
IN BRIEF, THE LATEST CARGO AIRLINE INDUSTRY NEWS.

Cargojet doubles CGN flights
The Canadian carrier ads a second weekly frequency to its existing Cologne-Bonn services, operated by a Boeing 767-300 freighter. The flight is conducted each Sunday, departing at CGN early
morning and arriving in Hamilton, Ontario at 11:15h local time. Just 2:30h later the aircraft continues its journey on to Bogota, Columbia and Lima, Peru via Atlanta, Georgia. “This routing
enables us to send shipments directly from Germany to the western part of South America, states Managing Director Hassaan Aglan of Cargojet Airways’ European sales agent Skyline Air Services
GmbH.” The new flight is scheduled to commence on 4 February following a welcoming party organized by Cologne-Bonn Airport and Cargojet.
The existing Boeing 767F flight linking Cologne with Montreal via St. John’s in Newfoundland will continue to be operated on Mondays.
Belly volume on Hainan’s Brussels-Shenzhen flights dependant on aircraft type
As from 20 March Hainan Airlines will expand its offer ex BRU with two weekly Shenzhen flights. As for cargo, much depends on the aircraft deployed, says Steven Van Lint of the company’s GSSA
Globe Air Cargo (part of ECS). “Should it be a B787-9, we have about 20 to 25 tonnes per flight, a B787-8 can only take about 12 to 13 tonnes. Another decisive factor for the success of the cargo
part of the operation is whether the final destination will be Shenzhen or further connections in mainland China. Hainan already flies 4 times a week from Brussels to Beijing, bringing an average
of 200 to 250 tonnes of belly cargo a month. From BRU the company also serves Shanghai. On this connection the monthly cargo volume is estimated at some 150 to 200 tonnes.
Kwong follows Whitehead as HACTL Chief
Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited (HACTL) announced a change of leadership with CEO Mark Whitehead retiring on March 7th and Wilson Kwong taking his chair. Kwong comes from the Jardine
Engineering Corporation, where he holds the position as Chief Executive.
Under Whitehead’s 8-year tenure HACTL won many accolades, becoming a benchmark in the ground handling of air freight. Currently, the company serves over one hundred carriers and reported a
throughput of 1.8 million tons of cargo in 2017. Comments Whitehead: “I welcome Wilson to HACTL, and I am confident that HACTL will flourish under his proven leadership. He will be supported by
our unique team, and I wish them all the best.” His HACTL commitment seems only to be an episode in his long-span carreer, indicated by this statement: “I still feel I have a lot to offer, and I
look forward to opening a new chapter of opportunities and challenges - whatever and wherever they may be.”


WFS welcomes BRU’s slot booking option
For WFS the objective to join the Slot booking App at Brussels Airport is the wish for a better distribution of truck movements to exclude congestion and waiting times as much as possible, says
station manager Eddy Myngheer. “A pre-notification of truck movements (the more the better) allows us to fine-tune manpower and demand.” He goes on to say: “We can do this by providing additional
shifts or by moving shifts to other times.” According to him, this option will considerably improve the ground handler’s services rendered to customers thanks to the elimination of waiting times
for loading and unloading.

Pandas warm hearts of Swissport Finland staff
Last Thursday, Swissport Finland, a subsidiary of Swissport International, welcomed two Chinese Pandas named Pyry and Lumi at Helsinki Airport. The bears, coming from Chengdu, traveled on board a
chartered Volga-Dnepr freighter Il-76TD-90VD. The animals’ well-being during the air transport was looked after by vets and specialized Panda caretakers. Weeks before, they had come to China to
familiarize the animals with their transport boxes and to gain the Pandas’ trust for the long trip ahead. After arrival, the bears were brought to the Athari Wildlife Park, 325 kilometers north
of Helsinki, their new habitat. “It was an honor for the Swissport Finland team having contributed to the smooth arrival and handling of Pyry and Lumi, despite the harsh weather conditions in the
Helsinki area. This was only possible due to the outstanding performance of our dedicated staff,” emphasized Tomi Viitanen, CEO Swissport Finland. It can be expected that the heavy snowfall in
Finland over the past few days will certainly help the Pandas feel at home more quickly as snow belongs to their natural environment.
Marcel Schoeters / Heiner Siegmund
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