Category Archives: International

Shell Aviation has announced an agreement to supply DHL Express with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at Schiphol Airport. The deal sees DHL Express become the first customer to be supplied under Shell and Neste’s SAF supply agreement, announced in September 2020. The agreement will enable DHL Express to take regular flights using SAF, an important step forward in its ambition of reducing all logistics-related emissions to zero by 2050. The volume of SAF being supplied by Shell Aviation represents a full year of DHL Express’s fuel requirements from Schiphol Airport, helping to reduce its emissions from this European hub. The SAF will be used in blended form and is made from sustainably sourced, renewable waste and residue raw materials. In its neat form and over the lifecycle it reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80% compared to fossil jet fuels. This deal demonstrates the contribution that business can play in decarbonising aviation through the cargo sector. Alongside commercial airlines, cargo operators can play an important role in driving demand signals for the increased investment in and use of SAF. This has been particularly pertinent during the Covid-19 pandemic, with commercial airlines operating at a reduced capacity and cargo operators transporting vital supplies around the world. “We’re proud to be working with DHL Express and supporting them in taking the next step in their decarbonisation journey. Today’s agreement is an excellent example of how the cargo aviation sector can help accelerate aviation’s pathway to net-zero emissions by building demand as the fuel industry seeks to increase supply of SAF,” said Anna Mascolo, President, Shell Aviation. DHL have committed to achieving zero emissions by 2050 and as a pioneer of green …

In order to address the inadequacies of capacity constraints and improve its modal share in total freight ecosystem of the country, Indian Railways has issued draft National Rail Plan. “A long-term strategic plan called the National Rail Plan has been developed to plan infrastructural capacity enhancement along with strategies to increase modal share of the Railways. The National Rail Plan will be a common platform for all future infrastructural, business and financial planning of the Railways. This plan is being circulated among various Ministries for their views now. Railways aim to finalise the final plan by January 2021,” said Ministry of Railways in an official release. The aim is to create capacity ahead of demand by 2030, which in turn would cater to growth in demand right up to 2050 and also increase the modal share of Railways from 27 per cent currently to 45 per cent in freight by 2030 as part of a national commitment to reduce carbon emission and to continue to sustain it. Net zero carbon emission by 2030. The objective of the plan is: • To assess the actual demand in freight and passenger sectors, a yearlong survey was conducted over 100 representative locations by survey teams spread all over the country. • Forecast growth of traffic in both freight and passenger year on year up to 2030 and on a decadal basis up to 2050. Formulate strategies based on both operational capacities and commercial policy initiatives to increase modal share of the Railways in freight to 45% by 2030. • Reduce transit time of freight substantially by increasing average speed of freight trains from present 22 Kmph to 50 Kmph. • Reduce overall cost …

Swiss WorldCargo has prepared for the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, for the past six months. Beginning in summer 2020, the company set up an internal task force to analyse the potential for shipping COVID-19 vaccines throughout the world. The task force, comprised of team members from different divisions, has closely analysed how Swiss WorldCargo’s aircraft, network and capacity to and from Switzerland, can best support these global shipments. Recently, the company has successfully carried out first shipments. These have proven that the company can handle complex regulatory and customer necessities, including temperature, cold-chain and timing requirements. As a leading carrier of pharmaceutical and care-intensive goods, Swiss WorldCargo has a rich history of successful and speedy delivery of pharmaceutical products, including vaccines. This long-standing expertise is based on its well-trained staff, as well as the strengths of its hub and ground handling partners. Swiss WorldCargo’s organization is CEIV Pharma-certified. Swiss WorldCargo’s hub in Zurich, operated by Cargologic, is IATA CEIV Pharma-certified and Swissmedic GDP-compliant, as recognized by the Swiss authorities. “The next few months present a significant challenge for the entire air cargo and logistics industry,” said Christian Wyss, Head of Quality & Services at Swiss WorldCargo, and leader of the Swiss WorldCargo Vaccine Transport task force. “However, based on our extensive experience carrying out complex pharmaceutical shipments, Swiss WorldCargo is well-positioned to help ship COVID-19 vaccines, to, from and through Switzerland to a variety of global destinations.” Swiss WorldCargo is continuing to closely monitor the regulatory approval process for all COVID-19 vaccines, and is ready to carry out shipments in the coming weeks and months.

In coordination with the ministry, Kuehne+Nagel has developed a comprehensive solution for storage and distribution throughout Germany’s most populous state. The Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Affairs of North Rhine-Westphalia has contracted then logistics provider for the logistics of Covid-19 vaccines. The vaccine doses will be delivered to the state’s central distribution centre operated by Kuehne+Nagel, stored in temperature pods, repackaged in smaller quantities and distributed daily in a quality-assured manner to 53 vaccination centres and other healthcare facilities throughout North Rhine-Westphalia. Detlef Trefzger, CEO, Kuehne + Nagel International AG, says “Kuehne+Nagel has been preparing vaccine logistics solutions intensively for months. We made sure that the vaccine raw materials and auxiliary equipment such as syringes were in the right place; now we ensure that the Covid-19 vaccine is safely distributed from the factory to the end consumer, as in Germany’s most populous state, North Rhine-Westphalia. We are ready to support other states and countries in their Covid-19 response as well.” Karl-Josef Laumann, Minister of Labour, Health and Social Affairs of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, says, “Vaccinating millions of people in a state as extensive as North Rhine-Westphalia is a historic task on an unprecedented scale. I am very pleased that the state has been able to secure such an experienced and competent partner for the central storage and distribution of the vaccines.ˮ Over the past months, Kuehne+Nagel has developed a comprehensive solution for the global distribution and storage of Covid-19 vaccines. The basis for this is Kuehne+Nagel’s proven, cross-transportation pharma & healthcare network with over 230 certified locations worldwide in air, sea and road logistics as well as contract logistics.

CEVA Logistics continues to expand its presence in the African market with the strengthening of its presence in two countries through two joint ventures. In Egypt, the company has taken a majority stake in IBA Freight Services, its exclusive partner for the past 20 years. In Ethiopia, CEVA Logistics has taken a minority stake in MACCFA, a long-standing freight forwarder headquartered in Addis Ababa. Both joint ventures are effective immediately and further cement CEVA Logistics’ aim of becoming a leading continent-wide player. Through the new joint ventures, both entities will be able to expand their products base which will help enhance the use of their local logistics services across the CEVA Logistics network. These new enterprises follow CEVA Logistics’ acquisition of a majority stake in AMI Worldwide in the summer of 2020 which added an additional 12 countries to the company’s African network. Furthermore, MACCFA has a long-standing working relationship with CEVA Logistics’ parent company, the CMA CGM Group, a world leader in shipping and logistics. Says CEVA Logistics’ Managing Director Turkey, India, Middle East and Africa, Bruno Plantaz, “Our strategic, continent-wide expansion plan continues to gather pace. These two Joint Ventures further consolidate our position in north Africa and the horn of Africa and will enable us to persevere in our intention of supporting its socio-economic emergence across all countries.”

LATAM Airlines Group has announced that it will fly COVID-19 vaccine shipments at no charge on domestic flights in Latin America. The offer is an extension of the airline’s Solidarity Plane program in which the carrier will transport vaccine, when become available, to Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. The company said it will support distribution of vaccines for free, based on requests from governments. Since August, a team of more than 20 people from LATAM Cargo has been planning transport scenarios for COVID-19 vaccines, which require special temperature-control equipment and processes. LATAM Cargo has stations with pharmaceutical capabilities at 30 locations in Europe, the U.S. and Chile, and four that are waiting to be opened in China. LATAM has a certificate of excellence for meeting pharmaceutical shipping standards from the International Air Transport Association. Roberto Alvo, Group Chief Executive, LATAM Airlines, states, “During this entire global health crisis, we have not spared efforts to collaborate with the communities of the countries where we serve through our Solidarity Plane program. We are excited to announce that LATAM’s domestic operations will be available to support the distribution totally for free, of vaccines according to what the authorities of Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru may determine.”

CHAMP Cargosystems, the leading air cargo systems provider, announces its partnership with CargoAi. By connecting their systems through APIs, both partners are giving their users new connections and capabilities for the future. CHAMP offers increased visibility to CargoAi for its more than 100 airlines and GSAs customers. In return, CargoAi offers CHAMP clients a new sales channel and CargoAi increases its capacity to make quotes, prices and bookings instantly available to freight forwarders. ‘Our clients and users are at the heart of this partnership. Creating value for them has always been our priority and that is why we have the widest range of suites of systems dedicated to air freight. Being available on CargoAi, if they wish, is therefore an additional service that we can offer our clients’, says Nicholas Xenocostas, VP Commercial & Customer Engagement, CHAMP Cargosystems. As he sees it, now is the time to ‘deliver innovation faster’ to support and transform customers’ business processes, while bringing more digitalisation and visibility to the air freight industry. Connecting via APIs, CHAMP and CargoAi in effect enable supply chain partners to be integrated: airlines, freight forwarders and GSAs can thus connect and exchange information very easily. ‘Our goal remains the same; to make digitisation accessible to all industry players. This partnership with CHAMP is a real boon for our customers. Because thanks to the joint work we have accomplished, our customers can grow their businesses by being connected to each other, without having to do anything,’ says CargoAi CEO Matthieu Petot. ‘CHAMP and its teams are the gold standard in our industry and working with these cargo system experts is a fantastic opportunity.’

In spite of the global challenges experienced in 2020, Budapest Airport handled 13,864 tonnes of air cargo this November, which is 6.3% more than a year ago and the strongest monthly cargo performance on record. Meanwhile, the volume of goods received and launched from January to November 2020 has exceeded 120 000 tonnes. With year’s end approaching, we can state with certainty that cargo traffic at the Hungarian capital airport and the BUD Cargo City opened a year ago have proven immune to the pandemic. Dr. Rolf Schnitzler, the CEO of Budapest Airport highlighted that this is attributable not just to pandemic-related shipments, changed purchasing habits and the entire cargo community, but in particular to the 50 million EUR fully private investment undertaken by Budapest Airport into the world-class facilities of the BUD Cargo City, which attracts more and more cargo business. “Seamless cargo traffic at the airport requires many players and precise coordination. Close cooperation between shippers, forwarders, airlines, ground handlers, authorities and all colleagues working at the airport is indispensable in this process,” emphasized József Kossuth, Cargo Manager, Budapest Airport, in adding, “This year was extraordinary and full of challenges for everyone. The fact that cargo traffic at Budapest Airport has remained stable in this changed environment and even showed a significant increase in November is the result of our joint work and the exemplary perseverance of the cargo community. On behalf of BUD’s cargo team, I would like to thank everyone who supported air cargo in Hungary with their work.” The record traffic in November is attributable to several market factors. The year-end peak period usually starts in October in air cargo, and intensifies from November. The …

Jettainer, the wholly-owned subsidiary of Lufthansa Cargo AG, has announced the launch of cool&fly to maximise the efficient use of temperature-controlled ULDs, particularly for COVID-19 vaccines distribution. The product is one of a kind, comprising full cool ULD order management, steering and positioning along with monitoring as well as after-service management. It is available to airlines, no matter their other ULD management setup. Temperature-controlled Unit Load Devices (ULDs) are expected to become a limited resource within air transportation. The increasing demand for cool transport solutions and interaction between the growing number of stakeholders will prove complex and time-consuming. Securing supply and managing containers for temperature-sensitive goods is an extremely complex mission that requires absolutely accurate and attentive management. This includes on-time ordering and positioning, as well as constant traceability and monitoring throughout the entire process chain in order to be ready for an immediate response to all eventualities as there is no margin for error due to the highly valuable and sensitive goods involved. “The logistical challenges involved when transporting vaccines by air are huge. Maximising the efficient use of the cool ULDs will be crucial; reliable management of all interfaces from a single point will minimise risks during the transport. cool&fly and our highly experienced cool competence centre provide customers with the perfect solution,” said Thomas Sonntag, Managing Director, Jettainer GmbH.

TUI, Condor and SunClass Airlines has gone live on CargoAi. Pursuing its digitisation strategy for airfreight, CargoAi offers its users access to a variety of air transport solutions anywhere in the world. The company is increasing its offer to freight forwarders by making real-time prices and electronic bookings available on its platform for major leisure carriers; TUI, Condor and SunClass Airlines. This roll-out has been made possible because of the support of ECS Group, the GSSA of these airlines in Total Cargo Management. ‘These three airlines offer a multitude of destinations. Our users can now benefit from this by reserving their capacities on our platform in a few seconds’, says Matthieu Petot, CEO, CargoAi. For ECS Group, the approach also aims to provide a premium service to its airline customers and above all, to offer an additional sales tool for their cargo capacities. “Our customers need us to support them in new ways to maximise their income, and digitising the distribution processes is one of them. We therefore connect to all major e-booking platforms in the market to sell the cargo capacities of airlines under Total Cargo Management contract in a more efficient way’, explains Cédric Millet, Chief Strategy and Digital Officer, ECS Group. This is an important step for CargoAi, which is aiming for a ‘smooth, simple’ digitization of the industry. ‘We offer a turnkey service to our customers by doing all the technical work upstream, without the need for any investment on their part. These are the types of actions that will lead to a digitised industry, equal to its importance in the world economy’, says Peto.