Elbe Flugzeugwerke GmbH (EFW), the center of excellence for Airbus Passenger-to-Freighter (P2F) conversions and a joint venture between ST Engineering and Airbus, has achieved a major milestone.
Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) has validated the Supplement Type Certification (V-STC) for EFW’s Airbus A321P2F conversion program.
This comes alongside the re-delivery of the first A321P2F aircraft to AerCap, which will lease it to Azul Cargo, marking the debut of the A321P2F in South America. Azul Cargo plans to add another A321P2F by the end of the year, boosting its air cargo fleet.
This milestone enhances EFW’s reach, allowing its conversion programs to serve across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Australia. Jordi Boto, CEO of EFW, stated: “With the validated STC from ANAC and the entry of our first A321P2F into South America, we are expanding our global presence and offering new freighter conversion solutions in this growing market.”
Azul Cargo’s Director, Izabel Reis, expressed pride in the arrival of the new aircraft: “These modern aircraft offer more space, reliability, and autonomy for international flights. With these freighters, we are set to transform logistics in Brazil, delivering more agility to our customers.”
Before ANAC’s V-STC approval, A321P2F aircraft in the Americas were primarily registered in North America. EFW’s A321P2F is a breakthrough, as it offers containerized loading on both the main and lower decks, optimized weight distribution, and a payload capacity of over 28 metric tons. This makes it particularly attractive to express carriers. Boto added, “This A321P2F solution offers greater lifecycle value, reliability, and ease of maintenance, ensuring superior performance for operators.”
The expansion in South America complements EFW’s growing operations worldwide, with more than 10% of all EFW P2F aircraft registered in the Americas. These aircraft have completed over 4,000 flights in the past year.
The international transport and logistics company Gebrüder Weiss has extended its logistics terminal in Tbilisi, Georgia, by some 13,000 square meters in a move that will further expand its capacities in the Caucasus region.
“This expansion is our response to the rising demand for transport and logistics services in the region, which are growing largely due to the increase in trade between the European Union, Georgia, and its neighbors Armenia and Azerbaijan,” explains Wolfram Senger-Weiss, CEO at Gebrüder Weiss.
“This is the third time we have expanded the logistics center since it opened twelve years ago. With this move, the first expansion in 2019, and the location’s connection to the railway network the following year, we now have a total of 142,000 square meters of warehousing, handling space, railway, parking and open area at Tbilisi, with over 177 staff providing a full range of logistics services to our customers in the region,” explains Alexander Kharlamov, Country Manager for Georgia at Gebrüder Weiss. “We are also using this expansion as an opportunity to further build out our transport services in the Caucasus region and to ramp up our collaboration with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and other Central Asian countries. This will benefit our international key account customers, too,” adds Thomas Moser, Regional Manager Black Sea/CIS at Gebrüder Weiss. The most recent investment of 11.5 million euros in the Tbilisi terminal brings the company’s total investment in the location to more than 25 million euros since its inception.
More than a decade ago, Gebrüder Weiss recognized the untapped economic potential held by Georgia and the geostrategic importance of the Central Asian countries when it first invested in the region in 2012. As a result, the company chose to establish an own location in Georgia. The logistics center at Tbilisi International Airport has since become a central hub for the growing exchange of goods between Europe and Central Asia, and within the Caucasus region. Free trade agreements with the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union have further boosted trade levels and made Georgia an important transit country.
Today, manufacturers in the textiles, household goods, high-tech, and automotive industries all make use of Gebrüder Weiss’s services – from truck and rail transport to air and sea freight, customs clearance and warehouse logistics. Over the past five years, Gebrüder Weiss’s Georgian operation has processed around 130,000 shipments weighing some 470,000 tons.
Cargolux, Europe’s biggest all-cargo airline, and Unilode Aviation Solutions, the market leader in outsourced Unit Load Device (ULD) management services, announce the renewal of their longstanding partnership.
Cargolux first awarded the management of their ULD fleet to Unilode in 2009. Since then, Unilode has supported Cargolux’s fleet and route network growth by providing ULD management services and digital connectivity from its growing fleet of 172,000 ULDs.
Unilode provides a dedicated customer success management team based in Luxembourg and network planning through its Operations Control Centre in Bangkok.
Maintenance and repairs are undertaken at 50 Maintenance, Repair, and Operation (MRO) facilities, located across the world.
Unilode owns and manages the world’s largest digitally enabled ULD fleet. Unilode’s unique pooling concept combined with its digital capabilities will further support Cargolux through its new digital developments such as the E-ULD APP and customer portal.
Joep Bruijs, Senior Vice President Global Logistics – Cargolux, said: “Unilode’s continuous support and ULD management expertise has played a pivotal role in ensuring that Cargolux has the ability and agility to meet our everyday ULD needs.
Cargolux is committed to being an industry leader in the air cargo market. By embracing innovative technologies, Unilode’s digital journey will enable our airline to enhance the services offered to our cargo customers. It is important to collaborate with strategic partners who share our values and vision, and we are pleased to be able to continue our strong relationship.”
Ross Marino, Chief Executive Officer – Unilode, said: “We are delighted to extend our longstanding partnership with Cargolux, and their trust in the Unilode team and our services makes us extremely proud.
We are excited about the opportunity to continue working together. Over the next five years, we will strive to achieve continuous improvement that results in ever better service excellence, and to deliver on our digital transformation and sustainability targets.”
Awery Aviation Software (Awery) was awarded the Developer Prize at IATA’s ONE Record Hackathon for its Flight Care solution, which tackles communication issues between airlines and third-party providers.
Participants were tasked with developing a solution to enable real-time updates between airlines, ground handling agents (GHAs), and ramp agents, to avoid delays and improve efficiency in air cargo handling.
Awery’s Flight Care solution uses the ONE Record Data Sharing Standard to enable stakeholders to share critical shipment data in real-time, facilitating the smooth, two-way communication of Cargo iQ Flight Milestones.
“Our goal was to develop a solution that eliminates the long-standing communication barriers that exist between handlers and airlines,” said Vitaly Smilianets, Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Awery.
Judges praised Awery’s solution for its practical application of the ONE Record standard, helping to solve a major issue in air cargo logistics by ensuring better data synchronisation between stakeholders.
“By leveraging seamless data exchange through ONE Record, Flight Care can also accelerate the industry’s adoption of this data standard, facilitating further developments down the line,” continued Smilianets.
Developed over 28 hours, Flight Care was designed to allow each party to input, update, and track operational milestones in real time, based on the Cargo iQ MOP 4.0 guidelines.
“Congratulations to Awery Aviation Software on winning the Developer Prize at IATA’s ONE Record Hackathon,” said Henk Mulder, Head of Digital Cargo, International Air Transport Association (IATA).
“Their Flight Care solution addresses a critical need for better communication between airlines and ground handling agents, which is essential for improving efficiency and reducing delays.
“We are excited to see how this solution will continue to be developed to help advance collaboration between airlines and ground handling agents.”
This win follows Awery’s previous hackathon successes in Frankfurt, Germany, for solution, CargoTracking.aero, and in Doha, Qatar, for Qpay.aero.
The Awery team will be attending TIACA’s Air Cargo Forum in Miami from 11-14th November 2024.
Changi Airport Group (CAG) today announced the opening of Changi Nexus One, a refurbished air logistics facility within Changi Airfreight Centre (CAC) spanning close to 8,000 sqm of warehousing space.
Strategically located with direct apron connectivity, Changi Nexus One is designed as a facility for two tenants, capable of expeditious cargo handling and will serve the special needs of air logistics players looking to expand their global airfreight operations through Singapore.
This new facility will increase Changi Airport’s logistics warehouse capacity, ensuring that Singapore’s Changi air cargo hub can meet the growing demand for air cargo services, prior to the completion of the Changi East Industrial Zone (CEIZ) in the mid 2030s. CAG’s investment in Changi Nexus One demonstrates its commitment to providing world-class facilities for air logistics players, augmenting Changi’s role as a leading regional air cargo transshipment hub. The new tenants at Changi Nexus One are expected to bring new air logistics handling capabilities, as well as adopt automation and smart technology in their operations, further enhancing Changi Airport’s air cargo management capabilities.
A key partner taking up space in this facility is Expeditors, the world’s seventh largest air freight forwarding company[1], which is looking to expand its air logistics activities in Singapore.
Mr Barthul Hoefnagels, Regional Vice President – Malaysia, Singapore & Indonesia said, “The new facility in Changi Airfreight Centre will enhance our end-to-end efficiency and reliability through fewer touch points, allowing Expeditors to further enhance our specialised cargo handling capabilities for pharmaceutical, aviation, semiconductor and other industries, and better serve the in-transit needs of our global customers. We are excited to expand our collaboration with Changi Airport Group to drive further value to our customers.”
New benchmark for green building practices
In line with Changi Airport’s commitment to sustainability, Changi Nexus One is a pioneer in several areas. It is the first building within CAC, and the first-of-its-kind in Changi, to achieve both Green Mark Platinum and the Green Mark Platinum Positive Energy Building (PEB) certifications by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA).
The Green Mark Platinum PEB certification is issued to buildings with the highest environmental performance. To achieve this, Changi Nexus One has demonstrated that it is a BCA super-low energy building that achieves more than 60% energy savings and generates more renewable energy than it consumes. Besides the ongoing installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) system airport wide including at the Cargo Agent Buildings, solar PV panels will also be installed at Changi Nexus One by the first quarter of 2025 to provide on-site renewable energy. By 2028, Changi Nexus One will generate enough on-site solar power to offset the total building energy consumption by over 140%. This surplus of renewable energy will be channelled to other airport facilities to sustain Changi Airport’s other operations.
Additionally, this project is the first in Singapore’s private sector to adopt the collaborative contracting method. This new contracting method recommended by BCA is an innovative approach which fosters greater collaboration between project stakeholders, leading to improved efficiency. It focuses on risk management, which involves all parties assessing and evaluating potential project threats in advance, resulting in completion of works ahead of schedule, risk sharing and cost savings.
Mr. Lim Ching Kiat, CAG’s Executive Vice President for Air Hub and Cargo Development said, “The opening of Changi Nexus One marks a significant milestone in our efforts to strengthen Changi Airport’s position as a global air cargo hub. Through enhancing our cargo handling capacity and capabilities, we aim to stay at the forefront of the air cargo industry, putting Changi in a good position to capture growth from key cargo players, as well as growth in the region. Working closely with our tenants, we aim to bring in new cargo opportunities and expand into new markets.
“As we strive to maintain Changi’s continued success as a thriving air cargo hub, we also constantly challenge ourselves to carry out our development works and operations according to our sustainability goals.”
Saudia Cargo has announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)with the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) to enhance logistics services and air cargo operations supporting the establishment of AlUla as a global destination through enhancing its air cargo capabilities.
This strategic partnership will focus on streamlining air cargo operations, optimizing air cargo transport, exchanging strategic insights, and developing innovative logistics solutions that will support projects and infrastructure in the region.
Saudia Cargo and RCU will work together to ensure logistical services are of a high standard and will remain responsive to the demands of AlUla’s growing and dynamic market. These services will include providing logistical support for key events and initiatives in AlUla through shipping and supply operations; engaging relevant regulatory entities as well as launching joint marketing campaigns to promote AlUla as a global destination; developing competitive pricing proposals for air cargo services; and organizing workshops and knowledge-sharing sessions to enhance logistics capabilities among the two parties.
Hashim alSharif, Vice President of Strategy and Transformation at Saudia Cargo commented: “This agreement comes in light of Saudia Cargo’s emphasis towards strengthening partnerships with various sectors and bodies to support multiple aspects such as tourism and entertainment by harnessing all logistical capabilities.” He also added, “We are thrilled to announce this Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) as we aim to optimize the operational performance of AlUla Airport in terms of cargo services, and working with our partners to strengthen AlUla’s position as a destination that attracts visitors from all over the world.”
Representing a significant investment in the future of AlUla, the new partnership leverages Saudia Cargo’s logistics and cargo expertise to directly contribute to the sustainable development of AlUla as a global tourism destination and underscores the company’s dedication to supporting the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 goals through fostering economic growth through key strategic partnerships.
Japan Airlines (JAL) and CHAMP Cargosystems celebrated a decade of successful partnership, and the anniversary of JAL going live with CHAMP’s Cargospot cargo management system.
Members of both companies gathered in Tokyo to commemorate this achievement and highlight the shared accomplishments of the past ten years.
JAL selected CHAMP in 2014 as their trusted software solutions provider for their cargo management application, a partnership built on mutual dedication to innovation, collaboration, and digital advancement in the air cargo sector. This pivotal move set the stage not just for JAL’s technological transformation, but for a decade of evolution, digitalization, and the redefinition of JAL’s cargo operations.
Since then, JAL and CHAMP have closely collaborated on numerous transformative projects to further enhance JAL’s business and operations. A prime example is the launch of a fully integrated digital platform that has revolutionized JAL’s domestic cargo operations, notably achieving a complete transition to paperless operations in the Japanese market.
The solution consists of an easy-to-use portal that enables JAL’s customers to do business online, linked to a mobile app that fully automates the end-to-end processes within the cargo warehouses.
This initiative is only one of many that highlights JAL’s ongoing commitment to strategic technological innovation and providing advanced services to their customers.
Chris McDermott, CHAMP CEO, said “I would like to thank Japan Airlines for their trust in CHAMP and for a decade of truly remarkable achievements. I am very proud of our successful partnership, which is based on mutual respect and dedication, and of our shared vision of digitalization within the air cargo industry. We have jointly delivered many significant projects, and these collective achievements highlight JAL’s dedication to innovation and transformation. JAL have not only improved the services to their customers and gained operational efficiencies, but they have also demonstrated leadership in the broader air cargo community. We look forward to building on our very successful partnership to deliver further benefits to JAL and to continue to work jointly to transform the air cargo industry.”
Yuichiro Kito, Executive Officer, Senior Vice President, Head of Cargo & Mail from Japan Airlines, said “It is our pleasure to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of Japan Airlines going live with Cargospot in 2014. Not only have we achieved the initial goals of our technology transformation and digitalization, but we have also seen the benefits CHAMP has brought to both JAL users and our customers’ experience. JAL and CHAMP are united in their commitment to continuous development, and the creation of intelligent software that facilitates innovation, such as ONE Record. We look forward to walking alongside CHAMP in the future of air cargo.”
S. F. Express Singapore, a leader in Asia’s logistics landscape, marked a significant milestone today with the official opening of its airside logistics centre located at SATS Core
A warehouse in Changi Airfreight Centre. The new facility enables the optimisation of export and import operations, resulting in improved flexibility and faster turnaround times for customers.
The development facilitates the enhancement of S. F. Express Singapore’s expansion across Southeast Asia and globally.
With the launch of the airside logistics centre, the expected on-airport processing time will be reduced from 4 to 6 hours to 1.5 to 2 hours. The direct access to the airside enables the efficient transfer of cargo between the tarmac and the logistics centre. For imports, this access speeds up the process of getting goods from the terminal, allowing for faster sorting and distribution. This means customers can receive their deliveries earlier and even have multiple delivery waves in a single day. This significantly enhance S. F. Express’s cargo sorting and transshipment capacity in Singapore.
“As a close neighbor to China, Singapore connects South Asia and Oceania, offering significant geographical advantages. Moreover, with its advanced logistics operations and facilities, Changi Airport has become a crucial global logistics hub. SATS, one of the largest aviation ground service providers in the world, operates at over 215 locations across more than 27 countries, providing ramp operations and in-flight catering services. With the strong support of Changi Airport and SATS in Singapore, S. F. Express’s air cargo business has been steadily developing. On behalf of S. F. Express, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Changi Airport and SATS,” said Mr. Zhang Ji, Vice President of SF Group.
Singapore Changi Airport is a key air cargo hub in Southeast Asia and globally. The airport is equipped with advanced cargo facilities capable of processing millions of tons of goods through Singapore ensuring the efficient flow of goods. SATS is a leader in global air cargo and the collaboration is a strategic partnership that improves the supply chain and end-to-end logistics services for S. F. Express Singapore, ensuring the efficient flow of goods.
“SATS SG Hub is immensely proud to be empowering the success of S. F. Express supply chain through ensuring seamless airside handling for its hub operations as their aviation ground service provider as part of our wider multi-station global network partnership. I am looking forward to both our organizations to continue with this momentum of collaboration by leveraging our combined strengths, to further drive business growth in Singapore together,” said Mr. Henry Low, Chief Executive Officer of SATS Singapore Hub.
“Changi Airport Group congratulates S. F. Express on the opening of S. F. Express Singapore Airside Logistics Centre. With air express and logistics activities in Southeast Asia poised for robust long-term growth, the expanded capacity and new airside capabilities will enable S. F. Express to capture the region’s growth potential and offer a higher level of service to its global customers,” said Mr. Lim Ching Kiat, Executive Vice President, Air Hub and Cargo Development, Changi Airport Group.
Since its establishment in 2010, S. F. Express Singapore has gradually built a local distribution network covering the entire island, with over a hundred owned vehicles and a professional logistics team. Through precise route planning and an intelligent logistics system, S. F. Express Singapore has significantly enhanced its local distribution and cross-border express service capabilities in recent years, opening up faster and more efficient global logistics channels for shippers in Singapore and Southeast Asia. This not only reduces logistics time for shippers in multiple countries but also greatly improves the efficiency of goods flow between Southeast Asia and China, strengthening connections with the Chinese market and its surrounding areas.
Through this collaboration, S. F. Express will further accelerate the construction of logistics nodes along the “Belt and Road Initiative”, promote the overseas expansion of Chinese enterprises, and establish more efficient logistics channels for economic and trade exchanges between China and Southeast Asia. In the future, S. F. Express Singapore will continue to uphold the service tenet of “customer-centricity,” constantly enhancing service quality and user experience to create greater value for local and global customers.
Saudia Cargo announces signing a new Standard Ground Handling Agreement (SGHA) with Swissport International AG, which will serve as its official ground-handling agent at Nairobi Airport.
Swissport will handle all aspects of ground support, including cargo handling, loading and unloading, and special care for temperature-sensitive products.
Commenting on the strategic collaboration, Mohanned Badri, Vice President of Operations at Saudia Cargo, said: ” Our strategic collaboration with Swissport is designed to streamline the ground-handling processes, thus minimizing transit times and ensuring that goods reach their destinations in optimal condition. Swissport brings a wealth of experience and expertise that will play a crucial role in our operations at Nairobi Airport, and we are delighted to extend our partnership with them.
Saudia Cargo operates eight weekly flights to Nairobi Airport, including four weekly freighter flights utilizing Boeing 747-400 aircraft and four passenger flights using Airbus A330 aircraft. “
We’re thrilled to expand our partnership with Saudia Cargo at Nairobi Airport,” said Racheal Ndegwa, CEO of Swissport Nairobi. “Our expertise in handling temperature-sensitive goods and our innovative flower corridor project will ensure seamless and efficient logistics solutions for Saudia Cargo.”
As Saudia Cargo continues to expand its presence in key markets, this new chapter in the Swissport collaboration signals the company’s ongoing commitment to delivering unparalleled customer service and operational excellence to ensure that cargo arrives safely, on time, and in perfect condition.
The Canada-Africa Chamber of Business (www.CanadaAfrica.ca) is delighted to congratulate Mr. Samson Arega on his appointment as Group Vice President of Customer Experience at Ethiopian Airlines.
Mr. Arega’s previous roles include Area Manager in Canada, where he served as an active leader in The Canada-Africa Chamber of Business, including as keynote speaker at the Africa Accelerating 2021 (http://apo-opa.co/4eQ9MyD) conference opened by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, among numerous high-profile engagements.
“Samson Arega’s leadership demonstrates why Ethiopian Airlines is crucial to not only Canada-Africa trade and investment, but is emblematic of the incredible success and potential within the African continent,” said Garreth Bloor, President of The Canada-Africa Chamber of Business.
Mr. Arega’s previous roles include Regional Director for Sales & Services in the United States, among a range of positions since 2014 when he joined the airline as a college trainee. Today, he holds a BA Degree in International Trade & Investment Management from Adama Science and Technology University, an MSc Degree in Integrated Marketing Management (IMC) from the University of Mississippi, USA, received a certification from the London Business School’s Leadership Excellence Programme and holds the Credential of Readiness Diploma from Harvard Business School, in Business Analytics, Economics for Managers, and Financial Accounting.
“Given Mr. Arega’s success and global leadership experience over the past decade, it is no wonder he has been recognized for his ability to drive transformative growth, elevate customer satisfaction, and steer complex operations in highly competitive markets,” added Bloor
“The year-on-year growth of Ethiopian Airlines reflects its ability to not just keep up with Africa’s growth potential – but to serve as a key driving force of Africa’s development and global trade” says Mr. Arega – a point he has made in addresses to international audiences. “This remains a vital reality, because Africa is the world’s future growth engine and Ethiopian Airlines is pleased to serve at the heart of this success story for not just Africa, but markets around the world,” he added, reflecting on his latest appointment.
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
