Category Archives: International

Air Transport Services Group, Inc. subsidiary PEMCO Conversions, global leader in narrow-body passenger-to-freighter aircraft conversions, has delivered a second Passenger-to-FlexCombi converted aircraft to Bahrain-based Chisholm Enterprises, an internationally recognized provider of tailored aviation and business solutions in the Middle East. Chisholm subsidiary Texel Air, a non-scheduled cargo airline, will operate the Boeing 737-700FC (FlexCombi) from Bahrain International Airport. “We have shared a very successful history with PEMCO Conversions,” said John Chisholm, chairman and owner of Chisholm Enterprises, “having received and deployed the first B737-700 FlexCombi in August 2020, as well as four previous B737-300 converted freighters.” The PEMCO B737-700FC currently offers three configurations: a 24-seat cabin plus a 2,640-cubic-foot cargo hold for up to 30,000 pounds of payload in six pallet positions; a 12-seat cabin plus a 3,005-cubic-foot cargo hold for up to 35,000 pounds of payload in seven pallet positions; or full-freighter mode consisting of a 3,370-cubic-foot cargo hold for up to 40,000 pounds of payload in eight pallet positions. The available positions will accommodate 88-inch by 125-inch or 88-inch by 108-inch pallets, with the eighth position accommodating a slightly reduced height pallet in full cargo mode.

France based GEODIS, a worldwide logistics company, upgrades its AirDirect services between Europe, the United States and Asia with its own leased A330-300 full freighter aircraft. Operating between Amsterdam, London, Chicago and Hong Kong, and proudly flying under the GEODIS brand, the aircraft will also serve the China – Europe route for the peak season. The first flight will take off in September. Marie-Christine Lombard, GEODIS’ CEO, commented, “With the continued strain on airfreight capacity, we wish to ensure a more sustainable supply of air cargo space for our clients and are therefore investing in this, our own, first dedicated freighter. Our aim is to constantly find dependable solutions to secure our clients’ supply chains, which are critical to their business growth.” The Freighter, which GEODIS is leasing for several years, will be integrated into the GEODIS AirDirect global schedule. Initially, it will fly three times per week between Amsterdam/London and Chicago (AMS/ STN–ORD) and will additionally be deployed on weekly rotations connecting Amsterdam and Hong Kong (AMS–HKG).

DoKaSch Temperature Solutions has opened a new service station in India. It is located at GMR Hyderabad Air Cargo terminal. Strategically, the Hyderabad Airport location is a very important network station for the global supply of lifesaving medicines given Hyderabad’s status as a major pharma production and export hub. With the new location in India, DoKaSch strengthens its network in the region and globally. In turn, the solution provider contributes to a reliable cool chain for highly sensitive pharmaceutical products, especially during the pandemic. Hyderabad was chosen because of its outstanding importance for the global pharmaceutical industry. The city’s Genome Valley business district is a hub for research and development as well as manufacturing for pharma and lifesaving medicines. Several key pharmaceutical companies are located here and export their products to the USA, EU, Japan and other major countries across the globe. The upcoming Pharma City, an extensive industrial park for pharmaceuticals, will further increase the city’s importance.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released July 2021 data for global air cargo markets showing that demand continued its strong growth trend. As comparisons between 2021 and 2020 monthly results are distorted by the extraordinary impact of COVID-19, unless otherwise noted, all comparisons to follow are to June 2019 which followed a normal demand pattern. • Global demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTKs*), was up 8.6% compared to July 2019. Overall growth remains strong compared to the long-term average growth trend of around 4.7%. • The pace of growth slowed slightly compared to June which saw demand increase 9.2% (against pre-COVID-19 levels). • Capacity continues to recover but is still 10.3% down compared to July 2019. • Economic conditions continue to support air cargo growth: The July export orders component of the manufacturing Purchasing Managers Indices (PMIs) was 52.7%, indicating a short-term boost to demand if those orders are shipped by air. The inventory-to-sales ratio remains low ahead of the peak year-end retail season. “July was another solid month for global air cargo demand. Economic conditions indicate that the strong growth trend will continue into the peak year-end demand period. The Delta variant of COVID-19 could bring some risks. If supply chains and production lines are disrupted, there is potential for a knock-on effect for air cargo shipments,” said Wille Walsh, IATA’s Director General.

Cargo handling services provider Alliance Ground International (AGI) has opened a new 76,000-square-foot off-airport air cargo facility five minutes from Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey, USA, to process import freight. Arriving import cargo will be trucked to the new off-airport facility by an AGI in-house shuttle service, which will connect cargo handling at the two facilities. The handler is also relocating from existing facilities at Newark (EWR) to a 24,000-square-foot facility on airport at EWR to handle outbound/export cargo and offer a Dual-Facility solution. The off-airport facility will feature 19 cargo bay doors, active Unit Load Device (ULD) charging stations, ULD storage and cold storage, pharma handling areas, increased security, and easy access to major highways.

GECAS announces to lease two 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighters (BCF) to M Jets International’s start-up, Kargo Xpress. The BCF’s are expected to be delivered in October and December 2021. These two 738BCFs are said to increase capacity for Malaysia’s newest freight carrier. Kargo Xpress began scheduled flights in June with one 737-400F and this added capacity will enable the operator to provide fast, timely and efficient delivery of goods as they expand their footprint to include Northern China and Western India and serve some thinner, underserved routes. Gunasekar Mariappan, managing director, M Jets International, said, “Kargo Xpress appreciates the close working relationship with GECAS to induct our initial two 737-800 BCF. We are focused on developing a robust, reliable, cost effective network within Asia, centered around a fleet of 737 freighters. Our goal is to be the provider of choice for express e-commerce shipments, as well as point-to-point delivery, trans-shipment and flight-truck services for our time-to-market sensitive customers within Asia.”

Air Charter Service recently chartered a Boeing B787-9 to transport 20 tonnes of humanitarian aid donated by the British government for those affected by the earthquake in Haiti. James Cristofoli, London Cargo Director at Air Charter Service, commented, “It was just over a week ago that the 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office then contacted us to arrange the shipment – the cargo includes shelter kits and solar powered lanterns for up to 1,300 families, and we expect to see more such support to follow over the next week or so. Our US offices have already arranged several additional charters with relief in support of the operation.” “It is tragic that the country has been struck again after the devastating earthquake in 2010. Following that tragedy, we arranged more than 100 flights as part of the humanitarian effort and a number of our staff spent time on the ground during the operation, which makes our work particularly poignant.”

All Nippon Airways (ANA) has partnered with the global transport and logistics provider Scan Global Logistics for the international transportation of COVID-19 vaccines manufactured in Japan to Cambodia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Laos, East Timor, Fiji, and Maldives through the Japanese government’s cooperation with the COVAX facility. The COVAX Facility is a logistical hub designed to maximize resource mobilization and supply coordination led by Gavi, the global vaccine alliance leading COVAX efforts. The initiative aims to secure equitable access to vaccines worldwide regardless of income levels and increasing availability in developing nations throughout Southeast Asia is key to this strategy. The transportation of vaccines present a number of logistical hurdles, requiring ANA to leverage its full range of expertise and experience gained at the forefront of cargo transportation.

Kale Info Solutions Inc’s recent study on the impact of digitisation at Atlanta Airport, Georgia, USA showed that by using digital tools the Atlanta Airport Community, which is powered by Kale’s digital solutions, had saved nine tonnes of CO2 from being processed since the beginning of 2021: the equivalent of planting more than 400 trees. The study demonstrated CO2 and fuel savings, as well as reduced labour costs, and close to 2,000 man-hours saved. They looked at 1,839 shipments, 389 trucks, and 680 tonnes of cargo going through Atlanta Airport for the first seven months of 2021. In total, more than 5,650 litres of fuel, USD 69,000 of labour costs, and 1,945 man-hours were saved by using Kale’s slot management tool to organise and facilitate the arrival and loading of trucks at the airport. Kale’s Single Window System used for airport and maritime community systems enables electronic communications between multiple supply chain stakeholders. “We want to add momentum to the global sustainability drive and be a major influencer for airports, ports, and supply chains across the world to go paperless, improve digital connectivity, and reduce carbon emissions,” said Amar More, President and Chief Executive Officer, Kale Info Solutions, USA.

CEVA Logistics continues supporting Indonesia with the fight against the COVID-19 virus. It announces the transport of oxygen concentrators from the U.S. to Indonesia via Singapore. As part of the broader Singapore Changi Airport community, CEVA is participating in the aid project organized by the Changi Airport Group. The project’s first shipment of oxygen concentrators from Los Angeles weighed more than 14,000 kilograms and was delivered directly to the CEVA Logistics warehouse located within the Airport Logistics Park of Singapore. With many Southeast Asian and Pacific countries affected by the highly transmissible Delta variant, CEVA Logistics is using its global network to connect the right medical supplies with those that need them. In total, 1,380 machines are being donated by the Changi Foundation together with more than 30 other airport partners, as well as individual airport employees.