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The weekly newspaper for air cargo professionals No. 1,168

21 FEBRUARY 2022

Is the shipping crisis good news for airfreight?

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INSIDE

GEODIS TO OPEN COSWIG HUB

GEODIS plans to open a new multi-user logistics facility in Coswig, Germany ready for occupancy in October of this year ... PAGE 2

STRONG START TO 2022 ...

DIGITAL air cargo charter business CharterSync says it is eyeing “global expansion” in 2022 after achieving unprecedented growth in the fourth ... PAGE 2

VALENTINE’S DAY BLOOMED THANKS TO AIR CARGO

onths of planning and work from players along the flower supply chain culminated last week on Valentine’s Day. There is a good chance the flowers you gave to a loved one were among the 60 million roses flown out of Ecuador, Colombia, and Kenya, on board of one of the many Qatar Airways Cargo special charters and flights networking the world in the run-up to this year’s Valentine’s Day. Whereas the big day itself lasts just 24 hours, Qatar Airways Cargo said customers and cargo teams began preparing months in advance. Ecuador and

Colombia were two of the main markets for the carrier. “This year, the Ecuadorian market had to deal with 24% less capacity into Europe, and around 16% less capacity into the US market,” explains Ian Morgan, Qatar Airways Cargo vice president cargo Americas. This issue led to the addition of three more Quito-Miami (MIA) flights and four extra flights from Quito to Europe and onward to Doha, to complement the five regular weekly freighters out of Quito. The airline says Colombia has been well served with its two scheduled flights per week out of Bogotá. Avianca Cargo also reports that it has had a strong

Valentine’s season. The carrier transported more than 16,000 tonnes of flowers this year, mainly to the US. The figure is 15% more than in 2021. “For 2022, we created a robust strategy to strengthen our operation to provide high quality service. We reassigned the capacity of our freighters to increase the offer to the market and activated passenger aircraft dedicated for flower shipments. It has been the result of the great job done by our team of experts, the articulation with our clients and the different industry entities, that we managed to close the best season of our history,” says Gabriel Oliva, Avianca Cargo CEO.

EMIRATES GETS ROMANTIC ...

IN the three seconds that it would take to read this sentence, about 10 pieces of cargo would have been processed through Emirates hub in ... PAGE 4

RIDING THE CARGO WAVE ... Last year saw Milan Malpensa Airport cement itself as Italy’s largest airport for air cargo and SEA (Societa per azioni Esercizi Aeroportuali), manages ... PAGE 10

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NEWS

GEODIS to open logistics Strong start to 2022 for CharterSync centre in Coswig DIGITAL air cargo charter business CharterSync says it is eyeing “global expansion” in 2022 after achieving unprecedented growth in the fourth quarter of 2021. Against slowing air cargo market growth in the fourth quarter of 2021, CharterSync’s operating profit was up 260% compared to the three previous quarters combined. The online broker says 2022 has started off even more robustly, with the month of January delivering the same level of sales as the whole of 2021. Building on this success, the company will launch a complete rewrite of its digital charter platform in the coming months, as reported previously by ACW. CharterSync said the new system will equip it for global expansion by offering freight forwarders infinitely flexible cargo charter options for all kinds of cargo on any type of aircraft, airline operator or global routing. Simon Watson, co-founder and director said: “CharterSync’s speed, efficiency and value proposition has transformed the air cargo charter market, which continues to combat supply chain disruption and air cargo capacity constraints. The global rollout of our platform will introduce new customers around the world to the game-changing speed, simplicity and flexibility of CharterSync’s booking process. We anticipate growing our client base by at least 75% in 2022, with particularly strong growth in GEODIS plans to open a new multi-user logistics facility in Coswig near Dresden, Germany ready for occupancy in October of this year. The new 24,500 sq m logistics centre offers customers a wide range of services, including inbound and outbound logistics, value-added services, after-sales, and return logistics, as well as high-tech services. The high-tech services cover, for example, the repair and refurbishment of information technology products, as well as the assembly and software configuration of devices, right through to installation at the customer’s site.

Value-added services, such as flow and transport management via the Control Tower and e-logistics and e-fulfillment services, complete the range of services at the new Coswig site. “The new multi-user facility in Coswig is another step in our growth strategy. As a central multimodal transport hub, the Dresden metropolitan area has ideal conditions for fast and environmentally friendly transport routes within Germany, as well as to Poland and the Czech Republic,” stresses Thomas Kraus, GEODIS president & CEO North, East and Central Europe.

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ACW 21 FEBRUARY 2022

Asia-Pacific and North America, where there is an increasing modal shift from ocean shipping to avoid congestion and to move goods faster.” CharterSync’s growth has been fuelled by high demand for PPE, syringes and Covid-19 test kits, boosted by the arrival of the Omicron

variant and the ongoing UK vaccination programme, all of which helped to strengthen 2021 air cargo volumes by 19% year-on-year. CharterSync also capitalised on growth in the oil and gas sector which has seen a resurgence thanks to strengthening global demand. Faced with heightened demand, CharterSync alleviated capacity pressures at major hubs by increased use of regional airports such as Bournemouth, and the deployment of ‘preighters’ to complement traditional cargo aircraft.

Amerijet and SmartKargo join forces Amerijet International Airlines has partnered with SmartKargo’s integrated cargo management solution. Cloud-based SmartKargo will replace Amerijet’s legacy cargo system to provide scalability and improve efficiency. SmartKargo offers a suite of fully integrated tools and solutions to support all essential cargo functions from customer management, pricing and sales, operations, and warehouse management, to loading and unloading and ramp operations. “SmartKargo will take Amerijet to the next level. Our customers and employees will find

it easier to use than any other tool,” said the carrier’s CEO, Tim Strauss. “SmartKargo’s endto-end platform is accessible from any device, and our global network will be delighted with this change.” SmartKargo CEO, Milind Tavshikar, added: “We are pleased to support the growth and digital transformation of Amerijet, led by a forward-looking executive who is always innovating. Tim and his team are transforming the company into a cutting-edge enterprise that will offer their customers a range of real-time shipment and business management tools needed to operate profitably in the digital age.”

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NEWS

Emirates reveals top five Valentine’s cargoes IN the three seconds that it would take to read this sentence, about 10 pieces of cargo would have been processed through Emirates SkyCargo’s hub in Dubai. Every year, during the weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day on February 14, Emirates Skycargo also transports some of the most popular gifts offered for Valentine’s Day. Vice president cargo commercial development, Dennis Lister, explains: “Emirates SkyCargo is an important facilitator of cross-border trade and commerce across the world. However, on a more individual level, we also play a role in spreading joy in people’s lives. During the two or three weeks leading up to Valentine’s we always see a sharp increase in the transport of popular gifts for Valentine’s Day such as flowers, perfumes and chocolates. We take our commitment to delivering smiles around the world very seriously.”

Here are the top five commodities that are transported on Emirates SkyCargo for Valentine’s Day: Flowers, particularly roses, are by far the most popular gifts for Valentine’s Day and in January 2022 more than 3,000 tonnes of flowers were flown by Emirates SkyCargo, freshly harvested from farms in Kenya, Ecuador, Colombia, Ethiopia and many other countries. Most of the flowers are first flown to the

Netherlands, home to the world’s largest flower auction market, and then redistributed to other global markets. Another universal favourite, chocolates, are popular gifts, not just for Valentine’s Day but for other celebrations as well. In January and February 2021, Emirates SkyCargo transported more than 150 tonnes of premium chocolate around the world with a sharp surge in the week before Valentine’s Day. Brussels, Zurich and Düsseldorf are the main European points where chocolates are loaded on Emirates’ flights ahead of Valentine’s Day. Closer to Emirates’ home, Beirut is also a major exporter to markets in the Middle East. Perfumes are also in high demand as gifts in the weeks leading up to the big day. Over the last week of January alone, Emirates SkyCargo moved more than 200 tonnes of high-end perfumes from cities in France, Spain, Switzerland and the Netherlands to the rest of the world, just in time to stock retail shelves ahead of Valentine’s Day. High-end watches, jewellery and accessories are also favoured gift options for special occasions. Between mid January and early February there is a marked increase in the volume of highend watches and other accessories shipped on Emirates’ flights. Zurich, Geneva and Hong Kong are the main points of origin for watches that

are then distributed to the rest of the world. Last year, Emirates SkyCargo transported more than 1,200 tonnes of high-end watches in January and February. Last but not least, electronic gadgets and especially items such as mobile phones are also in high demand as gift items for Valentine’s Day with a rush in the last few days leading up to the 14th. In the two weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day, Emirates SkyCargo flew more than 1,500 tonnes of electronic goods from manufacturing destinations in Asia to consumer markets across the world.

Dronamics makes key hires CARGO drone manufacturer, Dronamics, is ramping up its research and development and manufacturing teams with three key hires. Andy Cox joins the drone company’s R&D team full-time after working as an advisor for the last three years. Atanas Gagov joins the team as director of engineering and project management. “Atanas has deep experience as an engineering leader

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at some of the world’s most iconic brands, including Apple, Tesla, and most recently Waymo - Google’s self-driving car company, which is the leader in autonomous automotive technologies. Based in Sofia, Atanas brings with him vast experience in building processes that link up design, production, and supply chain, as well as complex programme management,” said the company. Luis Enrique de la Iglesia y Gotarredona (Quique) joins as director of manufacturing. Dronamics said: “Quique is a highly experienced leader from the aviation industry and brings a new perspective to our business as we scale up our manufacturing and production operations. Based in Sofia, Quique has led teams across seven countries on three continents, working for companies such as Goodrich Aerospace, Pilatus Aircraft, Daher-SOCATA, Mitsubishi Aircraft, ABB-Alstom, and MTorres, among others.”

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NEWS

Japan carriers approve Natilus signs $6 billion worth of UAV orders Opticooler DOKASCH Temperature Solutions has achieved technical approvals for its Opticooler active containers with Japan Airlines (JAL) and All Nippon Airways (ANA). Forwarders can now use DoKaSch’s temperature-controlled packaging solution on all flights operated by Japan’s two largest airlines. The company will add a dedicated Japanese subsidiary and a new service station in Tokyo-Narita. The active containers can both cool and heat

thanks to a self-supporting electrical power generator and full climate control and do not depend on dry ice or other refrigerants. They maintain the desired temperature level – for example, between 2° and 8° Celsius - at all times and regardless of external climate or infrastructure. “The demand for temperature-sensitive goods is increasing in Japan as well as in whole Asia,” said Kazuyoshi Kakizawa, head of DoKaSch Temperature Solutions.

US-BASED Natilus, which produces what it describes as the world’s first manufactured autonomous aircraft for air freight transport, has announced advanced purchase commitments for more than $6 billion for the delivery of over 440 aircraft. These are from companies including major airlines and integrators: Volatus Aerospace, Astral Aviation, Aurora, Dymond, Flexport, and others.

family of autonomous aircraft, we are working closely with customers to increase the efficiency of air transportation and make it more competitive and safer than ocean shipping,” stated CEO Aleksey Matyushev. “Today, there are only two ways to move cargo internationally: by air and by sea. The difference between the cost and time of these two modes of transportation is dramatic. Sea freight is currently 13 times less

California-based forwarder Flexport recently completed a $900 million investment round and has signed a letter of intent for two 100T Natilus aircraft, with an option for a third. Natilus was co-founded by Aleksey Matyushev and Anatoly Starikov in 2016. The partners claim that the innovative design of the Natilus family of cargo aircraft is “democratising freight transport”, not by converting existing passenger aircraft but by making innovations in the design of freighter aircraft to increase cargo volume by 60%, while cutting costs by 60% and lowering carbon emissions by half. “In parallel with the development of our

expensive than air freight; but 50 times slower in delivery. “Natilus intends to revolutionise the transport industry by providing the timeliness of air freight at an affordable cost, making air cargo transportation substantially more competitive.” Nautilus’ current family of cargo aircraft includes: an eight tonne payload short-haul feeder UAV; a 60 tonne payload medium/long range UAV; a 100 tonne payload long-range UAV; and a 130 tonne payload long-range UAV. As the market for autonomous cargo aircraft is currently greater than $280 billion, Natilus are in a strong position.

Deugro makes management change around SWISS-HEADQUARTERED project forwarder Deugro has appointed a five-member executive management team consisting of: Thomas Press – chairman and co-CEO; Klaus Strahmann – coCEO; Simon Wasum – chief operating officer; Tim Killen – chief sales officer; and Felix Schneider – chief financial officer. Simon Wasum explained: “The project logistics landscape has changed greatly in the past years, and we have safely and successfully navigated these waters by being able to identify these changes, assess the risks and innovate new solutions and products to provide greater efficiency, transparency and improved collaboration. “The new management structure is the next step, allowing us to respond even more specifically and individually to client requests. This

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emphasises our commitment to continuing our investment strategy of providing industry-leading IT systems and digitalisation tools, coupled with end-to-end operational excellence delivered throughout the life cycle of our projects and shipments.” Deugro has also appointed eight presidents responsible for all the business regions, who together represent the Deugro global management structure: Tobias Schultz – president North America; Mark Hollenstein – South and Central America; Mirko Menge –Western and Southern Europe, India and Africa; Matias Setala –Scandinavia and Eastern Europe; Sergey Godlevskiy –Russia and CIS; Steffen Behrens –Middle East; Sven Hergemoeller –south-east Asia and Oceania; and Dirk Wittkowski –Greater China and Pakistan.

NEWS

DHL buys 33 million litres of green fuel quirements with sustainable fuels by 2030.” He added: “The partnership with AFKLMP will help us achieve that goal. At the same time, it serves as another example of the success of our ‘book & claim’ system, which ensures that reductions in Scope 3 emissions are attributed to our customers. We must all work together to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon – and ultimately zero-carbon – emissions transport sector. After all, we only have one planet.”

Lower emissions The logistics giant expects the partnership to save over 80,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions by blending SAF with regular aviation fuel on AFKLMP flights. Adriaan den Heijer, executive vice president Air France KLM Cargo and managing director, Martinair explained: “The cargo teams are strongly committed and feel responsible for creating a sustainable future for our industry. This deal is a great opportunity to accelerate our joint sustainability efforts. SAF has a lot of potential to reduce CO2 emissions and we are delighted to collaborate with our strong, long-term partner DGF on this journey to greener logistics and transportation in the coming years.”

Back to the customer

DHL Global Forwarding (DGF), the air and ocean freight sector of Deutsche Post DHL Group, has signed an agreement with Air France KLM Martinair Cargo (AFKLMP) for the purchase of 33 million litres of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). DGF said it was “excited” about the three-year co-operation with AFKLMP, which has been a long-term partner and one of the leaders in the Group’s GoGreen carrier certification programme for many years.

The initiative is part of Deutsche Post DHL Group’s Sustainability Roadmap, which aims to spend €7 billion on green technologies by 2030 and reduce all logistics-related emissions to zero by 2050. Tim Scharwath, CEO DHL Global Forwarding, freight, said: “With our Sustainability Roadmap, we have set ourselves ambitious goals on our journey towards zero emissions. Sustainable fuels are a fundamental part of our efforts. That is why we have committed to covering at least 30% of air freight and ocean freight fuel re-

DGF’s partnership with AFKLMP will work in a similar way to earlier collaborations, with customers using a ‘book and claim’ system. When purchasing a DGF service, they can select the sustainable option and the related Scope 3 emissions reduction will be credited to their account. Since it is nearly impossible both technically and logistically to physically track SAF from production to the airplane, ‘book & claim’ offers a digital accounting system to track and transfer emissions reductions from sustainable fuels across value chains.

SAF takes off According to IATA, over 370,000 flights have taken to the skies using SAF since 2016. The association also says that 100 million litres of the green fuel was purchased in 2021, with over 45 airlines now having experience of using the alternative. It adds that SAF will continue to be an important piece of the sustainability puzzle.

Descartes acquires dnata digitises operations in Iraq NetCHB for $40 million DESCARTES Systems Group has acquired USbased customs filing specialist, NetCHB. NetCHB’s business is based around automating customs filing processes and its Cloud-based platform is used by more than 700 customs brokers to connect to the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Automated Broker Interface (ABI), to electronically execute fiscal customs declarations and security filings. More recently, the company says it has built on its success in traditional customs filings to capitalise on changes in the regulatory filing framework for Section 321 Type 86 e-commerce shipments. Section 321 Type 86 is a voluntary filing initiative for low-value e-commerce goods that CBP introduced in 2019 to streamline border crossings. “Section 321 Type 86 compliance is complex, but brokers and forwarders that take advantage of it can reduce the amount of time e-commerce packages are waiting for customs release,” said Ken Wood, EVP product management at Descartes. “NetCHB’s platform automates the declaration process for high

volumes of e-commerce shipments and helps keep them moving quickly to consumers, helping some of the largest e-commerce customs brokers and forwarders process shipments in a compliant and efficient manner.” Edward Ryan, Descartes’ CEO, adds: “As the digitisation of the logistics and supply chain industry picks up pace, we continue invest in complementary solutions that add depth and breadth to our Global Logistics Network (GLN). NetCHB has a team of deep customs domain experts, scalable and robust technology solutions, and a large group of customers that will benefit from additional solutions available on the GLN to help them manage the lifecycle of shipments.” NetCHB is headquartered in Arizona. Descartes acquired NetCHB for up-front cash consideration of $40 million, plus a potential performance-based consideration. The maximum amount payable under the all-cash performance-based earn-out is $60 million, based on NetCHB achieving revenue-based targets over the first two years post-acquisition.

HANDLER dnata has achieved an important milestone in Erbil, Iraq as the company implements the OneCargo system, which digitises processes across its cargo operations. The advanced tool, which dnata plans to launch globally, is expected to deliver significant commercial benefits for customers. OneCargo automates key business and operational functions, including safety and quality monitoring, reporting and ULD management, through an integrated, Cloud-based platform. AI-driven tools and analytics provide enhanced visibility of sales and business performance, allowing customers to match real-time demand

milestone which paves the way for the global launch of this advanced digital solution. In addition to improving operational and commercial performance, OneCargo will help us drive synergies across our international network and ultimately offer more value to our customers. “We continue to invest in cutting-edge technologies, advanced infrastructure, and process improvement to consistently deliver the same high level of safety and quality at every dnata station across the globe.” Over the past years, dnata has made strategic investments in its operations to further enhance its cargo offering. This included the opening

with available capacity for maximum profitability. In addition, OneCargo eliminates all manual check sheets, substantially improving operational efficiency. Having launched the system in Iraq, dnata plans to gradually implement OneCargo at additional stations, including airports in Pakistan, Switzerland, UAE, US and Zanzibar. David Barker, dnata’s divisional senior vice president for airport operations, said: The implementation of OneCargo in Erbil is a major

of new, state-of-the-art cargo facilities in Manchester, UK, Karachi and Lahore, Pakistan, and additional cargo capacity and infrastructure in Brussels, Belgium, Sydney, Australia and Toronto, Canada. The company has also recently announced an investment of over €200 million in one of the world’s largest and most advanced cargo facilities at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. In addition, this March dnata will open the second phase of the dnata City East project at London Heathrow.

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NEWS

CBD expands P2F fleet CDB Aviation has committed to an additional 12 aircraft conversions with Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW), expanding its A330 P2F (passenger to freighter) fleet to 14 aircraft. “We have strategically positioned our platform to be the A330 P2F programme frontrunner among lessors,” commented Patrick Hannigan, CDB Aviation’s chief executive officer, adding that the A330 P2F marked the lessor’s first entry into air cargo. “We’re very satisfied with this programme’s momentum to date and look forward to further expanding our freighter fleet in collaboration with our partners at Airbus, ST Engineering, and EFW.”

CDB Aviation’s first two A330 P2Fs are currently being converted in EFW’s facility in Dresden, Germany, and will be re-delivered to its launch operator, Mexico-based MasAir, in early 2022. “We are proud to have leading lessor CDB Aviation on board, growing its orders for A330 P2Fs,” said Andreas Sperl, EFW’s chief executive officer. “The A330 P2F programme is proving highly popular, and we now have over 80 aircraft on order. EFW is leading the overall A330 P2F programme, which is a collaboration between ST Engineering, Airbus, and EFW. To ensure we can meet the rising demand for freighter conversions, EFW and ST Engineering are in the process of ramping up their conversion capacity.” CDB Aviation says it will expand its global conversion footprint by becoming the first customer for A330 P2F conversions to take place at the facilities of ST Engineering in Shanghai, China, and VT MAE in Mobile, Alabama. These locations have been added to EFW’s existing A330 P2F conversion facilities in Dresden, Germany, and ST Engineering in Singapore. By the middle of 2022, the lessor plans to have aircraft being converted simultaneously in Dresden, Shanghai, and Mobile.

Havaş acquires Zagreb’s ground handling company

HAVAŞ, a joint company owned by Paris-based Groupe ADP and the latter’s TAV Airports subsidiary, is now providing services in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia. Havaş has taken over passenger, ramp, representation and supervision services, flight operation, load control and communication services as well as cargo and mail services at Zagreb Airport. Havaş general manager Mete Erna commented: “We focus on constantly improving our operations through innovative solutions and providing the best service to our airline collaborations. As a member of the Turquality programme [a Turkish-based quality accreditation scheme] we take the opportunities to achieve growth abroad with the know-how we have gained in Turkey. “Approximately 30 airlines regularly fly to Zagreb Airport. We will carry out all processes as the sole ground handling service provider at the airport, which also has cargo and general aviation traffic. We will increase the efficiency of our operations, sustain our investments in ground handling services and continue to be the preferred business partner of airlines.” The consortium including TAV Airports and Groupe ADP holds the right to operate Zagreb Airport until 2042.

To infinity and beyond for VD Group Volga-Dnepr Group has inked a memorandum of understanding with Singapore Space & Technology (SSTL) to support Singapore, as well as other countries of Southeast Asia, in the field of space logistics. The agreement was officially signed during the Global Space and Technology Convention 2022 held in Singapore at the beginning of February, with the ceremony attended by senior managers of both parties and the trade representative of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Singapore. The Group will be able to offer its integrated logistics services to support SSTL’s network of space companies for the launch of their satellites, while SSTL will create more awareness of the Group’s services in the Singapore space ecosystem. Volga-Dnepr will provide transportation and charter services for satellites, from manufacturing and assembly sites to end destinations, including, as required, design solutions, first/last mile, terminal handling and customs clearance. Oleg Novikov, development director, Southeast Asia of Volga-Dnepr Group, commented: “Within our Group, we strongly believe in partnerships that broaden capabilities and open new opportunities not only for the two companies but also for the whole sector. “The aerospace sector has been demonstrating positive dynamics amid the active development of satellite launch programmes, ramped up by IoT (internet of things) penetration across various industries, mobile network spread, including 5G, and other forward-thinking projects. We are happy to be part of this challenging environment and extend aerospace logistics across the globe in the interest of our partners and customers.” Jonathan Hung, executive chairman of SSTL, added: “Through this partnership, Volga-Dnepr Group will work with SSTL to provide transportation and charter services for satellites, and support SSTL’s network of space companies to navigate relevant regulatory requirements, providing an alternative option for satellite airlift. “To illustrate this, On January 27, 2022, the Ilyushin Il-76 freighter owned by Volga-Dnepr Airlines, carried a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite owned by Japanese-based Earth Observation space company, Synspective, a portfolio company in SSTL’s Space Accelerator Programme.

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NEWS

CIBT acquires Blair Consular Service CIBT, a global provider for travel visas, immigration and document services, operating under the CIBTvisas and Newland Chase brands, has acquired Blair Consular Services. Formed in 1967, Blair is Europe’s oldest and largest export documentation provider, headquartered in London with additional offices in the Netherlands and the US. “The acquisition of Blair is a transformative milestone for CIBT and our document and legalisation services business line expansion goals. The addition of Blair’s industry knowledge, expansive product offering, digital platforms, and strong client relationships will pave a clear path to accelerated growth for CIBT,” said Carlos Claro, managing director Europe – document and legalisation services. CIBT offers “fast, easy, and secure” document legalisation, apostille (notarisation), translation, and notarisation services, including: export documents, such as certificates of origin and commercial invoices; legal, corporate and IP, including patent and trade mark, documentation; legalisation for the pharma, healthcare, food and agriculture

industries; documents required for relocation, such as marriage or birth certificates and employment contracts; and letter of credit documentation services, including documentation preparation and bank presentation. Through this acquisition, CIBT welcomes more than 60 new team members to the organisation. Adding Blair’s document services capabilities to our portfolio will further position it as a leader in legalisations, export trade, and document services, said the company. With 16 years’ Blair employment, CIBT has announced that Vicky Jackson has stepped into the role of senior director of sales and operations and will be leading the Blair business. She said: “Joining an organisation with the infrastructure and global footprint of CIBT presents a great opportunity for Blair clients and staff. We look forward to sharing our market-leading products with CIBT’s client base.”

Lödige Industries to equip dnata’s new cargo terminal Schiphol

HANDLER dnata has contracted Lödige Industries, provider of cargo terminal solutions, to supply its new cargo terminal at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. With ongoing construction work at Schiphol to improve airport infrastructure, dnata will need to move into a new terminal building, which is scheduled to become operational in 2024. The new building, developed by Schiphol Commercial Real Estate and designed by the architectural firm DP6, will be equipped by Lödige Industries with a fully automated system. Two separate automatic storage and retrieval systems (ASRS) with 12 stacker cranes are used in the terminal for import and export operations and 2,500 pallets can be stored there. Additional storage for up to 700 ULDs is served by four elevating transport vehicles (ETVs). To ensure flexible and scalable ULD transport within the terminal, dnata will also deploy seven intelligent automated guided vehicles (AGVs) which have been developed by Lödige Industries and is being used for the first time on a large scale. Smart gates, which automatically record the volume and weight of all incoming shipments through 3D scans and thus significantly speed up handling, are another special feature. This will once again substantially improve service quality, says Lödige. A comprehensive high-performance warehouse management system integrating all elements will enable dnata to further expand its operations and service at Schiphol. The high level of automation saves space and time, increases safety and frees up staff for higher-value tasks, the company adds. Jan van Anrooy, managing director of dnata the Netherlands, said: “We are delighted to enhance our operations with a major investment at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. Equipped with the latest technologies, our new terminal enables us to significantly expand our offering and meet increased demand for our services. It will also help us consistently provide service excellence to our customers, ensuring the highest level of safety and quality at every stage of the handling process. We look forward to cooperating with Lödige Industries, a strong partner who shares our passion for innovation.” Arthur van Brink, managing director Benelux, Lödige Industries, added: “We are very proud of this new order from dnata, with whom we have already partnered very successfully in the past. The new terminal will place dnata at the forefront of modern air cargo operations. During the initial stages, our team worked very closely with the architects to ensure the new terminal can take full advantage of our high-tech automation solutions and support dnata in its growth plans.”

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WORLD AIRPORTS

RIDING THE CARGO WAVE With 2022 well underway and with the disruptions from the pandemic growing ever smaller for the airfreight industry, common trends are uniting airports around the globe. As volumes reach, or in some regions, outperform, pre-pandemic levels, airports around the world are investing in their cargo infrastructure to manage demand. An increased sense of collaboration has also united airport cargo communities. ACW hears from three airports on three continents.

ast year saw Milan Malpensa Airport cement itself as Italy’s largest airport for air cargo and SEA (Societa per azioni Esercizi Aeroportuali), the company that manages both Milan Airports, is now preparing itself to ride the cargo wave. “The market share of Milano Malpensa airport, of the total air cargo handled by Italian airports, went from 53% in 2019 to 70% in 2021,” explains Paolo Dallanoce, cargo manager, SEA. “At Malpensa airport, cargo flights in 2021, totalled 30,450 movements, exceeding the same figure of 2019 by about 158%, and by about 63% of 2020. “Cargo business in particular saw frequent and quick changes during the past two years.” The way the cargo community does business also saw changes. “Stronger relationships between the airport management company and cargo operators have been established and the need to solve problems with the contribution of all operators has made the cargo community more cohesive,” says Dallanoce. “The pandemic also had important repercussions on the dynamics of the flow of goods and on the type of products transported. “The most important phenomena were, on the one hand, the massive import flows of Covid-related medical devices (particularly intense in the second quarter of 2020, but also continued in 2021 and still ongoing), and on the other hand, the exponential growth of e-commerce products distributed by air. “This consistent development of e-commerce has mainly favoured the traffic of courier carriers, which in 2021 represented 33% of the total freight volumes in Milano Malpensa, compared to 15% of 2019.” Dallanoce also notes that the boost to e-commerce has helped the activity of general cargo operators, whose volumes in 2021 grew by 34% versus 2020, and by 7% versus 2019. He adds: “The 2021 final balance related to goods confirms that air cargo

business registered an impressive increase of 36% of cargo tonnes compared with the pre-pandemic year 2019 and of 45% versus 2020.” He says this is proof of the cargo potential of Milano Malpensa airport. Although cargo growth is positive for the airport’s bottom line, Dallanoce notes the demand has put some sub-systems under pressure. “In order to cope with the expansion of cargo activity in Milano Malpensa airport for the coming years, we will invest in the construction of new cargo infrastructure. This is pending the conclusion of the new Masterplan approval process. “Our other key for success is the digitisation of processes,” he adds. “In 2022 SEA has had a strong commitment to the development of new IT applications designed to enhance the functions of the ICT ecosystem, Smart City of Goods, which is an advanced cargo community system designed according to the innovative approach of an ‘eco-system’. This will enable the exchange of information between the landside world (shippers and transporters) and the airport world (terminal operators and cargo handlers). “The new applications will improve the accuracy of managed data and monitor the progress of cargo processes at the airport, offering greater tools for intervention. “The Customs Authorities have made a lot of improvements in their procedures, and it is now possible to clear shipments electronically with a system that is quick and easy to operate. In 2022 SEA will develop with Custom Authorities new applications, such as the ‘Smart Corridor’, aimed at speeding up the flows. “Another example of new applications planned in 2022 is slot booking for truck arrivals at the cargo area. “We are working with an IT systems developer on truck slot booking software that will help truck drivers in completing their procedures at Malpensa and will also improve the interface between the aircraft and ground system.”

Airports forced to rethink operations

ason Tse, manager of commercial leasing, cargo at Vancouver International Airport says the pandemic has forced airports to rethink their operations to increase resiliency. He notes: “The pandemic has given Vancouver International Airport the opportunity to strengthen its operations and take on infrastructure and maintenance projects.” He adds that improvements like this will make Vancouver Airport’s operations more streamlined and therefore increase its overall resilience. Will the airport therefore be prepared enough if another crisis were to hit? Tse says: “No matter what the next challenge around the corner, we will continue to adapt, test and learn how to meet the future needs of our customers, and to build efficient and resilient operations.” Tse believes that to do this, the airport must work with business partners and agencies to improve processing and also implement supporting tech-

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nologies, which aim to improve predictability and efficiency for customers.

Aviation’s slow recovery Following the trend seen globally, air cargo has been strong at the airport but passenger flights, and the precious belly capacity they provide, is still lagging behind. Tse says: “It’s now more than 21 months since a global pandemic was declared, and it is still not over. Despite the vaccine roll out in 2021, aviation’s recovery has been slow and new variants continue to emerge. “As economies recover and evolve through the pandemic, we’re anticipating air cargo volumes to reach and surpass pre-Covid demand on a global level. “Many factors are contributing to the growth of air cargo, including e-commerce, inventory replenishment, recovery of global trade lanes, and

FEATURE continued demand from consumers for goods over services. “At Vancouver Airport, the majority, 70%, of cargo is shipped in passenger aircraft bellies though and until passenger flight volumes increase, cargo likely won’t surpass pre-pandemic levels. “November 2021 saw the highest monthly cargo volume on record as it broke the previous record set in July 2018. Coming to the close of 2021, the re-emergence of the pandemic, loss of surface transportation links, shift of cargo from ocean container to air, and demand for online shopping around Christmas were contributing factors.” That said, will freight be more important to the airport’s bottom line? “Vancouver Airport’s location, size and reach make it a natural hub for the movement of cargo, and this is continues to be an important part of our business. “However, throughout the pandemic, it has become even more apparent how important cargo and reliable supply chain logistics are to our community and the economy that supports it.

“The greatest example of this is our role in helping facilitate the movement of essential shipments of PPE, medical supplies and vaccines. “Additionally, in the latter part of 2021, British Columbia experienced several extreme weather events that shut down major highways and rail lines across our province, significantly disrupting the lives and livelihoods of our community. “For 10 days, the airport was the only transportation network operating at full capacity, connecting people and linking essential goods and supplies from Vancouver to the rest of the district.” To cope with the demand, Tse says the airport is looking towards expanding infrastructure to support future cargo growth. “In Canada we have the National Trade Corridors Fund and we know governments around the world are looking to support in-

frastructure investments, which support the supply chain. “Vancouver Airport is also expanding investment in new technology with the acceleration of digitisation of the supply chain, which has the potential to revolutionise the air cargo business. “The way that we strengthen our business and our cargo operations going forward will be by leveraging digital technology to unlock data and insights that will help us gain efficiencies and streamline processes, benefits of which will be passed to cargo operators and our community.”

Confidence is strong but the market is difficult to predict

s 2022 gets well underway, Qatar Airways chief cargo officer Guillaume Halleux says market confidence is strong for the year ahead. He notes that despite Omicron-fuelled disruptions, Hamad International Airport (HIA) in Doha was able to mitigate problems thanks to lessons learnt from previous challenges. “Omicron led to staff shortages in parts of the operations. However, with the experience at the start of Covid-19 and during the peak, we managed our operations with minimal disruption. “This was achieved mainly because we consistently ensured that the right safety measures were in place and encouraged our employees to protect themselves with a Covid-19 booster vaccination.” “We have seen recovery over the course of 2021, as aircraft movements, airport cargo operations, and passenger numbers have all increased and generously recovered for HIA,” says Halleux. In numbers, that’s a 41.37% increase in passengers in 2021 compared to 2020. Airport cargo operations increased by 20.71% in 2021, with 2,589,283 tonnes of cargo handled in the year along with the introduction of six new cargo destinations. Aircraft movement also grew by 28.12%, with 169,909 total aircraft take-off and landing at HIA. “It’s difficult to predict that full recovery will take place as we have Omicron and other variant surges,” Halleux adds. “However, we do expect that at some point, the balance between belly hold and full freighter capacity will come back to some sort of normality. “At that time, the airlines that have accomplished their digital transformation will come out stronger.” To cater for growth and future demand, HIA, like many airports, is investing heavily in cargo infrastructure. A brand new, stateof-the-art Cargo Terminal 2 with an additional capacity of 3.4 million tonnes will be built, complementing the existing automated warehouse. The current warehouse was built to handle 1.4 million tonnes of cargo annually. However, Halleux says the airport is currently handling around 2 million tonnes annually. He notes the importance of sustainability and digital processes in the new airport infrastructure: “This cargo facility of the future will be a safe, smart and green facility relying heavily on technology and automation for its material handling. “It will offer faster storage and retrieval and cargo processing, enabling us to offer shorter connections for the growing demand for transit cargo.” To ensure that operations will be sustainable long term, Halleux explains that the new airport buildings will be built to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards, which is the most widely used green building rating system in the world. Available for virtually all building types, LEED provides a framework for healthy, highly efficient, and cost-saving green buildings. “For example, it will have an energy efficient air conditioning system, recycled water supply and waste management,” notes Halleux. The outlook for the year in Qatar mirrors that seen in the global market. “I think we will see increase of pharmaceuticals, PCR test kits and vaccinations as well as e-commerce shipments and live animal shipments,”.

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Brescia Airport (VBS)

Introduction

Brescia Airport (VBS), the only “Cargo first” airport in Italy, is strategically located in the very centre of Northern Italy, one of the most important economic areas in Europe. Its geographic positioning ensures smoothless multimodal connections to Italy and direct accessibility to Central Europe.

Efficiency and Flexibility

Brescia Airport (VBS) with its 3.000 meters runway length, ensures 24/7 take-off and landing operations in CAT3B, no curfew, customs 24/7. It is the domestic air hub of the Italian Postal service and one of the main Express couriers gateways.

Airport area and cargo capacity

The airport offers an apron of 80.000 sqm and 16 stands (6 stands-code letter E and upper code letter on request). The cargo offer has reached today over 16.000 sqm of warehouse capacity with additional, ongoing, plans of growth to manage up to 300.000 tons/year.

Special Services

Brescia Airport (VBS) is a “cargo first” airport that focuses in the management of any cargo-related operation. Our aim to offer “tailor made” solutions in order to satisfy any operational & commercial need, is granted by our cargo-specialized Organization.

The handling company

Both ramp & cargo services are provided by GDA Handling, owned directly by the Airport Management Company, so that the cargo first focus and business proposition is maintened at the highest qualitative standards.

Contact

Brescia Airport is part of the North East Airport System, with the airport of Venice, Treviso and Verona. Paolo Pistella ; Cargo - Network Development Manager email : ppistella@aeroportobrescia.it Marco Bergamaschi : Cargo and Operation Manager email : mbergamaschi@aeroportobrescia.it

The address is Via Aeroporto 34, 25018 Montichiari (BS) Italy

www.aeroportobrescia.it/en

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Venice Airport (VCE)

Introduction

Venice Airport (VCE) is one of the three hubs in Italy. Located in the most industrialized area of the Country, where most of the famous Italian brands have established their HQ and factories. The airport is connected to a vast and efficient road network ensuring a quick freight transportation feeder service from/ to Italy and southern Europe .

Efficiency and Flexibility

Venezia Airport has two runways: primary 3.300 meters runway length, ensuring 24/7 take-off and landing and a secondary 2.890 meters runway. It host separated infrastructures for Cargo and Express Courier.

Airport area and cargo capacity

Venezia Airport has 12 widebody stands. The cargo capacity has over 10.000 sqm warehouse and can manage more than 80.000 tons/year. Stands can accommodate aircrafts up to B747F and AN124.

Special Services

Venezia Airport has a long history of specialized handling for high revenue Cargo products (AVI – PER – VUN – VAL – WAS ) with up-to-date facilities for perishable as well as dedicated warehouse for valuables.

The handling company

Cargo services are provided by Save Cargo Spa. Save Cargo has a full equipped structure for cargo assistance with loading docks, truck docks, 10 ft and 20 ft scales, forklift and tractors. Among its facilities, Save Cargo can account for a 300 sqm brand new perishable area, a 400 sqm caster decks and two weight & volume machines. Save Cargo QMS is certified ISO 9001 since 2015.

Contact details Venezia Airport is part of the North East Airport System, with the airport of Venice, Treviso and Verona. The address is : Via G. Bonmartini 15 – Tessera (VE) Italy

Contacts

Giancarlo Cecchini : Cargo Operations Manager Email: gcecchini@grupposave.com

cargo.veneziaairport.it/en

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Verona Airport (VRN)

Introduction

Verona Airport (VRN), part of Italy’s North-East airport system, is located at the crossroad of the main motorway system of the Country, makig its access fast and easy.

Commercial features

Verona Airport (VRN), is positioned in the richest industrial cluster of Italy: International companies and market leaders of fashion, F&D, electronics, automotive, etc..are based in its catchment area.

Airport features area and cargo capacity Verona Airport (VRN), with its 3.068 meters runway length, ensures 24/7 take-off and landing operations in CAT3B, no curfew, customs 24/7.

Special Services

Verona, hosts the biggest trade market for live stock as well as being home of the national Food&Drugs cluster. It also represent the entry point for trade with Germany’s most industrialized area. It i also Frontier Veterinary Inspection Point for trade with European Countries.

Contact details

Verona Airport is part of the North East Airport System, with the airport of Venice, Treviso and Brescia. The address is : Aeroporto valerio Catullo, Caselle di Villafranca, 37066 Verona (VR) Italy

Contacts

Massimo Roccasecca: Cargo Group Director Email: mroccasecca@aeroportoverona.it

www.aeroportoverona.it/en

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VIEW FROM THE MAINDECK IS THE SHIPPING CRISIS GOOD NEWS FOR AIRFREIGHT?

lobal container shipping is closer to meltdown than at any time since World War 11. With repeated shutdowns of Chinese ports due to Covid outbreaks, the six-day blockage of the Suez Canal in March 2021 and reliability at an all-time low, there has never been a worse time to be moving goods across the oceans. Don’t expect any early relief, warns Nicolas Moeller, CEO Far East at forwarder IFB International Freightbridge. He told an online webinar organised by IFB’s Irish partner Woodland International and the Irish Hardware Association on February 2 that ships were taking more than twice as long to make the voyage from China to the US or Europe. Empty containers are clogging up ports and now there is the prospect of a strike at the US West Coast terminals. While the shipping industry has worked very hard to try and clear the backlogs, “it’s not going to change any time soon”, he said. Likewise, analysts Sea-Intelligence warned in late January that problems at major US and European container ports had reached new heights, with little indication of improvement. European ports, in particular, were grappling with record congestion, while

the situation in US ports was hardly better. It’s not surprising then, that shippers have increasingly been turning from ocean freight to air, in search of reliability and to bypass seriously congested ports and scarce shipping capacity. It’s important though not to overstate the significance of the shift from sea to air. The high seas have always carried vastly more cargo than airfreight; just four voyages by the world’s largest containerships would swallow up the entire annual tonnage handled at a major air cargo gateway like Frankfurt. The switch to air isn’t

likely to trouble shipping operators too much, even if the problems continue into the longer term. But looking at the issue from the airfreight industry’s perspective, even a tiny fraction of the world’s seafreight could mean a lot of extra business for carriers, at least in the short to medium term. Keith Smaggasgale, branch manager at UK-based global forwarder Woodland Group says that there has been no universal move from sea to air. What he has seen, though, is “some clients switching some business from ocean to air on a case by case basis, with more enquiries coming through for areas where the container routes are congested.” But, he points out: “A fair few airfreight routes have their own capacity issues, with the number of flights not yet back to where they were, and rates remaining high.” While some commentators have suggested that the once yawning gap between seafreight and airfreight rates has lessened somewhat during the crisis, cost is still a major consideration, he continues: “As ocean rates increased, so did those on air; there is still quite a difference between the two, so those switching from ocean to air are doing so based more on service, than the rates.” The reducing price differential between air and container transport, coupled with airfreight’s speed and security, is making air cargo a preferable choice, adds Alexey Zotov, AirBridgeCargo Airlines commercial director. He cites the Freightos Baltic Container Index which shows that seafreight rates have increased more than six-fold in the last year, whereas airfreight rates have ‘only’ increased 2.5-fold, according to World ACD. However, the price factor should not be overstated. Indeed, as Markus Derndorfer, product manager global airfreight at Austrian forwarder Gebrüder Weiss, points out, some shippers have now changed back from air to sea because airfreight rates are simply too high. ABC’s Zotov says he has witnessed a shift from sea to air throughout 2021, triggered by the Suez Canal blockage and later propelled by sea container shortages and ports quarantines and shut-downs: “We have experienced more charter requests in Q4, especially for Boeing 747Fs, mostly for healthcare products including vaccines, project cargo, e-commerce flights and others.” The biggest demand was on the traditional trade lanes from China to Europe or the US and back. Gebrüder Weiss too has seen most air activity on these two routes. Peter Penseel, chief operating officer, airfreight, at CEVA Lo-

gistics is also seeing a shift from sea to air – or even to ground transport including trains. Shipping costs are a part of the decision and, for some customers, “the decision to switch to airfreight has been made easier because of the change in the gap between sea and air costs”. Shippers are switching to both scheduled and chartered services depending on their needs, “and we see customers switching to air on a wide range of trade lanes across our global network”. Could the shift from sea to air become permanent, or at least long term? Ceva’s Penseel believes that, as long as current market conditions continue, “airfreight will be an option considered by some shippers.” Keith Smaggasgale at Woodland says: “For those who have switched, they are likely to remain with air until such time as ocean transit times improve.” However Gebrüder Weiss’ Markus Derndorfer rather doubts that the move will become permanent. The move to air “was driven by urgency”.

aircargoweek.com