Ostend’s relationship with Hongyuan was short-lived, leaving a frustrated airport management behind. The Chinese cargo carrier decided to move its operation to neighboring Brussels Airport even before the ink on the collaboration agreement had dried. “At the end of June, we were approached by Hongyuan with the request to help them out as their operation in Liege got stuck. Together with handling agent Bcube, we laid out plans for a new cargo village of 45,000 m² in the first phase and a total of 90,000 m² in the second,” said Mr Buelens.
“Hongyuan’s initial operation was 3 flights per week, but it was soon expanded to 9 flights. That’s when shipments got stuck at Bcube. You can’t handle 8 or 9 jumbos in a 4,000 m²
warehouse,” he confessed.
To support BCube, handler Aviapartner jumped in. Yet, only a week later, the ground handler took the entire Hongyuan operation to Brussels. “We were not informed of this decision. Opportunity
makes the thief, as they say,” Mr Buelens stated, sourly.
Mr Buelens confessed that he had had a courteous telephone call from Steven Polmans, Director Cargo and Logistics at BRU Airport, who explained the situation. “The move is plausible, and I
understand that Brussels Airport, too, has to cope with the ongoing crisis, and 6 to 9 additional B747 cargo flights per week are more than welcome.” The manager went on to say: “In
July, Hongyuan was a gift from heaven, but they were out as fast as they got in. So, next week we will sit together with Bcube to work out a scheme to develop first and foremost the construction
and organization of the cargo village. Only then can we engage in another venture with an operator.”
Marcel Schoeters in Ostend
From 15OCT20, Envirotainer is providing its customers with unlimited, free access to shipment data via its customer portal – as soon as they return the container, enabling customers to quickly
ensure shipment integrity and arrange for swift release. “The insight report is provided for the entire e-technology fleet, the Envirotainer RKN e1 and the RAP e2 containers – active,
self-regulating containers with compressor cooling and electrical heating,” says the press release. “The data collected includes ambient temperature, inside temperature, door openings
and battery level […] all data gathered during a shipment and is presented in one comprehensive report.”
Eddy Cojulun, Chief Sales Officer at Envirotainer, explained: “These are truly unprecedented times, and our industry is faced with new challenges every day. As the industry leader,
Envirotainer is continually evaluating how we can meet those challenges with new and creative solutions.” He continued, “We are the only provider in the industry that shares this
comprehensive amount of shipment data for free and available immediately upon container return. We want to continue to be the true innovation leader and pave the way for our partners and
customers to achieve an unprecedented level of transparency.”
Fredrik Linnér, Chief Business Development Officer at Envirotainer, added: “When we first launched this fully automated, globally available, shipment report service in June 2019 we were
certain that the speed of delivery would be appreciated by our customers which it was. Sharing all the data from the industry’s largest active container fleet means that our customers get
something that they cannot get from other providers, e.g. a tremendous amount of data that can be used to improve their cold-chain performance.”
Mainly APAC-serving South Korean low-cost carrier, T’way, announced last week that it would be deploying two of its 27 B737-800 passenger jets as preigthers in an effort to bring in revenue as it
struggles with the pandemic effects. It would not be removing seats but aims to carry cargo such as textiles and electronic parts on the cabin seats, operating on its Incheon-Ho Chi Minh City
route from early November 2020, possibly increasing its preighter fleet if market conditions look promising.
Like many airlines, T’way had been forced to suspend the majority of its international routes in MAR20 due to Covid-19 leading to border closures and entry restrictions, and passenger demand
plummeted. It had aimed to offer a Wuhan-service from 21JAN20, but this was postponed because of the lock-down. The first Wuhan flight began on 16SEP20 and are due currently to run until 24OCT20
as approval for the winter schedule is still pending. Though some of its international routes had resumed at the end of AUG20, its domestic services have also been massively reduced since MAR20,
and therefore it recently decided to follow what Korean Air Co. and Asiana Airlines Inc. have done: namely attempt to access cargo to offset some of the huge slump in income and at the same time
help to match the rising demand in cargo capacity.
Gebrüder Weiss opens new logistics terminal in Zagreb, Croatia
Though Gebrüder Weiss is taking its 20th anniversary celebrations with its Croatian customers and employees online this month, due to COVID-19 restrictions, its success is very physically obvious
as shown in the photo: a brand new, 18,000 m², EUR 18 million, state-of-the-art logistics terminal in Zagreb, Croatia, including a dedicated dangerous goods warehouse. The latest of three
locations totally 20,400 m², that Gebrüder Weiss operates out of in Croatia where it employs 175 staff, and a huge change from its 1,000 m² and 15 employees at the start back in 2000. Despite the
virus, business continues to boom – especially with regard to its contactless home-delivery service which has seen a 30% increase on previous year in the first eight months of 2020. “The
foundation of our success, and thus a key focus of our strategy, is offering customers added value for their logistics chains with digital offers such as the new customer portal myGW or by
expanding our Home Delivery services,” said Barbara Bujačić, Country Manager Gebrüder Weiss.
Meanwhile, on the other end of the planet, Gebrüder Weiss opened its second new air and sea freight services office in New Zealand, recently: this time in Christchurch, with a key focus on
imports from the USA, Europe, and especially from Asian markets such as China and Japan. “The company’s expansion to New Zealand and Australia was yet another milestone in our strategy for
the Asia/Pacific region. We made a good start to our market entry in the southern hemisphere in July this year and are very happy, just a few months later, to be able to offer another
location,” said Michael Zankel, Regional Manager East Asia/Oceania at Gebrüder Weiss. “Gebrüder Weiss now has a presence in the most important economic regions of the island nation,
being able to offer customized solutions for door-to-door transports in the Air & Sea area and for project orders.”
Maersk adds air freight to its portfolio
Having integrated Damco’s Air services earlier last month, Maersk has now added air freight to its product portfolio and arranged a series of chartered freighters to transport shipments for a
large tire manufacturer from Thailand to Japan. The first flight took place on 11OCT20, following an urgent customer request and quick research to source the best-fit plane type solution.
Managing Director of Maersk Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, Rupesh Jain, stated: “I’m extremely proud of the Maersk team who came together in Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore to mount air
solution for one of our key clients needing urgent and tailor-made solution to meet its promise to their client. The team worked around the clock with the client as well as our supplier partner
to ensure an effective and cost-efficient solution. The shipment was delivered to the customer in time without any issue. It also demonstrates our ambition to become the integrator of container
logistics with value-added services to our customers.”
“It’s very fulfilling to be able to provide a truly integrated solution for our customers. With 11 air charters in place for this client, we are keeping its supply chain intact! We have
provided our existing ocean customer with extended land-side services, and by offering this air solution, we have truly completed the transportation mode circle,” Hean Chun Goh, Auto,
Electronic and Tech Vertical Head, Maersk Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, said.
Atlas Air is Cainiao’s choice in partner to service South America
From China to South America in as little as three days – this is the Cainiao plan when it comes to shifting Alibaba shipments. Business to Latin America has been booking with over 8 million
parcels being transports from China to South America in the past quarter alone – double the amount of Q2/20. To cope with the surge of cargo, Cainiao last week announced a charter program
partnership with Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc., to launch dedicated charter flights from China to Brazil and Chile, three times a week, starting in NOV20. In doing so, the average shipping
time will drop from the current 7 days to just 3 days.
“At Cainiao, we continue to invest in our network to support Alibaba merchants operating over 100,000 online shops,” said William Xiong, Cainiao’s Chief Strategist and General Manager of
Export Logistics. “Our partnership with Atlas Air will help us establish an efficient, reliable network to South America and other worldwide destinations by significantly reducing airfreight
delivery time for the merchants we support.”
“We are excited to support Cainiao and Alibaba’s fast-growing e-commerce business and its global expansion in South America, and we look forward to developing our partnership further,”
said President and Chief Executive Officer John Dietrich, Atlas Air Worldwide. “The global scale of our operating networks will enable Cainiao to continue to enhance its logistics
capabilities and meet its objectives to offer customers faster deliveries globally.”
Cainiao’s primary focus is on facilitating international trade by improving overall supply chain efficiency and launching direct routes to major regions across the globe. It expects to have
operated around 1,300 chartered flights by the end of this year.
DSV takes freight on the long road from China to Europe
With air cargo capacity shortages an ongoing problem thanks to the pandemic, DSV has gone for a road alternative in its product portfolio and introduced “DSV Silkway Express” as a fast
China-Europe connection. Reliability at a comparatively much lower rate than air freight, the road product manages door-to-door transit times of 14-18 days for all kinds of cargo (including
dangerous goods), and is very flexible in its service since DSV collects the cargo from the shipper once it is ready as opposed to customers having to deliver to a location by a certain cut-off
time. “Goods can be moved seven days a week with multiple pickup and delivery locations possible. And customers can reroute goods during the journey” says the press release, and goes on
to detail security measures: “DSV works solely with trusted partners to ensure that goods arrive at their destination safely, and all trucks are sealed and equipped with GPS tracking in order
for customers to follow their events on myDSV. The security fee is included in the transport cost and covers rest stops at secure gated parking lots.”
Brigitte Gledhill
We always welcome your comments to our articles. However, we can only publish them when the sender name is authentic.
Write a comment
Rayhan ahmed (Monday, 19 October 2020 13:44)
Dear all ... you might not be willing
To print my opinions from last night
But honestly this is the
Reality of such a operation and due
To EASA bulletin on the fire Hazards
From operating such aircraft .
As I have said it is not a easy ride for
Ramp agent it sounds good the
Word preighter but in reality
It is donkey work .
Heiner Siegmund (Tuesday, 20 October 2020 11:33)
Dear Rayhan
We intend to include the experience described by you in a larger article about the workload ground handlers are exposed to. Therefore, we have not activated your comment.
Best regards, H