DUBAI: The world’s futuristic fastest
plane is about to descend in major
airports across the world with the
prototype scheduled to be tested as
early as next year, according to its
maker Boom.
The start-up company mainly financed
by Silicon Valley venture capitalists
managed to raise as much as $41 million
in its initial phase, says Boom Founder
and CEO Blake Scholl. His venture is
envisioned to become a game-changer
in the aviation industry.
In a press briefing held at Dubai Future
Foundation premises, Scholl said the
supersonic passenger plane is faster
than the French-British 1960 joint
venture Concorde with a 2.2 Mach
speed.
Scholl said Supersonic commercial
aircraft will connect the GCC to the rest
of the world with flights up to 2.6X
faster than conventional airliners. For
example, a flight from Dubai to Sydney
which takes 14:51 today, will take just
8:17 flying supersonic. In the same
fashion, Dubai to New York will be 7
hours and 35 minutes versus 14 hours
today.
“Compared to Concorde, designed in
the 1960s, Boom will be 80% less
expensive to operate—leading to
affordable tickets for passengers and
profit opportunities for airlines. Key
technologies for supersonic include
carbon fiber composites, advanced
aerodynamics, and modern turbofan jet
engines. These technologies combine
to enable an airplane faster than
Concorde, yet quiet, efficient, and
comfortable for passengers,” said Scholl
who is from Denver, Colorado.
Scholl’s visit to Dubai was at the
invitation of the UAE government but he
declined to say if any of the major
airlines in the country had made orders
for the supersonic commercial plane.
He did disclose, however, that Virgin
Atlantic had already placed orders
worth $5 billion.
“We are delighted to bring Boom to the
UAE. UAE airlines already lead the
world in travel experience, and the
country is embracing other innovative
transportation technologies, such as
Hyperloop and drone taxis,” said Scholl.
“Supersonic flight will enhance UAE’s
status as the world’s preeminent
aviation hub, giving travellers more of
the luxury they value most: time.”
The Boom airliner seats up to 55
passengers in comfort and privacy with
p a s s e n g e r s e x p e r i e n c i n g l e s s
turbulence than old models.
T h e B o o m ‘ s X B – 1 S u p e r s o n i c
Demonstrator, a ⅓ scale prototype
aircraft, is under construction now and
will fly in 2018. Passenger flights will
begin in the early 2020s.
The XB-1 Supersonic Demonstrator will
fly with hardware from General Electric
(engines), Honeywell (avionics),
Tencate (carbon fiber), with composite
structures fabricated by Blue Force.
Final assembly and vehicle integration
are taking place in Boom’s facility at
Centennial Airport near Denver,
Colorado.
Design Specifications: Boom
Passenger Airliner
“It’s great that the legislation is becoming stricter but I still feel the legal requirements are too low. If you are driving at 80 km/h when the emergency braking system is deployed, you need to cut your speed by far more than just 20 km/h to avoid a massive collision if the vehicle in front has come to a standstill. ” – Carl Johan Almqvist, Traffic & Product Safety Director at Volvo Trucks.
More vehicles on the roads, a faster traffic flow and a distracting stream of information all impose considerable demands on both commercial vehicle drivers and car drivers.
On the other hand, there has never been more opportunities for the person behind the wheel to drive more safely than there is today. The active safety systems found in many modern cars and trucks make it far easier to avoid incidents and accidents.
As of November 2015 there is an EU-wide legal requirement for new two- and three-axle heavy trucks to be equipped with the function automatic emergency brake. The aim is to reduce accidents in which a truck drives into the back of a vehicle in front of the truck , an accident scenario that accounts for about one-fifth of all road accidents involving trucks.
At present, legislation requires that the emergency braking system must reduce the truck´s speed by 10 km/h. Next year, this will be tightened to 20 km/h.
“It’s great that the legislation is becoming stricter but I still feel the legal requirements are too low. If you are driving at 80 km/h when the emergency braking system is deployed, you need to cut your speed by far more than just 20 km/h to avoid a massive collision if the vehicle in front has come to a standstill,” says Carl Johan Almqvist, Traffic & Product Safety Director at Volvo Trucks.
Volvo Trucks has developed a system that goes well beyond both current &future legal requirements. The system, which was introduced in 2012, focuses primarily on alerting the driver to the risk of a collision.
“In many cases, this is enough for the driver to quickly assess the situation and avoid an accident,” explains Carl Johan Almqvist.
The emergency brake is only used if it is absolutely necessary, and it is deployed extremely quickly.
The braking speed – or retardation to use the correct technical term – is about 7 m/sec2, which is on par with what many passenger cars can manage. In practice this means that the truck’s speed can be cut from 80 to 0 km/h in about 40 metres.
The system monitors the vehicles in front with the help of camera and radar technology and functions irrespective of whether it is sunshine, mist, fog or darkness.
If there is a risk of collision, the driver is alerted via gradually escalating light and acoustic signals. If the system does not detect a response from the driver, the truck automatically starts braking gently. If the driver still does not respond, the emergency brake is deployed until the vehicle comes to a complete standstill.
After a further five seconds without any movement of the steering wheel or other reaction, the handbrake is automatically engaged, a safety measure to prevent the truck from rolling if the driver is in shock or is unconscious.
When the emergency brake is deployed, the brake lights start flashing to warn vehicles to the rear, and when the truck’s speed drops to 5 km/h the flashing emergency warning lights are also activated.
Volvo’s system also functions on curvy roads and can differentiate between roadside guard rails and genuine obstacles such as vehicles including motorbikes. In order to gain the full benefit of the system, it is essential to ensure that all functions, such as the ABS brakes, are activated on both truck and trailer.
Considering the short period that has passed since the introduction of emergency brake legislation, it will take some time before its positive effects are reflected in accident statistics.
However, Volvo Trucks is convinced of the benefits of the emergency braking system and other active safety devices.
“Our active safety systems are part of a holistic solution that clearly helps reduce risks in traffic, but it is important to bear in mind that technology alone cannot do the job. A safe traffic environment requires active interaction between all road users. An experienced, attentive driver who handles his or her vehicle responsibly is still the best form of accident prevention,” says Almqvist.
Examples of Volvo Trucks’ intelligent safety systems
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has prepared a roadmap to create cargo infrastructure and facilities at 24 AAI airports to push economic growth in all of the country’s regions. The total freight handled in 2006 was a meager 0.5 MMT. Today, it’s about 3 MMT, proof of huge potentials in the cargo industry.
Despite some regional airlines (Vijayawada-based Air Costa and Bengaluru-based Air Pegasus) in India folding up in double quick time, the Indian civil aviation sector has something to cheer about.
The passenger numbers are amazing, growing at 18.9 percent (both domestic and international ) between April 2016 and February 2017, though the cargo numbers are just half that (9.3 percent). The freight numbers are going to go north as there is considerable e-retail that is happening, besides a number of initiatives that the government has taken to add to that growth.
Reducing Dwell Time
The main steps taken by the government are many and the air cargo community is gung-ho about the policies. The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) recently got a study done on cargo dwell-time at six major airports to figure out why the dwell time at Indian airports were higher.
The study suggested corrective action at airports and one of the first actions was taken on April 1, 2017 when the free period for air cargo was reduced from 72 to 48 hours. Dwell time is that time the cargo spends within the airport from unloading to pickup. The yardstick for efficient logistics is faster unloading and pickup of cargo at airports.
The Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha recently stated in the Indian Parliament that the Airports Authority of India had prepared a road map to create cargo infrastructure and facilities at 24 AAI airports initially to provide impetus to economic growth and development on a pan-India basis to ensure harmonious growth for all regions in the country.
More importantly, the regional connectivity scheme (RCS) called ‘UDAN’ (ude desh ka aam nagrik – enabling the common man to fly) took off in April end with Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagging off the first ‘UDAN’ flight from Shimla to Delhi. The RCS is expected to positively impact the air cargo sector as the regional operators will be looking at different revenue streams, one of which is opening up movement of air cargo from Tier II and III cities which are desperately waiting for air connectivity.
Route Incentives
As provided for in the National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP) 2016, air freighter operations at RCS airports are entitled to excise duty at 2 percent rate on aviation turbine fuel (ATF) for a period of three years.
And upon transition to the new regime of Goods and Service Tax (GST), rates will be as applicable as determined under GST and exemptions/concessions are expected to be given to the current reduced level of taxation to keep the growth momentum going.
Airport operators (whether under the ownership of the AAI, State Governments, private entities or the Ministry of Defence) will not levy Landing Charges and Parking Charges; and Terminal Navigation Landing Charges (TNLC). However, Route Navigation and Facilitation Charges (RNFC) will be levied by AAI on a discounted basis @ 42.50 per cent of normal rates.
The other initiatives include:
a) The concept of 24x7customs clearance of import/export cargo 13 airports, expected to have quicker turnaround times;
b) The concept of ”Single Window” has been launched by Customs with effect from April 1, 2016 in a phased manner which inter-alia ensures on-line clearance from various regulatory agencies.
c) For handling international cargo at its airports, AAI has provided Automatic Storage & Retrieval System (AS&RS) as well as elevated transfer vehicle (ETV) facilities for handling both import and export cargo respectively at Chennai and Kolkata airports.
d) All the international air cargo terminals managed by AAI are well equipped with sufficient storage space, cargo handling equipment, cold rooms for perishable cargo and other basic facilities.
e) The Common User Domestic Cargo Terminal (CUDCT) concept has been introduced for maximum utilization of facilities. The terminals will be capable of accommodating cargo from all over the country including perishable goods, medicine and other high value and express delivery shipments.
With all these initiatives, there is incremental growth in air cargo movement and the government of the day must be appreciated for the efforts it is taking to boost economic development. As per the Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics, the share of air transport in the total exports of the country in terms of value has risen considerably.
Air cargo business has grown almost six-fold in the past decade. The total freight handled in 2006 was a meagre 0.5 MMT which has now increased to about 3 MMT. Though the business is quite less as compared to other countries, there is huge potential for growth.
AAI Chairman Guruprasad Mohapatra acknowledges that the host of measures initiated by the government will boost and sustain economic growth in a steady manner. The policies look at the sector in a holistic manner covering different segments such as cargo, MRO, general aviation, aerospace manufacturing, skill development etc.
The government is encouraging use of technology, infrastructure development, simplified procedures etc. to catch up with the world having lost out in archaic systems and procedures. “The country now is on the right track.”
One of the many upgradations happening at Indian airports has to do with reducing delays on ground and in air. The authority has installed the Central Air Traffic Flow Management (C-ATFM), making India the seventh country to have this, expected to help in optimum utilisation of major resources – airport, airspace and aircraft.
Improving Logistics Network
Also the government recently set up a subsidiary of AAI, the AAI Cargo Logistics & Allied Services Company (AAICLAS) which is to focus on air cargo handling and allied services, warehousing and contract logistics.
The vision of AAICLAS is to become the foremost integrated logistics network operator in India with primary focus on air cargo handling and allied services, achieving 1.50 million tonnes of air cargo handled, with a turnover of $120 million. It will also establish a working Free Trade Warehousing Zone by 2022-23. In all, the AAI has chalked up investments of about $3 billion in the next five years.
Yes, India has a long way to go in improving its logistics. Currently, the annual logistics cost of the world is estimated at about $3.5 trillion. India spends around 14.4 per cent of its GDP on logistics and transportation as compared to less than 8 per cent by developing countries. Indian freight transport market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 13.35 percent by 2020 driven by the growth in the manufacturing, retail, FMCG and e-commerce sectors.
Freight transport market in India is expected to be worth US$ 307.70 billion by 2020. In India road freight constitutes around 63 percent of the total freight movement consisting of 2.2 million heavy duty trucks and 0.6 million light duty trucks annually.
The road freight movement is expected to increase at a CAGR of 15 percent. The sea freight consists of around 9 percent of the total freight market and is mainly used as a major mode for imports and exports. The air freight consists of around 1 percent of the total freight market which is estimated to grow around 12.5 percent CAGR over the next 5 years.
e-Commerce—the driver
e-Commerce is picking up fast in India, though it is way behind China. With $681 billion in online retail sales in 2016, China is the largest market for e-commerce globally, followed by the US, and the fastest growing one is India.
According to a study by Forrester Research, approximately a fifth of total retail sales will take place online by 2021 in Asia Pacific, with 78 percent of that coming from mobile, up from 63 percent in 2016. The study adds that online retail via mobile will grow at a CAGR of 15.6 percent, to reach $1 trillion in 2020, up from $539 billion in 2016.
China accounts for nearly 80 percent of online retail sales in Asia-Pacific, and Forrester expects it to become the first market to reach $1 trillion in online retail sales in 2020.
More than 19 percent of all retail sales in China take place online, and it will reach 24 percent by 2021. The Indian market is expected to reach $64 billion by 2021, growing at a five-year CAGR of 312 percent. What better market situation than this.
At Ras Al Khor Industrial Zone, it’s common to see huge warehouses but one stands out with its state-of-the-art cold storage facilities designed to bridge the gap for the need for more amid Dubai’s ever increasing appetite for imported food and frozen products from all over the world.
P.P. Kariappa, CEO of MHK Trading & Ship Chandlers LLC (MHKTS), says their newly-opened 3PL cold store logistics center was built to address the growing needs of Dubai for more temperature controlled storage facilities.
Costing more than $10 million, the MHKTS cold store offers appropriate storage for all kinds of food and specialized products with more than 6,000 pallet positions under controlled temperatures ranging from +10 to -20 degrees centigrade.
Spread across 80,000 sq ft, the refrigerated warehouse plant has 14 chambers and uses the ammonia-based refrigerant, thus, assuring efficiency and economic usage.
Khatib Mohd Saeed, MHKTS manager-operations warehousing & logistics, said they opened the plant in April and its clientele from the food, agriculture, pharmaceutical and the manufacturing industries are growing.
Originally from Mumbai, India, Saeed first came to the UAE in 1990 and had spent the past 26 years in the logistics and warehousing industry.
“The future for Dubai’s logistics industry is good,” he said. “There are millions of people who live in the city and millions more come and go every year for different events and tourism. I would say the industry grows 5 to 10 percent every year. People have to eat,” he said.
Their location in Ras Al Khor also sets them apart as it is in the heart of the city compared to other cold storage warehouses in other free zones.
“We are ideally located in Ras Al Khor. Others are located in Sharjah, Jebel Ali, Al Quoz, Techno Park, which takes time to reach,” said Saeed.
Professionally managed by a team of highly experienced personnel in the industry, the MHKTS 3PL also boasts of the latest in warehouse technology known as the Stow Shuttle System from GENAVCO.
It is the first cold storage center in the UAE to use the Stow Shuttle System which uses a remote control system to store and retrieve packages from the pallet.
“We did our research and found out that GENAVCO is the market leader when it comes to providing pallets and the stow system. It did the work for IKEA which involves about 150,000 pallets,” said Saeed. “We want to we want to provide the best for this facility in terms of quality and services.”
The warehouse operations manager said this system saves space and time and makes inventory easier.
Homegrown
The company CEO said the cold storage center is part of the Mir Hashem Khoory (MHK) Group, one of the pioneers in the UAE’s real estate and gold trading industries.
From its humble beginnings in 1963, the business had since grown to a multi diversified portfolio of dynamic business enterprises in real estate, healthcare, education, trading, ship chandelling, marine repairs and logistics, facilities management, construction, manufacturing and even investment consultancy.
The late Mir Hashem Khoory, the Emirati businessman who formed the firm was the principal board member of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and the National Bank of Dubai.
“He is a true visionary. His life and achievements proved that one can achieve success by confidence, courage, conviction and hard work,” said Kariappa who himself started from the bottom of the corporate ladder before reaching his current status as CEO.
In 2014, the MHK Group established MHKTS to serve the needs of the local food industry, specializing in supplying fresh chilled/frozen foods, including poultry, beef, seafood, mutton/lamb, delicatessens, dry foods, dairy products, branded consumer products, janitorial and ship spares.
From that venture came the idea to open the MHKTS 3PL center.
“We thought why can’t we start our own facility? So this was how it came about. We’re keeping our products but at the same time, we’re offering our facilities for other businesses that need our services,” said Saeed.
Kariappa said the UAE logistics industry has a lot of potentials because of its ideal geographical location in the Middle East and the latest infrastructure in land transportation and aviation and their company wants to grow with it.
“Dubai has been the logistics hub in the Middle East and over the next three years, we believe it will get even bigger,” he said.
The handling and transportation of Dangerous Goods require immense care as it could compromise a handler’s safety and health when not handled properly and in accordance with IATA’s Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR).
Each transportable hazardous material carries an equal amount of side effects and damage potential. While all cargo handlers are confident in handling all hazardous materials, it is better to be trained well in preventing any hazardous content touching against the human skin.
Air Cargo Update met with Dangerous Goods expert BalajiThota, formerly the head of DGR trainings at Sharaf Academy in Dubai, and we discussed why a thorough training at regular intervals is required to effectively handle dangerous goods without accidents.
Items marked as Dangerous Goods include perfumes, lithium batteries for laptops, mobile, radioactive materials for oil and gas industries, etc.
Dangerous Goods certification
Dangerous Goods certification is one of the mandatory requirements in cargo, logistics and freight industry which comprises of air, sea, road and rail modes of transport. However Air mode is monitored by concern Civil Aviation Authorities.
Balaji notes, “Based on the job responsibilities the Dangerous goods training topics and duration defer. At the end of the course, student shall gain the knowledge about dangerous goods which will help to perform their jobs without compromising safety”.
Training provided
Compromise in Dangerous Goods training means high risk for aircraft and fellow passengers. The Dangerous Goods acceptance personnel always play a vital role.
His/her competency level and decision-making is one of the factors to decide whether the aircraft will reach destination safely or not. Thus, extensive training is been given in the classroom by a qualified, experienced and IATA and CAA approved instructors.
All nine classes of dangerous goods in details based on each participant’s job responsibilities are covered. The entire course content and training materials have been evaluated by the IATA and state authority of UAE (GCAA).
Trainings are provided on aviation, airline, cargo and dangerous goods.
Top priority
The primary purpose of these courses are to ensure proper safety is maintained throughout and during cargo movement and at the same time complying with the mandatory legal requirements as no part of the business is more important than safety.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and International Air Transport Association (IATA) mandate that every person handling cargo must undergo training based on their job responsibilities.
“Dangerous Goods has its own industry for whom it is necessary to follow the regulations based on their products such as perfume, chemical and battery industries etc., in addition to that, it is mandatory for every chain of the supply chain to follow the regulations to ensure safety,” ICAO says.
Course & Career Prospects
All DG courses are certified by IATA and the popular courses taken under Dangerous goods courses are IATA DGR Category 6 for air cargo and freight forwarding industry and IMDG code for sea freight industry.
Since Dangerous Goods certification is a must for cargo, freight and logistics industry, the career opportunity is very bright if the candidate meets all other requirements of the employer.
Participants taking this course must be fluent in English and preferably a graduate. They also must have a minimum of one year air cargo experience to understand cargo and Dangerous Goods terminologies.
Students are assessed by course assignment during the course and final assessment is done by a written test paper which is approved by IATA and state authority (GCAA). Duration of the course is 40 hours and will be conducted in five consecutive days.
“Test paper provided is set by the head instructor of the training organization and will be wetted by both country civil aviation authority and IATA. Only approved test paper will be used to evaluate participates competency,” said Balaji.
There is no field training provided for Dangerous Goods. However, participants can contact the academy or instructor, whenever they need clarification, support during handling of physical Dangerous Goods shipments, according to Balaji.
Regulations mandate that the organization intended to deliver Dangerous Goods training must have qualified instructor & infrastructure. Instructor qualification such as IATA DGR CAT 6 certification, Professional Skills for Dangerous Goods Instructor course, a minimum of five years physical dangerous Goods handing experience, in addition to all these, the instructor and training organization must be approved by the country’s civil aviation authority.
Dangerous Goods Management
Balaji exclusively also shared with us the details of his new company before its official soft launch on the 27th of April.
Based in Netherlands since 1987, Dangerous Goods Management UAE (DGM – UAE) is an internationally recognised expert in Dangerous Goods and hazardous materials transportation solutions by Air, Sea, Road, and Rail operating from more than 30 offices in six continents with the services of Training, operations, consultation and auditing.
DGM develops comprehensive dangerous goods solutions to a large variety of customers of all sectors and industries (logistics, chemical, oil and gas, energy, freight forwarders, air, road, maritime transport companies).
It has been recognized by Governments and International Organizations such as International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), strategic partner IATA and by International Federation of Freight Forwarders (FIATA).
Networks supported by DGM – UAE include, Oil & Gas, Chemicals, Freight Forwarders, Hospital & Medical Sector, Pharmaceutical & Healthcare, Energy Automotive and Air, Sea and Road Transport.
A visit to Dubai leads to
a global events company
“Never be afraid to ask for help. Ask people. Reach out. Have mentors around you. Surround yourself with people who are better than you and learn from them. We’re all learning every day.”
Katie Viera was a young marketing specialist when she first came to Dubai in the 1990s for a British trade mission.
Going back and forth to the UAE for different assignments, she fell in love with the country and decided to take a chance. She set up her own events company, the HQ Creative, with a local partner and two decades on, it’s now one of the largest in the Middle East.
“I came back and forth and decided that I wanted to be here. I actually reached out to one of my clients. You need a local partner and so I spoke to a client and we became partners in the initial company,” Viera recalled. “It was just me and a secretary and a designer and about three months later an accountant. So we were a very tiny team. Our first major production was the Silver Jubilee anniversary in Abu Dhabi in 1996.”
After its major production, HQ Creative had been entrusted to handle even bigger and more grandiose events like the 41st and 44th UAE National Day Celebrations, the RTA Metro Dubai Launch, the Etihad Museum Opening, the Zayed Heritage Festival, the State Visit of HM Queen Elizabeth II under the Crown Prince’s Court of Abu Dhabi, Dubai International Financial Center’s annual celebrations, among other major projects.
Producing these spectacular events feed the cargo industry with lots of business as creating them require so many supplies and other production materials.
Lights, sound and AV kits, among others, had to be flown by plane to save time and protect them from damage.
Last February, HQ Creative merged with Worldwide Shows Corporation, a global leader in international events, live entertainment and communications industry based in Milan, Italy.
The merger resulted to the formation of HQ Worldwide Shows (HQWS) which is now the largest events company in the region and is expected to produce major shows in Dubai with Expo 2020 coming.
For those who are seeking to make it big in Dubai, Viera, the managing partner & chief creative officer of HQWS, said it pays to be bold.
“Always follow your heart and make sure you got your head with you. I’ve always been a dreamer. Don’t be afraid. Be brave. I think bravery is really, really important. You dream something and you do it and make it happen,” she told Air Cargo Update.
Another key philosophy in making it big: Never be afraid to ask for help.
“Never be afraid to ask for help. Ask people. Reach out. Have mentors around you. Surround yourself with people who are better than you and learn from them. We’re all learning every day,” said Viera.
And more importantly, she said, “Be humble.”
When she’s not at work, Viera spends time just thinking.
“I like time to think and spend time with my family,” she said.
Viera said she never got the chance to travel much during her first 15 years in the UAE. But these days, she’s up for traveling with the merger.
And one of her must-see places is Japan.
“I’d love to go to Japan, the Far East. I really love new cultures,” she said. “The great thing with this partnership is I’m going to travel to exciting places.”
Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) has appointed Fabienne Bricaud to the post of Global Head of People.
As the world’s largest cargo handler and a leading provider of ground handling and technical services, WFS employs 18,000 staff at 188 major airports in more than 22 countries on five continents.
Fabienne started her career in the telecommunications and engineering sector with Alcatel-Alsthom, working with its division in France and internationally. In 2013, she became Group HR Director for Mobivia Groupe, Europe’s largest independent automotive maintenance and repair services group which employs over 22,000 people. In her new role, Fabienne will be based in Roissy and report directly to Craig Smyth, CEO of WFS.
“This is a very important role in the new structure we are building at WFS and Fabienne’s experience made her the stand-out candidate to join our team. She is a proven multi-site and multi-national HR Director who has successfully led a number of people transformational programmes aimed at promoting robust, network-wide operational delivery cultures where delivering consistent levels of customer service and best in class safety & security compliance is important. She also has great experience of establishing strong leadership teams and talent development processes, which are also pivotal to the direction we are taking as a global organisation,” Craig said.
SEKO Logistics has named John Eastland as President of its Aerospace & Aviation industry vertical, based in Washington DC.
He was formerly Vice President, Domestic Product at Hellmann Worldwide Logistics, and earlier in his career held senior management positions at PGL, Estes Forwarding Worldwide and Allstates WorldCargo in the United States.
SEKO Logistics created a dedicated Aerospace & Aviation industry vertical at the start of 2016 to reflect its fast growth in the sector, and stated its intention to create global centers of excellence and core competencies to deliver value-added services and technology solutions for customers, as well as opportunities to drive cost out of their supply chains. The first of these new locations opened in Farnborough, a major centre for the UK aerospace industry.
SEKO’s solutions incorporate global aircraft manufacturing support, supplier management, government and defense services, and aviation logistics support for AOG shipments and parts for regular maintenance, repair and overhaul operations.
“In the aerospace and defense industries, technology and global compliance is now more important than even, especially with the changing trade environment. SEKO’s expertise in the sector developed over many years, alongside its technology, means we can offer customers solutions that are second-to-none.
“This is especially true in the critical area of supplier management. The supply chain for aircraft manufacturing continues to become more complex, and with the number of vendors seeming to increase each year, it is more crucial now than ever for companies to have systems in place to manage their suppliers. Our customizable technology can be implemented quickly and gives SEKO’s customers visibility to measure the performance of suppliers against their purchase orders, delivery schedules and production deadlines. It is solutions like this that will continue to drive our growth in the Aerospace & Aviation industry,” John Eastland said.
British all-cargo airline, CargoLogicAir (CLA), has announced two new appointments to its executive team.
John Nicholas has joined the airline as Technical Director. A qualified aircraft engineer, he began his career in 1982 as an Aeronautical Airframe/Engine Technician with British Airways. In 1992, he joined Caledonian Airways as Technical Services Engineer before rejoining British Airways three years later as Fleet Technical Design Engineer.
In 1997, John commenced a 19-year career with the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority. During this time, he held a number of senior technical and engineering posts, including Head of CAA Licensing Policy & Standards, Head of Approvals & Head of Engineer Licensing, and Head of CAA Shared Services Centre. Prior to leaving the CAA in 2016, he was Head of CAA Technical Services, a role that included leading a team of managers, engineers, pilots and support staff undertaking a broad range of technical functions. He is highly experienced in the implementation of CAA, EASA and ICAO requirements, including auditing, aircraft surveying, operator and maintenance organisation oversight.
At CargoLogicAir, he is responsible for all technical matters relating to the airline’s Boeing 747 freighter fleet and air safety programme.
David Bowden is CargoLogicAir’s new Chief Financial Officer.
He previously held the post of Chief Financial Officer at Fiji Airways Group. During this time, he was also Acting CEO of the airline between June-October 2015.
After qualifying as a Chartered Accountant, David began his career with Ernst & Young, working in London and Manchester. In 1999, he moved into the technology sector with both Logica UK and Maginus Software Solutions, before taking his first post in the aviation industry in 2003 as Head of Business Intelligence and later as Head of Financial Reporting at First Choice Airways at Manchester Airport. In 2007 he joined Luton Airport-based Thomson Airways as Head of Finance.
At the start of 2010, David was appointed Programme Manager at AstraZeneca and worked in the UK, Sweden and the United States. Prior to joining Fiji Airways Group in 2014, he also spent two years as Chief Financial Officer & Deputy CEO of the British airline bmi at its headquarters at East Midlands Airport.
John and David are based at CLA’s headquarters at London Stansted Airport.
As of 1 May 2017, Josef Moser, previously Head of Flight Operations and Crew Training, will take over as Chief Operations Officer and Accountable Manager at AeroLogic GmbH. At the same time,
Wolfgang Raebiger, previously Captain and Head of Fleet at Lufthansa Cargo, will take over as new Chief Financial Officer in the senior management at AeroLogic.
The previous Managing Director Ulf Weber left the company at his own request on 30th April to pursue a new challenge. The shareholders would like to thank him for his great work and wish him the best of success in his future endeavors. Markus Niedermeyer, who was also part of the Management as Authorized Officer, will remain his role as Head of Administration for several months in order to ensure a smooth transition, before taking over a new management position at Lufthansa Cargo.
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
