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The weekly newspaper for air cargo professionals No. 1,146
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30 AUGUST 2021
DELTA AIRLINES BIRTHDAY ALBUM
75 YEARS YOUNG
Page 8
INSIDE
Cargolux supports Sin
AS a member of the Singapore Changi airport community, Cargolux has contributed to vast initiatives to support Indonesia in the fight ... page 2
Hey good looking
WORLDWIDE Flight Services (WFS) has launched a new uniform for over 13,000 of its cargo and ground handling employees in its North America ... page 2 IATA Net Rates: HELLO TO Air Canada Cargo
From one DC-3 to a fleet of over 800 aircraft, Delta celebrates 75 years in the cargo industry SEVENTY-FIVE years ago, Delta made its official but humble entry into the cargo business - 200 pounds of freshly picked mushrooms loaded aboard a DC-3 destined for Atlanta, making farm-to-table a possibility decades before it became a culinary hashtag. That first week of operation in 1946, the airline carried a little bit of everything to customers across the United States: a 64-year-ol soup tureen worth $1,500; 1,100 pounds of auto parts filling six crates; 450 pounds of candy; a box of silver
coins. Delta aircraft had served the Allied cause during World War II, transporting everything from food and surgical supplies to weapons and auto parts overseas. That helped give Delta what was needed to turn cargo transportation into a fully-fledged business.
Another 75 years “The airline has grown, and the nature of our cargo business has changed significantly over the last 75 years, but we are still in the
business of providing best-in-class service to our customers with any of their freight and logistics needs, large or small,” said Robert Walpole, vice president Delta Cargo. “We are here to support our customers and communities in the US and across the globe. We look forward to another remarkable 75 years.” Milestones for the airline’s cargo operations include the 1954 flight of Frank Taylor as the carrier’s first ‘air freight passenger’ who accompanied a shipment of roses from Philadelphia to Atlanta. Twelve years
later, a Delta L-100 cargo aircraft carried NASA’s Surveyor 3 spacecraft from Los Angeles to Cape Kennedy, Florida launch site - the first time a spacecraft was carried by regular commercial aircraft. In 1986, Delta made commercial history when US-manufactured automobiles began shipping to Germany on a US air carrier. In 1998, Delta launched the first international cargo alliance with Swissair, before becoming a founding member of SkyTeam Cargo in 2000.
THE International Air Transport Association (IATA) has welcomed Air Canada Cargo to the association’s IATA Net Rates air cargo rates ... page 2
Turner ON tour: GIRL IN THE HOLD
YASMIN Turner started in the airfreight media just as the world went into a pandemic lockdown. This has limited her ability to kick ... page 4
Follow Us:
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NEWS
SUPPLEMENT SERIES TO BE LAUNCHED NEXT MONTH
Cargolux supports Singapore Changi Airport community
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s a member of the Singapore Changi airport community, Cargolux has contributed to vast initiatives to support Indonesia in the fight against COVID-19. The airport community teamed up to arrange a donation of oxygen concentrators to Indonesia that is currently experiencing a surge of COVID-19 infections. Europe’s leading cargo airline provided free transport for the devices from Los Angeles, where they are manufactured, to Singapore for their onward journey to Jakarta. As a company committed to Corporate Social Responsibility principles, Cargolux is pleased to leverage its expertise and play its part in such initiatives. The airline is a strong advocate for responsible business practices and strives to support its partners, such as the Changi airport community, in their CSR journey. “Cargolux and Changi airport have a long-standing relationship based on shared values. We are proud to be part of the Singa-
pore Changi community and contribute to transporting vital medical appliances to the people of Indonesia. “Singapore and Jakarta are key destinations in the Cargolux network and we are committed to supporting the communities we operate into”, says Richard Forson, Cargolux president and CEO. Over the years, Cargolux has established a solid CSR programme encompassing all areas of the company. With its international reach and 50 years of experience, Cargolux is a responsible leader in the air cargo industry.
Committed Strongly committed to being a responsible corporate citizen, the airline has been actively engaged in the fight against COVID-19. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, Cargolux has played a crucial role in keeping the supply chain moving and delivering essential supplies where they are most needed.
Hey good looking: WFS launches new global uniform
PRODUCTION and editorial work is progressing well on the launch of a series of Air Cargo Week monthly supplements. The first will cover the Middle East. Air Cargo Week editor James Graham says: “We have talked with some of the most influential and interesting airfreight people who know the region. I am sure readers will take a great interest in what they have to share.” The second supplement, out in October, is looking at Latin America. Again, ACW will look at who are the most influential and interesting individuals and organisations in the LATAM region.
WORLDWIDE Flight Services (WFS) has launched a new uniform for over 13,000 of its cargo and ground handling employees in its North America and Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia (EMEAA) operations. The roll-out of some 125,000 pieces of uniform will commence in September and be completed in 2022 for staff working in cargo handling, ramp handling, passenger services and baggage handling across WFS’ network of 170 major airport stations in 20 countries.
“First impressions count and in a market that’s more competitive than ever, it’s important to demonstrate a corporate image which is consistent with the brand quality of our airline customers across the globe. “Very often, a WFS team member is the first point of contact for our customers’ customers. “As well as ensuring our quality of service delivers the very best customer experience, we want our teams around the world to look professional by wearing a uniform which proudly displays
the WFS identity and is perfectly suited to each working environment across our portfolio of handling services. “We hope our clients will like our new look and our staff will wear their new uniforms with pride,” said Barry D. Nassberg, group chief commercial officer at WFS. After completing a full audit of its existing uniform provision in all 20 countries, WFS consulted
with several suppliers and considered a series of design options before selecting its uniform provider. The new uniform is based on the distinctive blue and red of WFS’ corporate identity.
THE International Air Transport Association (IATA) has welcomed Air Canada Cargo to the association’s IATA Net Rates air cargo rates platform, allowing the Canadian carrier to expand its digital offering to provide an additional digital option to its customers. IATA Net Rates supports real time rates distribution, dynamic pricing and booking, and is available worldwide. Under the TACT Air Cargo Solutions umbrella, freight forwarders can access the latest information on rates, rules, tariffs, schedules and compliance information, that can be accessed online or integrated with customer systems, accelerating the distribution of rates to market while simplifying and reducing the cost of rate han-
dling procedures. “IATA is very pleased to welcome Air Canada Cargo to the IATA Net Rates platform to support its cargo rates distribution processes. We look forward to future collaboration with Air Canada Cargo,” said Frederic Leger, interim senior vice president commercial services and president, CNS. “We are delighted to be working with IATA Net Rates as we continue our digital evolution. Through
IATA Net rates, Air Canada Cargo will be able to securely automate its rate distribution to freight forwarders around the globe. “This initiative comes at an opportune time for Air Canada Cargo as we grow our business with the upcoming arrival of new dedicated freighter aircraft,” said Matthieu Casey, senior director, cargo global sales and revenue optimisation for Air Canada Cargo.
IATA Net Rates welcomes Air Canada Cargo
New United Airlines Cargo website UNITED Airlines cargo division has launched a new, customer-facing website. The new website will pave the way for a streamlined, enhanced and industry-leading digital
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experience for customers around the world. An airline statement says: “Our team spent months carefully listening to the needs of our customers when designing this new
digital experience. The new website is the first of several steps in United Cargo’s digital transformation journey, with more features and expanded functionality coming later this year.”
SEKO Logistics has been recognised as a top five third-party logistics provider in a survey of thousands of shippers in North America to find their most trusted supply chain partners. Over 14,500 votes were cast in Inbound Logistics’ annual Top 10 3PL Excellence Award survey.
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NEWS
WFS and Vietnam Airlines partner at Schiphol
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ietnam Airlines has selected Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) as its new cargo handling partner at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. The multi-year contract will see WFS providing full cargo handling services for the airline’s twice-weekly Airbus A350-900 passenger freighter aircraft flights directly connecting freight forwarders, importers and exporters in Amsterdam and Vietnam’s Tan Son Nhat International Airport. The new contract is a further boost for WFS’ growing cargo operating in Amsterdam, which has also recently welcomed both LATAM Airlines and Saudi Arabian Airlines as customers. As well as in Amsterdam, WFS has existing cargo handling contracts with
Vietnam Airlines at London Heathrow and in Dublin, and the airline is also a valued client of WFS Fueling in Hong Kong. Stephane Scholving, managing director of WFS in the Netherlands, stated: “Winning this new contract is a tribute to the responsiveness of our team in Amsterdam and the quality of our cargo handling operations. Vietnam Airlines initially asked for our assistance to handle an urgent flight and their positive experience of working with WFS has ultimately led to this long-term agreement. We now look forward to supporting the airline’s customers and flight operations in Amsterdam and contributing to Vietnam Airline’s growth in the Netherlands.”
Ethiopian establishes B767P2C site at Addis Ababa MRO centre
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thiopian Airlines Group is to establish a global standard cargo conversion programme to convert the B-767-300 ER to dedicated freighter services in partnership agreement with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Tewolde GebreMariam, said: ‘’In line with our Diversified Aviation Business Model of Vision 2025, we have been increasing our cargo capacity in fleet, ground service infrastructure and cargo connectivity network. Accordingly, we are partner-
ing with IAI, one of the global technology leaders in the Aerospace industry, in building a cargo conversion centre in our MRO facilities in Addis Ababa Airport. “The conversion centre will commence its first business with three Ethiopian Airlines-owned B-767-300 aircraft. We are very happy that we are able to collaborate with IAI to enable us to expand our cargo and logistics services which is already the largest and leading cargo network in Africa. The capacity building will also help us expand our MRO services
with cutting edge technology and knowledge transfer.” Yossi Melamed, IAI’s executive VP and general manager of Aviation Group on his part said: “We are witnessing a sharp rise in the demand for cargo aircraft as a result of the rise in e-Commerce, which has peaked to record levels during the COVID-19 pandemic. IAI has a great reputation as a conversion centre of passenger-to-freighters aircraft, and we are constantly receiving requests to open such conversion centres in more and more locations around the world.“
ATRAN Airlines transports day-old chicks from Spain ATRAN Airlines, an express carrier within Volga-Dnepr Group, has accomplished its first European live-animal transportation on a flight from Spain to Russia. The B737-800BCF charter flight has delivered 533 boxes with one-day-old chicks, weighing over 2.2 tonnes, in support of the local agricultural programme. Steven Frederix, live animal transportation manager Europe, AirBridgeCargo Airlines, comments: “Following ATRAN’s successful European AVI certification earlier this year and receipt of a Type 2 Transport certificate which allows the company to deliver live animals to, from and across Europe, the ATRAN team of logistics practitioners has organised a dedicated flight containing 42,640 one-day-old
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chicks. The delicate animals were handled and transported in accordance with IATA LAR (Live Animals Regulations) and European Council 01/2005 regulations maintaining a 24-26C in-flight ambient environment at all times in order to ensure animal welfare.” Vasiliy Zhukov, commercial director of ATRAN Airlines, says: ‘After implementation of our internal road map which covered certification, personnel training, and expansion of the fleet, we are now ready to offer specialist live-animals transportation services for our customers to and from Europe.” The flight had been organised aboard the Boeing 737-800BCF which has recently joined the company’s fleet.
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NEWS Turner ON tour: Our girl in the hold just arrived at the airport. We were walked through the process from the cargo arriving landside to departing the warehouse airside, which included witnessing a large load of Royal Mail letters and parcels destined for the United States. Due to United running a reduced schedule and a natural dip in cargo volumes in the month of August, the facility was not filled to capacity. We observed the large cold facilities for perishables and pharma as well as areas in which stringent dangerous goods checks were carried out. We passed through security again on our way to the tarmac to view the flight that had just landed. The ULDs were being unloaded from the bellyhold, which took around 15 minutes. I managed to hop into the hold for a picture before more cargo was loaded during the quick turnaround. Special thanks to everyone at the United Cargo Heathrow facility for the tour!
Yasmin Turner started in the airfreight media just as the world went into a pandemic lockdown. This has limited her ability to kick the tyres of the airfreight industry. That was until an email from United Airlines Cargo popped into her inbox ... WITH the sun just rising over the nearly empty M25 near Heathrow at 5:30, most people were yet to start their day. A stark difference to the hub of workers airside at United’s Heathrow facility, who had been working through the night to keep cargo moving. Due to thunderstorms stateside the 07:05 United Newark-Heathrow arrival that I’d come to witness was delayed, so we headed to the warehouse to observe the cargo process through the handling facility. The facility has capability to handle perishables and pharma, dangerous goods, firearms, live ani-
mals, valuable cargo and radioactive cargo. Fish is a cargo that is frequently handled at the facility and there was one consignment that had
B&H Worldwide boosts Asian business development expertise in its network B&H Worldwide has further expanded its business development expertise in Asia with the appointment of Joel Eley (right). Eley, a long-term specialist in supply chain logistics for the aviation industry, will support the company’s growth plans for the region and joins a growing team of B&H experts based in the region. His most recent role was head of supply chain at AIRBUS MRO subsidiary SAE (Sepang Aircraft Engineering) and SR Technics in Malaysia. He has extensive experience in all areas of the business including roles as procurement and planning manager at Virgin
Atlantic in the UK and with materials and logistics providers in Malaysia, Indonesia, Bahrain and Greece. Asia is now the fastest growing region for the aviation industry thanks in large part to the expansion of low-cost carriers across the continent.
With MRO (maintenance repair and overhaul) business there forecast to grow by 5% per annum between 2021 and 2027 expertise in the field is vital to deliver the specialist services being demanded by customers. Eley, who will report to B&H Worldwide’s Group head of sales, Michael Haskins, who is delighted to welcome an individual with his unique experience to the team: “His knowledge and ability to drive both new solutions and efficiencies for our customers will be crucial as we target building new customer relationships in southeast Asia,” says Haskins.
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China C
Sinoair: consolidating its p E
stablished in 2018, Sinoair, the airfreight division of Sinotrans, has gone from strength to strength and is now consolidating its place as a major player in China and beyond. Sinotrans Global E-Commerce Logistics, known as Sinoair in short, is a Beijing-headquartered logistic enterprise specialising in airfreight and cross-border e-Commerce business in China. As part of its ongoing growth, the company has established stable strategic collaborative relationships with various known airlines, overseas partners and domestic trucking companies, and has conducted centralised control of line haul resources and layout of overseas gateways to provide customers with one-stop standardised, visualised and full-supply chain services. In 2020, the import and export volume of Sinoair reached 530,000 tonnes.
e-Commerce boom The Chinese e-Commerce market is set to register a strong compound annual growth rate of 12.4% from $2.1 trillion in 2021 to $3.0 trillion in 2024, as forecast by GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company. According to GlobalData’s e-Commerce analytics, e-Commerce sales in China are expected to register a robust growth of 17.2% in 2021, a trend spurred on as worldwide Covid lockdowns drive a change in shopping habits. As a specialist in e-Commerce logistics, Sinoair is well positioned to support this growth, with key routes connecting China with the rest of the world. “Our advantageous line haul sources mainly involve Europe and the United States, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. But,
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we also plan to expand coverage in Central and South America and Africa in the near future,” a Sinoair spokesperson told ACW.
Turbulence International trade with China has been strong throughout
the pandemic, with the world relying on its manufacturing industries for PPE and other high demand goods. However, the global logistics industry has had some bumps along the way, and the Chinese sector has been no different. “Thanks to the effective measures taken by the Chinese government, our business operations in China have not been greatly affected,” said Sinoair’s spokesperson. “But under the circumstances of the pandemic, the international airfreight market is facing severe challenges, especially with the belly capacity of passenger planes being greatly reduced. The biggest challenge is that the accessibility of the international line haul is weakened and the air logistics supply chain has been influenced, and therefore freighter resources have shrunk. “Presently, we centrally procure transportation resources from mainstream carriers with which we have long-term strategic co-operation and form fixed and controllable transport capacity resources by combining charter and BSA (Block Space Agreement). At the same time, we actively programme overseas gateways, establish partnerships with core suppliers through self-established networks and co-operate with core suppliers to build the last mile delivery ability to form the service capacity of the whole supply chain. “As we grow, we also hope to find all freighter resources through more channels globally.” Adapting to these capacity challenges, last month Sinoair launched its first charter flight. On July 1, when China was marking the 100th Anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, the international freight route linking Changsha with Hahn, Germany operated by Sinotrans was officially opened.
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a Cargo
s place as a major player The three weekly flights are the only direct scheduled international freight flight to Germany from Changsha. The flights utilise A340-600 passenger-to-freighter aircraft, each with a maximum payload of 65 tonnes. The company notes the connection will create an air bridge for economic and trade exchanges between central China and Europe. “Our major outbound airports include Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Hangzhou and Hong Kong with main routes to North America, Central and South America, the Middle East and Asia,” Sinoair’s spokesperson said. “Adhering to the key account-oriented philosophy, we carry out an holistic approach to linehaul resources procurement and overseas networks.”
first in the industry. At the same time, we are also trying to carry out the traditional freight forwarding business to standardised, expressed, and visualised transformation.”
Clear aims Riding the momentum created in the past three years, Sinoair has clear aims for continued growth. “With the demand from key accounts, we are aiming to establish the air channel to and from China and we will further increase the control of
air capacity. Building on the basis of five domestic gateways, we will also accelerate the construction of overseas gateways, especially the construction of overseas network in Europe and North America, to achieve both international and domestic interaction. “Centring on the integration of domestic line haul and overseas resources, we will improve the service capability of the whole supply chain and create standardised import and export service products. We will also be increasing our investments in digital to build a smart logistics platform.”
Climbing the ranks “In terms of its market position, according to Armstrong & Associates, Sinotrans ranked third in the world in 2020 and ranked seventh in the world for third party logistics.” Both of these rankings increased by one place compared with 2019. The freight forwarder ranking is an average ranking based on the company’s total revenue, as well as shipping throughput and air throughput, while the third party logistics ranking is based on revenue. “Sinoair Transportation Development Company, predecessor of Sinoair, was once the number one aviation logistics company in China and has won the best Service Of The Year award from Cainiao for five consecutive years since 2016. “In terms of business innovation, during the COVID-19 period, we have pioneered a passenger-to-cargo flight from Chengdu to Singapore for customers since February 7 2020, which is the
China by Numbers W
orldACD provides market data on air cargo. Its information is based on primary sources and covers all countries in the world. Thanks to the indispensable support of many airlines across the globe, it has been able to build a data service which – according to clients - ranks among the top market intelligence services in air cargo. Comparative information shows that our database matches other similar databases in total volume captured. For a growing number of markets, including China, WorldACD is the prime source of market information already.
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DELTA AIRLINES BIRTHDAY PHOTO ALBUM
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eventy-five years ago, Delta made its official but humble entry into the cargo business: 200 pounds of freshly picked mushrooms loaded aboard a DC-3 destined for Atlanta.
From one DC-3 to a fleet of over 800 aircraft
1959: “King” becomes the first dog to fly on a commercial jet from Houston to New York City. 1970: The launch of DASH, which has become Delta’s most popular cargo product. THAT first week of operation in 1946, the airline carried a little bit of everything to customers across the US.
1950-1953: Delta volunteers to ship blood donated through the American Red Cross to UN forces during the Korean War.
2017: Delta opens its first Cargo Control Centre to improve customer experience.
1953: The international cargo service launches, with flights to the Caribbean and Venezuela. aircargoweek.com 08_30 August 2021 .indd 1
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