Category Archives: International

DACHSER is expanding its Allgäu logistics center with high-bay storage for non-chilled food and food packaging. The company is investing some EUR 25 million in the project. Designed for sustainable operations, the new warehouse is due to open in summer 2022. “Now is the time for us to invest in the largest expansion of our Allgäu logistics center to date,” Thomas Henkel, Branch Manager said at the symbolic ground-breaking ceremony, in adding, “Our existing customers are growing at a rate of about 5 per cent a year and they need more storage space. We also want to create capacity for new customer business.” Covering an area of just 7,500 m2 but at 32 meters tall, the new high-bay storage facility will provide space for 52,000 pallets of non-chilled food and food packaging. The warehouse is fully automated and designed to store fast-moving products from different customers with a high percentage of full pallets. Around 5,000 pallets a day will be stored or withdrawn from stock via 22 loading and unloading gates for trucks and over a handling area of around 2,600 m2. Installed conveyor systems will, for the most part, automate this process. On the upper level above the loading area, 2,300 m2 will be available for manual picking and finishing operations. A total of 40 employees from the Memmingen branch will work in the new high-bay warehouse. “Intelligent automation technology relieves employees – our scarcest and most valuable resource – of much of the manual storage or withdrawal work, so they can concentrate on value-added services that are more demanding,” explains Stefan Hohm, DACHSER’s Chief Development Officer who is in charge of worldwide contract logistics at the company. Climate-friendly …

Kuehne+Nagel’s start to the 2021 business year was marked by a strong demand in transport services, especially for pharma and e-commerce fulfilment. Kuehne+Nagel achieved an excellent result in this environment; net turnover of over CHF 6 billion, EBIT of CHF 431 million and earnings for the period of CHF 318 million were all significantly higher year-on-year. Dr. Detlef Trefzger, CEO of Kuehne + Nagel International AG, says, “Exactly one year ago, when we were still at the beginning of the pandemic, we decided to commit to our proven strategy. Upon reflection, we are assured that we chose the correct path. In the first quarter of 2021, we were well-prepared to serve our customers’ robust demand for high quality logistics services despite the tense market environment. We expect this environment to remain challenging for the remainder of another atypical year.” Sea Logistics The positive profit trend reversal in Sea Logistics, already noted in the second half of 2020, continued in the first quarter of 2021. Kuehne+Nagel delivered intensified service to meet exceedingly high customer demands particularly in the US, in an environment of limited container capacities, reduced terminal productivity and increasing demand. Volume growth was particularly strong in the consumer goods segment. Container volumes in the first quarter of 2021 were up 2% year-on-year at 1.1 million TEU, despite a decline in recyclables demand. The unit’s net turnover was nearly CHF 2.4 billion and EBIT CHF 206 million. The conversion rate reached a record high of 42.7%. With a new alert feature in the online Seaexplorer platform, Sea Logistics customers are informed promptly about irregularities in container transport. This transparency proved particularly helpful to remedy disrupted supply chains during the Suez …

Responding to a boom in e-commerce and general cargo traffic, Australian airfreight consolidator Consol Alliance has increased its services from the UK to four Australian Airports. Consol Alliance now serves Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Brisbane a total of 20 times weekly, using premium carriers and a proven transhipment routing. All cargo is pre-palletised before presentation to carriers for added security, safer transits and faster handling. The company is offering both door-door and airport-airport options. A steady rise in demand throughout 2020 is seeing Consol Alliance now handling a record 300 tonnes of airfreight per month on the UK-Australia trade lane alone, and the company has already processed 500,000 inbound e-commerce parcels in the first quarter of 2021. Alana Raitt, National Airfreight Product Manager, says, “Having successfully maintained a totally reliable service throughout the last year, despite the considerable challenges, we are pleased to announce this increase in capacity and frequency to Australia, with over 20 consolidations per week from the UK. Capacity has not been an issue for us. We make bookings one month in advance, and have pre-allocations to all airports. Our consistent support for carriers and our excellent carrier relations have given us a strong edge in securing space for our customers.” Although the normal services do not allow for outsize or project shipments, these can be accommodated on a back-to-back (separate AWB) basis, still receiving attractive rates. Consol Alliance is also attracting dense cargo by offering discounts based on its ability to optimise pallet capacity by carefully combining dense and volume cargo. “For Dense cargo, we will always beat competitors’ pricing, and our local arrival charges are also discounted,” adds Alana. Consol Alliance says its service quality …

TAP Air Cargo has launched a new online booking portal which allows more autonomy in managing bookings and tracking shipments. The online booking portal has a more modern and intuitive design which allows remote accessibility anytime and anywhere with all the information about cargo bookings on different devices (computer, tablet or mobile). Through the new TAP Air Cargo portal, agents now have independence in managing their bookings and can consult flights and prices, space availability, print labels, update bookings and send AWB (Airwaybill) and HAWB (House Airwaybill). The handling of electronic waybills (eAWB) will also become possible autonomously (providing that IATA requirements are met). The new portal provides a fully digital booking process, combined with the concern of constantly improving the user experience. It is available at https://www.tapcargo.com/en/manage-booking, after registration (only for agents) in the user area.

Antonov Airlines has transported 14 pieces of mining equipment, weighing 216 tonnes in total, on two AN-124-100 flights from Istanbul, Turkey to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso and Monrovia, Liberia. The 113-tonne cargo for the second flight was safely loaded in minimal time to meet the tight deadline required by the mines, both in the process of expanding operations. “These two flights from Turkey to Africa were meticulously planned and both flights were completed with maximum payloads on each route,” said Eugene Kiva, commercial executive at Antonov Airlines. “Antonov Airlines provided the flexibility required by our partner Skyair Chartering to perform these air shipments within the customer’s deadlines.” The airline made a single technical stop in Algiers, Algeria for the 103 tonne Burkina Faso-bound cargo and two stops in Casablanca, Morocco, and Diass-Thies, Senegal for the journey to Liberia to refuel and provide crew rests. “As per our customer’s request for the delivery of large quantities of oversized drill machinery in a short timeframe, the two flights provided by Antonov Airlines made sure the needs of the expanding mining facilities were met,” said Tekin Ertemel, Director Business development at Skyair Chartering. “Antonov’s AN-124-100s are equipped with ramps, which are ideal to transport heavy and oversized loads safely and easily, contributing greatly to the delivery of a seamless operation.” Antonov Airlines has seen an increase in charters for mining projects since the beginning of the year and just last month completed three flights of equipment weighing 370 tonnes to Latin America from Australia.

Located adjacent to its existing operation within the ALPS Free Trade Zone at Changi Airport, B&H Worldwide has doubled the size of its operation in Singapore. The new facility will cater for business growth in one of the fastest growing aerospace markets in the world. The new unit will enable B&H Worldwide to continue serving customers with aero assets requiring strict quality and climate control storage in a Free Trade Zone setting. It will also provide significant additional space to store aircraft engines and other large specialist items requiring environmental controlled protection within the 28,000 sq foot facility. B&H’s extensive capabilities in the aerospace logistics field mean it operates 24/7/365 from the strategically located Singapore facility and has established a Control Tower Operation and additional Quality Monitoring Centre there from which it provides full connectivity to customers across the globe. Says B&H Worldwide’s Group CEO, Stuart Allen, who is based in Singapore, “State-of-the-art facilities under-pinned by cutting edge IT and this doubling in the size of our operation here will enable us to meet the strong demand we are now seeing from customers across the aerospace industry. It will also allow us to further extend the range of additional services we can offer customers including long and short-term storage, inventory management, neutralising and unit inspection, all in accordance with EN9120:2018 requirements.”

With an aim to strengthen its air cargo offering, CEVA Logistics has launched two new services today; the new SKYCAPACTY program offering guaranteed access to global air cargo capacity for customers in a market that continues to experience volatility and the company has invested in a dedicated global team to offer its new premium ‘time critical solution’, delivering custom, guaranteed transport for time-critical, no-failure shipments. Owned, controlled capacity in a volatile market In setting up the SKYCAPACITY program, CEVA Logistics has purchased recurring capacity on key routes to create a global network of available capacity. Current and new customers are able to benefit from CEVA’s owned, controlled capacity of dozens of flights every week, offering consistent pricing and guaranteed capacity despite market peaks and lows. The network is also available as a spot cargo solution for customers, and weekly spot rates will be available on the CEVA Logistics website and via a weekly bulletin. The CEVA SKYCAPACITY network currently offers a variety of destinations to and from North and South America, Europe and Asia Pacific. The owned, controlled network spans multiple carriers and includes freighter, pax freighter and passenger capacity — all available with leading management, tracking and customs services. Global solution for time-critical shipments CEVA Logistics’ new Time Critical Solution is ideal for clients in healthcare, automotive, Aerospace or manufacturing environments, where specific parts or products are needed in emergency or short-timeframe situations. The new solution offers the reliability and security needed for emergency and rush shipments with priority placements given to ensure a 100 percent on-time shipment with the fastest routing possible. The service also includes full insurance and customs clearance, ensuring the quickest possible transit times. To …

Turkish Cargo is joining the WebCargo, a Freightos Group company to provide real-time e-bookings, access live rates, and see available air cargo capacity to the provide forwarders around the world. This provides critical agility as air cargo contends with unexpected shifts due to the global pandemic. Christian Tesch, Director – Airfreight Carrier Relations & Procurement, Hellmann Worldwide Logistics said, “Live access to capacity and price supports our ongoing commitment to providing Hellmann customers with outstanding service. We’re delighted to see Turkish Cargo on WebCargo.” Turkish Cargo will first roll out on WebCargo in Spain and India and will be quickly followed by rollouts in several more countries. With the airline’s shift to global e-bookings, more than 20 per cent of global air cargo capacity will now be digitized, providing more than 2,000 WebCargo forwarders customers across over 10,000 global branches with instant access to capacity and pricing. Turhan OZEN, Chief Cargo Officer, Turkish Airlines, said, “Effective leadership is required to handle the customers constantly diversifying demands accurately across the air cargo industry. As the air cargo brand with one of the widest networks in the world, we focus on digital solutions. We are pleased to partner with WebCargo to provide digital connectivity for our customers as part of our commitment to constant innovation in offering the best service possible.” Manuel Galindo, CEO, WebCargo, said, “In the past year, e-bookings have increased tenfold on WebCargo, making it clear that the future of air cargo is digital. We’re incredibly proud to partner with Turkish Cargo, one of the most impactful and influential global cargo airlines, to launch e-bookings for forwarders around the world.”

Etihad Cargo has advanced its international digital booking reach through a new partnership with WiseTech Global Limited (ASX:WTC), a leading cloud-based software solutions provider for the global logistics industry. By leveraging WiseTech’s logistics execution platform, CargoWise, Etihad Cargo will seamlessly integrate with the world’s leading logistics providers who rely on CargoWise to carry out end-to-end logistics activities. “Now, more than ever, it is essential for the air cargo industry to accelerate its embrace of digital technologies. Etihad Cargo is carefully selecting partners to enhance customer experiences and streamline booking processes to provide additional convenience,” says, Martin Drew, Senior Vice President Sales and Cargo, Etihad Aviation Group. “Etihad Cargo’s previous API investments have resulted in the successful and seamless roll-out of integrated products with several digital booking platforms. The CargoWise partnership is anticipated to provide significant results through its extensive global customer base.” Etihad Cargo’s flight schedule, rates, capacity and eBooking functions are now available to freight forwarders using CargoWise as their core technology backbone, providing seamless access equivalent to a full API integration via the platform. Scott McCorquodale, Chief Automation Officer – Air Cargo, WiseTech, said, “We’re delighted to be partnering with Etihad Cargo to deliver these eBooking capabilities. This feature-rich integration will enable our CargoWise customers to seamlessly receive quotes, check capacity and immediately book their air cargo shipment. Most importantly, this can all be done from entirely within the CargoWise platform, providing efficiency and productivity benefits for the forwarder through data integration and improved visibility across their business. It truly is a win-win.”

Following a surge in cargo traffic during the pandemic, DHL Express has started cargo operations between Cork Airport and DHL Express’ largest European hub in Leipzig, Germany. The flights will be operated initially by a Boeing 767 lower deck aircraft five days per week, Monday to Friday inclusive. Niall MacCarthy, Managing Director at Cork Airport said, “We are delighted to welcome the DHL express cargo operations to Cork Airport. With the changes arising from Covid-19, it has provided the opportunity to us to diversify our business into new areas supporting cargo, offshore gas and wind operations. The aircraft to be operated by DHL is a large wide-body and we are delighted that Cork and Munster will now have an additional five times weekly air cargo operation to serve the expanding needs of the business community of the South of Ireland. We look forward to working with our new partners DHL Express into the future”, he added. Mike Farrell, Operations Director, DHL Express Ireland said, “The Cork region continues to be a hugely important part of the DHL Express Ireland network and as volumes continue to grow both in and out of the region, it has allowed us to take the next step in our development through operating a dedicated aircraft in this sector. This move will provide for earlier deliveries and later collections which will only serve to strengthen the commercial offer of customers within Cork.” Condor, the German leisure airline, has leased four Boeing 767-300’s to DHL to carry cargo instead of passengers. The aircraft are being used by DHL to supplement the increase in cargo capacity on a number of routes as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. …