World Economic Forum labels Nokia’s 5G’factory of the future’ as ‘Advanced 4th Industrial Revolution Lighthouse’

ESPOO, FINLAND: Nokia’s 5G “factory of the future” in Oulu, Finland was selected by McKinsey and the World Economic Forum as an Advanced 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) Lighthouse, reflecting leadership and proven success in adopting and implementing 4IR technologies at scale.

It says leveraging Nokia technologies to digitalize its own preproduction facility demonstrates the company’s ability to digitally transform and modernize its customers’ manufacturing facilities for Industry 4.0.

Designed to showcase Industry 4.0 concepts for the manufacturing of Nokia 4G and 5G base stations, the “factory of the future” in Oulu leverages Nokia’s private (4.9G/LTE) wireless networks for secure and reliable connectivity for all assets within and outside the factory, IoT analytics running on Edge cloud, and a real-time digital twin of operations data.

The factory, which produces 1,000 4G and 5G base stations per day, generated significant annual improvements, including more than 30 percent productivity gains, 50 percent savings in time of product delivery to market, and an annual cost savings of millions of euros.

The Lighthouse program, conducted in collaboration with McKinsey, includes select Lighthouse factories that are transforming work to make it safer, less repetitive, diversified and productive.

Nokia was selected as a Lighthouse by an expert panel based on its implementation of 4IR technologies that drove financial and operational impact in the Oulu factory. As part of the Global Lighthouse Network, Nokia will collaborate with other world leaders to share knowledge and best practices to help enterprises and manufacturers adopt the technologies of the future, and overcome key challenges enterprises face during their digital transformation journeys.

“We are paving the way for enterprise customers to realize the vision of Industry 4.0 and industrial automation by applying our technology to our manufacturing needs. For our Oulu 5G facility, we created a ‘factory of
the future’ environment leveraging private wireless networks for reliable and secure infactory connectivity, edge cloud and IoT analytics. We are very pleased that our technology has delivered productivity gains of over 30 percent for our factory and we look forward to sharing this expertise with customers, helping them accelerate growth and unlock their full potential,” said Kathrin Buvac, President of Nokia Enterprise and Chief Strategy Officer.

Most manufacturers seek to increase flexibility while automating and reconfiguring factories. Nokia’s expertise adjusting to highdemand environments ensures that the company is well equipped to lead enterprises into the Industry 4.0 era. The award-winning factory of the future illustrates how customer facilities can reap the benefits of increased productivity, agility, product quality, and product lead time for their businesses, as achieved in Oulu.

Demonstrated use cases in Oulu preproduction factory include:
˜ Virtualization of new produc t introduction (NPI)
˜ Flexible robotics to ensure highproductivity and agility for continuous new ramp-ups
˜ 4.9G/LTE Private wireless network to speed up NPI line re-layout
˜ Cloud-based digital data control, enabling real – time process management
˜ No-touch internal logistics automation via connected mobile robots

“For factory employees, the automation of our Oulu manufacturing environment increases flexibility and adaptability. The ‘conscious factory’ has evolved the working ecosystem – increasing motivation and the wellbeing of employees by automating the traditionally repetitive tasks, making work more diversified and productive,” said Heikki Romppainen, Head of Oulu Factory, Nokia.

Finding time to connect with family in the midst of a busy life in the air cargo industry

Mohammed Ali Al Musafir, Senior Vice President – Oman Air Cargo at Oman Air, has a lot on his plate as the airline aggressively competes in the cut-throat air freight industry, pursuing growth and new business opportunities.
His job requires constant travel across the globe, good leadership and business acumen, mentoring staff, precision and making the right decisions within the company, working with about 75 interline partners and responsible for moving goods across the globe for individuals and businesses that trust in Oman Air Cargo’s reliable and efficient air freight services.

Oman Air, the national carrier of the Sultanate of Oman, is a vital lifeline in growing Oman’s economy with each new destination launched ushering new opportunities for trade, business, and tourism prospects for Omanis.

“It feels great,” shared Al Musafir with Air Cargo Update when asked how it feels to see the airline which he has been serving since 1996 make leaps and bounds in such a short time in the global aviation industry.

“We started with domestic flights. Then flights to Dubai and India were launched. Now we’re flying almost everywhere. It’s a success story. It connects Oman to the world. We are hoping that the airline will grow further and fly to more destinations. Aside from being one of the major stakeholders in supporting the Sultanate of Oman’s National Air Cargo strategy, we are fully dedicated to work towards the development and growth of Oman’s Air Cargo business by supporting local exports which include the fisheries and agriculture sectors,” he added.

In 2016, Al Musafir, who previously held other senior management roles in the airline, took the responsibility of leading Oman Air Cargo and had since been instrumental in turning around its business to a strong and sustainable one.

In 2017, Oman Air Cargo posted 38 percent growth in sales and cargo volumes, followed by 17 percent in 2018. There is optimism in getting good numbers in 2019 with Q1 2019 showing 16 percent year-on-year growth despite the many challenges the industry faces.

In the midst of his daunting tasks and responsibilities, this devout father of six—four adults and two teenage kids, still finds time for family and personal hobbies whenever he can.

On weekends, he prefers to spend his time with his family enjoying the sun, sand and the sea dotting Oman’s beautiful coastlines.

“I don’t have so much free time to be honest. I spend my weekend with the family. We go for picnic and enjoy the sea. Oman is a beautiful country with beautiful beaches. And whenever we have an opportunity, we go out as a family,” shared Al Musafir who is highly regarded in the business for his hard work and innovative business solutions.

Busy as he seems, Al Musafir also finds time to read, reflect on each day’s events and update himself on the latest developments in the volatile and dynamic air cargo industry.

Emirates adds 46 flights during the busy Hajj season

DUBAI: Emirates says it will its services to Jeddah and Medina with an additional 46 flights to help facilitate travel for Hajj pilgrims heading to and from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between July 27 to August 22 to support the Hajj journey to the Holy City of Mecca.

The services will run in parallel with Emirates’ regular scheduled services to Jeddah and Medina, and will be available to travellers holding a valid Hajj visa.

This year, Emirates expects thousands of pilgrims to travel on its services for Hajj, coming from top inbound destinations such as Pakistan, the United States, Senegal, the UK, Nigeria, Indonesia, South Africa and Ivory Coast.

“Hajj is one of the most significant events in the Muslim faith, and every year, Emirates’ primary focus is to help
facilitate seamless travel for our Hajj passengers as they converge on the Holy City of Mecca for this once in a
lifetime journey. With the substantial increase of inbound air travel into the Kingdom during this period, Emirates’
46 extra flights will ensure that we can cater to that demand, as well as provide tailored onboard services in
line with the tenets of Hajj,” said Adil Al Ghaith, Emirates’ Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations, Gulf, MiddleEast and Iran. Emirates says it has commissioned a dedicated team to manage check-in and transfers for the seamless movement of Hajj passengers leaving from and transiting in Dubai.

In the air, Emirates has planned several initiatives that uphold the values and traditions of pilgrims when
travelling for Hajj. Extra provisions will be made to accommodate Hajj traveller needs such as performing ablutions and other cleansing rituals as well as advising passengers when they have entered Al Miqat zones to ensure readiness for Ihram (the point when pilgrims enter a state of sanctity) through dedicated passenger announcements.

This is in addition to other service and product measures such as providing extra blankets and unperfumed hot towels. Emirates’ award winning ice system will also feature a special Hajj video that covers safety, formalities and information about performing the Hajj pilgrimage. Pilgrims will also be able to tune into the Holy Quran channel during their journey.

On flights from Jeddah, Hajj passengers can bring up to 5 litres of holy water (Zamzam) which will be placed in special areas in the cargo hold, the airline noted.

Platooning in the logistics industry: Great potential in real operations after successful field test

35,000-km pilot project run by DB Schenker, MAN Truck & Bus and Fresenius University of Applied Sciences shows electronically linked trucks increases road safety and efficiency.

The participants of the platooning-project presented the research results at the final event at the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) in Berlin (l.t.r.): Joachim Drees, MAN Truck & Bus, Alexander Doll, Deutsche Bahn, Dr. Tobias Miethaner, Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure, Andy Kipping, Truck Driver DB Schenker, Prof. Dr. Sabine Hammer and Prof. Dr. Christian Haas, both Hochschule Fresenius. Supplied Photo

Operating electronically linked trucks on German motor ways is safe, technically reliable and easily applicable in the routine of a logistics company, thus, we’re the findings of the world’s first field test with truck platoons in real logistics operations, which the project partners presented in Berlin recently.

Professional drivers drove two electronically linked vehicles on the Autobahn 9 between the Nuremberg and Munich branches of the logistics company DB Schenker over the course of seven months as part of the research project sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI).

Having covered some 35,000 test kilometers, the truck drivers, who drove at a distance of only 15 to 21 meters, praised the driving comfort and the general sense of safety . The field test also demonstrated savings in fuel consumption.

The Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) contributed funding of approximately EUR1.86 million to the research project. The project partners DB Schenker, MAN Truck & Bus and the Fresenius University of Applied Sciences presented the results at the Ministry.

According to the project partners, the use of truck platoons could ensure more efficient use of space on motor ways, less congestion and increased road safety.

“The mobility of the future will be automated and networked. Of course, this is also true for logistics. I therefore fully support the industry in bringing technologies such as platooning to market maturity,” said Andreas Scheuer, Federal Minister for Transport and Digital Infrastructure.

“We want to make the processes even safer, more efficient and more environmentally friendly, all along the value chain. The drivers have a key role to play here. In a digital truck they will be modern logistics specialists. This will open up new prospects for the profession.”

Doll believes platooning possible on 40% of kilometers operated by land transport

According to DB Schenker’s research, platooning can be used extensively in the logistics network.

Alexander Doll, Member of the Management Board for Finance, Freight Transport and Logistics at Deutsche Bahn AG said, “We have analyzed our European transport network and it is safe to say that around 40% of the kilometers traveled could be carried out in platoons.” For this, however, further tests and ensuring the regulatory framework would be necessary. Customers would also benefit. “With platooning we can offer even more reliable transports.”

The platooning system installed in the MAN trucks operated smoothly 98% of the time. Active interventions by the driver were necessary only once every 2,000 kilometers, which is much less than expected. In addition, the pilot project demonstrated a 3 to 4 percent reduction in fuel consumption.

“We were able to show that platooning has the potential to contribute to the reduction of fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. First and foremost, we are pleased that the system works reliably and can increase safety on the motor wa y . Accordingly , platooning is an important step for us on the way to automation,” said Joachim Drees, Chairman of the Management Board of MAN Truck & Bus SE.

Scientists confirm that drivers feel safe

Scientists from the Fresenius University of Applied Sciences investigated the psychosocial and neurophysiological effects on the drivers. Having experienced the actual field test brought about a significant change in the previously sceptical attitude of the drivers.

“A general sense of safety and trust in the technology is echoed in the drivers’ assessment of specific driving situations. None of the sewere described as uncontrollable,” said Professor Sabine Hammer from the Institute for the Science of Complex Systems (Institut für komplexe Systemforschung, IKS) at the Fresenius University of Applied Sciences.

The drivers experienced vehicles of other road users cutting in from adjacent lanes or cutting across multiple lanes as “disagreeable”, but not critical. “Due to the fast response times of the system, drivers would now prefer a distance of 10-15 meters,” said Hammer.

“The EEG measurements show no systematic differences between platoon runs and normal runs when it comes to the neurophysiological stress placed on drivers, i . e . in terms of concentration or fatigue,” said Professor Christian Haas, Director of the IKS. For international use, the scientists recommend further research with longer periods in platooning mode.

The project partners are convinced that the potential of truck platooning can be further increased by future developments. In addition, new digital business models in logistics are conceivable.

How platooning works

The term “platooning” refers to a system that vehicles use on the road in which at least two trucks drive in a tight convoy on a motorway, supported by technical driving assistance and control systems.

All vehicles driving in the platoon are electronically linked to each other. The truck in front sets the speed and direction, and the others follow.

Source: www.truck.man.eu.

Quick Facts: Practical operation

Air Cargo Europe 2019 and Transport Logistics

Industry experts see optimistic future with more technology integrated in operations

Despite the many uncertainties facing the air cargo industry and the logistics sector, industry experts are still convinced the future looks bright and their operations will become easier and more efficient with technology being integrated into the old systems.

The June 4-7, 2019 fourday Transport Logistics and Air Cargo Europe simultaneous events held in Munich’s Messe Munchen drew 10 percent more exhibitors, 2,374, and about 64,000 visitors from more than 60 countries.

The largest logistics fair in the world heavily discussed the trade war between the US and China, the shortage of drivers and skilled staff while pinning great hopes on artificial intelligence to address their challenges.

“Transport logistic has confirmed its role as the world’s largest intermodal logistics hub. There were 2,374 exhibitors, an increase of 10 percent, and around 64,000 visitors, an increase of 5 percent,” said Stefan Rummel, Managing Director of Messe München. The trade fair has grown by one hall to 10 halls and has once again become significantly more international, an increase of 3 percent points to 56 percent for exhibitors and also by 3 percent points to 47 percent for visitors.

“We saw strong growth from China, where the number of exhibitors almost doubled by 30 new ones to 64,” Rummel further stated. “Chinese companies are increasingly looking for cooperation partners in Europe as part of the Silk Road Initiative.”

The driver shortage was also one of the dominant topics. In addition to more attractive working conditions, artificial intelligence could help in the long term; this should make logistics chains more transparent and efficient overall.

Is Logistics in the Driving Seat? The major challenges facing the industry were discussed at the opening of a high-profile round panel discussion. “We need to make the growing traffic flows more efficient and affordable as well as environmentally and climate  friendly, ” Federal Minister of Transport Andreas Scheuer stated.

In reference to the global economy, DHL head Dr. Frank Appel expressed restrained optimism, “even though current relations between governments in the US and China are not conducive at the moment.” But: “ Goods find their way despite customs disputes.”

The situation is currently also challenging for air freight, “which is a very volatile business. We have to be open to options and think in the long term,” Dorothea von Boxberg stated, Managing Director Product and Sales at Lufthansa Cargo AG.

Alexander Doll, Director of Finance, Freight Transport and Logistics at Deutsche Bahn AG, distinguished between global and intra-regional trade flows: “We still see decent growth in the latter.” And Rolf

Habben Jansen, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd AG, explained that his company is well prepared: “We have been an active driver of consolidation in our industry over the past five years, enabling us to strengthen our overall market position significantly.”

Machine learning and artificial intelligence

The average human brain is said to have about 100 billion neurons that are interconnected. Electrical impulses help transmit information between those neurons, enabling humans to learn, to draw conclusions and to think abstractly, Soloplan, one of the exhibitors at Transport Logistics echoed.

In artificial intelligence, artificial neurons trained by algorithms are used, Soloplan said but emphasized the goal is not to reproduce human intelligence but rather develop machine learning to enable systems to learn pattern recognition based on a large amount of data.

“The idea behind machine learning is that, based on training data, systems automatically learn specific models, such as sets of rules. Thanks to machine learning, companies no longer have to create models manually, which means that they do not have to spend time on defining rules, checks and interpretations anymore,” it added.

The machine learning process it developed known as CarLo does the following: Transport planning data, such as shipment modes, dates, start and end points, loading items, loading weights and dangerous goods, is fed into the system and processed by an algorithm.

Soloplan takes pride in supporting more than 1, 000 customers worldwide but noted it is impossible to provide each customer with a customised machine learning model.

“Therefore, the machine learning algorithm must be able to perform all of the above-mentioned manual tasks automatically without human intervention. That is why Soloplan is developing a self – optimising pipeline, which can train a machine learning model autonomously. The latest version of the CarLo transport management system comes with this newly developed program, which will revolutionise transport planning,” the company said.

Soloplan and other companies engaged in software solutions believe using AI in the transport sector will make it work more efficiently , saving time and resources.

Confident despite challenges

Prior to the event some 2,680 international logistics professionals were surveyed. They shared their optimism in the future despite political, business and economic challenges in the industry.

“The international logistics industry is optimistic. Forty-three percent of the logistics professionals surveyed
see the further economic development rather positively, and 41% believe it will remain stable,” Rummel shared.

“At the same time, the trend barometer of transport logistic shows that companies are facing the challenges, adapting and investing in future technologies,” he added.

The opinion research institute IfaD conducted the survey online among previous trade fair participants on behalf of transport logistic in February 2019. Seventy-two percent of the 2,680 respondents are in managerial positions.

Despite many economic and political uncertainties, logistics professionals in Germany (1,599 respondents), other
European countries (868)and beyond (213) see economic development globally and in their respective countries as
rather positive (43%) or stable (41%). They feel ready to face the challenges.

Sixty percent of companies are taking measures such as efficiencyprograms to cushion a possible slowdown in the economy. In addition, 61% say they will adjust their supply chain or do so in the near future due to stronger trade conflicts and punitive tariffs. Staff shortages is the biggest challenge One of the biggest challenges facing  company, and 44% have already digitalized many processes and will do this with other ones. Sixty-four percent say their company invests sufficiently in digitalization. Thirtyfive percent of respondents reported their company works with start-ups to drive innovation.

Cooperation is a trend in city logistics C logged inner cities, area competition, challenge of the last mile – to make city logistics smart, fast and clean, the three most important measures are : cooperation with other participants (20%), alternatively powered delivery vehicles (17%) and the bundling of shipments from different
service providers (14%).

Diesel under pressure

The diesel engine is under pressure, and consequently many companies are too. Twenty-eight percent of respondents say that (diesel) driving bans jeopardize the profitability of their company. Thirty-three percent already have alternative drives in use in their company, and 41% want to integrate alternative drives into their fleet in the near future. Only 11% want to retrofit existing vehicles. Overall, 54% of respondents say their company will invest in new vehicles.

Cargolux Airlines Nature’s friend

For years now, Cargolux had taken a number of ethical measures protecting animal rights. It had banned a number of controversial commodities such as lion bone or hunting trophies from shipment across its network.

Cargolux Airlines made headlines in June when it successfully transported two captured Beluga whales—Little Grey and Little White—from China to Iceland. They traveled some 6,000 miles to claim freedom for the first time after more than 12 years in captivity in a Shanghai amusement park entertaining countless spectators every day to their new home, the world’s first open water sanctuary for Beluga whales. Their move heralds a major step to global efforts to protect beluga whales and other wildlife in captivity.

Created by the global marine wildlife charity, Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC), the SEA LIFE TRUST Beluga Whale Sanctuary is one of the biggest developments in captive whale and dolphin care and protection in decades and the first of its kind to be created for cetaceans.

The Luxembourg – based Cargolux Airlines , Europe ‘ s leading all-cargo airline with its modern and efficient fleet consisting of 14 Boeing 747-8 freighters and 16 Boeing 747-400 freighters, made the epic journey possible with careful planning, technical experts and time-tested capabilities to undertake special projects.

No to hunting trophies

Cargolux Airlines CEO Richard Forson, a first generation South African-Chinese, told Air Cargo Update nature is something close to his heart growing up in the African continent communing with animals, wildlife & their natural environment.

In an interview in Munich , Germany where Cargolux participated in Air Cargo Europe 2019, Forson shared there’s a need for a global movement to protect more nature and wildlife.

“I was born and bred in South Africa,” Forson shared. “I’ve seen the decimation of the elephant population. For example, elephants are killed for fashion items. Snakes are killed to make handbags and other fashionable items,” he said lamenting the practice’s impact to the wildlife’s population that if not changed would make them extinct.

Illegal wildlife trade is indeed a serious crime threatening the world’s wildlife population. It is in fact a multibillion business and is today the world’s top fourth transnational crime.

The United Nations estimated the value of illegal wildlife trade in 2016 as somewhere between USD7-23 billion annually while the Interpol recently pegged its value at USD20 billion. Africa appears to be the most vulnerable for animal poaching devastating its wildlife populations, threatening their survival for years to come.

For years now, Cargolux had taken a number of ethical measures protecting animal rights. It had banned a number of controversial commodities such as lion bone or hunting trophies from shipment across its network.

The airline is also a signatory to the United for Wildlife International Taskforce on the Transportation of Illegal Wildlife Products to fight illegal animal trafficking. And as an advocate for animal welfare, Cargolux reviews each demand for animal transport carefully to ensure ethical practices are upheld throughout the transportation chain.

Sustaining Growth

Forson first came to work for Cargolux in 2012. By 2016, he was tapped to lead the company which has more than 2,000 employees world wide . Remarkably , the company made unprecedented financial growth when he assumed his post and the momentum keeps going.

“I think a lot of it depended on the market and also being in a position to work as a team,” Forson modestly said when asked how he managed to bring major profits within just a short period of time.

“It started in 2016, the fourth quarter, it was really a surprise for every one in the industry . I t improved in 2017 and 2018 was also a very good year for us.”

Cargolux’s consolidated net profit after tax for 2018 amounted to USD211.2 million, nearly double its 2017 profit of USD122.3 million despite a global softening in market demand in the second half of 2018.

The company attributed its good performance to increased demand for its transport solutions with the Cargolux Group producing a total of 8,409 FTKs across its worldwide network while the available ton kilometers grew to 12,375 million resulting in an overall load factor of 67.9% for the year.

Forson also credited their growth t o “ strong focus of the management on their capacities and yields, increased demand for specialized shipments, a record year for our charter division and the diversification into offering ACMI solutions all contributed to the performance achieved” and their dedicated staff.

“No one is more important than the other. If I don’t have someone to load in the aircraft, we won’t be able to fly,” Forson said of their operations. “It’s a 24/7 365 job as far as I’m concerned, day or night it’s up in the air (the freighters).”

He added that he continues to encourage employees to work harder to make Cargolux a success. “I tell them if they want sustainable jobs then help me make Cargolux a sustainable business from a financial perspective, from an environmental perspective while keeping our social responsibility towards employees and the community that we operate in.”

The CEO said it helps that Cargolux continues to invest on people, technology, facilities and infrastructure making their work easier and more efficient for customers who demand quality service.

“To be sustainable we have to be agile. We have to be flexible. And to do that you have to be ready to change in a moment’s notice. You have to accept that there will be some issues along the way but the important thing for me is to realize that there are solutions available

for those issues,” said Forson who has been in the aviation industry since 1990 working his way up to become the CEO of one of the world’s biggest cargo carriers.

Cargolux plans to hire more people while taking major transformations like completely overhauling its IT system to streamline processes, synergize teams internally and enhance customer experience.

Forson said these are all part of the company’s lean and green philosophy and on going digitalization initiatives.

“We’re now taking it to the next step. A lot of things will be automated,” he said.

Cargolux seems to be heading for another busy year. The cargo carrier announced in June it’s serving Jakarta , the 16th destination in its Asia-Pacific network. The once a week flight leaves the Grand-Duchy on Sunday and arrives in Jakarta on Monday. The rotation then continues through Hong Kong and Ashgabat before returning to Luxembourg on Tuesday morning.

On July 1, it launched a third weekly frequency to Xiamen to meet growing customer demand. The new service , C V 9 7 2 1 i s operated every Monday morning, departing Luxembourg at 8:10 a.m. with arrival in Xiamen on Tuesday at 4:40 a.m.

The return flight, CV9731, is scheduled to leave Xiamen at 6:15 a.m. and is routed through Los Angeles before returning to Luxembourg where it lands at 6:15 a.m. (All times provided are local), cementing Cargolux ‘ s strong position in China and on transpacific trade lanes

Little Grey and Little White’s epic journey back to the wild

 “The world’s first whale sanctuary represents a pathway to the end of the keeping of whales and dolphins confined for entertainment. We are proud to be a partner of this important project that will improve welfare for these belugas, and show the world that there is an alternative to whale and dolphin captivity.”

 Little Grey and Little W h i t e continues to do well after safely landing in Iceland on June 19 following a 6,000 mile flight from China.

The SEA LIFE Trust says the two captive whales will continue to be monitored while in the sanctuary in a natural bay on Heimaey, one of the Westman Islands, located off the southern coast of Iceland.

Throughout their 11.30-12-hour flight journey, Little Grey and Little White were monitored by their care teams to ensure they remained safe and comfortable. A Cargolux engineer and a team of global veterinary expert swith experience i n transporting marine mammals were also on board, to guarantee the whale’s welfare, whilst ensuring flight safety requirements were upheld.

“We’re absolutely delighted Little Grey and Little White have safely touched down in Iceland. This is a complex but inspiring project and we’ve been working with the whales for months helping to prepare them for travelling to their new home,” said Andy Bool, Head of SEA LIFE Trust.

“We’ll continue to carefully monitor the whales but we’re pleased with their overall progress and welfare checks, which have been taking place throughout the relocation. The co- ordination of this project has been down to so many people and we’re extremely grateful for all their hard work, and are thrilled this epic journey has gone as planned.”

The 747-400ERF freighter plane was welcomed onto the tarmac with a ceremonial water salute from two fire trucks firing a water arc over the plane, in celebration of Iceland’s newest residents’ safe arrival.

Richard Forson, Cargolux President and Chief Executive Officer, added: “We are delighted that Little Grey and Little White enjoyed a seamless journey onboard our Cargolux aircraft. The success of this undertaking is the reflection of the dedication and commitment of teams
across all of our organisations who worked tirelessly to make this happen.

“This epic relocation required  complex logistical efforts, and we are proud to have been part of this incredible journey. We hope that Little Grey and Little White rapidly adapt to their new home and that their story will serve as a precedent for other cetaceans held in captivity.”

Created in partnership with global marine wildlife charity, Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC), the SEA LIFE TRUST Beluga Whale Sanctuary is one of the biggest developments in captive whale and dolphin care and protection in decades and the first of its kind to be created for cetaceans. “Having been originally involved in discussions about a sanctuary with SEA LIFE 20 years ago, and having helped with this beluga whale project from the beginning, WDC is naturally very excited to be part of the welcoming committee for Little White and Little Grey as they touch down in Iceland,” Cathy Williamson, Whale and Dolphin Conservation’s End Captivity Programme Policy Manager concluded.

“The world’s first whale sanctuary represents a pathway to the end of the keeping of whales and dolphins confined for entertainment. We are proud to be a partner of this important project that will improve welfare for these belugas, and show the world that there is an alternative to whale and dolphin captivity.”

The sheltered bay will be the world’s first open water sanctuary for beluga whales in what is a ground-breaking
global marine welfare project. The bay, which measures approximately 32,000 sqm with a depth of up to 10m has been chosen to provide a more natural sub-Arctic environment and wilder habitat for these amazing whales to call home.

 

UASL selects Hermes NG for Santiago Airport Chile

Chile-based ground handler UASL of the Ultramar Group is the launch customer for Hermes NG, a Cloud-hosted, fully modular, pay-as-you-go cargo management ecosystem.

UASL will use Hermes NG’s Business Intelligence (BI) module for event reporting and analysis at Santiago Airport (SCL) to improve handling efficiency and boost handling times to meet Customs’ service requirements.

UASL chose the BI module of Hermes NG after Hermes’ flagship cargo management system, Hermes 5 (H5), was completed in quarter four last year.

“BI generates smart data, not just data, and the app’s in-built event reporting means users can look into when, where and why issues like bottle-necks arise, at any point in the cargo handling process,” said Alex Labonne, Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Hermes.

“This event-based data can then be used to make informed and targeted operations level decisions that improve both efficiency and reporting.”

Hermes NG is built on the technology behind H5, and its modules can be used as standalone applications or to expand the cargo management capability of H5.

“We went with the BI module of Hermes NG because of its well-designed and easy to learn user interface that makes adoption natural and simple,” said Diego Castillo, Operational Project Manager, UASL.

“It is still uncommon to use advanced systems like Hermes NG for business insights in the cargo logistics industry in Chile, so the BI module will give us an edge over our competitors.”

UASL will be the first company globally to adopt Hermes NG when the final testing phase wraps up at the end of this month.

“As a modular system, customers can choose individual NG apps on a need-to-use basis, and because Hermes NG is entirely Cloud-hosted, there is no need for servers or data-infrastructure, reducing capital expenditure significantly,” said Mr Labonne.

“Hermes NG, as a cargo management ecosystem, creates real value for our customers and their business partners while marking the launch of a new kind of business model.”

Construction for dedicated freight terminal finishes at BUD airport

Builders have completed the construction of the structure of the largest building in Budapest Airport’s (BUD) dedicated freight terminal, BUD Cargo City.

The external structure of the larger of two warehouse buildings, which covers 21,600 m2, was completed in only nine months since the project began, and BUD cargo staff, builders and regional partners celebrated with a topping out ceremony.

Speaking at the event, Rene Droese, Chief Property and Cargo Officer said: “The topping out ceremony marks another important step towards the opening of BUD Cargo City, which will cement our position as the air cargo hub for Central and Eastern Europe.”

“Since record-breaking air cargo volumes and growth in 2018, handled volumes have remained stable at BUD this year, bucking the industry-wide trend for 2019.”

Work will now continue on the interior of the building which will also include office space.

“The pre-leasing ratio of BUD Cargo City demonstrates a clear demand for high-quality facilities, and we believe that with all efforts and steps to create an ideal home for air cargo at BUD, we will attract much more cargo from our catchment zone in the future than today,” said Droese.

BUD Cargo City will also include a dedicated forwarder building measuring 11,200 m2 and a 32,000 m2 concrete apron.

This will provide additional new parking positions for the simultaneous handling of two Boeing B-747-8F type aircraft, enhancing cargo apron capacities.

Construction of BUD Cargo City is financed by Budapest Airport, and is set for completion in quarter four this year.

Etihad Cargo announces Emirati leadership appointments

Etihad Aviation Group’s cargo and logistics arm, Etihad Cargo, has announced several Emirati national appointments into key leadership positions within its commercial divisions. A key towards improving its Global Customer program, as well as boosting its share of the UAE home market, the cargo airline announced several appointments.

The first of which is Bader Ahmed Al Ali, who has been part of Etihad Cargo since 2010 and will now serve as senior manager of Commercial for the UAE home market. Overseeing key accounts, which includes UAE-based customer and government entities, Al Ali will oversee a newly formed UAE Commercial team with several new Emirati additions. The team will include Raya Mohamed Ibrahim (UAE Key Accounts), Hessa Al Shehhi (Government Key Accounts) and Aref Al Mulla (Dubai & Northern Emirates Sales).

Over at its Global Customer program and Cargo Loyalty scheme, Haleema Al Hosani has been appointed as senior manager of both commercial programmes. Prior to being appointed into her new role, Al Hosani held positions with the Abu Dhabi Department of Transport, the Abu Dhabi Aviation Sector Development Committee and the International Civil Aviation Organization Air Transport Regulatory Panel.

Commenting on the appointments, Abdulla Mohamed Shadid, managing director Cargo and Logistics Services at Etihad Aviation Group, said: “Today Etihad is proud to see these talented Emirati individuals take up leadership positions within Etihad Cargo. Since our inception 15 years ago, Etihad Cargo has grown rapidly to cement its place as a top 20 global air cargo carrier.

“Our Global Customer program, our loyalty scheme and our UAE home market have all been key catalysts for this growth, and today’s key Emirati appointments are a further signal of our commitment to better serve these segments while developing our top Emirati talents into key leadership positions”.

AGCS appoints new heads of Aviation & Marine

Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty SE (AGCS) has announced the appointments of Tom Fadden as AGCS Global Head of Aviation and Ulrich Kadow as AGCS Global Head of Marine.

Allianz Global Corporate and SpecialtyFadden will take over his role with immediate effect from Michael Hansen, while Kadow will succeed current Global Head of Marine and Energy Simon Buxton from July 1, 2019.

Both will report directly to Paul O’Neill, Chief Underwriting Officer for Specialty, who will directly oversee the Energy line of business on an interim basis.

Fadden is currently Regional Head of Aviation for Regional Unit London and Global Airline Product Leader, and will maintain his leadership role upon taking up his new post.

He joined Allianz in 2004 and has held his current leadership roles since June 2016, prior to which he held a variety of aviation positions, including Senior Airline Underwriter, Airline Underwriting Manager and Global Airline Product Leader.

Fadden has over 30 years of aviation insurance experience and started his career at British Aviation Insurance Group/ Global Aerospace, where he worked as a Product Underwriter and Senior Airline Underwriter.

Kadow, meanwhile, is currently Chief Agent of AGCS Canada, and will maintain a dual leadership role for both the country and the Marine line of business until a successor in Canada is confirmed.

He originally joined AGCS in 2006 and has led the company’s Canadian business since May 2015.

While at AGCS, Kadow held a variety of positions across Europe, Asia and North America, and, prior to his move to Toronto, was Global Head of Package & Multiline, where he established the mid-market Property, Liability and Engineering business in Canada, Asia, South Africa, Australia and Denmark.

“I welcome both Tom and Ulrich to the Specialty leadership team,” said O’Neill. “They are both well connected with clients and brokers globally and bring a strong management track record as well as profound underwriting expertise.”

“I have every confidence that together we will further drive growth and profitability in our Specialty business in the future,” he added.