TIACA has again opened the floor to Sustainability initiatives
There are very few award programs that we actively encourage over here at CargoForwarder Global, and TIACA’s Air Cargo Sustainability Awards is definitely in the Top Three. Why? Because of its
transparent and fair process, tangible content, and the fact that it offers a platform for those with excellent ideas for a better air cargo industry. So, we are delighted to see that TIACA has
now announced that it is accepting applications for its 5th Air Cargo Sustainability Awards run. As usual, there are two categories: the Corporate Prize that “recognizes an established
corporation, an international organization or a scholar with a long-standing presence in the cargo community,” and the Start-Up and Small Business Prize which is awarded to young or small
businesses that are setting out in air cargo. The latter have the chance to either win a first prize of USD 10,000, or one of two runners-up prizes of USD 2,500 each. The money is intended to
assist these finalists in getting their business up and running. Industry IT solutions provider, CHAMP Cargosystems, is again funding the awards and the ceremony which will take place at the
Executive Summit, 06-09NOV23 in Brussels, Belgium.
Between now and 15SEP23, candidates can send in their projects and solutions for a more sustainable air cargo industry. These may relate to any of the eight key objectives in TIACA's
Sustainability Roadmap: Environment; Decarbonization; Elimination of Waste; Protection of Biodiversity; Society; Supporting Local Economies and Communities; Improvement of Lives and Well-Being;
Culture and Leadership; Improvement of Efficiencies and Profitability; Attraction, Retention and Development of Employees; or Building and Nurturing Partnerships.
Chris McDermott, CEO of CHAMP Cargosystems, said: “We renew our call to everyone in air cargo for fresh ideas to maintain our momentum in creating a sustainable future for our industry. We
are delighted to be sponsoring these important sustainability awards once again and look forward to receiving many high caliber entries this year. In an age of digitalization and innovation, it
is exciting to be at the heart of such vital transformation within our industry. We look forward to this year's entries and the drive and passion that is showcased thanks to our continuing
partnership with TIACA.”
Steven Polmans, Chairman, TIACA, commented: “The past few years have shown us just how innovative our industry is when we put our minds to it. I am excited to see all the initiatives that the
industry is working on to make air cargo sustainable. Once again, we very much appreciate the support from our Sustainability Awards Sponsor, CHAMP Cargosystems.”
It’s encore for Cargo iQ’s ENCORE
ENCORE is Cargo iQ’s offset management system, which feeds into Cargo iQ’s Data Management Platform (CDMP), providing data from which a shipment’s route map is created and then monitored.
Previously, ENCORE’s information was visible to participating airlines and forwarders. The air cargo quality standards group has now updated the system with a significant change that should in
future bring down SLA failures, further increasing quality and adherence to delivery targets. ENCORE can now be accessed by ground handling agents (GHA). GHAs see shipment-level timeline
information which will assist them in adapting their actions to best meet the service level agreements (SLA) they have in place with their airline customers. “The new access will bring ground
handlers visibility over specific time commitments for shipments in their care – crucial data for planning activities, reaching milestones, and meeting service commitments. In practice, this
means, for example, that when an airline agrees that a forwarder can collect a shipment within a specified timeframe after landing, this data is input into the ENCORE system and is used by the
Cargo iQ Data Management Platform (CDMP) to create the route map for the shipment's journey, which can then be monitored,” the release explains. All GHAs involved – at origin, transit, or
destination – have access to the information relevant to them. Thus, with a single offset reference base, it is both easier to meet targets as well as clarify discrepancies.
Chris Davies, Technology and Product Manager, Cargo iQ, commented: “With this latest upgrade to ENCORE, all parties involved in the movement of a shipment will now have visibility on the
planning that goes into creating a route map, which is essential for meeting on-time-performance expectations and driving quality in the supply chain. This visibility not only means that
shipments are more likely to arrive on time, but it also helps to protect the integrity of time-critical shipments and protect stakeholders from incurring unfair penalties when offsets are
missed.”
Hermes helps put the force into Groundforce Portugal
Groundforce Portugal, which counts a number of major airlines serving Portugal amongst its customers, namely TAP, SATA, Air France, KLM, Royal Air Maroc, Azul, Delta, United Airlines, and Beijing
Capital Airlines, last year handled over 165,000 tons, almost a fifth more in volume than in 2019. Increasing cargo amounts generate the need for more efficient processes. Already an established
Hermes Logistics Technologies (HLT) customer since over 15 years, Groundforce Portugal has now opted for its latest cloud-based Hermes 5 cargo management system, Hermes Software as a Service
(SaaS), and Groundforce Portugal's three largest stations at the airports in Lisbon, Porto, and Funchal will soon be upgraded. Faro station is expected to follow in the near future. “The
migration of the cargo management system from a server to the cloud will bring increased security for Groundforce Portugal, which will also benefit from HLT's full NG ecosystem, a collection of
applications including NG Business Intelligence and Datalakes, Track and Trace, and NG Landside Management,” says the release, citing improvements to security, and the speed, volume, and
accuracy of cargo processing. Some of the new features that Groundforce can look forward to, are an import flight monitor giving an in-depth overview of the status of each import flight, and a
one-button manual NOTOC, which can be prepared before a shipment has been loaded.
Yuval Baruch, Chief Executive Officer, HLT, said: “Hermes SaaS is our best software solution to date, representing the optimal way to host a cargo management system, allowing Groundforce
Portugal to focus on their core business whilst benefiting from better system performance at a lower cost. The system upgrade pays close attention to improving Groundforce Portugal's messaging,
with the solution customized to meet specific local requirements to increase the speed, volume and accuracy of the data that is processed.”
Paulo Colla Carvalheiro, Planning, Processes, and Innovation Director, Groundforce Portugal, illustrated: “Our long-standing use of Hermes' software has proven to be stable, problem free, and
a perfect match for our digital and operational needs, so upgrading to Hermes SaaS was a natural next step for us. [It] will help push forward our digitalization strategy, and we will gain
additional functionality, reliability, and the promise of scalability for our full operations network.”
Over 400 more widebody flights/month this summer
“Our summer schedule is here! With 160 international widebody flights per day at the peak, and 400 more widebody flights per month than last summer, we are excited to offer more capacity on
key cargo routes this year,” American Airlines Cargo announced on LinkedIn last week. Good news for cargo as the airline ramps up for its expected peak season. Already from spring onwards,
it is starting to introduce new routes and frequencies between the U.S. and Europe, Latin America, and Asia Pacific. New Boeing 777-200 widebody aircraft services out of Europe, include Paris
Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) and returning service from Frankfurt Airport (FRA) to Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT), plus London Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Seattle Tacoma
International Airport (SEA). In fact, it is London-Heathrow that is the winner when it comes to service increases; 26 daily flights will connect the UK’s capital directly to key U.S.
destinations.
Latin America and Asia Pacific can also look forward to more services. New destinations here, are: Santiago International Airport (SCL) and Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND) from Dallas Fort Wirth
(DFW), and Los Angeles to HND and Sydney Airport (SYD).
Roger Samways, Vice President Commercial for American Airlines Cargo, stated: “We’re delighted to offer significantly more capacity this summer with increased service on key routes. This not
only allows us to say ‘yes’ more frequently to our customers, but also enables us to provide increased connection opportunities to flow freight across our global network. From both a passenger
and cargo perspective, this expansive schedule will help us serve our customers even more effectively this summer.”
Nigeria now has a 13th licensed airline: Rano Air
Owned by Alhaji Auwalu Abdullahi Rano, a Nigerian oil billionaire and the executive chairman and CEO of holding company A.A. Rano Group, Rano Air Limited was founded in 2019. It now finally
received its AOC on 13APR23 from the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), after having initially applied for permission to operate scheduled and non-scheduled passenger and cargo services
within and outside of Nigeria in mid-2020, and then re-applying for the air transport license in FEB21.
The airline announced the milestone on 14APR23, on its newly created LinkedIn page, with the words: “All is now set to commence full commercial operations as Rano Air Limited acquires Air
Operators Certificate (AOC) from Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCCA). The new Airline company is therefore mandated to provide the following services.
- Scheduled Passenger
- Cargo
- Charter flight [sic] operations.
The general public is hereby informed,” reads its announcement.
However, its website is still missing substantial amount of information, in particular with regard to cargo, which only figures as a non-linked “Dangerous Goods Regulation” tab at the bottom,
despite being listed as a service in the LinkedIn notification above. However, the airline will deploy a fleet of 5 Embraer ERJ145 and is looking to soon start domestic services to/from, Lagos,
Kano, Abuja, Kaduna, Sokoto, Gombe, Yola, Maiduguri and Asaba.
Houston, we have an airline!
This time, it is Silk Way West Airlines that has started flying Houston, U.S. The new, weekly flights with set off from Baku Airport to Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) - one
of the busiest airports in the United States. The latest offer joins the airline’s regular Chicago and Dallas flights within a growing network portfolio for the Americas. It is a year of
expansion for Silk Way West: in January, it signed an air cargo Memorandum of Understanding with Japan’s Nippon Express (CFG reported: https://www.cargoforwarder.eu/2023/01/22/short-shots/),
and a month later, it added Dammam (Saudi Arabia), and Tashkent (Uzbekistan) to its network. (CFG reported: https://www.cargoforwarder.eu/2023/02/26/short-shots/)
Fadi Nahas, Vice President Commercial of Silk Way West Airlines, declared: “We are thrilled to launch our new weekly flights to Houston, one of the most important cargo gateways in the United
States, which will provide additional capacity and faster transit times for our customers. Our growing presence in the Americas demonstrates our commitment to providing reliable and efficient
cargo solutions for our customers in this region. This new route will also enhance our ability to connect customers to key markets in Central Asia and the Middle East.”
The FAA has now certified DokaSch’s Opticooler® RKN
Its larger relative, the Opticooler® RAP, was FAA-certified back in 2019, CFG reported: https://www.cargoforwarder.eu/2019/10/06/faa-gives-green-light-for-opticooler/ . Now, the Opticooler®
RKN has also been accorded certification from the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States (FAA), meaning that U.S. airlines can now have both DoKaSch-TS Opticooler® containers
technically certified and validated. Non-U.S. airlines have already been using DoKaSch Temperature Solutions’ active temperature-controlled solutions on U.S. routes. With the certification, all
airlines have the same flexible choice of container sizes, consequently pharmaceutical shippers have access to the same containers on both U.S. and non-U.S. airlines. The Opticooler® RAP offers
space for four CP 1 pallets (or five Euro pallets), while the recently approved Opticooler® RKN holds one CP 1 pallet (or any standard U.S. pallet, up to max. 48 inches x 48 inches).
“Redundant systems for electrification and full air-conditioning enable precise heating and cooling without dry ice. Thus, these containers transport valuable and sensitive pharmaceuticals
while avoiding temperature deviations at an extremely high level and with high independence of outside conditions,” the release states. The containers run on high performance batteries which
can easily be recharged – they just need access to a power socket.
Andreas Seitz, Managing Director of DoKaSch Temperature Solutions, explained: “The USA is one of our most important markets, which we already serve for many years with our Opticooler® RAP and
RKN by an array of airlines. The FAA’s approval of the Opticooler® RKN has been well received by the U.S. pharma industry, as it can now also choose U.S.-based airlines to utilize the RAP and
RKN, depending upon its needs. This last gap in serving that market has been closed by DoKaSch-TS extending its entire Opticooler® fleet to all U.S.-based airlines, enabling them to now also
service their home market for international shipment. We are pleased to have both of our containers now fully approved by the relevant bodies, i.e., the FAA and EASA, providing pharmaceutical
shippers and forwarders a full fletched choice globally.”
Qatar Airways Cargo links Columbia to the U.S.
As a result of its Next Generation approach to its network planning, Qatar Airways Cargo has now set up a direct freighter link from Bogotá, Columbia, to Dallas Fort Worth in the U.S. The latter
airport has entered into partnership with Qatar Airways Cargo to offer this route. Now a Boeing 777 freighter takes off every Monday from Bogotá to Dallas Fort Worth, offering the market around
100 tons of cargo capacity each week. On board are likely to be perishables such as flowers, fruits, vegetables, or coffee, and live animals, machinery, and other general cargo.
The new, weekly freighter is the latest expansion to an Americas network that has been steadily growing ever since the first Boeing 777 freighter took off from Doha to Chicago in AUG10. Qatar
Airways Cargo now includes a number of countries on the American continent, counting 14 freighter destinations and 14 belly-hold cargo destinations. In total, more than 5,300 metric tons of
weekly cargo capacity are on offer each way, to and from the Americas.
Guillaume Halleux, Chief Officer Cargo at Qatar Airways said: “The Americas is highly important for us and we have a strong presence in the region. Through this enhancement on the route, we
are pleased to grow our existing partnership with Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. Our customers in DFW now benefit from a direct freighter service to uplift perishables and other cargo
directly from Colombia.”
John Ackerman, EVP of Global Strategy and Development at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport added: “Qatar's service direct from Bogota to DFW reduces transit times for high-quality
perishable goods by two to three days, extending shelf life for retailers and providing fresher products for consumers. This route adds a vital link to South American markets, enhances our global
air cargo network and strengthens our ability to flow goods between Latin America and Asia.”
IATA WCS 2023 – Special loads require special attention
Alongside Digitalization and Sustainability, it is Safety & Security that is the third focus stream taking place on Wednesday, 26APR23, at the World Cargo Symposium in Istanbul, Türkiye.
“It will explore the air cargo security outlook in the coming years. How change control management, new security programs and fire-resistant container materials can help mitigate the hazards
from lithium battery shipments,” IATA’s release outlines. “Special loads present a unique flight safety risk as they require appropriate procedures to ensure aircraft weight and balance
are respected. The ULD & Operations spotlight session will demonstrate how technology can mitigate the associated safety risks. The New Tech & Innovation spotlight will reveal how
artificial intelligence and machine learning can help stakeholders make smarter, data-driven decisions to improve cargo safety and security. Industry experts will share insights on the latest
technologies and strategies that can help the air cargo supply chain stay ahead of the curve.” The exact details as to who is speaking and which panel discussions are planned, can be found
here: https://www.iata.org/en/events/all/wcs/#tab-2
There is still time to register for the event that kicks off in 10 days’ from now, 25-27APR23, at the Hotel Bomonti, Istanbul, Türkiye:
https://web.cvent.com/event/498a1a70-7ac5-4481-8c4b-1e049cebaffa/summary
CargoForwarder Global looks forward to seeing you there, too.
Brigitte Gledhill
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