A new Driver Security Guide to increase the safety and security of truck drivers facing an escalation in criminal attacks in the Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA) region has been launched by the Transported Asset Protection Association (TAPA).
The 24-page Guide is available to download free of change from the industry Association’s website in 15 languages: Arabic, Bulgarian, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Lithuanian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, and Ukrainian. It discusses the supply chain security environment and its associated risks and highlights the importance of communication with law enforcement and company management when incidents of cargo crime or suspicious activities that could impact cargo security occur.
To help drivers to understand these risks, TAPA EMEA outlines regular types of threats and attacks by criminals targeting supply chains in the Europe, Middle East & Africa region, including:
With over 80% of recorded cargo thefts in EMEA involving criminal attacks on trucks, risks to drivers have been growing exponentially in recent years. TAPA EMEA hopes the new Guide will help to prevent as many future attacks from happening as possible.
“As well as highly publicised truck driver shortages, especially in Europe, we also see a growing realisation by the current driver community that their personal security is at risk. Protecting drivers, therefore, must be a prime objective for all supply chain stakeholders because criminals also understand the vulnerability of trucks and drivers when they are en route or in parking locations.
“This new Guide is available in languages which reflect the main nationalities of the driver community in our region, and we hope it will make a positive difference to their security,” said Markus Prinz, Senior Manager Standards, Training & Certification.
The Guide also offers advice to drivers on the best responses to each type of incident and looks at the important role Monitoring & Response centres play in ensuring the safety and security of drivers, vehicles and cargoes during the transportation process.
Most significantly, the TAPA EMEA Driver Security Guide provides a list of emergency contact numbers in 29 countries in Europe for law enforcement agencies and emergency/ambulance services to help drivers and companies respond immediately to security or health incidents.
Worldwide Flight Services (WFS), a member of the SATS Group, has commenced a new three-year cargo handling contract with Swiss WorldCargo at Milan Malpensa Airport in Italy.
WFS expects to handle annually 2,000 tonnes of cargo in Milan Malpensa for the airfreight division of SWISS, which serves the Italian city with 28 weekly flights using narrowbody Airbus A320/321 and Embraer aircraft. Additionally, Swiss WorldCargo’s customers will continue to benefit from road feeder services connecting Milan and the Swiss city of Zurich six days a week.
Swiss WorldCargo has been a longstanding customer of WFS across its global network. At present, WFS provides cargo handling services for the airline’s airfreight division at key airport stations in North & South America, Europe and the Asia Pacific region. Its decision to appoint WFS as its air cargo ground handling partner in Milan Malpensa was based on WFS’ modern cargo handling facilities, the size of its operation, and its ability to provide dedicated solutions for Swiss WorldCargo’s specialised high-value, care-intensive and temperature-sensitive shipments.
“We are proud that Swiss WorldCargo has extended its air cargo ground handling partnership with WFS to Milan Malpensa. The quality of Swiss WorldCargo’s products and services is highly respected across the industry, and we value the airfreight division’s confidence in our ability to meet these high standards,” said Massimiliano Introini, WFS’ Managing Director Italy. “In support of our service offering, as well as investing in our warehouse terminal, we have implemented digitalised processes in our warehouse and will be adding extra equipment to enhance our ULD (United Load Devices) and Pharma Handling capabilities.”
“We’re glad to extend our already solid collaboration with WFS to another key station of our cargo operations, Milan Malpensa. With a significant number of weekly flights and tonnes of cargo transported between Milan and Zurich, we need an air cargo ground handling partner that knows our business well and can operate to the high-quality standards that we provide our customers globally. WFS can do that,” says Christian Wyss, Head of Cargo Offering Development & Steering at Swiss International Air Lines.
From results of short-term trials, it was evident that DSV needed to implement a robust sustainable solution for fuel usage. This has driven the initiative to transfer the entire 40-vehicle final mile fleet based in London, from diesel to HVO fuel.
DSV have installed a HVO fuel bunker at its Purfleet Site, holding 30,000 litres of HVO. The final mile fleet operates in the London area and covers approximately 2,000,000 miles per annum.
Congestion and average speed zones in London play a major factor in the impact of CO2 emissions; congestion can often be far more severe than elsewhere in the UK.
Implementing the use of HVO fuel in this area was the most effective solution; contributing up to a 90% reduction in CO2 emissions, whilst providing the same quality and service.
The major benefit to our customers is that costs remain neutral.
DSV is trialling various sustainability initiatives to undertake the challenge of decarbonisation within the logistics industry. DSV remains committed to playing a crucial role in enabling the change that is necessary to reach net-zero emissions in the Logistics sector by setting clear goals in line with the Paris Convention 2030. Trialling programs include:
DSV continues on the road to sustainability, evaluating the implementation of HVO with the Mercia Park and Manchester final mile fleet.
John Hawksworth, Senior Director – Domestic Operations said “The results of sustainability trials highlight the strides we are making towards DSV reducing our environmental impact whilst complying with the cleaner energy alternatives outlined on our decarbonisation roadmap. DSV are in a great place to achieve our carbon reduction targets in the coming years. The potential reductions in net greenhouse gas emissions demonstrate how effective HVO fuel can be for driving sustainability within our operations. This unique deployment and implementation of alternative fuel technologies in our operation is also a leap forward for our customers on their sustainability journey.”
Our Green Logistics services are designed to help our customers gain visibility over carbon emissions in their sub-contracted transport and logistics and design decarbonisation strategies that fit their specific needs and CO2 reduction targets. As a leading logistics provider, DSV is committed to reducing the adverse impact of our own operations (Scope 1, 2 and 3) on the environment wherever possible.
NAV AERO is expanding its global GSSA network with CRS Airlines Representatives Spain, a key General Cargo Sales Agent in the Iberian Peninsula. This step underscores its commitment to providing excellent service and enhancing connectivity across Europe and worldwide.
CRS Airlines Representatives, founded in 1994, is a top GSSA in the Iberian Region, representing over 20 international airlines. With offices in Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, Valencia, Lisbon, and Porto, and a team of 40+ professionals, CRS Airlines offers comprehensive air cargo services throughout Spain and Portugal.
Their mission is to provide exceptional service to clients and airlines, aiming to increase market share and drive sustained revenue growth. CRS Airlines is the ideal partner for international airlines seeking cost-effective cargo representation, managing diverse shipments, including live animals, hazardous materials, human remains, and perishable goods, with efficient routing and connections to major European airports.
This new membership enables NAV to provide enhanced airline representation services, comprehensive total cargo management, and customized logistical solutions to cater to its clients’ varied needs. NAV’s continual growth demonstrates its commitment to providing seamless, top-tier GSSA and airline network solutions globally.
“Adding CRS Airlines Representatives to our network is an important feat. As part of our service promise, enhanced connectivity, reliability, and efficiency will benefit our members and airline clients. The addition of CRS enhances our european and worldwide network of leading and independent Cargo GSSAs.” Ralph van Eijk, Head of GSSA Network and Airline Development at NAV AERO, said.
Brussels Airport and Stargate EU Green Deal project partners VIL and DHL are currently testing a hydrogen refuelling station and a hydrogen-powered Mulag at Brussels Airport.
This hydrogen pilot for ground handling, a first for the airport, should give all the involved partners insights into the potential of hydrogen as an alternative fuel. Just like electric ground handling equipment, the use of hydrogen significantly reduces both emissions and noise impact of ground operations.
Earlier this month, a mobile hydrogen refuelling station was installed on the tarmac at Brussels Airport by VIL, in collaboration with WaterstofNet, to test hydrogen as a fuel for ground handling operations. This pilot is part of the Stargate project, a project of Brussels Airport with a consortium of 21 partners, to develop innovative solutions for sustainable airports and aviation.
DHL is testing the first hydrogen prototype for ground handling operations, a Mulag towing tractor with an integrated hydrogen fuel cell system. The towing tractor for the transport and loading of cargo, is refuelled with hydrogen using the mobile station on site. The fueling and operations are conducted by trained and certified operators, as the project includes comprehensive training for users, logistics managers, mechanics, fire brigade, and health and safety personnel.
Hydrogen and electricity as alternatives for ground handling
The goal of this pilot is to evaluate the potential of hydrogen as an alternative fuel for ground handling equipment, next to electric ground handling equipment, and to gain insight into the necessary procedures to use this fuel at an airport. This test will serve as a model for other partner airports within the Stargate project, offering valuable insights into permit application processes, safety requirements, and operational experiences for all airport partners. The test will run for six weeks, until June 27th.
Just like electric ground handling equipment, hydrogen fuelled vehicles have no CO2-emissions and noise impact, which benefits both local residents and airport personnel. One of the benefits of hydrogen is that vehicles can be fuelled instantly, which can be interesting for certain operations and makes them less dependent on the electricity grid. This initiative is an important step towards the broader adoption of hydrogen technology in aviation, paving the way for a more sustainable future.
Condor, Germany’s most popular leisure airline, has entered a new expanded partnership with cargo.one to make its entire global network available on the market leading digital procurement platform. The airline is now working closely with cargo.one to target thousands of freight forwarders across cargo.one’s vast footprint of markets. Condor will work with cargo.one experts to bolster digital sales efforts in key forwarding markets such as Europe and USA.
With almost 70 years of air cargo experience and a world-famous bold livery, Condor is a key carrier in the DACH aviation sector. Utilizing belly capacity from a fleet of more than 50 aircraft and ground facilities in Frankfurt, Dusseldorf and Zurich, Condor offers capacity to over 100 destinations across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Indian Ocean, North America and the Caribbean. Condor’s cargo operations benefit from its growing fleet of ultra modern and fuel efficient Airbus A330neo wide body aircraft.
Freight forwarders will benefit from the most seamless and user-friendly way to discover, quote and book Condor capacity around the clock. cargo.one is the go-to industry choice for procuring the best capacity and end to end buy rates, and making highly accurate, confirmed bookings at speed.
Thilo Schäfer, Head of Cargo at Condor, comments, “It is imperative to our digital cargo strategy that Condor services are present on the most popular and relevant booking platforms. Benefiting from our long-standing cooperation, cargo.one can guarantee that every Condor customer receives an excellent experience. We value the commercial expertise that cargo.one brings in supporting Condor to best target market potentials.”
Moritz Claussen, Founder & Co-CEO of cargo.one, “We have great pride and affection towards our collaboration with Condor. Having kicked off Condor’s digital distribution with its cargo partners back in 2020, we are excited to now be supporting the airline directly to accelerate its digital sales trajectory, and fully capitalize upon its many market potentials.”
Partnering with cargo.one delivers airlines like Condor a rapid increase in sales reach for valuable global markets such as the Americas, Asia and Africa. In time, Condor aims to launch its general cargo, passive temperature controlled and perishables capacity in all relevant markets taken from cargo.one’s community in 121 countries.
Using a top-quality live integration to Condor and in-house offer excellence experts, cargo.one supports the airline to guarantee the best possible offer accuracy. cargo.one’s unique Airline Growth teams assist Condor to compliantly learn about and address optimal market opportunities.
From July 2024, freight forwarders using cargo.one can book Condor capacity firstly for destinations in Europe, USA and Canada, with more regions worldwide being added in the coming weeks.
Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport in Alabama has opened a new $31m air cargo facility that is being leased by Kuehne+Nagel (K+N) as part of a partnership between the forwarder and the airport.
The new 53,000 sq ft facility, which is located on the South Cargo ramp of the airfield, is being used by K+N to handle cargo related to its weekly freighter flights from Stuttgart, Germany into Birmingham-Shuttlesworth.
Following an agreement in February last year between K+N and the Birmingham Airport Authority, two months later K&N began flights into Birmingham-Shuttlesworth using Boeing 747-8 freighters operated by Atlas Air.
The flights have been operated out of a temporary base at the Kaiser Aircraft Industries hangar at Shuttlesworth, but now that the project has been completed K+N will begin to move cargo through the building. K+N is subcontracting warehouse management to Alliance Ground International (AGI).
Designed by CHA Consulting, the facility includes 48,500 sq ft of warehouse space, 17 loading bays, five airside bay doors, two airside and two landside rollup doors and office space.
“This facility is the result of a lot of hard work and a strong belief that Birmingham should play a key role in moving cargo in the southeast,” said Ronald Mathieu, president and chief executive of the Birmingham Airport Authority.
K+N’s operations at the airport are its first at a secondary airport in North America. The freight forwarder and the airport authority aim to expand air cargo business in the southeastern corridor of the US.
The partnership signals a growing trend of using secondary airports to move air cargo in the US, said Birmingham Airport Authority. Smaller airports that have the infrastructure and
warehousing capacity in place have an opportunity to move cargo faster, cheaper, and on a more predictable schedule than is possible at larger, more congested airports.
Geneva, Switzerland: SITA, the leading technology provider for the air transport industry, has just taken the big step of moving into the operations as-a-service market with the acquisition of ASISTIM, a company renowned for its airline flight operations services.
This move illustrates SITA’s never-ending search for new ways to help airlines handle challenges and stay ahead, making air travel better for everyone.
This deal boosts SITA’s role as a top partner for ambitious airlines, offering them comprehensive solutions no matter their size or passenger volume. As air travel evolves, airlines face issues like staff shortages, rising costs, and changing demands. SITA’s acquisition of ASISTIM addresses these problems head-on by offering centralized airline Operations Control Center (OCC) services supporting multiple customers at the same time.
In addition, SITA now has access to its own OCC where it can closely monitor its own implemented technology with the aim to optimizing it further and taking its innovative solutions to a whole new level.
By combining ASISTIM’s expertise with SITA’s unique airline OCC software & IT solutions and global customer reach, this enhanced service will allow more airlines to outsource critical operations.
It will help airlines overcome the challenges of recruiting, training, and keeping their own OCC staff. It ensures they’re ready to operate at the highest standards, as SITA democratizes access to advanced technology, robust processes, and experienced personnel typically reserved for larger operators. This means airlines get a trusted operational partner to improve their efficiency, reliability, and scalability, no matter their size or passenger capacity.
“Acquiring ASISTIM is a big move for SITA’s Managed Services portfolio journey. It’s a step towards our goal to support all airlines by making the best of our capabilities and expertise available to them, in this case OCC services, whether we take on full OCC activities or a subset,” said David Lavorel, CEO of SITA.
“By centralizing OCC services, we help airlines manage daily or peak operations more smoothly, providing a scalable solution for all sizes. Now, we’re ready to build on ASISTIM’s legacy of service excellence to expand our offerings, but also to bring their key operational insights back into our software product development plans. This will solidify our position as the go-to OCC provider and is another bold step in SITA’s vision to offer a full range of products and services in the air transport industry.”
ASISTIM, founded 15 years ago, has made a name for itself with its innovative and unique triad of OCC, IT and training academy services. This means airlines find a one-stop-shop for comprehensive services, including managed OCC services, OCC software integration and automation, and top-tier dispatcher training, now backed-up by an established industry leader such as SITA.
Patrick Rossman, ASISTIM founder and Managing Director, added: “Joining forces with SITA is a huge milestone. Our combined expertise will help us lead change in our industry. SITA’s products, airline relationships, and 75 years of experience will help us set new standards and bring more value to airline operations.”
Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Dubai Airports, the operator of Dubai International (DXB) and Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC), has implemented a groundbreaking demand planning and forecasting initiative that is transforming behind-the-scenes supply management operations.
This innovative approach has enhanced service levels, streamlined inventory management, and boosted operational efficiency across the organisation, contributing to a superior experience for airport guests.
Over the past year, the introduction of a sophisticated Material Requirement Planning (MRP) tool, powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning, helps the inventory team predict future spare parts consumption. With parts on hand, the team can promptly execute engineering work orders, resulting in quicker maintenance responses and fewer disruptions for airport guests.
The MRP tool has improved forecast accuracy by 30%, allowing for precise inventory planning and reducing excess stock by 12%. This optimisation enhances capital utilisation and ensures that resources are available when needed.
Emmanuel Augustin, VP of Supply Management at Dubai Airports said, “We leveraged AI and real-time data to streamline our inventory management, improve efficiency and enhance the quality of service we provide to our key customers, both our internal business functions and the millions of guests who travel through the airport. As the first airport in the region and the first government entity in Dubai to implement this system, it underscores our commitment to innovation and operational excellence.”
Improved forecasting has led to a 24% increase in service levels, enabling faster response times for facility maintenance and enhancing the overall guest experience. The reduction of ageing work orders by 82% ensures that maintenance tasks are addressed promptly, minimising downtime and maintaining high standards of airport operations.
The automation of the inventory ordering process has improved efficiency by 400%, seamlessly integrating the creation of purchase requisitions and significantly reducing manual workloads.
The advanced data analytics provided by the MRP tool have strengthened decision-making processes, allowing Dubai Airports to leverage real-time data for enhanced performance. This has also ensured adherence to new regulations, maintaining the airport’s commitment to operational excellence and regulatory compliance.
CHAMP Cargosystems has signed a multi-year agreement with CMA CGM AIR CARGO, a division of CMA CGM Group, a global player in sea, land, air, and logistics solutions, for a range of services. This move is part of the airline’s expansion and growth strategy, which is enabled by CHAMP’s open and interconnected software solutions. Both CHAMP and CMA CGM AIR CARGO invested extraordinary effort to successfully deliver systems in a matter of weeks.
The range of CHAMP services selected by CMA CGM AIR CARGO is centered around the highly acclaimed flagship Cargospot suite of applications currently used by a significant number of airlines and cargo terminal operators to manage their day-to-day business processes. Strategically partnering with leading logistics businesses such as CHAMP, CMA CGM AIR CARGO will offer its customers a range of comprehensive, flexible and customized solutions.
The Cargospot products adopted by CMA CGM AIR CARGO suite include Cargospot Airline, as well as the advanced Cargospot Portal, Cargospot Business Intelligence and TRAXON CargoHUB for the initial startup and will continue to expand the use of CHAMP portfolio in the coming weeks ahead.
“We are very happy to support CMA CGM AIR CARGO with our extensive range of services that will enable them to establish their business around advanced digitalization,” commented Chris McDermott, CEO at CHAMP. “We also look forward to partnering with a leading multimodal player.”
“CMA CGM AIR CARGO asked, and we delivered on time, as promised. This was a joint effort, and I would like to thank the CMA CGM AIR CARGO team for their cooperation and professionalism. I’m looking forward to our continued engagement as this is just the beginning of our collaboration. Wishing CMA CGM AIR CARGO much success from 1st April 2024” commented David Linford-VP Sales and Account Management at CHAMP.
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