SHORT SHOTS

“Don’t fly to me!”, Argentina

In what is thought to be the toughest of all COVID-19 decrees thus far, Argentina’s National Civil Aviation Administration (NCAA) has put a stop on the sales of flight tickets both in national and international commercial flights for a further four months, up to 01SEP20. The government has stated that only cargo flights or those carried out to repatriate citizens will be authorized to operate.

While the NCCA feels that its ban is “understood to be reasonable,” and certainly the country’s comparatively low corona statistics (circa 4,500 infections to date, placing it at #52 in the list of affected countries), support the idea that prevention is working, the move has been met with a great deal of criticism from the aviation and travel industry in a country where roughly one in ten jobs is connected to travel and tourism. In a joint statement, the IATA, ALTA and ACI Latin America and Caribbean trade bodies urged the government to reconsider its move: “This decision directly affects the future of the entire commercial aviation value chain in Argentina and the region, including domestic and international airlines, tourism and related sectors, putting at risk thousands of jobs. Also, Argentina’s connectivity with the world, as well as its domestic airline network which is vital for the transportation of essential supplies and the economic and social well-being of the nation, is being put under threat.”

Speaking to La Nacion on 29APR20, IATA regional VP Americas, Peter Cerda, warned that the government will need to support aviation sector, otherwise: “There will be unfortunate consequences and some [international carriers] will not return for a long time.”

TIACA urges African cargo responsibles to set up Recovery Plan

The latest CLIVE statistics show a 70% decrease in air cargo capacity to Europe in comparison to previous year. In Kenya alone, perishable exports from Nairobi to Europe have fallen from 5,000 tons to 1,800 tons, with dramatic effects on the Kenyan agriculture sector. TIACA has urged all those involved in air cargo, from authorities to private stakeholders, to come up with a recovery plan to weather the effects of the pandemic, and to ensure that supplies of basic necessities and essential medical equipment can still come through.

TIACA vice-chairman and Astral Aviation CEO Sanjeev Gadhia said: “We are encouraging African airlines to respond to capacity requirements immediately, in particular by putting Passenger Freighter systems in place, such as those implemented by airlines, including Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways, SAA and Rwandair.”
“Collaboration and cooperation between African airlines across their respective fleets and networks are both essential so we can overcome the challenges we are facing.”

The Air Cargo Community in Africa, with airlines, airports, handlers, forwarders and shippers, along with African governments and civil aviation authorities (CAAs), all need to implement measures to support the aviation sector and the economy. Measures that have already been put in place in a number of countries, such as: keeping airports running, exempting crews from quarantine, lifting night bans and simplifying procedures for pharma and food cargo.

Are Air France and KLM due to divorce over COVID-19?

It has always been a rocky marriage. CFG last reported back in 2018 that a split could be imminent, but the relationship has continued. And appears to have evened out a little more since the Dutch government bought more shares in the joint company early last year, thus better balancing the French government’s existing stake of around 14%. Yet, with the Corona crisis, speculations have begun once more as to an impending divorce, especially since France recently provided a €7 billion relief package. The Dutch government is considering €2-4 million in support, but with conditions attached, and essentially the rift is down to KLM being the more profitable and better managed of the two companies, and the Dutch government does not want to be funding a less efficiently run Air France. Despite both being in the European Union, neither of the two governments is keen on joint funding. According to a recent article in Financieele Dagblad, the two Ministers of Finance, Dutch Wopke Hoekstra and his French Bruno Le Maire both emphasized that public money will only benefit their own airline. KLM’s skepticism of proper cooperation between the two governments was exacerbated by the fact that a press conference ended up taking place the moment the French government agreed to help Air France, but before negotiations between KLM and the Dutch government could be concluded. 

A bewitching 24-hour express service. Hellmann launches HExS

In German, the word Hex or Hexe, stands for “witch”, though that is probably not what Night Start Express Hellmann had in mind when it launched its new Hellmann Express Services BV (HExS) last month, unless it is in reference to a 24-hour courier and express service that runs like magic!

HExS was launched in response to the growing demand for a 24-hour courier service and, since April this year, it has been offering courier and express services in the Benelux countries around the clock from its headquarters in Heerenberg, adding to the existing overnight express service provided by Hellmann Worldwide Logistics SE & Co. KG’s subsidiary. Night Star Express since the early 1990s which now handles over 2 million shipments a year in the Benelux. In particular, the automotive industry with its requirement for the smooth and fast supply of spare parts within one day is the strategically important core customer segment here.

Managing Director, Night Star Express Hellmann BV, Patrick Löwenthal, explained: "We have a very good network that has grown over decades in the Benelux, but also beyond that in Europe. On the basis of this existing infrastructure, the new company HExS BV enables us to pick up consignments both at night and during the day with a very short reaction time and to deliver them within one day, both at home and abroad."

Chief Operating Officer (COO) Courier, Express, Parcel, Hellmann Worldwide Logistics, Wilfried Hesselmann, speaks of more to come: "Against the background that we want to significantly expand our express activities throughout Europe in the coming years, we are implementing a further milestone in our overall strategy with the establishment of the new Hellmann Express Service."
HExS is planned to become a one-stop-shop when it comes to offering complete supply-chain service solutions – also to new markets – and its service portfolio will include direct load services later this year, in an effort to increase efficiency whilst saving on resources.