SHORT SHOTS

Kerry Logistics expands Eurasian rail network
The Hong Kong-based agent has launched a weekly scheduled Less Than Container Load (LCL) rail freight service between Duisburg, Germany and Shanghai via the Yiwu terminal in the Yangtze River Delta. The new rail connection complements Kerry’s existing Full Container Load (FCL) and LCL services, offering transit times of 16 days westbound and 21 days eastbound.
The rail freight product is part of the agent’s end-to-end freight management service, which includes storage, quality control, assembly, and reworking in addition to the pre-carriage and delivery to final destination.
Thomas Blank, Managing Director Europe, Kerry Logistics, said, “Acting as consolidator ourselves allows us to offer shorter lead times, moving each shipment faster than if we had to wait for a full container from each customer, who can monitor their cargo along the route via online track and trace.”

DHL grows in Ireland
DHL Supply Chain has opened a new Life Sciences facility at Dublin Airport, thus extending its global end-to-end pharmaceutical supply chain capability. The new warehouse, comprising 3,700 sqm, is located near Dublin Airport and is fully approved by Ireland’s Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA).
The new DHL logistics center will allow pharmaceutical companies manufacturing in Ireland to enjoy fully compliant temperature controlled end-to-end supply chain management including: storage, pick & pack and inventory control. Segregated into different temperature zones, the site offers a range of storage environments including: ambient (15 - 25 degrees); chill (2-8 degrees); and a blast & holding freezer capable of temperatures of -20 degrees centigrade.
The new facility makes Ireland the 43rd country in which DHL has established a Life Sciences Center of Excellence, offering full access and integration with DHL’s temperature controlled transport services by road, air, ocean and express. Located close to European markets, nine out of ten of the top global pharmaceutical companies and nine out of the top ten biopharmaceutical companies have already chosen Ireland as their manufacturing site.

Once more, the EU Commission neglects air freight matters
Cargo issues continue playing the fourth fiddle for EU Transportation Commissioner Violeta Bulc and her crew. This is clearly reflect in a statement issued on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Union’s Internal Market for Aviation. It reads: “Since 1992, there has been a revolution in air travel (no word on cargo !!). Today, air travel is cheaper, safer and open to more people than ever before. This is all thanks in no small part to an EU initiative to replace a series of national rules by a single set of EU rules, known as the EU Internal Market for Aviation.”
The hymn of praise for having allowed EU airlines to compete against each other in formerly protected markets culminates in an intellectual masterstroke saying that this policy has brought major changes to air travel (sic!). Changes that have “propelled European mobility forward, successfully helping to bring Europeans closer together, and providing solid foundations for more jobs and a growing economy.”
The idea of travelling and experiencing new places and cultures has become a reality for many people in Europe during the past 25 years, the Bulc statement reads. It is supported by quotes from several aviation executives like Brussels Airport’s Arnaud Feist, Lufthansa’s Carsten Spohr or Air France-KLM’s CEO Jean-Marc Janaillac, to name just a few.
The benefits of this liberalized, non-protectionist policy for the air cargo industry advocated by the EU lawmakers are nowhere to be found …

Antonov Airlines appoints GSA in Australia
As part of its global expansion, the Ukraine-based freight carrier has chosen Air Cargo Partners Worldwide (ACP) to become its General Sales Agent in Australia. The company runs five offices in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Brisbane and Auckland, NZ.
“ACP Worldwide was chosen as GSA due to its ten years’ experience working in the heavy lift industry and its extensive experience in dealing with AN-124s. They have supported us on a number of occasions in the past and have put forward a compelling plan to take us forward in the Australian market,” stated Martin Griffiths, Commercial Manager, Antonov Airlines UK, on the occasion.
ACP Worldwide’s team of twenty five-plus cargo professionals has over twenty years’ experience in the Australian and New Zealand market. The GSA specializes in a variety of industries, including oil and gas, mining, construction, pharmaceuticals, automotive, technology and transport.
In a statement, Oleg Orlov, Vice President at Antonov Company commented on the ongoing global growth of his airline: “We continue to expand globally with new representation in Australia, following the recent establishment of our office in the United Kingdom and appointment of our GSA in Japan.”

AA opens new pharma room at Heathrow 
American Airlines Cargo runs a new cool facility at London Heathrow, comprising 160 sqm. It is a testament to the carrier’s commitment to temp controlled healthcare shipments, AA Cargo points out in an announcement. The warehouse is completely monitored and equipped with alarm devices, where the standard operating temperature will be set to maintain passive products at +15°C to +25°C. Euro Scan software is used to monitor precise temperatures within the facility, which will provide real-time information to the American operations team, and will be used for reporting purposes.
The new facility will be of significant value to customers moving specialist pharma traffic between Europe and the U.S., AA expects. As the second largest carrier from LHR across the North Atlantic, AA operates up to 20 daily frequencies of passenger flights to the United States offering ample space for air freight in the holds of the aircraft.

Stavros heads CCA
Cargolux Airlines’ global product manager, Stavros Evangelakakis, has become new chairman of the Cool Chain Association, taking over responsibility from Sebastiaan Scholte. After his nomination, Stavros said: “It would be great if we could look towards holding more conferences on the cool chain, including airport communities in our efforts going forward. We would like to continue to grow our membership base with people who are willing to make a change within the cool air cargo supply chain. Our goal is to have more transparency and ultimately more collaboration.”
His predecessor Sebastiaan Scholte, who chaired the association for five years, commented on the occasion of handing over responsibilities to his successor: “I am proud of how the association has grown to become an authority on cool chain logistics. We have a voice in the industry and make things work. We are not bound by political correctness, we push for things and we are not afraid to discuss relevant topics in an open and transparent way.”
Sebastiaan, who is CEO of Jan de Rijk Logistics based in the Netherlands, also announced that CCA’s board has been extended by two further members: Gerton Hulsman, managing director of Dusseldorf Airport Cargo and Fabrizio Iacobacci, Head of Pharma Business Development at Bcube Air Cargo.

Henk Venema chairs Cargo iQ
Henk Venema, SVP and Global Head of Network Carrier Management at DHL Global Forwarding, has been named the new chairman of the Cargo iQ Membership Board. The manager who has over 15 years of experience in air freight, takes over from Max Sauberschwarz, VP and Global Head of Carrier and Gateway Air Logistics at Kuehne + Nagel, who chaired the IATA interest group from 2013.
“Cargo iQ is a key initiative in the industry, where not only airlines, but also freight forwarders, handlers, and technology providers come together to define the joint and unique quality standards we want to set for the industry going forward,” Henk Venema stated. He added to this: “The new projects we are working on, built upon the excellent work the organization has successfully delivered so far, will further boost Cargo iQ’s quality standards.”
Kester Meijer, Director Operational Integrity, Compliance & Safety - ISCM, Air France KLM Cargo, will continue to support the group as its Vice Chairman.
Sauberschwarz will also continue to serve on the Board.
“It is an enormous accomplishment that Cargo iQ can count so many great industry leaders amongst its board members,” commented Ariaen Zimmerman, Executive Director, Cargo iQ.

Australia Post names new CEO
Australia Post has announced the appointment of Christine Holgate as managing director and Group CEO, succeeding Ahmed Fahour who stepped down from the post last week.
Holgate will start in the role in October, joining Australia Post from a nine-year stint as CEO of Blackmores, a manufacturer and distributor of vitamins, minerals and nutritional supplements.
John Stanhope, chairman at Australia Post, said, “Over the past seven years we have transformed Australia Post into Australia’s leading Parcels and e-commerce company and.. her (Holgate) knowledge of global e-commerce will be invaluable as we pursue our Asian Strategy, which is all about offering logistics support to Australian businesses that are either selling in Asia, or sourcing their products there.”
Australia Post’s group chief customer officer, Christine Corbett, will lead the business through the CEO transition period until Holgate’s arrival in October.

Bruening becomes Hellmann’s voice
Christiane Bruening has been nominated Head of Corporate Communications at Hellmann Woldwide Logistics. The 36 year-old has many years of experience in strategic corporate and financial communications. In recent years, Christiane has headed the PR and investor relations department at Lloyd Fonds AG in Hamburg. Prior to this, Mrs Bruening was an advisor to various companies based in the logistics sector and as a communications consultant to the Board of the Bank of Scotland in London.
"With Christiane Bruening, we have been able to win an experienced communication expert, who will in particular expand our strategic corporate communications," lauded Thomas Knecht, Spokesman of the Board of Management at Hellmann.

Heiner Siegmund  /  Nol van Fenema  /  Marcel Schoeters