SHORT SHOTS

National Air Cargo is now CEIV Lithium Battery certified
IATA's CEIV Lithium Batteries certification is gaining traction. The latest company to be awarded the certification following rigorous auditing, is 1991-founded global end-to-end logistics solutions and freight forwarding provider, National Air Cargo Holdings, Inc. The certificate was handed over at the air cargo Europe in Munich recently, where Zheni Chaneva, Project Manager Lithium Batteries Certification, IATA, presented it to Chris Alf, Chairman of National Air Cargo Holdings, Inc. at the company's exhibition booth. This is now the second CEIV it has received, since its airline division, National Airlines, (a U.S. FAA-certificated Part 121 air carrier, with a fleet of eight B747-400 freighters and passenger fleet A330-200 and B757-200 which provides global cargo and passenger solutions), was awarded CEIV Pharma certification in 2021. “Achieving this [CEIV Lithium Batteries] certification is a significant milestone for National and underscores their commitment to safety and quality in all aspects of operations. Henceforth, National's customers worldwide can be assured that the best industry practices are followed, and the highest standards are met, for the safe transportation of lithium batteries,” the press release states. National has transported all kinds of dangerous goods on behalf of government departments, armed forces, as well as commercial business partners.
Brendan Sullivan, IATA's Global Head of Cargo, announced: “Handling and transporting dangerous goods needs special care. Achieving CEIV Lithium Batteries certification means NAC's customers can benefit from extra assurance that their cargo is in safe hands.”
Chris Alf, Chairman, National Air Cargo Holdings, Inc., said: “We are extremely grateful to receive the CEIV Lithium Batteries certification, which recognizes our commitment to ensuring the safe transport of specified dangerous goods. This recognition is also an enhanced safety assurance to our government and commercial customers availing our premium charter services for transporting classified dangerous goods including Lithium batteries.”

Transporting a large and heavy space satellite
“Due to the nature of the cargo. AN-124-100 is the only aircraft that can haul the size and weight (approximately 36,000 kg) of the space shipping container. In addition, the AN-124-100 does not require special ground support equipment to load and unload the cargo,” said Virginia Gonzalez (Lloyd), Maxar’s director of Global Logistics and Warehouse Management. Talk was of an IS-40e satellite produced by Maxar, which needed transporting from Moffet Federal Airfield, Mountain View, in California, USA to NASA’s Shuttle Landing Facility in Titusville, Florida, USA, where it was later forwarded to from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida and launched aboard SpaceX`s Falcon-9 rocket on 07APR23. The satellite will provide focused coverage over North America for commercial aviation, maritime, land mobility and networks customers, and its hosted payload, a NASA instrument called Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO), will observe air pollution across North America.
Regarding the transport: It was Antonov’s own ramp system that was used together with onboard winches, cranes and external cranes to maneuver the Maxar Intelsat 40e (IS-40e) satellite and its hosted payload in a container measuring 1280 cm in length, 488 cm in width, and 419 cm in height, into and out of the aircraft. In total, the shipment of 8 pieces, consisting of the container and associated parts and support equipment, came to a total weight of over 55,000 kg.
Iryna Kyianytsia, Commercial Executive, Antonov Airlines, stated: “The satellite was assembled and tested at Maxar and then delivered to the Cape Canaveral launch site. Customers needed sufficient processing lead time for the scheduled launch by a Falcon 9 rocket. Thus, surface transportation was not a viable option to meet the launch schedule. Therefore, air transportation by AN-124-100M was the best option to deliver this high-value satellite on time. We thank our customer for their trust to ANTONOV Airlines to perform this important mission. Antonov`s team is ready for further operations around the world and guarantee smooth transportation for valued cargoes.”

The second Sustainable Flight Challenge
Every little bit helps – and awareness even more so. Held for the first time last year (CFG reported), Air France KLM’s second Sustainable Flight Challenge is currently underway, strongly supported by its Air France KLM Martinair Cargo division, too. The framework are two SkyTeam flights: a KLM Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner that flew from Amsterdam to Los Angeles on 17MAY23, and an Air France Airbus A350-900, that will travel from Paris to Atlanta on 23MAY23 – both efficient and sustainable aircraft versions. On the cargo front, efforts are being made to ensure a reduction on environmental impact, resulting in five main focus points for the second edition of the Sustainable Flight Challenge. The first - “1% for the Planet” - is based on the Patagonia initiative of the same name: 1% of the cargo turnover from all LAX flights during the week of the Sustainable Flight Challenge will be allocated to the Gold Standard Foundation. The second looks at optimizing cargo loads – the right center of gravity, through careful weight and balance planning, enables savings on fuel consumption.
Third up, is a focus on green trucking using Hydro-treated Vegetable Oil (HVO). On 15-16MAY23, AFKLMP Cargo invested in HVO in partnership with a number of trucking companies, on European routes during that time. The fourth initiative focuses on sustainable cargo operations. This includes paperless handling (E-AWB), electric transport in the warehouse and to the aircraft, reducing the weight of operation support materials by using lightweight nets, cardboard board cases, cardboard beams, lightweight unit load devices (ULD), and re-usable covers for cargo pallets. The final measure is a test pilot of eco paperboard pallets as an alternative to wooden pallets. Made from 94% recycled paper, the cardboard pallets can generate weight savings of 5 to 8 kilograms per pallet.
Adriaan den Heijer, EVP Air France-KLM Cargo and Managing Director Martinair, enthused: “It’s fantastic and truly inspiring to witness how our passionate colleagues and partners have gone the extra mile in a short period of time to raise awareness and drive sustainability initiatives forward. The air freight industry is a complex ecosystem involving many stakeholders. By uniting, we can catalyze, accelerate, and transform the industry. Through the Sustainable Flight Challenge, we channel all of this positive energy towards a single shared goal: creating a more sustainable air freight industry.”

cargo.one’s “gorilla” move
cargo.one is known for disrupting the booking process and taking it digital. However, it would appear its sales techniques are pretty disruptive, too. This latest example throws up a question-mark as to whether Virgin Atlantic Cargo voluntarily chose to partner with cargo.one, or it finally gave in to the digital platform’s ransom demands in order to be reunited with its golden gorilla mascot once more… This is certainly an air cargo first, and one that has paid off for cargo.one. The 2019 air cargo Europe saw a cargo.one team member “borrow” the airline’s prized golden gorilla from the Virgin stand – a full confession and the return were caught on camera: https://youtu.be/AL0wBmxFtPA. The airline is now happily back together with its Mascot. On top of that, its flights are published on cargo.one, where 15,000 freight forwarders across 75+ countries will have the opportunity to book 24/7 into available capacities in real-time against live rates. 400 Virgin destinations across the United States, India, China, Nigeria, South Africa, Israel, and the Caribbean, are on offer. customer base and booking channels with forwarders globally to improve digital access to its services.
Phil Wardlaw, Managing Director at Virgin Atlantic Cargo, said, “We are delighted to have partnered with cargo.one. As customer requirements and digital experiences evolve, we anticipate that by 2025, a significant proportion of bookings will be completed online. This meant it was important for us to partner with the leading marketplace that continues to expand the choice for our customers, so they can book cargo their way. We always strive to create brilliantly different experiences for our customers, which is why we're pleased that cargo.one shares our commitment to exceeding customer expectations, making air cargo easier for everyone, and ensuring that every touchpoint is not only optimal but also meaningful. Above all else, every digital booking with Virgin Atlantic Cargo comes with expert support and a human touch at every step. We're also relieved to be rightfully reunited with our treasured mascot — that cargo.one brazenly bagged years ago, in full view of the cameras.”
Moritz Claussen, Founder & Co-CEO of cargo.one, commented: “Both Virgin Atlantic Cargo and cargo.one share a passion and uncompromising dedication to customer experience and have won freight forwarders' love and loyalty as a result. We will work together to build digital journeys that fully capitalize on Virgin's attractive offers while guaranteeing customers experience the care and expert support they value for their shipments. It is the very best of circumstances in which to return the Virgin team's prized primate.”

Etihad Cargo and Rotate focus on boosting customer service
Etihad Cargo is premiering a Sales Cockpit co-developed with Dutch digital data expert, Rotate, in an effort to equip its sales teams with enhanced and customizable commercial data so as to boost customer service. The Sales Cockpit will auto-generate targeted sales initiatives - forecasted trends based on historical buying data. “Machine learning will enable Sales Cockpit's algorithms to adapt and adjust based on user feedback, enabling future recommendations to be more targeted to Etihad Cargo's customers' needs,” the release reveals. The partnership with Rotate is part of Etihad Cargo’s digitalization strategy focused on optimizing its customer experience. “Etihad Cargo's customers will benefit from the carrier's representatives gaining a more in-depth understanding of their products, routes and requirements.” Collaborating on the development of Sales Cockpit, the two companies are planning to launch it in within six months and, following testing and launch, will then make the Sales Cockpit available for purchase to other cargo carriers. The Sales Cockpit provides commercial teams with updated data analysis and real-time information on the carrier's business on particular routes, with individual customers and by product, enabling customized solutions, as well as benchmarking performance against other regions.
Martin Drew, Senior Vice President – Global Sales & Cargo, said: “Digitalization is already revolutionizing the air cargo sector. Etihad Cargo will use Sales Cockpit to further improve customer service and strengthen partnerships, enabling more meaningful interactions with customers and a more tailored approach to meeting customer requirements. Sales Cockpit will effectively put all the information Etihad Cargo's sales representatives would need to develop stronger customer partnerships in the palms of their hands, providing actionable, algorithm-generated suggestions and initiatives based on customer-focused data. This depth of understanding into the carrier's customers is critical to achieving Etihad Cargo's vision of being the air cargo partner of choice.”
Ryan Keyrouse, Managing Director at Rotate, said: “Partnering with Etihad Cargo to build the Sales Cockpit will give us unique access to an innovative team to validate the solution and maximize adoption. We are working as one team to unlock the full potential of digitalization and enable Etihad's sales teams to have more engaging discussions with their customers.”

Nallian’s positive cloud cover over at ATH
Athens International Airport has opted to adopt Nallian’s Cargo Cloud to bring efficiency into its truck and cargo operations. In a first phase from JUL23 onwards, Nallian’s Truck Visit Management will coordinate cargo deliveries and pick-ups between cargo handlers, freight forwarders and trucking companies, at the airport, over a project period of 12 months. “The solution consists of a digital front desk and slot booking system which enables cargo stakeholders to make landside dock capacity available for slot booking and maximize usage while facilitating resource planning and eliminating wait times at the gates,” according to the release. The airport has embarked on the Nallian approach in its efforts to participate in STARGATE (SusTainable AiRports, the Green heArT of Europe). This is an EU project focused on the development of innovative solutions to create the green airports and aviation of the future. In using Nallian’s Cargo Cloud, Athens International Airport (AIA) will be able to maximize capacities across its cargo area, and facilitate growth.
Alexios Sioris, Ground Handling and Cargo Development Manager AIA, explained: “Predictable and efficient processes involving digital solutions empower our cargo community with effective tools towards a sustainable operation. The Truck Visit Management solution is expected to eliminate congestion and wait times at our cargo terminals and improve effectiveness, by complementing the existing systems of the air cargo stakeholders.”
Jean Verheyen, CEO Nallian, added: “Our Cargo Cloud, which is used by airports big and small in Europe, Asia and the U.S., allows a step-by-step digitalization approach. We are proud to support Athens International Airport on their digital journey, starting with the optimization of their landside management process in the context of the STARGATE initiative.”

OST and ANR will be powered by green electricity
Poised to become Belgium’s second largest solar panel park later this year, Ostend-Bruges Airport will be kitted out with 66,200 solar panels by the energy company, EnergyVision. With a total capacity of over 40MWp, the airport will provide its own 100% green energy, as well as energy for Antwerp Airport, along with that of nearly 10,000 Ostend families. “EnergyVision, which is responsible for installation, maintenance and financing, is investing 35 million euros in the installation of the solar panel park,” the release reveals. Ostend Airport’s annual solar production will be around 37,000 MWh, which will initially be used to power the airport itself, with overspill being channeled to Antwerp Airport and the surrounding region. The region will be able to save 9,600 tons of CO2 per year. The solar panels will be installed in the fall, on three sites at the airport: two in the grass areas near the runway, and a third zone on aircraft parking Apron 2. Together, they will cover an area the size of 61 soccer fields or 303,864 m2. Not only will they provide energy, but also shade: passengers walking from the gates to the aircraft, will be sheltered by a solar panel covered walkway. In a second phase, EnergyVision and Ostend-Bruges Airport plan to add energy storage capabilities, and – at some point – the possibility of laying kinetic tiles which would generate electricity through the steps of passengers walking up them.
Eric Dumas, CEO of Ostend-Bruges Airport, commented: “In addition to greening our own power consumption, the remaining energy we get from the solar panels will be able to be used by nearly 10,000 families in the area. For us it is important that our neighbors can also benefit from this. The introduction of solar energy at the airport is an important step to further reduce the airport's carbon footprint. We are actively participating in the Airport Carbon Accreditation program, which aims to make airports worldwide carbon neutral by 2050. With this project, the airport is immediately taking a big step in the right direction.”

Brigitte Gledhill

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