Category Archives: Aviation

With a strong 18.9 per cent increase in volumes observed in September, Brussels Airport has reported an increase in cargo volumes for the fourth consecutive month. The volumes from January to September this year were 0.6 per cent higher than in the same period in 2019. According to Brussels Airport, the growth in all-cargo and express services balanced out the effect of passenger flights being grounded due to the pandemic. Express services maintained growth compared with last year (+33.8%), while the increase in volumes in the cargo sector (+88.8%) accelerated growth in airfreight volumes. Also in September 2020, there was a 40 per cent year-on-year increase in the number of freighter flights operated at the hub. The hub reported a 28 per cent year-on-year increase in number of freighter flights during the first nine months of this year. Brussels Airport added said the number of cargo-only passenger flights (preighters) remains constant.

Dachser Air & Sea Logistics has launched seasonal charters to cope with the expected high demand in the fourth quarter of the year. Explaining the situation, Edoardo Podestà, COO Air & Sea Logistics, says, “The market in Asia has now picked up speed again with production ramping up, and we are seeing increasing tonnages for export. With passenger flights not likely to resume to pre-Coronavirus level, we can expect a lively peak season this year.” He added, “Additional capacities have been created for this purpose.” From mid-October until the end of the year, a Boeing 747-400 will be flying once a week as a full charter between Frankfurt and Shanghai. The company is also handling Europe-wide distribution with its own road network via the Frankfurt Import Gateway. Premium product under current market conditions Dachser has been offering this peak season charter for the third consecutive year. Fixed transit times make the service reliable and enable customers to plan ahead. With the seamless integration of its road and air and sea logistics networks, Dachser is able to respond quickly to changing route situations in Europe and accelerate the pickup and delivery processes. “At Dachser we have a strong global network capability, so we are well prepared for the ‘new normal’ and offer our customers a reliable solution in volatile market conditions,” adds Podestà. The logistics provider is at the same time running weekly charters for the Hong Kong-Frankfurt route and the Transatlantic Frankfurt-Chicago rotation service.

TIACA together with Pharma.Aero expressed a strong concern over the current state of air cargo readiness for the upcoming COVID-19 vaccines transportation, with only 28 per cent of the industry feeling well prepared for it today. According to the results of our airfreight readiness survey, completed by 181 airlines, freight forwarders, ground handlers, airport operators and solution providers, majority of the industry players have begun preparation to handle, store, transport and deliver the future COVID-19 vaccines. They are setting up dedicated teams, engaging with partners, mapping and upgrading their capabilities, as well as developing new services. As compared to companies which are already in close engagement with vaccines manufacturers, companies not involved in direct conversations with the manufacturers felt the least prepared for the upcoming logistics challenge of vaccines transportation. “We as an industry are as strong as our weakest link. To move the needle on industry readiness, we need to ensure everyone is engaged and informed. Only with a strong and transparent dialogue between pharmaceutical and air cargo sectors, governments, non-governmental organisations and healthcare institutions can we overcome these challenges,” said, Emir Pineda, Member, TIACA’s Board of Director and Co-lead, Sunrays Project, initiated by TIACA and Pharma.Aero this August.

Committed to socially and environmentally responsible business, GEODIS has announced that its online emissions calculator that determines the carbon footprint of a freight shipment is freely available on its website. Accessed via https://geodis.com/geodis_carbon_calculator/form, the calculator measures air pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions generated by an individual shipment’s journey, comparing the performance of different modes of transport (air, rail, road, sea, inland waterway, etc.). For each shipment of goods, the calculator gives an overview of the various options, making it an invaluable aid in choosing the most environmentally friendly transport. The tool performs calculations that take into account the goods being shipped, their origin, destination and mode of transport before providing a quantitative evaluation. “The precise measurement of emissions generated by one’s activities is a precondition for improvement. This initiative provides a transparent and reliable way to quantify greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants for each mode of transport” says Cécile Bray, Senior Expert Climate and Carbon Accounting, GEODIS. Developed in partnership with EcoTransIT World, this new intuitive service is available in English and French. Aware that climate change is a major challenge in the transport sector, GEODIS has set its sights on reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 30% between now and 2030.
To reduce its carbon emissions, GEODIS strives to optimise transport plans by implementing approaches that improve trucks’ load factor and avoid empty miles, develop the use of rail for multimodal transport and has integrated vehicles that use cleaner energy into their fleet (natural gas and electric)

Rhenus Logistics India has recently managed the operations of a complex pharmaceutical product from Delhi to Amsterdam in an Envirotainer. The company moved a complex time-sensitive pharmaceutical product in an Envirotainer with temperature-controlled between 2 to 8 degrees celsius. “The operations included pick up from the door till the delivery to the port, including the customs clearance while maintaining the temperature between 2 to 8 degrees celsius throughout the supply chain. Precise planning, solution-based transportation, detailed coordination, and round-the-clock supervision ensured a successful execution of this sensitive and time-critical shipment,” Rhenus Logistics India informs in a LinkedIn post.

Envirotainer, the global provider of temperature-controlled air freight solutions for pharmaceuticals, has opened up unlimited and free access to shipment data for all their customers. The shipment data provided combines all data gathered during a shipment and is presented in one comprehensive report that is now shared for free with customers less than 48 hours after the shipment is concluded. “These are truly unprecedented times and our industry is faced with new challenges every day. As the industry leader, Envirotainer is continually evaluating how we can meet those challenges with new and creative solutions,” explains Eddy Cojulun, Chief Sales Officer at Envirotainer, in adding, “We are the only provider in the industry that shares this comprehensive amount of shipment data for free and within 48 hours to customers. We want to continue to be the true innovation leader and pave the way for our partners and customers to achieve an unprecedented level of transparency.” The data collected includes ambient temperature, inside temperature, door openings and battery level. It is available already 48 hours after the shipment has been completed with the immediate effect of customers getting faster confirmation that there were no temperature deviations during the shipment and that the cargo can be released safely. “When we first launched this fully automated, globally available, shipment report service in June 2019 we were certain that the speed of delivery would be appreciated by our customers,” explains Fredrik Linnér, Chief Business Development Officer at Envirotainer. He added, “Sharing all the data from the industry’s largest active container fleet means that our customers get something that they cannot get from other providers, e.g. a tremendous amount of data that can be used to …

Explaining why forwarders need to stay in between, Tigist Eshetu, Regional Director – Indian Subcontinent, Ethiopian Airlines, says, “Shippers are only at one end of the transaction, they almost always need freight forwarders to bridge with their buyers. One of such requirements is management of all stakeholders involved end to end up to delivery. Secondly, knowledge related to customs clearance, transport planning and freight rate reduction via consolidation, end to end planning remains the core competence for the freight forwarders; digitalisation at the airline side wouldn’t change these.” “Shippers which usually operate via banks and with letter of credit still rely on forwarders to pull their cargo out of the expensive carrier warehouses till cash against document cycles are finalised. Digitalisation could bring shippers close but wouldn’t eliminate the role of forwarders,” she adds.

Air Cargo Club of Delhi (ACCD) has announced Rajan Nijhawan as new President of the club and also announced the newly elected Managing Committee team. The club held its 43rd Annual General Meeting online through video conferencing .The house had an active discussion on the tasks executed by the Management Committee last year and put forward some valuable suggestions for the coming year. The members and past Presidents also appreciated the work done by the entire Management Committee for organising excellent events, specially the Annual ball and The Founders day, and also complimented the newsletters and social media coverage by the sub-branding committee. “I would like to thank our founding members, seniors, Past Presidents and all the members of ACCD for their confidence in me. It is a proud moment and I follow in the footsteps of many fine Past Presidents. I am so grateful for this remarkable opportunity. When I look back at the many years as a member of ACCD I cannot be prouder of what we have accomplished. ACCD is a club we are all so proud to associate with. This transition comes at a challenging time and there is still considerable uncertainty in our everyday lives. However, I know the future is bright and holds great things in store for ACCD. We will need all of your support to be successful and I am sure, together, we will be,” says, Nijhawan.

Explaining what air cargo has done to India, Cyrus Katgar, President, ACFI, says, Air cargo is the speed to market and speed is so important for businesses like pharmaceuticals. COVID-19 could be the biggest flop if air cargo was not around. The pharmaceutical industry and air cargo has been great for everybody during the pandemic and thousands of lives have been saved. On a regular basis, air cargo is supporting pharmaceuticals industry by carrying vaccines, cancer medicines, etc. Airlines have created ‘envirotainer’ for temperature-controlled cargo. They are only meant for the pharmaceuticals industry.

Further enhanced its pharma handling capabilities in Singapore, dnata has launched cool dollies in its operations. The company’s new, high-tech containers are specially designed to serve the pharmaceutical industry with a closed temperature-controlled system for seamless delivery of temperature-sensitive goods between cargo warehouses and aircraft. Dirk Goovaerts, dnata’s Regional CEO for Asia Pacific, said, “It has become increasingly crucial for both airlines and freight forwarders to be supported by a reliable, certified handler that can protect their pharma shipments and ensure the products remain in perfect condition until they reach the end customer. “We constantly invest in our people, facilities, equipment and processes to provide world-class services to our customers. Our latest investment in cool dollies underlines our commitment to ensuring the highest quality of supply chain management when handling temperature-sensitive cargo. We continue to enhance our operations to deliver the promises our customers make, every day.” dnata’s announcement to introduce another innovative solution to the Singapore market has been widely welcomed and supported by its partners and stakeholders, including the government and the airport operator. dnata’s new equipment allows the company to transport temperature-sensitive cargo to the highest international standards. Providing temperature-controlled storage from -18°C up to +25°C, the cool dollies mitigate risk of temperature deviations and contamination. They have a closed structure with alarms on opening and closing, as well as alerts if temperatures fluctuate above acceptable ranges. As they are fitted with solar panels, the cool dollies are both environmentally friendly and autonomous. The units are also hygienic and easy to clean, which is an important consideration for pharma cargo. The company operates a state-of-the-art 1,400m² pharma and perishable handling centre at Changi Airport, which is capable …