The newly launched eGrocery app Yeepeey is offering users the opportunity to shop from neighbourhood grocery stores, supermarkets, and hypermarkets from the comfort of their homes or offices by paying the same prices and enjoying the same promotions and discounts as displayed in the store.
Yeepeey, was conceptualized in 2019 after Co-Founder Monish Chandiramani observed that he was spending extra money on groceries when shopping through the grocery apps available then as compared to in store shopping.
The idea was to eliminate the mark-ups and reduce the service fees to a minimum or even free in some cases to give users the ability to stay home and order their essentials more frequently at in-store prices.
The app also gives an advantage to its users by reflecting in-store promotions and discounts as soon as they hit the store on the app in real-time.
With a vision to create an extensive qCommerce ecosystem, the new eGrocery start up promises to change the way consumers shop, spend, and save on groceries and more by subsidizing the current cost of convenience that customers must pay while shopping.
Monish says, “Ordering essentials via an eGrocery app was way more expensive than buying it from the store itself. Even though the convenience plays a major role, consumers still don’t like to pay extra mark-ups over and above the prices displayed in the grocery stores in additional to the exorbitant delivery fee. With the ease in movement restrictions, consumers would simply prefer walking down to their nearby stores for small purchases.”
Speaking of the sustainable revenue model, Monish expresses: “Since the onset of the pandemic in 2020, consumer shopping patterns and choices have almost changed forever. Consumers now prefer taking precautionary measures and avoid being in crowded areas such as hypermarkets and would rather have as much possible delivered to their doorstep.
“However, we did observe that customers were having to pay a heavy price for the convenience and that’s the problem we’re trying to solve by subsidizing the cost of convenience without compromising on the quality.”
The initial vertical is groceries and essentials and over time, Yeepeey aims to branch out to include new verticals and cover a wider footprint across UAE.
“The acceptance of platforms like ours across merchants and consumers has drastically accelerated due to the pandemic which poses a great opportunity for a business like ours to digitize not just online shopping but also other aspects of the value chain in the post-pandemic world.
“Our growth is evident from the 300% increase in our users since our official launch in February and on-boarding of more than 50 merchants, large, medium and small, such as Union Coop, E-City, Blue Mart and many more,” reveals Co-founder Jatin Sharma.
Through Yeepeey’s app, users can connect with grocery stores and supermarkets in their vicinity and receive their items in 30-45 minutes or less. Prices are same as those displayed in-store with subsidized or free delivery.
Yeepeey has covered over 150 stores and activated 50 merchants on app across 30 localities in Dubai since its official launch. Some of the popular localities in Dubai serviced by yeepeey includes Business Bay, Barsha, JLT, JBR, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Downtown Dubai, Bur Dubai, Karama, Greens, Lakes and Emirates Hills.
Yeepeey is further slated to expand its operation by including bakeries, confectioneries, flower shops, pet care and a lot more as additional offerings to create an end-to-end ecosystem for its users and public at large.
Intralogistics expert Swisslog is set to host an around-the-world automation tour of some of its most prominent customer sites this year.
Several big names are already billed as part of the World Automation Tour 2021 line-up, with further tour dates to be announced throughout the year.
Each show will kick off with a meet and greet with a Swisslog logistics consultant and on-site engineer, who will be equipped to walk attendees around a live automated solution.
Throughout each demo, participants will experience automation in action from a customer’s perspective, and get questions answered in real time.
Whether the tour is hosted from Berlin, London, Barcelona, Sydney, New York or Shanghai, forward-thinking businesses can register for any or all the available tour dates. Customer showcases will include ASDA in the UK, Rewe in Germany, Trinchero in the US, Coca-Cola in Sydney as well as a sneak behind the scenes tour of one of Swisslog’s factories producing the renowned Vectura crane, in Sweden.
The ASDA IDC in Lutterworth, home to the largest AutoStore installation in the UK will be the opening show of the World Automation Tour 2021, allowing the leading retailer to pick at twice the rate with 99.8% accuracy. Stacked on top of one another, the bins inside ASDA’s AutoStore system measure 17.8 times higher than the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani) announced its collaboration with IBM to launch a pilot program, introducing IBM Digital – Nation platform for its employees across Saudi Arabia.
IBM Digital – Nation is an online learning and innovation platform. The initiative by Mawani also supports Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 to foster a digital culture and economy.
IBM Digital – Nation is designed to deliver advanced knowledge and skills in key emerging technologies and is part of IBM’s global initiative to close the digital skills gap, help them become digital-ready and empower youth with the most in-demand IT and soft skills.
The platform provides a range of courses focusing on highly sought-after advanced IT skills in future and emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, cloud, coding, Internet of Things (IoT), quantum computing, data science and analytics, and cybersecurity.
“The platform will be an opportunity to exchange insights and learn about developments, emerging technologies and trends prevailing in the digital world,” said Musaad AlDriss, Vice President of Shared Services and Business Support, Mawani.
“This will contribute to accelerating the pace of digital transformation in the port sector and creating human cadres capable of employing these technologies in the future.”
The courses will be offered at three levels – Explorer, Innovator and New Collar. Explorer provides users with a series of short videos, introducing key emerging technologies and examples of how the technology is being applied.
Innovator introduces the design thinking methodology and, more importantly, users can build their own ideas and solutions online. Finally, New Collar has been designed to offer users the ability to gain key digital skills in web application development, cloud, AI, IoT, data science and blockchain development.
“Technology is rapidly evolving and continues to be core to how the world operates today. Therefore, the need to upskill and reskill the workforce is getting more urgent,” said Fahad Alanazi, General Manager, IBM Saudi Arabia.
“Over the years, IBM Digital – Nation has proven to be an effective learning platform and seeing Mawani roll it out to its employees is a testament to the importance of professional development in order to stay relevant.”
Over the years, Mawani has been investing in several initiatives to help accelerate the pace of digital transformation across the Kingdom, upskill Saudi talent and infuse smart technology in the ports and logistics sector.
Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) has opened up its book for orders for Freightliner eCascadia and Freightliner eM2, the first all-electric trucks from the company, with production scheduled to begin in late 2022.
“From reveal of proof of concept in 2018, to a demonstration fleet that’s in the hands of real customers, running real freight in the real world, to today’s moment where we are ready to formally welcome the nation’s fleets to all-electric freight movement, the entire team at Daimler Trucks North America is incredibly proud of our progress,” said Richard Howard, senior vice president, on-highway sales and marketing, DTNA. “Moreover, we are very excited to take this next important step into the future of carbon-neutral freight transportation with our great customers and dealers.”
With the opening of the order books to customers, market-leading Freightliner and DTNA are getting ready for start of production in late 2022.
In addition, customers can benefit from an integrated approach that enables them to select and specify, as an additional service, the resources of an eConsulting team that will assist and advise on the holistic ecosystem needed to integrate battery electric vehicles into their fleets. And thanks to the large and dedicated network of Freightliner dealers, the company is prepared to support the end-to-end process of fleet electrification.
Powered by Detroit Technologies
At start of production, both Freightliner battery electric models will come equipped with industry-leading technology from Detroit, a brand at the forefront of delivering purposeful innovation to help fleets realize the lowest total cost of ownership through the highest levels of performance, quality, efficiency, and uptime.
Detroit technologies included in the series-production eCascadia and eM2 are: the all-new Detroit ePowertrain; the Detroit Assurance suite of safety systems; and the advanced telematics service of Detroit Connect.
Comprised of an eAxle design and available with a single or dual motor system, the Detroit ePowertrain offers up to 23,000 lb-ft of torque, giving it ample power for the eCascadia’s GCWR of 82,000 lbs. And with maximum range specifications in excess of 230 miles on a full charge for the medium-duty eM2 and 250 miles for the Class 8 eCascadia tractor, both trucks are uniquely suited for a wide variety of applications.
Added Howard, “Powered by Detroit, customers who order a Freightliner eCascadia or eM2, stand to benefit from not only the best technologies in the industry, but the best customer experience as well.”
In lead-up to series production of the eCascadia and eM2, and in cooperation with the South Coast Air Quality Management District (South Coast AQMD) and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (Bay Area AQMD) who financially supported pilot fleets, Freightliner has placed 38 trucks into operation with fleets covering a variety of applications, including drayage, regional and local pickup and delivery, and food and beverage delivery.
Nearly 750,000 collective miles have been accumulated on the early Freightliner electric fleet to-date, providing valuable data, and customer and driver perspective to Freightliner and DTNA, while allowing myriad customers to test electrification integration into their own fleet operations.
Added Rakesh Aneja, head of eMobility at DTNA, “We extend our sincere gratitude to the teams at the South Coast and Bay Area AQMDs. We are glad to have the collaboration and support of these valuable entities, without whom it would have taken much longer to reach the precipice of seeing series-produced battery electric commercial vehicles on the road.”
“We are incredibly grateful to the customers who have been testing the eCascadia and eM2 through the Freightliner Electric Innovation Fleet and Customer Experience Fleets,” said Howard. “These are the largest demonstrator electric fleets ever seen in the industry, and the valuable collaboration, feedback loop and cooperation with our many valued customers, has translated directly into a more versatile, more durable, and more reliable product packed with purposeful innovation to benefit them and their operations.”
$20 million investment
DNTA is investing $20 million in its Detroit manufacturing facility where its proprietary Detroit ePowertrain technologies will be utilized in creating new models of electric-powered trucks for CO₂-neutral commercial vehicles.
“By utilizing our Detroit ePowertrain to power the Freightliner eCascadia and eM2, we are giving Freightliner buyers the same level of confidence that comes with our conventionally-powered portfolio, known throughout the industry as having the best total cost of ownership – bar none,” said Howard.
“Nowhere else can buyers find the level of performance, support, quality, dedication to uptime, and engineering expertise as with our Detroit product portfolio. Our investment in Detroit – and in the city of the same name – harkens a new era for a storied name in the global automotive landscape.”
Initially, the Detroit ePowertrain will offer an eAxle design operating at 400 volts and be offered in two variants suitable for a variety of commercial vehicle applications. The single motor design is rated at 180 horsepower, delivering maximum torque of up to 11,500 lb-ft of torque, while the dual motor design offers up to 360 horsepower and 23,000 lb-ft of torque.
The Detroit ePowertrain will be mated to the choice of three battery offerings for the eCascadia and eM2, including a 210 kilowatt hour (kWh) version, a 315 kWh version, and a 475 kWh version. Battery packs are comprised of arrays of lithium-Ion prismatic cells. In Detroit’s first ePowertrain offerings, the maximum range specifications will exceed 230 miles on a full charge for the medium-duty eM2 and 250 miles for the Class 8 eCascadia tractor.
Throughout its storied 80-year history, Detroit has been at the forefront of delivering purposeful innovation to help its customers realize the lowest total cost of ownership through the highest levels of performance, quality, efficiency, and uptime. Whether diesel or electric, Detroit provides unparalleled technical support to help customers incorporate leading technologies into their operations.
The industry-leading Freightliner dealear network will continue to play an integral part in the future growth of both Detroit and eMobility by providing sales, support and service for the ever-expanding portfolio of Detroit engines, transmissions, axles, safety and connectivity technologies, and, now, ePowertrain systems and battery packs.
Freightliner Trucks is a division of Daimler Trucks North America LLC, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, and is the leading heavy-duty truck manufacturer in North America. Photos & Text sourced from www.freightliner.com
It’s more than a year since the Coronavirus plunged the world into uncertainties, but the health and economic crisis are deepening with new more aggressive strains wreaking havoc on some countries ill prepared to handle the situation on a large-scale.
The pandemic continues to take heavy toll on people with more than 158 million COVID cases and over 3.30 million deaths recorded in early May. Millions have lost their jobs and plunged into poverty while many economies remain depressed, accumulating mountains of debt with business activities hugely disrupted.
The COVID-19 vaccines that were miraculously developed in less than a year through combination of science and technology offer a ray of hope to control, if not end this pandemic.
But it involves an enormous logistical challenge for both the air cargo and pharmaceutical industries with some 12-14 billion doses needed this year to inoculate the majority to protect people and prevent the spread of the virus.
Billions more are needed throughout the year and thereafter as the vaccines are only effective within a period of four to six months only, thus, regular vaccinations are needed, according to experts.
Roadmap to recovery
Controlling the spread of COVID-19 and ensuring rapid and widespread vaccine deployment is key to global economic recovery.
While uncertainties remain high at this point, the World Bank is convinced the global economy could swiftly rebound and possibly grow at nearly 5 percent with successful pandemic control and faster vaccination process.
More than a billion COVID vaccines have so far been transported, distributed and administered around the world thanks to collaboration between governments, health and other organizations, private sector and various industries, air cargo and pharma in particular, which are tasked to undertake what the International Air Transport Association (IATA) dubbed as the “mission of the century.”
IATA said governments must see air cargo as an essential part of the fight against COVID-19 and a vital partner in facilitating global economic recovery.
“Air cargo continues to be the bright spot for aviation. Demand reached an all-time high in March, up 4.4% compared to pre-COVID levels (March 2019). And airlines are taking all measures to find the needed capacity. The crisis has shown that air cargo can meet fundamental challenges by adopting innovations quickly. That is how it is meeting growing demand even as much of the passenger fleet remains grounded. The sector needs to retain this momentum post-crisis to drive the sector’s long-term efficiency with digitalization,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.
GAVI, the vaccine alliance, said although COVID-19 vaccines have been rolled out, the vaccination is moving at different paces due to supply bottlenecks, logistical challenges, issues with vaccine scheduling and vaccine hesitancy or refusal.
“Increasing vaccination coverage by just 1% can save thousands of lives and millions of dollars in medical costs and lost economic productivity. The researchers suggest that investing in a rapid roll-out at the start could save money that could be further invested in continuing vaccine delivery,” GAVI said.
Complex mission
The challenge of COVID-19 vaccine global distribution demands the air cargo industry to deliver the humanitarian shipments in the highest form of speed, security, reliability and transparency. Open communication and communication across the supply chain is also paramount and cannot be underestimated, The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) said.
“The air cargo industry has an important role in the global distribution of COVID-19 vaccines and their peripherals, especially across continents. According to IATA, airfreight demand for the vaccines will be massive with aggregate volumes being the equivalent to 8,000 freighters based on 9 billion vaccine doses to meet global requirements,” TIACA said in its Project Sunrays Report titled “Readying Air Cargo Communities for COVID-19 Vaccine Transportation and Handling: Recommended Practices.
The report pointed out vaccine logistics require investment on specialized cold-chain storage and warehouses, the right equipment, highly-skilled people, precision and care in handling the vaccines or their potency will be lost.
“COVID-19 vaccines are high value and highly time and temperature-sensitive products. Most require 2-8 degrees C, some require -15 to -25 degrees C while the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine has an extreme storage temperature of -70 degrees C. Once temperature deviations occur, the vaccines’ potency will be lost and cannot be regained,” TIACA pointed out.
Resilient & flexible
Air cargo airlines, airports, logistics, warehousing and even trucking companies, have quickly adopted to safely deliver COVID-19 vaccines on air or land.
Armed with the most sophisticated temperature-controlled storage facilities and equipment, including unit load device and solutions, airfreight carriers have successfully transported millions of COVID vaccines across the world.
Emirates SkyCargo, for instance, disclosed it has moved around 59 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to more than 50 destinations around the world since they were rolled out early this year.
The company prides itself for having the world’s largest GDP compliant air cargo hub in Dubai for global distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. It has also set-up a dedicated rapid response team to coordinate requests from the various partners involved in the international vaccine distribution ecosystem and to streamline the carrier’s response to vaccine transportation requests.
American Airlines Cargo, meanwhile, has furthered its commitment to reliable temperature-controlled shipping by expanding its solution for transporting temperature-controlled shipments to its entire mainline fleet.
This expansion follows a number of tests and trials conducted in partnership with CSafe Global and CargoSense. Through the use of CSafe Global’s industry-leading packaging and Temperature Loggers provided by CargoSense, American proved all of its aircraft offer ideal environments for passive temperature-sensitive shipments.
The successful trials allow American to nearly double its capacity for handling ExpediteTC solutions and extend the airline’s cold-chain solution network to 30 new stations, including in-demand cities like Cincinnati, Memphis and Pittsburgh.
“When it comes to cold chain shipments, reliability is crucial for our customers,” said Roger Samways, Vice President of Commercial for American Airlines Cargo. “By expanding our offering of temperature-critical shipping on all mainline flights, we are able to provide our customers with access to more than 180 markets, marking the largest cold-chain network in our history.”
The US has the world’s highest number of COVID cases at 33 million and deaths of over 581,000.
In Europe, Lufthansa Cargo announced its pharma centers in Munich and Chicago, which opened in the summer of 2020, recently became IATA CEIV Pharma-certified. This means that, in addition to CEIV Pharma certification as an airline, Lufthansa Cargo offers an excellent pharma network of 32 stations worldwide. Lufthansa said this is particularly relevant in transporting the highly-sensitive COVID-19 vaccines.
Turkish Cargo, another major and most sought-after cargo brand globally, assured its capabilities of handling COVID-19 vaccines in the highest standards through its state-of-the-art technology and infrastructure and modern freighters with a wide network of routes.
“We touch human life by carrying COVID-19 vaccines within the required time and temperature range at the highest quality standards to the destinations they are intended. We have the necessary infrastructure to carry all kinds of Covid-19 vaccines, and we carry health all around the world,” the company said on its website.
TIACA said while the air cargo industry has proven its resilience and agility in this crisis, it will need to agility and cohesion in tackling its challenges on issues of digitalization, safety and security, sustainability, liberation and collaboration.
“TIACA is committed to working with its members, the broader industry, association partners and government agencies to ensure we have a united and successful air cargo industry. We have demonstrated considerable success over the past months but as we go forward new challenges will materialize. We will need to be more innovative, agile and focused as an industry to overcome them,” said Steven Polmans, TIACA Chairman.
Coyne Airways, the pioneering non-asset-based cargo airline, is again leading the push for innovative and sustainable solutions as the air cargo industry takes on a greater role in the new normal amid the continuing fight against the pandemic.
Founded by aviation entrepreneur Larry Coyne, Coyne Airways started from humble beginnings more than 26 years ago with zero investment and no defined routes, but emerged as the top cargo carrier in the Caucasus, Central Asia, Africa and conflict zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan.
Liana Coyne, Chief Operating Officer and Coyne’s daughter, who recently joined the Board of Directors of the global trade body, The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA), said liberalization for cargo flights and sustainability are the two most pressing issues confronting the industry right now.
“I would say that the two most pressing issues are liberalization and sustainability. Greater liberalization for cargo flights would allow the industry to be more efficient by being better able to manage asymmetrical flows as, unlike passenger flights, return loads are not always guaranteed. This would also eliminate some unnecessary flying to home bases, which would be better for customers and the environment,” she explained.
Adding, “Sustainability is a key issue for the industry and, at its essence, it is really imperative to take a long-term view. We need to do good for the planet, the people and the business to ensure our long-term survival.”
TIACA’s recently released sustainability report indicate that the majority of air cargo companies have concrete improvement action plans in place related to carbon reduction, waste management and energy as climate change continues to take its toll on our environment.
Drawing strength from TIACA
Amid the industry’s changing dynamic shift, cargo carriers and their supply chain are drawing strength from TIACA’s leadership to steer them to the right direction and be their voice on a myriad of issues.
Based in Miami, Florida, the non-profit group TIACA represents and unites all parts of the air cargo industry: shippers, forwarders, ground handlers, airports, airlines, manufacturers, IT providers, logistics, other groups connected to the industry, among many others.
Its vision is to keep a safe, profitable and united air cargo industry that embraces modern technologies and practices to sustainably and fairly serve trade and social development worldwide.
Coyne said the organization has worked tirelessly for the common good of all those in the industry as well as uplift its standards.
“I am thrilled to have joined the Board of Directors of TIACA, which is uniquely positioned to be the organization of choice for all actors in the air cargo community, regardless of size or market segment. TIACA has worked hard to become more transparent and responsive to members’ needs and it is focused on building on and enhancing its value proposition for members,” said Coyne, an Oxford-educated lawyer who was a law practitioner before deciding to join their family business.
“For example, in August 2020, TIACA joined forces with Pharma.Aero to launch the Sunrays Project in order to help the air cargo industry understand and prepare for the transportation of COVID-19 vaccines. TIACA facilitated discussions across the entire supply chain, and produced webinars, white papers and recommended practices and insights for safe and effective vaccine transportation. The support continues today with a regular newsletter, VacScene,” she added.
As the world grapples with the pandemic, TIACA showed the world that the air cargo industry its indispensable partner in sustaining economies, businesses, communities, and more importantly, people.
“I think this is a striking achievement: TIACA took note of an issue of importance to the industry – and the world – and worked at every level to increase understanding and efficiency, and to provide practical and timely advice. It also fits with TIACA’s mission statement to make the industry safe, profitable and united, and one which embraces modern technologies and practices to sustainably and fairly serve trade and social development worldwide. On a personal level, I hope to support TIACA’s efforts to provide meaningful support to members on issues that affect them as individuals, companies and us all as an industry,” said Coyne.
Overcoming challenges
Known for its forward-thinking approach, Coyne Airways carefully maneuvered its way to survive the new normal with prospects for growth in the future.
Coyne said the company saw a decline on its throughput, particularly in the heavy oil and gas sector, but the losses were offset by additional charter flights work they
“In terms of business, we did see a decline in our regular per kilo business to certain destinations, particularly those with a heavy oil and gas focus. We were forced to suspend service to some places, but we have been continuing to monitor demand and will resume service when possible. For example, we restarted direct flights between Cologne, Germany and Tbilisi, Georgia last month,” she shared.
“We have also faced issues getting capacity into our hubs with the reduction in passenger flights affecting interline capacity. Thankfully, we still get some good support from our airline partners, for both per kilo and charter capacity. We are grateful for that as we have increased our charter work, and this has helped offset the decline in per kilo and project work,” she added.
When the pandemic struck in March 2020, Coyne said their staff began working at home, except those who are needed on the frontline.
“It is safe to say that the year 2020 was challenging for everyone. I remember taking the decision early in March to send everyone to work from home. At the time, I wasn’t sure if that was an overreaction but I wanted to do what I could to keep my team safe and healthy. The official restriction on office work came through shortly later,” she recalled.
“I have been really impressed by how well the team has been able to work remotely to keep the business running. Now that lockdown has lifted, we have kept some of the flexibility,” she added.
Interconnected future
Like others in air cargo, Coyne is extremely proud of the way the industry stepped up to the plate to deliver vital medical and other essential supplies across the world during this crisis.
“I have been very proud of the way that air cargo has stepped in to distribute not only vaccines, but life-saving medical equipment, personal protective equipment and food. I am sure that there is a greater appreciation of the value of the industry and also how interconnected we are as nations,” she said.
But she cautioned, this is not the only crisis we will face, saying, “My concern is that we should not forget that coronavirus is not the only crisis, and it does not affect only rich countries. It is encouraging to see the COVAX scheme in place to try to ensure fair and equitable access to vaccines in 190 countries, but less so to see many countries cut budgets for international aid. The pandemic has exacerbated poverty in many places and, unfortunately, more humanitarian assistance may be needed in the near future.”
Given its greater role in facilitating global trade and sustaining lives and economies in the new normal, Coyne said air cargo needs to prepare for unforeseen events and crises as well as invest more on people and technology.
“I think that generally the air cargo industry copes well with unforeseen events and crises but this pandemic has been unprecedented and global. That said, I was impressed by how quickly we saw passenger planes repurposed for cargo, and how quickly a number of inventions aimed at maximizing passenger cabin capacity and reducing loading time came on the market.
“So I think the answer to your question points to the importance of sustainability in one of its many guises: we need an efficient, profitable industry that can withstand unforeseen events, and invest in people and technology appropriately,” she shared.
Within the industry, Coyne Airways is highly regarded for its drive and passion in delivering humanitarian cargo in conflict zones like Iraq, Afghanistan and Africa.
With the US positioned to pull out all its troops in Afghanistan by September after nearly 20 years since its invasion, Coyne expressed hope for the country to have peace and stability despite the odds.
“My enduring hope for Afghanistan is for a lasting peace and stability so that the country can flourish and prosper. Speaking frankly, I am not sure whether that will be possible in the wake of the withdrawal. From our side, we will do what we can to support the civilian economy,” she said.
Forward-thinking
With uncertainties looming everywhere and experts saying the global economy will remain difficult for many years due to the pandemic, the ever flexible Coyne Airways is ready to take on the challenges, focusing on its niche markets and their needs.
“Coyne Airways is a pioneering non-asset-based cargo airline, specializing in scheduled and chartered lift to niche destinations including Armenia, Georgia, Iraq, Afghanistan and around the Caucasus, Central Asia and Africa,” Coyne explained.
“We aim to give small company personal service with big company perks. That means getting to know and responding to our customers’ requirements so that we can, for example, blend interline lift and a
dedicated charter to get the right combination of price and transit time, and enabling them to check the status of shipments by phone, on the web, by automated email or on our app,” she added.
The airline has also upgraded its technology and IT solutions to speed up the process and give customers more advantages.
“We have a bespoke in-house system. We did look at replacing this with an off-the-shelf system, but we couldn’t find one that could be as flexible to our and our clients’ needs as quickly, or provide the data and reporting as we would like. We have, however, been working on integrating our system with others as part of a digitalization push,” said Coyne.
Asked about lessons we could all learn from this pandemic, Coyne said: “Life is precious. Tomorrow is not guaranteed. We owe it to ourselves and our loved ones to stay healthy and stick around as much as possible.
“Human connection is important; there’s a reason why solitary confinement is punishment. But there are probably still meetings that could have been emails. We are all interconnected and we are only as strong as our weakest link: no one should be left behind. Science is amazing.”
Indeed, tomorrow is not guaranteed and our survival depends on how well connected we are, and that includes enjoining air cargo.
Larry Coyne: Aviation entrepreneur and 2020 TIACA Hall of Fame Recipient
Larry Coyne, CEO of Coyne Airways and Coyne Aviation, has been selected by TIACA’s Chairman’s Council as the association’s 2020 Hall of Fame Recipient. The annual TIACA Hall of Fame Award honors professionals with outstanding achievements in the development of the air cargo industry, exquisite leadership record and an innovative spirit.
Coyne established Coyne Aviation in 1994, providing cargo charter flights to the fast-developing CIS countries, in particular to Transcaucasia and Central Asia. Coyne Aviation quickly became the number one cargo carrier to the whole of the CIS from Europe with a strong reputation for providing reliable and secure scheduled cargo services to some of the world’s hardest to reach destinations.
Not one to sit on the sidelines, throughout his career Coyne was a passionate advocate of security, liberalization of cargo traffic rights and the removal of obstacles to the growth of the industry. He saw that TIACA could be useful in pushing this call for reform and joined TIACA’s Industry Affairs Committee in 1998.
After serving on TIACA’s Industry Affairs Committee, Coyne was then elected to serve as Vice Chairman and eventually Chairman of the association where he championed security, liberalization and the growth of air cargo industry.
“Larry always has been passionate about our industry and a true believer in the value of TIACA. He has contributed a lot to our organization and to our industry. I am thankful for the advice he has given me during my time as Chairman. It is an honor to see that Larry will now be part of the famous Hall of Fame,” stated Sebastian Scholte, Chair of TIACA’s Chairman’s Council.
Coyne joins a star-studded group of 54 air cargo leaders who have received the prestigious Hall of Fame Award since its launch in 1997.
“I am very happy to receive this award and would like to thank TIACA’s Chairman’s Council for picking me as a member of such a distinguished group of individuals. I feel honored to be in the same group as the 50 or so existing members of the Hall of Fame. They have all done exceptional things, perhaps somewhat against the odds which has impacted the way we go about our business today. I didn’t think many people had taken note of a non-asset-based cargo airline that started from scratch 26 years ago with zero investment and no defined routes,” said Coyne.
“But thanks to a lot of hard work by our dedicated staff, we managed to move around 250,000 tons of cargo generating $1 billion in sales while remaining profitable every year. This is something I am especially proud of, all achieved with no aircraft of our own, no debt and with a reputation of flying to far flung and unpronounceable places,” he added.
It’s hard to miss Blue Dart Express if you’re living in India. The name is synonymous to fast deliveries, locally and internationally. In fact, it’s the largest logistics company in the country backed up by the world’s biggest courier firm, the Deutsche Post DHL Group.
From a low of ₹1,873.05 (about USD25.52) per share a year ago, Blue Dart posted a 52-week high of ₹5,845 (about USD79.65) per share at the Bombay Stock Exchange, more than thrice its lowest value, with prospects for growth amid a surge on India’s need for logistics services within and outside the country.
Just like others in the air cargo and logistics industry, Blue Dart found itself at the forefront of the ongoing global fight against the Coronavirus pandemic, transporting different goods, including medical supplies, vaccines, ventilators, oxygen concentrators, pharmaceuticals, among many other things, across the country.
Behind this very busy organization providing logistics services to a big chunk of India’s huge domestic market of 1.3 billion people is Balfour Manuel, Blue Dart’s Managing Director since 2019. He has held numerous top management positions at Blue Dart within his 36 years at the firm.
Steering Blue Dart’s team to the new normal, Balfour says his focus now is to optimize their potential by combining it with technology, building on the strength of the company’s infrastructure, highly-trained people and digital solutions.
So how does a man like Manuel unwind and bring balance to his hectic work life in a very challenging environment?
He walks, travels and engages into music whenever there’s an opportunity and making it a point to allot short breaks in his busy schedule.
“I find it a luxury to be able to pull the breaks when I’m travelling for business and utilize even a few hours each evening to take in the city—whether it’s food, the people or general atmosphere. I spend this time trawling the closest markets, mostly hunting for music shops,” Manuel said in an interview with Mint, India’s premium business news publication.
Manuel said traveling became an essential part of his life when he began working and gained independence to explore new places on his own.
“It was only after I joined my first job that I had the independence to explore places on my own. It was travelling for work that triggered the passion to savor different cities. Now, apart from business travel, I like to take a vacation with my sons, or even take a few solo trips to refresh every year,” he shared with Mint.
And with traveling comes the opportunity to walk endlessly to discover new places and things. Walking and traveling have many health and other benefits, including stimulating one’s creativity.
In Manuel’s case, that’s exactly what happens: It relieves him of stress and stimulates his creativity. “In the age of constant acceleration, the virtues of walking versus hopping on to a motorized vehicle are numerous. Especially when you are encountering a city for the first time. It helps to extricate yourself from the phone and absorb things in a paced manner,” he shared.
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
