On Tuesday August 1st, Brussels Airport organised the sixth Spotters’ Day at the airport. Following a competition in which more than 400 aircraft fans took part, 20 winners were selected to experience a unique day on the tarmac of the airport. They got the chance to take photos close to the runways, visit the airport fire brigade and the cargo operations.
After the successful fifth edition in 2019, Brussels Airport again organised a Spotters’ Day this year. A competition was organised in which more than 400 aviation enthusiasts participated, from which 20 lucky winners were selected to spend a whole day behind the scenes at the airport.
For plane spotters, who love aircraft and are also avid photographers, the Spotters’ Day offers an excellent opportunity to take unique photos of the wide range of aircraft at Brussels Airport. Spotters had the opportunity to take pictures on the tarmac of the take-off and landing of the airplanes, including a passage of Brussels Airlines’ beloved Belgian Icons and Ethiopian Airlines’ new “Brussels” livery. A visit to the airport fire brigade was also on the programme, and they were able to follow DHL’s cargo operations up close.
Every day, dozens of aviation enthusiasts come to Brussels Airport to take photos of the aircraft, attracted by the wide variety of airlines, modern aircraft types and the many government aircraft. In 2018, Brussels Airport therefore provided two spotter platforms to give spotters a safe and convenient place that offers a nice view of the runways. An ideal spot for a family outing with the kids, as well as for avid spotters and photographers. With the Spotters’ Day, the airport wants to honour these aviation ambassadors and offer them a unique event.
DANX Carousel Group invests in ELECTRON aerospace to launch Electron 5, a battery-run electric aircraft that will enable zero emission, point-to-point air freight deliveries across Europe
Copenhagen, Denmark, and Rotterdam, Netherlands, Wednesday 26th of July: The DANX Carousel Group and ELECTRON aerospace are entering a strategic partnership to launch Electron 5, an electric, zero-emission cargo aircraft.
DANX Carousel is investing in the Dutch aircraft manufacturer as the “Founding Logistics Partner” for the project, which aims to revolutionise the air freight industry. ELECTRON aerospace is currently developing the Electron 5 aircraft, which has been designed to transport 500 kilogrammes (kg) of cargo over a 500 kilometres (km) distance on a single battery charge. With its requirement for relatively short runways, the Electron 5 provides access to five times more European Union (EU) airports compared to larger freight aircraft used today, enabling cargo to be flown directly on the shortest point-to-point route and bypassing congested logistics hubs at speeds of up to 300km per hour.
“Sustainability is, of course, the driving force behind our investment in ELECTRON, but the inclusion of the Electron 5 aircraft in our operations will also bring about impressive operational improvements,” said Lars Ryssel, Group Chief Solutions Officer (CSO), DANX Carousel. “The ability to launch and land closer to our pick-up and delivery points will cut down on journey lengths, allowing us to offer customers later cut-off times and better serve hard-to-reach areas. “Moving away from the traditional hub-and-spoke distribution of air cargo to a point-to-point model means we can avoid congestion at busy airports.
“Based on our analysis, we believe that small planes are set to outperform conventional aircraft fuelled by sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), and hybrid aircraft in cost per kilogram, transit time, and carbon emissions.”
DANX Carousel’s investment in ELECTRON aerospace is part of the group’s mission to cut carbon emissions by 40 percent before 2035. Marc-Henry de Jong, Chief Commercial Operator/Chief Operations Officer + Co-Founder of ELECTRON aerospace, said: “Beyond the financial investment, we’re thrilled to crown DANX Carousel our Founding Logistics Partner.
“The expertise of DANX Carousel’s exceptional team is instrumental in ensuring the Electron 5 is well equipped to transport a wide range of cargo, including loose goods like e-commerce parcels and odd-size goods resting on EU palettes. DANX Carousel specialists were involved in the freighter design of the Electron 5 model, advising on how to best adapt the aircraft to transport freight. “The future of short-haul air cargo is battery electric – and working with ELECTRON brings us closer to realising that vision,” said Val Karren, Sustainability Director, DANX Carousel.
“The plane will emit zero emissions while in the air, but the shorter ground deliveries will also cut down on truck emissions as we avoid transporting cargo on the ground to and from regional hubs. “DANX Carousel is front-line on this delivery model, and I believe this investment is future-proof as smaller planes will always have a unique offering due to their flexibility over larger freighters.” Electron 5 models are due to hit the market in 2027, with Carousel aiming to add them to their fleet within the next five years. DANX Carousel’s investment is among multiple sustainability initiatives being rolled out by the group, with electric vehicles and trains also being trialled within its operations.
Growth plans to bolster cargo ecosystem in the region; position India as a global hub
Gurugram, 26th July 2023: Air India, India’s leading airline and a Star Alliance member, is gearing up to play a key role in boosting the freight and cargo ecosystem in India and globally. Initiatives taken in recent times will not only enhance the role of Air India as a major cargo carrier, but also bolster the country’s cargo ecosystem and contribute to the development of an efficient air cargo supply chain accelerating exports from India.
The belly capacity of the Air India fleet will grow significantly over the next few years, with the addition of new wide-body aircraft to its fleet this year and with most aircraft on firm order set to arrive from 2025, complementing India’s manufacturing and export growth. This will have a cascading effect in generating greater employment prospects and boosting various business sectors, while supporting the economy.
The firm orders comprising wide-body aircraft of 34 A350-1000, six A350-900, 20 Boeing 787 Dreamliner, and 10 Boeing 777X wide-body aircraft will increase Air India’s annual cargo capacity by a staggering 300% to 2 million tonnes over the next five years with non-stop connection to key export markets globally.
Air India CEO and MD, Campbell Wilson, said, “At Air India, we see a huge potential in the air cargo industry, which the Indian Government plans to grow to 10 million tonnes by 2030. Our cargo division is implementing a series of strategic measures aimed at fostering growth and strengthening our market presence. The large passenger belly capacity addition will be augmented with the launch of value-added products and services across the network.”
The following significant all-round initiatives across various spectrum of the operational and logistics matrix that will see Air India play a significant role in the air cargo arena.
Adoption of Technology
Latest IT solutions are being integrated to strengthen the use of technology, including blockchain, AI, and drones to optimize productivity. Short-term changes haven been devised in the existing IT Cargo System to enhance efficiency in areas like electronic data interchange, seamless connectivity with trade partners, and real-time updates on flight and shipment status. These advancements will help Air India to deliver a wide range of services with global capabilities viz. pharma logistics, door-to-door logistics with global partners, e-commerce, carriage of valuables, pets, cold chain for perishables, mail, trans-shipment with connection windows, etc.
Investments in Infrastructure
Air India, in collaboration with its joint venture partner SATS, is committed to investing substantial capital expenditure for developing airport and logistics infrastructure. The airline is also exploring possibilities of augmenting freighter capacity in collaboration with partners.
Integrated Cargo Market
Air India is set to launch three 24×7 control centres to integrate and improve customer interface, customer service and operations efficiency. As domestic e-commerce and other business expand in the Tier-2 and Tier-3 markets in India, Air India’s expanding domestic network will add momentum. The integrated network, along with enhanced capacity will provide efficient, streamlined, and cost-effective connectivity in terms of point-to-point transportation to short and long-haul destinations throughout the network.
Expanding Reach
Air India is also proactively expanding its reach through strategic partnerships and collaborations. By strengthening interline partnerships and trucking network connections, the airline aims to foster increased exports. Currently, Air India transports cargo to over 40 international as well as 38 domestic destinations. The airline has also tied up with offline trucking points across the globe to expand its base besides coordinating with and service providers at Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru airports to strengthen trans-shipment efficiency and volume at the main global hubs in India for all forms of trans-shipment.
Capacity to carry diverse products:
Air India’s diverse carriage of products and services will be further enhanced with increase in capacity and adoption of technology and help it to strengthen its position at a global stage. Movement and delivery of pharma logistics, door-to-door logistics through global partners, e-commerce, express services, general cargo, valuables, sensitive goods, pet transportation, and personal effects, as well as strengthened cold chain solutions for perishables, among others.
Frankfurt, Germany—Moving jointly forward in the field of digitalization and sustainability in air freight, Lufthansa Cargo and Kuehne+Nagel have introduced “paperless corridors” between Europe and Asia.
The first “paperless lane” between Germany and Hong Kong has successfully been established and piloted with 100 percent paperless general cargo shipments.
This means not only the electronic air waybill, but additionally also targets accompanying documents and paper pouches. In the next phase more lanes will be targeted. By increasing the number of paperless lanes, a whole paperless corridor between Europe and Asia will be built for general cargo where the transport of paper could be eliminated.
In an era driven by digital transformation and environmental consciousness, the need to reduce paper usage and streamline operations has become increasingly paramount. The companies said the benefits of paperless lanes extend beyond operational efficiency as their collaboration will also make substantial contributions to sustainability efforts within the air freight industry.
Dr. Jan-Wilhelm Breithaupt, Vice President Global Fulfillment Management, Lufthansa Cargo, commented: “We see great opportunities in this initiative as it supports all participants in pushing their handling efficiencies as well as increasing data availability and transparency throughout their network. The transition to a paperless environment will significantly reduce processing times plus complexity and offers just in time shipment status information. However, it will only be a first step towards a fully digitalized air freight future; especially accompanying documentation of special cargo will come into our focus soon enough.”
Lufthansa Cargo’s long-standing customer Kuehne+Nagel is very pleased by the achievement of 100 percent paperless freight and has set a clear goal to further expand the paperless footprint according to Kolja Mahler-Wingen, Vice President Air Logistics Operations Germany, Kuehne+Nagel.
“In addition to the positive effect of paperless handling, which primarily saves time and gains efficiency, a purely digitally supported process also offers further potential for automation in order to reach the best possible transparency and data quality for our customers around the globe. We as Kuehne+Nagel are highly committed to further expanding our digital ambitions on the way to a fully digitized air freight process,” said Mahler-Wingen.
Both Lufthansa Cargo and Kuehne+Nagel encourage industry players to join them in their efforts to eliminate unnecessary paper documents. Participating in the “paperless corridor” is easy for interested logistic companies: All that is required is the participation in the electronic Air Way Bill (eAWB) Single Process and the selection of the eFreight Special Handling Code (EAW) for all general cargo when preparing the shipment and paperless delivery to the airline.
Malta—Challenge Group’s Liège hub emerges as market leader with exceptional growth and advanced services with its tonnage skyrocketing from 78,000 tons in 2012 to an impressive 282,000 tons in 2022, a remarkable development over the past five years.
Liège’s hub has experienced a remarkable growth trajectory, expanding from a modest 7,500 square meters to an impressive 42,000 square meters over the past five years. The tonnage handled by Challenge Group has also witnessed an unprecedented increase, reaching 282,000 tons in 2022, making Challenge Handling an industry leader with its three state-of-the-art sites in Liège. With a capacity for 425,000 tons annually, Challenge Group remains committed to delivering exceptional services to its customers.
“Our Liège hub is a testament to our commitment to excellence and continuous growth,” said Or Zak, CCO of Challenge Group. “With our strategic investments and dedication to operational excellence, we have solidified our position as the market leader. We stand ready to support our clients, either freight forwarders, third party carriers or importers/exporters, and meet their most demanding logistics needs. Our dedicated team and advanced facilities make us the ideal partner for businesses across the industry.”
Challenge Group’s Liège hub is renowned for its sustainable practices and commitment to the environment. In addition to being a European leader in handling horses, the hub specializes in the transportation of pharmaceuticals, cars, dangerous goods, oversized cargo, live animals (beyond horses), concert equipment, and perishable goods. With its cutting-edge technology and tools, including the largest highloader in Europe, the hub embraces paperless operations with electronic data capture and handheld scanners.
Challenge Group’s commitment to excellence, unparalleled growth, and state-of-the-art facilities at Liège Cargo Hub make it the preferred partner for cargo handling and logistics ancillary services. With a solid foundation, dedicated team, and a vision for the future, Challenge Group continues to excel and set new industry standards.
Doha, Qatar—Qatar Airways Cargo, a global leader in air cargo transportation, announced optimized, real-time pricing powered by PROS Smart Price Optimization and Management is now live on all online booking channels across its network.
The real-time pricing engine provides Qatar Cargo customers an enhanced digital buying experience that allows immediate online booking confirmation with accurate, personalized pricing.
Part of The Next Generation initiative, Qatar’s Digital Lounge places an emphasis on user experience and ease of use, allowing customers to price and book cargo shipments without the need to call or email the sales team directly. With PROS Smart Price Optimization and Management solutions, Qatar Airways Cargo powers its online channels with real-time personalized dynamic pricing, accessing live capacity to offer accurate and bookable rates. The AI-powered optimization solution models improve win rates by personalizing the price offering and maximizing sales.
Qatar Airways Cargo has been quick to adopt an omni-channel model, giving customers multiple choices to book shipments based on their own channel preference. With large volumes of complex pricing requests, PROS Air Cargo Orchestration Services enables Qatar Airways Cargo to provide real-time, optimized prices to third-party digital marketplaces such as WebCargo, CargoAI and Cargo.one. Being able to respond to these requests with profitable, accurate pricing in a way that is reliable, performant, and scalable provides customers with a premium experience few can offer.
“PROS real-time pricing engine provides a highly accurate, scalable pricing capability that directly translates to a reliable and responsive buying experience for our customers,” said Florent Bonello, Vice President Cargo Revenue Management at Qatar Airways Cargo. “As a next phase of our implementation, we are seamlessly integrating PROS Smart Configure Price Quote within our sales ecosystem, so that we can quickly manage and deliver omnichannel quoting across our spot, contract and allotment sales.”
“The air cargo market is extremely dynamic, and carriers need to be able to respond quickly and accurately to drive superior customer experiences,” says Surain Adyanthaya, President, Travel, PROS. “We are proud to partner with Qatar Airways Cargo to provide a highly scalable solution, with unparalleled response times, ensuring they can deliver fast, accurate, and reliable offers for each and every customer.”
Customers now receive real-time, reliable, and personalised pricing with each shipment requested via Digital Lounge, marketplaces and host to host integrated connections, enabling them to book immediately with the best prices available.
DOHA, Qatar – Qatar Airways Cargo, a global leader in air cargo transportation, is proud to announce that optimised, real-time pricing powered by PROS Smart Price Optimization and Management is now live on all online booking channels across its network. The real-time pricing engine provides Qatar Cargo customers an enhanced digital buying experience that allows immediate online booking confirmation with accurate, personalised pricing.
Part of The Next Generation initiative, Qatar’s Digital Lounge places an emphasis on user experience and ease of use, allowing customers to price and book cargo shipments without the need to call or email the sales team directly. With PROS Smart Price Optimization and Management solutions, Qatar Airways Cargo powers its online channels with real-time personalised dynamic pricing, accessing live capacity to offer accurate and bookable rates. The AI-powered optimisation solution models improve win rates by personalising the price offering and maximising sales.
Qatar Airways Cargo has been quick to adopt an omni-channel model, giving customers multiple choices to book shipments based on their own channel preference. With large volumes of complex pricing requests, PROS Air Cargo Orchestration Services enables Qatar Airways Cargo to provide real-time, optimised prices to third-party digital marketplaces such as WebCargo, CargoAI and Cargo.one. Being able to respond to these requests with profitable, accurate pricing in a way that is reliable, performant, and scalable provides customers with a premium experience few can offer.
“PROS real-time pricing engine provides a highly accurate, scalable pricing capability that directly translates to a reliable and responsive buying experience for our customers,” said Florent Bonello, Vice President Cargo Revenue Management at Qatar Airways Cargo. “As a next phase of our implementation, we are seamlessly integrating PROS Smart Configure Price Quote within our sales ecosystem, so that we can quickly manage and deliver omnichannel quoting across our spot, contract and allotment sales.”
“The air cargo market is extremely dynamic, and carriers need to be able to respond quickly and accurately to drive superior customer experiences,” says Surain Adyanthaya, President, Travel, PROS. “We are proud to partner with Qatar Airways Cargo to provide a highly scalable solution, with unparalleled response times, ensuring they can deliver fast, accurate, and reliable offers for each and every customer.”
Nelson Camacho becomes CEO for the region. He will be driving Swissport’s development in one of its largest, most important markets. Stacey Brown starts as regional Chief People Officer.
Nelson Camacho, formerly the company’s Chief Operating Officer for Swissport in the US and Canada, has assumed the role of CEO for the region at the start of July. He took over from Frank Mena, who has retired after a 45-year career in the aviation industry, with 32 years dedicated to Swissport and its predecessor in the US.
Camacho will be driving the company’s development in one of Swissport’s largest and most important markets worldwide. Across the US and Canada, Swissport’s aviation services are relied upon by over 300 airlines on a daily basis at more than 80 airports. In addition to its core business of passenger services and ramp handling, the company also provides aviation fueling, lounge hospitality and executive aviation services in the US and Canada.
“Our potential in the US and Canada is huge and we have been gearing up to grow our business – especially in the domestic arena where Swissport is not quite as well known yet,” says Warwick Brady, President & CEO of Swissport International AG. “We want to anchor our brand as the preferred partners for airlines – from network to no-frills carriers in the US and Canada. I am pleased Nelson has taken over the lead on this exciting journey.”
“I was honored to accept the role of CEO for the US and Canada,” says Nelson Camacho. Working closely with Stacey, our new Chief People Officer, and the rest of our regional executive team, we will accelerate Swissport’s growth and success, driven by collaboration, innovation and relentless focus on customer satisfaction.”
Camacho joined Swissport as COO for the US and Canada in March 2023. Prior to joining, he was COO at GAT Airline Ground Support for the company’s US operations, overseeing safety, culture, compliance, administrative, and operational functions. Prior to GAT, Nelson served as VP Airports, C.E. and Customer-Facing Technologies at Copa Airlines. He has also held management positions at CAE Inc., US Airways, and the United States Air Force. Nelson holds an Executive MBA from Southern Methodist University Cox School of Business in Dallas, Texas, and a Bachelor of Science in Professional Studies from Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
STACEY BROWN NEW CHIEF PEOPLE OFFICER US & CANADA
Effective 31 July 2023, Stacey Brown was appointed Chief People Officer for the US and Canada, reporting to Nelson Camacho. Stacey is an experienced HR executive with a proven track record of employee development and retention. She began her career in labor and employment litigation before moving on to various in-house counsel and HR positions with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the Albertson’s Companies, and Walgreens. Stacey has served as Chief HR Officer for DB Schenker in the Americas, a global logistics and supply chain provider. Most recently, she held the position of Chief HR Officer at First Hospitality.
Air France KLM Martinair Cargo is pleased to announce the successful attainment of the IATA Centre of Excellence for Independent Validators Lithium Batteries (CEIV Libatt) certification for Air France Cargo and its hubs at Paris Charles de Gaulle and Chicago O’Hare.
Safety is a top priority at Air France KLM Martinair Cargo (AFKLMP Cargo), ensuring the best possible transportation of dangerous goods, such as lithium batteries, which are increasingly in demand.
On 11 July, Christophe Boucher, EVP of Air France Cargo, visited the IATA offices in Geneva to accept the much sought-after lithium battery certification for Air France Cargo and its hubs at Paris Charles de Gaulle and Chicago O’Hare. Certification is preceded by a strict assessment, which not only confirms an organisation’s commitment to upholding the highest safety standards, but also ensures the safety of employees and operations by continually improving and maintaining standards.
Christophe Boucher, EVP of Air France Cargo: “We are very proud of this certification that proves that Air France KLM Martinair Cargo applies the highest industry standard with regards to the handling of Lithium batteries. We keep on working on the different aspects of the handling and transportation of such shipments in order to ensure the maximum level of safety to our passenger and cargo customers”.
The certification programme of the Centre of Excellence for Independent Validators Lithium Batteries (CEIV Li-batt) is specifically designed to enable shippers, freight forwarders, cargo handling facilities and airlines to fulfil their safety obligations by complying with regulations for transporting lithium batteries.
“We congratulate Air France KLM Martinair Cargo on achieving CEIV Lithium Battery Certification. Lithium batteries are critical power sources for many consumer goods and it is vital that we can ship them safely by air either with finished products or as components in global supply chains. That’s why we developed the CEIV Lithium Battery certification. It gives their shippers the assurance that they are operating to the highest safety and security standards when shipping lithium batteries,” said Frederic Leger, IATA Senior Vice President Commercial Products and Services.
Nowadays, these batteries are the preferred power source for mobile phones, children’s toys, cars, e-bikes and a wide array of other consumer goods. Many people are unaware, however, that lithium batteries are dangerous goods that can pose safety risks if not handled in accordance with transport regulations.
The CEIV Li-batt certification programme is based on IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) and IATA Lithium Battery Shipping Regulations (LBSR). The programme aims to set standards by raising competency levels and quality management in the handling and transport of lithium batteries throughout the supply chain. IATA certifies organisations that complete the required training, assessment and validation procedures, listing them in the IATA ONE Source registry on compliance with programme standards.
Leadership change in Lufthansa Cargo’s Corporate Communications department: Nicole Mies has been in office as the new Head of Communications and Corporate Social Reponsibility since mid-July. She succeeds Jacqueline Casini, who left the company at the end of May. In her new role, Nicole Mies will be responsible for and manage the disciplines of internal and external corporate communications, marketing, environmental management, and corporate social responsibility, which are combined in one department. Until recently, she was Senior Director Customer Strategy, responsible for the entire brand and customer experience strategy of the Lufthansa Group airlines.
Nicole Mies studied business administration at Pforzheim University and subsequently worked for international clients in leading advertising agencies. She joined the Lufthansa Group in 1998 in marketing at Lufthansa Cargo and expanded her marketing expertise in the course of further positions at Lufthansa in Germany and abroad. For more than five years, Nicole Mies led the comprehensive branding and design relaunch of the Lufthansa brand in the Global Brand Management department. She developed and managed the brand architecture, the airline brand portfolio and the central Lufthansa Group brand strategy.
Ashwin Bhat, CEO of Lufthansa Cargo: “We are delighted to welcome Nicole Mies to Lufthansa Cargo, an experienced executive with a clear marketing profile and extensive expertise in customer experience and brand management. Her role as Head of Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility is an important key position in our organization with a special impact both internally and externally. With her past experience, Nicole is therefore ideally suited to strengthen the image and the associated mission of Lufthansa Cargo – ‘Enabling Global Business’ – and to further expand it with communicative consideration of our digitalization and sustainability initiatives.”
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
