SHORT SHOTS

TAPA pushes Secure Parking Programme
The Transport Asset Protection Association (TAPA) is putting quite some effort into pushing for a network of secure parking spaces for trucks operating in Europe. Theft and attacks on truckers has risen during the past years despite efforts from local forces to protect them. TAPA has been active during the past years in trying to ensure that better security measures on the road transport side are brought into force. TAPA statistics show that during 2017 there was an almost 90% increase in freight thefts from trucks which were parked in unsecured locations. This is an alarming figure as many truckers are forced to rest or overnight at insecure parking lots due to the lack of protected areas. TAPA has come up with what it terms as a Parking Security Requirements (PSR) certification programme. It is said that there are hundreds of Parking Place Operators (PPOs) that meet TAPA’s security standards already, but there is an urgent need to encourage many others within Europe to have their locations certified. The certification is free of charge and TAPA hopes that many more will join. TAPA’s Chairman EMEA, Thorsten Neumann states that: “Sadly there is no quick fix to tackle the risks drivers and cargoes face when they have to stop in unsecured locations. However, at an industry level, we have to start providing more controlled parking areas.”

BRU flies into the blockchain era
Brussels Airport has launched its first App using blockchain technology. It fully contributes to the Airport’s strategic objective to have a digitalised logistical flow in place supported by a combination of applications offered via the BRUcloud platform. BRUcloud is an open data sharing platform on which different applications can be build. It enables the various stakeholders of the air cargo supply chain to make data sharing in a cloud environment possible and work more “integrated,” acting as a network.  Sara Van Gelder, Cargo Business Development Manager at Brussels Airport illustrates it as follows: “Once a company is connected to the cloud, it can start using the different existing applications and can start exchanging information very easily with other stakeholders instead of maintaining system-to-system connections with all different partners individually.” 
Initiatives such as the community platform BRUcloud are innovative tools to improve the transparency and reliability of business processes and lower the overall supply chain costs in future, stated Luc Jacobs CEO DHL Global Forwarding Belgium and Luxemburg on the occasion of the App’s launch. BRU’s Head of Cargo and Logistics Steven Polmans added to this that “this step is strengthening anew our forerunner position in digital innovation within the air freight industry.”

WFS spreads in Scandinavia and wins LH in Newark
Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) which recently announced five new handling contracts in the USA, has expanded their customer portfolio in Scandinavia by getting three new airline handling contracts.
Ukraine Airlines with their 10 weekly B737 flights into Copenhagen has awarded WFS the handling contract there. In Arlanda, Sweden, WFS gets the China Eastern contract for cargo handling on their four weekly A330-200 services as well as cargo handling for Air Ukraine’s twelve Arlanda-Kiev flights.
A three-year contract was signed last week by WFS with Lufthansa to provide ramp handling for all of the Lufthansa Group’s flights operating into New York, Newark Airport. These included Austrian Airlines and SWISS International flights as well as LH’s three daily flights into EWR.

Cargolux sponsors the Solar Arctic Project
A Canadian Arctic expedition has acquired a prototype solar-powered boat which will be used for a new Solar Arctic project. The boat has been transported by Cargolux from Luxembourg to Calgary ahead of the expedition. The Solar Arctic Project was set up by DreamTime which is a non-profit organisation who are deeply involved in climate issues and environmental awareness. The expedition will be undertaken by the French navigator Anne Quemere who will journey alone with the prototype solar-energy propelled boat across the famous Northwest Passage. This will be a 3,500-kilometre journey powered solely by solar energy.

Saga Italia goes to Kerry Logistics
Hong Kong-based Kerry Logistics has taken a majority share in Italy’s Saga Italia in order to expand their presence in project logistics, as well as material management and heavy lift services. Saga Italia was founded in 1985 and has its focus on the oil and gas sector whereby they manage logistical projects for quite some multinational corporations. Saga is also involved in freight forwarding services in the air, ocean and overland sectors. By purchasing a majority stake in Saga Italia, Kerry Logistics now has direct access to new markets in Uganda, Egypt and the Republic of Congo and they state that they will also open new offices in the UAE, U.S., Russia, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.
Thomas Blank, Kerry Logistics European M.D. states that: “Saga Italia’s specialised knowledge further strengthens our activities and will support us to tap into the immense business opportunities as more belt and road projects get off the ground.”

WFS strikes first pile for new distribution centre at Brucargo
WFS is building a new warehouse at Brussels Airport in collaboration with logistics real estate developer Montea. This will comprise 7,230 m² of storage space and 1,440 m² of offices. The future warehouse will enable WFS to give new impetus to the quality standards and the modern requirements for e-commerce and pharmaceuticals in air freight,” says Marc Claesen, Regional Vice President WFS.
Brussels Airport CEO Arnaud Feist pointed out that the new WFS distribution centre is part of a larger-scale project for the development of new buildings in the cargo zone: "On the western side, Brussels Airport Company wants to invest in a building of around 50,000 m² for the needs of 4 companies - including WFS.”
In total, €100 million will be invested within the cargo zone over the next three years, in line with the airport’s ‘Strategic Vision 2040’. Including this project, the total presence of Montea at BRU is growing to more than 130,000 m². Brucargo represents about 12% of the Montea real estate portfolio.

Budapest Airport welcomes Kuehne + Nagel
The new Cargo City at Budapest Airport is slated to open its doors this summer. Ahead of the opening, the airport welcomed the worldwide logistics giant Kuehne + Nagel to the airport. K+N have leased both warehouse and office space in the new handling area and will move in by 1. July 2018. Budapest Airport has allocated €160 million into updating and renewing various airport premises. A large amount of this sum has been allocated to the development of cargo handling premises. K+N Budapest will among others, use the facility for the special handling of high-value cargo and pharmaceutical products.

Ethiopian get their 100th aircraft
Addis Ababa based Ethiopian Airlines which has been growing fast during the past decade has taken delivery of their 100th aircraft. A further Boeing 787 joined the fleet at the beginning of June and positioned from the Boeing factory in Seattle to Addis carrying medical supplies donated by Seattle-based NGO Direct Relief. The medical supplies are destined for a relief organisation in Ethiopia.
Founded in 2009, Direct Relief has since then distributed more than US$4.4 billion in medical resources which help low income people in over 115 countries to obtain free medical aid.
Ethiopian Airlines now has a wide-reaching passenger and cargo network and recently opened new cargo handling facilities at Addis Ababa Airport. They also operate a fleet of Boeing 777 freighters which carry perishable products from Africa and general cargo back to Addis.