Unilode and Cargolux installed Bluetooth readers at cargo warehouses in order to increase visibility of ULD and create efficiencies.
Unilode, which provides ULDs to Cargolux along with related repair and maintenance services, said that the readers provide “further transparency and enhanced tracking for shipments”.
Franco Nanna, Cargolux director global logistics services, said: “Unilode’s investment into digitalization will benefit the value chain, and especially the cumbersome and time-consuming work done by ground handlers and freight forwarders to manually list and count single ULD references via numerous message and email exchanges will drastically be reduced. This is fundamental to further improve the efficiency of ULD processing.”
Unilode chief executive Benoît Dumont added: “Digitalization will add further value to our strategic ULD management partnership and Unilode’s digital ULDs will be able to provide significant benefits to Cargolux and its customers in the global supply chain, especially due to the location and temperature monitoring features of our digital assets. We look forward to our continued successful partnership.”
Portuguese carrier TAP Air Cargo is now hosting its available airfreight capacity on cargo.one, following the integration of its systems with the e-booking platform.
As of this week, freight forwarders can use cargo.one to book TAP’s capacity in key European countries such as Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, UK, Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, Italy and France.
TAP said its presence on cargo.one follows its recent drive for e-AWB adoption, which is also part of its digitization strategy.
Miguel de Paiva Gomes, global chief cargo officer at TAP, commented, “Offering customers a first-class service and seamless booking experience from A-Z with the help of technology is one of our key aspirations in our digitalization strategy.
“Cargo.one empowers us to digitize a crucial part of our value chain and thus, to increase operational efficiency while at the same time reducing substantial costs. Together with this experienced partner, we will be able to drive innovation much faster.”
Moritz Claussen, founder and managing director at cargo.one, added: “TAP Air Cargo is a prime example of an airline that leveraged and augmented its existing systems through collaboration and with a can-do-mindset. Throughout Covid-19, our teams have been working hand in hand to achieve fantastic and tangible results under extraordinary circumstances. The integration process has set another industry benchmark.”
Bernardo Nunes, senior manager for product, services and business development at TAP Air Cargo — and who also led the transformation process on the airline side — said: “Cargo.one enabled us to build upon existing structures and has given us a lot of new functionalities. Together with their integration expert team that took lots of work off our shoulders, we managed to set up a future-proof system”.
Security firm Smiths Detection has enhanced its HI-SCAN 10080 XCT scanner with iCMORE algorithms to enhance its ability to detect lithium batteries and dangerous goods such as flammable liquids and solids.
With iCMORE, Smiths Detection can now ‘reliably and accurately detect potentially dangerous lithium batteries’, alongside other dangerous goods, across both its conventional X-ray and its EDS technologies. The iCMORE lithium batteries and dangerous goods algorithms are complementary adaptions to existing screening technology.
Smiths Detection said that the screening of dangerous goods is not yet mandatory for air-cargo screening or passenger baggage in the hold.
However, rechargeable and non-rechargeable lithium batteries – which power devices such as smartphones, tablets, cameras, laptops and power banks – are classified as dangerous goods by the air-transportation industry because of the risk of them igniting during flights.
“Since 2006, the US Federal Aviation Administration has recorded more than 260 incidents of smoke, heat, fire or explosion involving lithium batteries in air cargo or baggage,” Smiths Detection informed. “Furthermore, the transporting of flammable liquids and solids as well as compressed and liquefied gasses continues to pose threats to airport operators, airlines and cargo companies.”
Richard Thompson, global director of aviation at Smiths Detection, commented: “As a trusted partner to airports across the world, we are striving to develop new technologies to counteract new and emerging threats.”
“The iCMORE modules for both lithium batteries and dangerous goods further enhance the HI-SCAN 10080 XCT, streamlining the hold-baggage and air-cargo screening process without burdening operators. Using this technology will not only make aviation safer but can also help prevent costly fines for shipping dangerous goods in a non-compliant way as well as helping safeguard the global supply of goods, which is essential given the need for medical supplies – for example – to be shipped without interruption.”
RSA Global, a digital freight forwarding and logistics service provider headquartered in Dubai with extensive presence in India, has partnered with JUSDA Supply Chain, a part of Foxconn Technology Group and the world’s leading end-to-end supply chain management platform company, to operate multiple air cargo flights from India to the US transporting COVID-19 related essential pharmaceutical goods supplying the pharma industry in the US. The first flight operated by air carrier National Airlines delivering pharmaceutical products departed seamlessly from India on June 11th, 2020.
India is the third largest producer of pharmaceuticals in the world by volume supplying 20% of global exports of “generic” drugs with the US being one of its biggest markets. As the US has been dramatically hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and consequently been facing bottlenecks in essential COVID-19 related supplies, India has been increasingly sending pharmaceutical supplies to the US supporting the country’s pharma industry during those difficult times.
With a global wide network comprising more than 155 locations, a warehouse footprint of two million square meters, and an extensive presence across India, JUSDA India’s strength lies in providing end-to-end supply chain solutions and air cargo services for diverse industries including the pharma industry. Combined with the fact that the India-US trade lane is one of JUSDA’s main operating routes, the company has the required expertise to handle sensitive COVID-19 pharma shipments to the US professionally.
RSA Global, founded in 2009 in the UAE, has been actively building its global network through various technology platforms. Today, the logistics service provider operates more than 500,000 square meters of warehousing and open yard space and is able to offer air and sea freight services in over 90 countries. In 2018, RSA Global entered the Indian market and has been developing cargo export services together with its various partners.
“Given JUSDA’s wide presence in India and extensive experience in air cargo shipments, we are confident that we found the right partner to deliver high quality air cargo services from India to the world, supporting the pharma and other industries”, said Abhishek Ajay Shah, CEO & CO-Founder of RSA Global.
“As part of JUSDA’s growth strategy in the Middle East & Africa region, we are looking to work with strong local partners such as RSA Global. We are delighted to collaborate with RSA Global and leverage the strategic location of Dubai to build international freight, multi-modal distribution, and cross border e-commerce services into the MENA region”, said Saurabh Goyal, General Manager of JUSDA India.
Airfreight rate declines out of Shanghai have shown signs of stabilizing over the last week.
The latest figures from TAC Index show that prices from Shanghai to North America last week declined by 4.3% compared with the previous week to $4.50 per kg.
From Shanghai to Europe prices slipped by 2.4% week on week to $3.21 per kg.
Prices from the Chinese hub have been declining rapidly over recent weeks after they surged in March, April in May due to urgent demand for personal protective equipment and the loss of bellyhold capacity.
However, the rate of decline has slowed over the last couple of weeks and prices are still above the figure for the same week a year ago, when carriers were charging an average of $2.42 per kg to Europe and $3.38 per kg to North America.
Meanwhile, prices from Hong Kong to North America last week declined by 18.5% to $4.55 per kg, while to Europe they were down 15.8% to $3.25 per kg.
The latest update from Accenture’s Seabury Consulting shows that capacity was last week 27% down on a year ago.
This is roughly the level it has been out over the last few weeks.
Volga-Dnepr Airlines has operated six AN-124-100 charters, transporting 48 street sterilization vehicles from China to the United Arab Emirates. The special flights delivered the trucks from Shanghai to Dubai for final destination Abu Dhabi, where the vehicles will be used for a ‘National Disinfection Program’ in preventative action against COVID-19.
All flights were in cooperation with Volga-Dnepr Airline’s long-term partner and colleague in the heavy-lift market – Maximus Air. Each flight was loaded with 8 trucks, utilizing 3 aircraft within a 4-day period– made possible by the world’s largest fleet of AN-124-100s.
The Volga-Dnepr Group has been operating multiple charter flights daily as the international community battles against the spread of COVID-19. The full fleets of Volga-Dnepr Airlines, Air Bridge Cargo and Atran have all been utilized to meet the demand for transporting vast volumes of air freight worldwide. While the majority of commodities flown have been PPE, the Volga-Dnepr charter team have also been delivering crucial oversized/ heavy-lift equipment to support global health infrastructures. The range of air cargo flown, is enabled by the diverse fleet that is unique to the Volga-Dnepr Group.
Through thirty-years of experience in supporting international aid and relief efforts, the Volga-Dnepr team is qualified to mitigate the challenges of the current global crisis. From years of participating in various emergency response programs, Volga-Dnepr’s accumulated know-how enables it to overcome the new dynamic conditions of the air freight industry, particularly when transporting oversized/ heavy-lift cargo, where the Group’s foundations lie.
Humanitarian Director for Volga-Dnepr Group, Stuart Smith, has highlighted how the response from the three airlines have been able to support its partners; “Volga-Dnepr Group’s ability to provide customized solutions during this critical period is demonstrated by our incredible number of daily charters transporting medical and sanitary equipment. All four aircraft types operated by the Volga-Dnepr Group have been flying around the clock to keep international supply chains open. Each aircraft type is able to uniquely provide different solutions depending on the needs of our customers in the air freight industry. The six AN-124-100s operated on behalf of Maximus, exemplify the range of services that Volga-Dnepr can provide – transporting air freight of all sizes to all destinations; services that are proven by the recognition of our valued piers in the industry.”
Emirates SkyCargo will be operating scheduled cargo flights to 100 destinations across six continents during the month of July 2020. Some of the new cities added to the air cargo carrier’s network include Accra, Algiers, Athens, Fort Lauderdale, Glasgow, Larnaca, Los Angeles, Male, Moscow (SVO), Phnom Penh, Rome, Santiago, Sialkot and Tunis.
Emirates SkyCargo’s network expansion is in response to the growing economic activity and demand for air cargo capacity from markets across the world along with Emirates’ increased passenger flight operations. By offering multiple daily or weekly cargo flight frequencies to major production and pandemic as well as machinery and equipment required for manufacturing and several key economic sectors across global trade lanes.
In addition to scheduled services, Emirates SkyCargo also operates a number of special charter flights every week to transport a range of commodities from Personal Protective Supplies (PPE) and pharmaceuticals to food and outsized machinery and components.
The freight division of Emirates offers an innovative range of cargo capacity options for businesses and exporters on its modern, wide-body aircraft fleet. In addition to loading of cargo in the belly hold, Emirates SkyCargo has introduced loading of select cargo on the passenger seats and in the overhead bins of the passenger cabin of its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. Recently the carrier also modified 10 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft from its fleet by removing seats from the Economy Class in the passenger cabin to make room for additional cargo. Emirates SkyCargo also operates 11 Boeing 777 F full freighters currently deployed to over 30 destinations every week.
Emirates SkyCargo places a strong emphasis on the safety of operations. Working with its partners, including ground handlers, the carrier has introduced a number of strict guidelines on cabin loading of cargo covering the type of permitted cargo as well as proper packaging and handling in accordance with IATA guidelines.
Saudia Cargo has operated more than 1500 flights since the COVID-19 restrictions came into effect in March. 500 of these flights have been operated using passenger aircraft deployed for international air cargo, according to an announcement by the company. The move reflects the efforts the company has exerted to fight COVID-19.
From March through June, Saudia Cargo has transported around 75,000 tons of vital shipments to the Kingdom including medical and PPE equipment as part of the Saudi health authorities’ efforts to prevent the spread of the pandemic.
Saudia Cargo CEO Omar Hariri pointed out the company has, since COVID-19, mobilized its vast logistics resources to ensure the smooth delivery of medical shipments to the Kingdom and has established an integrated cargo air bridge specifically for this purpose.
The company, Hariri noted, has operated a combined fleet of freighter and passenger aircraft enhancing all operations related to the air transportation of medical equipment and medicines to the Kingdom in order to mitigate the economic and health impact of COVID-19.
Deploying passenger aircraft to carry cargo only including the utilization of aircraft cabin loads – in coordination with the Saudi Arabian Airlines Corporation – has enhanced the capabilities of the cargo air bridge used for transporting essential supplies and vital commodities thus ensuring the Kingdom’s markets and supply chain demands were consistently met.
Saudia Cargo has taken numerous precautionary measures since the COVID-19 emergence to ensure that cargo and logistics operations continue smoothly and efficiently. The company has increased the number of flights covering many global destinations and markets in the Middle East, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the United States and carrying all goods needed for the economic and commercial movement inside the Kingdom. Saudia Cargo adheres to strict preventive and protection instructions to ensure the safety of its staff.
Etihad Airways plans to gradually resume operating passenger services through July-August after the easing of flight restrictions on outbound and inbound travel to the UAE.
The airline plans to fly to 58 destinations worldwide, these will include destinations to the Middle East, North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. The resumption of flights will be subject to the lifting of international restrictions and the reopening of individuals markets.
“We are delighted to announce the gradual expansion of normal scheduled services to more cities across our global network,” said Tony Douglas, group chief executive officer, Etihad Aviation Group. “The easing of restrictions on travel to and from the UAE is an important first step and a great development for Abu Dhabi. By August we aim to operate approximately 45 per cent of our pre-COVID capacity,” he added.
“While we have continued to operate a schedule of special passenger, cargo and humanitarian flights over the last few months, the priority is now to build the network back up on markets that have opened up.”
Douglas said the airline would also ensure that all flights follow hygiene and safety guidelines. Etihad in June announced its Wellness Program, a comprehensive guideline that aims to provide passengers with peace of mind while flying, and informing them on all the safety and sanitization measures that have been implemented through every step of their journey.
“Over the last few months, we have seized every opportunity to improve our processes, review our product offerings and undertake the biggest fleet maintenance program in our history,” Douglas said, highlighting how the airline was more than ready to start resuming normal flights again.
Etihad Airways’ 58 destinations include:
North America: Chicago, New York JFK, Toronto, Washington, D.C.
Europe: Amsterdam, Athens, Barcelona, Belgrade, Brussels, Dublin, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Geneva, Istanbul, London Heathrow, Madrid, Manchester, Milan, Moscow, Munich, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Rome, Zurich
Middle East & Africa: Amman, Bahrain, Beirut, Cairo, Casablanca, Kuwait, Muscat, Rabat, Riyadh, Seychelles
Asia: Ahmedabad, Baku, Bangkok, Bengaluru, Chennai, Colombo, Delhi, Hyderabad, Islamabad, Jakarta, Karachi, Kochi, Kolkata, Kozhikode, Kuala Lumpur, Lahore, Male, Manila, Mumbai, Seoul, Singapore, Thiruvananthapuram, Tokyo
Australasia: Melbourne, Sydney
According to the data announced for May by the WACD (World Air Cargo Data), the international air cargo information provider, Turkish Cargo, the global air cargo brand, increased its market share to 5 percent and transported 1 of every 20 air cargo, carried throughout the world, in the industry where the global air cargo market has shrunk by 28.5 percent, resulting from the pandemic.
During the course of the pandemic with its acute effects on a global scale, the global air cargo market was affected potently and experienced a severe shrinkage, and decreased by 18 percent between January and May, but Turkish Cargo did not experience any loss of tonnage on year-on-year basis, and acted as a global bridge for the purpose of preventing the interruption of the international supply chain.
During the course of such process, having provided service to 90 direct cargo destinations by means of its freighters with high-tonnage capacity, Turkish Cargo made use of 32 wide-body airliners during such operations while it has performed air cargo operations to more than 60 destinations, including London, Moscow, Oslo, Shanghai, Bangkok, Doha, New York and Casablanca, by employing the wide-body airliners of Turkish Airlines, its master brand.
Turkish Cargo transported medicine and medical equipment shipments all around the world
Turkish Cargo, which has obtained the ‘CEIV Pharma’ certificate in consequence of the training, assessment and validation process, established by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) for the purpose of enabling the performance of global air cargo operations at a high standard, accomplished the transportation of 21 thousand 547 tons of medicine and approximately 7 thousand medical equipment between February 01 and June 30, and operated more than 1100 flights just in June by making use of the freighters and airliners.
Continuing its activities devotedly on 7/24 basis for the purpose of transporting food, aid materials, masks and medical equipment all around the world, and in particular preventing the interruption of the global medicine supply, Turkish Cargo has taken any and all hygiene measures for its operational personnel and taken the actions as required for providing masks and sanitizers/disinfectants and maintaining the social distancing, and it has been keeping up such measures.
Being one of the fastest developing air cargo brands in the world, Turkish Cargo continues to raise the bar for achievement higher with each passing day by combining its wide range of service and operational capabilities with the unique geographical advantages of Turkey.
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
