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WORLD AIRPORTS .COM ACW Digital is sponsored by FREIGHTERS.COM
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The weekly newspaper for air cargo professionals No. 1,157
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22 NOVEMBER 2021
COP 26: TOWARDS DECARBONISATION WACA OPENS NOMINATIONS
THE Air Cargo Week World Air Cargo Awards will once again be an exciting highlight of air cargo China 2022. The ceremony will showcase ten specific industry categories as follows:
Airfreight Forwarder of the Year Air Cargo Handling Agent of the Year Air Cargo Charter Broker of the Year Airport of the Year Air Cargo General Sales Agent of the Year Air Cargo Industry Customer Care Air Cargo Industry Achievement Information Technology for the Air Cargo Industry Air Cargo Industry Marketing & Promotional Campaign Cargo Airline of the Year
The Awards will be in two stages – a nomination stage and a voting stage. Nominations will close on Friday December 10 2021. Nominations can be made for any air cargo sector organisation around the world by any person or organisation, using the official nomination form on www.aircargoweek.com. Companies are permitted to nominate themselves, however, they will not be able to vote for themselves.
‘Use it or lose it’ airport slot rule should be restored say UK airports A coalition formed of London Gatwick, Belfast International and Edinburgh airports and Wizz Air have written to the UK Transport Secretary urging him to reinstate the ‘80/20’ ‘Use it or Lose It’ airport slot rules to ensure that UK consumers once again benefit from effective choice of destination and airline, as well as efficient and fair pricing. Airport slot rules ensure that the aviation market is competitive by incentivising airlines to fly, trade or hand back unused airport slots so that other airlines can fly them instead. The coalition recognises that slot regulations had to be suspended during the pandemic but are urgently calling for their reinstatement for the vital summer 2022 season when passenger numbers are expected to rise, following successful vaccination campaigns and the removal of many travel restrictions. The letter also focuses on examples of the potential negative impact on consumer, including reduced choice of destination and airlines, and says that competition issues have already been raised with the CMA – the UK’s competition watchdog. Relevant authorities in other markets have all reinstated some discipline in slot regulations, ensur-
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INSIDE
EMIRATES GROUP HALF YEAR RESULTS
THE Emirates Group has revealed half-year results for its 2021-22 financial year. Group revenue was $6.7 billion for the first six months ... PAGE 2
FINNAIR BOOSTS NETWORK IN 2022
FINNAIR is preparing for the continued gradual re-opening of Asia and plans to serve nearly 100 destinations in Asia, the United States ... PAGE 2 AA CARGO GROWS GLOBAL NETWORK
ing fair usage of infrastructure and encouraging the restoration of connectivity. China’s domestic aviation is now above pre-pandemic capacity levels and the US domestic market has been close to 90% of normal capacity since June. The rest of Europe is also growing back strongly, with France, Italy and Spain already at 78%, 79% and 83% of 2019 capacity levels, respectively, while the UK continues to lag behind at 63%. Jonathan Pollard, chief commercial officer, Gatwick Airport, said: “In our view it is imperative that the UK Government gets fully behind the recovery of the UK aviation sector by restoring the slot rules so that competition once again flourishes for both the benefit of industry and
the consumer. A continued slot waiver would be a disproportionate response to market conditions.” Marion Geoffroy, managing director of Wizz Air UK said: “We have been calling for the reinstatement of the 80:20 slot rules for some time and would strongly urge the UK Government to put these plans in place ready for the 2022 Summer season. It is simply wrong that some UK airlines should be allowed to hold onto these slots for another season if they have no intention of operating them. We have already started to see a return towards pre-pandemic traffic levels, and Summer 2022 has the potential to be a great opportunity for UK aviation to get back on its feet.”
AMERICAN Airlines Cargo has further expanded its international network with the introduction of service to New Delhi, starting ... PAGE 3
ABC GIVEN GREEN LIGHT
AIRBRIDGECARGO Airlines (ABC) has obtained approval from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) for commercial ... PAGE 5
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NEWS
Emirates Group releases strong half year results
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he Emirates Group has revealed half-year results for its 2021-22 financial year. Group revenue was $6.7 billion for the first six months of 2021-22, up 81% from $3.7 billion during the same period last year. This strong revenue recovery was underpinned by the easing of travel restrictions worldwide and the corresponding increase in demand for air transport as countries progressed their COVID-19 vaccination programmes. The Group is reporting a 2021-22 half-year net loss of $1.6 billion, substantially improved from its $3.8 billion loss for the same period last year. Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and chief executive, Emirates Airline and Group said: “As we began our 2021-22 financial year, COVID-19 vaccination programmes were being rolled out at unprecedented scale around the world. “Our cargo transport and handling businesses continued to perform strongly, providing the bedrock upon which we were able to quickly reinstate passenger services. While there’s still some way to go before we restore our operations to pre-pandemic levels and return to profitability, we are well on the recovery path with healthy revenue and a solid cash balance at the end of our first half of 2021-22. Sheikh Ahmed added: “We would like to thank our customers for their continued support, as well as all our aviation and travel industry stakeholders and partners for their efforts that have made it possible for international air travel to resume safely and smoothly.” The Emirates Group has been able to tap its own strong cash reserves and access funding through its owner and the broader financial community to support its business needs through the unprecedented challenges wrought on the aviation and travel industry by COVID-19.
STILL reading a printed copy of Air Cargo Week? Consider switching to the digital version. Contact subs@azurainternational.com and let them know that in future you would rather read the weekly publication on-line.
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FINNAIR STRENGTHENS NETWORK IN 2022 FINNAIR is preparing for the continued gradual re-opening of Asia and plans to serve nearly 100 destinations in Asia, the United States and Europe during the summer season, which commences on March 27 2022. Finnair will open new long-haul routes to Busan in South Korea, Tokyo Haneda, Dallas in the US and will also have Sapporo as a summer destination for the first time. “We look forward to the world continuing opening again,” says Ole Orvér, chief commercial officer, Finnair. “Before the pandemic, Japan was our single largest market outside our home market Finland, and we look forward to returning to all our five destinations in Japan. We are also opening a new route to Busan in South Korea, demonstrating our continuous commitment to offering the best and most sustainable connections between Europe and Asia via our Helsinki hub.“ We are also pleased to strengthen our network in the US by adding Dallas as a new destination. If travel restrictions allow, Finnair will resume service to all the five destinations in Japan it served before the pandemic
– Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka and Sapporo – and launch a new service to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport. Altogether, Finnair will fly up to 40 weekly flights between Helsinki and Japan in summer 2022. Finnair flies daily to Tokyo Narita and Haneda, offering a total of 14 weekly frequencies to the capital of Japan. Finnair also flies daily to Nagoya and Osaka and will introduce double dailies to Osaka in June. Finnair’s Sapporo route will be introduced for the summer season for
the first time with two weekly frequencies, and Fukuoka in Southern Japan is served with three weekly flights. In North America, Dallas will be added to the network as of February 7 2022 and will be operated four times a week, with connections to Finnair’s partner American Airlines’ network. As intercontinental traffic grows, Finnair will also strengthen its European network from Helsinki with connections to more than 70 European cities, including new destinations Zagreb and Larnaca.
Herfurth lays the foundation stone for new building at Brussels
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ork has got off the ground on a major construction project at Brucargo, the logistics zone of Brussels Airport. The building will be home to Herfurth Logistics, which has been present at Brussels Airport for many years. The building will combine a warehouse of almost 5,000 sq m and more than 700 sq m of office space, on a site of more than 8,700 sq m. It will include six loading bays and be equipped with the latest technology in terms of sustainability. Charging stations for electric cars, energy-efficient exterior lighting, rainwater tanks, mechanical ventilation and covered bicycle parking are just some of the design features of this new project,
which is due to be inaugurated in July 2022.
Need for space Herfurth Logistics and its Brucargo Air Freight division currently employ around 40
people at the logistics site at Brussels Airport. Herfurth was one of the first concessions granted at the Brucargo site. The acquisition of Brucargo Air Freight in 2016 (building 740) combined with the end of the concession at building
727 in 2010, as well as multiple developments, made the infrastructure requirements no longer compatible with the existing sites. Traditional import-export forwarding and Cross Docks Operations activities have enabled Herfurth Logistics to become a key player in logistics and transport of aircraft and helicopters (Heli-Aviation Logistics). The handling of perishable goods (with cold stores), project cargo (M-Star Projects), customs and excise management and unaccompanied luggage are also its main areas of expertise. The Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Burundi are Herfurth’s main destinations in terms of Brucargo, although they are not the only ones.
Brussels Airport: Cargo grows 19% in October
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THE month of October at Brussels Airport mirrored the month of September with more than 1.3 million passengers handled, 57% of the pre-crisis volumes and the best percentages this year. The airport reports that cargo continues to grow, with a 19% increase in volumes in October compared to October 2020. More than 73,000 tonnes of cargo was carried in October. The growth of air cargo (+18%) can be observed in all three segments, namely full cargo (+22%), express services
(+8%), but also in belly cargo (+41%) which continues to recover thanks to the increase in the number of passenger flights to and from the Belgian capital. In the full cargo segment, Brussels Airport again saw growth with almost all existing
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customers. New connections from Asia in particular are contributing to this growth. Asia remains the most significant region, followed by North America and Africa. The transport of Covid-19 vaccines to and from Brussels Airport continues, with over
450 million vaccines dispatched via the airport to date within Europe. Brussels Airport also hosts many vaccine flights via the COVAX platform to African countries thanks to donations of vaccines from EU Member States.
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AA Cargo grows global route network with New Delhi AMERICAN Airlines Cargo has further expanded its international network with the introduction of service to New Delhi, starting on November 12, 2021. American marks its return to the Indian capital city with a daily service from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to New Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL). This expansion will be followed by daily service between Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) and Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru (BLR) in early 2022, linking two critical global technology markets
with the US and beyond. The New Delhi service will operate using a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, the largest widebody in American’s fleet. The freight forwarder community in India is eager to support the launch of this international service that will connect many commodities, such as leather products, textiles, ready-made garments, pharmaceuticals, machinery, and technology parts with destinations around the world via JFK. “India is a really exciting market for our cargo business and we are delighted to be returning to these key desti-
nations. There has long been a demand from our customers in the region for a direct link with New York, and we
anticipate strong support for the service,” said Tim Isik, sales director – EMEA & APAC for American Airlines Cargo.
The company’s GSSA in India is Air Logistics, who will be selling outbound cargo capacity from DEL to JFK.
“Recent capacity constraints to the US have created huge demand for air cargo capacity ex-India and at such times when stimulus is needed to reinvigorate, recharge and revive our economies, this new service is a huge boost. We are ecstatic that the two largest production powerhouses of the world are on the cusp of being better connected through this new service,” said Sakshi Gupta, country manager India – Air Logistics Group. This will be the first time American has served the country since 2012.
PAYCARGO SIGNS NEW CHIEF DESIGN OFFICER
PAYCARGO has appointed Amit Gairola as chief design officer, joining the executive team of the cargo payment platform as it continues its rapid global growth. He will be based in London from where he will lead a team focused on the product and strategy of PayCargo’s expansion in Europe, Middle East, and Asia. He will also have global responsibility for PayCargo’s data business. Gairola worked previously at Amazon for ten years in a variety of general
management, product and commercial roles, including most recently as general manager of Amazon Freight in Europe. “PayCargo is an exciting, fast-scaling platform solving a significant customer problem in the cargo payments space – their sustained hyper-growth over recent years in the US speaks for the value of the product and we are thrilled to bring this solution to customers in Europe, Middle East and Asia,” said Gairola.
Kerry joins forces with My Jet Xpress KERRY Logistics Network Limited joins forces with Malaysian cargo airline My Jet Xpress Airlines to offer customised airfreight options within Asia by operating a new solution with Macau International Airport as the transit hub. The airfreight solution was first introduced in March 2021 by the two companies to support one of KLN’s e-Commerce customers who was struggling at the height of the pandemic to obtain freight capacity from Macau into East Malaysia and Indonesia. A transit hub was established in Macau for three reasons: its proximity to the customer’s distribution centre, its capability to allow carriage of products with batteries, and the efficiency of its customs clearance process. From five flights a month, this efficient, reliable, and cost-effective customised solution now provides seven to eight flights per week.
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AEROTUF: On a mission to make ULDs more sustainable AEROTUF is setting itself apart and focusing on material science to develop its performance driven ULDs, Ian Buck, head of business development at US based AEROTUF tells ACW. “We steer away from “standard” materials, strongly focusing on composite material that makes lighter units that are stronger, require less time in repair and that have strong sustainability credentials,” he explains. He says the company’s AeroTHERM product was designed to keep perishable food protected from extremes of temperature. Along with this offering, AEROTUF’s other product AeroPALLET is incredibly strong and requires no shoring materials, such as wood, to hold the weight of loads, which also cuts down on labour to prepare it greatly. “Composite materials play a huge role in the AEROTUF business. These have come from various sources and have been put together
to make our ULDs lighter, tougher, insulated and a lot more robust than anything else out there in the market. When this mix happens, great results occur. It’s sometimes overlooked that the composites used in the construction of the AeroPALLET also have great thermal properties, which means that goods that are on the tarmac for long periods of time can be protected from the heat. “Many of our key product development initiatives are confidential at this stage, but we are focusing on combining what we have learnt with other newer materials to give even greater benefits in the insulation, weight and ease of handling preparation categories.” Has the pandemic changed what customers
want from their ULDs? “That’s a question that we could speak about for many hours,” says Buck. “I think customer’s needs are truly evolving as we move out of the crisis mode that the pandemic forced upon us. “We are seeing that airlines want better offerings for their specialist services, which is where AeroTHERM can support as part of a perishable product strategy. AeroPALLET can refine cargo operations and cut costs but it has to be noted that both of these products are not standard, and neither is their pricing. However, these products are going to help grow top and bottom lines of airlines and investments of this nature seem to be being made with more of a long-term view, which is great news. “The pandemic has also thrust the term versatility into the airline industry. Who could have predicted that passenger aircraft would have been filled in every possible space with cargo in the passenger cabin? We are fortunate that AeroTHERM also offers this level of versatility. While its primary “value add” element is the protection of perishable goods whilst in transit, it can be used to move regular baggage and cargo, which means it can be repositioned to where it needs to be with relative ease.”
Demand Buck says the company has had an incredibly busy second half of 2021. Airlines want to be able to offer more services with fewer, smarter, more efficient assets at their disposal, and this speaks very strongly to the Performance Driven ULD’s we have on offer, he says. “Interest has been strong. We have had great success with specialist projects such as working with Sonoco ThermoSafe on the development and launch of their Pegasus container, which uses the AeroTHERM concept as its “chassis” to keep high value temperature controlled healthcare products at the right temperature through the airfreight supply chains on a global basis. “There are also a number of other strategic projects we have in development where
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our technologies are being used to push the boundaries for producers that require strict temperature control, as well as temperature protection. “Both have been received incredibly well. However, as with everyone in this space, the pandemic brought a lot of the development projects, which we had with airlines, to a standstill whilst they focused on survival. Generally speaking these guys have had no time for a development strategy, it’s been around doing the best with what they have. “Now that the market begins to look forward and seek out various means for growth through innovation, airlines are asking us how the AeroTHERM can add value to their perishable product offerings, and how the AeroPALLET can maximise cargo loading operations, with both products having a strong sustainability slant.”
At the heart Pressure is on the aviation industry to do all it can do to minimise its negative environmental impacts. “Sustainability is at the heart of what we do. It is estimated that there is close to a trillion USD of food lost in the supply chain every year. If AeroTHERM can help cut this down by protecting food and perishables for longer, then we can really say that sustainability is at the heart of our strategy. “A standard airline pallet can require up to 40kg of wood beams to be applied to it as “shoring material” to give it the strength across its width to hold the weight that goes on to it without twisting and bowing and potentially damaging an aircraft. This wood needs to be grown, cut down, cut, transported, purchased, stored, fitted, shipped and then disposed of, usually after one use. The strength of the composites used in an AeroPALLET, along with its design, mean that these shoring materials are not required. We feel strongly that the use of an AeroPALLET can play a role in not just our own sustainability strategy, but also of those airlines that adopt it. “We also need to call out the AeroTHERM’s benefit when it comes to reducing the perishable market’s reliance on single use plastics in the form of thermal blankets. We are helping several 3PLs and airlines cut their use of these products down considerably as they are not needed with the protection properties of an AeroTHERM. These blankets, especially when they are a mix of plastic and flexible metals can go straight to landfill. We want to play a role in eradicating that whenever and wherever we can,” concludes Buck.
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LUCKY 13 FOR AEI
AERONAUTICAL Engineers (AEI) will provide Austin-based, Aero Capital Solutions (ACS), with 13 additional B737-800SF freighter conversions. Upon completion of this new order, ACS will have a total fleet of 34 AEI B737-800SF freighter conversions, making the company AEI’s largest customer to date for the B737-800SF. The first aircraft of this new order will commence modification in March 2023, with all modification and maintenance requirements to be performed by the authorised AEI Conversion Center, Commercial Jet, in Miami, Florida. The remaining 12 aircraft will be modified and distributed between Commercial Jet, KF Aerospace and HAECO Xiamen. The last aircraft of this order will commence modification in December 2023. The AEI converted B737-800SF freighter offers a main deck payload of up to 52,700 lbs. (23,904 kg) and incorporates eleven full height 88” x 125” container positions, plus an additional position for an AEP/AEH. The conversion also incorporates new floor beams aft of the wing box, a large 86” x 137” Main Cargo Door with a single vent door system. AEI’s design allows for containers to be loaded into the aircraft a full 16.5” aft of the forward door jamb, ensuring ground operators have sufficient maneuvering room which minimizes potential door and aircraft strikes. Additionally, the AEI B737800SF includes a flexible Ancra Cargo Loading System, a rigid 9g barrier, five supernumerary seats as standard, a galley, and full lavatory.
ABC given green light to transport lithium battery shipments over 35 kgs AIRBRIDGECARGO Airlines (ABC) has obtained approval from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) for commercial transportation of lithium batteries over 35 kgs
which are commonly addressed as SP (special provision) A99. The company has become the first airline to receive this type of approval in China after two years of preliminary works, testing and close collaboration with stakeholders.
Tom Ouyang, AirBridgeCargo regional special cargo manager, Asia & Pacific noted: “This is an important event for the LB industry in China and we are honoured to be the first airline to get CAAC approval.”
Swissport offers virtual tour of Frankfurt facility
SWISSPORT’S cargo warehouse at Frankfurt Airport is now also in the digital space. The 17,000 sq m facility, which was opened in November 2020 and also has a certified Pharma Centre, is equipped with an automated material handling system. The new 3D virtual tour of the Frankfurt warehouse, which was created in collaboration with Lödige Industries and Matterport, allows procurement officials and operations managers of cargo airlines and freight forwarders to pay a virtual visit to Swissport’s Pharma Centre and warehouse in advance of a physical visit. The 3D tour is equipped with virtual info points to look up key information on the facility, the equipment and the processes.
Digital investments Swissport has invested heavily in digitalisation and modern equipment. To raise the efficiency of the handling processes, unit load devices (ULD’s) are stored and retrieved by an automated material handling system (MHS) with a storage capacity of 115 main deck ULDs. The company’s cargo teams at the Frankfurt location were also one of the first to be equipped with a new cargo app and mobile devices to further digitise the operation and increase efficiency. At the end of the year, Swissport in collaboration with Lödige Industries, is set to trial an unmanned, automated vehicle in Frankfurt. This innovation aims to further increase flexibility and the safety of ULD handling. Swissport’s warehouse operation in Frankfurt runs an all-electric powered fleet of ground service vehicles for the handling of shipments. A photovoltaic system on the roof of the building is the largest of its kind at Frankfurt Airport. It feeds more than 1.5 million kWh of sustainable solar energy per year.
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Wilson Kwong: Automation, AI and digitisation are our focus and our friends EARLIER this year, Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited (Hactl) took its first step into robotics with the opening of its new Automated Parts Store (APS) for its giant container and loose cargo handling systems. Wilson Kwong, Hactl chief executive says the company’s work with the APS has become an effective proving exercise from which many lessons have been learnt about robotics and their applications. “The APS is currently being used up to 10 times daily, but usage is being deliberately restricted at present as this is still a proving phase in which fine-tuning is still taking place,” he says. “We already see that the APS is more efficient and more accurate, but it will really operate to its full potential once the user mobile app has been fully developed, which will enhance its user friendliness. Once the APS and app are finalised, it will handle around twice its current workload.” Kwong explains that the average time to pick up in the normal store is around 15 minutes compared to an average time of less than five minutes for pick up in the APS. “But the APS is not just about saving time and reducing costs: it also enables us to minimise downtime outside the normal hours of the main parts store and is a useful test exer-
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cise for wider use of robotics. “Hactl has always been highly-automated throughout its massive SuperTerminal 1 facility. It is therefore difficult to give comparisons between efficiency of manual and automated handling systems. What is clear is that Hactl would need a much larger workforce and a larger building footprint if it had not designed SuperTerminal 1 around highly-automated operations.” Kwong believes due to the nature of the automation, a strong workforce is also needed. “We don’t view automation as a replacement for existing jobs, but as a way to cope with the eternal challenge of recruiting staff for work
that sometimes involves inclement weather and unsocial hours. Automation will make it easier for us to cope with future growth in traffic, using the same workforce,” he says. Kwong believes there are other areas of operations where automation, or a higher degree of automation, may be possible – such as storage and retrieval of loose, larger pieces of freight, and some ramp operations. He says: “Automation, AI and digitisation have always been our focus and our friends. Without hi-tech solutions, Hactl would not exist today. We are committed to innovation, and fully recognise how it will enable us to grow and to become even better at what we do. Our innovation programme is led by a dedicated Performance Enhancement team whose sole job is to root out inefficiencies and drive implementation of tech-based solutions.”
Sustainable How does automation affect the sustainability of operations? Kwong notes this is difficult to measure simply. “There are so many different processes in handling, and not all can be fully-automated. Storage and retrieval of fully-loaded ULDs is our largest area of automation, and we
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would need a lot more workers, space and power-consuming equipment to do this work manually; that would also be less environmentally friendly. “But even automation is not the total answer: we have spent a lot of time and money on perfecting the AI systems that control our automated Container and Box Storage Systems, so that they enable the equipment to operate at maximum efficiency. For example, new algorithms have cut the distance travelled by the CSS cranes to store containers, and also enable better use of the storage compartments. This does create an environmental benefit.”
Full steam ahead “2021 has been a very buoyant year,” says Kwong. Hactl has seen significant growth in tonnages and numbers of aircraft handled and it is predicted that the last quarter will be unprecedented. “We have had some challenges such as the recent quarantining of some ramp workers due to their close contact with a single COVID case, but we are now back to full manning and have returned to our normal high standards of service.”
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niquely designed, Kansai Airport lies on an artificial island in Osaka Bay, south of Osaka, Japan. In line with the trend seen across the globe, the Airport has seen a significant increase in cargo flights, explains Honami Uchimoto, cargo specialist, Kansai Airports. “The number of cargo flights of the financial year 2020 increased 74% comparing to that of 2019, resulting from the increased operations of the extra and charter freighters and passenger-freighters,” explains Uchimoto. “However the strong demand for export cargo has caused a lack of airfreight capacity at KIX.” Uchimoto notes that there has been a steep increase in e-Commerce and pharmaceutical cargo, including Covid vaccines. “Recently the
cargo volume has increased due to the turmoil of marine transport but hopefully this will end. We still presume the trend of increasing e-Commerce will continue.” She says that cargo has taken on a new importance from the beginning of the pandemic. “Since revenue on the passenger side has dropped significantly, the cargo business has become an important source of revenue.” This new importance will be reflected in infrastructure investment: “Some of the investments for the cargo business are currently in progress, even in the current climate where many investments have slowed in the company. “However the number of the investments in the cargo business have also been very limited but we are proceeding with them to prepare for
post-pandemic.” For Uchimoto, market confidence is good. “We suppose the market and business in Japan will keep growing, while experiencing some ups and downs along the way. “However predicting future trends is getting more difficult as there are many more risks and uncertainty than before.” As for air cargo, she believes the pandemic will have lasting impacts, especially on belly space supply. She concludes: “To achieve sustainable growth, we must ensure close communication with cargo operators, as the airport operating company itself cannot make any changes alone. What is important is to grasp their needs and make the project proceed in the right direction.”
SAF is important but it’s not the only answer, says Tamada
TOSHIYA Tamada, executive vice president, global marketing and global sales at ANA Cargo tells ACW that he is optimistic about the aviation industry’s efforts to become more sustainable. ANA’s new “SAF Flight Initiative” is a dedicated programme to reduce CO2 emissions. The programme is designed to promote Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) by collaborating with leading companies in the area. “ANA introduced “ANA SAF Flight Initiative: For the Next Generation” as part of our ANA
Future Promise, ANA Group’s commitment to the ESG goals,” explains Tamada. “ANA SAF Flight Initiative is formulated in two separate components: Cargo and Corporate. The latter is for corporate passenger travel. “As far as the cargo programme, partial space of a designated flight shall be sold to shippers who agree to use SAF. “SAF premium rate” shall be separately applied besides the normal freight rate. ANA will issue a CO2 emission mitigation certificate verified by a
third-party organisation to shippers in return. Substantially mitigating CO2 emissions from transportation of goods in the business value chain together with customers who affirm the cause.” “We have joined the Clean Skies for Tomorrow Coalition to accelerate the supply and use of SAF technologies to reach 10% of global jet aviation fuel supply by 2030. We are championing the commercial scale of viable production of SAF for broad adoption in the industry.”
With mounting pressure on the aviation industry to reduce its negative environmental impact, will SAF be enough? Tamada thinks not. “SAF alone cannot solve the environmental issues the aviation industry is facing. The biggest expectation is probably innovation in new types of engines and aircraft, but that is quite far away,” says Tamada. “I think there will be many small but important steps together to create a sustainable revolution.”
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COP 26: Europe’s aviation sector calls for wider adoption of decarbonisation Statement from Johan Lundgren, CEO of easyJet and Chairman of Airlines for Europe on behalf of Destination 2050 partners at COP26
“IN February this year, Europe’s aviation industry set out a path for meaningful CO2 emissions reductions by 2030 and by 2050. Our Destination 2050 roadmap – endorsed at the highest level by Europe’s airlines, airports, aerospace manufacturers and air navigation service providers – has set out our decarbonisation commitments in clear terms: building on the Paris Agreement and the European Green Deal, it sees all flights within and departing the EU, UK and EFTA realising net zero CO2 emissions by 2050. “Our sector is by nature a global one, so we encourage others to follow suit. Alongside regional measures, a strong global framework should be established and put into action to enable aviation’s decarbonisation to happen on a global scale and match our ambition in Europe. “Europe’s air transport sector strongly supports and encourages the wider adoption of ambitious decarbonisation objectives and related long-term actions by all countries and regions, including those to be agreed at a global level at the next ICAO assembly in 2022.”
Destination 2050 Europe’s aviation sector is collectively on board to lead the way in reducing aviation CO2 emissions by 2030 and 2050 -making flying more sustainable for the long term. In February 2021, Europe’s airlines, airports, aerospace manufacturers and air navigation service providers laid out a joint long-term vision along with concrete solutions to the complex challenge of reaching net zero CO2 emissions from all flights departing the EU, UK and EFTA by 2050. The independent report by the Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR) and SEO Amsterdam Economics shows how a combination of actions from all stakeholders - including the EU and national governments - in four key areas could achieve substantial CO2 emissions reductions in line with EU climate goals. These include: Improvements in aircraft and engine technologies (including hybrid, electric and hydrogen propulsion), using sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) both for fixed- and rotary-wing platforms, implementing economic measures and improvements in air traffic management (ATM) and aircraft operations.
SAF first with British Airways Meanwhile, Menzies Aviation, the global aviation logistics specialist, supported British Airways’ first transatlantic flight following the lifting of US restrictions by fuelling flight BA001 with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The British Airways A350 flight was directly powered by a 35% blend of SAF, made from used cooking oil. It is believed to be the first commercial transatlantic flight to be operated with such a significant level of SAF blended with traditional jet fuel. BA001, the flight number previously reserved for Concorde, departed London Heathrow Airport in a synchronised take-off with Virgin Atlantic’s VS3 flight on November 8 as the US lifted restrictions that had been imposed on travellers from the UK for more than 18 months. Both flights were bound for New York, JFK. Menzies Aviation is the world’s largest independent provider of aviation fuelling services, providing fuel storage management and into-plane fuelling services on four continents. Morven McCrindle, executive vice-president – fuels, menzies, said: “We were delighted to fuel British Airways flight BA001 with sustainable aviation fuel. At Menzies we are on a journey to be carbon neutral by 2033 and, with aviation playing a vital role in addressing climate change, we are committed to decarbonising and partnering with our customers through the transition.”
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