Category Archives: International

The air cargo tonnage handled by Germany’s Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) rose by 17 per cent in September to 77,000 tonnes, the highest volume ever handled in a month. The freighter movements increased by 8 per cent to more than 3,000 flights. Torsten Wefers, Director – Sales Cargo, Cologne Bonn Airport said, “All CGN-operating scheduled cargo airlines registered higher traffic results and additionally, based on their recently launched freighter friendly initiative, a rapidly increasing number of cargo carriers are moving their (ad-hoc) cargo charters via Cologne Bonn Airport.” He further added that the international airport in Cologne still offers plenty of capacity, unrestricted 24/7 operation/handling and customs services, perfect market location and access, dedicated incentive programs for all-cargo carriers and tailor-made solutions for your business.

Superseding the last record of 47,167 kg uplifted on October 11, 2020, Lot Polish Airlines has uplifted the freight load of 53,534 kg on a Dreamliner B789 on a single flight from Delhi to Warsaw. “We acknowledge the great efforts of LOT Cargo & GC sales/Operations team along with airport authorities and GHA who have achieved this milestone by excellent load planning. The team has set an example of excellent team spirit, complete dedication & commitment, especially in this challenging pandemic situation. We are very excited with the LO DEL team big achievement and want to thanks LOT Polish Airlines management for having faith in Group Concorde and all the stakeholders for their continuous support to make this cargo operation successful,” notes Group Concorde in a LinkedIn post.

Pharma.Aero has enlarged its membership with a new airport member – Guarulhos Airport, global ground and cargo handling service provider dnata and transporting and warehousing company Ivemar. Welcoming the new members, Jaisey Yip, Vice-Chairman, Pharma.Aero says, “We are delighted to welcome these major air cargo players representing different nodes of the air cargo supply chain into the Pharma.Aero family. We also look forward to working closely with each of the new members in delivering our mission to achieve excellence in end-to-end air transportation of pharmaceuticals.” Monica Lamas, Commercial & Cargo Director, Guarulhos Airport adds, “During the past few years, Guarulhos Airport has received important investments in infrastructure, technology and process improvements, aiming at offering the highest quality and reliability to the pharmaceutical industries. Guarulhos Airport is the largest hub in Brazil for pharma imports. CEIV IATA was a very important achievement in this journey, and now, becoming members of Pharma.Aero will take Guarulhos Airport to a new level, as we will be side by side with the specialists of this platform, sharing innovations in air cargo industry and being part of the network of excellence in the pharma supply chain.” Dirk Goovaerts, CEO for Asia Pacific at dnata says, “dnata is proud to be a part of the Pharma.Aero community. We believe our membership is a testament to our ambition to work with industry stakeholders and provide reliable end-to-end air transportation for pharma shippers across the supply chain. Since the start of the pandemic, it has become increasingly crucial for both airlines and freight forwarders to be supported by an accredited ground handler like dnata to ensure the efficient handling of all types of life-saving vaccines coming through the air …

Emirates SkyCargo has commenced twice weekly scheduled cargo flights to Tokyo Haneda (HND) airport. The flights will be operated on Emirates’ Boeing 777-300ER aircraft departing Dubai at 11.30pm local time as EK 312 on Thursdays and Fridays and arriving at Tokyo Haneda airport at 01:40am local time on the following days. The flight will benefit importers of fresh produce such as seafood and flowers due to the proximity of Haneda airport to local markets including the Toyosu fish market and the Ohta flower market. The air cargo carrier currently offers cargo capacity on four flights a week to Tokyo Narita airport, increasing to five flights weekly from 27 October in addition to five weekly flights to Osaka’s Kansai International Airport. The air cargo carrier offers cargo capacity on its fleet of wide body aircraft including 11 Boeing 777 freighters.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines in partnership with Blue Water Shipping has carried a series of flights on its Antonov-124-100 ramp aircraft in order to support the new power plant project in Afghanistan. The airline delivered 430 tonnes of equipment for Bayat Power’s Bayat Power Phase 1 project. The equipment was transported on five flights from Al Maktoum (UAE) and Tekirdag Korlu (Turkey) international airports to Mazar-i-Sharif in Afghanistan. The cargo included a 57 tonne transformer with supporting equipment, as well as three units of the newest and world’s first transported Siemens SGT-A45 mobile turbine. The turbine blocks spanned 23 to 30 meters, and weighed 60 to 100 tonnes. They were installed on trailers and transported to the cargo compartment of the Ruslan using special equipment and a flyover. “We started working on it with our partners in October 2018 by developing various loading plans for this unique piece of equipment. It was a challenge in terms of cargo stowage requirements, but our team of experts with almost thirty years of experience was able to successfully solve all the tasks due to constant dialogue and cooperation with our partners. We hope that our work will continue in the future, and that the project to build the power plant will start its work safely and will benefit many people in Afghanistan,” shares Ekaterina Andreeva, Commercial Director, Volga-Dnepr Aviation Company.

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)

The Indian Ports Association (IPA), an apex body of Major Ports under Administrative Control of Ministry of Shipping, Govt. of India, has become the latest member of the International Port Community Systems Association (IPCSA). Dr Abhijit Singh, Executive Director, IPA, states, “Minister of Shipping, Government of India desires Indian Port Community System (PCS1x) should constantly evolve to be the best in class PCS globally. Hence, in order to keep abreast of the technological developments happening globally it is important that IPA should become part of the international port community network by developing noble association with prestigious body like IPCSA. We endeavour to integrate with other international PCS to ease trading across borders. In fact, we wish to align PCS 1x to the 2030 vision of IPCSA.” “IPCSA is delighted to welcome the Indian Ports Association” said Hans Rook, Chairman, IPCSA. He adds, “The IPA brings with it their experience and knowledge on how to develop a National Port Community System. The inclusion of the Indian Ports through PCS1x platform into IPCSA is a new milestone in IPCSAs development and will support in the implementation of new global initiatives.” India is a nation that has been working for many years now on its digital infrastructure and enabling of e-governance. PCS 1x has been rolled out by IPA to offer a true single window for the port and maritime community for sharing data and information. PCS1x has grown in scope and penetration over the last year and a half with significantly better utilisation than its predecessor, which was deployed on premise at major ports in 2006. Since going live in December 2018, the new PCS1x has tripled the user base and reduced …