Pharma defection to ocean is ‘wake-up call’ to airfreight

Airlines are targeting premium products to claw back lost revenue from the recession. Foremost of those is the cool chain for fresh produce and pharmaceuticals. But, according to Steef Van Amersfoort, chairman of the air transport at the Dutch Shippers Council and veteran pharmaceutical-logistics executive, there is a massive difference between what pharma shippers...

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Ambak joins Emirates SkyCargo

Henrik Ambak has joined Emirates SkyCargo as senior vice president, cargo operations worldwide. Ambak, a Danish national, joins the freight division of Emirates with 27 years of experience in the air cargo industry, having worked for companies such as Novia, CSLux and Cargolux Airlines. He started his career as a freight forwarder, and then moved into ground and...

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Exelsius launches pharma programme

Exelsius has launched a pharmaceutical qualification programme (PQP) for companies involved in the handling and transportation of pharmaceutical & life science products. The UK-based international cold chain management consultancy says that its programme allows airports, freight forwarders and logistics service providers to become certified...

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IAG Cargo gains pharma certificate

IAG Cargo has received GDP (Good Distribution Practice) certification for pharmaceutical transport. The carrier, bringing together the cargo divisions of British Airways and Iberia, says that it is the first airline to be awarded GDP certification by a national government health agency in meeting the premier standard for pharma transport. IAG Cargo received the...

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Cathay signs up DoKaSch pharma containers

Cathay Pacific Cargo has signed a master agreement to rent DoKaSch Temperature Solutions' RKN and RAP Opticooler active containers. The containers, to be rolled out across the Hong Kong-based airline’s network in the first quarter of 2015, are aimed at the shipment of temperature-sensitive goods and pharmaceutical products,. “Cathay Pacific Cargo is pleased to be the first Asian carrier offering our customers an alternative solution for their temperature-sensitive air cargo shipments,”...

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Cargo pallets go on a diet

Air France-KLM is introducing new aluminum pallets that are 17kg lighter than standard pallets but just as strong. The new 83kg pallets will gradually replace all the current standard stock - each weighing 100kg - in the airline’s fleet. Said a spokesperson: “Air France-KLM is fully committed to reducing the company’s CO2 footprint, and weight reduction...

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Air cargo rates gain on US port congestion

  Air freight rates continued to climb through November on the back of strong peak season demand and conversions from ocean freight as a result of US supply chain bottlenecks. Drewry’s East-West Air Freight Price Index rose a further 5.3 points in November to reach an all-time peak of 120.8 points, exceeding the record high of 117.4 achieved...

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Cathay Cargo boosted by Beaujolais

Cathay Pacific and Dragonair cargo and mail traffic has continued to show strong year-on-year growth according to the carrier’s latest results with the carrier getting a big boost with shipments of Beaujolais wine to the Far East. The two airlines carried 165,102 tonnes of cargo and mail in November 2014, up 12% from the same period last year.There was good news too...

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Self-driving car the future of logistics industry

The logistics industry will probably be one of the first testing grounds for automated vehicles, according to a study from package delivery giant DHL. Shipping companies will likely adopt the technology faster than other sectors, since moving cargo in non-public areas like storage facilities and warehouses provides a safer venue to test such devices, according to a study published this week by DHL, the freight and express arm of Deutsche Post AG. Eventually vehicles might bring packages...

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Dubai drives October's cargo surge

A Dubai cargo surge helped global air freight traffic maintain an upward trend in volumes with a year-over-year growth rate of five per cent for October, reports Airports Council International (ACI). Overall worldwide accumulated volumes for the last twelve months rose by 4.6 per cent. International freight volumes jumped up by 5.6 per cent, whereas...

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Qantas management reshuffle

  A top level management reshuffle at Australian carrier Qantas has seen Gareth Evans appointed chief executive of Qantas International and Freight. Evans, currently chief financial officer for the Qantas Group, has been a senior executive at Qantas for 15 years and brings experience from previous roles that spanned network, pricing, scheduling and operations....

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Heathrow volumes rise in November

A surge in cargo to Mexico, Brazil, India and Turkey helped London-Heathrow airport freight volumes rise 2.3 per cent in November to 136,400 tonnes, compared with like month 2013. For the 11 months in the year to date, the UK’s top air cargo hub registered an overall 5.3 per cent increase in volumes to 1.37m tonnes versus prior year. Heathrow...

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Tonnage up but rates to shrink in 2015 says IATA

Senior cargo executives at IATA member airlines are predicting that global air freight tonnage will increase next year at its fastest rate since 2010. Yet rates are likely to shrink by a further 5.8 per cent in real terms, intensifying pressure on margins. Brian Pearce, IATA chief economist, told a media briefing in Geneva that volume measured by freight tonne-kilometres...

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TNT adds Venice freighter call

Parcels carrier TNT is launching a five-times a week B737-400 freighter service between Venice and its Liege air hub in Belgium, aimed at exporters and importers trading with north-east Italy. The morning flight from Liege arrives at Venice Airport Marco Polo (VCE) at 6:00 am and continues onto Ljubljana (Slovenia) before returning to Liege. Five weekly flights...

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Transaero Launches cargo service to Beijing

Russia’s leading carrier, Transaero Airlines, has launched a freighter service to China. Transaero delivered 22.4 tonnes of mail on the first flight between Beijing and Novosibirsk using one of the airline’s pair of new Tupolev Tu-204C aircraft. The year old aircraft will be regular performers on the route. The airline...

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IATA figures find fair weather for freight flow

IATA’s November Airlines Financial Monitor finds good news for much of the air cargo sector as freight volumes continue to expand steadily and load factors improve on the back of growth in demand. Air freight volumes increased in October compared to September, with recent improvements driven by progress in Asia Pacific and North America due to expanding trade volumes,...

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ANA and Lufthansa Cargo JV hauls first shipment

The cargo joint venture between All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Lufthansa Cargo has carried its first shipment. Sent by forwarder Schenker-Seino and booked via Lufthansa Cargo, three pieces of general cargo weighing 153kg were transported by ANA on a direct flight from Tokyo to London. The forwarder was able to receive the shipment approximately 16 hours earlier than by choosing the transfer connection via Frankfurt. On the same day, a Lufthansa Cargo freighter flight carried the first shipment...

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TNT cockpit iPads save 50kg in paper

TNT Airways is to roll out paperless cockpits across its worldwide fleet by using iPad Air tablets as electronic flight bags. TNT’s subsidiary airline, with a fleet of 50 aircraft, has made the move following approval from the Belgian Civil Aviation Authority. Each iPad will replace the 50kg of paper books and manuals carried by crews on each flight. Going paperless...

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Drewry Air Freight Price Index

East-West airfreight rates were for the second month in a row largely unchanged in July with Drewry’s East-West Air Freight Price Index only moving up by 0.8 points to 102.4 points. The small increase in pricing brought the index up to within 1.4 points of April’s high and an impressive 8.2 points above last year’s level, indicating the strength of the recovery in...

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Asia Airlines Capacity and Cargo Traffic

  Overall, airfreight demand in freight tonne kilometers (FTK) grew by an encouraging 4.7 percent compared to the same month last year. The average international freight load factor rose for the second consecutive month, by 0.8 percentage points to 66.1 percent in June, on a 3.4 percent growth in offered freight capacity.  Source: Association of Asia Pacific...

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European Airlines Freight Traffic

This is the monthly year-over-year percent change in overall freight traffic and Asia-Pacific freight traffic for European airlines. Asia Pacific fell in June 2014, and overall increased. Source: Association of European Airlin...

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Two Decades of Lufthansa Cargo

Lufthansa cargo has spent the last 20 years flying around the world 3.6m times and transporting the equivalent of 9.3m elephant . Lufthansa Cargo is celebrating two decades as an independent business after Deutsche Lufthansa AG pooled its cargo activities into a separate company. Germany's freight flagship carrier states: "Flying cargo has always played a major role at Lufthansa and its predecessors; however, it was not until the founding of a dedicated cargo...

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DHL Supply Chain boosts Chinese logistics investment

DHL Supply Chain (DSC) has more than doubled its commitment to infrastructure investment in China, with a further Euro113m added to the Euro105m committed by the German-owned logistics operator last year.The total Euro218m investment will support the development of DHL’s Chinese network and, in particular, six new logistics facilities scheduled for completion by 2020 in Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Wuhan, Shenyang, Shenzhen and Shanghai Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone. "By working closely with our...

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New Beluga to fly by 2019

Airbus is to expand its oversize air transport capability with the development of five new Beluga transport aircraft. The future “white whales” will be based on the A330 aircraft, with a large re-use of existing components and equipment. The current five-strong Beluga fleet – now up to 20 years old - is based on the twin-engine A300-600R and can carry a maximum payload of 47 tonnes non-stop over a range of 1,660 km. Said Airbus: “The distinctive looking lowered cockpit,...

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UTi charters B747F to ease US port congestion

US dockside port congestion has prompted UTi Worldwide charter a weekly B747F from Shanghai to Chicago. The global supply chain services and solutions company says that the scheduled service is intended to ease the backlog of goods needed in North America. "Congestion at west coast US ports has reached a critical level and we think it will get worse before we see any improvements," said Ed Feitzinger, UTi's executive vice president, global operations Feitzinger added:...

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Paper-less air cargo supply chain facility introduced at Bengaluru airport

Air India SATS Airport Services Pvt Ltd (AISATS), a 50:50 joint venture between Air India Limited and SATS Limited, a gateway services and food solutions provider in Asia, has introduced an e-freight initiative at its Bengaluru Airfreight Terminal facility. With this launch, AISATS BLR has taken a step towards IATAs e-freight initiative, building a paper-free air cargo supply chain and replacing it with cheaper, accurate and reliable electronic messaging, AISATS said in a statement. To facilitate...

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Cargolux posts best ever October figures

Cargolux, Europe’s largest all-cargo carrier, posted its best ever October, with its fleet of 22 Boeing 747 freighters breaking records for tonnage, revenue and block hours. Tonnage grew 6.7 percent and net revenue was up 9.9 percent from a year ago, making October the second-best month in the Luxembourg-based airline’s history after November 2013. The carrier said it also achieved the highest daily utilization of all operators of the 747-8F at more than 16 hours a day through October. The...

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Christmas bonus for air cargo as rates soar due to west coast port congestion

Costs for chartering a freighter to fly from China to the US have skyrocketed, with as much as a 100% rise in rates over the last few months. While November lease rates for a round trip might rise, normally, to about $400,000 for a 747F, from $300,000 earlier in the year, one air cargo source familiar with the matter told The Loadstar this month prices have been...

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17TH WCA FIRST ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2015

For the 17th consecutive year, WCA will once again host the world’s most dynamic event for independent logistics companies. Acknowledged globally as the most important conference of its kind, independent freight forwarders from the world’s premier global network will come together for face-to-face meetings with their peers from around the world. Thanks to the unprecedented opportunities to build new relationships and strengthen existing ties, the conference is firmly established as the...

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Ten-month cargo volumes of Neva-Metal grow 10% to 2,6 million tonnes

A Severstal stevedoring unit, St. Petersburg based terminal operator Neva-Metal CJSC in January-October 2014 handled about 2,6 million tonnes of cargo, which represents a 10% growth on the ten-month period of 2013, the terminal operator said.In the reporting period container traffic at Neva-Metal terminal totaled some75,000 TEUs.Neva-Metal CJSC, part of Severstal's transport division, operates at Third cargo area in Sea Port of Saint-Petersburg. The company started in 1995. The terminal operator...

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Cargo traffic at Russian seaports in Jan-Oct 2014 grows 6% to 518.5 million tonnes

Handling of exports, imports and transit cargo at Russian seaports in January-October 2014 increased by 6% compared with the same period last year to 518,5 million tonnes, the Association of Commercial Sea Ports (ASOP) of Russia said. The ASOP statistics shows that dry cargo amounted to 239.9 million tonnes (+ 13.3%), including: coal - 97.2 million tonnes (+ 14.7%), containerized cargo - 39 1 million tonnes (+ 5.8%), grain - 25.5 million tonnes (a 1.8 times surge), ferrous metals - 19.4 million...

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Apple’s iPhone 6 boosts Asia-Pacific cargo numbers

SHIPMENTS of the iPhone 6 helped boost air-cargo figures in the Asia-Pacific in September, ­resulting in regional growth beating the global average. But aviation officials warn the improvement in global business confidence has stagnated and this could hit air cargo. Asia-Pacific carriers emerged from a first-quarter slowdown to post a 5.7 per cent increase in cargo traffic compared to a global average of 5.2 per cent. The International Air Transport Association said the region was benefiting...

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Canada Aims To Allow Shippers To Self-Screen Air Cargo

Transport Canada is proposing to allow shippers to screen their cargo before it reaches an airport, rather than solely relying on carriers to do so, in order to bridge security gaps and prevent terrorist attacks. The Canadian government said relying on carriers to screen all cargo for explosive devices would be “slow and impractical,” resulting in bottlenecks, slowdowns and additional costs. This new initiative would bring up the standard of air cargo screening and save C$202 million in...

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Five-year Forecast Shows Improved Outlook for Air Cargo

Geneva - The International Air Transport Association (IATA) Airline Industry Forecast 2014-2018 shows that international freight volumes are expected to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.1% over the next five years. Emerging economies, particularly in the Middle East and Africa, will be the fastest-growing markets. International Freight Developments: The Middle East is forecast to be the fastest growing region over the forecast period with a CAGR of 4.7%. The second-fastest...

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Air Cargo World - IATA shows robust growth in August air cargo FTKs

Global air freight markets showed continued robust growth in air cargo volumes in August, according to the latest data from The International Air Transport Association (IATA). Measured by freight-tonne-kilometers (FTKs), volumes rose 5.1% in August 2014, compared to August 2013, while capacity grew at a slower pace of 3.4% from the previous year. This is the second consecutive strong month for cargo volumes, following the 6.1% year-on-year rise recorded in July. “The outlook for air cargo...

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11th Annual Sino International Freight Forwarders Conference (4-7 November 2014)

The Sino-International Freight Forwarders Conference celebrates its 11th anniversary, and the 2014 event opens up even greater opportunities for delegates as it moves to Guangzhou — the most important manufacturing city in southern China and situated at the heart of the Pearl River Delta. Open to all independent freight forwarders from around the globe, as well as an impressive range of logistics vendors and industry-related companies, the Sino-International Conference is the...

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logitrans 2014 - new running time (November 19–21, 2014)

For the first time ever, the largest exhibition for transport and logistics in Turkey will open its gates from Wednesday through Friday this year. Gerhard Gerritzen, Deputy Managing Director of Messe München, explains the event's new timing: "At the request of several exhibitors and visitors, the show now begins on Wednesday instead of Thursday, and so it ends before the weekend. The move will also emphasize the event's character as a trade show more clearly." The 8th logitrans—the...

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Freight upswing for Hong Kong Airport

Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) continued to see upswings in freight in August. Cargo throughput grew by 8.8 percent to 366,000 tonnes. Flight movements had a 4 percent increase to 33,700, achieving a new monthly high for the second month in a row.  The growth in cargo throughput was driven mainly by transshipments, which were up 22 percent from a year ago. During...

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FRENCH GIANT'S ANTIDOTE TO 2M ALLIANCE

French container-shipping giant CMA CGM has formed an alliance with China Shipping Container Lines and Middle East's United Arab Shipping Co to share vessels on some of the world's busiest trade routes. The new alliance, called Ocean Three, is expected to deploy about 150 ships that would move roughly 20 percent of all cargo between Asia and Europe and 13 percent and seven percent across the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, respectively, people involved in the deal said, reported The Wall Street...

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Air Freight Volumes Show Solid Gains

  Air freight volumes continue to show solid gains on a year ago, supported by economic improvements in some regions, says IATA in its latest quarterly cargo chartbook. But high jet fuel prices and overall weakness in yields have kept cargo financial performance from improving so far this year, adds IATA. “Emerging Asia trade volumes have rebounded...

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SriLankan Cargo moving towards the future with the adoption of e-air waybill system

Ushering a new era in Sri Lanka's airfreight industry, the national carrier's cargo arm, SriLankan Cargo signed e-AWB (air waybills) agreements with four of its top customers, September 10. At a time when the industry is increasingly adopting sustainable and cost-effective practices to enhance operational efficiency, International Air Transport Association (IATA) views this as the first step towards a paper-free air cargo, involving fewer stakeholders. The air waybill...

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Lufthansa Cargo strengthens its presence in West Africa

LUFTHANSA CARGO is integrating Lagos, Nigeria, into its network by launching twice-weekly MD-11 freighter flights from September, writes Thelma Etim, deputy editor. The new services, which will take off from Frankfurt for the Nigerian city every Monday and Thursday, will also fly on to Johannesburg, South Africa. The return leg will include a stopover in Nairobi, Kenya. “Another two weekly flights from Frankfurt to Johannesburg will also stop in Nairobi on the southbound leg,”...

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Russian Cargo Ship Makes Fast Delivery to Space Station

A robotic Russian spacecraft filled with supplies for the six crew members on the International Space Station made an express delivery to the orbiting outpost on Wednesday. The Progress 56 craft was launched atop a Russian-built Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 5:44 p.m. ET (3:44 a.m. local time Thursday). It hooked up with the space station's Pirs docking compartment just after 11:30 p.m. ET. The Progress was loaded with about 5,700 pounds (2,587 kilograms)...

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Aerofloat Cargo Revenue Slumps

25.07.2014 |  THE decision by Russian airline Aeroflot to scrap its dedicated freighters business last year is the reason for a 36 per cent year-on-year slump in its cargo business in 2014. “Switching to belly cargo operations in 2013 is the main reason that cargo and mail carried decreased 36.0 per cent year-on-year to June 2014,” says a statement. In the first six months of this year the company expanded its fleet, including 13 new A320s, two new B737-800s and six new B777-300ERs. “The...

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