SHORT SHOTS

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."

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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