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The weekly newspaper for air cargo professionals No. 1,143

9 AUGUST 2021

Turkish Cargo: On a mission

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DHL Express shapes future for sustainable aviation with order of first-ever all-electric cargo planes from Eviation

ELECTRIFYING AIRSPACE

the electric era is upon us. This announcement is a significant milestone on our quest to transform the future of flight across the globe.” The aircraft is ideal for feeder routes and requires less investment in station infrastructure. The Alice can be charged up while loading and unloading is being undertaken, ensuring quick turnaround times that maintain DHL Express’ tight schedules.

HL Express has ordered 12 fully electric Alice eCargo planes from Eviation, the Seattle-area based global manufacturer of all-electric aircraft. The Alice is the world’s leading fully electric aircraft, which enables cargo airlines to operate a zero-emission fleet. Eviation expects to deliver the first in 2024. “We firmly believe in a future with zero-emission logistics,” says John Pearson, CEO of DHL Express. “Therefore, our investments always follow the objective of improving our carbon footprint. On our way to clean logistics operations, the electrification of every transport mode plays a crucial role and will significantly contribute to our overall sustainability goal of zero emissions.” Alice can be flown by a single pilot and will carry 1,200 kg. It will require under 30 minutes to charge per flight hour and have a maximum range of up to 815 km (440 nautical miles). Alice will operate in all environments currently serviced by piston and turbine aircraft. “From day one, we set an audacious goal to transform the aviation industry and create a new era with electric aircraft,” said Eviation CEO Omer Bar-Yohay. “Partnering with companies like DHL who are the leaders in sustainable e-cargo transportation is a testament that

Important step “My compliments to Eviation on the innovative development of the fully electric Alice aircraft” says Travis Cobb, EVP global network operations and aviation for DHL Express. “With Alice’s range and capacity, this is a fantastic sustainable solution for our global network. Our aspiration is to make a substantial contribution in reducing our carbon footprint, and these advancements in fleet and technology will go a long way in achieving further carbon reductions. For us and our customers, this is a very important step in our decarbonisation journey and a step forward for the aviation industry as a whole.” Deutsche Post DHL Group is committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 in line with the Paris Climate Agreement.

INSIDE

JAL PARTNERS WFS IN EUROPE

JAPAN Airlines has awarded new online and offline handling contracts to Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) in Europe. The airline has partnered ... PAGE 2

WELCOME TO NEW ICAO SEC GENERAL

THE appointment of Juan Carlos Salazar of Colombia as the new secretary general of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) ... PAGE 2 CUSTOMERS WANT PEACE OF MIND

WITH capacity uncertainty looming over the industry Peter Penseel, chief operating officer, airfreight, CEVA Logistics explains why ... PAGE 4

ANIMAL AIRCARE

AFTER a year and a half of lockdowns and staying at home, pets and owners are inseparable. In fact, pet ownership has increased dramatically ... PAGE 6

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NEWS

Kerry opens in Peru to bring JAL PARTNERS global network to 60 WFS IN EUROPE KERRY Logistics Network Limited is extending its coverage in Latin America by opening an office in Lima, Peru, increasing the number of countries and territories in its global network to 60. Having commenced operations in July 2021, Kerry Logistics Peru extends Kerry Logistics Network’s presence in Latin America, boosting its international freight forwarding capability and tapping into the Peruvian export trade. Kerry Logistics Peru offers a range of supply chain solutions from air and ocean freight to customs clearance and domestic transportation across the country. Its target markets include the mining industry, apparel, automotive, high-tech, as well as pharmaceutical. For the mining industry, which constitutes Peru’s principal source

of economic growth as the world’s second largest producer of copper, silver, and zinc, the Peru team will provide dedicated air and ocean freight for import and export as well as transporting mining equipment and component parts. The Lima office is also well-placed to provide export services to Peruvian manufacturers for the distribution of high-quality cotton products and fine alpaca garments to the world. In addition, the team provides industrial project logistics solutions to the oil and gas, renewables, power and energy sectors. William Ma, group managing director of Kerry Logistics Network, said: “The opening of the new Peru office marks a significant move for Kerry Logistics Network to expand its service network in the Latin American market. “

JAPAN Airlines has awarded new online and offline handling contracts to Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) in Europe. The airline has partnered with WFS in Liege to provide cargo handling and ramp transportation for its new weekly Boeing 747 freighter flight from the Belgian airport to Tokyo. In a separate development, Japan Airlines has also extended its offline handling agreement with WFS at Brussels Airport, which sees WFS working closely with the airline’s cargo GSSA partner, J-Air, to coordinate road transport connections for Japan Airlines’ flights from Paris, Frankfurt, Amsterdam and London. WFS has also been appointed by Japan Airlines to handle a series of all-cargo flights ex Brussels Airport to Osaka this summer carrying COVID-19 vaccines. “We are very happy to expand JAL’s European partnership with WFS, which responds well to our requests, such as for the high quality handling of vaccines in Brussels and our requirements for time definite handling of large volumes in Liege,” said Tatsusuke Osakabe, the airline’s regional manager cargo and mail, France, Spain and Belgium. Marc Claesen, senior vice president commercial EMEAA at WFS, commented: “Japan Airlines is a highly valued WFS customer, and we are proud to be extending the work we do for the airline in Europe. Our commitment to providing the highest levels of handling and

compliance for all pharmaceutical products means we are perfectly placed to support Japan Airlines’ vaccine charter flights. We are also delighted to welcome the airline as a new customer in Liege and to have renewed its offline handling agreement with us in Brussels. This also enables us to continue our close working relationship with our friends at J-Air.” WFS is handling the vaccine shipments at the dedicated pharma zone in its new 250,000 tonne capacity cargo terminal at Brussels Airport. The GDP-trained WFS team will ensure the integrity of the temperature-controlled shipments is maintained throughout the storage and handling process. WFS, the world’s largest air cargo handler, has invested heavily to provide specialist pharma facilities for its airline and forwarding clients. This includes 15 dedicated pharma facilities in Amsterdam, Bangkok, Barcelona, Brussels, Cape Town, Copenhagen, Cork, Dublin, Frankfurt, Johannesburg, London, Madrid, Miami, New York JFK and Paris, which are all either IATA CEIV or Good Distribution Practice (GDP) certified or compliant. In support of the global Covid vaccination programme, WFS’ Project Coldstream task force is continuing to co-ordinate the safe and secure handling of shipments across the company’s global network, expediting handling procedures and ensuring the integrity of the vaccines is protected.

Industry welcomes new ICAO secretary general THE appointment of Juan Carlos Salazar of Colombia as the new secretary general of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has been welcomed by FIATA International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations, The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA), the Global Express Association (GEA), and the International Port Community Systems Association (IPCSA). Salazar’s appointment, for

ACW 9 AUGUST 2021

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a three-year term from August 2021, comes at a critical time for the global air cargo industry, which shares some of the challenges of the airline passenger industry. The COVID-19 pandemic showcased to the broader aviation stakeholder community the critical importance of air cargo. Throughout the pandemic, the air cargo industry tackled complex safety, health and operational issues.

NEWS

IAG Cargo: Record quarter as it celebrates 10th anniversary IAG Cargo, the cargo division of International Airlines Group (IAG), enjoyed strong Q2 revenue amid a confident and strong outlook for the cargo business and in line with an improved air cargo market. IAG Cargo achieved revenues of €419 million from April 1 to June 30 2021; an increase of 17.3% at constant currency versus the same period last year. Overall yield for the quarter was down 32.1% at constant currency versus last year reflecting the increase in market capacity, while sold tonnes more than offset the decline and were up 56.2%. The Q2 results take IAG Cargo’s half year revenue to €769m, up 25% on H1 2020. E-Commerce continued to be a major driver of activity in the quarter,

with the business moving a diverse range of products from fashion and electronics to sporting equipment. The quarter also saw a very significant increase in the movement of Italian wine into the USA – 95,000 bottles.

Restrictions ease In Q2, IAG Cargo, together with the passenger business launched additional joint cargo-passenger flights as some governments eased restrictions. Activity from Spain to Latin America increased as a result, with additional frequencies to Sao Paolo and Mexico City and a resumption of services into Guayaquil and San Juan. During the quarter, IAG Cargo operated an extensive charter programme

on top of its cargo-only schedule. This included flights operated for charity with British Airways providing medical equipment and relief into India as the country experienced a rapid rise in COVID-19 cases. Elizabeth Haun, IAG Cargo CFO said: “We celebrated our 10 year anniversary in April and in June partnered with Kuehne+Nagel to source 1.2 million litres of Sustainable Aviation Fuel, enough to power 16 flights across the Atlantic. “IAG Cargo charters and cargo-only flights remained sought after in the quarter, and whilst we welcome the return to passenger flying especially out of Spain, we continue to be impacted by passenger restrictions in the UK and Ireland.”

CIG crack down on pest transference THE international freight transport organisations of the Cargo Integrity Group are calling for urgent action from actors in global supply chains to reduce the risk of pest transference through international cargo movements. The five partners in the Cargo Integrity Group, known as CIG, say they recognise the vital importance of focusing on the threat of invasive pests to natural resources across the world, and

of the urgency in crafting risk reduction measures that address the situation. This call to action follows the intentions by pest control experts under the auspices of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), to take all-encompassing, internationally imposed steps to mitigate such risk. The partners are committed to ensuring that international trade is conducted in a safe and secure manner.

JUSTICE AT TOP SPEED

FERRARI, Maserati and Lamborghini are all quintessentially Italian luxury cars, so it is no surprise that the country is host to one of the oldest celebrations of classic and supercars in the world, the ‘Mille Miglia’. The race, which is dubbed The Most Beautiful Race in the World, was founded in 1927. It has grown into a major event that attracts car enthusiast, collectors and celebrities alike. Emirates SkyCargo shipped the Dubai Police supercar on a return trip from Dubai to Italy to take part in a thousand-mile grand tour of Italy alongside a remarkable collection of vintage supercars. Dubai Police joined the Mille Miglia classic car race, from Brescia to Rome and back, with a V8 571 PS Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. The supercar was transported on a Boeing 777 freighter aircraft which has one of the widest main deck doors of its aircraft type, allowing for easy loading and unloading of outsized cargo. Emirates SkyCargo is experienced with moving all types of vehicles on its aircraft, including highend cars for racing events or collectors’ cars for

Hanley promoted to sales manager, PML

SIMON Hanley has been promoted to sales manager, Perishable Movements Ltd (PML). The UK-based global perishable cargo specialist has created the position following the company’s significant growth and in light of the business’s expansion to offer its services out of Spalding and – the most recent acquisition – Lympne, Kent, alongside the existing head office at Heathrow. Hanley, who joined PML five years ago, has been promoted from his previous role as business development manager. During his tenure with the business, he has acquired experience working across all aspects of the company’s air, sea, road, import and export operations. Prior to his initial appointment at PML, Hanley was working in the ambient freight forwarding sector.

concourse events. To ensure the safe and efficient transportation of high-end cars, Emirates has developed a specialised product called Emirates Wheels, which outlines specific procedures for handling cars, including loading and unloading them from the aircraft. Emirates say safety is a primary consideration. The carrier has a team of car loading supervisors to ensure that the vehicles are correctly manoeuvred on and off the aircraft and who accompany the vehicle to its destination. The Emirates Wheels team also has a special reservation procedure for vehicles loaded in the belly hold of a passenger aircraft. Unlike a number of other airlines, Emirates does not engage the engine when loading or unloading the vehicle to reduce the possibility of heat damage to the car and to mitigate any risk to the aircraft. The classic car race will come to the UAE in December this year. This is the first time it will have been held in the Middle East, coinciding with the Emirates’ 50th anniversary and Expo Dubai.

GECAS’ 737-800 Converted Freighter fleet climbing to over 40

GECAS has contracted to add six 737-800BCFs to its in-service fleet, bringing the GECAS fleet of passenger-to-freighter (P2F) converted 737-800NG narrowbody freighters in operation to more than 40, an average of one aircraft added per month since the world’s first 737-800NG Converted Freighter was delivered in April 2018. Two of the aircraft will be added to ATRAN’s fleet and the remaining four with undisclosed operators. A repeat customer, Volga-Dnepr Group’s ATRAN LLC recently took delivery of two 738BCF from GECAS and will add two more of the P2F narrowbodies to their operations in September. “In today’s highly competitive landscape marked by capacity constraints, it is important to keep pace with the demand and guarantee stable, high-quality services for our customers. These reliable converted freighters will support our ongoing fleet development strategy, enable smooth phase-out of older freighters and ramp up our delivery options,” said Vitaliy Andreev, general director of ATRAN Airlines. “The team at GECAS Cargo takes pride in ensuring our airline clients are afforded a steady flow of available Boeing converted freighters to enter service on time and meet the demand of the air cargo networks,” explains Richard Greener, SVP and manager of GECAS Cargo.

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NEWS

CUSTOMERS WANT PEACE OF MIND IN A VOLATILE MARKET WITH capacity uncertainty looming over the industry Peter Penseel, chief operating officer, airfreight, CEVA Logistics explains why CEVA is taking matters into its own hands.

ACW: Can you explain what the SKYCAPACITY programme is and why CEVA launched it? Penseel: Over the past two years, demand fluctuations and the pandemic’s effects on passenger flight capacity have necessitated a

rise in charter activity as a result of the overall supply chain volatility. For certain customers, we proactively secured lanes to anticipate and mitigate any disruptions to their supply chains, specifically in manufacturing settings. The drop in passenger flights has more dramatically affected certain regions’ cargo capacity, for example in Latin America. These complex market conditions have required a level of careful planning and the ability to offer multiple options to our customers. Early in 2021, in the face of this complex market, CEVA Logistics took a strategic approach to the current market situation by launching an owned, controlled capacity programme

called SKYCAPACITY. Our dedication to our customers meant we were willing to take the risk of proactively securing our own capacity to serve our current and future customers. The programme currently offers a variety of destinations to and from North and South America, Europe and Asia Pacific. The owned, controlled network spans multiple carriers and includes freighter, pax freighter and passenger capacity. This is dozens of flights every week, offering consistent pricing and guaranteed capacity despite market peaks and lows. The network is also available as a spot cargo solution for customers. ACW: Has there been high demand for SKYCAPACITY so far? Penseel: Yes. We were confident that current and potential customers would want the peace of mind in such a volatile market, and that has proven to be true. The opportunity to access consistent pricing and guaranteed capacity is an important point for many customers. ACW: The Seoul, Wuxi, Chicago route was recently added to the network. What industries is this new route supporting? Penseel: There are a wide variety of industries that currently take advantage of the SKYCAPACITY programme, including this route. In particular, automotive and electronics customers are already taking advantage of this new weekly service.

ACW: How is this offering more sustainable than other options? Is this something customers take into account? Penseel: More and more customers are considering the sustainability of their supply chains. We look to help our customers make the best decisions when planning their logistics and freight transport operations to reduce environmental impact as they balance the business and timing needs of their supply chain processes and shipments. For example, we offer an eco-calculator on our website and through our MyCEVA digital platform to estimate the logistics carbon footprint of a shipment via ocean, air or ground. Estimating carbon footprint and planning accordingly is the first step towards a more sustainable supply chain. As part of the CMA CGM Group, CEVA Logistics is strongly committed to the protection of the environment. As a whole, the Group is significantly investing in research and development to help the emergence of future energy sources and technologies to reduce the impact of transport and logistics on the planet. The CMA CGM Group aims at becom-

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ing carbon-neutral by 2050. Specific to airfreight, earlier this year CEVA announced our participation in the United Airlines Eco-Skies Alliance to promote the use of sustainable aviation fuel in passenger and transport flights. ACW: In your opinion, is route certainty something we should no longer take for granted? Penseel: According to IATA data, industry-wide cargo in May 2021 rose by 9.4% compared to pre-crisis levels in May 2019. Obviously, that’s good news, but the fact that we’re even measuring against 2019 tells the main story and is a stark reminder of just how far the industry has come from this time last year. ACW: Have shipper’s needs changed in this time? Penseel: Shipper’s needs have certainly had to change and be much more flexible as the overall freight market continues to see disruption. In some cases, shippers who never would have considered using airfreight before are now adding it to the mix of their supply chain solutions. Depending on their needs and destinations, airfreight capacity can be challenging to find.

SME Freight Forwarders

Deugro hits the gas for urgent delivery d eugro arranged three full-charter flights for its client Tecnimont from Milan, Italy to Blagoveshchensk, Russia to transport 87 tonnes of time-critical valve equipment for the Amur Gas Processing Plant Project in Russia. The schedules were exactly planned in accordance with equipment ready dates at manufacturing sites to support on going construction at the project site. deugro was awarded the delivery of urgent equipment directly to the project site because the impact of COVID-19 forced the client to switch the mode of transportation from road to air to keep the time schedule of the site construction. While the transit time for land transportation would have resulted in around 35 days, air transportation allowed the time to be shortened to less than 20 hours for each flight.

VINCENT BARBOZA, MANAGING DIRECTOR, FLOMIC, INDIA

ACW: Is there currently a high demand for forwarders in India? Vincent Barboza: Yes. The current demand is to increase more businesses with good profit. These are also the only aims for worldwide forwarders in the present. ACW: How has the pandemic affected operations at Flomic? Barboza: Shipments have not been affected much. Whether it is during the pandemic or not we are continuing professionally. ACW: How do you see the Indian freight market developing in the next few years? Barboza: It is natural that the Indian freight market meets variations like ups and downs and highs and lows but we see that in a few years from now it will develop and flourish.

Ilyushin Il-76 For the transportation, the forwarder chose the Ilyushin Il-76, a ramp cargo aircraft, which offers a large cargo hold and the ability of self-sufficient loading and offloading using the on-board internal crane system. For each flight, deugro arranged the pick-up from the suppliers’ facilities and the delivery to Malpensa Airport in Milan, Italy by road. deugro coordinated the terminal cargo handling and loading into the aircrafts. Due to the long flight distance of almost 8,000 km, all three flights needed a technical stopover. Since all prior arrangements for offloading at the destination airport Ignatyevo in Blagoveshchensk, Russia were also made by deugro with the local customs office, every

Quick fire questions with Flomic, Indian SME forwarder

batch of equipment was safely transferred onto trucks directly after offloading from the aircraft. This ensured the cargo reached the final destination at the project site in the city of Svobodny, Russia on time. deugro’s strong local presence at both the origin and destination countries was crucial for ensuring a smooth and safe operation at every stage of the operation. “One important ingredient to the success of this complex transport was the ability to organise these air charter flights with our own internal air charter desk, something that

deugro has invested in by building a team of experts well-known in the industry and with a cargo airline and air charter brokerage background. “Decades of experience in air chartering and a deep understanding of how it works from the airline or air charter brokerage background allowed deugro’s team to arrange a flawless operation and carefully manage every last-moment challenge, which is always part of the game when it comes to arranging urgent operations by air,” stated Marco Furgada, branch manager Segrate/Milan, deugro Italy.

Dimerco delivers customised solution for oversized shipping project DIMERCO, a global logistics specialist with an Asia Pacific focus, has completed a complex project to ship 200+ tonnes of printed circuit board (PCB) equipment from Stuttgart, Germany to Jiangsu Province, China with ITG Air & Sea, its joint venture company. The size and sensitivity of the oversized PCB equipment required Dimerco to oversee customised packing and fastening for freighter loading, and identify scheduled flights able to accommodate the cargo. A spokesperson for Dimerco explained: “Most airlines are not able to handle this size of cargo, with pieces ranging from three to nine metres in either length, width or height. Because scheduled flights have been limited due to the global pandemic, these challenges might have led other transportation providers to opt for more costly chartered flights. Dimerco leveraged its long-term strategic partnerships with selected airlines to provide the most cost-effective solution, securing space on four scheduled freighters from Luxembourg Airport to Shanghai Pudong International Airport.” Dimerco shipping experts requested technical drawings from the customer to ensure the cargo would fit into the freighter at the customer’s warehouse. They then followed through with the airlines to book the first available flights once the cargo was packed and ready to go. The oversized freight also required advance arrangements for local compliance at destination, including an application for large cargo

unloading at the airport warehouse. Dimerco also arranged a crane to reduce risk during cargo movement and accelerate final leg delivery to the customer. According to Dimerco’s spokesperson, the company won this global bid against other major freight forwarders based on the customer’s previous experience with Dimerco. He concluded: “Dimerco has worked with this customer since 2020. We are recognised for our timely status updates and quick response to special requirements. Once again, we have demonstrated our ability to handle oversized equipment, with a safe, seamless and cost-effective solution.”

ACW: What is the most common cargo transported by Flomic? Barboza: The most common cargo transported by Flomic include pharma, machinery and chemicals. ACW: What capabilities does Flomic have? Barboza: We are specialised in handling pharma and medical cargo but we do not accept perishables. Flomic has over 55+ staff across the south Indian located offices. ACW: What are Flomic’s expansion plans? Barboza: With an increase in business, Flomic is looking to reach out to customers by offering them services from all major ports in India. Looking at today’s digital world, we are working to increase our technology by providing personalised content where customers will be able to track their cargo and the condition of their cargo on every step of its journey. In today’s business environment the customer’s requirements are constantly changing. Flomic strives to adapt to these changes and ensure that the customer demands are met. We are expanding and broadening our horizon every day by collaborating with new global agents and introducing services from all major seaports and airports in India. ACW: What’s the story behind Flomic’s establishment? Barboza: The name Flomic is inspired by the company’s managing director, Vincent Barboza’s parents, Michael Barboza and Florine Barboza. It is derived from the first three letters of their names. Established in 1988, Flomic has grown over three decades.

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ANIMAL TRANSPORTATION

ANIMAL AIRCARE

fter a year and a half of lockdowns and staying at home, pets and owners are inseparable. In fact, pet ownership has increased dramatically, with 59% of UK households now owning a pet. Although numbers of pets flying in this time has been down from previous years, with the leisure travel slowly starting to increase again, the demand for pooches on planes and cats in cargo will slowly increase too. “To be able to cater for our client airlines with any requirements, and to provide good customer service, our team at the airport have kept the facility open on a 24/7 footing since the outbreak of the pandemic,” explained Pete Bryant, commercial and facilities manager at Animal Aircare, the specialist pet animal reception centre/border inspection post. “We have recently opened a new operation at London-Luton Airport as, in addition to the new London-Heathrow site, we look to expand our business.” Animal Aircare’s new animal reception centre at London Heathrow Airport will open Q4 of this year. The specialist facility will double as an approved border control post and state-ofthe-art animal reception centre. “The new centre will handle domestic animals, as well as small exotics (reptiles/insects), fish, birds, worms etc. The vast majority of animals received and handled by us are pets cats, dogs and ferrets - and this includes rescue dogs and cats being adopted from overseas

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and re-homed in this country.” Bryant noted that the majority of fourlegged friends only stay at the facility for around three to four hours but this can be longer if there are paperwork problems. With speed in mind, the facility has been designed

to facilitate a fast post-boarding process. “The air cargo facility sits astride the Heathrow airport landside/airside boundary and arriving animals will enter the rear of the premises directly from the cargo apron. This will result in a speedy transfer time from inbound

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aircraft side to the centre´s quarantine area. “In turn, this will facilitate a quicker commencement of the import checks required for entry into the UK. Based on our experiences at London Gatwick airport, the centre‘s internal layout has been designed to provide process flow efficiencies for both the animals passing through it and the Animal Aircare team using it. And, being located just two miles from junction 14 of the M25, the centre will be very accessible for owners and customers.” Though the majority of animals that pass through are domestic, Bryant told ACW that there have been some exotic animals that have been under their care. “At our London Gatwick Airport centre from time-to-time we handle Zoo-to-Zoo exchanges and these can often involve the likes of flamingos, penguins and lemurs. At certain times of the year we also handle large birds of prey, which come in from some of the Arabian peninsula states.” Being responsible for this precious cargo means training is imperative. “In addition to the usual workplace health and safety related modules, our training syllabus is quite varied. From an animal perspective it covers handling, welfare, and first aid, plus the many clerical and practical checks that need to be undertaken before an animal can be released into the United Kingdom. Staff additionally undergo mandatory training modules for air cargo security and for airside operations,” he added.

ANIMAL TRANSPORTATION

Turkish Cargo: On a mission “At Turkish

“We were able to carry them within 24 hours in total. We accomplished this operation by utilising our Boeing 777F freighter in accordance with IATA LAR (Live Animals Regulations). This shipment reinforced our success in transportation of live animals that require the utmost level of care. Carrying 1.5 million live fish by means of a freighter requires accurate air-conditioning, and expertise in oxygen and temperature checks.” Ensuring animals are safe in the skies is down to trained personnel on board. As exotic and non-pet live animals can only be accepted as cargo, there are stringent procedures to ensure their safety. “We have unique procedures for every variety of live animal we transport, from racehorses and live fish to zoo animals travelling as part of conservation efforts,” explained Ciğal. “Turkish Cargo fulfils all requirements, ensuring; the amount of required space in the cargo compartment is available; the environment conditions in those compartments (ventilation rates and airflow direction, heating and cooling provisions); the best possible loading location within the cargo compartments; the necessity of in-flight attendents; the availability of ground storage facilities; the loading of the animal on the aircraft must be performed within the shortest waiting time possible to aircarft take-off; and that the time spent on the apron before loading is as short as possible.”

Cargo, we defend animal rights and contribute to the survival of wildlife”

Fatih Ciğal

On the ground

TURKISH Cargo is on a mission. Through its #MissionRescue project, the Turkish carrier is taking action and transporting wild animals back to their natural habitat. “It’s our responsibility to make the world a more liveable place, and build our vision of a sustainable future,” the carrier writes about the project. One such success story was that of three depressed circus lions that were held captive in Ukraine. Turkish Cargo transported the two lionesses and the young lion back to their natural habitat in South Africa. With the help of the Lawrence Anthony Earth Organisation the lions travelled almost 12,000 km from Kiev to Kragga Kamma Natural Park where they were finally set free. Fatih Ciğal, senior vice president of cargo marketing, Turkish Cargo spoke to ACW about how the airline helps animals like these circus lions move from one side of the globe to the other. “At Turkish Cargo, we defend animal rights and contribute to the survival of wildlife,” Ciğal said. “We have agreements and memberships with many international organisations which aim to transport live animals in secure and safe conditions. Organisations and communities that we are members of include; United for Wildlife Buckingham Palace Declaration (UFW); Animal Transportation Association (ATA); The Wildlife Conservation Foundation (WWF); International Pet and Animal Transportation Association (IPATA); and The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).” Ciğal noted that Turkish is no stranger to an exotic animal. The carrier has helped transport live animals including reptiles, turtles, monkeys, parrots, camels, lions, tigers, gazelles, cheetahs, zebras, antelope, rhinoceros, giraffes and horses to name just a handful. “A recent example, we carried racehorses from Houston to Baghdad and from Chicago to Istanbul in February and from Doha to Baghdad in March.

“At Turkish Cargo we assume the responsibility of protecting wildlife and ensure that the endangered species can continue their lives in healthy environments. This is part of our #MissionRescue project.”

Underwater, above the clouds Transporting cargo that can move comes with its own unique set of challenges and is not always plain sailing. Ciğal told ACW the reality is that all animals need special care and each special shipment has its own standards, requirements and challenges. Every shipment must also adhere to IATA and other local and international bodies’ regulations and procedures so that safety and operational issues are minimised. He noted that for this reason these animal shipments are given extra attention and time. “For example Turkish Cargo carried 1.5 million live Gilthead breams weighing 100 tonnes to Oman from Izmir by providing the environment, needed by the fish underwater, but above the clouds. “The 100 tonnes of live fish was required to be transported to Oman from Bodrum in a period of 40 hours. They were first taken on trucks and carried to Izmir, which took three hours and then they were loaded on to our freighter equipped with special techniques by our cargo handling officers.

Back at Turkish’s hub at Istanbul Airport, the IATA CEIV Live Animal accredited carrier has made several investments to improve live animal services on the ground. The facilities include two live animal waiting and care rooms, specially designed for livestock shipments as well as a larger (approximately 730 sq m) dedicated live animal facility which will be inaugurated at the SmartIST, Turkish Cargo’s mega facility at the Airport. SmartIST is being built to handle 4 million tonnes of annual capacity and will consolidate Turkish Cargo’s operations to a single hub. The animal facilities will be state-of-the-art. Features will include the possibility of removing animal odour and disinfecting smells, whilst also providing a constant room temperature of 20 °C. There will be proper ventilation so that the air circulation provides fresh air by venting the dirty air. The facility will also offer dedicated areas for different types of animals. With this in mind, Turkish Cargo confirms it is more than ready to deal with an increase in animal shipments as the world gets back on its feet and the aviation industry get back in the sky. “We have been accredited with IATA CEIV Live Animal Certification, therefore we plan to be an air cargo brand, which regularly renews itself via continuous improvement activities,” said Ciğal.

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