-
Magazine Stories January Issue 2009
-
Thursday, 28 January 2016
AIR freighter operations using four Convair 580 and one stretched Convair 5800 are credited with contributing to record revenues and earnings just posted by the New Zealand-based Freightways group for the year to June 30 2008.
Important as it is, however, the ‘freight airline’ division is primarily a support unit for Freightways’ extensive courier operations. Air Freight NZ is part of the Fieldair subsidiary which also provides maintenance and other support for external aviation clients.
Managing director Dean Bracewell pointed to the successful execution of the company’s growth strategy in the Australian market, a sound result from the core express package division in a challenging local market and “outstanding performance” from the information management division as playing key roles in the record financial outcome.
Freightways’ consolidated operating revenue topped NZ$300 million for the first time. At NZ$324 million, it was up 14 per cent on the previous year. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and goodwill amortisation were nine per cent ahead of the previous year.
Bracewell was cautiously optimistic about the year ahead, despite rising costs and other market challenges.
“In recent years Freightways has successfully embarked on diversifying its activities both geographically and deeper into the information management market,” he noted. “We will continue to seek out and develop growth opportunities that complement our existing capabilities to support this strategy.”
On the web: www.freightways.co.nz
-
Magazine Stories January Issue 2009
-
Thursday, 28 January 2016
GIPPSLAND Aeronautics (GA), manufacturer of the highly successful GA8 Airvan multi-utility aircraft which is used extensively for light cargo operations, has begun the re-launch of another Australian aviation icon, the N24 Nomad, writes Kelvin King.
The company also has indicated it is soon to offer a turbo-charged version of the Airvan, but has scotched rumours that it has a stretched version of that aircraft in development. Those rumours grew from comments made by GA director and co-founder George Morgan on an aviation website suggesting that the Airvan could be stretched. But the company has now told Australian Aviation it is not actively pursuing such a project, saying instead, that it is focused on the turbo-charged model, development of a turboprop version and the Nomad, which GA purchased — with spares, technical support and intellectual property — from Boeing Australia.
The Nomad originally was developed by the then Australian Government Aircraft Factory in the mid-sixties, with the first prototype flying in 1971. GAF was later renamed Aerospace Technologies of Australia and became part of the Rockwell Group which was purchased by Boeing in 1996.
Production of the Nomad ceased in 1984, but 54 of the aircraft are still flying worldwide and will be supported by GA.
Gary Wight, GA’s chairman, said the company was looking forward to presenting the aircraft to the world market as the ‘Next-Generation Nomad’, complementing its GA8 Airvan.
“According to independent research carried out by Connell Wagner and Asia Pacific Air Services on Gippsland’s behalf, demand for the Nomad could exceed 200 aircraft in the next 10 years,” he said.
The Next-Generation Nomad program has begun with letters of intent from two Australian customers, one of them Airfreight Solutions, the Bathurst-based operator headed by Tim Hall Matthews.
-
Magazine Stories January Issue 2009
-
Thursday, 28 January 2016
LUFTHANSA Cargo is ploughing huge resources into training young people and, by 2010, more than doubling the number of traineeships at its Frankfurt home base from 15 to 32. It is additionally making more training positions available in Munich, Dusseldorf, Hamburg and Stuttgart, raising the total number of traineeships on offer in Germany annually to 37.
"By expanding our training program, we are measuring up to our responsibilities as an employer and offering more young people secure prospects for their future,” said Dr. Roland Busch, Lufthansa Cargo executive board member - Finance and Human Resources. "Investment in skilled training also guarantees our future success in international competition."
The Lufthansa airfreight subsidiary has been providing commercial courses in forwarding and logistics services for the past ten years. Additionally, a BA degree course in logistics management came on stream this year for young logistics students in a dual study program, combining theory and practise, at the European University of Applied Sciences (Europäische Fachhochschule) in Brühl near Cologne.
-
Magazine Stories January Issue 2009
-
Thursday, 28 January 2016
DELEGATES attending the Project Professionals Group (PPG) annual conference in Denmark left the event optimistic about the future of the project cargo industry, particularly the transportation of oversize, heavy-lift freight.
More than 110 logistics experts from 55 countries, including three from Australia, attended the conference for project freight forwarders.
PPG general manager, Kevin Stephens, speaking from the organisation’s Brisbane headquarters, said conference presenters provided a clear overview of their companies’ capabilities and growing demand to meet client service delivery.
“Delegates left the conference with a great deal of optimism regarding the future of the project cargo industry, following the opportunity to discuss new business development and to hear first hand from key air and sea transport service providers,” he said.
“Presentations by air bridge specialists and shippers with heavy-lift and over dimensional transportation expertise all highlighted that project cargo was in high demand and was only restricted by aircraft and vessel availability and timetabling.”
Stephens said PPG members were experiencing growth in the transportation of wind energy generators and blades, heavy industry plant and equipment and for freight forwarding on behalf of the United Nations and military clients.
“The conference highlighted that the ability to offer custom-made solutions will continue to be a key driver of new business for members of the Project Professionals Group.”
Conference presenters included representatives from DSV Air & Sea A/S Project Division, Rickmers-Linie GmbH, Beluga Chartering GmbH, Ruslan International, Professional Logistics Group, TransGroup, SAL, Siemens, Combi Lift, Port of Arhus in Denmark, Port of Corpus Christi, US, Chipolbrok Gdynia and Delacour Marine lawyers.
-
Magazine Stories January Issue 2009
-
Thursday, 28 January 2016
THE STATE of the aviation market is leading to an increase in defaults, workouts and repossessions.
That’s the view of the UK-based International Bureau of Aviation (IBA), which says that in the past three months alone, it has seen several European operators cease operations, as well as bankruptcies in the United States.
And in a grim warning, it says early lease returns, retirement of older aircraft and repossessions are inevitable.
With this in mind, IBA has written a report offering a better understanding of the processes, potential costs and downtime required to successfully exit from a major default or distress scenario.
The report is available free of charge by contacting This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
For the past 20 years, IBA has been actively involved working on behalf of receivers, export credit agencies, banks, lessors and investors in order to manage aircraft during defaults periods and to repossess all types of aircraft in most regions of the world.
-
Magazine Stories January Issue 2009
-
Thursday, 28 January 2016
US international logistics provider Mainfreight has established a Customs brokerage operation to augment its freight forwarding services throughout America.
The Customs brokerage service is now available at each of the company’s 38 facilities in the US. It operates as Mainfreight International, Inc.
“Mainfreight is keeping pace with customer demand for complete logistics services. We now are offering brokerage service to shippers that utilise every type of transportation; Ocean, air, truck or rail,” said Mark Neumann, director of customs brokerage.
Neumann pointed out that Mainfreight’s 38 full service facilities were located strategically in every section of the US. “Many locations not ordinarily considered ‘gateway’ cities for foreign trade — like Los Angeles or New York —actually handle significant amounts of imports. Utilising Mainfreight, importers can derive substantial benefits by having a single controlling source for both their transportation and brokerage needs wherever they are located.”
He stressed that the customs brokerage service “provides door-to-door web tracking service through Mainfreight’s international tracking and tracing system. We offer high visibility to customers at every stage of the transportation and brokerage process”.
The new customs brokerage operation is fulfilling a promise made by Mainfreight to expand the range of services offered by Target Logistics when the New Zealand company acquired the freight forwarder almost a year ago.
Neumann noted that it has taken almost 12 months to obtain a licence from the US Customs & Border Patrol Agency - a normal waiting time for the traditionally slow moving US government.
-
Magazine Stories January Issue 2009
-
Thursday, 28 January 2016
KUWAIT-based National Aviation Services plans to build internationally on the success of its ground handling operations at Kuwait International. The company’s cargo throughput at KWI grew by seven per cent last year while passenger numbers were up by more than a third.
“NAS is forging ahead with joint ventures and new partnerships across the Middle East, Asia-Pacific and Eastern Europe,” said Naji Al-Ajmi, the group’s chief executive. “NAS is already into UAE, China and India and will add to its list of operations very soon.
“We have just executed an acquisition of a 55 per cent stake in Nova Aviation Services, one of the leading ground handling companies in India. NAS is partnering with and making strategic investments in several other GCC areas in cargo handling, airport services and management.”
Al-Ajmi said that as NAS was “currently running an efficient operation at the Kuwait International Airport, we felt it was only logical to expand outside the country and region”.
The agreement between NAS and Nova, signed recently in Kuwait, means that NAS is now involved in ground handling at Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Nagpur, Indore, Pune and Goa — all of them growth ports.
At the signing, NAS indicated that it planned to invest heavily in upgrading infrastructure at the Indian ports, including cargo handling equipment.
“Nova has all the fundamentals to become a leading aviation company in the region,” said Al-Ajmi. “With our expertise and technical input, combined with Nova’s knowledge of the local industry, we can set new standards in aviation handling in the sub-continent.”
Meanwhile another major ground operator for both cargo and passenger traffic is on the expansion trail in China. Singapore Airport Terminal Services (SATS) has gained a stake in eight airports through Beijing Aviation Ground Services (BGS), its 60/40 joint venture with Capital Airports Holding Company (CAH).
BGS planned to buy into ground handling at Tianjin, Nanchang, Wuhan, Chongqing, Guiyang, Changchun, Hohhot and Harbin.
Following further discussions between SATS and CAH, both partners decided that instead of acquiring the ground handling assets and businesses from the eight Chinese airport companies, BGS would form new ground handling joint ventures with each of them, holding a 40 per cent equity stake.
This meant that SATS did not need to inject additional capital into BGS. The joint venture partners will discuss the joint venture term later; it is currently planned to run until at least 2014.
On the web: www.nas.com.kw or www.sats.com.sg
-
Magazine Stories January Issue 2009
-
Thursday, 28 January 2016
AN AUSTRALIAN company has put out a new booklet that helps guide logistics managers.
Brisbane-based project cargo specialists Project Professionals Group (PPG) say the ‘Pocket Booklet’ is designed to be an essential business tool for logistics professionals.
The group’s general manager, Kevin Stephens, said the 65-page booklet would provide industry information that would help to implement cost-effective and reliable project cargo solutions.
Information includes contacts for international service suppliers, common conversion factors, Beaufort wind scale, phonographic alphabet, sea container specifications, fleet lists of major carriers, cargo aircraft specifications, chartering terms and definitions and hazmat definitions.
“The booklet has been compiled by project freight professionals and includes information that they use on a daily basis in an easy-to-use format and compactly collated in the one publication,” said Stephens.
“It’s a one-step guide that, once you have seen and used it, is something you will ensure is readily available when planning freight transportation.”
PPG members will receive a hard copy of the publication during the organisation’s annual conference in Aarhus, Denmark, from August 27-31 at the Helnan Marselis hotel.
Conference registrations have climbed to 107 from around the world. Presentations will be made by major sponsors —DSV Air & Sea A/S Project Division, Rickmers-Linie, Beluga Chartering, Ruslan International, Professional Logistics Group, TransGroup, SAL, Siemens, Combi Lift and the Port of Aarhus.
