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The weekly newspaper for air cargo professionals No. 1,008
19 November 2018
The recipe for air cargo success
Sky Lease runway overrun to be investigated by TSB
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INSIDE ACS PROVIDES PLANES IN SPAIN
ACS’s Spanish office has celebrated its 10th anniversary with record half year results, with all divisions putting in strong performances ... PAGE 2
AFKLMP PROVES IT IS TOP DOG
AFKLMP has won a prestigious pet award, having been voted the Best Pet Shipping Airline for Asia & Oceania at the IPATA Conference in Melbourne ... PAGE 3 LOSSES ADD UP FOR CEVA
LOSSES continue to pile up at CEVA Logistics with a negative third quarter result of $86 million, not helped by issues in Italy ...
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Picture credit: Transportation Safety Board of Canada
he Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) is investigating a runway overrun by a Sky Lease Cargo Boeing 747-400 Freighter at Halifax Stanfield International Airport. At 05.05 local time on 7 November, the aircraft coming from Chicago O’Hare International Airport overran Runway 14 coming to a rest 210 metres off the end of the runway. There were four crewmembers and no cargo on board the aircraft, which struck a localiser antenna during the overrun. The aircraft suffered from a collapsed landing gear, two engines were separated and the remain-
ing two were substantially damaged, and there was a small post-impact fire from the detached number two engine, which was lodged under the tail. So far, the TSB has sent the flight data recorder, cockpit voice recorder and other systems with flight data to its Engineering Laboratory in Ottawa for analysis. An initial examination of the accident site has been carried out along with a thorough examination of Runway 14/32. The investigation team is in contact with Sky Lease, the US National Transportation Safety Board, the US Federal Aviation Administration, Boeing, Pratt & Whitney, Halifax Airport Authority, NAV
Canada and Transport Canada. Transport Canada has appointed a Minister’s Observer to obtain factual information and advise of any regulatory factors, and identify deficiencies requiring corrective action. The TSB says investigators will analyse cockpit voice and flight data recorders, conduct interviews with witnesses and other parties who can provide information, review audio and radar data from NAV Canada, analyse weather and runway information, examine aircraft systems, maintenance and other records, review policies and procedures, and examine the terrain at the end of the runway to determine what role it played in aircraft damage.
FLEXPORT STRENGTHENS TEAM
FLEXPORT is making additions to its leadership team with a new chief financial officer, president of Asia and chief marketing officer .... PAGE 5
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Movember update #3
INTO the final straight now. The ‘tache is beginning to become visible to friends and enemies alike. Has it been worth it? The editor still hopes big-hearted readers, with both hairy and hairless top lips will contribute to this worthwhile cause. https://moteam.co/ airfreight-airies
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ACS provides the planes in Spain
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ir Charter Service’s Spanish office has celebrated its 10th anniversary with record half year results, with all divisions putting in strong performances. Revenue was up 37 per cent and charter numbers by 49 per cent, with managing director James Fitzgerald (pictured) describing 2018 as an “incredibly busy year” so far. He says: “It has been especially pleasing to see an increase in larger cargo programmes, including daily flights on an Antonov AN-12 for five weeks and one that involved six Boeing B747s in less than two weeks.” Fitzgerald adds: “There was a moment recently where I realised that across the three divisions – private, commercial and cargo – we had eight aircraft in the air at the same time! It really hit home the amount of work and effort
that our team invest in their job to keep our charters running smoothly, and I believe that this is the real reason behind our strong figures for the start of the year.” He also says that since opening the office in 2008, charter numbers have grown every year and are on course to break the 1,000 barrier this year.
VOLGA-DNEPR Airlines has partnered with Bollore Logistics to deliver the first European Space Module (ESM) for an important space mission, taking place in 2022. The 14-tonne module was transported in a special container to maintain precise temperature and pressure conditions, as well as 10 tonnes of support equipment on one of Volga-Dnepr’s Antonov AN-124-100s. The cargo flew from Bremen, Germany to Ti-
tusville, USA in preparation for its installation on the Orion spacecraft and testing at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The first unmanned Orion mission is scheduled for 2020 and will take the spacecraft more than 64,000 kilometres beyond the Moon. Two years later, the first human spacecraft will transport astronauts further into space than ever before as part of the programme to collect scientific data to develop the ability of humans to travel to Mars. Volga-Dnepr Airlines executive president for cargo charter operations, Konstantin Vekshin says: “Providing specialist transportation for the aerospace industry is one of Volga-Dnepr Airlines’ key areas of expertise and every year we operate more than 50 flights carrying various space cargoes, including satellites, parts of spacecraft, rockets and boosters.”
Volga-Dnepr aids mission to outer space
ACW ON THIS DAY AEI sale slammed by DP critics A
Vol 2 Issue 46
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22 November 1999
LAST week’s $1.14 billion acquisition of freight forwarder AEI by Deutsche Post (DP) subsidairy Danzas - one of the worst-kept secrets in global air cargo - has been immediately condemned by outspoken critics of the German post office. The purchase gives Deutsche Post a major US stronghold and makes Danzas the world’s leading air freight forwarder. However, the Brussels-based European Express Organisation (EEO) has slated the deal as a “blatant misuse of monopoly profits and state aid to strengthen an already dominant position.” In a statement, the EEO pointed out DP had previously acquired a 25 per cent stake in DHL International and a stake in the UK’s Securicor Distribution, plus an announced intention to acquire a stake in French operator Ducoss Services Rapides. This year, DP has announced an intention to acquire Italian operator MIT as well as a German company.
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South African will not be shut down or sold
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outh African Airways (SAA) says business will continue as normal after the government clarified that the airline will not be shut down or sold. The country’s government was forced to clarify its position after finance minister Tito Mboweni told an investor conference that, in his opinion, the loss-making stateowned airline should be shut down. On 5 November, minister of public enterprises Pravin Gordhan clarified the government’s position, stating the airline would continue to operate but needs to urgently improve its finances and operations. In a statement on its website, SAA says: “SAA also welcomes the assurance by President Cyril Ramaphosa in parliament on Tuesday last week that the airline will remain in business, noting that government is considering various options, which include the possibility of an equity partner.” The airline says there are ‘green shoots’ indicating its recovery strategy, which includes adjusting its network is yielding positive results. SAA says: “Whereas there is more work to be done to implement the strategy, we are encouraged by the progress we are making to
WORLDNEWS ETHIOPIAN Cargo & Logistics Services has taken delivery of its eighth Boeing 777 Freighter, which arrived in Addis Ababa on 10 November. As part of the company’s 15-year Vision 2025 plan, Ethiopian Cargo & Logistics Services plans to generate $2 billion of revenue with 19 freighter aircraft, and transport 820,000 tonnes of cargo to 57 destinations.
turn the company around.” It says the airline will take three years to break-even but following a government bailout, the situation can be resolved to make SAA a sustainable business. The airline says it wants to assure stakeholders, customers and suppliers that SAA’s future is not in doubt, saying: “There is every resolve to address long-standing legacy issues, to improve the performance of the business, to regain its market share and to provide its customers continued and improved service.”
TURKISH Cargo has increased the number of QEP accredited stations with an additional 15 across its network. The 15 new Qualified Envirotainer Provider stations are Helsinki, Taipei, Vienna, Kuwait, Maastricht, Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, Tokyo, Chicago, Madrid, Cairo, Rome, Dusseldorf, Budapest and San Francisco. Turkish Cargo’s Istanbul hub was awarded IATA CEIV Pharma certification in 2016, and the airline previously received QEP accreditation for stations including Frankfurt, Mumbai, Istanbul, Brussels and Atlanta.
Good boy! AFKLMP proves it is top dog
AIR France KLM Martinair Cargo (AFKLMP) has won a prestigious pet award, having been voted the Best Pet Shipping Airline for Asia & Oceania at the Annual International Pet and Animal Association (IPATA) Conference in Melbourne, Australia. The IPATA represents companies specialising in the care and welfare of domestic animals during transportation. The Best Pet Shipping award – subdivided into different regions covering America, Europe, Asia & Oceania and
the Middle East & Africa was held for the first time this year. IPATA members were invited to vote based on the company’s communication, reliability, price, care during transfer, and compliance with IATA regulations. AFKLMP director of specialties, Gerald Bergkamp says: “We are honoured to have won this award. Such a clear sign of appreciation for being specialists in pet shipping is indeed a great compliment for all the work we do on a daily basis.”
Kawak to repair cargo doors for 757-200s KAWAK Aviation Technologies has earned FAA Part-145 Air Repair Station certification allowing it to repair cargo doors on Boeing 757-200s for Precision Aircraft Solutions. The Bend, Oregon-based company is the sole manufacturer of cargo door hydraulics for the Precision Aircraft Solutions 757-200 and the #4KWR258D certificate will make it the first Part 145 repair station as well. Initially the repair station will focus on the
hydraulics for the 757-200 but Kawak plans to expand capabilities in the future to support a broader customer and product range. Kawak president, Mike Reightley says: “This is a great achievement and a reflection of the hard work and dedication of our entire team. Earning this FAA certification as a Part 145 FAA Repair Station adds an important new dimension to the work we do every day in support of our current and future customers in the aviation industry.”
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Losses continue to add up for CEVA Logistics in Q3
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in Italy. Looking ahead, we are confident that we will further improve our performance and meet our medium-term targets.” Freight management revenue increased by 4.9 per cent in the third quarter to $881 million but EBITDA was down to $22 million due to increasing ground transportation costs caused by driver shortages. Contract logistics revenue decreased 1.4 per cent to $931 million and third quarter EBITDA falling from $43 million in 2017 to $7 million this year. Two contracts in Italy and the bankruptcy of a local Italian partner for temporary staff resulted in unplanned costs of $26 million in the third quarter and $42 million for the nine months. CEVA says it has experienced strong momentum across all sales segments and business lines. In air and ocean freight, CEVA won contracts with technology and automotive customers, and the contract logistics sector picked up contracts among automotive, healthcare, consumer and retail clients.
osses continue to pile up at CEVA Logistics with a negative third quarter result of $86 million, not helped by issues in Italy. The third quarter result compares to a loss of $22 million in the same period of 2017, with year-to-date losses coming in at $198 million, compared to $124 million for the first nine months of 2017. Group revenue was up 1.6 per cent in the third quarter to $1.8 billion and 6.8 per cent to $5.4 billion in the first nine months of 2018, with business performing “broadly in line with management’s expectations”. CEVA Logistics CEO, Xavier Urbain says: “CEVA continues to reduce its cost base, with a strong focus on productivity addressing underperforming activities both in freight management and contract logistics. Most of our operations continue to perform well and our new business performance is promising. “However, in the third quarter, margins have been adversely impacted by one-time provisions taken in contract logistics
Duncan Watson joins WFS WORLDWIDE Flight Services (WFS) has appointed Duncan Watson as vice president – group commercial cargo, based at the head office in Roissy, Paris. Watson brings 30 years of experience to WFS having spent 18 years at DHL with local, regional and global commercial responsibilities before joining Emirates, where he worked for 11 years and ultimately held the position of vice president – cargo commercial operations. He will report to group chief commercial officer, Barry Nassberg who says: “Duncan has a strong understanding of the air cargo industry, the evolving role of the handler and the commercial drivers of growth and brings a new dimension to our group commercial team. “I know he will make a significant contribution to our success as we continue to leverage our growing international network and service ca-
pabilities to benefit our airline customers across the globe.” 2018 has been a strong year for WFS with new cargo handling contracts including Emirates and Qatar Airways in France, Thai Cargo in the UK and Ireland, Cathay Pacific in Brussels and Copenhagen, American Airlines in Milan, Egyptair in Amsterdam and Brussels, and Turkish Airlines, Aer Lingus, DHL and Ethiopian Airlines in the US.
BARIG supports logistics heroes THE Board of Airline Representatives in Germany (BARIG) has lent its support to the “logistics heroes” initiative to explain to the public how important the sector is. BARIG secretary general, Michael Hoppe says the association’s member airlines and business partners are major components of the logistics industry in Germany and worldwide. He says: “Skilled personnel, innovative concepts, digitisation and modern structures are contemporarily discussed topics in air traffic. For this reason, we are strongly engaged in this campaign for an improved image and increased acknowledgement of the importance of the national logistics sector, which meanwhile records
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over three million employees, to the German economy.” Hoppe adds: “We are looking forward to a great campaign and hope for positive feedback from our potential future ‘logistics heroes’”.
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Flexport strengthens team
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lexport is making additions to its leadership team with a new chief financial officer, president of Asia and chief marketing officer. Sudhanshu Priyadarshi joins as the first chief financial officer, bringing with him more than 20 years of experience and knowledge of e-commerce, retail, pharmaceuticals and consumer goods. He was most recently vice president of finance at Walmart US eCommerce, driving retail finance operations for Walmart.com, Hayneedle.com, Shoes.com, Moosejaw.com, Vudu.com, Store No. 8, and Walmart’s partnership with Google. Flexport founder and chief executive officer, Ryan Petersen says: “Sudhanshu has driven growth and transformed companies in both emerging and developed markets, and has an outstanding reputation for positively impacting the top and bottom line at some of the world’s largest corporations.” As president of Asia, Huey Lin will oversee all of Flexport’s activities across Asia, one of the freight forwarder’s fastest growing and most
strategic geographies. Petersen says: “Huey is a world-class operator who has built and led large teams and driven growth across the globe, including in Asia, one of our most significant markets.” Earlier this year, Flexport announced $100 million in funding from SF Express, and Lin’s knowledge of the business landscape in China will help expand services on the Trans Pacific Eastbound trade route. Jeff Thomas will be Flexport’s first chief marketing officer, and he has more than 20 years of experience at major technology companies including salesforce.com, Microsoft and HP. Petersen says: “His expertise in growing platform businesses will help us elevate our brand and footprint and drive growth in markets across the globe. I’m very excited that he has joined Flexport.” Flexport has entered partnerships with airlines for cargo flights, including three Los Angeles-Hong Kong services a week using Boeing 747-400s provided by Western Global Airlines.
WACO welcomes Australasian members
THE WACO System has expanded its presence in Australasia with the appointment of two new members representing Australia and New Zealand. Melbourne, Australia-based International Trade Management (ITM) and Auckland, New Zealand-headquartered Pengellys were both formally welcomed to the independent freight forwarder network at its Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) in Manila, the Philippines. WACO System executive director, Richard Charles says: “We are very pleased to have both companies on-board and look forward to the benefits our members will gain from working with local specialists from this very important region. There are many new and growing opportunities for business throughout Australasia, and having members we trust with solid expertise about this market is very important.” With offices throughout Australia, ITM’s services include supply chain integration, logistics, customs consultancy and warehousing.
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ITM chief executive officer, John Antoniou (pictured left, receiving his certificate from WACO chairman, Stephen Knight) says: “ITM looks forward to working with the members of WACO, adding value and creating opportunities for importers and exporters by utilising this network of large independent companies committed to excellence.” Pengellys provides a range of supply chain and logistics services with offices both nationally as well as in Australia and China. Company director, Trevor Pengelly (pictured right with Knight) says: “Pengellys is proud to become a member of such a well-established and respected global network allowing us to grow globally whilst maintaining our focus locally.” At the EGM, four new members were formally appointed to the network, with the other two being Dimotrans Group of France and Velogic representing Mauritius, Madagascar and Reunion.
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PERISHABLES
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Finnair satisfies Christmas taste for salmon
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innair is expecting a sharp seasonal rise in its already busy farmed seafood products trade in the run up to the Christmas and New Year holidays, it told Air Cargo Week. “We see about 20 per cent higher demand for the holiday season,” Finnair said. Much of this is salmon, farmed in Norway and then trucked down to Helsinki which flies it to the ever-hungry Asian markets. Finnair reports increasing demand from China and record demand from Asia year after year. “Asia represents 75 per cent of our business and China and Japan are in our top five most important markets,” the source said whilst noting there is no particular surge around Chinese New Year.
This Christmas and New Year will be the first year the carrier is using its new air cargo terminal – the key point in a cool supply-chain which ensures salmon taken from waters in Northern Norway arrives in Japan 36 hours later. Finnair is able to leverage this in two particular ways. One is temperature monitoring and efficiency. “The new COOL cargo terminal in Helsinki is monitored 24/7 with digital temperature monitoring devices and with experts on site, this ensures that perishables are stored and transported in the right conditions,” Finnair said. This, it believes is the best way forward for the cool supply chain sector. “We would welcome wider and quicker adoption of the newest technologies by industry players.” Finnair said. More sophisticated
visibility for customers during the journey of perishables and cargo facilities with dedicated zones for products requiring certain temperatures were also good, it added. Helsinki, its home base also has advantages
because it “is an uncongested airport, perishables can be moved to aircraft stands just 30 minutes before flight departure, meaning they can stay longer in the dedicated temperature zones inside the new terminal,” said Finnair.
Cargo flights to connect Peru with China CHINA Eastern Airlines will operate five monthly cargo flights to Peru starting January 2019, Peru’s Foreign Trade and Tourism Minister Rogers Valencia has said. Michael Mackey reports that the emphasis is expected to be on moving perishables between the South American country and the Asian giant. It is the third such agreement Peru has signed recently as the country becomes a significant trader in exotic products. “China Eastern Airlines has confirmed five cargo flights between Shanghai and Lima. They will have to make a technical stop, probably in Miami,” Rogers Valencia told Andina, the official news agency of the Peruvian government. “We have been told that if cargo flights are maintained, it is very likely that we will have direct flights to Shanghai by 2021,” he added. Peru has just opened its first multi-brand shop “Casa Peru” in Beijing. Part travel agency and part lifestyle store Casa Peru sells Andean handicrafts and exotic products such as pisco, alpaca meat and fabrics and
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is a handy springboard for South American exporters into China’s huge consumer market. Also helping government support for Peru’s goal of selling $1 billion —per year— in non-traditional exports to China by 2023. These have been increasing in significant volume lately with a 22 per cent rise in September, Valencia told Andina. Non-traditional products include avocados, giant squid, blueberries, quinoa, cacao and frozen fruits and jewellery. China is not the only Asian country to start flights to Peru. Singapore agreed to launch air transport relations between the two countries in order to strengthen trade and tourism. This is the first commercial aviation deal inked between both nations and the hope is flights will start soon. Peru has also inked its first Air Service Agreement with Finland. This will allow Peruvian and Finnish airlines to operate passenger and cargo flights from one country to another, with Finnair to commence flying this route.
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Air cargo corridor opened from Afghanistan
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fghanistan opened another air transport corridor, this time to China, as the Kabul government tackles the country’s huge trade deficit by subsidising export of niche products moved by air., reports Michael Mackey. President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani inaugurated the corridor which will transport a major part of Afghanistan’s pine nuts output, worth $700-$800 million to China annually, his office said in a statement. “20 tonnes of pine nuts per day will be transported to China until the end of the season this year,” the statement said. “Afghanistan’s total pine nuts output is 23,000 metric tonnes, wherein China is the major importer of the product.” President Ghani said pine nuts, pistachio and cumin are the hidden treasures of Afghanistan, and the government is committed to bringing out its full potential via trade corridors, the statement added. “It’s our first air cargo consignment to
Shanghai, but soon we will be sending Afghan products to Beijing and Quanzhou,” Naseem Malekzai, chairman of the Afghanistan-China Business Council told the Reuters news agency. The China air corridor follows a ‘spice corridor’ linking Kabul to three Indian cities and is a key part of a government strategy to boost the exports of niche products moved by air. This will begin with spices and fruits which Afghanistan used to be famous for but hopes are it will extend to higher value products such as hand-woven carpets. Helping is government subsidies of $2 million to exporters since a senior adviser to Ghani told Reuters on condition of anonymity. “Afghan businessmen have achieved more than $10 million in profit by exporting their products through air corridors since 2017,” he said. “China is a great market for our niche products.” Since 2017, 153 flights have carried 3,344 metric tonnes of Afghan fresh fruit, dry fruit, medicinal herbs, asafoetida and saffron to India.
Emirates provides Sri Lanka with global export opportunities
EMIRATES SkyCargo transported 27,000 tonnes of cargo from Colombo in 2017-18, representing almost a quarter of airfreight exports from Sri Lanka. With 28 flights to and from Colombo a week with the capacity to carry 20 tonnes of cargo per Boeing 777 flight, Emirates SkyCargo is one of the main carriers of Sri Lankan trade. Fish, fruit and vegetables and other cut foliage, and readymade garments are among the principal exports that Emirates SkyCargo transports from Sri Lanka. Emirates cargo manager for Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Kapila Santhapriya says: “In 201718, Emirates SkyCargo carried more than 7,500
tonnes of fish, which is about 40 per cent of the 17,500 tonnes of edible fish that Sri Lanka exported to USA and Europe. Our flight frequencies and our global network reach from Colombo support the local fish and seafood exports industry.” Fish exports include tuna, shrimp, prawns, crabs and lobsters to markets including the UK, France, Italy, the Netherlands and the USA, with exports being valued at $250 million. In addition to seafood, Emirates SkyCargo transported 5,000 tonnes of fruit and vegetables including bananas, papaya, pineapples, seasonal fruits, bitter gourd, green chillies, drumsticks, snake gourd and red onion.
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LUXURY & VALUABLES
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When airfreight has luxury on its mind In an industry where much airfreight is commodity traffic of the everyday, there is a niche business catering for the rich and famous.
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he luxury and valuable goods sector is wide and encompasses some of the world’s most desirable brands and ranges. Products such as perfumes, cosmetics, table art, fashion accessories, fancy leather goods, wines and spirits, gourmet food, glassware, porcelain, silverware, expensive top-end cars and artworks produce some interesting airfreight traffic. The greater part of this traffic is B2B, between manufacturers and wholesalers or directly between manufacturers and retailers.
One such channel has been established between DHL Global Forwarding and Holt Renfrew, Canada’s specialty retailer of luxury brands, which has chosen DHL as sole logistics provider for its airfreight and customs brokerage services. DHL Supply Chain will also be part of the new partnership, providing key warehousing needs and expertise. “At DHL Global Forwarding we are excited to enter into a new relationship with Holt Renfrew,” said DHL Global Forwarding, Canada managing director Renata Mihich. “They are in a unique position as Canada’s specialty luxury retailer with close to two centuries of experience in providing high-end fashion products to Canadians throughout the country. Coupled with DHL’s unmatched global network, Holt Renfrew is able to deliver those luxury
goods into the hands of consumers in a more timely and efficient manner.”
Emirates takes customers for a ride
Emirates Wheels is Emirates SkyCargo’s specialised air transportation solution for highend, valuable automobiles. Emirates has been transporting premium cars for a considerable time but has now consolidated its expertise and learnings over the years to create a robust and competitive B2C offering - Emirates Wheels. A spokesperson said: “We have partnered with a dedicated and specialised global partner for car relocations to offer door-to-door transportation solutions for our customers. “We have seen a great response from customers for Emirates Wheels. We saw a 40 per cent year-on-year uptake of the product in the year since its launch. “Traditionally the season for peak movement used to be the summer when we would transport cars from Dubai and the Middle East to Europe. However, increasingly we see movement of cars throughout the year and also across different parts of our global network. On average we transport about 150 cars across our network every month.” The airline moves premium and luxury cars for private owners and collectors as well as automotive manufacturers. It has moved cars for events like Gulf Concours and Gumball 3000 motor rally.
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When the car’s the star
One of the most secretive parts of the motor industry is the development of concept cars that will often contain commercial and sensitive trade secrets. These vehicles will be developed in a ‘car clinic’, a market research instrument of the automotive industry where test vehicles are presented in a studio or a closed test track together with corresponding competitor models. The test car is usually a prototype that is road-worthy down to the last detail and does not differ much from the planned production line. Manufacturers entrust these items to Panalpina which uses its PAN-CAR(e)tainers, anonymous grey builds that thwart industrial espionage. Strict secrecy must be maintained. A spokesperson said: “Under the scope of industry vertical Automotive, we often transport top secret prototypes between design and test centres, mainly in Europe, America, and Asia, for the world’s leading automotive companies. The service includes vehicle placement at multiple events, which can occur in rapid succession due to the tight schedules preceding a new model launch. “The cars are shipped by air to meet the strict timelines while maintaining confidentiality. Panalpina’s PAN-CAR(e)tainers are used to safely mobilise and protect the secret models from unwanted publicity.”
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Chinese cultural treasures fly with Cargolux
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argolux Airlines International has transported invaluable historic artefacts from China to support a cultural exchange between Henan Museum and Luxembourg’s Musee National d’Histoire et d’Art. Three tonnes of cargo comprising of 145 artefacts were loaded onto flight CV975 from Zhengzhou, arriving in Luxembourg on 8 November after a 10 hour flight. The collection will be displayed at the museum as part of an exhibition called “The Origins of Chinese Civilization: Archaeological Treasures from Henan”. The items, which provide an overview of 3,000 years of Chinese heritage, include some of the earliest-known examples of Chinese bronze ritual vessels and jade ornaments dating back to the Xia and Shang Dynasties. Cargolux president and chief executive officer, Richard Forson says: “Cargolux is honoured to have been entrusted with such an important and invaluable shipment. Our expert teams, who are well-versed in the transportation of sensitive and precious cargo, have meticulously prepared this move to ensure a smooth transport process.” The airline has a long history of shipping priceless cultural items and sensitive artwork, boasting a number of partnerships with cultural institutions and museums. Forson says: “We are proud of our expertise in handling delicate commodities and we look forward to continuing our work in support of culture and the arts.” Transporting fragile artwork and artefacts requires special attention, and Cargolux will be repeating the initiative next year when the exhibition is returned to China after its European stint.
Heathrow gains connection with Shenzhen
HEATHROW Airport has gained its 11th Chinese connection, with the first flight from Shenzhen touching down on 30 October. The service is operated by Shenzhen Airlines, providing London with a direct link to the economic powerhouse that is also dubbed China’s most innovative city. Located just over the border from Hong Kong, Shenzhen has a population of 12 million people and has one of the highest GDP per capita of any city in China. Flights to Shenzhen will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays using an Airbus A330-300 and provide 3,120 tonnes of capacity for imports and exports. Since the start of 2018, Heathrow has gained links to Chongqing, Wuhan, Sanya, Changsha, Xi’an and now Shenzhen, adding to existing services to Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Qingdao. Heathrow’s Trade Tracker Report shows exports to China via Heathrow have grown 330 per cent over the last year, but rival airports in Europe have spare capacity to provide daily services to destinations including Hangzhou, Chengdu and Kunming. The airport says that identifying efficiencies and gaps in schedules, Heathrow has been able to accommodate new routes but this is a limited and piecemeal approach. Heathrow Airport chief commercial officer, Ross Baker says: “While our passengers and exporters will undoubtedly be pleased with our new Shenzhen connection, along with the other routes we have announced this year, we know that in order to achieve true transformational change for our culture and economy we need the additional capacity for cargo and passengers to reach greater benefits. “It is the creation of this extra capacity, achieved through Heathrow expansion that will allow Britain to trade on a truly global platform whilst providing Britain with a front door that is the best connected in the world.”
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Adrien denies ever driving one of these
Seconds with...
ADRIEN THOMINET
Adrien working in his restaurant
ECS Group CEO and ACW A-Lister, Adrien Thominet has been a prominent figure in the air cargo industry for over 20 years. He took up the role of chief operating officer at ECS in 2011 before taking over as CEO in 2017. ACW: You have been involved with ECS for a long time. What have you still to learn? Thominet: I joined ECS Group 20 years ago, at Aero Cargo in France. I started when I was young and grew up with the group. I saw it transform and was ‘brought up’ by industry pioneers, warriors of change. But, you never stop learning, even after more than 20 years in a company. Just like any connected tool you have to update regularly, and today I’m learning from the new generation. The battle against time, the digital revolution, these are our best guides and we learn something new every day.
ACW: Have you ever driven or owned a 2CV? Thominet: No, I haven’t. I’m not that old!
ACW: Johnny Hallyday or Daft Punk? Thominet: Johnny Punk. ACW: Macron or Hollande?
ACW: What are the best and worst purchases you’ve ever made? Thominet: Best: I bought a dog for a girlfriend when I was still young. She left us both a fortnight later. It was my first dog and I kept it for nearly 20 years. Worst: my mother would say that buying the dog was my worst purchase. I was still living at home. But for me, my worst purchase was a hunter’s outfit. ACW: Are you afraid of clowns? Thominet: Nope, except for Stephen King’s!
ACW: If you could be anyone in history who would it be? Why? Thominet: JFK, because it’s an airport.
ACW: If you could have dinner with anyone from history, who would it be and why? Thominet: Paul Baucuse and Seiji Yamamoto the best award-winning chefs in the world. To hear them talk about taste, flavours, alchemy and to learn a few secrets. The world is changing, everything is shifting gears, but their kind of genius withstands all revolutions. These artists are timeless. And, this dinner should also include an intellectual, someone like Pamela Anderson.
ACW: What’s the most interesting thing about you that we wouldn’t learn from your resume alone? Thominet: I had breakfast with Barack Obama. ACW: We finish the interview and you step outside the office and find a lottery ticket that ends up winning 10 million euros. What would you do? Thominet: I’d invest even more in ECS Group and I’d open a French restaurant in NYC.
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ACW 19 NOVEMBER 2018
ACW: Red, White or Rose wine? Thominet: Red.
ACW: Who would you say has been the most influential French person? Thominet: Xavier Niel, because he understood everything.
ACW: What do you see as the key requirements to get the most from your staff? Thominet: Doing the right thing in terms of effort and recognition. We strive for excellence every day and work hard to achieve it. This is what enables us to be the world’s leading GSSA today. In return we take great care of every employee, like in a family.
ACW: What did you want to be when you grew up? Thominet: I’m proud to be where I am. But if I had to have a different dream job, I’d say it was to become an award-winning chef.
Thominet: Macron for his age and Hollande for his hair-do.
ACW: Name a product or service you love so much that you’d happily be that company’s spokesperson. (Not ECS!) Thominet: Uber.
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ACW: What would your autobiography be called? Thominet: Never enough.
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