McLaren Racing announces DP World as an official partner of the McLaren Formula 1

MCLAREN Racing has announced a major partnership with DP World, as an official partner of the McLaren Formula 1 Team from 2023.

The partnership will support the McLaren F1 Team to drive enhanced efficiency, reimagining the team’s supply chain to make it faster, smarter, and more sustainable.

DP World’s smart logistics solutions will bring clarity and simplicity to efficiently bridge McLaren’s global and complex supplier network, to support the ongoing development process and on-track performance gains.

“We are thrilled to welcome DP World to the McLaren family. Logistics is a significant challenge in a global sport like Formula 1, and DP World’s smart solutions will help us enhance the efficiency of our partner and supply chain network, contributing to performance on and off the track,” Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing, said.

“We are proud to partner with a brand that shares our values in sustainability, including our journey to reduce emissions from our sport. We look forward to going racing with DP World in 2023.”

“We are delighted to join forces with Zak and the McLaren team at an extremely exciting time for both DP World and motorsports. We take great pride in leading innovation in global supply chains and this partnership will showcase our logistics capability alongside one of the most dynamic players in the sector,” Mohammed Akoojee, Chief Operating Officer, Logistics, DP World, said.

Oman Air Cargo highlights Oman’s logistics capabilities to major international airfreight partners

OMAN Air, the national airline of the Sultanate of Oman, has announced the introduction of its first freighter by the end of 2023, while celebrating outstanding 2022 results at its annual cargo workshop, under the theme ‘Journey to Success’. The two-day event, which was held at Hormuz Grand, Muscat, brought together employees and stakeholders from across the company’s global network, to celebrate its accomplishments in the past year and discuss future strategies. Attendees engaged in a series of presentations and discussions led by senior executives, as well as visiting the state-of-theart Cargo Terminal at Muscat International Airport. An awards ceremony was also held for the top performers of 2022.

“In spite of a challenging environment, Oman Air Cargo continues to deliver numbers ahead of its budget. In 2021, our revenues were 86% above target. In 2022, we achieved another 44% increase, exceeding our budget revenue by 37%, as well as a 36% increase in the amount of cargo transported compared to the previous year. This underscores the success of our many policies to ensure we remain ahead of the curve in an ever-changing industry and meet the growing demand for air cargo,” Abdulaziz Al Raisi, Oman Air Chief Executive Officer, stated. “In 2023, we are keeping up the momentum. In the coming months, we look forward to

AfA calls for the TSA to urgently work with shippers regarding cargo export legislations

introducing our first ever freighter and we will also be launching several new markets. This will offer exciting new opportunities for our guests and cargo alike, while continuing to unlock Oman’s potential as a global logistics hub in line with Oman’s 2040 Vision,” he added.

“The workshop was a valuable platform for us to engage with some of our most important global air cargo partners. The overall tone was one of optimism and confidence as we continue to tap into Oman’s strategic location as a link between East and West and position Oman Air Cargo at the centre of a rapidly developing industry,” Jaffar Al Lawati, Vice President Commercial Cargo, said.

Among its notable achievements in 2022, Oman Air Cargo added several new destinations and introduced its innovative ‘Cargo-in-Cabin’ service to Europe, the Far East and Indian Subcontinent. It also modified its A330-300 passenger aircraft by removing the seats, allowing it to raise capacity to 40 tonnes per aircraft. Moreover, it has improved its services to ensure shorter acceptance and dwell time with express connections through its hub in Muscat. The award-winning logistics provider is certified by IATA CEIV for Pharma and Fresh and continues to offer high-quality products and leading service to a rapidly growing global customer base.

PANELLISTS at AfA’s Annual General Meeting in Nashville, Tennessee have called for the TSA to urgently work with shippers to address the impact of mandated freighter cargo screening for exports taking force from November 2023.

The requirement that all such cargo must be screened has been in effect since June 2021, but up until now the sector has been working with a limited amount of TSA alternative security measures. However, the TSA has stated that these security measures will expire at the end of October and won’t be renewed.

Panellists concurred that the Certified Cargo Standard Security Screening Program (CCSSSP) is the only viable way to meet new screening requirements, but much preparatory work and communication with shippers must be carried out by the TSA in order to make CCSSSP ready for the 1st November 2023 deadline.

Panellists expressed concern that the TSA’s proposed Secure Packing Facility (SPF) initiative is not a viable solution for shippers or airfreight forwarders who tender cargo that is difficult to screen for freighter export.

“All security programmes across the various segments of the air cargo supply chain need to be aligned,” Brandon Fried, Executive Director, AfA, said. “Industry needs TSA’s strong support in messaging the shippers that the CCSSSP –which would regulate shippers tendering cargo that is challenging to screen using existing approved security methods – is the only realistic available option to continue to move their cargo.”

For this to happen, panellists agreed that the TSA needed to update and coordinate the CCSSSP acceptance and handling elements into the various freighter security programmes, since the current CCSSSP has been in place only for passenger air carriers since its inception in 2009.

In addition, the TSA also needs to update the regulatory framework to include freighters. The panel also pointed out that, with the changes in overall air cargo supply chain in the past 15 to 20 years, compounded by the rapid growth and volumes of e-commerce traffic, the current definition of ‘shipper’ does not align with the realities of today’s global air cargo business.

The CCSSP is a practical supply chain solution, which provides security while ensuring the flow of commerce. Certified cargo screening facilities must complete a TSA-approved security programme and adhere to strict chain of custody requirements.