ACW 31st October 22

MOVES TO A LATIN BEAT

h EL p IN g th E

p L a N Et, o NE wrap at a t I m E

IAG Cargo, the cargo division of International Airlines Group (IAG) is to trial new film to be used for wrapping transported goods, as part of its sustainability strategy.

IAG Cargo is working with disposal company and film man ufacturer Verpa Folie, who has developed this innovative solution of reduced-thickness polyethylene films with US- based BioNatur Plastics.

With this new sustainable materi al that is 15 micron thickness, 100% recyclable and biodegradable by landfill, IAG Cargo will save up to 15 tonnes of virgin polyethylene a year. This is beneficial on a global scale, where the receiving country of the goods will be able to sustainably dispose of the film.

Not only does the material have an indefinite shelf life, prohibiting unnecessary waste, it can also be used for food and temperature-con trolled items – which are popular services for IAG Cargo.

David Rose, chief transformation officer at IAG Cargo commented on

the material: “We are continuous ly looking at ways in which we can reduce our impact on the environ ment in line with our commitment to sustainability.

“This solution provided by Verpa Folie, which we plan to roll out across our operation, will reduce our plastic consumption and is another step forward for IAG Cargo as we be come fit for future.”

Peter Griebel, managing director of Verpa Folie Weidhausen, exclu sive producer of BioNatur foil for M&G packaging in Europe, said:

“We are really happy that our longterm partner, IAG Cargo, has started using our product, which is one of the most sustainable and thinnest solutions for air cargo operations worldwide.”

This initiative further builds on IAG Cargo’s current sustainability initiatives across the business where the first electric Terberg YT203EV is being trialled for 12 months, with the ambition to transition its current diesel fleet to more sustainable al ternatives, including electric, in the fastest time possible.

BSL opens its first pharma centre at Strasbourg airport

BOLLORÉ Solutions Logistiques (BSL), a subsid

iary of Bolloré Logistics specialising in contract logistics, has opened its first logistics centre dedicated to the pharmaceutical industry at Strasbourg airport.

This unique 10,000 sq m temperature-con trolled logistics centre has been providing high value-added services for the flows of pharma ceutical products since January 2022.

Located in the heart of Skyparc, the Stras bourg airport business park, and very close to

airport facilities, freight operators, airlines, cus toms, and police forces, this new platform will help streamline operations while providing ex cellent motorway connections.

Thanks to the commitment of everyone involved, the entire project took only nine months to complete.

The site includes two 5,000 sq m cells that are temperature-controlled at +2°/+8°C, +15°/+25°C and -20°C. These cells are reserved for storage and logistics operations including processing

air and sea export flows.

There are two pharmacists permanently on site to ensure that operations are processed in accordance with the public health code and good distribution and manufacturing practic es. ISO 13485 certification for medical devices was awarded last September.

This new logistics platform is compliant with the international TAPA FSR B certification, a benchmark of excellence for the safety and security of freight, making it possible for it to achieve the Agent Habilité Logisticien (Autho rised Logistics Agent) accreditation.

During its construction, the project also ob tained the BREEAM Very Good certification for its high level of environmental performance.

“We are proud to have invested in this phar

maceutical platform, which is now the largest in our network. Our ambition for BSL is to continue our investments in Europe with the creation of other logistics centres enabling us to support all our customers, regardless of the sector, in the overhaul of their supply chain,” says Laurent Foloppe, the new managing direc tor of Bolloré Solutions Logistiques, who joined the subsidiary last July.

“Efficient and sustainable use of available land is a priority for Strasbourg a irport. The new logistics centre dedicated to the pharmaceu tical industry, supported by Bolloré Solutions Logistiques, places Strasbourg airport more than ever at the heart of the region’s economic development,” says Renaud Paubelle, CEO of Strasbourg airport.

Drone specialists from across UK learn at collaboration event

A FUTURE innovation campus site was the focus of the UK drone communi ty for an event looking at how cutting edge technology can be used across a range of industries.

Sellafield Ltd’s Engineering Centre of Excellence at Cleator Moor, Cum bria, hosted a national COMIT2drones (C2D), event earlier this month when representatives from a range of United Kingdom industries and SMEs shared ideas on opportunities to deploy the latest drone technology.

The centre is based at Leconfield In dustrial Estate where iSH (Industrial Solutions Hub) plans to develop a pro gramme of cross-industry collaboration and innovation which will lead to 700 new jobs.

Amanda Smith, UAV equipment pro

gramme lead for Sellafield Ltd, hosted the Power Up Sellafield event which at tracted 30 representatives from across the UK, including drone specialists such as Cyberhawk, Vantage UAV Group, COPTRZ and Herotech8, as well as in dustry representatives such as Jacobs, Kier and National Highways.

The event showcased Sellafield’s capabilities through its Remote Tech nologies Group, which includes UAVs, ROVs and Robotics.

Smith and her Sellafield team of high ly-skilled equipment engineers/remote pilots flew more than 200 asset inspec tion flights in 2021 delivering in excess of £5m cost avoidance savings.

Most of the flights were at Sellafield but also at Bradwell, Essex and Sizewell in Suffolk.

HIGHEST HONOUR

STEVE Townes, CEO and founder of Rang er Aerospace and President and CEO of ACL Airshop, has been granted the Order of the Palmetto award by the Governor of South Car olina. This award is the highest civilian honour granted by the State. It was presented by the Governor’s representative, State Rep. B. Cox, in late September during the 25th anniversary celebration reception of Ranger Aerospace.

Townes has been instrumental in advocat ing for Aviation High Schools in the state, in order to grow more aerospace/aviation jobs in that burgeoning statewide sector. He was the first leadership voice from industry for such schools as the inaugural chairman of the state wide consortium SC Aerospace and a tireless ongoing multi-years advocate and champion for this workforce initiative.

These special schools give young people who cannot afford a college degree a clear chance at well-paid skilled trades jobs as FAA technical licensees in the hundreds of aerospace, aviation, and aero-maintenance support companies around the state and across the industry.

Five years ago there were zero such schools, now there are nine. Each tethered to one of the state-run vocational-technical colleges.

Townes has also been a long-serving pro gressive employer and chief executive officer of aerospace services companies in the Pal metto State and each underwent accelerated growth and substantial investments in skilled people and training, resulting in aggres sive levels of job creation and sustainable expansion.

GSCRI TO POSITION SAUDI ARABIA AS KEY LINK IN GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAINS

HRH

Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, crown prince, prime minister and chair man of the Council for Economic and Development Affairs in Saudi Arabia has announced the launch of the Global Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (GSCRI).

The GSCRI aims to make the middle eastern kingdom a location of choice for leading global industrial companies looking to drive competitive advantage and improve business resilience.

The Prince considers that GSCRI provides a great opportunity to achieve common successes.

Working along with other development initiatives that have been launched in recent years, it will help to enable investors, from all sectors, to benefit from the Kingdom’s resources and capabilities and support and develop these value chains.

The initiative will bring the Kingdom closer to achieving its Vision 2030 aspirations to be a top 15 global economy by 2030 and leave a pros perous legacy for future generations.

The GSCRI is one of the initiatives of Saudi Arabia’s National Investment Strategy, launched in October 2021 to accelerate efforts to make the Kingdom a global investment

powerhouse. The initiative aims to enable global inves tors to make optimal use of the Kingdom’s natural resources and untapped potential and form strong relationships with regional and global markets.

The GSCRI aims to make the Kingdom an optimal in vestment environment for all investors in supply chains.

The pandemic, trade dis putes and the geopolitical landscape have broken or weakened global supply chains, driving up commodity prices and disrupting produc tion and distribution.

This initiative aims to strengthen the position of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the global economy, and to mitigate the impact of global disruptions.

The Kingdom offers a robust logistics infrastructure across industrial cities, airports and ports, with ambitious expansion plans underway as part of the National Transport and Logistics Strategy.

The country’s digital infrastructure has witnessed significant progress, with widespread highspeed internet coverage and 5G now available to nearly 80% of the population.

Saudi’s workforce is young, educated and ambitious, with Saudis under the age of 30 account ing for about 60% of the population at present.

Geslao new head of cargo sales at Cologne Bonn airport

ANDREA Tony Geslao is to head the cargo sales department at Cologne Bonn airport. As head of cargo sales, the 47-year-old wants to drive forward the positive development of cargo traffic at the airport. Cargo proved to be an important stabiliser at the site during the Coronavirus pandemic. In 2021, Cologne Bonn

handled 986,000 tonnes of cargo.

After holding various positions at Lufthan sa, Geslao has been working at Cologne Bonn airport since April 2018, most recently heading the airline marketing department. He reports directly to Tobias Lyssy, vice president of sales and marketing.

Solidarity Transport Hub set to integrate air, rail and road transport in Poland, boost people’s mobility and improve supply chains in

Poland’s new transport development programme is expected to serve tens of millions of passengers from 2028, integrating air, rail, and road networks to improve the flow of passenger traffic and cargo transport through the region. The new greenfield airport named Solidarity Airport, the construction of which was initiated by the Polish government will be strategically located in the centre of the country between the capital city of Warsaw and Poland’s third largest city, Łódź.

Boosting connectivity and ease of mobility STH rail investments include a total of 2,000 kilometres of new lines, in particular highspeed railway lines, to be built by the end od 2034. The STH Rail Programme consists of a total of 12 railway lines, including 10 “spokes” connecting various regions of Poland with Warsaw and the Solidarity Airport. The new network is expected to provide access within a maximum of 2.5 hours from most major Polish cities to the new airport and the country’s capital. What is more important, the construction of the Solidarity Transport Hub will provide much more convenience, saving travelers’ time and money. Planning a trip abroad will no longer require hours of searching for connections or using transfer hubs in nearby countries. Instead of that, travelers will be able to reach such destinations as Australia, South America or Africa directly from the center of Poland via an airport that will be connected by high-speed railway network to provinces and cities across the country. By 2060, the Solidarity Transport Hub is about to attract ca. 850 million additional passengers, according to air traffic forecasts by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). It is expected to reach 40 million passengers in 2035, 50 million in 2044 and 65 million in 2060.

STH moves forward

Planning and preparatory work for the implementation of this largest infrastructure investment in Poland for over 70 years began in 2017. In the first half of this year alone, the investor’s variant of the Solidarity Airport was presented, along with the accompanying infrastructure. More than a dozen months ago the STH company has launched hydrogeological studies (drilling, water and soil sampling, laboratory tests) at the airport construction area. At the same time, the nature inventory was completed and the nature inventory report was finalised. Contractors have also been selected in the tender for preparatory/construction work at the airport construction site, and a number of other key tenders have been announced..

To respond to ahead needs, the STH company announced, among others, preliminary market consultations for the implementation of con struction works for railway investments. Now, the STH company conducts preparatory works (e.g., feasibility studies) at 1300 km out of 2000 km new railway lines. The whole railway part of the STH project should be completed by 2034.

Enhancing security

Even though the Solidarity Transport Hub is dedicated to civil aviation, the investment has been recognised by former commander of US ground forces in Europe General Ben Hodges for capability and capacity that “no other transport hub in Poland or elsewhere in Eastern Europe can match”. This allows to increase the security of the region by providing it with the appropriate transport capabilities to enable the smooth and efficient transfer of military units, equipment, goods, or humanitarian aid when needed. A significant advantage of STH, compared with other similar projects, is the intermodality and excellent connection of the airport with every part of the country and key European destinations.

Despite its “civilian nature”, STH is also of significant importance from the point of view of our country’s and Europe’s defence. Of course, it will not be a military base, but nevertheless an extremely important part of NATO’s eastern flank – If only because of significant increase of military mobility,” said Minister Marcin Horała Government Plenipotentiary for the Solidarity Transport Hub.

Taking care of the environment Currently, air cargo usually arrives in Poland by landing and taking off from airports in nearby countries before making the final journey to the country by road. This means that goods reach Poland in the least eco-friendly way and customers are paying more for goods due to increased transport costs. The construction of STH will solve these problems, reducing the negative impact of transportation on the environment and reducing costs for domestic consumers.

IATA forecasts that the Solidarity Airport could gain up to 20% of market share in Central and Eastern Europe in the short term. Without it, Poland risked missing out on 35 million tonnes of cargo by 2060. Instead, it has a potential to become one of the largest cargo hubs in the region, handling 1.76 tonnes per year by 2060, according to IATA.

International cooperation

At the beginning of the summer vacations, representatives of the boards of RB Rail AS and STH met in Riga to discuss the possibilities and forms of cooperation. As a result, the both parties signed an agreement aimed at coordinating of plans, activities, and the exchanging of expertise.

Rail Baltica is a greenfield rail transport infrastructure project aimed at integrating the Baltic countries with the rest of the European rail network. It foresees the construction of a new 870 kilometre-long electrified double-track railway line through the three Baltic countries and connecting it to Poland and Finland. The width of the new railroad line will be 1435 mm (standard European gauge) and its route includes: TallinnParnava - Riga - Panevėžys - Kaunas, the Polish-Lithuanian border, and the KaunasVilnius connection.

“The countries of the Central and Eastern European region can bring unique value to the entire EU. The Solidarity Transport Hub iscommitted to developing a common railway network for our region. Signed agreement is a major step towards cross-border integration leading better connections and greater cohesion”- said Mikołaj Wild, CEO of STH.

iag moves to a latin beat

IAG Cargo, the cargo division of International Airlines Group (IAG), has resumed its regular route between Barcelona and Chile for the first time since the pandemic, as it boosts its ser vices to Latin America. Using a LEVEL Airbus A330-200 aircraft, the route will run four times a week directly into Santiago de Chile International Airport, marking a return to IAG Cargo’s offer ing before COVID-19 forced it to be temporarily paused.

Home to two of IAG Group’s airlines, LEVEL and Vueling, the IAG hub is well-positioned to connect Latin America and the rest of Europe, with the cargo handler’s operations supported by an ex tensive trucking network into nearby countries.

This new route is set to bolster available cargo capacity, adding to the over 250 weekly services run by IAG Cargo from Eu rope to Latin American destinations, such as Brazil, Ecuador and Mexico.

Major trade route

Latin America is an important trade route for Europe and the UK for perishables, which have to be delivered quickly to ensure they make it onto supermarket shelves in top condition. Prior to 2020, the service provided vital connectivity for importers and export ers in both regions.

Consumers have become accustomed to enjoying fresh fruits out of season, with Latin American countries benefitting from increased demand for their produce. Popularity for Chilean perish ables has grown, with, in particular, a rapid expansion of its cherry industry in recent years. Having a range of climates for farmers to grow cherries throughout the season, according to USDA data, Chile’s 2022/23 cherry crop year is projected to increase by 19.2% to 465,000 tonnes.

Additionally, services out of the region have proved particularly valuable to the automotive and manufacturing industries which utilise air freight. This connection is only going to be more criti cal, as the automotive industry continues to grow and, given the need to operate on a just-in-time basis, only air cargo can trans port time-sensitive spare parts to its destination in hours rather than weeks.

“We’re delighted to be able to restart our operations between Barcelona and Chile to facilitate the movement of essential foods and support local farming communities,” Rodrigo Casal, regional commercial manager for Latin America at IAG Cargo, said. “Our Constant Fresh service for moving temperature sensitive perish ables, ensures the produce arrives on supermarket shelves in peak condition.”

Directly connecting both destinations

The resumption of this route means that LEVEL is the only airline that directly connects both destinations, opening up a strategic market for passengers and cargo. Given the importance of the

route, it was important for IAG to do what it could during the pan demic to ensure that operations continued where possible. While this traditional route was paused, the company kept operating charters and cargo-only scheduled flights between Chile, Spain and other European destinations.

Throughout the pandemic, IAG Cargo was operating services out of Barcelona into Latin America nations, such as Argentina. This latest restart on its network will, therefore, provide custom ers with a wider range of options to get their goods to market. It’s a well-positioned hub in Europe, moving cargo from A to B via the trucking network and internal narrow body flights to other regional destinations.

Global network

The airline group now offers capacity to nearly every destina tion in Latin America which it operated pre-pandemic with over 250 weekly services and all utilising wide-body aircraft. This means that, every year IAG Cargo transports all kinds of exotic food, with more than 60,000 tonnes of perishables coming out of Central and South America, such as Peru’s green asparagus or Brazil’s papayas.

“During the pandemic, our top priority was to maintain a broad network for customers. Without a freighter fleet, we adapted our operations and quickly established a comprehensive network of scheduled cargo-only flying using the group’s passenger aircraft.

“Through our interline partners, an extensive trucking network and continued cargo-only services, customers were supported to get their goods to market,” Casal said.

“We’re certainly gearing up for the winter period, which will offer customers more uplift out of Latin America into Europe and UK.

“In 2023, we will have some exciting new routes to announce –so expect to hear more from us,” Casal added.

Moves in the market

GrubMarket has completed the acquisition of Buenos Aires, Argentina-based Salix Fruits, a global fresh fruit importer and exporter with a wide portfolio of produce items ranging across apples, lemons, oranges, tangerines, pears, grapes and more. The company has hundreds of growers in more than 20 countries and serves over 450 customers across 50 countries worldwide, includ ing Argentina, Chile, Brazil, South Africa, Spain, India and the US.

Salix Fruits is a leading company in the import and export of fresh fruit globally, shipping thousands of containers of prod uct in 2021 and generating double-digit year-over-year revenue growth over the last several years.

“We are excited to join the GrubMarket team and welcome the opportunities brought forth by GrubMarket’s robust technology platform,” said Juan González Pita, COO of Salix Fruits.

“We’re certainly gearing up for the winter period, which will offer customers more uplift out of Latin America into Europe and UK.”

Rodrigo Casal, regional commercial manager for Latin America at IAG Cargo

MIAMI OPENS THE DOOR TO THE INDUSTRY

TheInternational Air Cargo Associ ation (TIACA) and Messe München are ready to open the doors at air cargo forum Miami & transport logistic Americas. Starting on No vember 8 and billed as the year’s largest trade show, the event will welcome the air cargo community and companies from across the logistics, mobility, IT and supply chain man agement sectors.

“We are by far the largest exhibition starting again and that is a big investment,” TIACA’s president Steven Polmans said. “We are very pleased to see it’s happening and exceeding our expectations.”

As a global organisation, TIACA is excited to bring everything together in one place, re flecting the entire value chain of the industry and presenting the only multimodal event of North America.

Gaining insights

Individuals and companies present will gain insights from industry experts within the air cargo, transportation, logistics and supply chain sectors.

The trade show will also present an oppor tunity for those in attendance to engage with companies from all the important markets around the world, in particular the US, North and South America.

This was partly the motivation for choosing Miami, as it is a key point linking these trade routes, as the gateway between the regions.

“When you are able to hold an event like this, you can bring people from Asia to meet people from America, to meet people from Europe, in a way that it’s quite difficult to do in any other scenario,” Polmans highlighted.

Plenty of opportunities

For those looking to stay ahead of the com petition, there will be plenty of opportunity to showcase their innovative products and solutions, strengthening their brands and po

tentially gaining new customers and clients. “We have both big companies and young companies. It’s really good to see that we have a lot of participants with really creative startups or innovative ideas,” he added.

Messe München, bringing their proven con cept of combining the air cargo and transport logistic industries under one roof, is ready for the event.

“I think these events are necessary for the industry. We do the air cargo forum, trans

port logistic Americas, the whole supply chain and logistics industry,” Robert Schoen berger, Messe München’s exhibition director, commented.

“You can’t just do it online. It needs so much interaction between people. These platforms in the industry are important, especially for networking, bringing people together to dis cuss projects and develop ideas.

“It feels alive now for us. It was a tough time for all event organisers over the past two years but conferences are coming back,” Schoen berger added.

“It is really back with a bang and we’re looking forward to it.” This is reflected in the expected attendance, with the organisers expanding the exhibition area by 15% to en sure there is sufficient space for all of the participants.

Across three days, TIACA and Messe München are set to welcome more than 200 exhibitors and 5,000 attendees.

This event is only the beginning, with Miami having been announced as the permanent home for ACF Miami and transport logistic Americas.

“Miami is absolutely a perfect spot. It’s the regional gateway to Latin America,” Schoen berger stated.

“The United States market is huge, so there is definitely room for this show. If you go to Miami, you can get an answer to everything, whether it’s road, rail, sea, air or any logistic service.”

Cargo carriers flying high to the Sunshine State

ChallengeGroup and WestJet Cargo are two of the carriers flying into Miami for the trade show, looking to meet business partners and potential customers. These events provide a crucial platform for airlines to strengthen the bond between companies and their clients, with visibility and networking argu ably the best ways to secure long-term contracts.

Ready to showcase its unique product offering and door-to-door approach, Challenge Group sees the exhibition as presenting a chance to meet with companies that could become new strategic partners, sharing their objective of mu tual growth and enrichment.

“Our industry is made up of people, and this is a key aspect of Challenge Group’s corporate cul ture. We do not see commercial partnerships as mere business but as human encounters leading

Digitalisation under the spotlight at air cargo forum

WITH technological innovation under the spotlight at air cargo forum (ACF) Miami and transport logistic Americas, CargoTech and its members are focused on promoting the benefits of digital innovation, as they seek to encourage the industry to transform into a 21st century model.

As a collection of companies, CargoTech is heading to the event, focused on digitalisation, to promote a range of products that will help to streamline processes and enhance efficiencies. “These products will help customers increase revenue, reduce costs and innovate,” CargoTech president Cedric Millet stated, discussing his main message heading into the show.

CargoTech’s experience at the trade show is likely to be sim ilar to other newcomers on the scene. Having only launched the umbrella group earlier this year, and as a player with great ambitions, this event gives them a key chance to explain their objectives to the various companies attending the event.

With ECS Group, one of the four current members of Cargo Tech, the company’s executive chairman, Adrien Thominet, is looking to highlight their augmented GSSA strategy, discussing the new services available and the support they can provide others to help them evolve. “There is nothing like meeting someone in person to do business. At ECS Group, we remain a company where human relations are a core value. We are close to our customers, attentive to their needs, and this proximity also means meeting them at various industry events,” Thom inet stated.

As a GSSA, ECS Group recognises the benefits of the chance to listen and learn, attend networking sessions at ACF Miami and transport logistic Americas and open up new opportuni ties. “It also allows us to present our regional teams, to highlight their expertise, to create internal synergies and to think of spe cific projects co-constructed with our clients,” Thominet said, revealing the company’s plans.

to common interests,” Challenge Group CEO Yossi Shoukroun said.

Entering a new phase of development after hav ing been in operation for 26 years, this trade show presents a timely opportunity for WestJet Cargo, as it looks to move to the next level with its con tinued investment in cargo, people, products and technology.

With Kirsten de Brujin having only recently taken on the role of executive Vice President at WestJet Cargo, Miami will be a chance for them to reintro duce their operations and new main deck freighter offerings to the industry.

“It is integral for us to demonstrate that West Jet Cargo and our expanding product and service offerings will bring much needed compet itive choice to the North American cargo market,” de Brujin said.

Yossi Shoukroun

Kirsten de Brujin