Frankfurt, Germany— Munich Airport has successfully test ran “evoBOT” in handling automated tasks at its cargo terminal, suggesting the use of more autonomous vehicles and robots in air freight, especially in times of skilled workers shortage.
Developed at the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML, the evoBOT is built with arms enabling it to load and pickup cargo. It can take on a wide range of tasks such as handling hazardous goods, transporting parcels for longer recurring distances, relieving employees during lifting and overhead work, procuring materials or even providing support during the loading and unloading of aircraft.
Despite its load capacity, the evoBOT is exceptionally agile on its two wheels. It can reach a maximum speed of up to 60 km/h and transport a load of up to 100 kg. It can operate either alone or with others. Thanks to its good maneuverability, the evoBOT can be operated in various areas both indoors and outdoors. Its low carbon footprint also contributes to its diverse use.
“The development and expansion of the cargo and logistics sector are essential components of our corporate strategy. We welcome every initiative to optimize and digitalize handling processes. The evoBOT will facilitate the day-to-day work of our employees in the cargo area and make the workplace more attractive,” explains Jost Lammers, Chief Executive Officer of Munich Airport.
Professor Michael ten Hompel, Managing Director of Fraunhofer IML, noted, “Our evoBOT is the beginning of a new population of autonomous vehicles and robots. With its arms and the fact that it moves on two wheels, it represents a step on the path to the humanoid future of robotics. The practical test carried out at Munich Airport impressively underpins the potential of this development. The evoBOT can work as a fellow colleague in a wide range of applications.”
The Digital Testbed Air Cargo (DTAC), in the context of which the current test was carried out, and the initial development of evoBOT are funding programs of the German Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV). In addition to Cargogate Munich Airport GmbH and Fraunhofer IML, the DTAC project consortium includes nine other partners from research and industry.
“Against the backdrop of rising air freight figures and the challenges of recruiting employees, we are very pleased to be able to take a look into the future with Fraunhofer IML. Into the very near future at that,” said Claudia Weidenbusch, Managing Director of Cargogate Munich Airport GmbH.
Paris, France—Groupe ADP, the world’s leading airport operator, has become an Official Partner of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Group, which welcomes nearly 90 million passengers each year in Paris, says it will put its expertise in terms of reception at the service of the athletes, the Olympic family and spectators from all over the world.
“This partnership is a proud and meaningful alliance: Paris 2024’s call “Let’s open up the Games” resonates with our mission to welcome the world for the universal celebration that are the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. During the summer of 2024, France will be the centre of the world. It is in our airports that the Games will begin and will end for many: everyone will make their first and last memories there. This is a magnificent challenge for the entire airport community and for our territories, and a unique opportunity to demonstrate our know-how and commitment to hospitality. Groupe ADP with all its employees, will be there to make Paris 2024 an unforgettable collective success,”saidAugustin de Romanet, Chairman and CEO of Groupe ADP.
Tony Estanguet, President of Paris 2024, welcomed Groupe ADP’s participation as the event’s official partner.
“In just over a year, France will be hosting the world, and Groupe ADP’s know-how and expertise in hospitality will be essential to ensure that the experience of foreign spectators and thousands of athletes gets off to the best possible start. Groupe ADP’s active policy towards people with disabilities is also fully in line with our ambition to take advantage of the first Summer Paralympic Games in France to move our society towards greater inclusion and accessibility. We are committed to deepening our collaboration in this area and in many others, for the success of the Paris 2024 Games. Thank you to Groupe ADP, and welcome to the adventure,” he said.
Paris airports will be the gateways for the 15,000 athletes, the 208 delegations qualified for the Paris 2024 Games, especially the transcontinental ones. From the airports, a large part of the athletes will set off to conquer their victories and dreams, followed by thousands of delegation members, journalists, supporters and spectators.
Along with the entire airport community, more than 5,000 employees of Groupe ADP in Paris are mobilised to put their expertise and sense of welcome at the service of the success of this global event.
Paris 2024 aims to leave a common and lasting legacy for the entire airport community such as the improvement of the quality of rail-air routes within the CDG 2 train station at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport.
Istanbul, Turkiye—The International Air Transport Association (IATA) which represents some300 airlines comprising 83% of global air trafficwarned that rapidly rising levels of blocked funds are a threat to airline connectivity in the affected markets.
The industry’s blocked funds have increased by 47% to $2.27 billion in April 2023 from $1.55 billion in April 2022.
“Airlines cannot continue to offer services in markets where they are unable to repatriate the revenues arising from their commercial activities in those markets. Governments need to work with industry to resolve this situation so airlines can continue to provide the connectivity that is vital to driving economic activity and job creation,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.
The top five countries account for 68.0% of blocked funds. These comprise:
Nigeria ($812.2 million)
Bangladesh ($214.1 million)
Algeria ($196.3 million)
Pakistan ($188.2 million)
Lebanon ($141.2 million)
IATA urged governments to abide by international agreements and treaty obligations to enable airlines to repatriate these funds arising from the sale of tickets, cargo space, and other activities.
Abu Dhabi, UAE—Abu Dhabi Airports, the owner and operator of five airports in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, recently welcomed the first SF Express cargo plane to Abu Dhabi International Airport.
The inaugural flight signalled the launch of operations for the global freight leader for the first time in the region. This strategic partnership is in collaboration with Etihad Cargo and Kerry Logistics, and further strengthens Abu Dhabi International Airport’s position as a key regional cargo hub.
Chinese-based SF Express, one of the world’s largest providers of express logistics services and solutions, has gained significant attention in the logistics industry due to its recent international expansion strategy. With its sights set on strengthening its position as a major logistics and cargo player, SF Express has made impressive breakthroughs by launching operations between China’s Wuhan and Abu Dhabi.
Speaking about this achievement, Eng. Jamal Al Dhaheri, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Abu Dhabi Airports said: “We are proud to welcome SF Express to Abu Dhabi. This marks a new milestone in our efforts to become a leading cargo and logistics hub in the region. We eagerly anticipate further partnerships as we continue our growth journey to establish Abu Dhabi as a major air cargo hub in the region.”
By partnering with industry leaders Etihad Cargo and Kerry Logistics, SF Express is set for success in the Middle East. With Etihad Cargo’s prominence in the air cargo and logistics industry and Kerry Logistics’ strong presence in the region, SF Express will be able to tap into the expertise and resources of these global providers, resulting in higher-quality and more reliable service delivery for their customers.
Li Sheng, Chairman of SF Airlines, said “Working with Abu Dhabi Airports will undoubtedly be a significant milestone and we are confident that this partnership will be beneficial for all parties involved. Abu Dhabi Airports is an important cargo hub in the region, and we are eager to work together as we connect and create value for our customers and strengthen our growing network.”
Commenting on the partnership,Martin Drew, Senior Vice President – Global Sales & Cargo at Etihad Airways, said: “Etihad Cargo is fully aligned with the emirate of Abu Dhabi’s vision of becoming a global logistics hub. The inaugural SF Express cargo flight’s arrival in Abu Dhabi marks the beginning of a partnership between Etihad Cargo, Abu Dhabi Airports, SF Express and Kerry Logistics that not only supports SF Express’s Middle East expansion plans but also benefits Etihad Cargo’s customers, adding another mega hub gateway in China to Etihad Cargo’s growing global network, further strengthening cooperation between Abu Dhabi and China.”
Abu Dhabi International Airport has been determined to establish itself as a prime air cargo and logistics hub by forging new strategic partnerships. This new announcement further bolsters its standing in the region and is an important move to foster the growth of logistics business in the Middle East.
HONG KONG—Qatar Airways Cargo and its ground handler Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Ltd (Hactl) have teamed up to provide an extra layer of security for the airline’s Hong Kong-bound flights, using technical detection dogs to sniff out hidden lithium batteries in air cargo.
The detection service is being provided by leading specialist MSA Security, an Allied UniversalCompany (MSA), which now operates a team of security experts and sniffer dogs within a dedicated area of Hactl’sSuperTerminal 1 facility. MSA dogs are trained at one of the company’s 11 canine training centres in the United States, and housed locally in their dedicated kennel in Hong Kong.
The dogs are specially-trained to detect specific odours, resulting in their ability to detect lithium batteries, whether they are in loose, palletised or containerised cargo. In proving trials at Hactl, an MSA dog successfully detected packages containing lithium batteries in PCs, and even a single power bank, located on pallets containing other general cargo.
Qatar Airways Cargo and Hactl are the first carrier and cargo handler in Hong Kong to utilise trained sniffer dogs for lithium battery detection. The carrier’s decision to use dogs rather than traditional X-ray detection alone was due to the difficulty of reliably identifying lithium batteries via X-ray images, particularly for e-commerce shipments containing multiple types of products in small packages.
Guillaume Halleux, Chief Officer Cargo at Qatar Airways, said: “We always maintain the highest possible level of aviation safety and security and we have continuously advocated for proper regulation in the transport of lithium batteries. We recently became the second airline in the world to become IATA CEIV Lithium Batteries certified and we continue to look at ways to improve our methods. The trials with MSA have been very impressive, and our agreement to adopt their services through Hactl marks an important step forward for our brand.”
Hactl Chief Executive Wilson Kwong, noted, “We are very pleased to partner with our valued customer Qatar Airways Cargo in facilitating this innovative enhancement to the services we provide to them. Effective aviation safety and security demand that we leverage every new technology and technique, and this latest move perfectly aligns with Hactl’s constant drive for continuous improvement in all aspects of its operations.”
Hactl is already conducting trials with another major operator, and plans to offer the technical detection dog service option to all of its customer carriers.
Doha, Qatar—Dell Technologies (NYSE: DELL) announced Hamad International Airport (DOH) has selected its advanced server and network infrastructure solutions to deliver the best passenger experience and operational excellence as the aviation hub continues with Phase B of its expansion plan.
Hamad International Airport, which currently serves over 170 global destinations and more than 40 airline partners, chose the Dell PowerEdge servers to secure and enhance the airport’s infrastructure capabilities, improve efficiencies and costs, while creating the ultimate destination for millions of visitors.
Designed to undertake exceptional performance, Dell PowerEdge servers lay the foundation for the future with computing and networking modules that can be tailored to the airport’s needs and expanded over time.
In 2022, as Qatar welcomed football fans from around the world, Hamad International Airport witnessed a 101.9% year-on-year surge in passenger traffic and a 28.2% growth in overall aircraft movement, compared to 2021. Building on this momentum, the airport’s Phase B of the expansion project started in January 2023, will include two new concourses, increasing the airport capacity to over 70 million passengers per year.
The implementation of Dell solutions works towards providing further support for the airport’s ambitious plans and facilitating new avenues to scale and consolidate its data center to run the most complex, mission-critical workloads while remaining flexible for future growth needs. Made for secure interactions and with the ability to predict potential threats, the PowerEdge servers feature cryptographically verified security design and has an intuitive systems management process to monitor, deploy and implement the automation of routine airport operations tasks.
“Hamad International Airport’s contribution to facilitating global trade, raising industry benchmarks and introducing the ultimate in passenger convenience has been remarkable. As the sector continues to move upward and passengers demand enhanced travel experiences, a robust and flexible digital infrastructure supporting high-density growth will prove crucial. Dell Technologies is committed to helping the airport deliver on its growth vision. As a major player in the global aviation sector, Dell is eager to see it soar to newer heights in the coming future,” said Travers Nicholas, Country General Manager for Qatar, Dell Technologies.
Suhail Kadri, Senior Vice President of Technology and Innovation at Hamad International Airport added: “As one of the world’s busiest airports, that moves significant number of passengers and commodities on an hourly basis, access to agile technology remains critical. Working with a technology provider who understands the demands of international air travel and is well-equipped to support passengers, airlines and air cargo efficiencies is therefore paramount. Working with Dell Technologies’ via its network of channel partners, helps us meet our ambitious growth plans and introduce new digital innovations, as we continue to invest in modernizing our airport.”
Munich, Germany—A dynamic traffic development brought Munich Airport significantly improved financial results in fiscal year 2022. With a passenger volume of 31.6 million passengers – 19 million more than in the previous year – the airport already reached around 70% of its pre-crisis level.
Revenue was almost doubled year-on-year to around EUR 1.2 billion. Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) amounted to EUR –28 million, an improvement of EUR 258 million on the previous year. Munich Airport posted earnings after taxes (EAT) of EUR –59 million, thus reducing the previous year’s loss by around EUR 200 million.
As the CEO of FMG, Jost Lammers, emphasized at the company’s recently held annual press conference, Munich Airport has also achieved an economic turnaround thanks to the positive traffic development in 2022.
“We expect this encouraging trend to continue in the current year, too. In 2023 we anticipate another significant increase in our revenue, opening up the prospect for us to return to the black already in the fourth year after the start of the worst crisis in the history of aviation,” said Lammers.
The positive traffic development was particularly attributable to connections to North America: Since July 2022, traffic between Munich and destinations in the US has even been higher than the pre-pandemic level. With the start of last winter’s flight schedule, traffic on routes between the Bavarian capital and Asian destinations also increased again. This growth in travel to Asia will continue in 2023 as Chinese destinations are added.
“We have regained our position as a premium international hub. One clear indication of this is that we increased the number of our intercontinental passengers almost fivefold compared to the previous year. This year, our passenger numbers will reach around 80% of their pre-crisis level again,” said Lammers.
Caption:
The Munich Airport Management Board.From left to right: Jost Lammers (President and Chief Executive Officer/Personnel Industrial Relations Director), Nathalie Leroy (Chief Financial Officer / Chief Infrastructure Officer), Jan-Henrik Andersson (Chief Commercial and Security Officer). Image Credit: Munich Airport
Frankfurt, Germany— On Logistics Day, Lufthansa Cargo once again appeals to aviation’s potential for change saying air freight is indispensable to move goods intended for global trade as well as time-sensitive shipments like humanitarian aid supplies to help people in conflict zones or in times of tragedy like earthquakes, major floods, wildfires, among others.
Sustainable developments are driving the future of air freight logistics. And even though there is still a long way to go before climate protection goals are achieved, the industry is already doing a lot.
“Air freight is indispensable.But we need sustainable change if we want to reduce the carbon footprint. To this end, we have set ourselves ambitious goals, and we see in practice that efficient flying, e.g., by using sustainable fuels, works. But to make a difference in terms of reducing emissions overall, the entire air freight logistics industry must follow suit. To this end, current developments must be used throughout the industry and future technologies must be recognized in good time,” explains Brian Kowalke, Environmental Manager at Lufthansa Cargo.
Lufthansa Cargo’s efforts clearly show that climate protection can also be successfully implemented in airfreight logistics. By 2030 at the latest, the company aims to halve its carbon footprint compared to 2019 and to be completely CO2-neutral by 2050.
In this regard, Lufthansa Cargo plays a pioneering role within the industry, as can be seen, among other things, in the implementation of the EU regulation ReFuelEU: In the new ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation, the EU Commission has defined a binding quota of renewable fuels for aviation.
By 2025, for example, at least two percent and by 2030 at least five percent of SAF must be blended. Compared to fossil fuels, SAF reduce CO2 emissions by up to 80 percent. Today, Lufthansa Cargo is already scratching at the set first mark of two percent: In 2022, the SAF share in the fuel consumption of Lufthansa Cargo freighter aircraft was already 1.8 percent. Together with its partner DB Schenker, the company also offers the only regular full-charter freighter connection with 100 percent non-fossil fuel.
As a forward-looking company, Lufthansa Cargo invests not only in renewable fuels but also continuously in the modernization of its fleet and operates the most fuel-efficient cargo aircraft on the market.
To further improve the fleet’s fuel efficiency, the company relies on new technologies such as AeroSHARK, a special surface film that reduces the aircraft’s frictional resistance. Extrapolated to Lufthansa Cargo’s entire 777 fleet, this alone can save approximately 13,000 tons of CO2 emissions and more than 4,000 tons of kerosene annually.
China-based express carrier SF Airlines has added freighter number 80 and expects more to be added this year.
The carrier took delivery of the B767-300 Boeing Converted Freighter in March, which coincided with the 30th anniversary of parent company SF Express.
The SF Airlines fleet now includes three B747-400ERFs, 19 B767-300BCFs, 41 B757-200Fs, and 17 B737-300/400Fs.
The airline has added an average of six freighters to its fleet each year since its launch in 2009.
“At present, 80 all-cargo aircraft of SF Airlines are deployed in more than 40 cities and regions across the country, with an average of nearly 150 flights per day,” the company said.
SF Airlines took delivery of the aircraft at its SF Express South China Transit Center at Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport.
SF Airlines is also jointly developing a huge 2.4m tonne capacity cargo airport in Ezhou, which will connect its regional and international services covering Asia Pacific, Europe and the US.
The airport handled its first flight in July last year.
Tokyo Narita International Airport is set for major investment with a new project to develop air cargo logistics facilities.
Commercial property company Goodman Group will partner with Tako Town, in close collaboration with Narita International Airport Corporation (NAA) and Chiba Prefecture, to carry out the project on a 70-hectare site.
The site in the Iizasa area of Tako Town, Chiba Prefecture is connected to a planned expansion of Tokyo Narita that will create a third runway, scheduled for completion in March 2029.
The project will see the logistics space for cargo fully integrated with Narita Airport, helping bring NAA’s “New Narita” initiative to life, said Goodman Group.
Goodman is targeting completion in March 2029 to coincide with the opening of Tokyo Narita’s third runway.
The air logistics hub is being developed for the “International Exchange Complex” as part of Tako Town’s master plan, which was created in March 2021, added Goodman Group.
The complex will be designed to seamlessly streamline cargo operations into and out of the airport.
Recently, Chiba Prefecture and nine cities and towns (including Narita City and Tako Town) surrounding Tokyo Narita agreed to create a plan to develop an international industrial hub under the Regional Future Investment Promotion Act.
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