DUBAI:Water is something you would least expect to be exported from a desert but one company in Dubai is doing just that—supplying water to 18 countries with prospects for more clients across the world.
Mai Dubai,the Dubai-based bottled drinking water company,had just signed a $21 million contract with Swisslog to create a new automated storage and distribution center expected to be completed in the summer of 2018, as demand for the brand grows,Jay Andres,Mai Dubai CEO, told Air Cargo Update.
Andres said consumer demand for Mai Dubai bottled water products had exceeded expectations such that new storage facilities for raw materials and finished products must be created.
“The business was launched based on a feasibility study and within a year, we ran out of capacity because consumers had topped our expectations. Business is good,” said Andres,the company’s first employee. Its workforce had since grown to 800 within just four years.
Mai Dubai currently produces approximately more than 24 million liters of bottled water every month using different filtration process like desalination, reverse osmosis, among others, as well as enriching the water with calcium and magnesium.
These bottled waters are then locally distributed by 200 trucks on roads across the UAE and GCC. The same are also shipped to Kenya,Pakistan,Somalia,Iraq,Jordan and soon to Asia, Japan in particular.
Up in the sky, Mai Dubai is also consumed among passengers of Emirates flights, among other airlines.
Andres said Swisslog was awarded the contract to build the multimillion storage facility because of its good reputation, ability to execute projects on time and good relations with customers.
“One of the things that we needed was a warehouse solution. Our big bottleneck now is our storage capacity. It’s a big expense to have outside storage. Building our own automated solution will save us in terms of labor capacity and costs and provide scalable solutions that we can grow on,” said Andres in an interview at Materials Handling Middle East Exhibition where Swisslog participated.
Each customer is unique
Alain Kaddoum, Swisslog Middle East general manager, said Mai Dubai’s project will go live in the summer of 2018.
The storage facility will have separate areas for raw materials and finished bottled water products for easy access and mobility.
Additionally,it will be connected to the main production line to speed up the process of transporting both materials and products.
“We are connecting it with the production area with a hanging monorail system,” said Kaddoum. “The main point is we are flexible in our designs in order to fulfill the needs of each customer. For us, each customer is unique.”
With automation taking over traditional production and manufacturing systems,Swisslog highlighted at the exhibition its ability to create storage solutions using intralogistics technologies.The company also unveiled its latest creation Auto PiQ,arobotics application for picking single items.
“Our mission at the Materials Handling Middle East Exhibition was to enlighten our visitors and potential clients about the concept of gradual growth. We believe in growth which is undertaken intelligently, flexibly, and if business so demands, rapidly. The Middle East region is known for its willingness to adapt new developments and solutions, hence our aim every year would be to raise a level above and showcase our achievements,” said Kaddoum.
TALLINN: Skype’s birthplace, the tiny former Soviet Union state in the Baltic, Estonia, shut off from the world for decades until the collapse of the communist era in 1991, once again became the envy of the world when it introduced this year its latest innovation—Starship—the high-tech delivery robot shaped in a shopping basket.
Developed by Starship Technologies, the revolutionary delivery robots began maneuvering their way around the sidewalks of Estonia’s capital Tallinn, early this year, delivering groceries, take outs, and whatever fits their weight limit and tiny body.
The invention, which will spare companies of paying labor costs for deliveries, is also slowly being introduced in Britain and other parts of Europe. Companies see them as extremely beneficial, especially during winter, when deliveries could be dangerous for humans. They also save time and manpower requirement.
Work on the robot began as early as 2014 but the six-wheeled “shopping baskets” were only unwrapped this year.
With just a population of 1.3 million, Estonia’s domestic market is so small but it has set its sight to the outside world with billions of potential consumers.
From being isolated, Estonia had made tremendous leaps in advancements in technology that it became the first country in the world to enable online voting. Its government has also fully embraced digitalization with kids as young as seven taught how to write computer codes in hopes of creating a smarter future.
DUBAI: The futuristic global city of Dubai is about to introduce another world’s firsts—Volocopter, the German-made self-flying drone taxi that can fit in two passengers per trip and Hyperloop One, a crossbreed of plane and train with super high speed.
H.H.Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, the tech-savvy Arab royalty with 5.7 million followers on Instagram who is also a licensed pilot, personally oversaw the successful September test launch of the Autonomous Air Taxi or AAT which will be introduced by Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority (RTA) in the run up to World Expo 2020, which Dubai is hosting.
Sheikh Hamdan described the project as another testament of the UAE government’s commitment to explore new opportunities that will bring about positive changes.
“Encouraging innovation and adopting the latest technologies contribute not only to the country’s development but also help build bridges to the future,” noted Sheikh Hamdan who also spearheaded the launch of Dubai font, the first font named after a city created in both Arabic and English, in collaboration with Microsoft.
Powered by clean electricity with low noise levels, the AAT is an environment-friendly vehicle. Its current prototype version has a maximum flight time of approximately 30 minutes at a cruise speed of 50km/h, and a maximum airspeed of 100km/h.
The AAT is about two meters high, and the diameter of the rotor rim, including propellers, is just over seven meters.
Bookings to this new high-tech transpo will be made available through a smart mobility app.
Meanwhile, Hyperloop, the world’s first high-speed train that could bend distance and time using new magnetic technology to transport people and cargo had successfully passed its first full scale real-world test run.
The UAE government tapped the US-based start-up company Hyperloop One to build the project. Described as a cross between a train & a plane traveling at 375 KPH, it would cut to just 12 minutes the current 2 hours travel time between Abu Dhabi and Dubai when completed in 2020.
This new mode of transport would carry passengers via pods or capsules passing through tubes elevated magnetically.The first commercial operation is projected to happen on or before Expo 2020.
DUBAI:Swiss log Middle East welcomes the appointment of its new general manager for Warehouse &Distribution Solutions, Alain Kaddoum, as well as three new members to help bring the robotic and data-driven intralogistics vision to life.
Kaddoum, who has been in the engineering industry for almost a decade, will directly drive and support the sales and business teams, developing strategies to support uptake of the company’s robot and data driven intralogistics automation solutions for forward-thinking customers in the UAE.
“Swisslog is a leading global company that is synonymous with creating effective innovative solutions. Our portfolio consists of various key technologies, such as robotics, ASRS, AGVs, shuttle systems, monorails, conveyor sand software to help businesses innovate and maximize their intralogistics potential,” said Daniel Hauser, Managing Director Region Central Europe & Middle East, Swisslog WDS.
“Customers who have worked with Alain have been very responsive to his collaborative approach. His passion and deep understanding of the local market makes him the right person to lead
Swisslog to the next stage of our growth. Since joining Swisslog, Alain Kaddoum has had the opportunity to work with some incredible customers and his nomination will expand our reach across the entire Middle East region.”
The three other new team members at Swisslog are: Senior Project Manager John Sassine, a mechanical engineer who will oversee the Mai Dubai project; System Designer Sri Aravindhan, also a mechanical engineer who holds both a Master’s in logistics, and; Yokesh Kumar Sundararaman, PLC & customer service engineer.
FRANKFURT:Alexander Kohnen has been appointed the new Managing Director Strategy & Sales at time: matters Holding GmbH,effective 15 November 2017.
The 40-year-old succeeds Franz-Joseph Miller, who left the company of his own accord on 1 July 2017.Kohnenhas held various management positions at Lufthansa Cargo since October 2000, most recently Senior Director Industry Development &Product Management and previously Director Nordic & Baltic Countries.
“We are delighted to have Alexander Kohnen on board. He knows the industry inside out and has everything it takes to further establish time:matters as the leading specialist for same day delivery and emergency logistics,” said Dr Alexis von Hoensbroech, Board Member Product & Sales at Lufthansa Cargo.
Lufthansa Cargo took complete ownership of the time:matters group, which specializes in global special speed and time critical international spare part logistics, in August 2016.
The cargo airline, which spun off time:matters as a subsidiary in 2002, had held a 49 percent share prior to that. Christian Mörtl,previously Head of Aircraft Handling at Lufthansa Cargo, was appointed
Managing Director Operations & Finance at time:matters Holding GmbH on 1 August 2016.
WILMINGTON: DuPont Protection Solutions is introducing a new courtesy recycling service for the range of DuPont Tyvek Cargo Covers as part of its commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship in the industry.
The program announced at the 2017 IQPC Global Forum in Chicago will ensure that all Tyvek customers have access to a satisfactory end-of-life solution.
“Shippers have told us they want a dedicated recycling service that is convenient to use and guarantees the product will be recycled in an environmentally responsible manner,” said Linnette Lopez, North America segment manager at DuPont Protection Solutions.
“Our Tyvek Cargo Covers external layer is made of a 100 percent high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and can be mechanically recycled and yet some of it ends up in a landfill often through simple oversight or lack of local processing facilities. The new recycling program is provided to our Tyvek customers at no charge and, depending on volumes,the spent covers can either be picked up from site or dropped off at a local processing center,” she added.
All Tyvek Cargo Covers are included in the program, including the fleece-lined Tyvek Xtreme W50, the silver-reflective Tyvek Solar W20 and the classic Tyvek Solar W10 product.
Reclaimed Tyvek material will be recycled into a high-grade polymeric feedstock for processing into brand-new, high-grade products such as low-maintenance decking boards, durable street furniture, sturdy playground equipment, long-life siding materials and lightweight, easy-to-clean, shipping pallets.
DUBAI: Emirates SkyCargo disclosed it handled more than 51,000 tons of pharma cargo globally in one year valued at over $11 billion as it marks the revalidation of its European Union Good Distribution Practices (EU GDP) certification for pharma operations at its hub in Dubai.
The annual surveillance audit for the revalidation conducted by Bureau Veritas,Germany showed the company handled that much volume since launching the specialized pharma cargo services known as Emirates Pharma.
Pharma volumes it transported between January and September 2017 grew by over 25% compared to the same period in 2016. Some of the main types of pharmaceuticals transported include vaccines, medication for diabetes and cancer, and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs).
The air cargo carrier originally received its EU GDP certification in 2016 for its operations across the Emirates SkyCentral cargo terminals at Dubai International Airport and Dubai World Central as well as the 24/7 bonded trucking service connecting the two hubs.
This made Emirates SkyCargo the operator of the world’s largest multi-airport GDP certified hub with over 8,600 sq metres of dedicated pharma facilities including the purpose built pharma terminal at Dubai International Airport inaugurated in September 2016.
The carrier’s original GDP certification in 2016 and the subsequen trevalidation this year confirm that Emirates SkyCargo has established and maintained its quality management system in line with the requirements of the GDP standard and also underline its commitment to continued high quality and consistency in the levels of service delivery for pharma transport.
The carrier’s comprehensive range of temperature controlled transport services for temperature sensitive pharmaceutical products offers customers three levels to choose from
-Emirates Pharma, Emirates Pharma Plus and Emirates Pharma Active.
These levels have been developed based on a requirement mix based on the temperature sensitivity of the product, the packing solution used and the origin/destination of the shipment.
In addition to a modern fleet of over 260 all widebody aircraft and state of the art cool chain facilities in Dubai, Emirates SkyCargo offers customers a wide range of protection solutions for temperature sensitive pharma.
These include a fleet of close to 50 cool dollies dedicated for pharma shipments as well as innovative Emirates White Cover Advanced and Emirates White Cover Xtreme thermal blankets developed in collaboration with DuPont.
In addition, Emirates SkyCargo also has a greement swith major global container rental service providers such as CSafe, DoKaSch, Envirotainer, SkyCell and va-Q-tec offering customers the broadest choice when transporting their shipments.
Emirates SkyCargo is the largest international cargo airline in the world operating a modern fleet of over 260 aircraft including 14 freighters- 13 Boeing 777-Fs and one B747-400ERF.
ASHBY-DE-LA-ZOUCH, UK: CEVA Logistics, one of the world’s largest supply chain management companies, is rolling up 120 new vehicles to its customers in the UK to enhance efficiency and provide better service to them.
The company through a three-year lease with Dawson rentals, truck & trailer in the UK will introduce a series of IVECO Stralis tractor units into its operation this autumn.
“We believe that our customers’ deliveries should be undertaken using the most modern and efficient equipment. By adding these state-of-the-art vehicles to our fleet, we will be able to operate with the very best equipment and enable us to manage our customers’ supply chains to the highest possible standards,” said CEVA’s Executive Vice President UK, Ireland and Nordic s M i c h a e l O’Donoghue.
The new tractors produce greater fuel economy and increase focus on sustainability through minimizing the impact of its fleet on the environment.
The 44-ton gross vehicle weight vehicles are each fitted with sleeper cabs and will be distributed throughout the second half of this year across a number of CEVA’s operations, including in the consumer retail, automotive and healthcare sectors.
Dawson Rentals Managing Director John Fletcher said: “Dawson rentals’ unique structure means we can react quickly to customer needs. Having understood CEVA’s focus on reliability, support and fuel performance, both for economy and environmental reasons, we were able to recommend the right vehicle package, and as importantly, move fast to secure trucks with a very specific spec and mobilize the whole project on time within a mutually acceptable contracted price.”
LONDON: The long-term partnership between Airbus Defence and Space and Volga-Dnepr Airlines has ensured the safe and timely delivery of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Sentinel-5P satellite, which will provide air quality and climate data for the entire planet every single day after its launch in October.
Volga-Dnepr, which has been carrying satellites to launch sites around the world since 1990 for leading aerospace customers, says forward bookings for satellite flights for the remainder of 2017 and 2018 reflect a healthy outlook for this highly specialist market.
This year the airline has delivered satellites to the Cayenne launch site in French Guiana, Baikonur in Kazakhstan, Vandenberg in California, and Cape Canaveral in Florida.
The Sentinel-5 P satellite was transported in a special container along with support equipment for its An-124-100 freighter flight from London Stansted to Archangelsk in the northwest of Russia. The loading process was accomplished using the An-124-100’s internal crane, two nitrogen purge containers were also used to keep the satellite container topped up with nitrogen.
Weighing six tons, the container measured 5767x2820x2621mm. The cargo was delivered to London Stansted Airport from the Airbus Defence and Space facility in Stevenage, where the satellite was put together and tested. Following its arrival in Archangelsk, the satellite completed the final 250km of its journey by train to Russia’s Plesetsk spaceport.
Alexander Kraynov, Commercial Director at Volga-Dnepr Airlines, said:“Working closely with our partner, Airbus Defence and Space, we have once again demonstrated our expertise in moving high value & highly sensitive satellite technology. The Sentinel-5P will now undergo further tests in Plesetsk over the coming weeks ahead of its scheduled launch on 13 October.”
With a swath width of 2600 km, the Sentinel-5P satellite will map the entire planet every day, delivering global maps of air pollutants in more detail than ever before. It will provide timely data on a multitude of trace gases and aerosols affecting air quality and climate.
DUBAI: The National Association of Freight and Logistics (NAFL) brought the spotlight on the United Arab Emirates as a global logistics hub at FIATA World Congress, the world’s largest gathering of international freight and logistics experts and decision makers held in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia, from October 4-8.
UAE is among the biggest contributors to the GCC’s logistics sector. With Dubai alone awarding construction contracts worth AED 11 billion this year in preparations for the World Expo 2020 and investing much more toward developing infrastructure and enhancing its logistics facilities in the run up to the Expo, the country offers unparalleled smart
infrastructure facilities for international businesses.
“The UAE’s strategic geographic location, ports facilities, strong and modern infrastructure, make it an ideal hub for hosting international events. The vision of our leadership to adopt the latest innovative technologies, introducing latest innovative transport solutions such as hyperloop, flying taxi, make it an ideal location. Our focus for this participation is to further promote the UAE as a hub of logistics and a top destination for international events,” said Nadia Abdul Aziz, President of NAFL, the oldest association of freight and logistics service providers in the Middle East.
Globally, the logistic industry is expected to reach $15.5 trillion by 2025, at an average annual growth rate of 7.5 percent. As business worldwide becomes increasingly borderless, companies are seeking to expand their operations and are seeking efficient and reliable movement of goods across international borders.
During the five-day congress, the NAFL delegation met with global logistics experts to update, brainstorm, share information and talk about ground-breaking issues pertaining to the industry.
Established in 1992, NAFL has been actively working toward ensuring the UAE’s leading position and Dubai’s pre-eminence in the international freight and transportation fields for the last 25 years.
Earlier this year, NAFL participated in Global Logistics Summit held in Tanzania and Region Africa and Middle East (RAME) conference in Morocco. The Association also signed MoUs with freight forwarders associations in Tanzania and Morocco to work together in promoting efficiency in transit transport and trade facilitation.
NAFL, which has more than 400 members, is a member of FIATA, the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations, based in Zurich, Switzerland.
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