No. 1,240 24 July 2023
American Airlines Cargo has announced that it has joined United for Wildlife, a group dedicated to ending the illegal trafficking of wildlife, as first reported in the airline’s 2022 Sustainability Report. American signed the Buckingham Palace Declaration in December 2022, making it the first US airline and US cargo carrier to join the organisation.
United for Wildlife was founded by Prince William and The Royal Foundation in 2014 to protect endangered species from illegal trade. As a member of the Transport Taskforce and the North American Chapter, American plays a vital role in stopping the illegal trafficking of wildlife by preventing these products from being transported across borders.
Together with other players along the supply chain and regional partners from various sectors, American Airlines Cargo is part of a critical network of stakeholders trained to recognise patterns of illegal wildlife trade where it is most prevalent.
“We are proud to be the first US cargo carrier to join United for Wildlife. We take our membership in the Transport Taskforce very seriously and are committed to doing our part to put an end to wildlife smuggling within the supply chain,” American Airlines Cargo President Greg Schwendinger said. “It’s a privilege to link up with other industries and logistics players to fight for this mission together.”
“Airlines can play a vital role in disrupting the supply chains of international criminal syndicates trafficking in vulnerable and endangered species. No country is immune from these crimes - between 2009 and 2021, there were an
average of seven wildlife seizures a day at US airports. We’re thrilled to welcome American Airlines Cargo on board as our first US airline partner and look forward to working together into the future to drive down this exploitation,” Ian Cruickshank, United for Wildlife Transport Taskforce Manager, said.
The criminal wildlife trafficking trade is estimated to be worth up to $20 billion annually as poachers and traffickers illegally trade wildlife and wildlife products, such as monkeys, rhino horn, ivory, pangolin scales or tiger parts, among many others. This illegal trade is a major threat to global biodiversity and human health and is linked to many other criminal acts.
At its core, United for Wildlife fosters global collaboration in the private sector to stop the trafficking of wildlife products. It does this through two Taskforces: a Financial Taskforce and a Transport Taskforce. These Taskforces bring together some of the world’s largest businesses in the transport and financial sectors to break the chains of the illegal wildlife trade.
By sharing knowledge and information across sectors and between countries, United for Wildlife is transforming illegal wildlife trade prevention and the prosecution of those who profit from these crimes. This unique collaborative approach has united international law enforcement agencies, non-governmental organisations, private and public sector, grassroots communities, and large corporations.
FROZEN ACTIVE TEMPERATURE ...
CSAFE, the largest provider of a complete range of active and passive temperature-controlled shipping solutions for the pharmaceutical industry ...
EUROPA AIR & SEA IN
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EUROPA Air & Sea in Dubai has strengthened its market position, exceeding its annual sales target by 35 per cent. The 15-strong team, located
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BREEZE BOOSTS ONLINE CARGO ...
DIGITAL insurance innovator Breeze has secured insurance capacity backing from USbased insurance company CNA, allowing for wider ...
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TELEPORT STRENGTHENS ...
TELEPORT has officially inducted its first Airbus A321 Freighter (A321F) aircraft into its air logistics fleet, which is set to strengthen its position
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CSAFE, the largest provider of a complete range of active and passive temperature-controlled shipping solutions for the pharmaceutical industry, has announced that the company will expand its active bulk air cargo container portfolio to integrate a new -20°C temperature setpoint for the CSafe RKN.
The company will begin offering CSafe RKNs with the new frozen temperature setpoint on the control panel early next year. The CSafe RKN design requires minimal adjustment to accommodate the new -20°C temperature setpoint, limiting the need for additional customer training to take advantage of the new temperate profile.
“Our engineering team designed our RKN in a way that we could easily add frozen temperature setpoints in the future,” CSafe Chief Operating Officer Tom Weir said. “Every CSafe RKN is built with patented high-performance VIP insulation and an innovative air recirculation system that
envelops the entire payload. Combined with our industry-leading preventive maintenance rebuild programme and support from our global service network, these technologies and service programmes have delivered reliable temperature control and exceptional battery life for 15 years.”
“This expansion of our high-performing active bulk air cargo portfolio is yet another example of CSafe’s on-going commitment to delivering new innovations to meet the changing needs of the biopharma industry,” CSafe Chief Executive Officer Patrick Schafer added. “We are passionate about ensuring life-saving and life-enhancing medicines can be safely delivered to patients around the world. With this latest capability, CSafe offers an unmatched range of temperature profiles that can meet virtually every requirement for customers shipping these high-value therapies.”
CSafe RKNs with the -20°C setpoint capability will be available for lease in early 2024.
EUROPA Air & Sea in Dubai has strengthened its market position, exceeding its annual sales target by 35 per cent. The 15-strong team, located near Dubai International Airport, has doubled in size since opening last year.
Europa Air & Sea is part of the Europa Worldwide Group and is setting the pace in the market with its IT system, LeoWeb, which gives customers full visibility and efficiency over their supply chains.
“Dubai is Europa’s first venture into the UAE, which is one of the fastest growing markets in the Middle East. The team, led by General Manager Nathan Lynn, has demonstrated great skill in supporting the supply chain needs of this fast-evolving market, and I’m pleased to see it continue to set the pace in performance and enthusiasm,” Angus Hind, Director of Europa Air & Sea, said.
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DIGITAL insurance innovator Breeze has secured insurance capacity backing from US-based insurance company CNA, allowing for wider, more comprehensive coverage along with streamlined claims processing through its online platform, created specifically for forwarders and logistics companies.
Breeze tackles the global, prevalent issue of uninsured freight, with a digital platform that allows forwarders and logistics companies to offer all-risk cargo protection to their shippers.
“We’ve seen the benefits to offering freight forwarders and logistics companies more profitable underwriting, helping to solve the issue of uninsured companies while stimulating the digital transformation journey of the industry,” Drew Feldman, Senior Vice President, Global Marine, CNA, said.
“CNA’s capacity can help provide Breeze and its clients with resources and stability to accelerate this growth,” Patrizia Kern, Chief Insurance Officer, Breeze said. “We focus on bringing insurance products to suit the needs of our customers and the freight industry as a whole as well as supporting our important work to protect global trade.”
Breeze recently opened an office in New York as part of ongoing global expansion plans, after a successful scale-up in the UK market.
VIRGIN Atlantic Cargo has announced a Sustainable Aviation Fuel Certificate (SAFc) programme, designed to help freight forwarders and shippers manage their carbon emissions whilst demonstrating joint commitment to scaling the SAF industry.
Customers participating in the scheme will contribute to the airline’s purchase of SAF, receiving a SAF certificate for the associated scope 3 emissions reductions. Customers will also benefit from detailed insight into their Scope 3 airfreight emissions via Virgin Atlantic Cargo’s own airfreight carbon calculator.
The SAFc programme is driven by the airline’s commitment to 10% SAF by 2030 on the pathway to Net Zero 2050. The scheme creates a broader industry coalition that can provide further proof of the demand and support needed to scale a
UK SAF industry which is key to decarbonising aviation.
Virgin Atlantic’s first UK SAF supply of 2.5 million litres of Neste Oyi neat SAF delivered into London Heathrow in 2022 is fuelling the programme. This is an important milestone as the airline scales it’s use and commitment to SAF in the UK.
“It’s through collaboration and partnership that we’ll be able to find more sustainable ways to fly. Our new SAFc programme allows us to collaborate with customers and support them in making lower carbon choices to meet sustainability targets, easily understand their emissions and support future SAF contributions – a key step towards our Net Zero commitments,” Phil Wardlaw, Vice President and Managing Director, Cargo, Virgin Atlantic, said.
TELEPORT has officially inducted its first Airbus A321 Freighter (A321F) aircraft into its air logistics fleet, which is set to strengthen its position as the market leader in terms of most air cargo volume by tonnage across Southeast Asia, as certified by the World ACD.
The induction of its first A321F aircraft event was graced by the esteemed presence of His Majesty Seri Paduka Baginda The Yang Di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah Ibni Almarhum Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta’in Billah. Teleport, founded only five years ago in May 2018, saw accelerated growth in the last 24 months that led to its market leadership position in Southeast Asia. This growth was driven by its three unique advantages; operating the largest air logistics network in Southeast Asia using the surplus belly space of 204 wide-and narrow-body AirAsia passenger aircraft, a focus on full digitisation and data to coordinate end-to-end e-commerce deliveries, and the continuous addition of deep third-party airline relationships. Today, over 1,500 businesses ‘Teleport’ their goods to over 80 destinations in Southeast Asia, using one digital Airway Bill, and with a guarantee that ‘it arrives tomorrow’.
“Today marks the arrival of the number one air logistics company in Southeast Asia,” Pete Chareonwongsak, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Teleport, said. “From a scrappy startup with humble beginnings in Malaysia, each day [676] Teleporters across seven countries work tirelessly to deliver more goods by air than anyone else in Southeast Asia. We saw our growth accelerate in the past 24 months, where we have scaled a company that is profitable and on track to generate US$200M in annual revenues – it is fitting to celebrate these milestones on the same day as the arrival of the first of three A321Fs this year. ”
Inducting Teleport’s A321F has been a collective effort by multiple entities within the Capital A Group, enabling Teleport to leverage one fleet, one crew and one ecosystem, to deliver a best in class and best in cost freighter operation.
“The A321Fs are key for us to continue and strengthen our dominant position in Southeast Asia, as it will allow us to carry more, do more and cover more – by adding skidded capacity
into our extensive air cargo network, and having more control and flexibility to accommodate our customers’ diverse needs. And with the first A321F based out of Kuala Lumpur, it is the perfect hub as its 5-hour flight range gives it access to over 80 destinations across Southeast Asia and 80 more key cities in Asia Pacific,” Chareonwongsak added.
Teleport’s A321F with 24 containerised positions on both the main and lower deck (14 ULDs in Main Deck + 10 ULDs in Lower Deck), enables it to carry a maximum payload of 27 tonnes/ 27,000 kgs of various cargo including e-commerce parcels, express/small parcels, large volume cargo, and dangerous goods among others. The second and third A321Fs, due to be delivered in Q4 2023 and Q1 2024 respectively, will have the flexibility to be based out of Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Jakarta, or Manila, leveraging Teleport’s multi-hub operating model.
Transporting live animals poses unique challenges within the air cargo industry. Each type of animal has specific requirements, ranging from minimising stress and discomfort to providing suitable space, ventilation, and environmental conditions. Etihad Cargo, the cargo division of Etihad Airways, has sought to establish itself as a leader in animal transportation services, overcoming these hurdles by implementing rigorous processes and procedures that align with global regulatory requirements.
In 2022, Etihad Cargo became the first airline in the Middle East and the third globally to hold the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Centre of Excellence for Independent Validators (CEIV) Live Animals, CEIV Fresh, and CEIV Pharma certifications.
“Preparing for the CEIV Live Animals certification involved multiple stakeholders from our organisation to ensure all Etihad Cargo’s processes and procedures were aligned to achieve the safe transportation of live animals,” Arun Nair, Etihad Cargo’s Product Manager – LiveAnimals and SkyStables, said.
To guarantee the safety and welfare of live animals, Etihad Cargo has established a dedicated team of trained staff who meticulously monitor every stage of the transportation process. From booking and acceptance to the delivery of animals, each milestone is carefully managed to ensure the animals’ well-being. Additionally, Etihad Cargo offers specialised animal storage facilities, climatecontrolled compartments, and temperature-controlled vehicles to maintain optimal conditions throughout the journey.
“The key benefits of CEIV Live Animals certification include improving animal welfare and safety through appropriate quality and risk management, and enhancing standardisation and professionalism in the handling and transportation of live animals in a multimodal environment,” Nair added.
“The certification also enforces compliance with the IATA LAR, elevating staff competency through efficient and robust training programmes, and enabling increased collaboration among stakeholders and certified trade lanes.”
With its extensive global network, Etihad Cargo provides toptier animal transportation services at its hubs worldwide. The company ensures that appropriate facilities are available at each location, adhering to both Etihad Cargo’s stringent standards and IATA requirements. Moreover, Etihad Cargo is exploring the development of a dedicated Live Animals facility at its Abu Dhabi hub, further enhancing its capabilities in this domain.
“We ensure that, wherever we transport animals across our global network, there are facilities available that can accommodate them in compliance with Etihad Cargo and IATA requirements,” Nair explained. “Etihad Cargo is also exploring the development of a dedicated Live Animals facility at our Abu Dhabi hub, and further announcements will be made in due course.”
One of the standout premium products offered by Etihad Cargo is SkyStables, specifically designed for the transportation
“Etihad Cargo is also exploring the development of a dedicated Live Animals facility at our AUH hub, and further announcements will be made in due course”
of horses. SkyStables is fully compliant with IATA Live Animal Regulations and provides comprehensive solutions for equine transportation. With in-house inspection facilities, a dedicated Equine Manager, and 24-hour access to a veterinarian, SkyStables ensures the well-being of horses from the moment they arrive at the departure airport. Etihad Cargo’s B777 freighters, equipped with state-of-the-art air stalls, can carry up to 75 horses and accommodate up to nine accompanying grooms.
Etihad Cargo’s dedication to animal transportation is reflected in its impressive numbers. Annually, the company transports over 2,000 horses and more than 2,500 pets and other live animals across its global network.
“Etihad Cargo has successfully managed the movement of horses across our global network for world-class events, including the Dubai World Cup and Abu Dhabi Endurance Championship,” Nair highlighted, reflecting the trust placed in Etihad Cargo by owners around the world.
Welfare and conservation
Etihad Cargo also demonstrates its commitment to global welfare and conservation efforts through its “Forever Home” policy. Launched in 2022, Forever Home supports not-forprofit live animal at-risk transportation. Through this initiative, Etihad Cargo assists rescue and animal welfare organisations in the transportation and relocation of animals in need. This
includes abandoned, seized, and neglected animals, as well as endangered species protected under international agreements such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.
The Forever Home policy aligns seamlessly with Etihad Cargo’s existing animal welfare and conservation policy, which aims to prevent the illegal wildlife trade and promote responsible tourism.
“Etihad Cargo’s Forever Home policy ensures any rescue mission we undertake is conducted by an approved and reputable organisation in line with Etihad Airways’ ethics and compliance,” Nair said. “As one of the first airlines to sign the United for Wildlife Transport Taskforce Declaration, we have a strong track record in animal welfare and our commitment extends to all animals we transport.”
The positive impact of this policy was demonstrated in the transportation of four rescued servals — a medium-sized wild cat native to Africa. Etihad Cargo provided flights for the servals, who were kept illegally as pets in Belgium before they were rescued. Etihad Cargo transported the servals from Belgium to their new forever home at the Born Free Rescue Section of Panthera Africa Big Cat Sanctuary in South Africa. Etihad Cargo also supported the rescue of critically endangered tortoises, transporting them to Paris.
“Etihad Cargo also demonstrates its commitment to global welfare and conservation efforts through its “Forever Home” policy.”
