Greenwich, Conn.-based global freight transportation and logistics services provider XPO Logistics said recently that its North American Drive XPO mobile app, for carrier, reached approximately 100,000 downloads in 2019, which it called a “digital milestone.”
Drive XPO, which is used by commercial truck drivers to search for loads, interfaces with XPO Connect, which was introduced by the company in April 2018. XPO said that the registered number of United States carriers using Drive XPO for XPO Connect, its digital freight marketplace, reached 18,000 in April 2019, 12 months after its initial launch, and it rose to 22,000 carriers in May 2019. XPO cited the acceleration in traction to high user satisfaction with the XPO digital experience and the quality of ongoing enhancements. And it added that user ratings have made Drive XPO a top-ranked app in its category at the iOS and Android stores, where it can be downloaded at no charge.
With recent announcement, XPO said that approximately 100,000 drivers downloaded Drive XPO in 2019, with carrier registrations on XPO Connect at more than 40,000.
“XPO is the original disruptor in transportation innovation, and XPO Connect is a leading platform in the industry,” said Troy Cooper, president of XPO Logistics, in a statement. “Carriers are excited to get such a high level of visibility for their business. Drivers give the app high marks for ease of use and proactive income opportunities, like backhauls that reduce empty miles. These are all reasons behind the rapid adoption we’re seeing.”
In October 2018, XPO announced changes to the XPO Connect and the Drive XPO mobile app, saying that the offerings had been expanded to add counteroffers to the online experience, with the new functionality able to generate digital counteroffers to carrier bids that are not accepted and based on real-time market conditions. And when a carrier agrees to a counteroffer, XPO said the freight is immediately visible in a truck driver’s assigned loads.
Shippers can use XPO Connect to purchase transportation more efficiently and also can see fluctuations in capacity, compare spot rates from carriers, assign loads and track their freight, an XPO spokesman explained. And he added that carriers are using the same XPO Connect technology to locate loads by geography, bid on freight and reduce empty miles, coupled with an electronic proof of delivery feature.
This year the Lufthansa Group will be hiring more than 4,500 new employees in Germany, Austria and Switzerland as things stand in present; among them, 3,000 hires will take place in Germany. This involves both re-placement appointments due to fluctuation and, in some cases, job increases. The focus of the recruitment planned in the DACH countries is “on the ground” with around 2,500 positions. Almost 1,300 new flight attendants are to be hired across the Lufthansa Group.
Around 1,000 new employees are slated to be hired at the core brand Lufthansa in 2020. 450 prospective flight attendants alone will begin their training at the Munich location. In addition, 40 flying colleagues will be joining Lufthansa CityLine at the Bavarian hub. The Lufthansa subsidiary in Munich plans to employ approximately as many administrative staff. Furthermore, around 100 recruitments in administration are planned at Lufthansa, along with around 300 in ground operations. The crane airline is also looking for candidates in the area of IT and for other expert positions this year.
The focus on IT that was set last year continues across almost the entire Lufthansa Group, especially with the in-house IT service providers. For example, Lufthansa Industry Solutions is looking to hire around 350 new employees to meet the increasing need for IT services inside and outside the Lufthansa Group – technology specialists as well as specialists with industry-specific knowledge. Lufthansa Systems is also looking for IT specialists of all kinds at its international locations, with plans to hire around 200 people worldwide.
Lufthansa Group continues to be one of the most popular employers in Germany and has repetitively been ranked as one of the top three best employers by the well-known market research institute YouGov. This popularity is also reflected in the number of applicants as in 2019 alone, more than 190,000 external applications were received through the career platform lufthansagroup.careers.
“Our most important competitive advantage lies in our employees, who give their best for our customers and our company every day with their dedication and skills. This year we will again be looking for dedicated talent in the job market. Our diverse range of career opportunities speaks for itself,” says Michael Niggemann, who was appointed to the Executive Board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG effective January 2020 as Head of HR and Legal.
There are over 500 different job profiles at the Lufthansa Group, with its more than 550 subsidiaries and affiliates worldwide. The aviation group currently offers 28 classic apprenticeships at 16 different locations in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. There are also 13 dual-study programs and 4 trainee programs. In total, around 500 new hires for junior positions are planned for this year, including around 50 trainees. When it comes to young talent, Lufthansa Technik Group, based in Hamburg, is well ahead of the field: This year, there is a capacity of roughly 270 positions in apprenticeships or dual-study programs in the areas of aircraft technology, industry or logistics. Overall, Lufthansa Technik Group is planning a total of around 1,200 new hires in its home markets.
SWISS plans to hire more than 1,000 new employees this year, in which around 500 prospective flight attendants will be beginning their training. With the commissioning of two new Boeing 777 long-haul aircraft, the Swiss airline is creating more than 300 jobs in cabin, cockpit and technical areas across the calendar year. A long-haul aircraft is thus equivalent to a small and medium-sized enterprise, generating jobs for an average of 25 pilots, 10 technicians and 120 cabin employees.
Due to internal restructuring and cost-saving measures, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings and Lufthansa Cargo are currently imposing a hiring freeze; with some exceptions. Austrian Airlines will reduce its headcount due to competitive redimensioning. Nevertheless, the airline still plans to offer around 200 new jobs at the Vienna location in 2020. This is the case, for example, in the area of IT, since a new Lufthansa Group center of excellence is being established in Vienna. Austrian Airlines is also hiring young talent: 20 apprentices and a total of 13 students for the dual-study program “AirCelerate”.
Industry veteran South-African Jade Da Costa has joined Aero Africa from Intraspeed Group where he most recently held the position of group director from 2000 to 2020.
In his new position as Aero Africa’s CCO, Jade will be based in Johannesburg and responsible for group’s commercial activities and product development within the African continent.
“Jade is a great personality with an extensive skill set. He brings his experience and a strong track record in achieving substantial growth to the table,” commented Christos Spyrou CEO and founder.
“I am extremely excited with this opportunity in driving these innovative air cargo products into the African continent. I feel with this new venture the sky is the limit,” added Da Costa.
The Airports Council International (ACI) World Governing Board has announced that Luis Felipe de Oliveira will be the new Director-General of ACI World.
Mr. de Oliveira will succeed Angela Gittens who has successfully led the global voice of the world’s airports for twelve years, working collaboratively with the leadership of ACI’s five Regional Offices: Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin-America/Caribbean and North America. Ms. Gittens earlier announced her intention to retire at the end of June 2020.
Mr. de Oliveira is well known throughout the aviation industry. He is currently the Executive Director and CEO of the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA). Mr. de Oliveira will officially take up the role of Director General in June, with a 30-day formal transition.
“Felipe is an aviation leader with decades of experience in business development and strategic planning, and has led international teams, in the private and non-profit sectors,” ACI World Governing Board Chair Martin Eurnekian said. “Throughout his career in the aviation industry, he has established a strong record of building relationships at a global level and in the Americas, Middle East and Africa regions to advocate on behalf of the organizations he has represented”.
“This experience will stand him in good stead at ACI World as he builds on the tremendous success that Angela Gittens has delivered in the 12 years leading the organization.
“Angela has taken the organization from strength to strength, both building on ACI’s advocacy on behalf of its member airports as well as building capacity among the world’s community of airports ensuring that airports reach the highest level of performance in management and operations. ACI is recognized as the only truly global representative of the World’s airports and we, our members, and the aviation industry, are enormously grateful for her unrivalled dedication, hard work, and achievements.”
Prior to joining ALTA, Mr. de Oliveira held senior international roles with World Fuel Services and Shell, leading sales and business development activities across Latin America, Africa and Europe, in addition he also served International Air Transport Association (IATA) leading global initiatives and fuel, airport and Air Traffic Control campaigns for the Americas, Africa and the Middle East regions.
“I am honored to have been appointed to serve this important organization and continue actively working to develop the aviation industry, now as the voice of the airports around the world,” Mr. de Oliveira said. “It is not an easy task to replace Angela after so many successful years leading the organization with excellent results. With the support of the great ACI team in Montreal and the regions, we will be able to efficiently serve our members to improve this fascinating industry.”
Ms. Gittens began her tenure as Director General in 2008 following a prolific career in senior roles in the aviation industry. She was formerly airport CEO for Miami and Atlanta, Deputy at San Francisco International Airport and supervised management/ operations contracts at airports in the UK, US and Canada.
“ACI has had a long and mutually productive relationship with ALTA and with Luis Felipe de Oliveira,” ACI World Director General Angela Gittens said. “He brings the kind of collaborative, win-win approach to problem-solving that fits so well in the airport environment. His experience in multiple sectors in our industry will be a benefit as will his appreciation for the federated nature of ACI which is key to forwarding the progress of the highly diverse airport sector.”
FedEx Corp., recently announced that Raj Subramaniam, the Company’s president and chief operating officer, has been elected to the Board of Directors. With his election, the Board now has 13 members, including 11 independent directors.
Mr. Subramaniam oversees the strategic direction and execution of business priorities for the FedEx portfolio of operating companies, which includes more than 490,000 team members at FedEx Express, FedEx Ground, FedEx Freight, FedEx Services, FedEx Logistics and FedEx Office. He is also a member of the Company’s five-person Executive Committee and serves as co-president and co-CEO of FedEx Services, which provides support functions for major FedEx business units.
“Raj has played a pivotal role in the growth and success of FedEx during his 29 years with the company,” said Frederick W. Smith, chairman and CEO of FedEx Corporation. “His international experience and keen insights will serve the Company well in his role as a member of the Board.”
Prior to assuming his role as president and chief operating officer of FedEx Corp., Mr. Subramaniam was president and chief executive officer of FedEx Express, the world’s largest express transportation company. He also served as executive vice president and chief marketing and communications officer for FedEx Corp., overseeing all aspects of the company’s global marketing and communications, including advertising, brand and reputation, product and business development, e-commerce, retail marketing, and digital access. His portfolio also included oversight of global customer experience, revenue management, corporate strategy, and innovation.
Mr. Subramaniam joined FedEx in 1991. During his tenure at FedEx, he served in Hong Kong where he led marketing activities for the Asia-Pacific region. In 2003, he was promoted to president of FedEx Express in Canada before moving back to the US as senior vice president of marketing and communications for FedEx Services in 2006.
The UK-based firm have appointed Aaron Dillon as Operations Manager. Dillon, who has experience of quality and service management in the education industry, will manage the day-to-day running of the business.
Andrea Howard has started as Academic Manager. Latitude said she brings expertise in both language and air traffic control. Howard will ensure academic integrity of services and also manage the instructor team.
Latitude Aviation also announced a 24-week command program for 52 Air Traffic Control Officers for an Air Navigation Service Provider in the Middle East.
The 96-hour program comprises self-access e-learning and Virtual Instructor Led Training (VILT) for ATCOs to maintain ICAO level 4. ATCOs can practice operational language with the Latitude team in groups of up to 4. VILT sessions can be booked to fit in around their individual shift patterns and personal lives.
Dubai has launched the World Logistics Passport, a major initiative to boost trade between Africa, Latin America and Asia, at the World Economic Forum summit in Davos.
The initiative links Customs World, DP World, and Emirates Group to enhance connectivity through Dubai and, through expertise sharing and process development, directly between partner countries.
A pilot project operational since July has increased trade by participants by 10 percent, a statement said.
It added that the World Logistics Passport has been designed to overcome the non-tariff trade barriers, such as logistics inefficiency, that currently limit the growth of trade between developing markets.
South-South trade is already worth an estimated $4.28 trillion annually, more than half of total developing countries exports in 2018, according to the World Trade Organization. But many countries in Asia, Latin America and Africa have much smaller market shares in key export products in each other’s markets compared to their shares in developed countries, indicating the potential for substantial further growth, boosting prosperity.
Designed as a points loyalty scheme, the initiative has been set up to incentivize companies and traders to use Dubai’s logistics facilities in return for cost and time savings and enhanced customs clearances.
This aims to increase the ease of moving goods in Dubai and foster more optimal direct trade routes between Latin America, Africa and Asia.
Globally, the World Logistics Passport will enable partner countries to leverage the expertise of Dubai’s institutions, such as DP World’s global logistic network of ports and economic parks, Emirates Group’s worldwide Dnata and SkyCargo network, and Dubai’s expertise in Customs and trade governance.
Attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, president of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and chairman and CEO of Emirates Airline and Group, said, “Through this strategy, we will offer many privileges and services that will help connect international markets by mobilizing Dubai’s resources and infrastructure.
“The investments we made in Dubai’s airports, ports and free zones have made the city a global logistics hub and a bridge between the east and the west. The Dubai Silk Road strategy responds to the changes in international trade by offering new state-of-the-art logistics services using the latest smart applications.”
Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori, Minister of Economy of the UAE, added, “These efforts are aimed at improving quality of service and attracting a higher share of international trade at a time when Dubai is preparing to host Expo 2020.The World Logistics Passport marks the beginning of the implementation of the Dubai Silk Road strategy that will lead to a new phase of economic growth. We aim to further boost Dubai’s position as a global economic and business hub, powered by our exceptional connectivity and logistics.”
Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, group chairman and CEO, DP World, and Chairman of Ports, Customs and Freezone Corporation (PCFC) in Dubai said, “The World Logistics Passport will make trade through Dubai quicker, easier and more cost-effective, and help develop the economies of our partner countries.”
Kuehne + Nagel, one of the world’s leading logistics providers, sets path for further and accelerated growth in Asia Pacific. In order to target an even stronger role in logistics all over Asia, the company has decided to concentrate strengths and to combine its so far two Asian organizations into one strong region. With immediate effect, the new Asia Pacific region with about 10,000 professionals will be headquartered in Singapore. The two current regional managers Mr. Jens Drewes and Mr. Siew Loong Wong will jointly lead the ambitious development of Kuehne + Nagel in Asia Pacific.
Dr. Joerg Wolle, Chairman of the Board of Directors Kuehne + Nagel International AG said, “Kuehne + Nagel has shown great success all over Asia Pacific in the recent years and built up an already strong position in this remarkable region of the world. We strongly believe that Asia Pacific will be the driver of the global economic development in the years to come. The joint leadership of the region by two proven executives will prepare the ground for a new dimension of organic and inorganic growth of our networks to even better serve our customers.”
Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) has renewed a five-year strategic partnership agreement with Agility’s Fairs and Events, a division of Agility Global Integrated Logistics. This MoU will continue to enhance ADNEC’s service offering to exhibitors and event organizers with a full range of logistics and freight forwarding services.
Agility is one of the largest integrated logistics providers in the world with more than 26,000 employees and operations in 100 countries. Under the MoU, ADNEC and Agility will continue the success of their established, mutually beneficial cooperation with the aim of providing ADNEC customers with world-leading logistics solutions.
Commenting on the agreement, H.E. Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, MD and Group CEO of ADNEC at ADNEC said, “ADNEC is committed to providing our clients and customers with the highest quality services across our facilities. To further show our commitment on this, we have partnered with Agility again to ensure the seamless provision of highly efficient and cost-effective logistics solutions to exhibitors and organisers.”
H.E. added, “The collaboration with Agility will continue the significant improvements we’ve put in place with them over the last five years with operational and cost efficiencies, while further showcasing a competitive edge. Additionally, this partnership will continue to boost the leading status of Abu Dhabi as a key destination for business tourism.”
Elias Monem, Agility GIL, CEO – Middle East, said, “This strategic partnership with ADNEC further strengthens Agility’s position as a market leader within the fairs and events sector, allowing us to provide highly sophisticated logistics solutions to ADNEC customers. Agility offers a wide range of supply chain solutions to meet both traditional and complex customer needs. In addition to air, ocean and road freight forwarding, warehousing, distribution, Agility Abu Dhabi also offers specialized services for fairs and events that mirrors the specific needs of ADNEC and its exhibitors.”
In a bid to further contribute to enhancing trade flow in Dubai’s free zones, DP World UAE region and Dubai South signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enable its flagship free zone, Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) and Dubai South to facilitate the seamless entry and exit of goods between them and enhance services to their customers.
Khalifa Al Zaffin, executive chairman of Dubai Aviation City Corporation and Dubai South said, “In line with the vision of our leaders to maintain Dubai’s excellence in the facilitation of goods and services, the signing of agreement with DP World is part of our proactive efforts to ensure more efficient operations and, thereby, smoother transport of goods between the Dubai South and Jafza. This will provide great benefits, especially for companies and participants of the upcoming Expo 2020, which will require easy processing of their entry and exit between these free zones.”
Mohammed Al Muallem, CEO & managing director of DP World, UAE region and CEO of Jafza said, “DP World, UAE region and Dubai South have taken a major step towards further enhancing the logistics and supply chain efficiencies required to support the on-going work at Expo 2020 site. As the Premier Global Trade Partner of Expo 2020, DP World’s flagship Jebel Ali Port is the principal gateway to Expo-related cargo. We believe the thousands of companies using the port and operating out of Jafza and Dubai South will benefit immensely as a result of our cooperation.”
The MoU explores various areas of cooperation between DP World, UAE Region and Dubai South aimed at enhancing the services for customers at the security gates by unifying policies and procedures between the two free zones. In addition to the supply chain route efficiencies, the two sides will also engage in an exchange of knowledge in leading industry practices that would further enhance the management of trade flows between Jafza and Dubai South.
Dubai South has been one of the fastest-growing free zones and preferred trade gateway in the UAE, serving key regional markets including Middle East, Africa, and South Asia. The 145-square-kilometers free zone is the venue of Expo 2020 and is close to Dubai’s second state-of-the-art airport, the Al Maktoum International and one of the world’s busiest ports, Jebel Ali Port. Dubai South’s Logistics Corridor, a unique 200-square kilometers custom bonded zone that connects air, land, and sea, pioneering a new global standard for goods handling within four hours from sea to air.
DP World UAE region is a key engine of economic growth for Dubai, contributing to over a third of the GDP (33.4 percent). The holistic ecosystem it has created through Jebel Ali Port and Jafza offers an end-to-end logistics landscape unique to the region, reaching out to over 3.5 billion people in some of the most dynamic emerging economies in the world today. Jafza is home to over 7,500 companies, while Jebel Ali Port handled 3.6 million twenty-foot equivalent container units (TEUs) in Q3 2019.
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
