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The weekly newspaper for air cargo professionals No. 1,015

21 January 2019

Will you be an ECS #NexGenLeader?

UPS’s rights infringed in failed TNT takeover

he European Commission’s decision to prohibit UPS’s acquisition of TNT Express must be annulled due to procedural irregularity, the Court of Justice of the European Union has ruled. On 30 January 2013, the European Commission prohibited the acquisition of TNT Express by UPS, saying it would lead to a significant impediment to

effective competition in the international express delivery market for small parcels within the European Economic Area. The decisive factor was based on an econometric analysis that led the Commission to conclude that there was a risk that prices would increase on the majority of the markets concerned. UPS successfully brought an action against the

prohibition before the General Court, with a judgement on 7 March 2017 annulling the Commission’s decision on the ground that UPS’s rights of the defence had been infringed. The General Court found that the price concentration econometric model used by the Commission differed considerably from that disclosed to UPS during the administrative procedure, without the Commission giving UPS the opportunity to submit observations on the amendments made. The judgement says that after disclosing the statement of objections, the Commission is not allowed to “modify the substance of an econometric model on which it intends to base its objections, without that modification being brought to the attention of the undertakings concerned and allowing them to submit their comments in that regard.” The Court upholds the General Court’s findings that failure to disclose an econometric model to the parties of a merger can lead to the Commission’s decision being annulled, provided that the irregularity denied them the chance to better defend themselves. It says: “The Court concludes that the General Court was entitled to find, without erring in law, that UPS’s rights of the defence were infringed, with the result that the decision should be annulled, provided that it has been sufficiently demonstrated by UPS that, but for that procedural irregularity, it would have had the opportunity better to defend itself.” FedEx Express acquired TNT in May 2016 in a deal worth €4.4 billion.

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INSIDE NEW 777FS FOR LUFTHANSA

LUFTHANSA Cargo will take delivery of a fourth brand new freighter this year, with the latest Boeing 777 Freighter being operated by AeroLogic ... PAGE 2

HAVE YOU VOTED YET?

VOTING has opened for the ACW World Air Cargo Awards 2019. Voting is secure, confidential and restricted to readers, plus bona fide members of ... PAGE 5 ABC FLIES PAST 700,000 TONNES

CARGO volumes at AirBridgeCargo exceeded 700,000 tonnes in 2018, driven by special cargo growing 25% in the same time period .... PAGE 6

DSV launches Panalpina takeover bid DSV has made an unsolicited, non-binding proposal to acquire Panalpina for 170 Swiss francs per share, through a mix of cash and DSV shares. Panalpina has confirmed it has received the offer and the board of directors is reviewing the proposals in conjunction with its professional advisers. The offer consists of 1.58 DSV shares and CHF 55 in cash for each Panalpina share, with the value of the offer CHF 170 per share based on closing prices on 11 January. DSV says the proposal will provide Panalpina’s shareholders with a premium of 24% to Panalpina’s closing share price of CHF 137.5 as of 11 January and 31% to the 60 day VWAP of CHF 129.5 as of 11 January. DSV says: “A combination of DSV and Panalpina would create a leading global transport and logistics company with significant growth opportunities

Picture credit: Panalpina, courtesy of The Boeing Company and potential for value creation. A combination presents a unique opportunity for both companies and their respective stakeholders including shareholders, employees, customers and suppliers.” It also says the combined business would generate expected revenues of more than 110 billion Danish krone and EBITDA of more than DKK 7billion.

NEVER A DULL MOMENT

UK-based multi-platform air cargo industry services provider HAE Group admits that working in the Middle East is challenging but worthwhile .... PAGE 9

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! e ers g ECS launches #NexGenLead a P t n o r F Hold the Best projects to be revealed at air cargo Europe in Munich in June

This week, there is a French flavour to the front page. Vol 8: Issue 21 30 May 2005

wo French stories headlined this week 14 years ago. French flag-carrier Air France opted for B747400SF aircraft as it waited for the B777 freighter expected in autumn 2008. Meanwhile, French GSSA group ECS, then known as European Cargo Services, had been acquired by leading French equity company Chequers Capital and members of the ECS managment team. The 777 first entered commercial service with United Airlines on 7 June 1995. The first 777F was eventually delivered to Air France on 19 February 2009. As of December 2018, 154 freighters had been delivered to 17 different customers, with 59 unfilled orders. Paris-based European Cargo Services (ECS) was acquired by private equity firm Naxicap Partners last year following the arrangement of a financing facility by Ardian, a global private investment firm. Financial details of the acquisition were not revealed. Backed by Alpha Private Equity since 2013, the ECS management team opted to accept an offer from Naxicap Partners in order to fuel its next phase of growth.

aris-based GSSA ECS Group is to help regenerate the airfreight industry by giving start-ups, students and its own employees a chance to showcase their talent and put it to use to benefit the industry. Through a six month challenge, ECS Group “firmly believes that the airfreight industry needs to build a future that incorporates the ‘New Normal’ – digital transformation.” ECS Group wants to be a proactive player and a leading figure in this transformation by rallying the industry’s biggest names alongside it, believes Adrien Thominet, CEO of ECS Group. He says: “We’re launching a project on a huge scale, and our aim is to change the game and turn industry habits on their head! And the industry has jumped at the chance: 100% of the people we’ve asked to become mentors and grand Jury members or to be involved with the project more generally have said they’ll take part. “Above all, these people have lent us their support with such energy and enthusiasm that it’s almost given us wings. We’re immensely grateful to them, and it just goes to show that we had the right idea – there’s a real desire for innovation in this industry, and we’re making a contribution in our own way.” The 10 best projects submitted as part of the challenge will be invited to discover the Grand Jury’s final ranking at the air cargo Europe trade show awards ceremony in Munich on 5 June. This means the whole industry will be able to benefit from the challenge by accessing the projects.” ECS Group has developed #NexGenLeaders as its ‘weapon of mass inclusion’. One key aspect is that this is an international challenge. Thominet says that mentors “will play a crucial role in training and coaching these teams, helping to revolutionise the

industry in the areas that matter most - digital technologies, added-value services, people and sustainability.” Industry experts and logistics chain staff are giving their time to increase awareness of the industry among talented newcomers. Thominet says: “This challenge has been designed to be industry-focused – its aim isn’t just to benefit ECS Group but the airfreight industry as a whole. The entire challenge is built around inclusiveness. That’s why ECS Group has sought out the sector’s top experts to coach and assess the challengers.” The outside people on this project include Sebastiaan Scholte, chairman of TIACA; Guillaume Halleux, chief officer cargo at Qatar Airways; and Norman Bamford, director of AZura International.

De-silo the industry

The industry is “lagging behind” when it comes to digital transformation and its way of working, considers Thominet. “In addition, we really wanted to de-silo our industry and open it up to the outside world,” says Thominet. “We wanted to make it less ‘confidential’ – partly because we firmly believe that this industry has a huge amount of potential and would benefit from being better known by the general public, and partly because we know that we can learn a lot from what others do, from different practices, etc. Taking a fresh look at something you know like the back of your hand is essential if you want to avoid resting on your laurels. “We plan on this edition of the #NGL challenge being the first of many. It’s not just a marketing gimmick or a one-shot project – we want it to stick around for the long haul and to improve on it each year, just like a good wine gets better with age,” he says.

FedEx to acquire Flying Cargo’s express business

In next week’s ACW

Can JFK re-establish itself as the premier US east coast cargo gateway?

FEDEX Express has reached a conditional agreement to acquire the international express business of Israel’s Flying Cargo Group. Flying Cargo provides logistics, warehousing, fulfilment and distribution services in Israel for sectors including e-commerce, return goods and domestic pick-up and delivery, and will continue to own and manage these activities. The acquisition is anticipated to close in the first half of 2019 and is subject to regulatory approval. Upon closing, the current licence agreement between FedEx Express and Flying Cargo Group will expire. Until regulatory approval is obtained and the transaction is closed, FedEx Express through its TNT subsidiary and Flying Cargo’s international express business will continue to operate independently. Bert Nappier, president of FedEx Express Europe and CEO of TNT says: “Israel has been and remains an important market for FedEx, and our strong reputation in the

market is built on nearly 30 years of trust with our partner and the employees of Flying Cargo. “This exciting acquisition, once closed, leverages that relationship to offer customers an even broader portfolio of services with a seamless link to our unrivalled global network.” Avi and Dany Reik, owners of Flying Cargo Group say it was a “privilege” introducing FedEx to the Israeli market, saying: “This step demonstrates the successful

relationship. We are convinced that while the Flying Cargo Group will continue to develop our other logistics and distribution businesses, FedExExpress will even better meet the evolving needs of customers in Israel.” FedEx Express began serving Israel through the international division of Flying Cargo Express in 1990, and since May 2016, TNT Express including TNT Israel has been part of the global FedEx group of companies.

Four brand new 777Fs to join Lufthansa’s fleet in 2019

LUFTHANSA Cargo will take delivery of a fourth brand new freighter this year, with the latest Boeing 777 Freighter being operated by AeroLogic. The aircraft will be leased from Boeing and operate at Leipzig/ Halle Airport, taking the AeroLogic fleet to 12 when it arrives later this year, with Lufthansa Cargo marketing all the capacity.

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Peter Gerber, CEO and chairman of the executive board of Lufthansa Cargo says: “This will effectively modernise our own fleet at our Frankfurt Airport base and further boost our efficiency and reliability. At the same time, we are focusing as a shareholder on growing AeroLogic, our fifty-fifty joint venture with DHL Express at Leipzig Airport.” Wolfgang Raebiger, managing director finance of AeroLogic says: “We are pleased that AeroLogic, offering one of the most modern and efficient freighter fleets in the world, is continuing to grow at Leipzig Airport.” In summer 2018, Lufthansa Cargo announced its intention to purchase two 777Fs to be stationed at Frankfurt Airport and lease another to AeroLogic. The additions to the fleet are expected to arrive in Frankfurt in mid-February and late March, while the first new aircraft for AeroLogic should reach Leipzig in early February.

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Credo on Demand expanding rapidly

eli BioThermal Credo on Demand has expanded rapidly under the leadership of Dominic Hyde (pictured), and is well positioned to continue to grow in 2019. Credo on Demand is a temperature controlled shipper rental programme allowing organisations to choose the shipper application that best fits the company’s requirements, logistics profile and budget. A year since his appointment, vice president Hyde has overseen significant developments within the expanding rental programme and the company’s growing, global footprint of network stations and drop points. Hyde says his first year has been “extremely positive”, saying: “In 2018, we increased our temperature controlled container fleet size by 90%, while increasing our revenue by 90% and we are well positioned to further accelerate our growth

in 2019.” Peli’s footprint of network stations and drop points is expected to exceed 100 sites by early 2019, which Hyde says represents a significant investment to support the growth of the pharmaceutical and biomedical industry. He says: “We have been busy in 2018 signing multiple freight forwarders and integrators worldwide, increasing our convenience and flexibility for customers by selecting the best locations and organisations to speed the journey of their temperature controlled shipments around the globe.”

ETIHAD Cargo has become the first airline in the Middle East to be awarded IATA CEIV certification in Pharmaceutical Logistics. The certification covers both airline operations of Etihad Cargo as well as cargo handling and warehousing at its hub in Abu Dhabi International Airport. Abdulla Mohamed Shadid, managing director cargo and logistics at Etihad Aviation Group says Etihad Cargo is “honoured” to be the first airline in the region to be awarded IATA CEIV Pharma. He says: “Since we launched our refreshed strategy in early 2018, a lot of focus has gone towards enhancing our premium product verticals and offering the highest quality and reliability standards to our customers. Today our TempCheck product receives a major boost with this important certification.” Cargo handling subsidiary Etihad Airport Services has also been awarded CEIV Pharma certification and the airline says that through its global network and fleet of passenger and cargo aircraft, this reaffirms Etihad’s ability to offer temperature-controlled services. Facilities, systems and processes have been enhanced to meet CEIV Pharma demands, which combine IATA Temperature Control Regulations, GDP best practices and other international benchmarks. Enhancements include the use of cool dollies in Abu Dhabi, thermal blankets at key stations and a tie up with additional active container suppliers to expand options of temperature-controlled containers.

IATA CEIV for GTA dnata in Toronto

GTA dnata has been certified by IATA’s Center of Excellence for Independent Validators in Pharmaceutical Logistics (CEIV) for its pharma handling processes and facilities in Toronto. The joint-venture company in Canada is the first ground services provider to be awarded the certification for warehousing as well as ramp handling and ground transportation services in North America. Mario D’Urso, chairman and CEO of GTA dnata says: “The CEIV Pharma certification is a significant milestone for us as it reaffirms our commitment to achieving excellence with regards to safety, security, compliance and efficiency in the handling of pharmaceutical products. Our teams invest a great deal of effort to safeguard the integrity of medical products, and this certification provides further assurance of the high quality of our services to our customers.”

Disorderly Brexit the “worst solution”

ollowing Parliament’s rejection of Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal, the CEO of Kuehne + Nagel has emphasised the importance of open markets. The deal was rejected by a margin of 230, with 202 MPs supporting the PM, and 432 opposing the deal, in a vote on 15 January.

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IATA CEIV for Etihad

Dr Detlef Trefzger (pictured) says: “The House of Commons has made a historic decision which we need to respect. Kuehne + Nagel is committed to global free trade in principle which ensures prosperity for everyone. So from our perspective, “No Brexit” would be the preferred solution, since any form of Brexit is bound to

increase trade barriers.” He calls a disorderly Brexit the “worst solution”, saying: “It will impose massive restrictions on the exchange of goods between the European Union and the United Kingdom. We appeal to the responsible bodies in London and Brussels to do the utmost to prevent this scenario. As far as we are concerned, we are focussed on ensuring the constant flow of goods for our customers.”

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Brussels keeps investing in pharma

Have you voted yet?

oting has opened for the ACW World Air Cargo Awards 2019. Voting is secure, confidential and restricted to readers of Air Cargo Week and ACWDigital, plus other bona fide members of the worldwide air logistics community. All votes must be cast online using the official voting form on the website. Categories are - Airfreight Forwarder of the Year 2019; Air Cargo Handling Agent of the Year 2019; Air Cargo Charter Broker of the Year 2019; Airport of the Year 2019 ; Air Cargo GSA of the Year 2019; Air Cargo Industry Customer Care Award 2019; Air Cargo Industry Achievement Award 2019; IT for the Air Cargo Industry Award 2019; Air Cargo Industry Marketing & Promotional Campaign Award 2019; Cargo Airline of the Year 2019. Voting closes on Tuesday 30 April, 2019 www.aircargoweek.com/awards-voting/

ACWBITES SUMITH Rathor has been appointed regional sales manager – UK at Virgin Atlantic Cargo, taking over from Ray Wood, who has left to join Doncaster Sheffield Airport as head of cargo. JEAN-MARC Nasr has taken over as president Asia-Pacific for Airbus. He will be based in Singapore and responsible for Airbus’ overall strategy, industrial footprint and operations as well as advancing the company’s “One Roof” policy to integrate its business entities in key markets. Nasr succeeds Pierre Jaffre, who has led Airbus in the region for the past 18 years and will remain with the company until October 2019 to ensure a smooth transition with his successor.

russels Airport is continuing to invest in services and products for the pharmaceutical sector, offering new infrastructure and technology including blockchain. The airport is investing €100 million in the construction of logistics buildings with 100,000m2 in the cargo area. Half of this infrastructure will be specifically designed to handle high-quality and temperature-sensitive goods such as pharmaceuticals. BRUcloud was launched as an open data sharing platform where companies in the scheme gather information through apps. Recent integration of new technologies such as blockchain has made part of the work paperless, which saves time and improves efficiency. Brussels Airport was the first airport

in the world to be awarded IATA CEIV Pharma certification and has developed products for the pharmaceutical industry such as the Airside Pharma Transporter to move cargo on the tarmac. It was also a founding member of Pharma.Aero along with Miami International Airport and Singapore Changi Airport, and has created pharma corridors to Montevideo and Hong Kong. Arnaud Feist, CEO of Brussels Airport Company says: “We continue to invest heavily in logistical infrastructure that is adapted to the specific needs of pharma and biotech, and that guaranties a cold chain, vital for medicines and vaccines. We are also developing innovative solutions based on new technology such as blockchain, which is used on our digital platform BRUcloud, and allows all stakeholders to track in real time the route of the transported goods.”

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The voice recorder of Lion Air Flight 610 has been found by Indonesian Navy divers off the coast of Jakarta. JT610 crashed shortly after take-off on 29 October 2018 from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta. The Boeing 737 MAX 8 had been in operation for two months before the crash. The recorder is reported to have been under eight metres of mud on the sea floor and a weak signal had been detected for several days. TURKISH Cargo has become a member of the Animal Transportation Association, a non-profit association aiming to transport live animals safely and securely. Other members include airlines, freight forwarders, marine companies, public institutions, universities, research agencies, animal breeders and vets. Turkish Airlines adopted the United for Wildlife Buckingham Palace Declaration in 2017 to demonstrate the importance of preventing illegal wildlife trade, and animal rights to raise awareness levels.

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ACWBITES A Boeing 707 cargo aircraft belonging to the Iranian army crashed at Fath Airport in Karaj on 14 January, killing 15 people with one survivor. According to local media, the aircraft was carrying imported meat from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan and was supposed to land at Payam International Airport but mistakenly attempted to land at Fath Airport. The black box voice recorders have been found at the crash site, according to local media reports. AERONAUTICAL Engineers has signed a contract with Royal Aero to provide the Miesbach, Germany-based airline with its first Boeing 737-400SF. The aircraft, MSN 29204 will be modified at Commercial Jet’s Dothan, Alabama facility and be delivered to Royal Aero in May 2019.

Special cargo flies ABC past 700,000 tonnes

argo volumes at AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC) exceeded 700,000 tonnes in 2018, driven by special cargo growing 25% in the same time period. Total volumes were up 2% helped by new destinations including Ho Chi Minh City, Shenzhen, Budapest and Columbus, complementing existing routes, while effective fleet utilisation and a strong team facilitated growth. Alignment of internal processes, new digital solutions, partnerships with reliable companies and reinforcing ABC’s global team helped boost pharma volumes by more than 60%. Dangerous goods shipments using abc DG rose 40%, oversized and heavy using abc XL increased over 20% while e-commerce delivered using abc e-com was up 6%. Sergey Lazarev, general director of AirBridgeCargo Airlines predicts that 2019, ABC’s 15th anniversary will be an “exceptional year” sup-

ported by consistent results in 2018. He says: “New challenges are ahead of us, but that’s what makes the air cargo industry an exciting place to be. We are all set and ready for new plans and accomplishments as we continue to follow our growth strategy.” Digital front-end solutions will be an area of development, starting with the implementation

of equipment to improve the monitoring of the cargo’s condition including temperature loggers, shock sensors and Bluetooth transmitting devices. ABC is partnering with companies including Unilode and Sitaonair to guarantee 100% traceability of shipments and continue to develop an Internet of Things platform.

HKIA remains on top

HONG Kong International Airport (HKIA) continues to maintain its position as the world’s busiest cargo airport with growth of 1.5% in 2018. Having broken the five million tonne barrier in 2017, HKIA handled 5.1 million tonnes in 2018 with imports up 3.1% to 1.8 million tonnes and exports increased by 0.6% to 3.3 million tonnes. Flight movements and passenger numbers were also up, with Fred Lam, CEO of Airport Authority Hong Kong saying: “It’s gratifying to see HKIA scale new heights in 2018 on all three air traffic categories, attesting to the dedication, resilience and contribution of our 73,000 airport community members. We are also honoured to be awarded with a number of recognitions during the year, solidifying HKIA’s leading position as a regional and international aviation hub.” Cargo throughput fell 5.2% in December to 448,000 tonnes with unloaded cargo down 4.5% to 155,000 tonnes and loaded down by 5.5% to 292,000 tonnes.

Oman Air embraces cargoHUB OMAN Air Cargo has gone live with CHAMP Cargosystems’ Traxon cargoHUB after adopting IATA’s electronic air waybill (e-AWB) standard to replace the paper air waybill. CHAMP joined Oman Air Cargo at their e-AWB workshop last autumn, an event aimed to educate and promote the initiative in the forwarding community across Oman and the region. By presenting innovative and valuable solutions to digitalisation, CHAMP has the goal of bringing wider adoption of e-AWBs across the supply chain. Nicholas Xenocostas, vice president commercial and customer engagement at CHAMP Cargosystems says: “We are thrilled to bring Oman Air Cargo into our messaging community. This relationship allows us, together, to bring vital technologies and systems to the wider region. Everyone from the smallest forwarders to the largest carriers will have access and the know-how to conduct their business in a fully digitised world.” Mohammed Ali Al Musafir, senior vice president – commercial cargo at Oman Air says: “CHAMP has provided the technologies to support us in our transformation. Any carrier can only be digitised as much as its clients and partners are. Therefore, it is vital that together we have the knowledge and solutions on the ground for everyone to feel their benefits. Our e-AWB workshop, along with CHAMP has made this possible.”

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MIDDLE EAST

Pets, horses and supercars, all in a normal year for Emirates

One of the most challenging regions for airfreight, the Middle East functions as both transit area and destination for airfreight from all corners of the planet.

mirates SkyCargo transported almost 2.6 million tonnes of cargo in 2018, including fruit and vegetables, space satellites, pharmaceuticals and domestic pets. Over 73,000 tonnes of pharmaceutical cargo flew with Emirates SkyCargo, including 1.8 million doses of vaccines flying from Italy to Brazil. The exclusive freighter flight carried 36 special purpose containers in what Emirates SkyCargo says was one of the largest and most technically challenging charter flights it has undertaken. Emirates SkyCargo introduced the pharma corridors initiative across select destinations, and by working with ground handling partners and other stakeholders, the initiative ensures uniform high standards for handling temperature sensitive pharmaceuticals from origin to destination. Over 1,100 tonnes of perishables were transported every day, varying from Norwegian salmon, mangoes from South Asia, meat from Australia, fresh sea-

food from Sri Lanka, Scotland and South Africa, dairy and chocolate from Ireland, green beans from Kenya, lychees and rambutans from Vietnam, strawberries from California, and wine and cheese from France. In 2018, Emirates SkyCargo transported 7,900 domestic cats and dogs, and launched Emirates Pets to provide air transport for pets with options for door to door pickup and delivery. Over 1,140 cars flew with Emirates SkyCargo including two Alfa Romeos for the Gumball 3000. Other cars included a DeLorean from Los Angeles for the Gumball 3000; a Koenigsegg Agera RS1, one of 25 in existence; and an Aston Martin One 77 travelled from Auckland to London. Other precious cargo included the Khalifasat – the first satellite developed and built by Emirati engineers in the UAE at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre – from Dubai to Seoul. Emirates SkyCargo also operated 395 charter flights, including 19 flights in September to transport 500 horses from Liege, Belgium to Greenville-Spartanburg, USA for the FEI World Equestrian Games Tyron 2018. Over the course of the year, almost 1,800 horses travelled on Emirates SkyCargo’s Boeing 777 Freighters to participate in major international equestrian and racing events.

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Say hola to weekly flights to Bogota EMIRATES SkyCargo opened a new trade lane to South America with weekly freighter services to Bogota, Colombia on 16 January. The Colombian capital is Emirates SkyCargo’s sixth South American cargo destination, and third served by freighter aircraft. Flight EK9930 arrives in Bogota at 22.00h local time on Wednesday and departs from the city at 00.05h local time on Thursday. A Boeing 777 Freighter is being used on the route, offering over 100 tonnes of cargo capacity and main deck doors allowing for the transportation of large and outsized cargo. Emirates SkyCargo will work with Avianca for the freighter service out of Bogota, with the Latin American carrier commercialising the capacity of the 777F on its return leg to

Maastricht. The two airlines are working on a deeper development, where Emirates SkyCargo will assist Avianca to transport cargo across the Middle East, Africa and Asia, while Avianca will help Emirates SkyCargo strengthen its reach in South America. Hiran Perera, senior vice president – cargo planning and freighters at Emirates SkyCargo says South America is one of the airline’s main focus regions and has a lot of potential for air cargo capacity. He says: “We are also delighted to be working with Avianca for this freighter service and we look forward to strengthening our partnership to facilitate more trade between customers in South America and the rest of the world.”

MIDDLE EAST

Never a dull moment in ME for HAE Group

K-based multi-platform air cargo industry services provider HAE Group admits that working in the Middle East is challenging but worthwhile. Neville Karai, director of HAE Group says: “The economic and political situation around the Middle East always means that there are opportunities for our customers and those across the network and the region is never dull.” The region’s aviation market remains strong both on an intra regional and inter-regional basis. “For us particularly, as representing carriers who operate freighters and with improved customs clearance ability and improved handling facilities demand continues to grow,” he says. “To and from the UAE and North Africa, we believe demand will remain strong as the Middle East remains a hub for East and Northern Africa. UAE also continues to be a transshipment hub for Europe and even for sea-air to US/Canada and beyond. We do not see this changing as it is competitive on price and service.”

Representation

Most cargo handled by HAE Group in the region originates there. However, perishables traffic is mostly imported into the region as the only significant traffic in that direction. Most perishables traffic though is either moving on a transshipment basis or is being distributed across the Middle East. “We have gained business through our representation of Air Astana and DHL aviation, whose services continue to grow. Our regional HQ is Dubai in the UAE – we have a number of agency relationships across the region, allowing us to represent a number of carriers in multiple markets,” he says.

HAE Group has operated in the Middle East since around 2007. It is a GSSA to a number of key non-competing carriers. “In addition we also offer our solutions programme to our customers who need us to offer them linehaul solutions where we charter or take BSAs on a variety of carriers so they can fulfill their own contracts,” says Karai. With its network of overseas offices, the group also offers transshipment and interline solutions from and to the Middle East, Indian subcontinent and North and East Africa, notes Karai.

Karai: To and from the UAE and North Africa, demand will remain strong

Down Mexico way for Qatar Airways Cargo

IN A double first, Qatar Airways Cargo has commenced freighter services to Guadalajara, Mexico via the Southern Chinese enclave of Macau, the carrier said in a statement. The new destination is served by a QR Boeing 777 freighter but steps up the carrier’s American network on a round the world route. The twice-weekly freighter departs from Macau to Los Angeles in North America and connects onward to Mexico City arriving in Guadalajara, before departing for Doha via Liège. “Our customers have welcomed the transpacific route, which is a faster solution over the Pacific for Asian exports destined for the Americas,” says Guillaume Halleux, CEO of Qatar Airways Cargo. “We are delighted to add Guadalajara as another stop on this route. The twice-weekly freighter offers significant capacity into and out of this destination and is an important addition to our expanding network of more than 60 freighter destinations.” Guadalajara is the third-largest economy and industrial infrastructure in Mexico. It has a substantial hi-tech and IT products manufacturing base and is known as Mexico’s Silicon Valley.

Inaugural CONNECT MEI&A

FOURTEEN airlines will be at CONNECT Middle East, India & Africa (MEIA) at Dubai World Trade Centre in May. Emirates, Etihad, flydubai, Air Arabia, Air Asia, EgyptAir, flyadeal, Ethiopian Airlines, Global Airways, Atlas Global, Germania, Mahan Air, Royal Air Maroc and Titan Airways network planning teams will be at the inaugural route development forum. Throughout 2018, GCC airlines added 58 new flight routes, focusing on areas of consistent and substantial growth, according to research from Colliers International. In the UAE, almost 50% of new routes introduced in 2018 were to Europe, with the second largest share of new flights connecting the UAE with Russia.

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PERISHABLES

LATAM Cargo to connect Santiago with Chicago

ATAM Cargo will open a cargo route between Santiago de Chile and Chicago on 19 February, the airline’s sixth destination in the US. Chicago’s connectivity with Asia is expected to expedited services, reducing transit times to less than 35 hours, improving temperature control and decreasing cargo exposure. Chile is a major exporter of salmon, with volumes to Asian markets rising from an average of 37 tonnes a week in 2014 to 700 tonnes in 2018. Claudio Torres, LATAM Cargo’s commercial director – South America says: “We know the Asian market will be a strategic focus in the development of Chilean aquaculture. At LATAM Cargo, we are committed to our customers and we are well aware of the importance of the Asian market for them. This new route will allow us to offer a better service with a much shorter time until the final destination.” In Chicago, LATAM Cargo’s facilities will

include 465sqm of cold storage, which may be expanded if necessary to minimise cargo exposure while in transit. The return route will go via Miami, improving services to customers in the Midwestern US by reducing transit times to Latin America by up to 3 days, resulting in shorter connection times and more expeditious shipping. LATAM Cargo offers Perishable-Salmon, which has been specially designed to transport the product under strict exposure control, and is available on both cargo and passenger aircraft. The product will have six points of entry into the US and three connection points on its way to Asia. Andres Bianchi, CEO of LATAM Cargo says: “The ongoing expansion of our network is proof of our permanent commitment to our customers. We are optimistic about this new route to Chicago and will continue considering new alternatives to improve their experience.”

IATA expert to address TCL 2019 conference THE International Air Transport Association (IATA) is among a group of speakers who will be talking about key air cargo issues at a leading UK pharma event in January. Francisco Rizzuto, specialist manager for IATA Cargo Europe will be presenting at the annual Temperature Controlled Logistics Conference 2019 (TCL 19) conference which takes place at Twickenham Stadium, London on 28-31 January. The event brings together supply chain, logistics and quality experts from around the globe to experience four days of workshops, case studies, panels, interactive discussion groups and technology showcases. Appearing on day one of the main conference, Rizzuto is set to speak about the present

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global status of pharma cargo community collaboration in air freight and will discuss how best to approach the issue. He will also cover how to improve the competency, operational and technical preparedness for perishable and temperature-sensitive air freight shipments. The conference follows a journey from the beginning of the pharma supply chain to the very end. Katherine Gordon, programme director for TCL 2019 said: “Our goal is for each and every delegate who attends TCL is to leave understanding what best practice planning and execution looks like at every stage of their cold and ambient supply chain to remain properly informed and at the top of their game.”

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World Air Cargo Awards

Industry Event

aircargoweek.com 11_21 Jan 2019.indd 1

ACW 21 january 2019

11 17/01/2019 10:38

HE PRETENDS TO KNOW WHAT HE’S TALKING ABOUT

Seconds with...

ACW: What would you expect to see written on your gravestone? Platts: I couldn’t see anything though, could I? So I’d hope someone at least spells my name correctly. ACW: What kind of culture do you thrive in? Platts: Open, honest and one where banter is encouraged.

ACW: Do you have any motto or philosophy you live and work by? Platts: I owe a debt to fallen ancestors which I try to repay through not acting out of self-interest.

ACW: What do you do outside of work? Platts: Is there an “outside of work”? I should try that… maybe go sailing…

ACW: If you became a multi-millionaire overnight, what would you do with that money, or your life? Platts: Go flying and get a dog.

ACW: Neighbours or Home and Away? Platts: Back in the day it was Neighbours but I haven’t watched it since 1988.

ACW: What aircraft did you fly as a pilot in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)? Platts: I trained on the Pilatus PC-9/A then operationally on Lockheed P3C Orion and Hawker Siddeley (HS) 748.

NICK PLATTS

As Head of Cargo at London Heathrow Airport, it falls to this Australian to head up the UK’s most important airfreight gateway as the country exits the EU. A former RAAF pilot, Platts came to the Heathrow job after a logistics career had brought him to the UK. His mother is very proud of his current position.

ACW: With your height, weren’t you a bit cramped in the cockpit? Platts: Not really, mind you if I had to eject from the PC-9/A then I may have had trouble walking again as there wasn’t a lot of space between my knees and the instrument panel. The Orion was the best for space. ACW: Do you support any football team or have you stayed with Aussie Rules Footy? Platts: I’ve tried to adopt a local team and I’m conflicted between Man City (ancestral home was in Rusholme) and Watford (my in-laws team) but I have to say that I can’t stand all the highly paid actors running around on pitch. So I still watch my home team Hawthorn Hawks – AFL is much more physical and faster paced than your local game of kick to kick.

erry’s boat actually sank.

ACW: What’s your murder weapon of choice? Platts: Odd question so I’ll ignore the “murder” part and stick with my weapon of choice – which of course is the P3C Orion!

ACW: You’re on death row, what would your last meal be? Platts: Phad thai with chicken for starters then roast lamb. Port and a Romeo y Julieta Churchill to finish. ACW: Vegemite or Marmite? Platts: Vegemite.

ACW: What would I find in your fridge right now? Platts: Beer.

ACW: What are the best and worst purchases you’ve ever made? Platts: Best – Flying lessons. Worst – Palm Pilot. ACW: Are you afraid of clowns? Platts: Circus clowns, no. We should all be afraid of clowns in politics.

ACW: What is the most interesting fact about you that we would not learn by looking at your CV? Platts: I was co-pilot on the mission that saved French yachtsman Thierry Dubois during Vendeé Globe 96 – his rescue was more miraculous than the over-publicised Tony Bullimore’s 10 days later because Thi-

ACW: If you could have dinner with anyone from history, who would it be and why? Platts: My great-grandfather – I’d like to have known him. ACW: What would your autobiography be called? Platts: A path less travelled.

Yummy: Australia’s unofficial foodstuff

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