Hong Kong airfreight chief steps down

Hong Kong Association of Freight Forwarding and Logistics (HAFFA) chairman Paul Tsui is to step down and will be replaced by Cliff Sullivan, senior vice-president of A-Sonic Logistics. Mr Tsui is a 30-year veteran of the airfreight industry and in 2001 founded Janel Group, which now employs 250 staff in offices throughout China. Mr Sullivan has been a HAFFA executive committee member since 2001.

Source : http://www.aircargonews.net/news/people/single-view/news/hong-kong-airfreight-chief-steps-down.html

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Slow growth in China hits Asia-Pacific air freight performance with June volume down 1.8%: IATA

CHINA'S ECONOMIC slowdown has dampened air-freight demand throughout Asia and the Pacific as regional carriers' business volume in June contracted 1.8 per cent year on year, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

In the first half, volume dropped 2.3 per cent.

To the organisation representing some 240 airlines comprising 84 per cent of global air traffic, this is the weakest performance among the regions and reflects the broad impact of the slowing growth of Chinese gross domestic product.

There are now fears that China will not achieve its 7.5-per-cent growth target this year, which may disrupt the global economic recovery. The Thai National Shippers Council forecasts only a 2-per-cent increase in the country's shipments to China this year. 

Elsewhere in the world, only airlines in North America suffered from contraction - 1.2 per cent in June and 1.6 per cent in the first half.

European carriers grew freight volumes by 2.6 per cent in June. Though in recession, the euro zone showed some signs of stability. For example, manufacturing activity contracted at its slowest pace in 16 months, easing pressure on key economies such as Italy, Spain and France. An improvement in consumer confidence is also likely to support demand for the sale of lightweight, high-value goods that are typically shipped by air.

While African airlines recorded relatively slower growth in June, up 2.4 per cent, Latin American airlines experienced a 7-per-cent increase. Middle Eastern airlines saw the biggest growth of demand, with freight volumes up by 12.7 per cent. The consistent high growth of airlines based in the Middle East in recent years is the result of their ability to take advantage of their geographical position.

In June, global air-freight demand expanded 1.2 per cent, higher than the 0.9-per-cent increase in May and the 0.1-per-cent growth in the first half.

While the global economic trend had been defined by robust emerging economies and stagnant growth in developed markets, the strongest improvements in business confidence are now occurring in some developed economies. Neverthe-less, overall business confidence, which is a key indicator for air freight, continues to be weak.

"It's too early to tell if June was a positive turning point after 18 months of stagnation," Tony Tyler, director-general and chief executive of IATA, said yesterday. "Air-freight volumes are at their highest since mid-2011, but that good news needs to be tempered with a dose of reality. 

"The global economic environment remains weak, and the basis for the acceleration of air-cargo growth in June appears to be fragile." 

Last month IATA released the July edition of its Airline Business Confidence Index, which showed nearly 58 per cent of respondents expecting freight volumes to increase over the next year. Despite this, 72.2 per cent expect no change in weak cargo yields despite their expected increase in demand over the same period. 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Slow-growth-in-China-hits-Asia-Pacific-air-freight-30211599.html

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UPS Takes Proactive Steps On Fire Protection

UPS has placed an order for 1,821 fire resistant shipping containers capable of containing a fire with temperatures as high as 1,200F for more than 4 hr. to use on its aircraft. Deliveries start in September and will be complete by early 2014, the airline says.

The unit load devices (ULDs) are built with MACROLite, a fiber-reinforced plastic composite similar to the material used in ballistic body armor, says UPS. The airline performed burn testing of the materials with the FAA and witnessed by the NTSB.

“That timeframe would give a flight crew ample time to land safely in the event of an in-flight fire,” the airline says.

The announcement comes as the United Arab Emirates’ air accident investigation department is set to publish a final report on July 24 into the Sept. 3, 2010 crash of UPS Flight 6, a Boeing 747-400 freighter that crashed after a cargo fire erupted 22 min. after departure from Dubai on a trip to Cologne.

Although the aircraft returned to Dubai, the pilots, with smoke in the cockpit and multiple failures including the captain’s oxygen system, were not able to land and both were killed. The aircraft crashed approximately 28 min. after the first fire bell warning went off in the cockpit.

The cargo suspected of causing an uncontained fire on the main cargo deck included “lithium and lithium derivative batteries,” according to an interim report. “The wider systemic risks associated with cargo fires and the carriage of hazardous air cargo will be addressed in the accident final report’s safety recommendations,” the report states.

The fire resistant ULDs are part of a broader safety overhaul of the cargo carrier’s fleet based on recommendations from the UPS Independent Pilots Association (IPA) safety task force, organized after the accident.

Other improvements include purchasing 575 fire-containment cargo pallet covers that can withstand 1,200F temperatures for 4 hr.; installing quick-donning, full-face oxygen masks across the entire fleet by the end of 2014, and completing the installation of emergency vision assurance systems (EVAS) in the 747-400 fleet. With EVAS, pilots press their oxygen masks into an inflatable pouch on the panel, allowing them to see the flight instruments and a portion of the forward windscreen despite having smoke in the cockpit.

According to Aviation Week’s Fleet database, UPS has a fleet of 235 aircraft, including leased-in aircraft, with 13 747-400s.

Source: http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.aspx?id=/article-xml/awx_07_23_2013_p0-599998.xml

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China Southern begins Guangzhou-Frankfurt freighter service

China Southern Airlines launched its third scheduled freighter service from Guangzhou to Europe.

The new service to Frankfurt operates three times a week using a Boeing 777-200F. Flights depart every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

The Guangzhou-Frankfurt-Guangzhou service will provide 270 tonnes capacity per week. The import and export cargo between China and Germany is mostly high value-added cargo such as machinery and precision instruments.

Frankfurt is the most important origin and destination city in Germany for international cargo.

In 2009, China Southern’s Frankfurt Office was established when the airline launched its Shanghai-Frankfurt-Shanghai freighter service. With the cooperation of local trucking companies, cargo can be transported all over Europe.

China Southern will receive two more B777 freighters in the second half of 2013.

Source: http://www.aircargoworld.com/Air-Cargo-News/2013/07/china-southern-begins-guangzhou-frankfurt-freighter-service/2514640#sthash.tHh8waBJ.dpuf

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