

Handover at Flughafen Düsseldorf Cargo GmbH
With FDCG’s Managing Director, Gerton Hulsman, due to retire at the end of AUG20, Lutz Honerla has this week been named as his successor. Lutz Honerla will take on his position as the new
Managing Director of Flughafen Düsseldorf Cargo GmbH (FDCG) on 1 May 2020 and will initially manage the business in tandem with Gerton Hulsman, until the end of August. Currently acting as the
airport’s Head of Marketing and Strategy, 59-year-old Mr. Honerla brings along 30 years of Düsseldorf Airport experience, and is a welcomed successor for the 200-employee-strong Flughafen
Düsseldorf GmbH subsidiary which manages both the import cargo handling of nigh on all airlines operating at Düsseldorf Airport, as well as the running of the export warehouse for over 40
airlines. FDCG handled around 81,000 tons of air freight in 2019.
Gerton Hulsman points to Lutz Honerla’s expertise which will stand him in good stead for his new responsibility: "Düsseldorf's strength in the cargo business lies in the loading of freight in
passenger aircraft. This is where Lutz Honerla will be able to make optimum use of his many years of know-how in passenger transport.”
CEO of Flughafen Düsseldorf GmbH, Thomas Schnalke, is happy that "The course has been set for the future of FDCG. Lutz Honerla seamlessly follows on from what Gerton Hulsman has built up over
the past few years at the Düsseldorf logistics location”, pointing out that, in the 13 years that Gerton Hulsman was at the helm of FDCG, “our cargo subsidiary became the first German
company to receive CEIV pharmaceutical certification from the International Air Transport Association for its safe handling of pharmaceutical products. Now we wish him all the best for his
well-deserved retirement when he leaves the company at the end of August.”
To be or not to be? Heathrow’s Third Runway faces negative court ruling
On 25FE20, a Heathrow spokesperson pointed out that “Within two years, Charles de Gaulle will overtake Heathrow as the biggest airport in Europe. Heathrow’s new runway is ready to turn
‘global Britain’ into more than just a campaign slogan. It’s the key to the UK’s success after Brexit and will ensure we stay ahead of our European rivals. Expansion will be built within legally
binding environmental targets, creating lower airfares for passengers, connecting every corner of Britain to global growth and all at no cost to the taxpayer. It’s time to get on with it.”
Two days later, High Court judges blocked plans for the third runway, stating that the project is not in line with the Paris Climate Accord, wherein the government has set a target in law of net
zero emissions by 2050.
While Prime Minister Johnson has categorically been against the project from the start and may use this result to abandon the project altogether, following the judicial review, Transport
Secretary, Grant Shapps stated: “Our manifesto makes clear any Heathrow expansion will be industry-led. Airport expansion is core to boosting global connectivity and levelling up across the
UK. We also take seriously our commitment to the environment.”
Heathrow Airport echoed the message, publishing the following statement after the ruling: “The Court of Appeal dismissed all appeals against the government - including on “noise” and “air
quality” - apart from one which is eminently fixable. We will appeal to the Supreme Court on this one issue and are confident that we will be successful. In the meantime, we are ready to work
with the Government to fix the issue that the court has raised. Heathrow has taken a lead in getting the UK aviation sector to commit to a plan to get to Net Zero emissions by 2050, in line with
the Paris Accord. Expanding Heathrow, Britain’s biggest port and only hub, is essential to achieving the Prime Minister’s vision of Global Britain. We will get it done the right way, without
jeopardizing the planet’s future. Let’s get Heathrow done.”
Alex Veitch from the UK’s Freight Transport Association pointed out that “Now more than ever, the UK needs world-class global gateways. Heathrow Airport accounts for 40% of the UK’s non-EU
trade by value but has been operating at peak capacity for freight for many years; expansion is long overdue,” while Robert Keen, Head of the British International Freight Association,
called on the government on behalf of his 1,500 member companies, to fix the issues raised by the High Court.

CEVA Logistics looks forward to 5 years of moving Airbus parts
In the latest move to further developing its presence in aerospace logistics, CEVA Logistics last week celebrated signing a five-year contract with Airbus in Hamburg, Germany. With immediate
effect, CEVA Logistics is responsible for managing Airbus’ logistics, consolidating and transporting spare parts and components from multiple sites across Europe (including locations in Germany,
France, Spain and the UK), and will look to introducing more than 20 process improvement projects focusing on reducing lead times as well as costs, and improving Airbus’ supply chain efficiency
during the next five years at its 21,000m² spare parts kits facility. A facility that is expected to expand with additional warehouse units over the next few years, in line with Airbus’ own
production development plan.
To this end, CEVA has taken on around 250 employees at the site under TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings - Protection of Employment). Regulations – where employees are transferred from one employer
to another, and will be looking to meet and improve Airbus’ service performance KPIs year on year. CEVA's CEO, Mathieu Friedberg, has great confidence in CEVA’s expertise: “CEVA's exceptional
capabilities in aerospace logistics have been recognized by Airbus with the awarding of this long-term contract. Our two companies have successfully worked together on other projects previously
and the depth of CEVA's specialist knowledge in this industry combined with its operational and delivery solutions have been key to securing this new business."


Virgin Atlantic Cargo wants a larger piece of the India cake
In the past decade, India has moved up from 9th to 5th place in the list of most powerful economies in the world. Business between the UK and India alone amounts to an annual GBP 20 billion.
Reason enough for Virgin Atlantic Cargo to open a new UK-India service from 26OCT20 onwards, with their Manchester (MAN) – Delhi (DEL) route. Flight VS318 will depart Manchester at 16:40 on
Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, landing the next morning in Delhi at 06:05. The return service, flight VS319, departing on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 08:10, will arrive in Manchester
at 12:10. The connection is of interest to U.S. customers too, since Virgin Atlantic currently operates from New York (JFK), Atlanta (ATL) and Orlando (MCO) to Manchester, and plans to relaunch
seasonal services from Las Vegas (LAS) on 29MAR20 and Los Angeles (LAX) from 24MAY20.
2020 sees the airline celebrating its 20th anniversary of flying to India. In OCT19, Virgin Atlantic introduced a daily Heathrow (LHR) -Mumbai (BOM) service and, on 29MAR20, it will start flying
twice a day from LHR to DEL. Virgin Atlantic is therefore all set to augment its share of the more than 100 million kilos of air freighted imports and exports of, for example, vegetables, fresh
fruit, spices, and apparel, moving between the UK and India each year. Commenting on the new service, Virgin Atlantic Cargo’s Managing Director, Dominic Kennedy, said: “Business opportunities
between the UK and India have never been greater. India is now the world’s fifth largest economy and the UK is one of its biggest and fastest-growing trading partners for products such as
technology and automotive components, pharmaceuticals, and fresh produce as well as other general cargoes. The launch of direct flights to India from Manchester this October will give exporters
and importers more choice in addition to the three times daily services we will be operating ex Heathrow, offering exciting new growth opportunities for us and our customers.”
ADP selects winners of cargo-dedicated third edition of ‘Play your airport’ challenge
The Paris airports group ADP has selected the winners of the third edition of its “Play your Airport” European Innovation Contest, which was dedicated to air cargo.
In all, 40 projects were submitted, leading to 9 finalists and 3 winners in 3 categories: Entries were submitted by cargo employees at Paris-CDG Airport and ADP; students and start-ups.
The winner in the first category is an initiative called ‘Community’, which advocates bundling the transport of paper documents between the 400 forwarders at ADP and the handlers and
customs authorities. Community proposes the use of shared ecological vehicles as a substitute for the multitude of individual operations today.
Cargo Continuous Improvement is the winning project in the second category, submitted by the students of Supméca, a Paris-based school for mechanical engineering. The project aims at
optimizing working conditions in cargo companies through the implementation of the so-called ‘5S system’. This is a systematic form of visual management, developed in Japan. The five
steps to be taken are: sort, set in order, shine (cleanliness), standardize and sustain. The system should bring an end to recurring problems such as the loss of tools,
garbage, and delayed deliveries, and should enhance communication within the company.
The winner in the ‘start-up’ category is the French company Orok, which has developed a fleet of electric, autonomous, and omnidirectional vehicles for the transport of luggage and goods
in airside areas. Using them may reduce the risk of accidents, optimize the management of ground space and speed up the transport of cargo to the aircraft.

Brigitte Gledhill / Marcel Schoeters
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Write a comment
Rayhan ahmed (Sunday, 01 March 2020 23:02)
I am at the moment sitting in
The hold 5 of a Turkish airlines
Turnaround T2 ramp A321 writing this I
Can assure you of the restricted
Work regarding parking of ramp equipment and vechiles . The airfield
Is getting smaller and smaller air traffic
Operations is busy .., and the airport
Is falling behind all other international airports.
Look heathrow needs expansion it needs a third runway the airport can
Not go on like this for next 50yrs ??
I ask the British govt the above question
Is this airport going to be like this a the
Years mentioned above people something has to give and that further
Development in to a state of the art
Airport ... meaning a 24 hour operation
No shut down .
This is for our children’s fucture and our
Grand children’s fucture forget people
Like me we will buried and dead
And gone .
Rayhan ahmed (Monday, 02 March 2020 01:20)
Quote ; I don’t mean a 24 hour
Operation but heathrow needs
Urgent expansion for prosperity
In the west London area ,,, getting
People jobs getting them out of
Poverty and destitution .. infrastructure
Developments the list
Is longer then my arm.