Category Archives: Aviation

ECS Group has announced the launch of a unique entity, GSA Mail Solutions, for airlines and postal operators. The structure is entirely dedicated to outsourcing airlines mail and e-commerce activities, as well as offering multiple transport solutions to postal operators by bridging the gap using the world largest GSA Network and proven technical expertise. With GSA Mail Solutions, ECS Group reacts efficiently to the rise in postal flows, particularly linked to the growth of E-commerce boosted by BtoC & CtoC online platforms. ‘Helping airlines to tap into this postal traffic on their destinations and accompanying them on new routes, offers them new sources of revenue. Our expertise in managing these flows along with the digital solutions we offer (customised EDI solutions in particular) also makes it possible to maximise capacities and guarantee parcel traceability’, says Adrien Thominet, CEO, ECS Group. This high-potential market should experience very considerable growth in the coming months and years, with an increased need for air freight solutions for postal operators. ‘We speak the airlines’ and postal operators’ language, so we are the perfect intermediary. With GSA Mail Solutions, postal operators have access to our entire network of airlines without having to go through endless steps. We therefore offer them an unprecedented increase in efficiency, because via a single point of contact – GSA Mail Solutions – they have access to a multitude of air freight solutions to route their postal flows wherever they need them’, says Adrien Thominet. Regulation, technicalities, and business intelligence are key success factors within this sector. Managing postal and E-commerce flows requires cutting edge expertise. GSA Mail Solutions will pair with ECS Group network (140 airlines represented, 155 offices in 50 …

IBS Software has partnered with CargoAi, to extend their presence in new and existing markets by leveraging on digital sales and distribution services. IBS Software is offering its iCargo customers the opportunity to increase their reach to the market and thereby scale their cargo revenues through a new partnership with CargoAi. IBS Software has been working with CargoAi since July 2020 to build a rich integration between iCargo and CargoAi using a scalable, API-based architecture. “Through this partnership, CargoAi and IBS Software have invested in creating platform-level integration to give our customers more choices on channels to digitally connect with their clients, faster time-to-market for such capabilities, and to do so with very little effort,” said Ashok Rajan, SVP & Head of Cargo & Logistics, IBS Software. “We believe that innovation can be fast-tracked by partnering with companies like CargoAi bringing in new and improved ways of doing business like in sales and distribution, which is still very antiquated and legacy-based in the air cargo industry,” he adds. Keen to offer a ‘digital ecosystem’ to its customers, IBS Software is making its motto of ‘Partnering for Innovation” a reality. With this API-based integration between platforms, airlines only have to turn on the switch for e-bookings from all over the world to reach their system. The process could not be easier for airlines – only a few days of tests are required between the platforms to get on board with CargoAi and no expensive bespoke IT development or complex system integration projects is required to deliver this capability. All the work has been done ahead of time by the two partners. “The integration currently covers real-time e-booking and e-quoting, flight availability …

AirBridgeCargo Airlines has accomplished its first COVID-19 vaccine transportation from Beijing (China). The delivery of COVID-19 vaccine has been orchestrated in partnership with UPS/Marken onboard one of the carrier’s Boeing 747 freighter. A total of 6,000 doses of vaccines, weighing almost 400 kg, were safely packed into CRĒDO™ XTREME passive temperature-controlled shipping container, stacked and loaded into standard AKE container and delivered under 2-8C temperature regime. As expected, the vaccines will be part of the clinical trials the manufacturer conducts in various countries across the globe. Casper Pan, Head of healthcare APAC (ABC) and a dedicated Vaccine Task Force within Volga-Dnepr Group, highlights: “After months of preparations, we are actually stepping into the COVID-19 vaccine transportation phase to deliver these sophisticated pharmaceutical products the whole world relies on as a source which will help all of us to get back to normal. Thanks to the dedication and commitment of our APAC and Global Healthcare Team the first transportation went smoothly and we are ready to leverage the stable flows”. Yulia Celetaria, Healthcare Director, Volga-Dnepr Group comments, “We would like to thank our customer, UPS, who has been masterminding the transportation with us, going step by step to guarantee that the vaccine efficacy is 100% maintained. We hope for further cooperation through our joint shipments, workshops and follow-up online meetings”. Together with other carriers within Volga-Dnepr Group ABC, which has successfully reconfirmed its CEIV IATA certification last year, has been strengthening its capabilities in the healthcare sector and vaccine transportations, including through regular shipments of other vaccines, as well as vaccine-related shipments (equipment, vials, injections, etc) which are essential for vaccine production. The company has also aligned regular communications with all …

Lufthansa Cargo and DB Schenker have joined hands to fly first CO2-neutral freight flight, whose fuel requirements will be completely covered by Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). Lufthansa Cargo’s Boeing 777F took off from Frankfurt to Shanghai at 8:10 a.m. local time under flight number LH8406. The logistics service provider and the air freight company will transport goods from Siemens Healthineers AG, among others, on this flight. DB Schenker and Lufthansa Cargo are committed to sustainable air transport and agreed in November 2020 to exchange views on environmental issues and to jointly promote them – including the move away from fossil fuels in air freight transport. “Even in the most severe crisis that has ever hit aviation, Lufthansa Cargo and DB Schenker are facing up to their responsibility for climate protection and are operating their first freight flight from Frankfurt to Shanghai entirely with sustainable alternative fuel. This is an important signal right now that the companies are looking to the future despite all the concerns and are taking important steps to make aviation more sustainable,” says, Minister of Transport and Digital Infrastructure Scheuer. “With this flight we are committed to the increased research and use of SAF so that sufficient quantities of the alternative fuel will be available in the future. In addition to investments in a modern freighter fleet, our commitment to this CO2-neutral flight also contributes to the United Nations’ ‘Climate Action’ sustainability goal. Because Lufthansa Cargo takes its corporate responsibility very seriously and is actively taking measures to meet this responsibility and relieve the environment,” explains Peter Gerber, CEO, Lufthansa Cargo. “We are already further ahead than many think when it comes to climate protection in air …

Saudi Arabian Logistics Company (SAL) has launched its new pharma and perishable facilities,specialising in perishables and all types of pharmaceuticals, including the much-awaited Covid vaccines soon to be rolled out worldwide, at the Cargo Village in Riyadh. Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, Saudi Minister of Transport inaugurated SAL’s new facilities at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. With 5,000 square metres of storage, the pharma and perishable facilities combined can adequately handle up to 365,000 tonnes of cargo a year. With SAL’s partnership with the Saudi Customs, Saudi Food and Drug Authority has made clearance of shipments becomes easier and faster. The new facilities have four docks for loading refrigerated containers. The project, which started its operations, also has 12 warehouses with different temperatures ranging from minus 20 degrees Celsius to 25 degrees Celsius to suit the nature and type of cargo to be stored. In addition, within the facility, there is a special storage dedicated for flower cargo. Omar Hariri, CEO, SAL, comments, “The launch of the Riyadh Cold Storage facilities comes at a historic moment that coincides with the world’s anticipation for the delivery of the COVID vaccine. This urgency makes us harness the capabilities of the operation capacity of our pharmaceutical facility and be fully prepared to receive and handle the new vaccines in coordination with the health authorities.” “The new project will enhance SAL’s handling and storage services for medical and pharmaceuticals in line with the highest quality standards approved by the EU GDP,” he adds. The opening of the facilities ushers in a new and advanced phase for handling sensitive cargoes including foodstuffs that require special care. Within the facilities, there are divisions run …

Cargo Service Center (CSC) has virtually launched the first-of-its-kind custom bonded warehouse at Cargo Village, Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru. The facility was virtually launched by M Srinivas, IRS, Principal Chief Commissioner of Customs, Bengaluru. With a built area of 10,000 sq ft to provide abundant storage facility, the custom bonded warehouse aims to reduce supply chain costs and facilitate trade. Commenting on this occasion, Tushar Jani, Group Chairman, CSC, says, “With a vision is to serve the Indian EXIM trade, we want to grow and we want our customers to grow. In order to do a value addition service, we are launching this first unique public bonded warehouse in the country which is in the airport and one cannot have better time than this to bring such facility.” In the vaccine distribution, CSC is being on the forefront; we have now created a capacity of moving almost 32,000 tonnes of vaccine out of Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad and we would be happy to serve the nation, with the Customs department permission, to store those vaccines, from abroad and also for domestic distribution, because domestic movement of Covid-19 vaccines throughout the country will be the need of the hour.” Calling it a very historic moment, Satyaki Raghunath, says, “At BIAL, our vision is to make BLR Airport a cargo hub, equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure and cutting-edge technology to deliver efficient operations. Over the course of last eight months, during COVID pandemic cargo has been going on 24×7 throughout the period.”

SpiceJet has launched dedicated freighter services connecting Leh with the rest of the country with its first freighter flight from Delhi to Leh carrying 13 tonnes of cargo supplies. SpiceXpress, the dedicated cargo arm of SpiceJet, will deploy its Boeing 737 freighter on this route. With the launch of the cargo services, SpiceJet is the first and only airline to have dedicated freighter flights connecting Leh. Ajay Singh, chairman and managing director, SpiceJet said, “Our flight services are especially significant considering the extreme weather conditions during winter months when temperatures fall below sub-zero levels hampering the movement of essential supplies and cargo for the local populace and administration in Leh. Our freighter services to Leh will ensure seamless and timely transportation of essential supplies to this most beautiful part of our country throughout winters.” The new flights launched are seasonal and will operate during the winter months when surface transportation is disrupted owing to harsh weather conditions. Leh, the largest town of the union territory of Ladakh, is primarily dominated by a mountainous landscape which makes surface transport even more difficult during the winters when the terrain is mostly covered with snow most of the time. The dedicated cargo flights will help transport fresh fruits, vegetables, flowers, perishables, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, and other general cargo. Besides improving logistics and connectivity, the new freighter service will ensure transportation of these essential commodities remains unaffected due to dipping temperatures and adverse weather conditions during these winter months.

Abu Dhabi has launched an initiative called the Hope Consortium which aims to serve as a logistics platform to coordinate and facilitate the distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine around the world. The Hope Consortium represents a complete supply chain solution to address vaccine transport, demand planning, sourcing, training, and digital technology infrastructure, and facilitate vaccine availability across the world. Hope Consortium member Etihad Cargo will transport five million vaccines in November on behalf of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, which is spearheading the consortium and will oversee regulatory compliance, full chain expertise and scientific insight. The Hope Consortium has pooled its collective expertise to garner a multi-faceted capability to provide logistics services to handle over six billion doses from the vaccines being developed and manufactured around the world – whether in single or multi doses – in cold and ultra-cold conditions in 2021, rising to over three times more doses by the end of next year – the largest capacity and logistics capability regionally and one of the largest globally. “The Hope Consortium is a prime example of how Abu Dhabi is leading in providing solutions, capabilities and capacities to help the world get through this global pandemic. It is a continuation of all players’ collaboration of a UAE-based public-private partnership that spans the globe. While assuring vaccine supply to the domestic market, the Hope Consortium will offer international governments, non-governmental organisations, and vaccine suppliers a cohesive solution across every supply chain step – from air freight, regional storage and temperature monitoring, to inventory management, cold and ultra-cold container solution, regulatory clearance, and healthcare and pharma quality assurance,” explained HE Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Hamed, Chairman of …

Qatar Airways Cargo has appointed Wexco, part of ECS Group, as its general sales agent (GSA) in Australia. Through that new agreement, Qatar Airways and ECS Group are extending their strategic partnership which today covers 20 countries worldwide. The partnership will leverage Qatar Airways’ strong presence in Australia, promoting destinations to the Middle-East, Europe, the Americas and Africa to the Australian exporters. The carrier serves five major Australian cities: Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide and operates 30 passenger and freighters flights per week. Daniel Parker, Vice President Cargo Asia, Qatar Airways, says, “Qatar Airways is one of the best and most reliable airlines in the Australian market. We have a solid foundation for further growth with our partner Wexco, whose excellent reputation in the Australian market was also a major factor in our decision, together with its deep knowledge of Qatar Airways’ processes.” The main market for Qatar Airways in Australia remains the perishable exports to the Middle East, but also growing outbound pharmaceuticals traffic to Europe and The Americas. The carrier can also capitalize on the opportunities from Australia to the neighboring market of New Zealand thanks to its scheduled services between Brisbane and Auckland. Cédric Millet, Managing Director, Wexco Australia, welcomed the new agreement with Qatar Airways Cargo, adds, “Qatar Airways sets very high expectations and so does Wexco. We are very much aligned on providing the highest service levels to our customers. The Qatar Airways Cargo motto is ‘Moved by people’ and we have built an excellent team of 13 dedicated people within Wexco, who will do a fantastic job for Qatar Airways. Commenting on the current Australian market Millet continues, “The Australian air exports registered …

Teleport, the logistics venture of AirAsia Digital has completed the accelerated rollout of its delivery services in 70 cities across Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines over the last 30 days. Businesses in any of these 70 cities can now partner with Teleport to have items instantly delivered to their customers within one hour. Teleport can deliver almost anything, from food, groceries, documents, flowers and even laundry! Pete Chareonwongsak, CEO, Teleport says, “Our mission is to make delivery simple, fast and affordable for everyone. With a one hour delivery promise, we hope that all local merchants and businesses will benefit. Soon, businesses can experience 24 hour express deliveries between cities as well as cross-border delivered to you by Teleport. The goal is by next year, with a click of a button, you can send almost anything instantly to anywhere AirAsia flies to.” In Malaysia, Teleport is now present in Klang Valley, Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan, Tawau, Labuan, Kuching, Miri, Bintulu, Sibu, Alor Setar, Ipoh, Johor Bahru, Kuala Terengganu, Kota Bahru, Langkawi, Penang and Melaka.