Amerijet has leased three B757 freighter aircraft from Titan Aircraft as part of its recent fleet expansion.
The US carrier recently kicked off a fleet expansion by putting into operation the first of six B757 freighters last month. All six of the aircraft were expected to be in operation by the middle of April.
Titan Aircraft confirmed recently that it was placing three B757-200SF converted freighters on long-term dry leases with Amerijet to support its network in Central America and the Caribbean.
Titan Aviation Holdings will manage the aircraft.
“I’m incredibly proud of our employees who worked tirelessly to bring the B757 project to fruition. These aircraft will be a wonderful addition to our fleet, giving us a platform for continued growth as we approach 50 years of continuous service from our home base in Miami, Florida,” said Tim Strauss, Amerijet’s chief executive.
The B757 additions mean that by the end of April Amerijet’s fleet will stand at 20 freighters.
Turkish Cargo has reported it carried 335m Covid-19 vaccine doses to 61 countries during 2021.
Carrying pharmaceutical products such as vaccines to 132 countries around the world with its TK Pharma service, the carrier said it reached 8% market share in the air cargo medical products category during 2021.
The airline carried Covid-19 vaccines from the countries they were produced to Turkey and then from Turkey to all over the world. Turkish Cargo carried the largest quantity of vaccines to Turkey followed by Brazil with 100m doses in 2021. The countries with over 1m doses delivered included Mauritania, Madagascar, Rwanda and Congo.
Turkish Airlines chairman of the board and the executive committee, Ahmet Bolat stated: “By establishing a corridor between over 400 international destinations, we ensured that vaccines remained accessible for all. Especially considering the low number of carriers flying to Africa, Turkish Cargo had an important mission to make sure people of this continent could have access to vaccines.”
Turkish Cargo’s new air cargo facility at Istanbul Airport spans 340,000 sq m. SMARTIST is able to facilitate quick and secure transport of medicine and medical products with its heat and temperature controlled area of 9,000 sq m.
The airline is able to carry important medical packages with sensitive temperature and time constraints such as medicine, vaccines, biotechnological products, diagnosis samples, sensitive medical devices, organs and tissues with IATA-CEIV Pharma Certificate quality standards.
Development of a 70,000 sq ft air cargo and airport support facility at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) is expected to start in the next few months.
PHL is continuing to work on its $1.2bn cargo expansion strategy announced last year as part of its partnership with Aviation Facilities Company Management (AFCO), and an initial element of the strategy is AFCO’s development of an air cargo and airport support facility on approximately nine acres of the former PHL economy parking lot.
Currently in the pre-construction phase, the AFCO team expects to break ground on the new facility in the coming months. The project addresses growing regional demand for air cargo and logistics in and around the airport.
The proposed facility will provide airport businesses with modern and efficient space for their operations and direct access to the airfield. The facility will be located near Terminal E and Runway 17/35.
James Tyrrell, PHL’s chief revenue officer, said: “We are excited to formalize our partnership with AFCO, with a Letter of Intent, for Phase 1 of the PHL Cargo Expansion Strategy. Together, we will increase capacity and expand air freight logistics options at PHL, with the development of new modern cargo and airside support facilities and the re-development of our existing facilities.”
AFCO’s president and chief executive Chuck Stipancic said: “We’re excited to work with PHL and the businesses at the Airport on this much needed project. The leadership team at PHL has a clear plan for upgrading the cargo facilities at the Airport, and this project is one of the first steps towards achieving the region’s goals.”
Upon completion of the economy lot facility, several current tenants of Building C2 will relocate to the new facility, allowing for the repositioning of Building C2 and expanded cargo capacity and operations. The renovations at Building C2 will focus on facility infrastructure upgrades and on the creation of 35,000-40,000 sq ft of cargo processing.
In December, the airport secured US Federal Government funding to help it roll out the cargo expansion program.
WestJet Cargo has entered the freighter market with the arrival of the first of four B737-800 Boeing Converted Freighters (BCF).
The aircraft, which is on lease from BBAM Limited Partnership (BBAM), will be used for express and e-commerce freight and is the first B737-800BCF to be operated by a Canada-based airline.
WestJet announced its plans to operate freighters in June last year as it looked to “fulfill the larger-scale needs of Canadian businesses, freight forwarders, shippers and individual customers”.
“The delivery of our first freighter to our home base in Calgary, Alberta gives us great confidence in the growth and development of our commercial cargo service and I am eager to see our new dedicated commercial cargo service take flight as we begin providing competitive services to cargo customers across Canada,” said Alexis von Hoensbroech, WestJet chief executive.
Prior to its delivery to WestJet Cargo in Calgary, the aircraft (msn 34686) completed conversion by Boeing at an approved MRO facility in Guangzhou, China. WestJet Cargo plans to have all four BCFs in service by the end of 2022.
In February, the airline announced a partnership with the GTA group which will provide cargo handling services and together, with WestJet Cargo, will sell and manage freighter capacity.
The company announced the appointment of Kirsten de Bruijn as executive vice president, cargo, while Jeff Harris will take on the permanent role of vice-president, WestJet Cargo.
Air France KLM Martinair (AFKLMP) Cargo is growing its sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) program
Morgan Cargo Limited South Africa and Morgan Cargo Kenya have joined what is believed to be the world´s first SAF program for the airfreight industry, launched by AFKLMP Cargo in December 2020.
Notably Morgan Cargo is the first South African forwarder to sign up for the SAF program, which enables shippers and forwarders to select how much of their freight they would like to be flown using SAF.
Morgan Cargo is South Africa’s biggest perishable freight forwarding agent, offering a full range of logistics solutions to a wide array of international clients.
In February, DHL Global Forwarding and AFKLMP Cargo teamed up on the purchase of 33m liters of SAF.
Nippon Express Malaysia has opened a new warehouse in the Free Commercial Zone (FCZ) of Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).
This investment in the “DFTZ” 5,900 sq m warehouse will enable the Malaysian subsidiary of Japan-based freight forwarder Nippon Express to expand its work and cargo storage space.
The company had previously been operating out of a 3,800 sq m warehouse in the MAS Freight Forwarders Complex in the FCZ at KLIA.
Both warehouses combined offer approximately 9,700 sq m space.
“The more efficient work flow lines available at the new warehouse will allow NX Malaysia to ensure safer and more rapid handling and to better satisfy the needs of its customers,” said Nippon Express.
Corporación América Airports has launched Latin America Cargo City (LACC), a multimodal logistics airport free zone in Carrasco International Airport (MVD) in Montevideo, Uruguay.
LACC, formerly known as MVD Free Airport, aims enable reliable and efficient last-mile distribution and seeks to become a logistics hub in the region.
It provides tailored, innovative regional distribution platforms for a variety of industries such as pharma, high-tech, E-commerce, among others.
A new pharma warehouse is the company’s second at the airport, enhancing its current capabilities to meet global customer’s needs. Pharma HUB 2 doubles the existing capacity in the +15+25 and +2+8 temperature ranges and provides GMP compliant conditioning areas and premium office space available for client business & admin activities.
LACC’s current operations in the pharmaceutical sector range from agile, cross-docking operations consolidating sea freight and air freight and dispatching via truck to destination, as well direct-to-patient operations to South America and conditioning lines including labelling, stickering and incipient inkjetting operations.
The company has also inaugurated an automated air cargo reception area located next to the airport runway, which provides over 1500 sq m of additional reception space. With automated x-ray scans, complementary photographic documentation of inbound cargo can be added to keep improving the security of the cargo and the streamlining of the processes.
LACC provides a wide range of distribution set-ups designed to meet client’s specific needs, including pay-per-use storage services, fully integrated conditioning lines or tailored warehouse construction for client-operated models.
LACC’s strategic location is anticipated to aid cost efficiency, lead time, as well as the ability to handle sea and land freight under a 24/7 365 days operation.
Bruno Guella, managing director at LACC, said: “This new milestone launches a new cargo city environment that allows for reliable and efficient last-mile distribution, that is fully compliant with good manufacturing and distribution practices, and that enhances synergies within its tenants or clients. LACC is redefining Latin American logistics.”
Plans have been unveiled to build the largest logistics park in the State of Missouri to support the air cargo business at Kansas City International (KCI) Airport.
Kansas City-based real estate development company Hunt Midwest recently closed on the acquisition of over 1,300 acres located adjacent to KCI.
The property is contiguous with roughly 2,000 acres already owned by Hunt Midwest. This has resulted in nearly 3,300 acres under a single ownership for development of the logistics park.
The recently dubbed “KCI 29 Logistics Park” will support up to 18m sq ft of logistics and manufacturing space along with 20 plus acres of commercial mixed-use space.
Its location provides immediate access to KCI air cargo operations, which includes hubs for UPS, FedEx and USPS.
KCI 29 Logistics Park will offer users the ability to reach 90% of the US population in two days via truck, or overnight via airfreight, said Hunt Midwest.
Another advantage for tenants is the opportunity to be close to the manufacturers they supply.
It has potential for overall capital investment of nearly $1.3bn over the next decade, added Hunt Midwest.
KCI is in the process of developing a new single terminal that is due to open in early 2023.
“Hunt Midwest will leverage its real estate development expertise, resources, and relationships to offer users optionality for both warehousing and manufacturing,” said Ora Reynolds, Hunt Midwest’s president and chief executive officer.
“Disruptions in the global supply chains have driven the need to store more inventory closer to the end consumer and to reshore manufacturing back to the United States. We hope to capitalize upon these demand drivers with some big “wins” right here in Kansas City.”
Tim Cowden, Kansas City Area Development Council’s president and chief executive officer, said: “With the leadership of Hunt Midwest in securing acreage near KCI Air Cargo and our nearly completed state-of-the-art single terminal, and the work of KC SmartPort which promotes the region’s industrial strengths, Kansas City continues to lead as a top market for manufacturing and distribution.”
Cargo and logistics exchange digital platform SLxchange has launched a portal that is designed to enable shippers to use the services of forwarders for efficient and cost-effective cargo handling.
“Our objective is to create a portal that gets customers and carriers on the same platform while giving options to customers to choose from the numerous carrier services and forwarders, shipping companies and carriers an opportunity to generate more business,” said lssam Amin, co-founder and chief executive of SLxchange.
“Our easy-to-use portal, coupled with advanced technology, helps shippers find forwarders who can handle their shipment in a most competitive rate.”
Owned and operated by Smart Logistics Solutions in Dubai, SLxchange operates globally providing end-to-end solutions on a single portal guaranteeing the privacy of personal data, protection of financial transactions, and strict adherence to customs laws through a global network of forwarders and carriers.
Amin added: “The global logistics industry is constantly evolving, and SLxchange is designed to be a neutral marketplace and provide a mutually beneficial platform that helps shippers find the most qualified and certified freight forwarders along with providing carriers to expand their footprint.”
Frankfurt Cargo Services (FCS), the largest independent cargo handler at Frankfurt Airport, has implemented Dakosy’s FAIR@Link digital Ramp Control System to reduce truck waiting times for cargo collections and deliveries.
The slot booking tool allows FCS, an affiliate of Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) to optimize the allocation of truck ramps by allowing freight forwarders delivering and collecting cargoes for FCS’ airline customers to digitally reserve ramps for loading and unloading, speeding up the handling process. This standardized approach allows FCS to use its facility infrastructure more efficiently, counteracts peak times, and increases the ability for all parties to plan and utilize their resources efficiently.
Ramp slots can be booked online using the tool’s Transport Pre-Announcement (TPA). Forwarders can transmit all the necessary data to the Ramp Control System, which automatically checks availability and assigns a ramp for a specific time slot, avoiding waiting times for drivers and vehicles. Live information during the dispatch process also ensures maximum transparency.
The implementation follows an extensive test phase, which involved FCS connecting many of its customers to the system. FCS has now commenced the full deployment for imports, and export deliveries will begin to be phased into the Fair@Link system from August.
“The participation of FCS in the Ramp Control System is an important milestone. For shippers and forwarders, the application means a standardized booking of time slots in the airport’s Cargo City South. All players will ultimately benefit from the site-wide use of the system through shortened waiting times, greater transparency and optimization of the cargo handling process,” said Ulrich Wrage, CEO of Dakosy.
Joachim von Winning, Managing Director of Air Cargo Community Frankfurt, added: “We want to further enhance the performance of Frankfurt Airport and continuously improve its framework conditions. Digital networking is a central element in this. The automated allocation of ramps at FCS further accelerates cargo handling in Cargo City South.”
“More than anything, we are looking forward to improving our service for our customers. At FCS, we are reaping the rewards of much more efficient processes, which are also significantly improving capacity. Both our customers and our employees will benefit,” commented Claus Wagner, Managing Director of Frankfurt Cargo Services.
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