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SACC launches freighter service to Cochin

: Magazine Stories September Issue 2009; Friday, 13 February 2009

IN order to meet air freight market demand, Saudi Airlines Cargo Company (SACC) has launched a once-a-week B747 freighter service to Cochin, India, with ground connections to Trivandrum, Calicut, Bangalore and Chennai.
The new service is part of the Company’s strategic plan to expand its network to include potentially high traffic destinations.

Fahad Hammad, chief executive officer, said SACC is keen to fulfil all operational and traffic requirements on any international sector as seen viable by marketing studies.

“Our strategy includes expanding our network regionally and globally, exploring new markets”, said Hammad.
Saudi Arabian Airlines recently started B757 passenger flight operations to Lucknow with three flights weekly, to Bangalore with two flights weekly, and to Calicut with four flights weekly, bringing the number of Indian destinations served to eight.

“We are confident that Saudi Airlines Cargo Company will continue to increase its freight volumes, maintain its leading role in Air Cargo in this Region and overcome the many challenges presented by current global economic uncertainties,” Hammad added.

Schenkerâ€™s new Sydney facility to benefit from local, iâ€™state rail links

: Magazine Stories September Issue 2009; Friday, 13 February 2009

SCHENKER Australia has opened a new logistics centre in Sydney.

Following a new set up for the state of Victoria, operations in Sydney will now be streamlined in a logistics hub located in at Yennora. This is strategically situated on the rail line spur connecting it to the main Sydney-Melbourne and Sydney-Brisbane railway and Port Botany.

When fully developed, the new warehouse and distribution centre will provide a link between the economies of rural and regional Australia and the global economy.

Schenker says the unique location of Yennora offers the potential to feed freight into the interstate rail freight terminal.

By integrating road and rail, Schenker will be able to reduce road transport and the number of trucks in the congested Sydney metropolitan area.

“Shifting some freight consignments from road to rail will not only help to relieve traffic on Sydney’s busy roads, more importantly rail compared to road reduces carbon dioxide emissions and increases road safety,” said Ron Koehler, chief executive officer, Schenker Australia. “Over the past year, Schenker Australia has initiated many activities that not only improve our operational processes but also are environmentally responsible.”

The new state-of-the-art Sydney facility consists of two buildings with 20,000 square metres and 12,000 square metres respectively joined by a 3800 square metre breezeway, allowing for 100 per cent undercover operation from goods arrival to despatch.

Setting the record straight - the Berlin airlift lasted longer and the Australians were there

: Magazine Stories September Issue 2009; Friday, 13 February 2009

RECENT media reports referring to the golden anniversary in May of the Berlin Airlift’s completion were well-meant but inaccurate.

This great air cargo operation - the biggest of all time - actually got under way on June 26 1948 and continued until September 30 1949.

The airlift - a massive multi-national transportation and logistics exercise - is credited with boosting the status of air cargo, leading to the rapid development of air freight services in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

Misunderstanding of the completion date centres on the Soviet blockade of West Berlin ending on May 12 1949. But the airlift organisers decided to continue for a further period until a surplus stock of supplies built up in West Berlin. This was intended to avoid likely difficulties in restarting the airlift if circumstances changed.

By the end of July, it was felt that the surplus on hand was adequate and air movements were substantially reduced. The official sign-off came two months later.

A little known fact is that RAAF aircraft took part in the airlift, delivering both freight and passengers.

Also not well known is that today’s Flughafen Berlin Tegel - scheduled to close in 2012 after Berlin-Brandenburg International Airport is fully operational - was created in only about 90 days after the French decided to contribute to the airlift.

France was unable to provide aircraft because its military focus had switched to Indo-China where they were under substantial pressure, but agreed to build Tegel with a long runway - then the longest in Europe - in the French sector of Berlin to overcome operational problems with the other two airports available to the allies.

Machinery for construction was broken down and air-freighted to Berlin on US aircraft, although much of the work was done by German labourers under the direction of French engineers.

Specialist sub groups formed to handle dangerous goods, pharma, perishables

: Magazine Stories September Issue 2009; Friday, 13 February 2009

THE WORLD’s claimed most powerful grouping of independent freight forwarders has launched a new, dedicated specialist network - the Dangerous Goods Logistics Alliance (DLGA).

WCA Logistics, which has 2768 member offices in more than 500 cities and ports worldwide, says the DLGA has been developed to be a focused and industry-specific group of independent dangerous goods specialists.

WCA says that after receiving ever-increasing feedback regarding the network, it saw a growing need for a dedicated specialist network covering the movements of dangerous goods such as chemicals and hazardous materials as well as military cargo handling.

“We believe that this new concept will benefit members by its increased focus in this industry,” said a group statement.

“Furthermore, the DGLA network will further strengthen our primary focus for members, to build these platforms as sales tools for industry-specific specialists in the logistical processing of dangerous goods.”

In another move, WCA has launched a new, dedicated specialist network - the Perishable Logistics Alliance, which has been developed with the purpose of building a “unique specialist group of perishable and pharmaceutical logistics providers”.

This alliance has been developed from the existing WCA Partnership Perishable and Pharmaceutical Networks to be a more focused and industry specific group of independent perishable logistics specialists. “We now have 25 expert members representing 21 cities in 15 countries,” said WCA, which expects the two new networks to grow exponentially.

â€˜Sustainableâ€™ exporting creates an uncapped opportunity for freight forwarders - Wilson

: Magazine Stories September Issue 2009; Friday, 13 February 2009

THE NEED by exporters to move their products to market in a sustainable way “creates an opportunity for freight forwarders that has uncapped potential,” says Michael Wilson of Agility Logistics (NZ), current holder of the annual CBAFF Singapore Airlines Young Achiever of the Year title.

Wilson presented his paper, Global Warming: A threat or an opportunity for the New Zealand freight forwarding industry? at this year’s Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders Federation conference in Gisborne.

The paper is a key component of judging for the award, which is presented at each year’s conference by SQ cargo identity Maurice Bearsley.

Wilson’s paper suggested that the traditional freight forwarders’ role of getting products to market through “efficient and timely transportation” is taking on an extra dimension.

With an increasing awareness that importing products from distant locations can have a negative impact on the environment, exporters need help to overturn negative perceptions, he said.

“If freight forwarding companies are able to assist exporters to transport products to markets large distances away in a sustainable manner, they are adding value to their clients’ products,” he said.

Wilson explained the carboNZero program and how Agility Logistics had become the first company to gain carboNZero certification. “Doing this has enabled Agility to make its clients aware of the environmental impacts of their freight movements, as well as giving them the opportunity to offset these impacts by having Agility purchase carbon credits on their behalf.”

He outlined an example of how carboNZero has worked for a wine producer selling to the UK.

Wilson acknowledged that not every company had the financial or human resources to commit to implementing such a program.

“It is important for freight forwarders to have other options for exporters in this situation,” he said.

Such an approach, however, is not necessarily good news for air cargo.

“An exporter who predominantly uses air freight may want to look at transferring some, if not all, of their freight movements to sea freight, given that the level of emissions produced per unit transported by air freight is significantly higher than when using sea freight.

“If the product is perishable and needs to be moved by air, then the freight forwarder could advise use of an airline such as Air New Zealand, which is regarded as having one of the most fuel-efficient aircraft fleets.”

Wilson pointed out that “every person has his/her own perception about global warming, the validity of it and how or whether it can be avoided.

“Therefore, there is no right or wrong way for exporters to market their products in a way to avoid scrutiny. For each product, a different approach will be required as the market it is aimed at will have different needs.”

AirCargo Asia-Pacific would be happy to email Michael Wilson’s full paper to anyone interested.

51 bodies recovered, 600 pieces of debris found, but no answers yet on AF447 crash

: Magazine Stories September Issue 2009; Friday, 13 February 2009

IN the weeks after Air France flight 447 crashed into the Atlantic on a flight from Rio to Paris, France, some 51 bodies and more than 600 pieces of debris, passengers’ personal effects and luggage were recovered from the sea, Jack Handley writes.

Early reports said many of the 51 bodies recovered from the sea were naked, with their clothes stripped from their bodies by the force of the wind as they fell from around 35,000 feet. Many of them had suffered bone fractures consistent with a long fall. Some showed signs of asphyxia. None had drowned and none had burns, indicating there was no in-flight explosion.

Many of these assumptions were later overturned by the initial investigators’ report, which said that the plane hit the water belly-first and broke up on contact. The report also said recovered bodies (it did not say all) were fully-clothed.

This scenario, which for now is the best information available, still does not explain why the pilots were unable to make even a partial mayday call or why the bodies recovered from the sea were dispersed over such a wide area.
From now on, short of a miracle, the drama will play out in engineering sheds and hangars where experts will pore over the recovered wreckage, seeking clues to the cause of the disaster.

The world’s fourth biggest reinsurer, Hannover Re, says a preliminary damages claim total for the crash could be around US$35 million, depending on the “causes of the crash”.

While the causes are widely tipped to be an initial failure of wind speed sensors - Pitot tubes - that led to a failure of multiple systems and finally, the aircraft breaking up in mid air, there still are other unanswered questions.

These include:

- The pilot of a Brazilian TAM aircraft that took off soon after the missing Air France aircraft reported “orange coloured spots on the ocean”. The pilot “saw glowing spots on the sea on its path between Europe and Brazil, about 1,300 km off the island Fernandode Noronha”, TAM said.

And an Air Comet pilot who was flying behind the Air France jet on the same route said: “Suddenly we saw in the distance a strong, intense flash of white light that took a downward, vertical trajectory and disappeared in six seconds.”

- The Air France pilot sent a manual signal at 11pm local time saying he was flying through an area of CBs - electrically charged clouds that come with violent winds and lightning with thunderheads sending 100 mph updraft winds into the jet’s flight path.

However, those claims were immediately challenged by the Weather Channel. Though there were storms, they were almost certainly less intense than those sometimes encountered above the United States and any lightning was at least 150 miles away, according to Greg Forbes, the severe-weather expert for the Weather Channel. Forbes said an examination of weather data including satellite images indicated updrafts of perhaps 20 mph, far from the initial reports of 100 mph.

“I wouldn’t expect it to be enough to break apart the plane,” Forbes said.

- Air France’s chief executive said mid June he was not convinced faulty speed monitors caused the crash and the Christian Science Monitor (CSM) has suggested composite materials used in the jet’s construction may need closer inspection. In particular, CSM focused on portions of the tailpiece and stabiliser assembly recovered from the sea.

The condition of the tail piece indicated it had fallen loose from the plane and had not been subjected to a violent impact as part of a fuselage crash into the ocean, CSM said. Boeing and Airbus now both are using composites - in the Boeing 787 and the A350 - although aviation officials say that much remains to be learned about how composites degrade over time. Earlier this month the FAA issued a draft Advisory Circular aimed at changing the certification rules for composite aircraft. In the document, the FAA noted that the “nature of composites can make the determination of critical structural failure loads, modes and locations difficult.”

Was there a structural weakness that puts other similarly-constructed aircraft at risk? In the weeks following the Air France crash, two incidents involving Airbus (by Brazil’s TAM and USA’s Northwest) were reported.

- The Times newspaper says Air France’s management have acknowledged a series of faulty speed incidents on Airbuses beginning last August.

However, Eurocockpit.com, a web site run by professional pilots, claims that there have been 36 serious examples of faulty speed readings on A330s and A340s. In the first 35 of the incidents, pilots were able to recover control of the aircraft. AF447 was the 36th.

Eurocockpit also alleges Air France and Airbus knew of problems with speed-measuring equipment well before August 2008. Its claim conflicts with public statements by Air France ceo Pierre-Henri Gourgeon, who has said that there were no problems prior to August 2008.

AaE sees benefits in CCA membership

: Magazine Stories September Issue 2009; Friday, 13 February 2009

AUSTRALIAN air Express (AaE) has joined the Perishable Cool Chain Association (CCA) - a non-profit organisation that aims to improve the global transportation and handling of perishables and temperature sensitive products for the benefit of consumers and supply chain participants.

The carrier’s general manager international, Rob Brown, said the move had been made because AaE was mindful of the importance of the volumes and correct handling of export perishables and temperature sensitive cargo.

“Our Australia-wide handling processes have not been at a level consistently throughout Australia that would be classified as best practice, and by joining CCA we have placed a stake in the ground with regard to our commitment to the industry (i.e. flowers, seafood, pharmaceutical, fruit) to improve,” he said.

“CCA provides guidelines and expertise through some of the other 30 members on the correct handling process and measurement in the cool chain. The CCQI (cool chain quality indicators) allow members to measure their handling processes.

Asked what benefits would flow to AaE through joining CCA, he said the airline envisaged the benefits would be greater awareness by staff of the correct handling requirements and increased customer expectations.

“Hopefully, in time, customer airlines will feel very comfortable with the AaE handling process and reporting capability, knowing all their perishable cargo is being handled correctly within the cool chain best practice guidelines.
CCA has operational and scientific expertise to assist in developing policies, rather than just ‘gut feel’ decisions.”
Brown said it was hoped the CCA move would achieve greater awareness for AaE’s capability by customer airlines and freight agents throughout Australia and also assist in lifting the industry’s handling of perishable cargo. “AeE already operate the perishable Cold Stores at Adelaide airport and our commitment and growing knowledge has been welcomed by the local aviation industry and government.”

Formed in 2003, the CCA has been European based for much of the past six years and is now slowly expanding communications and awareness within the aviation industry.

AeroLogic joint venture provides efficient green solution for customers and partners

: Magazine Stories September Issue 2009; Friday, 13 February 2009

A NEW freighter airline has started operations out of Germany using the Boeing 777F low-consumption wide-body freighter.

AeroLogic, a joint-venture cargo airline of DHL Express and Lufthansa Cargo, will serve new air routes between Europe and Asia, flying cargo for customers of its parent companies.

The cargo carrier was set up to offer reliable and efficient air transport services on the Europe-Asia trade lane, which is expected to grow by about five per cent annually in the mid-term. AeroLogic will initially serve the express routes Leipzig-Bahrain-Singapore-Delhi-Leipzig on weekdays and the cargo routes Leipzig-Tashkent-Hong Kong-Tashkent-Leipzig on weekends.

In 2010, the airline will gradually expand the network to offer new direct connections to most of Asia’s major metropolitan areas.

AeroLogic will operate with eight leased, brand new B777Fs - the first four of which are expected to be delivered this year. Due to its advanced fuel-saving and environmentally-friendly engine and wing technology, the B777F is the most modern wide-body long-range freighter currently available. It has a maximum payload of more than 100 tonnes and can fly distances of more than 9000 kilometres, which enables non-stop flights from AeroLogic’s home base in Leipzig to key Asian growth markets - thereby reducing shipping times.

“The new airline shows the strong commitment of both partners to extend their services for their customers and to establish a strong global player in the industry,” said Wolfgang Mayrhuber, chief executive officer of Deutsche Lufthansa AG.

“In light of an inevitably recovering market, the strengthening of vital trade lanes through the cost-efficient shared use of the most modern freighter aircraft currently available must be viewed as a smart investment,” said Frank Appel, chief executive officer of Deutsche Post DHL. “We are making available to our customers the most efficient air freight capacity in the market, while at the same time proving that we are serious about our continued commitment to improving the group’s environmental footprint, in line with our GoGreen strategy and the announced 30 per cent carbon efficiency improvement target by 2020.”

Cargo capacities will be marketed individually by the two partners and in addition to the Europe-Asia routes, in the future it will also serve Lufthansa Cargo’s EU-North American routes.

Bisignani goes bare knuckle â€” There are no facts to encourage optimism

: Magazine Stories September Issue 2009; Friday, 13 February 2009

IN his opening address at the IATA AGM in Kuala Lumpur, director general and chief executive Giovanni Bisignani condemned practices that contributed to the USD$10.4 billion loss the industry posted last year — and looking forward, he predicted further losses of USD$80 billion due to falling demand, collapsing yields, broken consumer confidence and pandemic fears.

“Optimists see growth by the end of the year, but I am a realist. I don’t see facts to support optimism," said Bisignani.

A debate followed on what the industry could do to turn things around.

Rob Fyffe, chief executive of Air New Zealand said he felt airline overcapacity was one of the main causes for the industry’s problems as it drove both yields and load factors down. He believed airlines that could not afford to purchase or add aircraft to their fleets should be left to fend for themselves.

Other panel members agreed that government subsidies were not helping the industry because they allowed carriers that should cease to exist to stay airborne.

Fyffe described it as “like having a drug addict going to a clinic and just feeding him the drug intravenously.”

The key reasons low cost carriers were making money while legacy carriers were not was generally attributed by the forum to staffing levels and costs, as well as the fact that LCCs operated newer and more fuel-efficient aircraft than their established rivals. A lack of union involvement also meant that they could make decisions more easily and in most cases were not weighed down by legacies such as pension plans.

“What other industries are there out there where everybody up and down the food chain makes money except the business at the end?” asked panellist Robert Milton, chief executive of ACE Aviation Holdings.

“Everybody makes money except the airlines,” he said, and concluded by describing the industry as “one lousy business.”

The panel generally agreed the aviation industry was not a level playing field, with a mix of privately-owned, government-owned and shareholder-owned carriers. Some were hybrids with a mix of ownership types. The panel agreed it was unlikely that governments would unilaterally allow troubled carriers to fall over, but said if governments are not going to allow their national carriers to fail, then they should be more flexible about collaboration and airline mergers.

IATA agm chairman and Malaysia Airlines chief executive Idris Jala believed that this was the solution and the way forward. “You do not have to get rid of the other brand," said Idris. "You can have collaboration and competition at the same time. You need to understand each other’s boundaries.”

Milton and Fyffe agreed that where a new carrier sought rights to contest a market, it should be monitored to ensure it grew the market.

Both men said carriers that had been granted rights to some routes had not grown the market at all, but had simply displaced existing traffic and driven yields down.

The key issue raised here was the co-operation of global governments.

Bisignani said: “Governments want to protect jobs and stimulate economy. We can help but we need basic commercial freedoms to run our businesses. Look at how other industries are dealing with the crisis. Banks are getting capital not just from bailouts, but also from international markets.

“We don’t want bailouts. All we want is access to global capital, but old rules stand in the way of a healthier industry. If we cannot pay the bills, saving the flag on the tail will not save jobs. A prolonged recession could lead to a cash crisis. This would put at risk 32 million jobs and the lifeblood of the global economy."