Category Archives: Aviation

SAL Saudi Logistics Services, a member of Saudi Arabian Airlines Corporation, launched the extension of its new Jeddah Station. The Jeddah station extension is expected to increase SAL’s annual cargo capacity to over 800K tons in 2030 while providing retailers and companies new premium cargo services at KAIA in Jeddah. Fawaz AlFawaz, chairman, SAL Board said, “The launch of the new extension comes in parallel with the National Industrial Development Program (NIDLP) – one of Vision 2030’s most prominent programs – aiming at transforming the Kingdom into a global logistics hub, contributing to a robust and diversified economy, sustaining the growth of the sector, and creating highly competitive investment opportunities.” AlFawaz also highlighted that this launch realizes the true ground handling potential of SAL where the company utilizes its logistics expertise to provide more developed services and solutions in and out of airports and expertly serve the international markets to strengthen the connectivity of KSA ports with those of the entire globe.

SF Airlines is rapidly expandin it’s freighter fleet with an additional B767 aircraft. The China-based express carrier last week added a B767-300 widebody freighter (B-221D), bringing its total fleet to 68 aircraft. Since the start of the year, the carrier has added a total of seven freighters: three B757-200s and four B767-300s. “The continuous expansion of aircraft capacity is one of the footholds for SF Airlines to continuously strengthen its aviation logistics capabilities, improve the quality of supply chain services, and promote the high-quality development of civil aviation,” said airlines spokesperson. “The further expansion of the fleet can provide stronger support for the development and operation of international routes, and at the same time, it will provide more adequate transportation capacity guarantee for the approaching Spring Festival logistics peak period.”

UPS has ordered 19 767 Freighters with Boeing. The new order highlights the 767 Freighter’s operational efficiency and payload capability to serve customers at a time of robust air cargo demand. Based on the 767-300ER (Extended Range) passenger jet, the 767 Freighter carries up to 52.4 tons of revenue cargo with intercontinental range, serving as a flexible platform for long-haul, regional and feeder markets. UPS currently operates 236 Boeing freighters including the 747, 757, 767 and MD-11. “The Boeing 767 is the most versatile aircraft we operate. Our plan to purchase 19 aircraft and take delivery between 2023 and 2025 aligns with the strategy and capital expenditure forecast shared during our June 2021 Investor and Analyst Day. It also supports our sustainability efforts by making our fleet more efficient and improving reliability,” said Nando Cesarone, U.S. Operations President, UPS. The deal adds to a record-breaking year for Boeing freighter sales, including 80 firm orders for new widebody freighters and more than 80 orders for Boeing Converted Freighters, says the official release.

Menzies Aviation’s Sydney and Melbourne bases are recognised by IATA with the Center of Excellence of Independent Validators for Pharmaceutical Logistics accreditation (CEIV Pharma) accreditations. The CEIV Pharma programme is a multi-stage process of independent audits, validation and training, which upskills employees and ensures that handlers upgrade their procedures, processes, risk assessment methodology and infrastructure for the delicate handling of time and temperature-sensitive pharma products. This accreditation formally endorses Menzies’ ability to safely handle high-value, time-sensitive and temperature-controlled pharmaceuticals transported into and out of LHR (London Heathrow Airport) and BUD (Budapest Airport), in line with shipper requirements and with the speed and consistency required.

Qatar Airways and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that Qatar Airways became the first carrier to make a transaction on the IATA Aviation Carbon Exchange (ACE) using IATA Clearing House (ICH). The IATA Aviation Carbon Exchange (ACE) is a centralised marketplace where airlines and other aviation stakeholders can trade CO2 emission reduction units for compliance or voluntary offsetting purposes. IATA and Qatar Airways reach another landmark milestone that encourages carbon markets to respond to the needs of the aviation sector. This initiative enables opportunities to simplify processes to ensure the successful implementation of Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) adopted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), while also supporting the successful implementation of voluntary offsetting programmes. With Qatar Airways making the ACE transaction using IATA Clearing House (ICH), it benefits from the IATA Settlement Systems and Clearing House for seamless and risk-free settlement of funds.

Abu Dhabi received the first global shipment of AstraZeneca’s Evusheld, long-acting antibody medication, after gaining Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the UAE’s Ministry of Health and Prevention. The long-acting antibody medication is designed to prevent severe infection and death amongst immunocompromised patients. This medication will be in addition to the existing COVID19 medications that are already available within Abu Dhabi and the UAE to ensure the continuity of world-class care in the country. Under the leadership of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH), the first doses of Evusheld have arrived in Abu Dhabi on December 20th following a collaboration of key partners including Rafed, the UAE’S Primary Group Purchasing Organization and the procurement arm of the UAE, along with Etihad Cargo, the national cargo carrier of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, in addition to AstraZeneca, the British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company, and Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC). The breakthrough medication will be stored at Rafed’s Distribution Centre, the region’s largest cold-chain storage facility, and then distributed from there to various destinations.

Japan Airlines (JAL) and CHAMP Cargosystems have extended their partnership for next five years. By extending their partnership with CHAMP, Cargospot will remain the IT keystone of JAL’s cargo business, enabling the airline to take advantage of the solution as it continues to evolve for the benefit of CHAMP’s large and growing customer community. The carrier has been using CHAMP’s acclaimed Cargospot solution to manage its day-to-day cargo business processes since 2014. Since then, JAL has partnered with CHAMP in a series of ground-breaking digital transformational projects built around the Cargospot ecosystem, including the launch of a cargo business platform that enables a fully digitalized end-to-end process across the airline’s domestic operation and a unique API-based solution that allows the airline’s customers to compare and book against multiple air-to-air and ground transportation options.

Singapore Airlines (SIA) signs a Letter of Intent with Airbus to purchase seven A350F freighter aircraft. The new aircraft will replace the airline’s existing Boeing 747-400F. The agreement includes a swap with 15 A320neo and two A350-900 passenger aircraft that are in the SIA Group order book. This allows SIA to manage its capital expenditure, while continuing with the essential freighter renewal programme. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2025, when SIA will become the first airline to operate this new generation widebody freighter aircraft. Goh Choon Phong, chief executive officer, Singapore Airlines said, “This agreement with Airbus reinforces SIA’s position as a leading global air cargo carrier while advancing our sustainability goals. It also ensures that we are prudent with our capital expenditure, and adjusts our passenger aircraft order book to give us the flexibility needed to navigate uncertainties in the recovery trajectory. The A350Fs will replace our seven 747-400F freighters, with the options providing the ability to adapt our requirements to future demand in the cargo market.”

Air Belgium is looking to expand in the air cargo market through the addition of B747-8 freighter aircraft operations.The airline’s expansion in the cargo market shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, Air Belgium already operates four A330-200 freighter aircraft on behalf of French shipping and logistics firm CMA CGM. Also, the airline is headed up Niky Terzakis who until 2014 was managing director/chief executive of express carrier TNT Airways. At this stage details of the airline’s plans for cargo operations are thin on the ground – it is not known how many B747F freighters the airline plans to operate or where it will base them.

GEODIS has entered into a five-year unit load device (ULD) supply, management and repair agreement with Unilode Aviation Solutions, the market leader in outsourced ULD management and repair services. At present, GEODIS leases one A330-300 aircraft, converted into a freighter, and flies to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, O’Hare International Airport, London Stansted Airport and Hong Kong International Airport, to increase supply chain velocity and airfreight capacity for its customers. Unilode supplies containers and pallets to GEODIS and provides its full range of ULD management solutions, including procurement, planning, logistics, repair and digitalisation. Stanislas Brun, senior vice president, Global Air Freight, GEODIS said, “As airfreight capacity offered by airlines has significantly decreased during the pandemic, we decided to lease our own freighter aircraft to ensure air cargo space availability for our customers and increase the speed of their shipments. Unilode’s ULD management services proved to be the most convenient and appropriate solution for GEODIS’ start-up airline activities as in addition to supplying the necessary stock of ULDs at all our destinations, Unilode also takes care of all ULD-related operational tasks.”