Air Transport Awards 2017
ASAP Services N.V. ASAP Services N.V. was founded in 2000, and specializes in the sale, installation, maintenance and repair of specialized Electro-Mechanical equipment for Airports, Government Institutions, Hotels and private clients. We spoke to Richard R. Lacle to find out more about the company.
GE Honda Aero Engines
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Welcome to the Transport News 2017 Air Transport Awards Changing regulations and increased scrutiny of security and efficiency have made the air transport industry a challenging environment to operate in over the past 12 months. As a vital part of our society it has been imperative that firms work hard to ensure that this crucial sector keeps moving forward. The 2017 Air Transport Awards have been launched to commend companies and individuals who have achieved outstanding performance and results within the industry that forms the backbone of our transport market. The awards recognise those companies, and their C-level executives, who have contributed to the ongoing success of the industry, and reward them for their incredible hard work, innovation and accomplishments.
Contents
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ASAP Services: Best Security Scanning Technology Provider - Caribbean & Award for Excellence in Technology Rehabilitation
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GE Honda Aero Engines: Best Aviation Engine Manufacturer 2017
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Idom: Best Global Environmental & Engineering Consultancy - UK
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Lindner Group: Best Airport Construction Company - Europe
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Snooze Cube: Most Innovative Airport Accommodation Company 2017
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Agots Ltd: Best Aviation Operations Trainer 2017
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AirIT An Amadeus Company: Best Air Transport IT Solutions Firm - USA
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Aleso Global: Best Aircraft Components Provider -South West USA
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Astrophysics Inc: Best X-Ray Security Scanner Specialists 2017
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Bangkok Airways Public Company Limited: Best Full-Service Boutique Airline - APAC
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Barnbrook Systems Limited: Best Aviation Control Systems Manufacturer - UK
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Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport: Best International Airport 2017 - Serbia
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Budapest Airport Zrt: Best Cargo Handling Company - Eastern Europe
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Cargolux Airlines International S.A: Best All-Cargo Airline 2017 - Europe
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Consolidated Shipping Agencies Limited Ghana: Best Air Freight Logistics Company - Africa
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Cork Airport Best International Airport & Award for Excellence in Customer Service - Ireland
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Essential Turbines Inc: Best Jet Engine Maintenance & Repair Service - Canada
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EnvAerospace Inc: Best Global Aircraft Engine Nanocoating Service
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Equity Aviation Services: Best Ground Handling Service - East Africa
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Foxstream, Inc: Best for Automated Queue Management Software - Europe
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FuelPlus Software GmbH: Best Aviation Fuel Management Software - Germany
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Ferrovial Aeropuertos S.A.: Best Airport Portfolio Manager - Europe
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Guayaquil Jose Joaquin de Olmedo International Airport: Best International Airport 2017 - Ecuador
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IBS Software Services Private Ltd: Aviation IT Provider of the Year 2017
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Perform Air International Inc: Best MRO Station 2017 & Award for Excellence in Customer Service - USA
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Sherae Kennels - Petlink: Best Family Run International Pet Transportation Company & Award for Excellence in Pet Boarding Services - Western Australia
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Sheremetyevo International Airport: Best International Airport - Eastern Europe
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Skyblue Aero Services Ltd: Best Airline Consultancy Company - UK
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South Seas Aviation Inc: Best Aviation Company - Florida
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Canwest Aerospace Inc: Best Aircraft Overhaul Service Provider - Canada
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Best Security Scanning Technology Provider Caribbean & Award for Excellence in Technology Rehabilitation ASAP Services N.V. was founded in 2000, and specializes in the sale, installation, maintenance and repair of specialized ElectroMechanical equipment for Airports, Government Institutions, Hotels and private clients. ASAP Services N.V. provides specialized maintenance services in the primary process equipment of Airports, including Conveyor systems, Passenger Boarding Bridges, AGL Systems, Carousels, Security Access and Scanning Equipment, Nav-Aids, Fire Alarm and Protection Systems and related auxiliary components. In order to achieve excellence in service, ASAP Services N.V. is constantly training its technicians and upgrading to incorporate the latest technologies and tools into its work, so as to be able to deliver a quality performance in all of their duties. ASAP currently employs over 40 highly trained professionals, consisting of Engineers with an array of specializations, as detailed above. Due to the increased demand for professional, qualified and reliable specialized services, ASAP is continuously on the lookout for qualified candidates to expand their team, to enable them to professionally take on more projects and expand their service base. The firm has a well-defined policy that relates to hiring new staff, which is backed up by a two stage interview process, in order to make sure they have selected the right candidate for the job. This policy is also designed to cover an excellent compensation matrix system. As security has become an increasingly large consideration at airports, prompted by issues surrounding safety and the constant pressure to provide low cost travel, ASAP Services N.V. has noted significant changes in the market which have had an impact on the mainteAir Transport Awards 2017
nance strategy of airports. This has forced ASAP Services N.V. to adapt and invest in its training and certification program, in order to meet these new challenges in the air transport market. The demand from travelling clients expecting the best service and experience at a reasonable cost is constantly increasing, and this has made the clients of ASAP Services much more aware of the importance of maintenance in their critical assets. Competition is increasingly fierce for passengers, and they are focusing intently on how they are spending their dollars. As such, any competitive edge that can be gained in this industry is a positive one, and ASAP Services strive to help offer this competitive edge. ASAP Services N.V. is located in Aruba, which is itself ideally located within a 2-and-a-halfhour flight of the United States, and Central and Latin America, and has strong airlift, to and from both markets. Owing to this, the company can react and reach clients very quickly and efficiently. In this region, the high cost of aircraft operation for short haul flight destinations by small interisland carriers are under extreme pressure, owing to the volatility and uncertainty in the Venezuelan market; as a result, a number of these carriers are struggling to stay afloat. Recent project highlights in this region for ASAP Services involve the first LED Runway Lighting Systems designed and installed by the company at the Aruba International Airport, the implementation of the ICAO certified ADB LED AGL equipment, and the repair and refurbishment of over 40 pieces of scanning equipment at the Tocumen International Airport in Panama, through an ICAO tender. As Aruba is a high-end tourist destination, the firm have access to high-speed voice and data communication systems, which interlink with the rest of the world. ASAP Services N.V., like most local businesses, are connected to this system to implement the latest technology into their business, pertaining to the IoT. ASAP
Services N.V. maintains business relationships with the major airport delivery manufacturers and air transport magazines, in order to be able to stay up to date with the latest developments in the industry. Regulatory changes are a common need in the industry, and ASAP Services are committed to staying ahead of these changes and making sure that these are integrated into their systems. The company accepts that quality is a massive factor in their development and to make them more competitive in the open market. ASAP Services N.V. is committed to publicizing this quality culture with employees, suppliers, clients, and the community is supported by the QC 100 Total Quality Management Model. The company encourage participation and teamwork for decision making, and manage human resources in the company so as to achieve the maximum potential of each their team members. For every project, ASAP assigns a team of specialists, headed by a Project Manager and Project Coordinator. They draw on the experience of executive management and the ASAP professional staff of engineers, architects, interior designers, draftsmen, mechanics, electricians, logistics supervisors, financial advisors, traffic specialist, and any combination of professionals needed to ensure the project’s success. Looking to the future, ASAP Services N.V. is clear that their future lies in the provision of a quality service just in time, at the right cost, on demand. The air transport market will further develop into a cost effective type of business, with an emphasis on the integration of services, in order to give the client more time to enjoy the travelling experience. ASAP will build upon the excellent reputation it has acquired since its formation, and through the development and acquisition of appropriate recourses, secure continuity and provide the highest quality of service to our clients. They will also continue to provide the proper training and continued education of their employees.
Best 5 Security Scanning Technology Provider - Caribbean & Award for Excellence in Technology Rehabilitation
Company: ASAP Services N.V. Name: Richard R. Lacle Email: rickylacle@asap.aero Web Address: www.asap.aero Address: Mahuma # 54, Oranjestad, ARUBA, Dutch Caribbean. Telephone: +297-5830023
www.transportnews-intl.com
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Air Transport Awards 2017
7 Best Aviation Engine Manufacturer 2017
GE Honda Aero Engines
Best Aviation Engine Manufacturer 2017 GE Honda Aero Engines (GHAE) is an amalgamation of two industry giants which sells engines to airframe OEMs in the business and general aviation market. President Jun Yanada talks us through the history of the firm and how it draws on its vast industry experience to offer the very highest quality products. In 2004, GE and Honda, two of the world’s most respected names in propulsion, joined together to design and manufacture engines for the next generation of very light jets. The joint venture, known as GE Honda Aero Engines (GHAE), combines the strengths of two industry leaders recognized for delivering high performance and reliability. GHAE was created to design, manufacture, sell and support a family of turbofan engines for the business aviation industry. Jun talks more about the firm’s history and how it has adapted around the ever evolving market it operates in. “When GHAE was established in 2004, the industry was expecting a new on-demand Air Taxi market to take-off with significant demand for new high utilization very light jet aircraft. However, with the economic downturn that followed the US housing & financial crisis, the Air Taxi market never materialized with many new entrants having to file for bankruptcy. Thanks to the backing and continued support of our parent companies, we have been able to continue our effort to certify the HF120 in this tumultuous period and offer the market a valuable product. Combining the strength of our parent companies, we, at GHAE, work collaboratively to design and deliver unprecedented products
and services which exceed our customers’ expectations. “The HF120 turbofan engine, GHAE’s first product to the market, delivers unparalleled fuel efficiency and durability for the next generation of light jet business aircraft. Additionally, GHAE has an established customer service and support operation that includes an extensive network of GE Honda Authorized Service Providers around the world, a 24/7 GE Honda Operations Center, dedicated Field Technical Managers and Customer Team Managers, among other support operations. “As a firm we also offer long-term engine service agreements with Engine Maintenance Care (EMC) and support services that go above and beyond the basic engine warranty, with coverage of both scheduled and unscheduled maintenance events.” Looking ahead, the firm has already begun work on its new facility which Jun is confident will help GHAE to remain at the forefront of the aviation engineering market. “Our North Carolina production facility broke ground on a new $21 million, 50,000-square foot expansion on our Burlington campus. The addition is expected to create new jobs over the next few years. The facility, expected to be completed by early 2017, will allow the expansion of our manufacturing flexibility and production capability for the HF120 lightjet engine as well as any future projects. We will also begin in-house part manufacturing in the new facility, offering us many exciting opportunities to grow as a company.”
Company: GE Honda Aero Engines Name: Jun Yanada, President Steve Shaknaitis, Executive Vice President Email: info@honda-aero.com Web Address: gehonda.com Address: 9050 Centre Point Drive, Suite 350, West Chester, OH 45069 Telephone: 513-552-7820 www.transportnews-intl.com
8 - UK Best Global Environmental & Engineering Consultancy
Javier Losada, Airport Manager
Elena Varillas Strategic Technical Director
Air Transport Awards 2017
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Best Global Environmental & Engineering Consultancy - UK IDOM provide a number of services to the aviation community, including master planning, feasibility studies and the design of aviation infrastructure and operation, where they are involved from the earliest stages of a project until the detailed design stage required during construction. We spoke to Elena Varillas, Strategic Technical Director for IDOM in UK and Ireland, to find out more about the firm’s service offering. Although IDOM celebrates its 60th year in 2017, Elena is keen to point out that the firm is far from retirement, having just welcomed in a new era with the election of a new President. “We have professionals that have been working for and at airport operators for a number of years, and this has allowed IDOM to build a very specific understanding of all of our stakeholder’s requirements. Our focus always remains on our clients as we are driven by their needs, working to resolve their questions efficiently and effectively. This focus allows us to work with a wide range of clients, both public and private, of all sizes, from a wide range of industries and sectors in several locations around the world. “In order to manage our client base effectively, we maintain offices around the world, and to date, we have offices in some 34 countries, with others in the pipeline. We operate numerous business units, covering the main areas of engineering, architecture and consulting. IDOM has experienced significant growth in the last decade, despite the economic downturn, and we are noting that the scale of the projects that we are undertaking has also evolved, and we are now developing bigger
sections of mega projects for larger client organisations. “IDOM started to provide aviation services in the nineties, with a development project for a Spanish regional airport. Since then, our flexibility in solving client concerns worldwide has allowed us to provide a wide range of services, adapting to specific requirements in each case. We recognise that the aviation market has changed from demanding the traditional services of engineering and construction - as there was a combination of the need for new airport buildings or significant expansions - and a wealthy financial movement, into demanding more sophisticated services, where the investments are much more carefully studied along the whole life of the airport. “Our services always consider the internal efficiency of the works, with the simulation and modelling technologies we use acting as one of the key factors for our success in this field. In tandem, IDOM’s designs always consider the solutions applicable in the designs, including feasible introduction of sustainability and reduction of energy consumption footprint. Innovation is also important in our organization; IDOM is now participating in a new company, developing iSIM cameras for microsatellites. IDOM maintains its independent position with respect to construction companies, equipment manufacturers, technology suppliers, and financial institutions. Our only interest is in serving the needs of our clients.” IDOM has presence in most of the regulatory organisations where they develop their services. One of the key organisations in their operational space is COIAE (Spanish Chartered Aeronautical Engineers College) in Spain, whose main objective is the safe and efficient development of aviation; this body is consulted on a constant basis for Spanish and European regulation development. In UK, the firm are part of the British Aviation Group (BAG) which allows them to be aware of all the regulatory changes in the industry, as well as sharing new techniques with the most relevant aviation firms operating in UK. “Over the years, we have defined our own
philosophy and established a set of values which are understood by all at our firm and form the basis of all our dealings in the global market. The project teams we assemble are multidisciplinary in nature, delivering global solutions that are designed to meet the specific needs and objectives of our clients. This is possible because of our shared work practices that transcend geographical barriers to deliver the best possible service to the client. Our philosophy is to work in close proximity to the client, however, all our professionals have the support of back office staff from our main headquarters, alongside expert specialists and local knowledge from our many offices.” Elena is excited about the future of IDOM, as they look to enter into a new era with their new president. “With the change of presidency and a new top management team, we are going to build on the solid foundation stones we have already laid. We are now an established innovative, global, independent firm which is committed to its clients and its staff. Our goal is to transform IDOM, from a company that exports services to a true multinational company with larger and numerous offices, and a greater physical presence in the main markets of the world. From the design of a combined cycle power plant to the provision of consulting services, to combatting climate change or the redesign of airport facilities, the services we offer today differ from those we offered five years ago, and we are already diversifying and adapting our products to an ever-changing and more dynamic world. In the UK and Ireland aviation market, we have consolidated our position by being present in some of the major airports, for example Heathrow, London Luton and Dublin Airport.”
Company: IDOM Name: Elena Varillas Email: evarillas@idom.com Web Address: www.idom.com Address: Unit 17g The Leathermarket, 106a Weston Street London SE1 3QB Telephone: +44(0)1773829988 www.transportnews-intl.com
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Best Airport Construction Company Europe Lindner is a leading supplier and contractor, specialising in producing and installing products for the interior and the building envelope of airports, offices, railway stations and institutional buildings. Lindner is able to offer the integrated design of manufactured products such as ceiling systems, floor systems, lighting systems, heating/cooling technologies, wall linings and claddings, doors, roofing systems and façades. Bernhard Stömmer told us more about the firm’s diverse service offering. Together with Lindner’s in-house R&D department, designers and architects are able to create customised solutions to meet their clients’ individual needs. Lindner offers a comprehensive range of products and services, from supporting and consulting architects in the design stage of a project with their extensive product know-how, to supplying and installing the tailor-made solutions on site. Bernhard explains that since the firm’s first international milestone project at Hong Kong Chek Lap Kok Airport in 1995, their products and services have performed well, allowing Lindner to hone considerable experience in this market. “Whilst previously the aviation business was only about bringing people from A to B, the sector has evolved. ‘Passenger experience’ has become crucial to the business, as passengers are increasingly offered opportunities to discover shopping, leisure activities and other offers within the airport. This is leading to airports creating additional buildings Air Transport Awards 2017
and areas to offer services that you would usually find in a city; this change is making it necessary to have flexible building structures. “Within our product range, we are trying to offer maximum flexibility without compromising on quality and functionality. Our hollow and raised access floor systems provide maximum flexibility, especially if the room lay-out above the floor changes as cables can easily be added or supply lines placed in another position in the floor cavity. In order to further maximise the passenger experience, Airports and Airlines now offer more lounge areas, for which Lindner can offer a complete interior fit-out. As material development has continued, alternative materials have come to the fore in the interior design aspect of the business, for example with wooden surfaces. There are now various ways of adding the warm atmosphere of wood without compromising on functionality or in fire protection; to achieve this, Lindner provides metal ceilings and claddings with a wooden appearance powder-coating or thin wood veneers, in combination with special backing material, to provide fireproof products with a wooden appearance.” Aside from the need to improve the passenger experience, one of the major challenges in the air transport market is, of course, security, amongst the growing threat of terrorist attacks. Bernhard notes that recent attacks in airports such as Brussels and Istanbul have highlighted the importance of quality security measures in highly-frequented buildings such as airport or railway terminals. “Unfortunately, there is a distinct lack of blastenhanced building products being installed at public buildings, despite the fact that these save lives in the event of an explosion. Attacks via luggage bombs and by suicide bombers within the airport terminal represent a great danger, and while of course the main aim should be to prevent such attacks, there will always be the danger of terrorists entering the terminal area. What happens in the case of a bomb detonation? It is not only the explosion itself which poses a threat, but also
the highly underestimated hidden dangers in the surrounding environment that puts people at risk. Released fragments of glass, metal or even concrete surfaces can act like bullets when a bomb explodes. “Lindner has developed a new product line called ‘Lindner Secure’ which aims to maintain human safety within passenger terminal areas. In developing this product line, our intention is to provide architects and designers with the tools and systems they need to create blast-enhanced environments without compromising design excellence. With an unbeatable variety of products, Lindner Secure is the first comprehensive and successfully tested concept for the interior that is approved in this area. The new portfolio of blast-enhanced building products includes façades, suspended metal ceilings, wall claddings made of glass, metal or Corian, raised floor systems and waste bins. “Intelligently constructed, Lindner blastenhanced systems are well-prepared for their respective tasks. With regard to interior claddings and ceilings, recent attacks have revealed that the fragmentation of glass surfaces or metal ceiling panels falling down as a result of standard interior building products increases the harming potential of the bomb explosion itself dramatically. Lindner’s key approach for the Secure product line, besides its well-known reputation for premium quality, is the reasonable minimum use of single components, especially the reduction of smaller parts that are harder to secure in the event of an explosion. To assess how these products would fare in an attack, several blast tests were undertaken by UK-based construction specialist, Crossley Consult. The systems were tested against typically sized devices, which illustrated the risk posed by flying splinters or particles released from surrounding structures. “Another positive effect of these products is the easy installation. This can include special safety catches or safety ropes which prevent cladding or ceiling panels detaching from the substructure; a design feature that ensures optimum resistance to vandalism, while the access to services behind the cladding or
11 Airport Construction Company - Europe Best
ceiling is still maintained. Lindner blastenhanced interior products also offer a variety of design options, as the tested materials can be furnished in numerous shapes, layout arrangements and surfaces, including different colours and even digital prints. The latter makes it a perfect choice for impressive wall claddings, ceilings or waste bins used for advertising or route instructions. The appearance of the Lindner blast-enhanced products does not differ from a common glass wall lining or metal ceiling, and can be perfectly combined with standard Lindner products. These items have been installed in London Heathrow Airport’s new Terminal 2, fitting large areas of the interior with blast enhanced glass wall cladding. “Cooperation with public authorities shows that bomb-blast-resistant products are becoming an increasingly important matter in public buildings. Lindner is also investigating how to apply its knowledge and core materials to street furniture products, such as bus shelters and wayfinding solutions. This could form an important part of terminal infrastructure. The company’s experience from previous infrastructure projects with special security requirements, such as ceilings and wall claddings designed so that the void behind the cladding can only be accessed by trained staff with special tools, thus avoiding manipulation and dangerous substances being placed there, will certainly help a great deal in future designs of safety-enhanced interior fit-out products for airport and railway environments.” The Lindner Group is headquartered in Arnstorf, Lower Bavaria, where Hans Lindner, Founder and Chairman of the Group, was born. With approximately 6,500 employees, the family-owned Lindner Group is the largest employer in the region, besides BMW. Bernhard explains that this rural area provides enough space for the extensive manufacturing capacity required by the Group for supplying large-scale projects worldwide. “As we are competing with companies all over the world on a wide range of products, Lindner has to work with the most modern machines and manufacturing technologies available in order to maintain our competitive advantage. The latest manufacturing
technologies, as well as the company’s approach to ‘Lean Production, Administration and Management’, ensure that every single process is consistently improved, and allows for us to operate at a very high level of efficiency. “Our founder and CEO Hans Lindner, alongside other senior figures in the company, are well aware that change is constant in this business. Since its foundation, the Lindner Group has undergone massive changes; ‘Building new solutions’ is not only our slogan, but our company-wide continuous improvement process. Our innovative products and strong commitment to permanent Research & Development drives us to become experts in everything we do, which ensures that we not only followed the trends but set them ourselves, at least pro-actively participating in the development of them. As our products are top of international quality standards, it was always Lindner’s idea to offer the best products regarding quality, functionality and appearance to the market. The patents that the Lindner Group holds in various product sectors provide evidence of our strength in innovation. Furthermore, Lindner has, since its foundation, massively broadened its product range, adding further experience in roofing, façade building or scaffolding and thus making us capable of offering an unrivalled selection of building products.” In order to maintain this level of high quality service, Lindner has a very strong approach to training its own staff and works in close collaboration with nearby universities who specialise in applied sciences. The company also holds several specialised chairs, such as for green building. Although they have experienced massive growth in the last three decades, Lindner continues to operate in smaller divisions that are fully operational in their own right, avoiding large hierarchies that would result in bureaucracy. This ensures that every employee can complete their work to a high degree and take part in the decision-making processes, bringing in the best ideas for every individual project. Alongside this, Bernhard details that to stay ahead of the competition, the Lindner Group constantly works to improve their processes and continues to search for new
methods of maximising efficiency. “This we try to realise with our lean programmes, where we also have a very strong approach to green building and sustainability. Our vision is to become carbon-neutral within our factories, and to also further develop the products which are to be entirely used with regard to the ‘from-cradle- to-cradle’ recycling idea. “In line with our sustainability focus, the applications for our products and services do not stop at the airport terminal building alone. As airports are increasingly becoming complete cities, we are fitting our products to lounges, shops, office environments, railway stations and many other building types that are connected to airports. To do business on these markets, we constantly improve and develop our products to satisfy every customer’s individual needs with our innovative solutions. The overall experience we have gained in the transport sector also helps us to launch into new product sectors, like blast-enhanced waste bins as part of the Lindner Secure product range or smart wayfinding solutions. “Lindner is currently working on a major project in London, working on the supply of its products to Crossrail, one of Europe’s largest infrastructures. Once completed, Crossrail will be a new railway stretching over 100km from West to East London, with 10 new rail stations. For Lindner, this project represents the first metro stations to establish bombblast-resistant products for the interiors. Lindner has therefore developed a customized blast-enhanced cladding made out of glass fibre reinforced concrete. Another feature of this cladding is the anti-graffiti coating, which prevents lacquers from adhering to the surface and makes it easy to clean. We hope to continue to offer these solutions for other applications going forward.”
Company: Lindner Name: Bernhard Stömmer Email: Bernhard.Stoemmer@Lindner-Group.com Web Address: www.Lindner-Group.com Address: Bahnhofstrasse 29, 94424 Arnstorf Telephone: +49 8723 20 3368 www.transportnews-intl.com
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Most Innovative Airport Accommodation Company 2017 Snoozecube International is an innovative airport accommodation specialist offering the ideal space for passengers on long haul flights to rest during stopovers. We invited Founder and Director Larry Swann to learn more about this unique product and the creative company behind it. Snoozecubes offer a perfect example of what happens when you take an innovative approach to the ever growing demand of international travelers visiting the most crowded places in the world. Passengers facing flight delays, cancellations or long transits at Dubai International Airport now have the option to rent out a micro-hotel room right inside the terminal. These innovative spaces provide the perfect space for passengers looking for extra privacy, a step up in comfort from terminal seating and somewhere to lay their head. The firm currently has 10 units in concourse C, terminal 3, and 13 units in concourse D, terminal 1, at Dubai international airport. The firm takes a minimalist approach to design with an emphasis on function. There is enough room to for a bed, touchscreen TV offering music and movies and room to hang coats and store carry-on luggage. Larry, who founded the firm after finding inspiration from the Tom Hanks film Terminal, discusses the firm’s history and how he has worked tirelessly to bring this unique solution to passengers. “Built in Hamilton, I invented the Snoozecube five years ago after watching Terminal, which portrays a stranded passenger stuck in an airport with nothing to do. This motivated me to research international airports worldwide, and to my astonishment there were no sleeping cabins for transit passengers, leaving them to sleep on floors or chairs if they wanted to get some rest. “The many passengers I have seen shattered Air Transport Awards 2017
and walking around airports disorientated is sad; especially the elderly and women and children. It was this personal experience, combined with the inspiration I took from Terminal, that motivated me to bring my idea to market. Fundamentally, the unhealthy fact that people travel being step shaped for several hours is not comfortable, and as such my product gives people respite and lets them get some sleep for a few hours giving them rest for a few hours before the next stage in their journey.” Currently the firm operates exclusively from Dubai Airport, and whilst Larry has many plans to expand and offer the solution to other airports, he is keen to praise this dynamic company as he explains why the firm chose this airport to launch the Snoozecube. “My company operates in Dubai airports, which is a major hub in the world which has kept abreast of the changing trends for passenger numbers. This has benefited Snoozecube and helped us to showcase this superb solution. His Royal Highness Sheikh Ahmed runs a very efficient ship with all his staff, and this culture filters down to all involved in Dubai airports. “Essentially, Dubai is at the forefront of many world firsts, and being established here certainly gives Snoozecube the opportunity to expand to other world hubs. Snoozecube has a very convenient booking system for passengers around the world that can also be replicated for other world hubs, and we are keen to roll the solution out to other airports so that we can meet the growing consumer demand.” This will be the firm’s ongoing focus, as it seeks to take advantage of the many great opportunities for Snoozecube which are provided as the market embraces this unique product, as Larry proudly concludes. “As airports compete to offer the best, most innovative solutions to their passengers we are seeking an increasing demand for SnoozeCubes, and as such we have a bright and invigorating future ahead of us. I am incredibly grateful to everyone who has supported us so far in this incredible journey and I look forward to bringing this essential service to more international airports and global transport hubs moving forward.”
Most 13 Innovative Airport Accommodation Company 2017
Company: Snoozecube International Name: Larry Swann Email:larry@snoozecube.com Web Address: www.snoozecube.com Address: P.O Box 58533 Telephone: +971 553783576
www.transportnews-intl.com
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Best Aviation Operations Trainer 2017 Aviation Ground Operations Training Services (AGOTS) is a training and consultancy firm providing tailored services to clients around the world. We invited Founder and CEO Clive Snook to tell us more about the firm and how he has worked to develop a strong reputation for excellence. Founded in October 2009, AGOTS draws on the vast market experience of Founder Clive Snook. Clive has more than 25 years of experience in aviation, having previously enjoyed a variety of roles which covered most aspects of aviation having worked with private airlines and airports, handling agents, national flag carriers, airport authorities and local government as well as large organizations such as NATO/ISAF, The United Nations and IATA. Clive’s work has included extensive airside operations, management and consultancy as well as instructional training design and delivery. He has been involved in a wide range of high-profile projects including 2 airport start-ups and playing a large part in the successful ORAT process at Sau Paulo’s (GRU) new T3 where he was responsible for airside operations, trials and training for 2,000 staff. He also spent 13 months as the Airport Manager at Kabul International Airport on behalf of NATO/ISAF with responsibility and accountability over Airside Operations, Habitat & Wildlife Management, Airfield Ground Lighting and Engineering. Working closely with the Afghan CAA, ICAO and NATO his remit was to reduce the 84% ICAO noncompliance in dayto-day operations; he successfully delivered a full training program that transformed military style operations into internationally recognized industry best practice. As Founder and CEO of AGOTS, he enjoys a diverse and varied role, supporting a wide range of clients. Clive discusses his current work within the industry and his firm’s client base.
Air Transport Awards 2017
“Here at AGOTS we deliver bespoke training to clients around the world; mainly in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. It is very easy to purchase off-the-shelf training courses from established training organisations; the downside of which, and much to the feedback received from industry, is that these courses are very generic and often do not touch upon the requirements of a country’s own Civil Aviation Authority’s legal requirements, they just, at best, give an overview. We tend to concentrate in the area of Operations Airside, but also encapsulate the importance of the whole Aerodrome. As an Instructor, I am also asked to deliver courses on behalf of other organisations such as IATA.
in the forefront of their minds. As with all companies, the only people that actually see what is going on are the Accountants, and they are reporting the fact that the huge slump in the price of oil is affecting the entire market, including air transport.
“Our client base are mainly airports, with some airlines requesting tailored training in areas such as Emergency Response and Planning. We look after some high end clients including The Royal Flight of Oman and The Presidential Flight of Abu Dhabi. We also deal with high-end FBO’s such as Harrods Aviation in Luton, UK. We have also worked on some ORAT projects, mainly the recent new Terminal 3 at Brazil’s Sau Paulo in readiness for the 2014 World Cup. A project which involved projects with Airside Operations, 15 Ground Handling Companies and Training: conceptualised and implemented a Training Plan for 2,000 plus staff.”
“Overall, the future is bright for AGOTS; whilst I have been in the UAE I have already received some requests for training here along with other training organisations that want to utilise me as an Instructor. We also have a potential project out here which could be major for the company and will allow us to grow our expertise and work with an international carrier, airport and civil aviation authority.”
“Despite this AGOTS remains in demand, mainly due to our strong focus on client service. We aim to tailor our solutions to their needs and ensure that they receive the training they need.” This strong demand looks set to continue, as Clive concludes, allowing AGOTS to build upon its current success.
Currently Clive is based in Abu Dhabi on a long-term project as the Airside Operations Training Manager: bringing up to speed the teams’ competencies and training requirements, keeping in mind the impending completion of the new Mid-Field Terminal Project. He discusses the region and the developments he is seeing in its air travel market. “Being based in the Middle East there is always constant talk on the subject of state funding, as opposed to non-state funding in Europe and to some extent the US. This also has an impact in the region itself with GCC Carriers competing with each other, as well as the airports competing for top spot. Keeping running costs down and customer satisfaction up, whilst maintaining yield and margins are always
Company: Aviation Ground Operations Training Services (AGOTS) Limited Name: Clive Snook Email: clivesnook@agots.com Web Address: www.agots.com (under redevelopment) Address: 7 The Broadway, Broadstairs, Kent, CT10 2AD, United Kingdom Telephone: UK: +44 (0) 7772 367 023 UAE: +971 (0) 50 326 4866
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Best Air Transport IT Solutions Firm - USA Air-Transport IT Services, Inc. (AirIT), an Amadeus company, is an end-to-end solution provider offering operational, passenger processing, and business system software solutions to the world’s airports and airlines. We invited Betros Wakim to tell us more about the innovative solutions the firm provides.
AirIT provides software solutions and integration services to airports and airlines, delivering excellence by designing, developing, and implementing industry-leading solutions. Each of these products has been developed on a unified architecture and is completely scalable regardless of an airport’s size. Betros outlines the firm’s views of the transport industry and explains why it is ideally placed to meet the needs of clients in this vital sector. “The air transport market continues to be one of the most exciting industries in the world. Meeting the need for additional capacity in the facility continues to be one of the greatest challenges. The entry of new carriers and additional service puts a strain on facilities and the lack of funding prohibits the ability to build new facilities. As the structure of the industry changes, the need to focus more on additional value add services to passengers is vital to the success and future of the industry. “Since our firm’s inception we have seen many changes in the industry, including the fact that federal funding in the airport market has slowed significantly. This has had a tremendous impact on the type of projects we have seen in the industry. In the early 2000’s, it was not uncommon to see the industry offering tenders for several multimillion dollar projects each year. As funding has slowed, it is now more common to see a multitude of lower value smaller projects.
Company: Air-Transport IT Services, Inc. (AirIT), an Amadeus company Name: Betros Wakim Email:bwakim@airit.com Web Address: www.airit.com Address: Air-Transport IT Services, Inc. an amadeus company, 5950 Hazeltine National Drive, Suite 210, Orlando, Florida 32822, USA Telephone: 407-370-4664
“It is now more common for airports to try to extract additional use out of their existing terminal facilities, as opposed to building new physical infrastructure. This change has made it necessary for our firm to adapt to handle many more projects concurrently. We offer scalable solutions based on standard off the shelf products that reduce cost, improve efficiencies, and optimize cash flow.” In order to achieve this mission, the firm concentrates on supporting its clients with the solutions they need. Betros believes that this
focus is critical, and as such is keen to outline the fact that the team at AirIT is constantly looking to provide the very highest standard of solutions to their clients. “Here at AirIT, we are a firm that prides ourselves on being customer centric by ensuring a culture of ownership. All of our staff take tremendous pride in showing their personal ownership in everything they do. This culture has allowed us to deliver tremendous value to our customers and also has led to us winning several awards for being one of the best companies to work for in Florida. Companies traditionally can be a product centric, a follower company (emulates successful companies in their space), or customer centric. They are all mutually exclusive and you cannot be more than one of them, and as long as we continue to be the customer centric company, we will stay successful and innovative.” Looking ahead, Betros is optimistic for a bright and prosperous future for the firm as it seeks to build upon its current success through its latest transition. “Ultimately, being part of Amadeus and moving into the final phase of integration will provide the assets needed to fulfill our vision of Business / Operational / and Passenger Processing platforms converging into one e-commerce platform. This platform will empower our clients to be able to monetize all their operations and the stakeholders’ operations. “Overall, within the expanding market we are confident that technology will continue to play a wider role in the air transport market. We see this today as new airport design is embracing technology with smaller ticket lobbies and new features like self-tagging and baggage drop. The traveller will continue to become more and more self-sufficient and mobile technology will lead the charge in that regard. That is why we believe all platforms will converge into one as an e-commerce platform.” www.transportnews-intl.com
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Best Aircraft Components Provider -South West USA Aleso Global is a worldwide commercial aviation spare parts, components and services provider with the aim of making the supply chain simple and easy for customers. We caught up with Ivan Volkov, Founder and Managing Director of Aleso Global, to find out more.
Established in 2015, Aleso Global began as a start-up aviation brokerage firm with a mission to better service the aviation industry, consisting of commercial airlines, maintenance providers, suppliers and distributors in all facets of aftermarket spare parts support. Ivan discusses the firm’s clients and how, despite the firm’s youth, it constantly aims to provide the very highest standard of service possible.
“Ultimately, we are still a very young and growing company, and although we are highly ambitious, we would rather “walk before we run” when it comes to growth. In our vision, if you grow too fast, you lose touch with your core customers and the service suffers. As such, our future growth will be organic as we seek to offer the very highest level of service to our clients.”
Here at Aleso Global, our main customers are mid and small size airlines, and the challenge is to stand out from the crowd in this highly competitive and dynamic environment. We strive to develop long-term relationships with customers and vendors, rather than seek quick profit. Managing cash flow is one of the most difficult aspects at our stage of growth. Fundamentally, it is our speed and efficiency that sets us apart and distinguishes us as the best option for our clients. I am lucky to have a great team of dedicated and experienced professionals without whom none of this would have been possible. In any small business – the strength is in your employees. In order to provide unparalleled service, the firm has a strong client focus, as Ivan explains: “Aleso Global’s motto is ‘treat your customers as you would your friends’. As such, we always try to go the extra mile to help. Our hope is that this approach will secure our relationships with our customers and vendors for a long time.” Looking ahead, Ivan foresees a number of exciting developments for the market, which will allow his growing firm to build upon its current success. “Moving forward, development and increased efficiency of the supply chain will continue within the market, and we intend to adapt and keep finding ways to earn our share of the market.
Air Transport Awards 2017
Company: Aleso Global Name: Ivan Volkov Email: ivan@alesoglobal.com Web Address: www.alesoglobal.com Address: Phoenix, Arizona, USA Telephone: +1 623 218 9500
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Best X-Ray Security Scanner Specialists 2017 Astrophysics, Inc. (Astrophysics) makes hidden threats visible, and is a world leader in X-ray screening technology. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Francois Zayek founded the company 15 years ago and leveraged his medical imaging experiences to launch a security screening firm.
Originally focused on small conventional X-ray scanners like the XIS-6040 (Astrophysics’ first machine), the company’s product line has grown to include more than 40 different units. These X-ray scanners inspect all sorts of objects, ranging from purses to suitcases and from backpacks to freight parcels. Thousands of these units are now installed in over 140 countries, helping to make travel, transport and business around the world more secure. Astrophysics takes immense pride in partnering with customers and tackling their security challenges, and it accomplishes this in two ways. Firstly, it designs, manufactures and delivers advanced yet affordable X-ray scanners. All the machines are assembled in the United States, ensuring the highest quality and best possible customer value. Secondly, Astrophysics customizes each scanner to meet its customers’ unique security missions. No two organizations have the same security needs, and Astrophysics has the manufacturing flexibility to tackle any security mission.
for scanning medium- and high-density pallets to uncover challenging commodities. This advanced system was developed in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security, Science and Technology Directorate, and is a significant technological upgrade over current air cargo screening systems. Astrophysics makes hidden threats visible. The company’s industry-leading X-ray scanners combine advanced technology and customized solutions into affordable packages that allows for security to be within reach for every customer, especially those in the air cargo industry. Astrophysics will continue growing and spreading security around the globe as it continues to pave the way into new X-ray scanning frontiers in the coming decades.
The company’s tremendous growth over the last 15 years has allowed it to expand its product line into new markets, including air cargo screening. Nearly 2 dozen Astrophysics’ units are designed to meet airline and freight forwarder screening needs, and 19 X-ray scanners are Transportation Security Administration (TSA) qualified. Being based in Southern California is also a tremendous advantage for the firm; the Los Angeles International Airport with its numerous airlines and freight forwarding agencies is a valuable gateway to key customer relationships within the industry. Astrophysics refuses to rest on past accomplishments, and strives to innovate and constantly bring new products to the air cargo market. Their latest product is the advanced MVCTC cargo pallet screener. The MVCTC is a multi-view, CT-capable system designed
Company: Astrophysics, Inc. Name: Matt McConnell (Marketing Manager) Email: marketing@astrophysicsinc.com URL: www.astrophysicsinc.com Address: 21481 Ferrero Parkway, City of Industry, CA 91789, United States Telephone: 909.598.5488 www.transportnews-intl.com
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Best Full-Service Boutique Airline - APAC Drawing on over 45 years’ experience in the air transport market, Bangkok Airways has become a byword for excellence in the APAC region. We profile the firm and explore the secrets behind its success.
Bangkok Airways first began air transportation services in 1968, established as “Sahakol Air”, it became the first private aviation company in Thailand. Initially, the airline provided charter services by means of its first operational aircraft, “Trade Wind”, a two-engine 9-seater plane. Regular charter assignments came from the OICC (an American construction company), USOM, and a number of other organizations, which at the time, were engaging in oil and natural gas exploration in the Gulf of Thailand. Due to the rapid growth of tourism and business investments in Thailand, air transportation has become an increasingly important aspect contributing to both the Kingdom’s economic growth and its infrastructure development into becoming a major destination capable of hosting several million overseas visitors per year. In order to fulfil the increasing demands for air transportation, Bangkok Airways officially began its operations in 1986 as the country’s first privately-owned domestic airline; initially offering scheduled flights from Bangkok to Krabi, Korat, and Surin. Presently, Bangkok Airways has obtained permits to operate scheduled flights over 20 different major routes—covering nearly all major resort des-
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tinations in Thailand. Additionally, the airline has also obtained permits to fly internationally to Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, India, Bangladesh and Maldives. Over recent years Bangkok Airways has also invested in building and maintaining its own privately-operated airports at Samui, Sukhothai, and Trat. These developments provide Thailand with more air transportation hubs to in order to facilitate increasing air traffic volume, and moving forward this will remain the firm’s overall aim as it seeks to build upon its current success. Looking ahead, over the next five years, Bangkok Airways hopes to strengthen the frequency of the existing routes and to launch new connections within its network and within the region. The fleet will consequently expand accordingly and provide exciting opportunities for the company. Company: Bangkok Airways Public Company Limited Address: 99 Mu 14 Vibhavadirangsit Road, Chom Phon, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900 Phone: +66 2 265 5670 Fax: +66 2 265 5665 Website: www.bangkokair.com
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Best Aviation Control Systems Manufacturer - UK Barnbrook Systems is a leading manufacturer of switching and monitoring devices for clients throughout the aviation market. We invited Andrew Barnett to tell us more.
Barnbrook Systems designs, manufactures and supports the following product ranges comprising of switching devices, flight actuation systems, pressure and fuel monitoring devices. Andrew discusses the firm’s product offering in greater detail, highlighting the firm’s quality and how this has helped it to work with some of the leading lights in the aviation market. “Here at Barnbrook Systems, we provide bespoke systems design and manufacture as well as legacy system repair and overhaul. All of our products are manufactured in house for rail, aircraft, defence and commercial applications. We carry out new build, repair and overhaul of aircraft engine control units. “In addition, we are a CAA and FAA approved organisation, meaning clients can rest assured that our products are of the very highest quality. As testimony to the level of excellence we operate at, some of our prime customers include BAE Systems, Safran, Rolls-Royce, Ultra Electronics, Leonardo and Boeing.”
technologies, which he believes will play a big part in the industry going forward. “Blending smart technology with smart thinking is a key driver for us. The ability of our products to deliver predictive operational information allows the customers to plan maintenance better and helps to avoid unnecessary downtime. Making our existing products Smart also helps our development program, and therefore this will help drive our focus for the foreseeable future. “Ultimately, low cost providers coupled with higher global air transport demands mean that the market continues to change. For us it is the pace of change that gives us opportunities. We are nimble and creatively agile, old age prime company dominance is starting to have less influence now. Aircraft are no commercial use on the ground, and therefore keeping them in the air, safely, will always be our aim.”
In order to remain at the forefront of industry developments, a number of senior team at Barnbrook Systems sit on a variety of aerospace and CAA committees. They are active participants, with a view of steering agenda and outcomes as well as being early implementers and adopters. This innovative nature, alongside a focus on sustainability, remains central to the firm’s approach, as Andrew explains. “The philosophy of the business puts strong emphasis on the Environment, Safety and Human Factor considerations. The cultural ethos is demonstrated in the way we operate and our strong working relationships with both our customers and suppliers; this helps drive a commitment to deliver the highest quality products and services.” Looking to the future, Andrew is keen to emphasise Barnbrook System’s focus on smart
Company: Barnbrook Systems Name: Andrew Barnett Email: andrewbarnett@barnbrook.co.uk Web Address: www.barnbrook.co.uk Address: 25 Fareham Park Road Fareham, Hampshire, PO15 6LD Telephone: +44 (0)1329 847722 www.transportnews-intl.com
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Best International Airport 2017 Serbia Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport is a hub for international airlines, supporting clients in their travel throughout Europe and beyond. We invited Saša Vlaisavljević, CEO, to tell us more about the airport and the range of services it provides.
Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport is a joint-stock company managing the airport in Belgrade and providing the airport services. The airport has two terminals with annual capacity of 5,5 million passengers and maximum of 27 aircraft movements per hour. It is a hub for flag carrier Air Serbia, with Wizz Air, Lufthansa Group, Montenegro Airlines and Turkish Airlines among its top five carriers. Mr Vlaisavljević outlines the various developments that have occurred in recent years and how the airport has worked to build upon its current success. “Belgrade is ideally located at the crossroads between East and West. In the record-breaking 2016 we have handled more than 4,9 million passengers with 30 carriers operated flights to 85 destinations. In the last seven years there has been constant increase of air traffic at Belgrade Airport with the number of passengers doubled. In 2014 the number of passengers was increased by 31% as we were second fastest growing capital city airport in Europe with growth in the number of passengers ranked the first among the 100 largest airports in Europe. As a confirmation of its continued success Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport was in 2010 awarded prestigious Euro ANNIE award for attracting the newest carriers within 12 months. In 2015 Belgrade Airport won the Euro ANNIE Award for seeing the biggest passenger growth in the 3-5 million passengers category. In 2015 and 2016 Belgrade Airport was ranked 5th Best Airport in Eastern Europe by Skytrax.
Mr Saša Vlaisavljević Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport CEO
Air Transport Awards 2017
“Additionally, one of the most significant events in 2016 was the re-establishment of direct transatlantic flights to New York by national carrier Air Serbia in June this year, giving us an exceptional opportunity and a chance to be established as the most important transit point in this part of Europe. Our new development milestone will be announced further direct intercontinental flights to North America, Canada and China.” As any airport Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport has several type of stakeholder such as passengers, carriers and other users, includ-
ing catering companies, handling agents, visitors, etc. Mr Vlaisavljević discusses the various strategies the firm has undertaken in recent years to ensure that users have the best possible experience when fly through Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport. “In order to increase our users comfort during last year’s we have implemented several infrastructural improvements. The most significant projects in 2016 were construction of the de-/anti-icing apron, refurbishment of the connecting area between two terminals, installation of the relax area in transit area. “Looking ahead, in 2017 we have planned to construct another check-in area, between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 with total of 28 checkin counters and five self-check-in counters installed, increasing the airport’s handling capacity, fully modernize the existing sorting area by installing new modern transport system, reconstruction and upgrade of the area including five gates at the A concourse, construction of a new space from which passengers will be able to watch the planes and apron upgrade.” “During last couple of years there has been an increasing interest of the low-cost and charter carriers for Belgrade Airport. Recognizing such an interest we have dedicated Terminal 1 for LCC and charter carriers. Additionally, in 2017 we will modernize and upgrade this Terminal enabling our shareholders advanced experience level at the same price. At the same time, we are upgrading terminal building interior and exterior, implementing accommodation and operational novelties and infrastructure improvements which are enhancing capacity and shareholders experience.”
Company: Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport Phone: (+381 11) 209 4000 Website: www.beg.aero
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Best Cargo Handling Airport Eastern Europe Budapest Airport is in charge of managing, operating and developing the main international airport of Hungary and has set itself the goal to operate efficiently and profitably on a sustainable basis. We invited Director of Property and Cargo René Droese to tell us more about how the firm works to achieve this ambitious aim.
Budapest Airport is on a mission to make Ferenc Liszt International Airport the most successful airport in Central and Eastern Europe in terms of passenger and cargo growth, service quality and operational efficiency. Within the cargo handling sector, the airport has been performing well over recent years, as René discusses. “Budapest Airport has closed an outstandingly successful year in cargo operations, exceeding 112,000 tons of cargo in 2016 and representing an annual increase of almost 23%. The airport has an excellent geographic location in the CEE region, extensive road network to 20 EU and non EU countries in trucking distance, with EU and Schengen zone membership. The local air cargo related industries (automotive, ICT, electronics, pharmaceutical, live animal) are developing. In addition, the region’s operational costs are more favourable than in Western Europe, making Budapest Airport an ideal location for those looking for a hub from which to base their cargo transport operations.
pier B, and numerous priority projects such as the airport hotel as well as a series of logistics and security developments. In terms of cargo developments, in 2017 BUD will finalize the construction of two new office and warehouse facilities, and hand them over to DHL and TNT Express, with total capacity of 17,000 sq meters. Both projects are part of BUD 2020, which also includes the construction of the Cargo City project, with 16,000 sq meters of warehouse and office space next to Terminal 2, with opening scheduled for the end of 2018. “Looking to the future, the prospects are promising: passenger and cargo air traffic will increase notably across the Central Eastern European region. Budapest Airport has a great basis for further route developments and great growth potential for both aviation and nonaviation business. “Overall our goal is to work as part of our cargo community and create a business environment which is favourable for all the cargo market players, airlines, handlers, forwarders and the other companies.”
“The air cargo market is strong currently, which is clear indicator that the Hungarian economy is doing well, and the demand for export by air of high-value products like electronics or pharmaceuticals is growing. Also, our foreign partners find more and more advantages in flying their cargo directly to Budapest, due to its central location in the heart of Central and Eastern Europe. Cargo airlines at BUD provide worldwide access for air cargo, and demand amongst logistics companies for their efficient direct and transfer transport solutions are increasing.” Moving forward, Budapest Airport is planning to implement a 50-billion-HUF development program called ‘bud:2020’ over the next five years. One of the most important elements of the program is the new passenger terminal
Company: Budapest Airport Name: René Droese – Director Property and Cargo Website: www.bud.hu Email: rene.droese@bud.hu www.transportnews-intl.com
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Best All-Cargo Airline 2017 - Europe Cargolux is Europe’s leading all-cargo airline with a modern and efficient fleet composed of 14 Boeing 747-8 freighters and 12 Boeing 747400 freighters. We profile the firm and explore the secrets behind its success. Since its establishment in 1970, Cargolux has been regarded a pioneer in the airfreight industry, establishing markets and concepts that, today, are widely copied. Naturally, the industry has seen massive changes in those 46 years, however, Cargolux has always driven innovation and adapted to changing market conditions, building close and trustful relationships with its partners and customers who have shown a deep loyalty to the airline. Cargolux has always pushed technology, operating the latest and most efficient freighter aircraft available. It was the first operator of the 747-400F and the 747-8F worldwide. In fact, Boeing has acknowledged that, without Cargolux, there would be no 747-8 today. Today the Luxemburg based firm operates a worldwide network which covers 90 destinations, some 70 of which are served on scheduled all-cargo flights. The company has more than 85 offices in over 50 countries, and operates an extensive global trucking network to more than 250 destinations as well as full and part-charter services. Cargolux also offers third-party maintenance at its modern two-bay maintenance hangar in Luxembourg. The company is specialized in 747 line and hangar maintenance up to and including C-Checks. It offers a range of specialized maintenance services and holds line maintenance approval for 777 aircraft. The Cargolux Group employs close to 1,900 staff worldwide. Throughout the years, Cargolux has established a worldwide reputation as a supplier of high-class air cargo services with a team Air Transport Awards 2017
of dedicated, highly professional experts and one of the most modern and efficient fleets in the industry. And it comes as no surprise that Cargolux not only offers a wide range of services within its core activity, but also other, specialized services to the industry, such as e-commerce and maintenance services. The company’s product portfolio covers a wide range a specialized services, including pharmaceutical and cool chain service, livestock, perishables, outsized cargo and much more. Each product offers tailor-made solutions by specialists in their respective field, close cooperation and personal attention to customers and a commitment to high quality. Fundamentally, air freight is a cyclical business and markets get more volatile, demanding more flexibility throughout the year. The golden days of the late 1990s and early 2000s are gone and are unlikely to return. That said, there will always be demand for high quality air freight services and expertise like Cargolux’s, be it in specialized markets such as outsized or cool chain and temperature controlled shipments.
to grow with the market and invests in the skill and knowledge of its staff, as well as in modern technology. With a new product portfolio and a firm foothold in China, one of the world’s most important markets, a diverse business that includes air transport as well as e-commerce activities such as LuxFresh, with sister airlines in Italy and, in the future, China, Cargolux intends to stay at the very top of the airfreight industry. Ultimately, in order to successfully continue this growth path, the firm are working hard to explore new markets, to discover new fields such as the e-commerce sector, to further improve its operational efficiency and above all to launch new products according to its customer’s needs. All of this will remain key to Cargolux’s ongoing focus moving forward.
Furthermore, there is a consolidation among both the forwarders and the passenger airlines which are grouping and continuously growing their common lower deck capacities. The main problem about this is will be to bring yields up to a sustainable level while filling the available capacity. Overcapacity has been a problem for many years and will continue to be a factor, especially with the belly capacity of Middle East carriers, who have hundreds of passenger planes on order. Nevertheless, air freight is here to stay and freighters will keep their role as the backbone of global trade as the inflexible passenger network does not fulfil the flexible requirement of global supply chains. As such Cargolux are working hard to explore new markets, to offer new products that the customer needs and we think outside of the box to explore new fields such as e-commerce. The firm see a consolidation among forwarders and there will certainly be more of that. As a key part of this, Cargolux continues
Company: Cargolux Airlines International S.A Address: Luxembourg Airport, L-2990 Luxembourg Phone: +352 4211 1 Fax: +352 4211 3747 E-mail: info@cargolux.com Website: www.cargolux.com
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Best Air Freight Logistics Company - Africa Consolidated Shipping Agencies Limited (Conship) is a Freight Forwarding and Logistics company that commenced operations in 1996, with a primary focus on ocean freight forwarding. We spoke to Alfred Amoah to find out more about the service offering of the firm. Since commencing operations, Conship has diversified its operations into other areas of the logistics industry, such as Airfreight, Ship Agency and Husbandry, and the hauling of Heavy Lifts. Alfred notes that aside from being a giant in the provision of services in the Oil and Gas industry, Conship has a strong client base in the Manufacturing, Telecommunications, Aviation, and Commerce industries. “Our firm provides air collection from port to port, door to port, and door to door. We partner with global suppliers and principals through coordination and the use of software for the tracking and delivery of shipments cargo. Conship also arranges air charters for clients through major carriers and operators, as we aim to achieve excellence by offering a swift and innovative response to our customers’ ever evolving needs. Our aim is to lead the way on delivery within lead times, cost reduction strategies, the training and development of employees and robust management systems. “We are able to offer real-time tracking 24/7; the tracking application gives our customers the real-time status of shipments, and ensures that updates are visible online the instant that events occur. We give our customers password-protected access and set their permissions so that they can perform functions such as uploading shipping documents online, see their Air Waybills and other documents, print their invoices, and much more. The introduction of this logistics software, which has fully integrated
accounting system, in our company has put us above other freight forwarding companies.” Since starting out in the aviation industry, markets with carriers and operators have given Conship the opportunity to achieve success in the timely deliveries of all their shipments. Alfred notes that size does not matter to Conship, as they can handle all shipments, including Oil and Gas equipment, and general cargo, including perishables and hazardous. “We are able to adapt to specific customer needs, and can perform a number of services which are required by our customers. Our firm’s internal culture thrives on three key factors; our values, behaviour and additude. Firstly, this involves upholding our values of integrity, a passion for excellence, a respect for diversity, ambition, fairness and transparency. Our focus on behaviour is also incredibly important; our desire to win, consistency in our delivery, safety consciousness, teamwork and flexibility have all contributed significantly to our success. Finally, our attitude is centred around our customers, where we apply a can-do-spirit, with performance based rewards and the ownership of responsibility. “The culture of Conship is cultivated by all staff through positive employee influence, constant training and the use of our corporate manual handbook which clearly spells out the vision of the company and what is expected of each employee, in order to deliver quality work and always satisfy our clients.” Alfred explains that the rapid expansion of Ghana’s aviation industry is being hampered by several factors, and that these constraints add to competition and high operating costs. Addressing these challenges could significantly improve the industry’s potential for future growth. Air travel is essential to the prosperity of Ghana as it presents a number of opportunities. Fostering the Ghana aviation industry may be one of the driving forces of regional integration on the continent, and Conship hopes to contribute to this.
“A better connected Ghana and the surrounding regions through a viable air transport industry could be the catalyst for boosting intra-sub region business, trade, and tourism, as well as cultural exchange. Developing the aviation industry may also represent an opportunity to mitigate the chronic transport problems faced by other landlocked African countries. Ghana is ideal for trade as it has a good road network that facilitates cross-border trucking services, a stable and multiparty government, and a competitive labour force. “In the future, we foresee the upgrade of the existing airport, which will grow to accommodate more airlines and will increase the number of flights on the Ghana route. In addition to this, we expect to see the establishment of new airports around the country which will boost the air transport market. There are also innovations under the National Single Window which are being implemented in Ghana, and which will facilitate trade by reducing the timelines and cost of doing business with all modes of transport. “Owing to this, Conship will also expand its operations by establishing new locations in tandem with the expanding airports and ensure that all its processes and procedures embrace the National Single Window. The firm finds itself operating in an emerging Oil and Gas industry in Ghana, and it is our belief that with the right attitude and approach we stand to benefit from the businesses that will flow therein. One of the major projects currently in sight for our firm is the Offshore Cape Three Points (OCTP) Integrated Oil and Gas Project. The OCTP is a significant Oil and Gas initiative being operated by ENI Ghana. The development involves three Offshore Oil and Gas fields and we are excited to be involved in this project.”
Company: Consolidated Shipping Agencies Name: Alfred Amoah Email: aamoah@conshiponline.com Web Address: www.conshiponline.com Address: P.O. BOX CT2491, ACCRA Telephone: +233 303 204016 www.transportnews-intl.com
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Best International Airport - Ireland & Award for Excellence in Customer Service - Ireland Cork Airport is the international gateway to the South of Ireland, and is the country’s second largest and best connected international airport with a wider choice of routes than any other airport outside of Dublin. More than 2.25 million passengers will have travelled through Cork Airport in 2016, an increase of 8% on the previous year; we spoke to Kevin Cullinane, Head of Communications to learn more. Cork Airport have the pleasure of working with a number of airline partners, some of whom they have worked with since the opening of the airport 55 years ago, including Aer Lingus, CityJet, Flybe, Iberia Express, Norwegian Air International, Ryanair, SWISS, Volotea and WOW air. Cork Airport is perfectly positioned to provide direct access to the South of Ireland for inbound traffic, and offers an excellent catchment area for outbound opportunities for their airline partners. Following the opening of Cork Airport’s new state-of-the-art terminal in 2006, Kevin notes that the airport’s continued investment in their infrastructure will help them to maintain their competitive edge over other peer airports; Cork are coupling this new facility with their award-winning customer service, and as such are able to provide a market-leading offering to its partners. “We are also able to offer innovative incentive schemes, tailored to attract new airlines and new routes, as well as helping to grow existing routes through supportive marketing campaigns. Working closely with airline partners and tailoring options specific to their requirements has been instrumental in growing our business over the past 18 months, and to ensure we offer robust and compelling business cases for new or expanding services, Cork Airport formed what has become known as the ‘Coalition of the Willing’. The Air Transport Awards 2017
group comprises tourism authorities, business organisations and other interest groups, all coming together to prepare a winning strategy, which has been instrumental in securing new routes for Cork Airport. “Ireland has an unusually high number of airports serving the country. In the southern region of the country, there are two relatively large airports, Cork and Shannon, and two smaller regional airports, Kerry and Waterford. All of these airports service a small catchment area, with a population of approximately 1.25 million. To combat the challenge presented by this and to ensure that we continue to grow at Cork Airport, we work hard to attract new routes and new airlines by providing unbeatable incentive schemes and solid business cases to identify the growth opportunities for our airline partners. “Cork Airport is ideally situated as the gateway to the South of Ireland and uniquely positioned at the start of the Wild Atlantic Way and Ireland’s Ancient East; the country’s two main thematic tourism products that are proving increasingly popular. We continue to work with both Fáilte Ireland and Tourism Ireland to promote both of these products abroad. We have an excellent transport infrastructure including motorway access and public transportation options, which helps outbound traffic by providing easy and hassle-free access to Cork Airport. We also ensure that we continue to offer great value car parking for outbound passengers.” Cork Airport uses a wide range of technologies in an effort to ensure that their passengers have a first-class experience. Examples of the technology used at the airport includes video analytics and using Bluetooth connections on phones to track passengers as they move through the airport. Kevin notes that this now allows airport staff to respond quickly when queues form at the security screening point. “Cork Airport also recently upgraded all car park technology; the new system was installed onto a new virtualised IT network within the car park environment, and integrated with the pre-booking software, which ensures resilience and security, as well as fast data and voice communication transfer. Cork Airport also provides free Wi-Fi throughout the termi-
nal and we ensure that the service is easy to connect to and is dependable, as we understand that our customers rely on this.” Kevin is very optimistic about the future at Cork Airport, as the company are continuing to work closely with their airline partners to drive growth at the airport. “We are continuing to make investments into our services to ensure that we offer the best possible passenger experience. One example of this will be our new Food and Beverage offering, which will be launched in the coming months. Continuing to consider the passenger experience, passenger safety and security are paramount at Cork Airport, and as such we are expanding our security screening to assist the smooth movement of passengers during peak times, and we are investing in a significant new training ground for our Fire and Rescue Service. “Cork Airport will remain competitive across our range of airfares and destinations, so we need to ensure that we work hard to attract new routes and airlines by offering the most compelling business cases; passengers are beginning to expect more from their flying experience, as their trip now begins as soon as they arrive at the airport, so we will continue to offer world-class, award-winning customer service as well as developing the social and digital channels further to help improve engagement. “As well as continuing to grow in 2017, Cork Airport also celebrated a fantastic year in terms of recognition for its achievements. Cork Airport has won multiple National and International awards for our Customer Service, and we are also looking forward to hosting the ACI Regional Airports Conference in May, when we welcome hundreds of delegates from across the industry.”
Company: Cork Airport Name: Kevin Cullinane Email: kevin.cullinane@daa.ie Web Address: www.corkairport.com
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Best Jet Engine Maintenance & Repair Service Canada Essential Turbines Inc (ETI) is a Canadian maintenance, repair and overhaul of aerospace jet engines provider specialising in Rolls-Royce 250 Series Gas Turbine Engines primarily used to support helicopter applications. We invited Co-Founder Michael E. Guntner to tell us more.
Located in Dorval, Quebec, Canada. Essential Turbines Inc. is a specialist in providing custom services, modifications, repairs and overhauls of Rolls-Royce / Allison M250 (RR M250) Series of engines, modules and accessories. Established in 1993 by father and son team Michael F.Guntner and Michael E.Guntner, ETI provides around-the-clock service and has developed a worldwide loyal clientele amongst helicopter operators, including flight training, firefighting, law enforcement, government agencies, private and corporateowned helicopter operators. ETI’s skilled and competent workforce, along with their commitment and focus on providing customers with a full-service attention on their repair and overhaul needs, has led them to become true leaders in the aerospace industry. Since inception the firm has grown into a world-class organization that offers extremely personalized service. ETI has developed long term relationships with its customers because of its dedication to the success of its client’s business. Each repair and overhaul receives the fullest attention and makes use of the company’s state-of-the-art equipment and specialized expertise. Michael E. Guntner discusses the firm’s focus on client service and how this has helped it to grow its client base and achieve the success it enjoys today. “Here at ETI, we provide complete in-house MRO support, engine fleet management as well field service teams that are deployed for on-site maintenance and AOG support. Central to our approach is the fact that we listen extensively to the customer and provide options that can meet or exceed their demands. We are also providing key added value components to our relationships. We are able to bundle our experience with effective and efficient maintenance and training programs as well as fleet program budgeting for accurate statements of work. This helps ease much of the customer’s burden and then collectively with the client, we move forward.” Alongside its vast array of maintenance and
repair services, ETI also offers exchanges and rentals, pre-buy inspections and RR M250 training. Working so closely with the market offers Michael a unique insight which he is keen to share with us. “Since the global financial crisis of 2008, everything has changed in the aircraft repair market. Customers now mostly buy or arrange MRO activities ‘just in time’ due to their lack of internal resources. To adapt, we have to move fast in order to meet the TAT requirements. We dedicate all the required resources and provision accordingly so that when the unit arrives, we waste no time. In addition, we are in development of a new process that we expect will reduce our time times by 50-60%. This would equate to our ultimate goal of 5-15 business day TAT. It is an aggressive, yet achievable goal that we will be able to comment on more extensively by the first quarter of 2018.” Moving forward, Michael believes that collaboration will be central to the firm’s ongoing success, as he concludes. “Looking ahead, we are looking at investing more in specific markets and we are teaming up by way of JV’s and partnerships in regions that are more challenging and require dedicated, local presence. We are good at what we do, but we need help in order to continue to offer the very best solutions on the market. This opens the door to us for greater quality relationships.”
Company: Essential Turbines Inc. (ETI) Name: Michael Guntner Jr and Michael Guntner Sr Email: mguntnerjr@essentialturbines.com Web Address: essentialturbines.com Address: 443 Meloche Avenue, Dorval, Quebec, H9P 2W2 Telephone: +001.514.633.4458 www.transportnews-intl.com
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Best Global Aircraft Engine Nanocoating Service EnvAerospace was established in 2000 as the world’s first environmental aerospace firm, dedicated to reducing fuel burn and gas turbine emissions. The company works with major engine OEMs of aero and aeroderivative gas turbine engines, as well as airlines, aircraft operators and other end users. Jonathan Webster, President and CEO tells us more about the firm’s valuable work. EnvAerospace designs customer-centric nanocoating solutions to improve product life cycle challenges found in gas turbine engines. By improving airfoil integrity in the compressor section of gas turbine engines to improve or retain engine efficiency and restore operational performance, a more efficient engine results which uses less fuel and discharges fewer emissions. Jonathan explains that EnvAerospace continually invests in R&D and collaborates with OEMs in order to ensure that excellence is achieved throughout the different industries. “The air transport industry is continually evolving and becoming more competitive, and although fuel prices have helped airline earnings and profitability, margin pressure will continue. Many airlines have already been expanding their route network and air travel growth is anticipated to be 5 per cent per year for the next 20 years. EnvAerospace recognizes that this expansion however has consequences for the environment, which supports our business case for introducing technology that reduces emissions, today. Fortunately for our business, widespread recognition and environmental stewardship continues to gain momentum from all stakeholders. “In order to stay ahead of emerging industry developments, we collaborate with OEMs, industry and government bodies which allows Air Transport Awards 2017
for any required regulatory approvals of our application to be streamlined. Understanding relevant industry changes by preparing for new guidelines and regulations early, including REACH compliance and quality assurance refinements, are two examples of how we appropriately align our technology and manage our code of conduct, enabling us to compete in a ‘high flying, highly regulated’ industry.” EnvAerospace is based in Canada, which has one of the lowest corporate tax rates in the world and a number of unique programs which incentivize R&D, allowing firms to continually invest, reinvest and remain innovative, which is why Jonathan believes it is a suitable base. He also recognizes that his firm’s growth expectations will continue because global demand for air travel combined with mounting pressure to reduce emissions, continues to remain robust. “As demand for new aircraft orders continues, newer versions of each aircraft type can incorporate innovative technologies that could provide competitive advantage, maintain market share and meet the needs of consumers. Going forward, we understand that consumers are going to expect airlines to further reduce emissions along with their environmental footprint and our patented technology provides us with the unique ability to help OEMs, airlines and other end users, evolve their business models to include greater environmental stewardship, as part of our technology’s value proposition and firm’s competitive advantage. “The air transport market on the whole continues to remain healthy and robust for the foreseeable future given the increasing travel demand. Importantly, market forces will continue to attract global carriers looking to improve market share. Irrespective of these competitive pressures however, the industry can do more to reduce emissions by implementing emission reducing technologies sooner. Adopting this view is not just good for the environment, it’s good for business.” Jonathan recognizes that the firm can only do its best work if all employees are aligned with the corporate strategy. He has made sure that the culture at EnvAerospace continues to evolve such that there are no internal discon-
nects that prevent the corporate strategy from being executed. “This enables us to solve problems with efficacy and mitigate risk. When risks have been properly addressed using cross-enterprise techniques, problem solving is easier and is embraced, which fosters a harmonious working environment that enables a dynamic firm to realize its strategic intent and deliver on its promises, on time. We recruit selectively and hire for the long term, offering positions to team players with the appropriate skillset who demonstrate a desire to add value to a growing firm. In short, fit is important. Finding the most talented employee isn’t always easy, however given our unique technology and exciting future, many exceptional candidates and potential employees express an interest in joining our firm. “For highly innovative firms, the aerospace industry is an exciting industry in which to conduct business. There are a number of specific projects and developments underway that require our technology and expertise, and we are looking forward to adding value by collaborating on these many worthwhile projects while helping each customer help their customer as well as the environment.”
Company: EnvAerospace, Inc. Name: Jonathan Webster, Pres. & CEO Email: info@envaerospace.com Web Address: www.envaerospace.com Address: 7-2023 Williams Parkway East, Brampton, Ontario, Canada L6S 5N1 Telephone: +1 905 791 1368
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Best Ground Handling Service - East Africa Equity Aviation Services (T) Ltd (EAS) is a market leading ground handling firm based in Tanzania. We invited Marketing Officer Goodluck Joseph to tell us more.
Established in 2000, EAS has since grown to be the leading ground handling company which provides extensive solutions for handling Corporate Jets, VIPs, Diplomatic Flights, Charters and Ad-Hoc Flights. The company supplies full range of ground support services, and is committed and has continuously produced professional standards of ground handling services, having the most multi-skilled staff to support its airline and partners’ efficiency and safety. Goodluck outlines how far the firm has come since it was founded and how it has drawn on its 17 years of experience to offer the very highest standards of service to clients.
are the ones who have direct contact with customers in the courseof providing services. In recruitment process our human resources department deliberately choose the most potential applicants who later on undergo training to make them competent for their different job positions.
“Since inception greater focus has been directed into our quality of service to our clients, dedicating our expertise by making our customers top priority. The company is owned by a Tanzanian lady with excellent business skills namely, Rosemary Kacungira. It has other local shareholders and Board of Directors who are responsible for the overall activities of the company.
Fundamentally, with a registered head office at Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA), (Terminal 1) building, Dar-Es-Salaam, additionally have offices at the Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA), Mwanza and Zanzibar International Airport, and through agencies, liaison offices in all major airports in the East African Community countries, EAS has the ability to provide clients with a truly global service. Moving forward maintaining and building upon its current, market leading success will remain the firm’s ongoing focus.
“As such in May 2009, Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority awarded us with a 1st class license to provide Ground handling services at all airport locations in Tanzania. The license provided Equity Aviation with the opportunity to grow its business, and since that time the company has employed more people from the local environment where it operates and offers more services to the Airports.” Around the world the aviation industry is one of the most growing sectors, particularly in terms of market and technology. With that in mind, Equity Aviation Services ensures that it provides the most satisfactory, up-tothe-minute services to all of its clients by offering a competitive service which is at the forefront of industry developments. Central to achieving this is ensuring that the firm’s employees are always working to the best of their abilities, as Goodluck explains. “Employees are the most important resource for any company, and therefore Equity Aviation Services considers its employees as a backbone of the company since they
“Furthermore, staff are trained every three months in order to ensure that they are fully aware of and compliant with the relevant rules, laws and procedures. All of our staff comprehend our vision, mission and values of the company which keep them working hard in order to achieve our goals.”
Company: Equity Aviation Services (T) Ltd Address: Jkn International Airport Terminal One, P.O. BOX 18092, Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania Phone: +255 22 284 2901 Fax: +255 22 284 3346 Mobile: +255 754 49 48 96 E-mail: equity@equityaviation.co.tz Website: www.equityaviation.co.tz www.transportnews-intl.com
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Best for Automated Queue Management Software - Europe Foxstream is a software company, founded in 2004, that specializes in real-time automated processing of video content analysis (VCA). The firm offers solutions that extract meaningful information from video feeds, which can be materialized by a red contour to identify an intruder in a prohibited area, or by displaying wait times calculated on the number of persons waiting in a line. Foxstream’s objective is to provide users with solutions that increase the efficiency and efficacy of their video system, and to reduce their operating costs. At the end of 2014, Foxstream acquired Blue Eye Video Inc., a company specialized in queue management solutions in the airport industry. This company has now become Foxstream Inc., located in Miami, USA, and offers waiting time estimates as well as security solutions. Foxstream participates in various large scale collaborative projects. One of them, confidential in nature, seeks to help the French CIS. Another project of the firm’s aims to perfect a mobile detection and collision risk alert system on construction sites, to improve the security of construction personnel and highway users. This project, initiated by Aximum and labelled thanks to the Competitive Poles Mov’eo, LUTB and RISQUES, was selected for the 19th funding round of France’s FUI. One of the main advantages of VCA in the security field is that the object that triggers the alarm is highlighted using OSD, for example, a red contour that highlights the vehicle or person, which allows an operator to immediately identify the source of the event without wasting time. Time is the most critical factor when it comes to initiating an intervention. This is why real-time and automatic transmission are key objectives in Foxstream’s development, as it facilitates the work of monitoring Air Transport Awards 2017
agents and security personnel, and hence, the efficacy of Law Enforcement agencies. Foxstream’s guiding principle is to be exceptional in its area of expertise, and to associate itself with the best players in the industry, thus providing its customers with state-ofthe-art solutions and the freedom to choose their preferred partners. Foxstream works very closely with the UMR (Mixed Research Unit) LIRIS, part of France’s CNRS (National Centre for Scientific Research), a world leading R&D institution. The partnership is based on a convention signed with the laboratory, the University of Lyon, and the CNRS at the national level, allowing Foxstream to benefit from numerous exchanges within the research community. This partnership has allowed Foxstream to participate in a dozen international conferences from Singapore to Las Vegas, to present its work and to stay close to the scientific community. The solutions offered by Foxstream are highly configurable and can adapt themselves to a number of customer requirements, with the firm working largely with integrators, installers and engineering offices. Foxstream cares a great deal about passenger’s privacy, which is why their solutions do not use passenger data collected on their cell phones without their authorization; the firm’s solutions only measure time spent in queues, they do not track devices. Foxstream anticipate that passengers in the near future will be more comfortable with technology, as they have grown up with the internet and mobile devices. Although these consumers do not want to feel tracked, they are eager to receive relevant messages concerning their journey to and at the airport, such as free parking spots, wayfinding tools, waiting times through security, and other related information. They do not want to lose time finding the information that concerns them on general boards or touch screen kiosks; they want their personal information pushed to them. Passengers need to feel in control of their journey to enjoy their experience. Many of the key players in the aviation industry predict that the airport of the future’s main goal will be to enhance the passenger experience, thereby increasing non-aeronautical
revenues. To achieve this goal, they assert that passengers lean towards increased personalization and complete self-service processing, as mentioned above. Although these professionals mainly agree on this fact, the way to get there is less obvious. Mainly tools exist which may assist in reaching this goal, but they need to be combined in order to enhance the overall experience on offer. Knowing what the estimated waiting times are will help passengers feel relieved and better plan their trip, but it will not reduce the waiting times. Intelligent Video Analysis helps airport operators better forecast passenger flow and open more desks in order to reduce waiting times. Each airport manager is provided with the correct information at the right time, with a customized dashboard. They have access to real-time estimated waiting times, and can take action by opening new desks to reduce these times. However, the key factor is that operators can now benefit from a new 5-7-day predictive module, offering Automated Predictive Analytics based on Open Data, such as past waiting times at the same time of the year, and Big Data Correlation, such as weather conditions, ground traffic, and school vacations. This service allows them to better forecast their human and physical resources in order to best serve the passengers’ interest while optimizing costs for the airport. A win-win solution, which Foxstream hopes to continue to offer to their clients long into the future.
Company: Foxstream Inc. Name: Aurélie Prat Email: a.prat@foxstream.fr Web Address: www.foxstream.us.com Address: 990 Biscayne Blvd, Suite 1203, Miami, FL 33132, USA Telephone: Office: +1 305-600-4461 Cell: +1 786-282-7023
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Best Aviation Fuel Management Software Germany FuelPlus Group is a market leader in providing innovative fuel management software that helps airlines and fuel suppliers save time and money. We invited KlausPeter Warnke to talk us through the range of products and services the company offers and how these support clients with all their fuel management needs. FuelPlus is the world’s number one provider of aviation fuel management products and services and has been serving airlines since 2000 from its German headquarters in Hannover. The FuelPlus aviation fuel management solution brings together large amounts of disparate fuel data across different teams and systems into one platform. The FuelPlus platform has pre-built and customisable integration points that make it easy to consolidate planning, operations, finance, procurement, invoicing and other fuel related data to be accessed, analysed and updated by different teams across the airline. The platform has a number of flexible modules engineered from the ground up to automate specific fuel processes ranging from strategic and fuel budget planning, procurement, replenishment, operations monitoring and fuel accounting. These modules can work alone to automate specific processes or work together to enable airlines to implement a robust, end to end fuel process across the whole enterprise. KlausPeter discusses how this focus on providing innovative, creative solutions which meet the needs of their clients has helped the firm to achieve its current success. “Here at Fuelplus, our focus on developing the industries best fuel management solution, our unswerving commitment to our customers, and our very high standards of excellence
and ongoing innovation means that today more than 50 airlines managing approx. 25% of the world’s commercial aviation fuel consumption trust FuelPlus to streamline their fuel management process. We are proud to count some of the worlds most respected carriers as customers including Air France/ KLM, IAG/British Airways, Lufthansa, JetBlue, WestJet, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, Etihad, South African Airlines, ANA amongst many others.
for the company. Whilst our ongoing focus is on continuing to provide solutions to all segments of the aviation fuel market – airlines and suppliers – to help them automate their end of the business, in addition, FuelPlus wants to enable seamless collaboration between all of these parties. We believe this is where the biggest benefit will come. There is already a lot of automation happening within organisations, but the next level is automation between organisations.
“To provide these clients with the very latest, cutting edge solutions, our culture is based on innovation, excellence, trust, respect and collaboration. We believe our client focused approach is highly successful because we have a technical background and our attention has always been focused on building very high quality products with the functionality airlines need which means we have always been able to deliver what we promise. We hire the best engineers, product and service people but we also make sure they are able to collaborate with each other and our customers. We have a very clear vision of building the industries best products and whilst we provide very high levels of customer service we also believe that the best service we can provide is one that’s not needed because the product is working perfectly and is easy to use “out of the box”. This overriding attitude of building great products that our customers can easily implement and use permeates everyone in the FuelPlus group from the CEO to the engineering teams, sales, service and QA teams.”
“This will involve creating industry-wide standards, such as the XML invoice initiative that IATA championed over the last five years. FuelPlus was part of the taskforce for this initiative and within five years, we’ve seen the sector switch from a very manual approach to invoicing to a very automated approach. We now need to do the same for the procurement side of things and thankfully, there is appetite from the industry for this. In fact, we are currently working with IATA on various data standards for tenders.
Overall, in the long-term FuelPlus’s vision is to come up with tools that can free fuel professionals from their boring routine activities, so they have more time to spend on areas where they can really add value, such as talking to suppliers, analysing and interpreting figures, and coming up with new ideas. Klaus-Peter concludes by describing how it will achieve this ambitious aim by continuing to develop new and innovative solutions and working to create industry standards. “Ultimately we have a very exciting vision
“Fundamentally, we want to create the first completely self-driving aviation fuel management system, which will automatically issue tenders, evaluate and award bids, set up contracts and pay suppliers. Like a form of artificial intelligence, it could take all of these decisions on behalf of the fuel manager, making our clients’ lives easier, more efficient and more effective. We look forward to being a key figurehead in this industry revolution.”
Company: FuelPlus Group Name: Klaus-Peter Warnke Email:mcharalambous@fuelplus.com Web Address: www.FuelPlus.com Telephone:+44 (0)7557516436 www.transportnews-intl.com
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Best Airport Portfolio Manager - Europe Ferrovial Airports oversees all the activities related to the airport sector of the Ferrovial Group, and is one of the leading private airport investors and operators in the world. We invited Gonzalo Velasco, Portfolio Management Director to tell us more. Foxstream’s objective is to provide users with Ferrovial Airports’ current portfolio comprises of four airports in the UK: a 25% stake in Heathrow, and a 50% stake in Glasgow, Aberdeen and Southampton, serving 90 million passengers per year. Gonzalo explains the work of the firm, and how they have developed their approach over time. “Ferrovial Airports is able to design, construct, finance, and operate airports of any size, adding value at every stage for our clients, partners and stakeholders. Our tested approach is based on achieving operating and financial efficiency, developing innovative solutions to improve passenger experience, and establishing a fluid dialog with all the stakeholders involved in each of our airports.” “Despite being a highly regulated industry, airport assets are coveted by a wide range of investors. As passenger traffic figures grow across the world, we are seeing increased competition by infrastructure and pension funds. This environment paves the way for complex bidding processes, in which previous experience and the ability to roll our innovative ideas to cater for the needs of a new generation of consumers play a key role.” Over the last few years, the UK airport industry has been experiencing a steady growth in passengers and cargo air traffic. In line with the government’s stated preference to increase its capacity by building a third runway in Heathrow, Ferrovial Airports expect to see a greater contribution to the economy and the provision of more jobs. Gonzalo notes that despite this increase, there are a number of Air Transport Awards 2017
challenges currently facing the air transport market. “The collateral of the Brexit vote in this market’s overall performance remains to be seen, so we should combine an ambitious growth strategy with a very disciplined and efficient approach to our operations. Airport regulation is always aimed at securing safe flights, empowering passengers and reducing inefficiencies. By putting those three goals at the core of what we do, we are usually ahead of the regulatory changes in the markets in which we operate. “We pride ourselves on exceeding regulation requirements when it comes to minimising the impact of our operations in nearby communities, among other areas in which we are setting new standards for the industry as a whole. Alongside this, we are members of the main industry institutions to get ahead of future changes and to contribute to the shape of tomorrow’s industry.”
the possibility to lead disruptive innovation in a growing sector, while being part of one of the world’s airports leading investors and operators.” “Looking to the future, there is the prospect of more passengers and an even more connected world, where airports will play a much larger role to deliver on the globalisation promise. The industry will also face security, regulatory and efficiency challenges that will require the hard work of a new generation of professionals. We look forward to being even more innovative, streamlining our business model and growing our portfolio across the world. We are seeing a greater push towards airport privatisation across the world, paired with an increased scrutiny by governments, transport authorities and society as a whole on everything we do. To seize those opportunities, we need to make the airports in our portfolio even greater and continue creating value for local communities, passengers, airlines, investors and employees.”
With technology constantly evolving, integrating it into the work of a company to ensure that it operates at peak efficiency and proves incredibly beneficial, as Gonzalo explains. “The airport industry thrives on innovation, as it is key to integrate more secure, faster and cost-efficient connections. In that regard, our assets have implemented cutting edge initiatives based on the use of big data, drones, unmanned vehicles and renewable energy, and we stay ahead of the curve by constantly monitoring successful R&D projects across the infrastructure industry.” Ferrovial Airports’ overall goal is to make good airports great, for both their passengers and their people, which is implemented by their business model as it is fully aligned with that objective. With this in mind, Gonzalo explains how they attract the very best talent on the market. “As in any other industry, airports are experiencing a major shift regarding passengers’ needs and expectations as our world ventures further into the digital economy. We need motivated and committed people to face these challenges. To that end, we offer our new hires a clear career path, great mobility and
Company: Ferrovial Airports Email: comunicacion.aeropuertos@ferrovial.com Web Address: www.ferrovial.com Address: Quintanavides, 21, 28050; Madrid; Spain Telephone: 91 768 83 44
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Best International Airport 2017 Ecuador Terminal Aeroportuaria de Guayaquil S.A. (TAGSA) is a private company which manages and operates the Airport of Guayaquil. We caught up with its General Manager Angel Córdova, to find out more.
TAGSA is an international airport which partners with a number of firms including Dellair Services, Corporacion Aeroportuaria and Ormond Group. Angel tells us more about the airport and the services it provides. “Here at TAGSA, we operate the airport and we provide the facilities and infrastructure for all the companies that work in the airport. Our aim is to maintain the facilities and airport infrastructure at the best level so as to give a warm and friendly service with quality and security to all customers. “Good and well trained employees are the most important element to achieve this aim. We are lucky to have been working with some of our staff for a long time, and we have a strong internal culture. One of our principles of conduct is: ‘No one is more important in the company than all together.’ Every day we try to give the people the empowerment and the confidence that we have to work together in order to succeed.” Despite the numerous economic, political and social challenges that the airport faces being based in Ecuador, it has all the infrastructure,
equipment and technology that is necessary to be one of the best airports in the region. Looking ahead, Angel foresees many challenges for the airport but is confident that its dedication to excellence will ensure its ongoing success. “The future is going to be a real challenge due to economic and political trends that we have to deal with. For this reason, we have to be very conservative and creative to ensure that we continue to build upon the success we have already achieved. One of the key challenges will be the fact that the city wants to build a new airport, and we look forward to supporting the construction, management and overall success of this new facility.”
Company: TAGSA Name: Terminal Aeroportuaria de Guayaquil S.A Email: acordova@tagsa.aero Web Address: www.tagsa.aero Address: Av de las Americas y Av. Isidro Ayora, Aeropuerto José Joaquín De Olmedo. Telephone: 5934 2169000
www.transportnews-intl.com
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Aviation IT Provider of the Year 2017 IBS Software is a leading provider of software products and services for mission critical and key business operations relating to the global travel, transportation and logistics industry. We spoke to Rajiv Shah, Chief Executive Officer, to find out more about how the firm’s focus on the air transportation industry has allowed them to develop innovative solutions to meet the needs of their clients.
IBS’s software products enable their customers to enhance their customer value proposition, build deeper engagement with their customers and improve the operational efficiency of their business. Rajiv explains that the firm’s employees, numbering nearly 3,000 and including twenty different nationalities, are spread across their offices in the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa and Asia-Pacific, allowing the firm to be easily accessible to their clients from a range of locations. “Our current customer base, of over 200, includes ten of the largest airlines/airline groups in the world, four of the largest global oil companies, over 80 of the largest hotel chains and 30 leading travel suppliers. Our major airline clients include ANA, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, China Eastern, China Southern, Emirates, KLM, Lufthansa, Qantas and Turkish. We believe we have been honoured with the custom of such highly regarded brands as we adopt a collaborative approach to product development, which aims to help our customers achieve their business goals by facilitating innovation. We support innovative business processes by using next generation IT systems, listening carefully to our customers, prospective customers and industry thought leaders to ensure that we stay ahead of industry trends and are able to meet our customers’ current and future needs. “We are the only technology company that provides software solutions to almost all business areas in the aviation sector; we serve airline passenger services, cargo operations, flight and crew operations, airport operations and aircraft maintenance engineering. We provide new-gen software products to address business needs in all these areas and complement it with specialized software services. Our solutions typically address mission critical areas of our customers’ business and help them make their business more customer centric, and improve its operational efficiency.” Rajiv notes that the air transportation industry has changed dramatically over the years, and that the primary driver of this has been technological advancement. “As technology has advanced, travellers increasingly expect personalized services and want to be in control. Airline employees expect to be armed with the tools that will
Air Transport Awards 2017
allow them to do their jobs better, and in line with this, airline management expects to be able to control costs, enhance the customer experience and manage complex problems with innovative solutions. We adapt to these changes by investing significantly in our software solutions. “Our collaborative approach to developing a product roadmap involves the active participation of our customers, prospective customers and senior industry thought leaders, who we refer to as our “Core Group of Influence” program or “CGI Program”. In doing this, we gather insights into the future direction of technology and the needs of the next generation of the industry. As a result of this diligence, our solutions remain fully capable of handling the most current business practices, yet flexible and innovative enough to accommodate evolving and futuristic requirements. “Looking to the future, IBS has set itself a target to become the No. 1 IT solution provider in the world for the air transportation industry within the next 10 years. Today, IBS is at an inflexion point in its journey; we have four major R&D programs in progress, all of which are nearing completion. Our unique collaborative development model has ensured that these products are precisely what the industry needs – a fact validated through their adoption by several companies, even before their launch. “These new products, along with our existing ones, will enable us to continue our mission of helping companies to connect better with their customers through personalized service offerings, grow their revenue and improve their operational efficiency by process reengineering and enhancement. We see ourselves playing a big role in liberating airlines from the clutches of legacy technologies, thereby helping them manage business disruptions effectively and changing consumer expectations for the better.” Company: IBS Software Services Private Ltd. Name: Rajiv Shah, Chief Executive Officer Email: ibsindia@ibsplc.com Web Address: www.ibsplc.com/ Address: 5th Floor, NILA, Technopark Campus, Trivandrum - 695581, India Telephone: +91 471 6614200
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Best MRO Station 2017 & Award for Excellence in Customer Service - USA Perform Air International Inc. was founded in 1988, with the intention of leading the aviation industry in quality standards, customer satisfaction and technical innovation in the Component Overhaul and Repair services sector. The firm maintains a reputation that is founded on excellence throughout their extensive customer base, which ranges from major air carriers and OEM’s, to regional operators; Cindy McGown, President, told us more. Perform Air International Inc. began to position itself competitively as early as the 1990s, as the firm realised that the sector in which they work would soon become increasingly important. Perform Air International Inc. implemented quality programs, efficiency standards and inventive systems to ensure their ability to be competitive in the industry, and they realized that turnaround times within the repair industry would have to improve to reduce the cost of inventory to their customers; as such, Perform Air International Inc. implemented an inventory replenishment system that ensures on hand inventory, regardless of the lead time from the OEM’s. The firm also added additional equipment to ensure zero down time for their essential test equipment. With the increase in fuel prices and the downturn of the economy in 2008, the aviation industry underwent a significant blow to profitability, which led to the additional consolation of costs and a number of cost saving drives. Cindy explains that Perform Air International Inc. implemented additional cost saving initiatives for their customers, providing DER repairs and a sister company, PAI Systems, which has been granted a part 21 operations specification for the manufacturing of PMA parts.
“In light of these additional investments, Perform Air International Inc. are able to offer the lowest cost, shortest lead time, and a greater reliability on those components chosen for repair schemes and PMA projects. It is the edict of our Engineering Department to not only ensure FAA acceptance, but in all cases to reduce price, improve lead time, and provide greater reliability. With these additions to our service offering, we believe Perform Air International Inc. is the best in class repair station, with a customer service department that works in partnership with our customers to solve their problems. “As the overall industry has now moved into a time of renewed profitability, an underlying issue is beginning to emerge; the availability of qualified personnel. As the number of newly certificated airmen (pilots and mechanics/repairmen) continues to decrease nationally, it is of the utmost importance to ensure that we retain and build our most valuable assets, our employees. We are committed to our employees, and pride ourselves on ensuring that all of our personnel are properly trained and fully competent to perform their duties, thus providing a safe, healthy and efficient work environment. It is also extremely important that we work within our community to promote the aviation industry to the next generation of potential industry leaders, pilots, and technicians. We actively work with the National Aviation Hall of Fame and various local organizations to assist the promotion of aerospace careers to young people.” Perform Air International is a based in Gilbert, Arizona, near to Phoenix Sky Harbour airport, which provides excellent logistical resources for the firm. The climate in this area is unique, as it offers limited weather related delays in production or shipping, as well as providing an ideal component storage environment. Cindy proudly noted that the state and community colleges in the area, alongside the high schools, provide excellent aviation training resources, which afford them access to an ever expanding pool of available personnel. “Perform Air International Inc. employs a full body of IT staff, specializing in both hardware and software development. We believe that our proprietary enterprise management system is key to our current efficiencies and will be key to future improvements, and as the system was designed and implemented
in-house, we are able to adapt our system as needs change or as customer need changes. This system is integrated into every facet of our operation from training, to recordkeeping, to technical data retention. This high level of integration allows for our staff to report on and monitor efficiency, at both a macro and micro level, so trends can be quickly identified and addressed as necessary. “Throughout our time in this business, we have recognised the necessity of regulatory compliance in the MRO industry. Working directly with our local and international regulatory counterparts is key to not only understanding these compliance requirements, but to remaining informed about new requirements. Perform Air International Inc. is FAA, EASA, CAAC, ISO 9001-2000 and ISO 14001 registered, CASE listed, ASA compliant, AS9100 and AS9110 compliant, and provides the resources necessary to ensure an effective Quality Management System (QMS). Our QMS is essential to providing not only regulatory compliance, but reduced price, lead time and component reliability.” With the latest offerings from major aircraft manufacturers including such new technologies as electro-hydrostatic actuation and the related aircraft systems becoming more electronically controlled/monitored, Cindy knows that it is essential for Perform Air International Inc. to stay up to date with the latest technologies. “The days of simple hydraulic actuation and unmonitored sub systems will be coming to a close in the future. Perform Air International Inc. will continue to adapt to changes in component design and the associated maintenance requirements by continuing to invest in our employees, equipment and facilities to ensure our position in the future. For over 25 years, Perform Air International Inc. has remained focused on honing our skills and systems towards the repair of accessory class components. We will continue that focus, adding capability to support current and next generation aircraft systems as they are introduced.”
Company: Perform Air International Inc. Name: Cindy McGown Email: Cmcgown@performair.com Web Address: www.performair.com www.transportnews-intl.com
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Best Family Run International Pet Transportation Company & Award for Excellence in Pet Boarding Services - Western Australia Sherae Kennels/Petlink is a family owned and operated business that has been involved in the Pet Transport industry since 1975. We invited Colin Chinnery to tell us more.
Since inception, Sherae Petlink have successfully flown thousands of companion pets, which includes one Budgerigar to London, one Rabbit to Paris, one Galah to America, and one Gold Fish to Sydney, as well as pet pigs, goats, guinea pigs, with of course the most common being family dogs and cats. This shows no matter how fragile the family member is, if the job is handled correctly, it should always have a happy ending for all concerned. Colin is keen to emphasise that the success of each of these projects is a team effort, and the firm’s dedicated staff each have a vital role to play.
cherished pets/animals within their aircrafts.” Ultimately, Colin believes that the family business’s dedication to their clients and its small yet dedicated team of staff, who truly want to do their best for the client and their pets, sets them apart from their larger competitors. “Fundamentally, working with a smaller and more individual business means more time can be spent with the client and most importantly their family member, who is, in our case, the most important individual of all, no matter whether they are travelling around Australia or the world.
“We at Sherae Kennels – Petlink wish to thank the individual or family who nominated us for the 2017 Air Tranport award.
“Perth, Western Australia, is classed as the most isolated capital city in the world. Owing to this, the movement of any type of pet involves great distances, and therefore it should be completed in the best, safest and least stressful way possible”
“No single person is wholly responsible for the movement and care of a client’s family member, so our deep appreciation goes out to the staff at Sherae Petlink, our national and international associates, our accredited vet service provided by Melville Animal Hospital, Tony Clifford our air freight broker at WorldLink Intl (Tigers), the staff and government vets of DAWR (Australian Quarantine) and the airlines who still allow the movement of
Company: Sherae Kennels - Petlink Address: 29 Battersea Road, Canning Vale, Western Australia. 6155 Telephone: 61 08 9455 1249 Mob: 0410 564 326 Email: petlink@sherae.com.au Web: www.sherae.com.au www.transportnews-intl.com
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Best International Airport - Eastern Europe Sheremetyevo International Airport (SIA) is the largest Russian airport handling scheduled international flights. The Airport’s network includes 179 regular routes, and its services are utilized by the representatives of three major aviation alliances: SkyTeam (Air France, KLM, Delta, CSA Czech Airlines, Alitalia, China Southern Airlines, Korean Air, etc.), Star Alliance (Air China, LOT, Adria Airways), Oneworld (Finnair) and non-aligned Carriers. Intensive development and large-scale modernization of the infrastructure began at Sheremetyevo Airport in 2005, and with currently 4 main passenger terminals (Terminals DEFC) Sheremetyevo Airport is the biggest Russian airport complex; having reviewed operational results for 2016, Sheremetyevo international airport’s number of handled passengers exceeded the results of the previous year (31.6 million passengers) and amounted to 34 million passengers. The airport pays special attention to ensuring and constantly increasing its security and management efficiency level. In 2011, an Airport Operation Centre (AOC) was opened at Sheremetyevo. The Airport Operation Center is a strategic breakthrough project, enabling the airport to control business processes, coordinate the actions of the Airport divisions and third-parties, coordinate the cooperation between all participants of the process of servicing aircrafts, passengers and luggage, as well as monitoring and reviewing the situation in Sheremetyevo on a real-time basis. As a result of implementation of A-CDM in recent years Sheremetyevo airport holds leading position in the world in Air Transport Awards 2017
punctuality and on-time performance, and in 2016 Sheremetyevo holds 7th position in the world and 1st in Europe according to OAG Punctuality league with 83.52% overall ontime performance. Sheremetyevo airport utilises the most up-todate security systems to protect its passengers: the entrances and checkpoints are equipped with metal detectors and endoscopes, and new generation microwave scanners and gas analysers are used. The airport has adopted a multilevel system of automatic 100% luggage inspection and a video surveillance system that identifies potentially hazardous items according to the specified parameters. All equipment is certified, meets the international requirements and is safe for the health of airport passengers and staff. Sheremetyevo international airport will take part in the campaign to promote Russia on the domestic and international markets. Sheremetyevo international airport and the FSUE “National marketing center Visit Russia” signed an agreement on strategic partnership, which involves joining efforts and possibilities to maximize the potential of the market of inbound and domestic tourism. Airport will be focused on creating comfortable environment for tourists arriving to Russia trough Sheremetyevo airport and travelling within the country. Airport facilities will be equipped with visual materials, booklets on the tourist field of Russia in Russian, English, Chinese languages. Sheremetyevo Airport actively carries out a comprehensive program relating to the creation of a barrier-free environment. The airport provides personal assistance to passengers with reduced mobility, having set up special parking lots, information and check-in counters, twenty-four-hour medical assistance. Terminal E has a unique lounge for PRM passengers in a departure zone named “Sirius”, which is free of charge for PRM and elderly passengers. The airport values the high level of expertise demonstrated by its workers and their commitment to every day work, and their readiness to meet challenges and assume
responsibility. Sheremetyevo expects that most of its workers want to showcase their excellent performance, and the airport is ready to provide worthy compensation to those who deliver results. It is important for Sheremetyevo that every airport worker is treated fairly and with due respect, making them feel proud to work for the airport. Looking to the future, the airport is looking forward to opening a new Northern terminal complex by mid of 2018. Project includes construction of third independent runway (3200x60), New Terminal B (Domestic) for 20 million passengers per year, complete the construction of the central ramp and a western part of a new major taxiway which will connect third runway to the airfield. South and North terminal complexes will be connected by inter-terminal tunnel which will go under existing runways. With introduction of 3rd intoplane supplier and fuel farm and extension of cargo warehouses New Northern Terminal Complex project will increase capacity of Sheremetyevo from 40 to 60 million passengers, and align with current growing demand on the market and latest technologies and trends. Sheremetyevo believes that they can act as proper ambassadors of their country, and, this quality is the focus of all its activities. The airport ensures a high level of technology and a service culture, providing convenience and safety for their passengers, either citizens of Russian Federation or guests from other countries.
Company: JSC Sheremetyevo Intl Web Address: www.svo.aero Address: Russia, Moscow region, Khimki 141400 Telephone: +7 495 578 65 65
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Best Airline Consultancy Company - UK Skyblue Aero Services is a UK based company specialising in the ATR 42/72 series aircraft. We caught up with Captain Andy Foan to learn more about the firm and the range of services it offers in this exciting sector. Founded in 2003, Skyblue is an Approved Training Organisation for ATR 42/72 and Dornier 228, providing type rating training on these aircraft types, as well as consultancy services for start-up airlines and airlines re-equipping with these aircraft types. This includes cabin crew training, providing contract flight crew for initial route training at the operator’s home base, and aircraft ferrying services. Andy outlines the firm’s dedication to providing clients with the very highest standard of solutions. “Here at Skyblue we use highly experienced former line and training Captains as our instructors who can bring a wealth of experience to their roles. Our customers appreciate our flexibility and professionalism. We tailor our training and services to the needs of our customers, who are primarily regional airlines. This is very important in the aviation industry which due to its complex nature, often requires frequent re-planning to ensure the ultimate objective is achieved in a cost effective way.” Regulation in Europe has changed with much more emphasis on achieving safety through internal procedures rather than external oversight. Companies have had to adapt to this new environment through the introduction of Management Systems. There has been considerable growth in the regional airline market especially in the developing countries. This has created considerable challenges for companies and regulators operating in the new environment due to the shortage of skilled and experienced staff at all levels of the industry, as Andy describes.
“Although Skyblue deal with companies worldwide, our emphasis is on Europe and the air transport market in this region faces similar shortages of skilled pilots although not on the scale of developing regions. This is constricting growth. It is also difficult for new operators to obtain funding for projects due to the financial markets and this too is restricting growth in an area where there is clearly considerable demand. “In order to ensure that we offer the very best solutions to meet this demand and remain at the forefront of industry innovation we work closely with a number of regional airlines and as new trends develop we are able to work together to ensure the services we provide remain relevant and fully compliant with all regulatory requirements.” Although technology plays a vital role in airline training, Andy is eager to emphasise the fact that dedicated, professional staff are of the utmost importance and remain a vital resource for the firm. “The cost of flight simulators has fallen due to the latest advances in computing power and other advances, such as in motion systems mean that training is more realistic than ever. Although we use computer based training and have found that it can enhance the training experience, we have found that it must be used intelligently and not seen as a ‘cure all.’ We find our customers still appreciate the human touch of instructors and staff who can explain the practical application of theoretical knowledge, and who can also provide a wealth of valuable, and often entertaining anecdotes gleaned from their many years of experience in the industry. “As such we emphasise honesty, flexibility and professionalism to all our staff. All of us in the company understand the sacrifices, both personal and financial, that newcomers to the industry often have to make to achieve their ambition. We are determined that they should be treated fairly, openly and honestly. Their enthusiasm can all too easily be exploited by unscrupulous individuals and organisations and we are determined to stand up against
that. This is why we are opposed to the so called ‘pay-to-fly’ schemes which currently blight the industry.” Looking to the future, the regional airline market will continue to grow as there is increasing demand for point-to-point operations using smaller regional aircraft. Andy concludes by talking us through the latest developments for the firm and how it will look to continue to offer the very best solutions to clients so as to remain at the forefront of the industry. “Through our dedication to excellence and specialist aircraft focus Skyblue are well placed to offer new operators the services they need to successfully exploit this market. Our focus will remain on offering the best service possible to our customers. We have recently added the Dornier 228 to our approval because we could see a need for approved training which is relevant to modern operations. This type also fits our ethos very well in that there is a definite training demand but it is ‘off the radar’ of other ATOs who prefer to pursue the more obvious, glamorous types.”
Company: Skyblue Aero Services Ltd Name: Captain Andy Foan Email: andy@skyblueaero.com Web Address: www.skyblueaero.com Telephone: +44 (0)1395 567 022 www.transportnews-intl.com
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Best Aviation Company Florida South Seas Aviation (SSA) is a Florida based aeronautical materials supplier focusing on supporting the commercial aviation market. We invited Vitor Castilhos and Jorge L. Avila to talk us through the firm and the secrets behind its success.
Founded in 2000 and operated by professionals with over 30 years’ industry experience, SSA are a dedicated company supporting the sale and management of aeronautical materials for commercial aviation. Vitor outlines how the firm draws on this vast industry expertise to provide the very highest quality services to its clients. “SSA purchases and sells aeronautical material to commercial aviation, make the inventory and repair management, as well as providing services in the area of consulting and auditing. Following all the rules established by the competent authorities of the industry, we are able to offer the highest level of quality required. Overall our goal in 2020 is to be the biggest and best company in the industry.
States and branches in Germany and Brazil. These hubs help the firm to get closer to its clientele by providing a service that covers their needs whilst incorporating local knowledge and global expertise. Overall, in order to achieve the firm’s ambitious aim to become the market leader by 2020 SSA is devoted to growth for the foreseeable future, as Jorge concludes. “Over the past three years we have grown at the rate of about 30% per year. Our goal for the next three years is to achieve a growth that will suppress the one obtained in the past years which we are preparing for and planning accordingly, and we are excited for the opportunities this will afford us.”
“In order to achieve this and provide clients with the very highest standard of support, SSA works in a family environment, wherein all our personnel know their responsibilities and targets that must be attained. Additionally, the company makes every effort to maintain their employees updated with the market by facilitating their participation in fairs, courses, seminars and speeches, pertinent to the industry.” As a part of this growth strategy the firm is committed to constantly building upon its current workforce and investing in it to ensure that everyone who works with SSA is fully supported and able to provide clients with the very best service possible, as Vitor is keen to emphasize. “Fundamentally, at SSA we invest in our people over all else, as we know that if they are well looked after then they will take good care of our clients. We are also always paying attention to the market, in order to obtain individuals that are dynamic, intelligent, capable and hard working so that we can continue growing and expanding as a company whilst retaining the same collaborative, supportive culture.” Offering a truly global reach, SSA have offices in strategic points for logistic optimization with headquarters in the South of the United Air Transport Awards 2017
Company: South Seas Aviation, INC Name: Vitor Castilhos (President) Email: sales@southseas.aero Web Address: www.southseas.aero Address: 4747 North Nob Hill Road Suite 13, Sunrise, FL 33351 Telephone: 954-306-6063
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Best Aircraft Overhaul Service Provider - Canada CanWest Aerospace provides a comprehensive range of value-driven helicopter and fixed-wing maintenance, repair and overhaul services. We profile the firm to find out more.
CanWest Aerospace is a premiere independent aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) provider in North America, successfully supporting helicopter and fixed-wing operators around the globe. With more than a decade of MRO experience, CanWest Aerospace holds approvals from Transport Canada (TC) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) as an approved MRO provider; specializing in both helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. The firm’s helicopter maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities are strategically located near Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; at the Langley Regional Airport (CYNJ). This West Coast location provides easy shipping and access to the Canada and the United States, South American, Europe and Asia Pacific markets via a modern multimodal transportation network including air, sea, road and rail. The company’s vast service offering includes component and dynamic component repair and overhaul; structures and composites repair; full service avionics (including glass cockpits); aircraft re-wires (partial and complete); scheduled and non-scheduled helicopter inspections; deep level maintenance support; as well as parts sales and exchanges. Additionally, CanWest Aerospace provide best-in-class helicopter and fixed-wing MRO
services for several of the most commonly operated light, medium and heavy helicopter models, including Sikorsky S61series, S76, S64, S70, UH-60, UH-3H, SH-3D, CH124; Airbus AS350, AS355, EC120 and B0-105; McDonnell Douglas MD500; Agusta Westland AW139; and Bell Helicopter B206, B206L, B204, B205, B212, B214, B407, B412, CH146 and UH-Series, among others. To ensure that if provides the very highest level of support available, the firm’s highlyqualified and experienced Global Task Force (GTF) team is available to travel to any point on the globe at short notice, wherever and whenever clients need support. Overall it is this commitment to excellence and dedication to supporting clients, alongside the firm’s strong technical expertise, which has bought Canwest Aerospace to the success it enjoys today, and as such its ongoing focus will remain on developing this and continuing to offer this level of service and expertise to its clients, both existing and future.
Company: Canwest Aerospace Inc Address: Hanger #10, 5225-216th Street, Langley, BC Canada V2Y 2N3 Phone: +1-604-532-0322 Email: info@canwestaerospace.com Website: http://canwestaerospace.com Fax : +1-604-539-5592 www.transportnews-intl.com
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