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WORLD AIRPORTS .COM ACW Digital is sponsored by FREIGHTERS.COM
FREIGH
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The weekly newspaper for air cargo professionals No. 1,156
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8 NOVEMBER 2021
TO INFINITY AND BEYOND WITH AIRBUS 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 opened on November 1 2021 and 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.
QATAR AND EU INK COMPREHENSIVE AIR TRANSPORT AGREEMENT
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INSIDE
KUEHNE+NAGEL’S E-COMMERCE CENTRE
KUEHNE+NAGEL is considerably expanding its contract logistics footprint with the opening of its latest fulfilment centre in ... PAGE 2
AVIANCA CARGO DIGITISES
AVIANCA has completed the implementation of IBS Software’s iCargo air cargo management platform, transforming the ... PAGE 2 DEUGRO GROUP APPOINTS JØRGENSEN
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he State of Qatar and the European Union signed a landmark Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement in Luxembourg on October 18, an agreement that will ensure the highest level of safety and security, while enhancing connectivity and freedom of movement for travellers. The agreement was signed by the Minister of Transport of the State of Qatar, Jassim Saif Ahmed Al-Sulaiti, the minister of foreign affairs of the Republic of Slovenia Anže Logar, whose country is currently holding the presidency of the Council of the
European Union, and the high representative of the EU for foreign affairs and security policy, and vice-president of the European Commission, Josep Borrell. Delegates from Qatar and the European Commission started negotiations in 2016 and met for five formal rounds of negotiations, with the conclusion of such negotiations announced during the CAPA Qatar Aviation Aeropolitical and Regulatory Summit held in Doha in 2019. Qatar Airways Group chief executive, Akbar Al Baker, said: “We are very glad that the European Union
and its member states have continued to recognise and understand the value our aviation agreement brings to their economies. “The signature of this historic aviation agreement will bring together industry stakeholders, creating new opportunities for synergies to develop the aviation sector. “Based on what we have achieved in the past, I am convinced that Qatar Airways will continue to play an ever-increasing role in the further development of the European air transport industry,” commented Al Baker.
DEUGRO group has appointed Rasmus Jørgensen to a role of vice president global business development – renewable energy, effective ... PAGE 4
AIRWORLD’S GDP CERTIFICATION
AIRWORLD Airlines has been awarded Good Distribution Practice (GDP) certification at its cargo handling facilities at London Heathrow ... PAGE 4
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WFS’ innovative solution to reduce plastic waste WORLDWIDE Flight Services (WFS) has reduced the amount of plastic languishing in a landfill by the equivalent of 68 million plastic water bottles in just 12 months after converting to using BioNatur Plastic biodegradable stretch wrap for cargo shipments as part of its sustainability programme. Regular plastic can take 1,000 years to biodegrade in a landfill. BioNatur Plastic biodegradable plastics will biodegrade under landfill conditions in only five to 10 years. In WFS’ case, in the past year it has reduced the amount of standard non-biodegradable plastic going to landfill by 616 tonnes. “WFS was excited to partner with M&G Packaging and be the first major consumer of these biodegradable plastics,” said Stephanie Peacock, Worldwide Flight
Services’ director of sourcing and supply in North America. “With the state of the plastic recycling market over the last few years, we were desperately looking for a sustainable
alternative to sending tonnes of plastic to a landfill. We are greatly encouraged by the results we have seen in just 12 months and to have found a truly biodegradable option that performs so well.”
Kuehne+Nagel’s new e-Commerce centre debuts in Luxembourg KUEHNE+NAGEL is considerably expanding its contract logistics footprint with the opening of its latest fulfilment centre in Contern, Luxembourg, comprising 34,000 sq m of warehousing space. The expansion “reaffirms” Luxembourg as a strategic location for Kuehne+Nagel in the centre of Europe with easy access to the continent’s most important consumer markets. From the Grand Duchy, Kuehne+Nagel offers integrated value-added solutions – especially in the area of e-Commerce fulfilment. This includes inventory management, picking, packing and shipping orders, managing returns, as well as value-added services. Klaus-Michael Kühne: “Following a promising start 51 years ago, Kuehne+Nagel has been growing its multi-modal logistics solutions in Luxembourg continually and now further
strengthens its function as a strategic contract logistics hub in Europe. This also underlines our confidence in the business location and the fruitful collaboration with the government of Luxembourg and the local authorities of Contern.” Tobias Jerschke, managing director of Kuehne+Nagel BeLux, adds: “The new fulfilment centre perfectly complements our existing e-Commerce hub in Belgium, securing fast end-to-end lead times. “At the same time, the warehouse roofs perfectly lend themselves to the biggest photovoltaic installation to date by Enovos – Luxembourg’s main energy supplier. Supporting the green energy transition in the country underlines Kuehne+Nagel’s strong commitment to sustainability as part of its ambitious Net Zero Carbon targets.”
Avianca Cargo digitises with IBS Software’s iCargo platform AVIANCA has completed the implementation of IBS Software’s iCargo air cargo management platform, transforming the end-to-end management of its air cargo sales and operations. IBS Software’s iCargo system provides a single unified cargo management platform for Avianca Cargo and all its affiliated airlines, including AeroUnion – an all-cargo carrier based in Mexico. The implementation includes iCargo Web Portal suite, which provides a range of selfhelp tools to increase Avianca Cargo’s cargo selling capabilities. It provides Avianca’s customers with a dedicated, continuously available digital channel for booking and
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tracking as a smarter option to traditional channels such as email and call centres. “We are very excited about our collaboration with IBS Software,” said Gabriel Oliva, CEO of Avianca Cargo. “Implementing iCargo, the airfreight industry-leading system is one of the most significant IT developments for Avianca Cargo.”
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sbdairport.com
ADVERTORIAL
SBD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT OFFERS A WINNING STRATEGY FOR AIR AIRGO
Building upon the legacy and location left by Norton Air Force Base following its official closure in 1994, SBD International Airport (SBD) is an aviation growth story several decades in the making. By forging long-term alliances, leveraging resources, and investing in the infrastructure needed to attract businesses to the region, the once fledgling public Airport has been transformed into a major player in U.S. air cargo. Since 2017, the Airport has seen air cargo activity rise by a stunning 2,200% due to the addition of UPS and FedEx.
quarter activity. FedEx has been an incredible partner as well and experienced a similar trajectory, growing from initial flights in October 2018 to the addition of a second new ground facility right across the street.” Enabling companies to fast-track deliveries while offering them an attractive cost structure in a highly competitive market has proved to be a winning strategy for both the Airport and its partners. Boosted by their rapid growth, SBD consistently ranks as one of the country’s top airports for cargo growth. Transportation and supply chain solutions is what SBD delivers every day.
Just 60 miles east of Los Angeles, SBD is situated in the heart of the Inland Empire, a growing and diverse region that boasts a powerhouse economy in its own right while consistently outpacing average growth rates nationally. The metropolitan area presently ranks 13th in the country by population size, larger than Detroit, Seattle-Tacoma, and Minneapolis. The Airport’s central position provides access to the region’s estimated 4.7 million consumers—many of whom live less than 30 minutes from SBD—as well as immediate access to local multimodal transportation infrastructure that includes Interstates 10, 210 and 215, the proximate integrated BNSF intermodal rail complex, Roadway and Freight hubs, and modern industrial facilities. With updated infrastructure and business investment that support daily, large-scale air cargo operations, SBD helps speed time-sensitive goods to their final destinations. Its Group VI runway easily accommodates the world’s largest aircraft, while skilled and certified staff and specialized equipment ensure quick cargo handling and efficient turn times. On-site U.S. Customs service expedites clearance for international aircraft, and facilities include bonded storage and access to a foreign trade zone. An adjacent 2,000-acre commercial business park is home to leading companies including members of the Fortune 50, 100 and 500. “The growth of SBD’s air cargo business helps speak to how well the Airport serves as an open and strategic transportation solution in Southern California,” says Michael Burrows, the Airport’s Executive Director. “In 2016, cargo activity totaled just 36 flights. In December of that year, UPS commenced one daily flight with operations in a 5,000-square-foot building. It now has 60,000 square feet and up to twelve daily flights during peak fourth-
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To learn more about how SBD International Airport can help fuel the growth of air cargo and supply chain businesses, call (909) 382-4100 ext. 131 or visit sbdairport.com
SBD International Airport (909) 382-4100 ext. 131 cargo@sbdairport.com sbdairport.com
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AUSTRALIA’S NEW CARGO GATEWAY
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new gateway is on its way, and it is set to change the future of air cargo in Australia. Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport will be home to Sydney’s first 24/7 airport when it opens to international, domestic and air cargo services in late 2026. The airport will open with Australia’s first co-designed cargo hub, offering direct airside access and flexible lots that can be tailored to customer needs and scale as they grow. In the first stage the space and amenities planned will facilitate the movement of at least 220,000 tonnes of domestic and international cargo through cargo terminal buildings that have capacity of up to 75,000 sq m. With a flexible, future-proofed layout, Western Sydney International’s Cargo Precinct has the potential to grow to 1.8 million tonnes of air cargo annually, say its backers. Western Sydney Airport (WSA) CEO Simon Hickey said the airport’s vision is to revolutionise the way cargo is treated within Australian airports. He says: “With a focus on innovation, sustainability and digital opportunities, we’re really redefining what an airport can do for cargo in Australia. “It’s a unique greenfield opportunity delivering air cargo businesses the crucial element that has been missing in Sydney – room to grow. “For the first time in Sydney, all of this will be linked to 24/7 air operations with no movement caps, opening up the city and regional NSW to a new world of opportunities.” WSA partnered with key players in the cargo
industry to collaborate and commence the design concept of its cargo services in 2019. Earlier this year, it released a registration of interest to air cargo operators to be part of the airport’s cargo community and has now issued an expression of interest to select participants. The $5.3 billion airport is strategically located close to the city’s major logistics centres in Western Sydney and is backed by $15 billion of supporting infrastructure investment for connecting roads and rail. Western Sydney International’s cargo services will have direct connectivity to Sydney’s motorway network. Hickey said the air cargo precinct is poised to harness the surging global demand for e-Commerce. “E-Commerce continues to drive significant growth in the air cargo industry and the general consensus is that this shift in consumer behaviour is here for the long term. The effi-
cient design of our airport and cargo precinct combined with round-the-clock operations and proximity and connections to customer distribution centres, is a real game-changer, not just for e-Commerce but for local producers across the region and beyond into regional NSW. “Many of these businesses, typically small to medium and family-owned, will for the first time have the opportunity to tap into lucrative Asian fresh produce markets.” Building a sustainable, energy-efficient airport is a vital piece of that puzzle. “Sustainability is a key priority to ensure Western Sydney International represents a commitment to future generations,” Hickey said. Earthworks on the 1,780-hectare airport site – twice the area of Kingsford-Smith Airport – have been underway since 2018.
ECS Group unveils new brand identity ECS Group has been working towards its holistic business transformation since 2018, “streamlining, harmonising, and digitalising” processes and systems to create an unparalleled “Augmented GSA” concept. This change is now also reflected in the company’s corporate identity, which has been given an appropriate overhaul. The familiar grey-white-blue combination logo is being replaced with a distinctive wordmark brand in light and dark blue colours. The company says the “relaxing, modern hues represent trust, security, and ECS Group’s calm, structured approach to challenges”. It adds that “the bold Parade One typeface sig-
nifies the company’s strength and reliability, while the linear Parade Two font is reminiscent of taxiway markings on an airport landing strip”. “We have revamped and refreshed our GSSA business model, and felt that this should also be represented in our brand. The task was to create a modern logo that reflects the four core pillars of our new business concept, and one that demonstrates, both internally and externally, that we are a global family embodying the ECS Group values in all our interactions with our customers,” Adrien Thominet, executive chairman of ECS Group, explains.
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Airworld receives GDP certification at LHR AIRWORLD Airlines has announced it has been awarded Good Distribution Practice (GDP) certification at its cargo handling facilities at London Heathrow Airport. The company says the certification “confirms its capability of handling and transporting pharmaceutical and medical equipment,” including COVID-19 vaccines that require compliant temperature-controlled storage and handling. Lucia Pitelova, Airworld operations manager commented: “The GDP certification means we have achieved the highest respective global standards recognised by the air cargo and pharmaceutical industries. All of our staff are trained and accredited and this will allow our customer airlines to grow and develop their cargo business.” The pharmaceutical storage areas consist of a dedicated room for temperatures of +15 to +25 C with capacity for 6 PMC’s or 12 AKE’s
and 22-31 euro pallets, together with a separate chamber for +2 to +8 C with capacity for 2 PMCs or 4 AKEs and 18-27 euro pallets. Move-
ment of all shipments in and out are recorded and the temperature of the chambers are monitored 24/7.
LUFTHANSA Cargo has awarded a three-year contract to Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) at São Paulo–Guarulhos International Airport to handle cargo carried onboard its passenger, freighter and preighter services. The agreement, which commenced this month, is WFS’ first contract including cargo-only operations in Brazil. Lufthansa Cargo offers daily Boeing 747-800 passenger services connecting the Brazilian city and Frankfurt as well as a weekly B777 freighter flight, which also provides cargo
capacity for shipments from Viracopos International Airport and Argentina’s Ezeiza International Airport to Frankfurt. WFS will also provide cargo handling services to support Lufthansa Cargo’s on-demand A340-300 ‘preighter’ flights ex São Paulo. Overall, WFS expects to handle some 14,000 tonnes of import and export cargo per annum for the airline in Brazil. The new contract extends WFS’ existing 10-year-plus relationship with Lufthansa in Brazil, covering security, ramp and porter services.
“Winning this contract with Lufthansa, one of the world’s most respected cargo carrying airlines, is the best way to demonstrate the quality of WFS’ cargo handling credentials in Brazil. It also reinforces the great partnership we have with the airline, both in Brazil and at a global level,” said Rubens Pereira Leitão Filho, CEO WFS/Orbital Brazil. WFS is present at 19 airports in Brazil and handles around 210 daily flights for 19 airline customers, providing passenger, ramp, cargo, load control and security services.
Lufthansa Cargo awards WFS São Paulo Airport contract
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deugro group appoints Rasmus Jørgensen DEUGRO group has appointed Rasmus Jørgensen to a role of vice president global business development – renewable energy, effective October 1, 2021. Jørgensen has 14 years’ experience in the offshore energy industry and will work closely with the global deugro group sustainable energy team to develop the strategic business opportunities and support success in the offshore energy sector. “I’m excited to be joining deugro group at this point in time. The renewable energy industry is evolving at a rapid pace and requiring investment and new innovative solutions to be able to meet climate goals whilst maintaining a declining Levelised Cost Of Energy (LCOE),” said Rasmus Jørgensen. “I believe that the deugro group has extensive capabilities and competence in the renewable energy industry. We are well positioned to design and deliver the value-added solutions needed across all aspects of the supply chain.” Added Daniel Cogbill, global head of sustainable energy, deugro group: “I believe that the experience in offshore energy that Rasmus brings to the group further expands our capabilities and expertise.”
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ALTHOUGH small geographically, Ireland punches above its weight when it comes to exports, playing a key part in international business and logistics globally. Strategically located, it is home to some of the world’s biggest pharma multinationals, specialist manufacturers and technology companies. In addition to a strong and important trading relationship with the UK, Ireland is now the only European Union member state with English as its first language, providing access to key markets worldwide. These factors, together with a skilled workforce, security, political stability, a good legal system and quality of life are especially important as Ireland faces the proposed harmonisation of the global tax rates (reducing Ireland’s tax advantage). Leading the charge for airfreight sales ex-Ireland, is Dublin-based International Airline Marketing Ltd (IAM), Ireland’s largest air cargo general sales and service agent (GSSA). Set up by Sean McCool in 1989, IAM is now run by his son, Ian, and a highly experienced team of 20. Responsible for approximately a quarter of all freight from Ireland, IAM represents numerous world leading airline brands, including American Airlines, Etihad Airways, Air Canada and All Nippon Airways. It forms the core of an expanding group, which includes cargo trucking, specialist training and product protection divisions. As most commentators in international logistics will testify, the world is a muchchanged landscape over the past 18 months.
Perspective From an Ireland perspective, IAM managing director, Ian McCool observes that although air cargo exports are down and schedules ex Ireland are between 35% and 40% of pre-Covid levels on some routes, the market is showing steady growth for
pliers have been amazing during this challenging period, working closely with IAM to improve capacity for regular and new customers. Responding to market conditions, key IAM carriers such as American Airlines and Air Canada are looking to restore full schedules to Ireland in 2022. “With great pride and appreciation, IAM has retained all its staff, who have all worked tirelessly over the last 18 months. They have all done a phenomenal job in
adjusting to the new “normal” and ensuring all customers and principals continue to get the best results possible and the best customer service. “During this COVID-19 pandemic, air cargo has proved to be the unsung hero of the day. “It is our strong belief that government and key airport authorities must invest in infrastructure and services to improve facilities and the service options required to make global trade more efficient,” McCool concludes.
Q3/4 of 2021, compared to 2020. He notes that export airfreight that historically moved with scheduled carriers to Ireland is now trucked to key UK/EU gateways instead (utilising some of the integrator’s freighter capacity). “That said, as more boarders open and travel restrictions lift, we are seeing fewer preighters in the market. “Cargo has been a key factor in keeping some strategic passenger routes flying over the last 18 months. In August 2021, there were 1.2 million passengers travelling through DUB, which is an increase of about 40% versus Aug 2020.
Big issue “The big issue remains capacity to key markets in Asia and the Transatlantic routes. China is about 70% lower than the pre-COVID-19 period and the Transatlantic route has been hit hard because of closed borders. “The planned opening of the US borders to non-US citizens from mid-November should see a slow but gradual increase in capacity next year. “We put great effort into planning for the transition to the new customs regulations with the UK (post-Brexit) and by February we had overcome most of the initial teething problems. “We upgraded our systems and IT platforms pre-pandemic to ensure a fast transition to remote operations. “Our principals and sup-
BIFA comments on UK Budget THE trade association for UK freight forwarders says that in the recent UK Budget many issues covered are all overshadowed by the ongoing uncertainty over the shape that the UK’s exit from the EU is taking.
Robert Keen, director general of the British International Freight Association (BIFA) says: “We welcome the funding for apprenticeships and training, as we encourage our members to recruit youngsters into the sector.”
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GENERAL SALES & SERVICE AGENT
HAE Group: Going the extra mile “
With reduced capacity we have certainly seen an increase in demand for air cargo, most notably from our client base moving temperature-controlled shipments,” Blake Attley, regional director UK and Ireland, HAE Group tells ACW. “With our expert in-house TC team, we have managed to secure the capacity on the high demand lanes to keep these vital supplies moving. “In the current climate of high demand for cargo, HAE has reported strong results. “Whilst we have had to overcome many chal-
lenges, such as lack of capacity, high numbers of quotes, physical separation from the HAE team and other restrictions, our exceptional team, in conjunction with our partner airlines have been very successful in providing solutions to our customer base. “We like to think we have given service continuity to keep their supply chain moving. Our long-standing carrier relationships and contracts, along with a focus on costs, and our ability to add value to our clients, ensured we produced positive results. We have made sure we have gone the extra mile.”
Attley observes that recent trends in cargo movement have been focussed on high value products, like temperature-controlled shipments. He also notes that the industry is accelerating its move to digital.
Investing heavily “We are happy to say, HAE has been ahead of these trends and we have grown the size of our global team with a centralised admin, finance and ops support team in Nairobi, Kenya.” Attley explains the GSSA is Investing heavily in technology. Its bespoke Quote Management System (QMS) has been a key part of this and allows airlines and clients real time interaction to quotes and bookings, which ensures HAE’s response to enquiries are faster than the standard. “These investments have allowed our team to continue to work from the safety of their homes, whilst also allowing for complete business continuity to our client base and airlines,” he adds. “Our industry leading tech team enabled us to react quickly and effectively to the challenge with the use of technology and data and to ensure our client base has access to our full suite of airline products and solutions. We have turned this challenge into an opportunity. “We have also developed our long-standing relationships with our GHA partners to overcome airport issues. Ensuring smooth transit as much as possible.”
Capacity constraints Another problem facing the industry is that of capacity constraints but Attley assures that HAE’s long-standing relationships with its partner carriers means it is “very well placed” to secure and install additional capacity with passenger freighters and full freighters. “We worked very closely with both our airlines and freight forwarder customer base to ensure this additional capacity not only provided much needed uplift but was also commercially viable. “We worked hard to understand the needs of our carriers and match this need to the demand of the customer. We have made fixed commitments to our partner airlines to generate capacity for our customers.”
Changing needs Have GSA client’s needs changed as the
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industry is shaken by the disruption? Attley says the core requirements from HAE’s freight forwarding client base has largely remained the same, with access to capacity being the key. “We are being asked to do more by our customers, so HAE’s GSSA+ approach has been well received.” This ties in with the company’s digital investments. “We have developed new and market leading solutions to ensure our product offering covers as much of our clients’ requirements as possible. Our HAE Solutions products continue to be of increasing importance.” As for the role of the GSSA, has this changed amidst the disruption? Attley believes the key functions remain but advancing the team’s skillset is important. “HAE has developed our team’s skillset and offering to ensure the needs of both our airline partners and clients are met. Our airline partners need continued flexibility and agility, we quickly developed our team’s abilities on services like passenger freighter flight management, including cabin loading both in seat and without seat. The ability to move quickly is a key lesson from this pandemic.” With 2022 on the horizon, the GSSA aims to keep the momentum going. “We expect to see demand continue to remain strong as we move into 2022, subject to many variables. HAE will continue to invest in and roll out our best-in-class IT systems, whilst also expanding our office footprint in Europe and Africa. “We will also continue to work on HAE Solutions development across our network to give our airlines and customer a GSSA+ experience.”
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GENERAL SALES & SERVICE AGENT
CAPACITY CRUNCH: HOW CAN GSSAS COPE? DESPITE an increase in passenger flights, particularly across Europe and Northern America, global capacity constraints are continuing to disrupt the cargo industry. Paired with high demand on the edge of peak season, this has created a perfect storm of challenges for GSAs, explains Vasili Sushko, vice president of sales at New York City-based GSA, Transatlantic Airways. “In terms of airfreight, the worldwide collapse in passenger demand, and with it the lack of passenger aircrafts fulfilling the worldwide flight network, is causing the demand for air cargo space to remain high, and until passenger carriers resume their pre-Covid frequencies, you likely won’t see capacity return to normal either. “While a freighter is a hot commodity right now, the current capacity doesn’t come close to the previous network of passenger flights, which peaked at nearly 10,000 in the air on a given day before COVID began. For reference, that number is a little more than half today.” Sushko notes that if complicated conditions and restrictions for travellers were lifted, this may encourage people to fly and in turn help ease capacity issues. With this in mind, he expects this upcoming peak season to be a “mix of hurdles and challenges”. “Since the global logistics chain was severely disrupted, we
are currently facing severe equipment and staffing shortages as well as overflowing warehouses that are trying to keep up with the upcoming influx of freight that is coming with the first true peak season since COVID-19 restrictions (for the most part) have been lifted.
“You need to plan to carry out maximum tonnage across all available flights, but you need to plan for overflow as well” Challenging time “It’s a particularly challenging time as a GSSA since we are continuing to face significant pressure from our passenger air carriers to maximise profits while being able to offer only subpar service to our freight forwarder customers due to the disrupted flight schedules, lack of equipment and manpower within many of our ground handling agents, among other issues.” With mounting pressure, how can GSSAs manage customer’s expectations? Sushko says that unfortunately the only way is lessen them. “It’s a given today that wait times to either pick up imports or offload exports are astronomical. It’s a given that rates can change without notice. It’s a given that screening delays due to lack of manpower or too much cargo on the floor can and likely will happen, delaying shipments.
Expectations
“We are forced to lower everyone’s expectations knowing that this peak season will be a difficult one. Avoiding subpar service to any customer is of course a priority, but avoiding making false promises in today’s environment is also important. You cannot guarantee something you know you can’t offer.” Despite this, ever optimistic Transatlantic sees opportunity in every difficulty and Sushko believes this is a “key time to shine.” “We have our offices working full force assisting both our carriers and freight forwarders to navigate what we hope are the closing stages of the pandemic. Not many industry leaders can add “Pandemic Readiness” to their resume. “We hope to at least be able to learn from this process and get out of it on both feet, standing strong to tackle similar obstacles in the future, although we hope we never have to. “By far the greatest lesson learnt is to think ahead. Years ago a simple plan would have worked, but today you need to have four or five plans. This is especially true when servicing passenger air carriers, which have been extremely critical of their respective cargo departments since they suddenly became the lead revenue makers during the pandemic. “Now you need to not only plan to try to carry out maximum tonnage across all available flights, but you need to plan for overflow as well. Sushko advices: “Make a plan for what happens when you are over-capacity. Make new partners, particularly truck networks. Make sure you know what to do with cargo that can’t fit on your planes and send it to other cities or stations where t can. Lastly, build your network so that you candivert your cargo via several different routes for when capacity runs tight.”
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UNOOSA AND AIRBUS PICK TEAM TO FLY CLIMATE MONITORING PAYLOAD TO SPACE
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he United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and Airbus Defence and Space have selected the winner of their joint opportunity for a free one year mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The climate mission supporting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals will fly on Bartolomeo, the Airbus external payload hosting platform. The winning ‘ClimCam’ team consists of specialists from different fields and symbolises the power of international co-operation, bringing together researchers from three institutions: the Egyptian Space Agency, the Kenyan Space Agency, and the Uganda National Space Programme within the Ugandan Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. Jointly, the team will develop a remote sensing camera system to monitor weather, floods, and impacts of climate change in East Africa. The three institutions have agreed to an open data policy, sharing information and images acquired from the project to guide climate change mitigation efforts across the entire region. In addition to its direct goals, the project will also demonstrate space technology developments made in Africa,
inspiring African engineers and scientists. UNOOSA director Simonetta Di Pippo said: “Together with Airbus, and thanks to the ingenuity of the brilliant selected researchers, we are making it possible for this module made in Africa to fly onboard the ISS. This project will acquire precious insights for the East African region to address pressing challenges such as droughts and floods and increase the resilience of its agricultural sector, potentially saving many lives and helping to build a better future. It will also be an important inspiration for talent in Africa to join the space sector. We are extremely proud to have played a role in making this happen, and we look forward to seeing the project take flight.” ”We are very pleased to welcome this UNOOSA-backed team with their African climate mission as a passenger on the Bartolomeo platform,” said Andreas Hammer, head of space exploration at Airbus Defence and Space. “Of course, we are offering them our Bartolomeo All-in-One Space Mission Service, meaning that our own experienced Space experts will take care of all aspects of this Space mission – preparatory formalities, payload launch and installation, operations and data transfer.
This way, the team can fully concentrate on the development and exploitation of their environmental monitoring payload, without having to worry about anything else. This is one of the fundamental benefits of the Bartolomeo Service – we make access to space easier than ever before.” “We are very happy to win this opportunity in such a worldclass competition, the team would like to bring gratitude to the UNOOSA and AIRBUS for this opportunity,” said Ayman Ahmed, team leader at the Egyptian Space agency and ClimCam project co-ordinator. “Of course, we understand that challenges exist in our region; climate change is having a growing impact on Africa, especially for the most vulnerable and contributing to food insecurity, and stress on water resources in east Africa as well. Having an imaging system at ISS allows us to monitor and see that effect in our home countries. We do realise the challenge of developing such a device to operate on board the ISS with very critical and challenging design constraints. “The competition was very hard, but being awarded this opportunity is just the beginning for our team to learn more and acquire great experience in the field of space technology and its application.”
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