SHORT SHOTS

AFKLMP and Bolloré Logistics go even greener

The two companies signed an agreement on 04JUL22, declaring their intention to continue and further develop their sustainability partnership. They have been working together in this regard since JAN21, when Bolloré joined AFKLMP Cargo’s SAF program, with freighter flights between Paris Charles de Gaulle and New York John F. Kennedy airports. That has now been extended to include all routes operated by Air France KLM Martinair Cargo in all geographical areas. For Bolloré, this will enable a reduction of its scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions by at least 75% over the year. That translates into a minimum of 4,400 tons of CO2 and ties in with both Bolloré’s AIRsaf offer and its “Powering Sustainable Logistics” CSR program which aims to cut its transport-generated scope 3 CO2 emissions by 30% by 2030 (compared to 2019). Likewise, Air France-KLM is committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050, alongside renewing the Group’s airline fleet with next generation aircraft that emit 20-25% less CO2, and carbon neutral ground operations by 2030.

Claude Picciotto, Head of Airfreight Procurement at Bolloré Logistics, declared: “Today's challenges mean that our customers have very specific expectations regarding the management of their supply chain, and are now opting for eco-responsible solutions in line with their commitments. We were among the first to make this shift with our partner, Air France KLM Martinair Cargo, and we will continue developing our offer to achieve our scope 3 CO2 reduction targets.”

Christophe Boucher, EVP Air France Cargo, commented: “We at Air France KLM Martinair Cargo are thrilled to be teaming up with our long-standing partner Bolloré Logistics to pursue the development of a more sustainable airfreight logistics chain. Together we pioneered the use of sustainable aviation fuel, a key milestone, but it will be even more important to persevere and speed up our efforts to meet our sustainability targets.”

Get Tech-wise this summer with CargoAi

CargoAi is inviting interested air cargo industry representatives to its 3-day online Tech Summer event, from 23-25AUG22. Three hours spread over three days with three focus topics and discussions with CargoAi executives as well as industry experts. It is the second time that CargoAi is hosting a free information and education event. The first Tech Summer took place around the same time last year. The goal of the event is to “establish a community with airlines and forwarders and to bridge any gaps in technological understanding within the industry.”

The planning team has taken participant feedback from the successful first event and incorporated a few changes this year – the online sessions have been extended to 60 minutes each, and a greater mix of speakers is available. Also, Day 3 will include an onsite premiere which the company says will be “largest face-to-face air cargo event in Singapore in 2022,” to which it invites global and top regional airline and forwarding managers for an exclusive evening networking program.

“We look forward to welcoming a good cross-section of the air cargo industry again this year, as well as some excellent guest speakers this time around, since we were very CargoAi-centric last year,” Matthieu Petot, CEO of CargoAi, said. “The overarching theme that we have chosen for this year's event, is 'How to digitize your company in a sustainable manner.' We will be breaking this down into a digestible format, and tackling it from a different perspective (Tech, Product, and Sales & Marketing) each day, sharing best practices and demonstrating how technology can help an organization generate and improve business at a sustainable speed.”

Starting at 10:00 UTC/12:00 CET/18:00 SGT, Day 1 features Francois-Xavier Gsell, CargoAi's Chief Technology Officer, for session on Tech and digital business transformation. Day 2 looks at Product and is hosted by Elena Volkova, CargoAi's Chief Product Officer, while Day 3’s title is “What secret sales and marketing weapons do you need for a digital future?” and will be presented by Magali Beauregard, CargoAi's Chief Commercial Officer.

Pelicargo is about to simplify air freight shopping

By the looks of things, freight forwarders in the U.S. will soon have access to another digital platform. Pelicargo, the brainchild of three MIT fellows: operations executive, Jon Acquaviva, logistics expert, Shinji Angata, and technology expert, Edward Wang, was founded in 2021. It originally planned to launch in the fall of 2021, but now looks to go ahead in the third quarter of this year. Its website claims “Pelicargo is about to simplify air freight shopping” (interesting choice of vocabulary, I find – since though forwarders may shop around for the best rates, I rarely hear them refer to it as shopping.) The platform promises to “make air cargo fast, easy, and affordable for freight forwarders by automatically matching cargo with the best possible flight option. We remove the stress from air cargo bookings by allowing them to instantly search and reserve space while also doing the hard work to ensure they ship with the best possible rate.”

Its target customers are the “long-tail of over 100,000 small/mid-sized freight forwarders” who, according to Jon Acquaviva, have to vie for the “leftover” space once the large forwarders have secured their capacity. The goal, therefore, is to enable them “to secure the best possible air cargo rates by democratizing digitalization and promoting price transparency, all while improving the carrying efficiency of resource intensive airplanes.” The latter being a reference to the amount of capacity that goes unused because of the inefficiency of current booking methods. Though Pelicargo “aims to disrupt air cargo with a marketplace that allows any freight forwarder to instantly book space with airlines,” its website does point out that “Pelicargo actively confirms all spot rates, so quoting is not instantaneous, however, we work directly with airlines to ensure you receive quotes as fast as possible.” It is available to IATA-certified, U.S.-based forwarders, who can make general cargo bookings.

Pelicargo is aiming to be a unicorn in three years’ time.

Over in Uruguay, a digital airfreight blockchain premier is underway

While much of the air cargo world is gearing up to digital and finally increasing their scope, Montevideo International Airport (MVD) and Latin America Cargo City have forayed into the realm of Blockchain. They have carried out the first 100% digital air freight shipment via Blockchain, and the first such endeavor between Europe and Latin America. It flew from Madrid and Montevideo at the end of May, on board of an Air Europa flight, and was carried out under the supervision of IATA, the Madrid Chamber of Commerce, and Foro MADCargo. Blockchain’s technology made it possible for the shipment to be processes successfully, without the need to print a single sheet of paper. In other words: saving time and avoiding mistakes during the process. Blockchain technology also enables the transparent and secure centralization and synchronization of information, ensuring the real-time shipment traceability.

“Applying Blockchain to the supply chain is a new breakthrough in the field of logistics. A dozen participants contributed to the success of the pilot experience by digitally processing the documentation, something usually done in paper format, allowing for a safe, efficient, and successful operation,” the release states, going on to list Adolfo-Suarez-Madrid-Barajas Airport; Carrasco International Airport (Montevideo); the shipping freight forwarder, DB Schenker; the airline Air Europa Cargo; Customs Origin; AEAT; cargo handling, WFS Madrid; cargo handling, LACC (Montevideo) and the Spanish start-up Usyncro as the experiment’s participants.

The shipment is processed through Usyncro which reveals real-time access to a fully secure operational status, where ONE Record identifies data that can be accessed by each stakeholder.

For Air Europa, too, it is another futuristic USP. Just this April, the airline became the first worldwide to see NFT format tickets – also using the reliability and security of the blockchain system.

Jordi Piqué, director of Air Europa Cargo, said: “We are pleased to have been part of this pilot, which represents the first step to revolutionize air cargo operations between Europe and Latin America. We are convinced of the need to digitize processes to become more efficient, increase data protection and contribute to greater sustainability in our industry. Blockchain is the perfect technology for this.”

cargo.one goes big in Japan

“We are excited to launch our digital booking channel in our home market with cargo.one, and continue improving the experience of our valued customers through Digital Transformation. Our partnership is a clear example of how DX can improve processes in air cargo, and accelerating it is ANA Cargo’s top priority in the short and the mid-long term. Leveraging the experience gained from Europe and North America, our team has received the first cargo.one bookings from Japanese forwarders, for which the process has been efficient and seamless. As partners, we share high expectations for end-to-end customer service and, as a leading airline group in the country, we are happy that our Japanese customers now have one more option to book,” said Ken Wayaka, EVP Global Cargo Marketing & Sales at ANA Cargo, commenting on the significant move after 2 years of cargo.one experience.

For the first time now, Japanese freight forwarders can use cargo.one to search and book in real-time on their home carrier, and other airlines offering their space on the digital platform. In total: more than 300 destinations can be accessed via ANA Cargo, Lufthansa Cargo, Finnair Cargo, and others to come soon. And best of all: they can do this in their own language, as cargo.one is available in Japanese.

Moritz Claussen, Founder & Co-CEO of cargo.one, stated: “Together with many of the most important air cargo airlines, we now offer every Japanese freight forwarder the chance to modernize operations with easy and efficient bookings online. Japanese customers can expect cargo.one to help them rapidly raise performance, strengthen competitiveness and enhance their digital customer experiences.” cargo.one has steadily been building up its Asia Pacific presence, both with signing on the region’s top cargo airlines: ANA Cargo, Singapore Airlines Cargo, MASKargo, and Nippon Cargo Airlines, and with opening a local office in Tokyo office, headed by Country Manager, Japan, Yoichi Mizuno – and experienced cargo expert.

If freight can’t fly, at least it can park

Ok – that is a pretty cynical and cruel headline... but take it tongue-in-cheek – I'm not being serious. Better days will come, and better days are now here for truck drivers looking to park over at CargoCity South. After 20 months of planning and construction, 70 additional truck spaces have been made available by Fraport AG in a new parking lot, in an effort to ease traffic congestion: all on a dedicated area measuring 14,500 m², and almost doubling the original offer as the total now stands at 150 parking spaces. In addition to being able to park their truck, drivers also have access to free WiFi and “state-of-the-art sanitary facilities, including shower rooms”.

Max Philipp Conrady, SVP Cargo Development at Fraport AG, commented: “Worldwide air cargo shipments only work when the goods can be punctually transported and delivered via land routes. This new truck parking lot is an important element in offering better conditions for those providing these essential delivery shipments. Our goal is to further develop the CargoCities at Frankfurt Airport in a sustainable manner, while best meeting the needs of our partners. In addition to the new parking lot, we will continue to focus on expanding our digital network in the cargo community. [The airport is working on establishing 5G In 2023] The aim is to further simplify the complex processes involved in air cargo transportation and to relieve the traffic situation in the busy cargo areas. The Click-2-Drive system is an important part of our digital strategy,” he adds, referring to the automatic license plate detection system whereby registered drivers’ number plates are recognized by a camera system which then automatically opens the parking arm. “The facility is equipped with three parking arms for entering and exiting the lot. Costs for parking are charged per day or per hour,” the release informs.

Operated by Fraport AG’s Parking Operations Management, and located directly behind Gate 32 at CargoCity South, the new area means that drivers will be able to get the rest they need by law. Gerald Krebs, Head of Parking and Mobility at Fraport AG, stated: “Especially in light of the current truck driver shortage and the highly trafficked rest stops along the German Autobahn, these 70 additional spots offer an attractive option for driver changes and breaks at the Frankfurt Airport transportation hub.” 

Brigitte Gledhill

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