 2014. GlaxoSmithKline is the leading customer of the warehouse facility, which represents a significant share of the UK’s pharmaceutical imports and exports. Kuehne+Nagel is joined at the Heathrow South Cargo Centre by Do&Co Catering and GE Aviation. Heathrow Airport is the largest UK import hub for pharmaceuticals and medical products, handling up to 41% by value of the UK’s total pharmaceutical imports. AIPUT has supported the business growth of Kuehne+Nagel’s specialist air cargo divisions on a number of occasions in recent years. The company also operates AIPUT’s Perishables Handling Centre at Hatton Cross, a 7,250 sq m on-airport temperature-controlled warehouse facility specifically designed to process

imported food airfreight from all over the world. Heathrow has been repurposed in recent weeks to focus mainly on importing essential airfreight products to feed and support the UK’s recovery. The gateway airport is currently handling up to 95 dedicated cargo flights each day, 14 times the number in normal times. Overall cargo volumes passing through the airport have been significantly lower than usual due to the dramatic reduction in belly-freight usually carried in long-haul passenger aircraft.

Valued partners Nick Smith, fund manager for AIPUT said: “Kuehne+Nagel is one of a number of AIPUT customers and commercial partners at Heathrow that have responded magnificently in ramping up their business operations to help support the nation’s health – in particular our NHS – in the most challenging circumstances. It’s hugely inspiring to see businesses vital to the operations of our leading airports, stepping up to the mark and proving the importance of the UK’s aviation industry to our national wellbeing, as well as to the future economic recovery of UK plc. “This new agreement with our valued partners Kuehne+Nagel, secures the future of this nationally-important air freight facility for years to come, making a major contribution towards ensuring that the UK’s vital access to global healthcare supplies is maintained.”

TAPA : Beware of a spike in cargo thefts as criminals get back to ‘business as usual’

ogistics service providers must be prepared to protect their supply chains from a projected significant spike in cargo thefts as coronavirus lockdowns begin to be lifted across the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region, the Transported Asset Protection Association (TAPA) has warned. With entire national populations being advised to stay at home to stop the spread of COVID19 since the beginning of March, cargo thieves have clearly found it much more challenging to target goods in warehouses. Thorsten Neumann, TAPA EMEA president and CEO said: “Cargo thieves see disruptions to supply chains as windows of opportunity. “Companies should expect to see a spike in cargo crimes impacting every mode of transport over the rest of 2020 as cargo thieves get back to business. Supply chains are being stretched and traceability is more challenging.”

EFW delivers conversion freighter A330-300P2F to DHL ELBE Aircraft Works (EFW) has delivered another A330300P2F freighter. The A330 has been refitted for DHL in recent months. This aircraft is the first on the market to allow a particularly high load with a gross payload of more than 62 tonnes. “The demand for modern fly-by-wire freighters with a high payload, large load volume and full-fledged con-

tainer positions has been apparent for some time,” says Andreas Sperl, CEO of Elbe Flugzeugwerke. “We want to reliably deliver conversion freighters of the new programmes to our cus-

tomers as usual and are very pleased that we were able to hand over a large-capacity freighter to DHL.”

Two more 330-300P2F will be delivered to DHL later this year. Up to twelve more A330s will follow.

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LONDON-BASED Beacon, the next generation freight forwarding and supply chain finance company, has raised over $15 million in its Series A fundraising round, with investors including Jeff Bezos, the founder and CEO of Amazon, and leading US venture capital firm 8VC. Beacon was founded in 2018 by CEO Fraser Robinson and COO Dmitri Izmailov, both former Uber executives. They were joined by CTO Pierre Martin, previously at Amazon, bringing together a management team with deep expertise in logistics, technology, finance and hyper-growth. The freight forwarding and supply chain finance industries are worth an estimated $1 trillion and $12 trillion a year, respectively, with the former still a highly fragmented market in which the top ten forwarders globally control just 43%. Participants in Beacon’s initial seed round included Uber founders Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, as well as venture firms such as Neo, Red Sea Ventures, Manta Ray and FJ Labs. The money raised in this Series A round will be invested in new hires, technology and market expansion. Beacon co-founder and CEO Fraser Robinson said: “Beacon has attracted investment from some of the best minds in business and technology. The traditional freight forwarder model remains surprisingly analogue, using systems and processes that are slow and inefficient, with opaque pricing and limited use of technology.”

LATAM files for Chapter 11 protection after COVID-19 LATAM Airlines Group and its affiliates in Chile, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador and the United States has initiated a voluntary reorganisation and restructuring of their debt under Chapter 11 protection in the US with the support of the Cueto and Amaro families and Qatar Airways, two of the largest shareholders of LATAM. In light of the effects of COVID-19 on the worldwide aviation industry, this reorganisation process provides LATAM with an opportunity to work with the group’s creditors and other stakeholders to reduce its debt. Chapter 11 financial reorganisation process is a proven legal framework under which LATAM and said affiliates will have the opportunity to resize their operations to the new demand environment and reorganise their balance sheets, enabling them to emerge more agile, resilient and sustainable.

Volga-Dnepr Group builds on humanitarian history

n response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, Volga-Dnepr Airlines recently delivered oversized urgent medical supplies to the remote Dutch Caribbean islands of St Maarten and St Eustatius. The call to action was spurred by the needs of the Ministry of Health, Culture and Sport, Netherlands, to assist with the supply of medical infrastructure to the Dutch Caribbean. Flown on behalf of mobile hospital manufacturer Hospitainer, the programme of four charter flights utilised two IL76-TD-90VD aircraft departing over a period of one week. Loading from Maastricht, Netherlands, the flights landed at St Maarten Princess Juliana International Airport, world-renowned for its low-altitude beach approach and fly past. Volga-Dnepr Airlines delivered two 40ft medical ICU units which were received by the

St Maarten medical centre, and six 20ft medical ICU units which were on-carried by local barge to the smaller St Eustatius. In addition to the mobile hospitals, Volga-Dnepr Airlines also assisted to transport equipment for diagnostics, together with ventilator machines, medicine and essential PPE equipment from other suppliers. Stuart Smith, humanitarian director for the Volga-Dnepr Group, helped to co-ordinate the project, and commented that: “Due to our diverse aircraft, our Group is able to offer support to organisations and companies who need to fly urgent containerised and pre-fabricated health systems. Our unparalleled fleet combined with the can-do attitude of our load-planning team, means that we are often asked to assist with missions which would otherwise be impossible by air cargo”

Hospitainer CEO, Rolof Mulder, said: “We work from the assumption that access to a doctor, dentist or midwife should not be a privilege - healthcare should be accessible to all.

“We always have stock and it is our mission to act quickly and with passion in our work.” Volga-Dnepr Group has a long history in emergency and humanitarian response, and is currently playing a major role in the international air cargo effort against COVID-19. To date, tens of thousands of cubic metres of medical equipment and supplies have been transported to over 25 nations worldwide by the Group’s airlines. Ekaterina Andreeva, commercial director charter cargo operations, remarked that “It takes a lot of pre-planning to deliver cargo to remote airports, especially in the current aviation environment where there are challenging limitations. However, due to our 30 years of air charter operations, we can ensure that all international communities can stay connected to the life lines that air cargo supply chains can provide.”

Rhenus Logistics moves tonnes of PPE to the Americas

RHENUS Logistics has transported millions of pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) to the Americas due to limited airlift. Rhenus has led the trend in the trade and logistics industry by receiving more and more PPE and other medical equipment from Europe and Asia and exporting it to Canada, the US and Latin America. Due to the limitations on flights from Europe to the Americas, Rhenus has solidified Miami as its hub with its newly opened 16,000 sq m warehouse. The Germany-based logistics company established its footprint in the Americas with the opening of its new warehouse that is designated as a foreign trade zone. The facility, which provided vertical solutions for consumer electronics, industrial telecommunications, high-technology, high-fashion and

retail, is now focused on PPE including gloves, face shields, masks and ventilators, as well as testing kits for COVID-19 and an assortment of other medical products. “We have seen a tremendous increase in the demand for PPE and other healthcare products,” said Jörn Schmersahl, CEO of Rhenus Air & Ocean Americas. “While this was not a niche for us in the past, we have become experts in moving PPE to the US and the Americas. “Clearly our Miami warehouse was strategically located for us to reach the Americas quickly. Christian Ryser, COO Rhenus LATAM Hispanic region, added: “We are committed to continue assisting our local communities and health entities with their transportation challenges so that they can overcome them during the COVID-19 crisis.”

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ACW 8 JUNE 2020

AFRICA & AFRICA AIR CARGO SUMMIT

Summit goes virtual

THE Africa Air Cargo Summit has become the latest air cargo industry event brought to face the consequences of the global pandemic. The one-day biennial event was to have been staged in Ethiopia. Scandinavian-based organiser Euroavia International has faced the same dilemma that hundreds of organisers the world over have battled – how to keep an event going. “Due to the health situation worldwide and locally in Ethiopia, this year’s Summit will become a web-based virtual one-day experience,” says the organiser. “This is the leading conference-only event, with dedicated focus on the rapidly growing African air cargo market for airlines, airports, forwarders, integrators, bro-

kers, aviation services and solution leaders to gain market and business intelligence.”

Normal service is resumed

The event, to be staged on Wednesday, June 24 at 10.00 Ethiopian local time – this is Ethiopian local time (+3 GMT), Central Europe, Cairo, Johannesburg -1h, UK, Lagos -2h, Dubai +1h, Hong Kong, Beijing +5h) has been organised to include the content that would have been discussed at the physical event. There will be three power sessions focused on air cargo in Africa, and one session with global perspectives on the future of air cargo industry. Those tuning into the web broadcast will be able to

EFFECTIVE June 10 Etihad Airways will link 20 cities in Europe, Asia and Australia via Abu Dhabi. Etihad recently launched links from Melbourne and Sydney to London Heathrow, allowing direct transfer connections to and from the UK capital via Abu Dhabi. Throughout June, Etihad is continuing to operate a network of special flights from Abu Dhabi to previously announced destinations across its international network. Etihad continues to follow UAE and international government, regulatory and health authority directives, and is playing its part in helping to limit the spread of COVID-19.

ACW 8 JUNE 2020

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interact with speakers online. These include Fitsum Abady, managing director, Ethiopian Air Cargo & Logistics Services; Berthe-cut Abderahmane Berthé, secretary general, AFRAA – African Airlines Association; Henrik Ambak, svp cargo operations Worldwide, Emirates; and Glyn Hughes, global head of cargo, IATA – International Air Transport Association. Sessions are titled and timed: (10:30) Air Cargo in Africa during and beyond turbulent times; (11:45) Restoring cargo capacity in Africa; (13:15) Flower/Perishables logistics in Africa – Impact of Covid-19 crisis; (14:45) Air cargo industry emerging from Covid-19 crisis – global perspectives; (16:00) Concluding remarks and end of web conference.

SAA Cargo in preighter debut

FOR the first time, SAA Cargo, operated a passenger aircraft for a pure cargo uplift in April. On April 6, SAA Cargo operated an Airbus A340-600 as a cargo-only flight of essential goods between Johannesburg and Frankfurt. The outbound cargo included perishables such as fish, fresh fruits and vegetables, while on the inbound leg from Europe the cargo included testing kits for COVID-19. “The decision to deploy an A340 is based on both its capacity and range and so bolsters our freighter services during this time when there is high demand for cargo shipments,” said SAA Cargo acting general manager, Justice Luthuli.

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