Emirates has announced a number of appointments to its commercial operations team across the Middle East, GCC and Africa, further demonstrating the airline’s commitment to strengthening its long-term commercial strategy and offer across these regions. All of the appointments bring Emirati talent into key leadership positions, either being promoted from within the organization or through portfolio rotations, underpinning the airline’s commitment to career development and progression of its UAE Nationals. All of the new appointments are effective this January.
Mohammad Lootah will be taking on the role of Manager Jordan. Mohammad joined Emirates in 2016 and has held commercial support management roles Riyadh and Kuwait.
Tariq Al Mutawa has been appointed as Manager Kuwait. Tariq has been with Emirates for eight years, holding roles in India, Bahrain and Qatar.
Hamad Al Ali, has been appointed to lead Emirates’ commercial activities as Manager Bahrain. Hamad joined Emirates in 2013 as a Commercial Support Manager and was posted in South Africa and Ethiopia. After that, he was assigned as manager Zambia where he executed and delivered the airline’s commercial activities in that market.
Omar Al Bushlaibi, will become Manager Oman. Omar joined Emirates in 2014 as part of the UAE National Commercial Management Programme, training in the UAE Sales Department, Istanbul, as well as Mumbai before holding the role of Commercial Support Manager in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Nasser Bahlooq will be Manager Zimbabwe. Nasser joined the UAE National Commercial Management Programme in 2015, and was selected to manage the airline’s commercial activities in Yinchuan, China and most recently Yangon, Myanmar where he supported the route launch activities of the linked route to Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Khalfan Al Salami, will hold the role of Manager Sudan. Khalfan joined Emirates in 2015 as part of the UAE National Commercial Management Programme, taking on further training and development in Emirates’ station in Madrid and most recently held the role of Commercial Support Manager Kuwait.
Marwan Al Marri will become Manager Riyadh. Marwan previously held the Commercial Support Manager position in Madina.
Fahad Bastaki, will take on the role of Manager Dammam. Fahad began his career with Emirates in 2015, and has also held commercial support positions in South Africa and most recently Zimbabwe.
Saeed Khalifa Bin Sulaiman will take on the role of Senior Manager, Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. Saeed previously held the role of Regional Manager East (Riyadh and Dammam) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Omar Al Banna, will become Manager Sharjah and Northern Emirates. Omar started his career with Emirates in 2006, and has previously held the roles of managing commercial activities in Ethiopia, Tunisia, Jordan, Corporate Sales in the UAE and most recently managing the airline’s commercial operations in in Kuwait and Iraq.
Lars Krosch, previously Vice President Sales & Product Development at time:matters, will take over as Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the time:matters Group, responsible for Operations and Finance. The 48-year-old, who gained extensive management experience in various functions within the Lufthansa Group and in own companies, succeeds Andreas Vetter, who took over the vacant COO position on an interim basis. Krosch holds a diploma in business informatics and has held various management positions at time:matters GmbH since May 2009.
“With Lars Krosch, I am very pleased to have a trusted and experienced partner at my side who has known our industry and time:matters very well for many years. Together we will continue the extremely successful growth path of recent years, which he has helped to shape in the long term,” says Alexander Kohnen, Managing Director Strategy and Sales (CEO).
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) recently launched Turbulence Aware, a resource that collects and shares turbulence data generated by participating airlines in real time.
The resources will improve an airline’s ability to forecast and avoid turbulence.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, turbulence is the top cause of injuries in non-fatal airline accidents. Turbulence is forecasted to continue to impact flight efficiency and safety negatively, as turbulence will become worse as climate change increases.
“Turbulence Aware is a great example of the potential for digital transformation in the airline industry,” Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO, said. “The airline industry has always cooperated on safety—its number one priority. Big data is now turbocharging what we can achieve. In the case of Turbulence Aware, the more precise forecasting of turbulence will provide a real improvement for passengers, whose journeys will be even safer and more comfortable.”
Before the launch of Turbulence Aware, airlines could only rely on weather advisories and pilot reports.
These methods have limitations. They are reliant on the quality of available information and are subject to imprecision based on location. They also are inconsistencies and fragmentation of the data sources.
Honeywell is bringing the ease of everyday online buying and selling to the aviation parts industry with GoDirect™ Trade. The new e-commerce platform will improve access to new and used aircraft parts for airlines, air transport and business aviation customers by offering transparent pricing and the option to buy inventory directly from its website — a first-of-its-kind experience.
“GoDirect Trade represents an evolution in our market, and being backed by a major equipment manufacturer brings the confidence we need to be one of the early adopters,” said Thomas Noonan, director of material and part sales, StandardAero Total Aircraft Spares. “This technology will help propel the aviation industry forward into the realm of other e-commerce sites that many of us use each day without a second thought.”
Previously, buyers looking for aviation parts such as avionics, auxiliary power units and more would have to call numerous companies, wait days or even weeks to price a part, and risk buying from a company that did not have the inventory immediately in stock. On GoDirect Trade, Honeywell is using blockchain technology to ensure every listing includes images and quality documents for the exact part being offered for sale, giving the buyer confidence about purchasing the part. In addition, every part on GoDirect Trade is immediately available for sale and shipping. There is no need to wait days or even weeks for the seller to confirm availability.
“Currently, less than 2.5 percent of all transactions in this space are done online,” said Lisa Butters, who is leading the new Honeywell Aerospace venture. “Up until now, the ability to shop for spare parts online with prices, product images and quality documentation all in one place was unheard of for the aviation industry.”
Building upon experience from the Honeywell Aerospace Trading business, GoDirect Trade aims to build stronger connections between buyers and sellers. For example, buyers and sellers can directly contact one another via the platform, streamlining the process to ensure both parties are satisfied with the exchange. As with similar websites in other industries, online reviews of both buyers and sellers are encouraged.
“We are the first marketplace to enable customized seller storefronts, and we are the first to leverage blockchain technology to build trust between the buyer and seller,” Butters said. “All of these firsts will bring us into a new era focused on the buyer’s experience while enabling sellers to grow globally. Our platform and mindset will change the way the industry does business.”
The first phase of the implementation of Hermes 5 Cargo Management System has been successfully completed at Luxembourg Airport.
The H5 system was customized for ground handler LuxairCARGO, which processes about one million tons of airfreight a year.
Luxembourg’s location means it plays a vital role in trucking routes across the continent, and the custom version of H5 provides advanced trucking functionality.
The upgraded version of H5 also includes features such as a new Customs interface, designed to speed up cross-border Customs clearance, as well as real-time tracking functionality and data analysis to reduce delays and backlogs.
The new version of H5 will be fully implemented by mid-2019 and consolidates Customs documents for one inbound shipment, increasing administrative and cargo processing efficiency.
Laurent Jossart, executive vice president of LuxairCARGO says, “For one inbound flight to Luxembourg Airport, there can be as many as 20 different trucks which transport its payload onto the next leg of its journey. This tailored version of H5 will help LuxairCARGO to handle one million tons of airfreight cargo a year and save significantly on time and costs.”
The H5 CMS provides flexibility in key areas in both management and operations, improving service management, revenue accounting, automation of processes and avoiding service level agreement failures.
Jossart says LuxairCARGO migrated to Hermes 5 Cargo System in October 2018, saying, “Hermes 5 not only provides the level of automation we require, but also guarantees the possibility to interface with all our other existing operational systems.”
India’s civil aviation regulatory agency is postposing the requirement for aircraft registered in India to be equipped with GPS Aided Geo Augmented Navigation system (GAGAN) compatible avionics.
GAGAN is a satellite based augmentation system (SBAS) designed to allow aircraft to fly non-precision approaches without vertical guidance within Indian airspace. India’s ministry of civil aviation mandated GAGAN equipage by Jan. 1, 2019 in June 2016 and has now moved the deadline to June 30, 2020.
“All the aircraft being imported for registration on or after 30.06.2020 shall be required to be suitably equipped with GAGAN equipment,” the public notice published by the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said.
GAGAN works by augmenting and relaying data from GPS satellites with the help of two geostationary satellites, and 15 earth-based reference stations operating throughout the Indian flight information region.
The reference stations pick up signals from the satellites and relay them to GAGAN-enabled receivers on aircraft. The aircraft’s signal accuracy is then determined and any errors, such as those caused by electrical disturbances in the atmosphere, are corrected and sent to the satellites. The satellites then relay the corrected information back to the aircraft to provide better accuracy than can be achieved using GPS alone.
Jointly developed by Airports Authority of India (AAI), the Indian Space Research Organization and Raytheon, the system first went live in Indian airspace in July 2015. GAGAN works with other international SBAS systems such as the wide area augmentation system in the U.S. or Europe’s geostationary navigation overlay service.
DGCA has struggled to incentivize India’s airlines and smaller aircraft operators to equip with GAGAN avionics since then. For example, in December 2016, DGCA met with airlines and other stakeholders to discuss the low usage rate of GAGAN 18 months after its launch to warn them of consequences if usage did not increase. Those consequences never materialized.
The regulator has also witnessed presentations from airlines showing how expensive the upgrade would be for aircraft within their fleet. Cost has been the primary inhibitor preventing airlines from equipping with GAGAN receivers.
“We understand the GAGAN implementation has been deferred to June 30, 2020,” a representative for IATA told Avionics International.
“We expect that individual airlines should have the freedom to assess whether to invest in SBAS based on their operational needs and if there is a business case to justify the investment,” he said.
Many of India’s large and small commercial carriers will find the delay as a financial relief while dealing with surging jet fuel prices. Indigo, a low cost airline based in Haryana, India, reported a net loss of $89 million for its second quarter fiscal year 2019 in October. During that same period, India’s longest running private airline, Jet Airways, reported a net loss of $178 million.
State run Air India and Spice Jet also reported quarterly losses throughout 2018. All of the carriers note that rising jet fuel costs primarily drove their losses.
DGCA has not indicated that there will be any type of exemption policy implemented with the postponing of its GAGAN mandate.
AirBridgeCargo Airlines, and Unilode Aviation Solutions have extended their ULD management partnership for the extensive usage of Transmitting Portable Electronic Devices (TPEDs) for ULDs – pallets and containers.
The equipment, which is a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE v.5.0) tracking and sensing device, will be firmly mounted to ULDs supplied and managed by Unilode and carried in the cargo compartments of AirBridgeCargo’s Boeing 747 freighter fleet. The monitoring devices will be used to track ULDs, register all environmental parameters, covering such crucial factors as temperature, humidity, illumination and shock actions to guarantee 100% transparency of shipment data. In addition, AirBridgeCargo will get accurate information from Unilode about the cargo status and its location, be it in the air or on the ground (warehouse, apron).
Both companies have reached agreements on the terms of BLE v. 5.0 usage, with the main work to be completed afterwards. AirBridgeCargo Airlines and Unilode Aviation Solutions are working on the rollout, making sure all the ULDs are properly equipped with BLE v.5.0, Bluetooth readers are installed at the places of cargo movement (warehouse, ground handling premises), and dedicated IT infrastructure is set to capture signals for real-time cargo monitoring.
“We are delighted to see our partnership with Unilode progressing and embracing new areas, such as IoT, which will not only facilitate data accuracy but also enhance digital customer experience with the provision of detailed information for each and every shipment. This is especially important for special cargo – pharmaceutical products, oversize and heavy goods, live animals, etc. With the penetration of digitalization taking place in the air cargo sector, we want to make sure that our customers get the full benefit of it, be it general cargo, abc pharma, abc XL or other specialist dedicated services,” stated Sergey Lazarev, General Director, AirBridgeCargo Airlines.
“AirBridgeCargo Airlines is Unilode’s loyal customer since 2004 and we are very pleased to work together in our digital transformation program which will enhance Unilode’s ULD management with the most innovative solutions available in the market. The BLE v.5.0 device is the most cost-effective solution for the transmission of shipment parameters with its primary benefits being improved speed and greater range. Thus, it operates faster and over greater distances than previous versions of Bluetooth. Unilode and AirBridgeCargo have been improving the quality of shipment data, which provides timely and detailed information to all stakeholders in the value chain,” said Mr. Benoît Dumont, Unilode CEO.
With this in mind, AirBridgeCargo Airlines has upgraded its online track and trace tool, introduced 24/7 Control Tower to monitor status of special cargo shipments, and reinforced its team at all levels.
Agility is considering a bond issuance of up to $1 billion in 2019 to fund expansion in its industrial real estate and warehousing business across emerging markets, according to a local newspaper.
Agility said it plans to invest US $1.6-billion by 2020 to diversify its revenue streams and reach its target of US $800-million (Dh2.9bn) earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (ebitda) by 2020.
The company, which is listed in Kuwait and Dubai, is bullish on emerging markets in Africa, where it has invested heavily, as well as the Middle East South-East Asia.
“We’re bullish on technology and how it intersects with emerging markets and small-and-medium enterprises,” said Tarek Sultan, CEO of Agility.
Sultan added that the company expects to turn an annual profit in 2018 and that it would be “safe to assume” a growth in annual earnings next year up from 2018, as its logistics and infrastructure business continues to grow.
Agility and KSA customs among 94 players in Maersk and IBM’s blockchain solution
Agility earlier this week announced it will invest US $100m in digital logistics website Shipa.com, which allows small businesses and entrepreneurs to manage their freight and deliveries online.
“With the growth of e-commerce and the initiatives to approach the Middle East market, it is timely to come up with a one-stop shop for e-commerce providers to address the region as a whole,” he said. “It’s still early days for e-commerce in the Middle East and there is tremendous market potential.”
Sultan tempered his comments with concern about the impact on global economic growth from rising trade tensions between the US and China.
“We’re a global company so anything impacting global growth will impact us in some way shape or form,” Sultan said. “The trade dispute is somewhat concerning.”
Gulftainer has launched Sharjah Port of Trade (S.P.O.T) services, a new strategic sea cargo clearance offering.
The port operator, the largest independent port operations firm in the world, says the new service will offer unparalleled connectivity between Sharjah and Dubai.
The S.P.O.T services can be availed at the crossroads of the E311 highway and Maliha Road.
S.P.O.T offers the fastest transit times and lowest service costs to deliver cargo north of Al Barsha, as well as end-to-end connectivity across the UAE.
Its strategic location, just 10 minutes from the E311 highway and 15 minutes from the E611 highway, enables a reduction of delivery costs from port to door by as much as 80 percent.
Complementing the cost and time savings, the port offers enhanced online customs clearance, 24-hour access to major roads, as well as a state-of-the-art facility for on-site cargo inspection, quality sampling and testing services at the importer’s premises.
“Today we are taking further steps in transforming our business on a structural level and simplifying how we go to market, allowing us to provide more need-based solutions and greater convenience to our customers,” said Fred Castonguay, group chief operating officer at Gulftainer.
“This new offering is set to establish new benchmarks in Gulftainer’s current operations portfolio. In addition to its highly accessible strategic location, customers now have the flexibility to complete inspections in their warehouse via a phone call and easily clear their cargo,” he said.
“S.P.O.T geographically positions cargo in the heart of the UAE’s commercial operations, significantly cutting down on delivery time and final mile cost,” Castonguay added. “In fact, over 75 per cent of the UAE’s local cargo base is closer to S.P.O.T than to any other port in the UAE. Consequently, customers can minimise time, trucking costs, as well as the environmental impact of their cargo deliveries.”
Several shipping lines calling at Gulftainer’s Khorfakkan Cargo Terminal (KCT) have already expressed interest in the service, according to the company. S.P.O.T will serve as an inland extension of the container terminal.
Gulf Air recently revealed its business plans for 2019 to internal and external stakeholders during its commercial conference held in Manama, Bahrain, as part of its ongoing commitment to strengthen its position as a national asset to the economic growth of the Kingdom. The conference was held in the Wyndham Grand Hotel in Bahrain Bay and was attended by the airline’s Chairman, Executive Management, station managers from the airline’s network, Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA), Bahrain Airport Company and Gulf Air Group.
In line with its 5-year strategy to become a customer airline of choice, Gulf Air announced its new boutique business model concept, which will reinforce its focus on product and customer experience. As already done in the hospitality industry, Gulf Air will differentiate itself as a boutique airline that is different and unique in the way it operates comparing to the bigger airlines that are more volume driven. This approach will give the airline a competitive advantage that will translate in its new fleet, new Falcon Gold class offering, new exclusive products, new destinations for 2019 and its presence in the new terminal at Bahrain International Airport due to open towards the end of the year.
Gulf Air’s Chairman of Board of Directors Mr. Zayed R. Alzayani said, “This is an even more exciting year for Gulf Air as we continue our efforts and plans to portray the airline as a solid national asset that serves the Kingdom of Bahrain and yet caters to an international audience. Today we announced our boutique concept, which will see the airline adapt a new business model to shine amongst the competitors in our own unique way. Working hand in hand with Gulf Air Group, BTEA and BAC with the launch of the new terminal, will allow the new Gulf Air to represent Bahrain to the world and open more bridges to and from the island”.
The event included topic-specific workshops highlighting the main business units of the airline and a number of sessions were conducted to communicate business objectives, projects, and expansion plans of 2019.
In 2018, Gulf Air announced its new 5-year strategy, which began with the delivery of 5 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner’s and 1 Airbus 320neo as well as opening 6 new destinations: Alexandria and Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt, Baku in Azerbaijan, Casablanca in Morocco and Bangalore and Calicut in India. The airline deployed its latest state-of-the-art Dreamliner’s to London Heathrow, Casablanca, Bangkok and recently to Manila – a step that was appraised by its loyal and new customers alike. The new livery and brand identity were also launched in 2018 – at the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix – that included all new logo, colour pallets, uniforms, cabin definition and refreshed look and feel. The airline concluded 2018 with two exciting projects: the launch of a mobile app and the launch of ‘The Bahrain Stopover’ which allows passengers to stop and spend a number of nights on the island including hotels, airport transfers and tours while transiting in Bahrain before continuing to their final destination.
With the new business model concept, Gulf Air aims to grow strategically in size and will expand to more boutique destinations in 2019 and continue its fleet modernization program by receiving additional two Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner’s and five Airbus A320neos this year.
Technology has made the world smaller and faster.Real time communication with people from all over the world at different time zones through phones and gadgets
