20 years of boxed success. Congratulations to Thomas Sonntag and his team – image: Jettainer
27APR04 saw the creation of a Joint Venture between Lufthansa Cargo and TrenStar Inc. Operations began near Frankfurt Airport, with a ULD fleet of roughly 27,000 units. Two years later, Jettainer became a fully owned Lufthansa Cargo subsidiary. Today, Jettainer’s ULD fleet has grown to a six-digit figure, and it manages containers for “some of the largest and most reputable airlines” out of over 500 international locations, and operating at 15 major hubs in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas. The latter saw the founding of Jettainer Americas Inc. in 2014 – a subsidiary serving customers in North, Central and South America, with teams in Dallas, Chicago, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles. In 2017, an expert team and a Temperature Control Competence Center were inaugurated in Abu Dhabi for the global management of temperature-controlled containers. Last year, the company restructured, placing dedicated General Managers in key locations across the Middle East, Africa, the Indian Subcontinent, Europe and Asia, responsible for ensuring operational efficiency and customer relationship management. Innovations include in-house IT solutions, JettWare and JettApp – “the industry’s first ULD management app,” – which streamline ULD management for Jettainer and its customers. Sustainability, too, plays a large role: Jettainer designs ever-lighter ULDs (and pallet nets and Squair timber alternatives), significantly reducing their tare weight. The first lightweight container was launched in 2009. In 2019, ‘skypooling’ was launched – a ULD sharing platform to solve the problem of over- and understock.
Thomas Sonntag, CEO of Jettainer, said: “Over the past two decades, Jettainer has transformed from a modest operator into a leader in the industry, we extend our gratitude to our customers, partners, and employees for their unwavering support and dedication. This milestone underscores the exceptional quality of our services and the innovative strength of our team. […] We selectively focus on digitalization that has a tangible impact, ensuring that they deliver real value to our customers. [Innovations such as] tracking sensors that indicate that Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) might only be a bridging technology. APIs are one solution to smartly work with data to enhance service value and operational efficiency. We already have several interfaces in operation with our customers and partners. Adopting the IATA ONE Record standard for all areas of ULD management is a pivotal next step that Jettainer is preparing to undertake. We remain committed to further shaping the future of air transport logistics with our forward-thinking solutions.”
Being the first GSSA to be CEIV Pharma certified makes Kales’ Chief Sebastiaan Scholte feel proud – photo: CFG/hs
Once certified, Kales will be the first GSSA worldwide to achieve this special recognition by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) following a two-year phase in which all pharma processes are monitored, documented, and thoroughly checked.
The CEIV Pharma program is a trusted mark of quality and excellence in the handling of time and temperature critical pharmaceuticals, meanwhile achieved by many companies around the globe, including airlines, airports, ground handling service providers and freight forwarders. It is proof that the certified companies maintain product integrity.
“We are pleased to welcome Kales Airline Services on being the first General Sales and Service Agent (GSSA) to embark on the CEIV Pharma certification,” states IATA in a release.
“GSSA play an important role in representing airlines mainly in terms to commercialize air freight capacity, to supervise complex local operations and administration services. Kales’ commitment to improving quality and services across their operations through CEIV Pharma sets a positive example for the industry and demonstrates their strong commitment to excellence. We look forward to supporting Kales as they start their journey towards achieving CEIV Pharma Certification.” Sebastiaan Scholte, CEO Kales Airline Services replied: “I am proud that we will be the first GSSA to be CEIV Pharma certified. GSSA’s play a very crucial role in the air cargo supply chain. We are very pleased to have this important certification for pharmaceutical shipments to even better serve our airline, forwarding and shipper’s customers.”
Boeing 777-300ER of Singapore Airlines – courtesy: SIA
Singapore Airlines is that latest airline to publish its cargo capacity on WebCargo by Freightos, thus expanding booking options in and across Asia and WebCargo’s Asian footprint at the same time. Asia is a fast-growing market. WebCargo saw more than twice as many bookings from Asia origins between Q4 2022 and Q4 2023, and more and more users are coming to the platform as digitalization incases in the region. With a significant carrier such as Singapore Airlines, this trend will accelerate. Singapore Airlines operates a fleet of seven Boeing 747-400F freighters and more than 190 Singapore Airlines and Scoot passenger aircraft. Over 120 destinations are on offer at real-time rates for real-time air cargo bookings. Top Asia-Pacific destinations are Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.
Marvin Tan, Senior Vice President Cargo, Singapore Airlines, commented: “Singapore Airlines’ partnership with WebCargo expands our reach to new markets, and provides our customers with a seamless user experience when they search, book, and track their shipments in real time. This enables us to better serve our customers by responding even more swiftly to their evolving needs.”
Manel Galindo, Chief Revenue Officer of Freightos, state: “We’re thrilled to work with Singapore Airlines. Their commitment to digital innovation aligns perfectly with WebCargo’s mission to provide seamless and efficient booking solutions for the air cargo industry and allows us to double down on the recent surge in bookings from Asia. This collaboration will enhance the booking experience for thousands of freight forwarders and will ultimately make world trade smoother.”
It is not the first time that Gebrüder Weiss supports an out-of-this-world type project. There have been others such as the Mars Analog Mission AMADEE-24 of the Austrian Space Forum (OeWF) where Gebrüder Weiss transported equipment to Armenia, for example. This time around, it is “The Greenland Project” climate expedition, and Gebrüder Weiss is poised to keep interested parties updated via its social media channels over the coming months. The logistics package envisages Gebrüder Weiss transporting the equipment for a month-long scientific expedition in Greenland, aimed at learning new insights as to why the Greenland glacier is melting. “The results of the expedition, which will be analyzed in more detail at the University of Sunshine Coast in Australia, hold global significance. They will be shared with researchers from all over the world, contributing to our collective understanding of climate change. The aim of the month-long expedition is to gain valuable insights into the connections between the temperature fluctuations in Greenland in recent decades and the further effects on the global climate,” the release states. As one of the world’s largest ice regions, Greenland is the obvious favorite when it comes to researching climate change. Should kick-off in Croydon on 30APR24. Two scientists, a medical doctor, and a photographer are lined up for the funeral. The team will cover a around 600 kilometers (373 miles) on skis, each with a sled in tow.
Wolfram Senger-Weiss, CEO of Gebrüder Weiss, said: “As one of the world’s leading logistics service providers, we also see it as our duty to support selected research initiatives such as the Greenland Project. The purpose of the expedition is to gain insights into climate change that will help us make smart decisions for our future.”
Niklas Marc Heinecke, photographer, and co-founder of ‘The Greenland Project,’, stressed: “As our research essentially focuses on the climate and glacier melt, we feel it is important for it to be as climate neutral as possible. Conducting an expedition on foot into this fragile ecosystem enables the measurements to be taken in a much more environmentally friendly way than would be possible by helicopter, and with a greater degree of accuracy than would be possible by satellite. We can rely on dependable equipment in this inhospitable environment thanks to the support of Gebrüder Weiss.”
ECS Group has opted for Rotate’s Live Capacity data product to ensure it benefits fully from its strategic growth potential, and that it maintains its position as leading GSSA. “Rotate’s Live Capacity provides real-time data on market trends and capacity fluctuations enabling quick adaptation to changing conditions in a highly competitive air cargo market,” the release explains. The real-time capacity data and market insights are fed into ECS Group’s own in-house business intelligence system, Apollo. The result is useful data the enables users to spot new interline partnerships, optimize airline customers’ networks, and react quickly to market changes dynamics in terms of pricing strategy.
Strategic Growth and Technological Innovation were the two main objectives behind ECS Group’s decision to partner with Rotate, and Rotate delivers the insights to achieve these. For example, it provides: real-time capacity monitoring, dynamic route optimization for freighters, an interactive dashboard, and alerts and notifications regarding capacity changes. ECS Group can use the information to capitalize on emerging opportunities, adjust pricing strategies, and proactively mitigate risks.
Cédric Millet, Chief Strategy and Digital Officer of ECS Group, underlined: “When tendering for digital innovation, only the best pass the test. In Rotate, we simply found the best-in-class capacity data product on the market. Real-time data is crucial for our Market Intelligence System as it enables responsiveness to market changes. Our teams can thus take better, proactive, and informed decisions in terms of pricing or interline opportunities, for example, leading to improved revenue optimization of the capacity we manage on behalf of our airline customers. And for ECS, that ultimately results in higher customer satisfaction and long-term business growth.”
Ryan Keyrouse, Chief Executive Officer of Rotate, stated: “The air cargo industry is fast-moving and the need for up-to-date information in today’s market is critical. High-quality and real-time insights into every market in the world, allow ECS to respond quickly to changing market conditions. Our partnership with ECS Group, with its highly innovative mindset and clear digitalization strategy, will allow us to further improve our products and meet the needs of the industry. We have a strong focus on integration and user adoption and are therefore working with ECS users to construct use-cases based on real-time data that will help them with their daily decisions. We look forward to building a long-term and valuable partnership with ECS.”
UN High Commissioner, Filippo Grandi (left) and Qatar Airways Group CEO, Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, ink pact – courtesy QR.
Just days after inviting pres and customers to see the new Animal Center in Doha, Qatar Airways announced that it has renewed its partnership with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and supports communities in need. The agreement signing ceremony was attended by Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, (who gave a speech), and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Mr. Filippo Grandi, alongside the UNHCR’s Representative to the State of Qatar, Mr. Ahmed Mohsen, and Qatar Airways, Chief Cargo Officer, Mr. Mark Drusch. The two have agreed an extension of another two years, taking the partnership through to 2025. The agreement supports the shipment of relief items to the most vulnerable refugees and internally displaced people worldwide. Already over the past two years, Qatar Airways Cargo collaborated closely with UNHCR, helping to get humanitarian aid to where it is most needed. The new partnership agreement foresees Qatar Airways providing 400 tons of free tonnage to UNHCR, helping those in need in through the distribution of crucial aid supplies. The airlines 28 freighters are on standby. “By working with Qatar Airways, UNHCR has wide access to deliver life-saving support including water, medical care and hygiene materials to keep refugees, internally displaced people, and host community members safe around the world,” the release states.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, stated: “We are proud of what we have accomplished through our relationship with UNHCR over the past four years, which has helped support displaced communities around the world. We look forward to the significant renewal of our partnership and in continuing to aid those who are most vulnerable. Qatar Airways Group is committed to fulfilling its humanitarian role by helping refugees and internally displaced people worldwide.”
Ahmed Mohsen, UNHCR’s Representative to the State of Qatar, said: “We highly appreciate this vital partnership and are proud to renew it for two additional years, which reflects Qatar Airways’ solid commitment towards supporting our humanitarian efforts, in terms of delivering essential relief items to those most in need. Since establishing our partnership with Qatar Airways in May 2020, amid a critical time during the emergence of Covid-19, Qatar Airways has lent us a helping hand to support refugees and displaced communities with vital relief items and medical supplies.”
Welcome Back to CargoForwarder Global’s ‘Spotlight On…’ Series: Exploring the Appeal of the Air Cargo Industry Through Stories of Young Talent. Today, we’re talking to Janina Meininger, Business Development Manager at CHI Deutschland Cargo Handling.
Janina Meininger: “a broad network is crucial in our industry.” – Photo: private
CFG: What brought you to the air cargo industry? How did you discover it?
JM: I´ve always had a passion for aviation and entered the aviation industry in 2016 when I started the dual study program B.A. Aviation Management in cooperation with Fraport AG at Frankfurt Airport. Besides my experiences in general aviation, my perception of air cargo was quite limited. It was during my time at Frankfurt Airport that I developed an interest for the air cargo industry and therefore did my masters degree in Global Logistics. During my studies I had the opportunity to connect with the right individuals, paving the way to my current role as Business Development Manager at CHI Group.
CFG: Why would you recommend others to join?
JM: From my experience, our industry offers the opportunity to work in an international environment and to benefit from the diversity of a multicultural workplace. Additionally, the air cargo industry is known for its fast-paced work environment, which presents ongoing new challenges and ensures that things never get dull. Given that many companies in our industry have a global presence, it also enables international rotation programs for those who are passionate about travelling.
CFG: What strategies do you propose for raising the awareness of our industry and to make it more attractive to individuals with no prior experience in Air Cargo?
JM: Given the nature of the air cargo industry being mostly invisible when it comes to attracting new talent, I believe there are several actions that individual organizations can take to enhance their attractiveness and visibility. Firstly, companies may establish partnerships with educational institutions such as universities, colleges, and vocational schools in form of specialized programs, internships, and workshops. Moreover, highlighting the company’s range of career opportunities empowers candidates to find positions that align perfectly with their skills and interests. Additionally, offering rotation programs and traineeships allows young talents to gain practical experience across various areas of the company. Lastly, companies may offer competitive benefits and perks such as opportunities to work internationally, gain experience in different countries, flight benefits, and international mobility programs. These offerings can motivate to choose the air cargo industry and foster long-term commitment among employees.
CFG: What strategies do you propose for integrating individuals with no prior experience in Air Cargo?
JM: In my opinion, Training, Traineeships and Networking are effective strategies to integrate individuals with no prior experience into the air cargo industry. Training is crucial to give insights into specific processes, so called “basic cargo trainings” can help to provide orientation within the industry by teaching the basics of the industry. Traineeships enable young people to explore different facets of the respective company and to find the right department for themselves, while also gaining an understanding of basic processes and ideas. A positive example how networking can help to integrate individuals with no prior experience in Air Cargo is the initiative of the Air Cargo Community Frankfurt e.V. with their YACE initiative. YACE (Young Air Cargo Executives) supports young individuals in navigating the complex world of air cargo and in connecting with like-minded peers from other air cargo companies.
CFG: What are the most important skills needed in air cargo?
JM: I believe that flexibility is a critical requisite in our industry, given that air cargo operations operate around the clock and extend the typical nine to five workday. Furthermore, knowledge in multiple languages is relevant, as our operations involve collaboration with colleagues and stakeholders from all around the world. Additionally, the ability to adapt to the fast-paced environment of our industry is crucial. As already noted, our industry is dynamic and frequently presenting new challenges that require quick adaptation and problem-solving skills.
CFG: Where do you find support doing your job? Any training / networking / mentoring you would recommend?
JM: At CHI Group, I am fortunate to work closely with the senior management of which some view themselves as mentors and dedicate lots of time to my development and support me in my career path. This commitment greatly motivates me to excel daily. Additionally, networking events provide an opportunity for me to engage with like-minded people and broaden my connections. In my opinion a broad network is crucial in our industry, as most challenges necessitate the collaboration of different stakeholders.
CFG: What do you do, when you’re not working in air cargo?
JM: One passion of mine is traveling, which allows me to experience adventures and explore new cultures, people and landscapes. I particularly enjoy international cuisine, to always try new things and challenge my taste buds. Additionally, I do really enjoy cycling in my everyday life to clear my mind after a hectic day.
CFG: Janina, thank you for your time and the input.
At the Nordic Air Cargo Symposium in Stockholm, Frank Van Gelder (FVG) gave around 140 participants a look through the keyhole at future trends in the life science landscape.*** Frank is Secretary of the association Pharma.Aero, guest lecturer at a Belgian University and at the same time Managing Director of Mediconed, a company that provides complex project management related to enhanced training for pharmaceutical, medical and supply chain industries. His outlook contained both hopeful and worrying trends that will have a major impact on global supply chains. We spoke to the expert.
Advanced medical products demand tailored application procedures and individualized supply chains, says Frank Van Gelder – photo: CFG/hs
CFG: Frank, let’s start with a very positive outlook: one of your key messages at the Stockholm-held Nordic Air Cargo Symposium was that cancer, an old scourge of mankind, can be defeated through individualized medicine and treatments. What is this assumption based on and on what time horizon?
FVG: Currently many different new generation cancer treatments are leaving the research pipeline and entering in the wider range of clinical applications. Especially the CAR-T (Chimeric Antigen receptor) treatments have reached a new era of applications with very promising results, realizing that today these treatments are mostly used in patients with stadium IV cancers, categorized as untreatable and uncurable. It is a mechanism where the T-cel leucocytes of the sick patient are treated outside the body to be re-infused and target the cancer cells. Also, within the ATMP (Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products) there are different other products and mechanisms now tested and explored to treat cancer. One of them is based on the mRNA technology, better known form the Covid vaccine technology, in which the body itself creates the vaccine.
The so-called Spike protein identification of the cancer cells helps the body to initially kill the tumor but also to build antibodies against the cancer for the future. It is one of the most groundbreaking technologies and clinical applications of the past century in healthcare. Seeing the different promising results there is a 15-to-20-fold market growth projected in the next 5 years. One should realize these are still low volume settings and very critical lead-times. As every year around, 4.2 million new cancers are discovered, and with the aging population, will only grow, this will be a big market where U.S., Europe and Asia are investing billions of dollars.
3P’s of Sustainability
CFG: In contrast to the positive cancer perspective, it is worrying that 40% of all medical treatments produced never reach patients. What is the reason for this enormous waste of resources and what needs to change in the supply chains so that this scandal can be ended or at least greatly reduced?
FVG: I think the basis of this is caused by the very strict and unique serialization policies within drug production internationally. Let me give you an example: if we ship drugs currently and at the other end of the supply chain there is an issue, we can’t re-allocate these shipments in the current setting. In other words, the shipments need to come back and be destroyed. And that is in a way understandable as we need to always avoid, that such drugs enter in black markets, counterfeit, and thefts, with a potential uncontrollable quality and danger for humanity. Therefore, it is important to internationally collaborate on higher level and wider scale with the regulators, the drug production authorities, the supply chain and logistic stakeholders and life science manufacturers. It is an issue that would hit the 3P’s of Sustainability, 1) Profit (less drug loss of produced and manufactured drugs) 2) Planet (less waste and destruction of produced drugs and chemicals) and 3) People (higher availability of treatments to people not accessible today and in the need of medical treatment). Supply chain flexibility and resilience is needed to assist and secure a better way of tackling this.
Ticking time bomb
CFG: The Covid crisis is just over. Thanks to innovative medical products and the rapid transportation of serums, hygiene materials etc. by air freight, it was possible to prevent worse things from happening. Now you are assuming that the next pandemic is practically just around the corner. So is humanity experiencing an endless chain of successive pandemics? And if so, why?
FVG: It would be very naïve from humans, that the Covid pandemic was unique and only one to happen. We have had many in human history and examples of what we call zoonotic diseases, where viruses and or micro-organisms of an animal host, jump over on human (the plague in the Middle Ages, Ebola, dengue, malaria, HIV, covid, bird flu, and we can on …). The incidence only increases when animal lines and human lines cross each other too frequently, and when the pathogen mutates from an animal-to-human, to a human-to-human situation. At such a moment, and what happened with the plague and now the covid, the frequency with passing on the micro-organism accelerates. The fact that global population is growing, that many humans live in very basic and unhygienic conditions, it is only a ticking time bomb for the next one to happen. The only good news after covid is that we have created new systems, new policies, and new levels of authorities, to handle more accurate and faster even. It is not a secret that the European commission has asked pharma companies to be able to produce a vaccine within a year for any future potential pandemic outbreak.
Grey tsunami
CFG: Japan, China and to some extent Europe are ageing societies, as are parts of America. What are the foreseeable consequences of this biological development for the global life science industry and the supply chains of tomorrow and beyond?
FVG: The aging population phenomenon is a very multi-factorial impacting trend. Due to better hygiene, better healthcare and better treatments, the population keeps on growing older. On the other hand, in Western societies where this is happening, there is less and less inflow of young children. This will drive us to a societal model, with an increasing need for healthcare, and a lower availability of young healthcare workers. Like we would call it the “grey” tsunami, it will challenge the economy from different sides. In relation to Life Science supply chains, and based on new healthcare model innovations, you will notice a shift to higher chronic home care. This implies e-commerce like models for homedelivery, IoT interconnected patients to a virtual patient control tower, and highly-specialized care centers only for acute care. In other words, the hub-and-spoke distribution model will only be more applicable and e-commerce giants will only enter more and more in drug delivery models and digital management platforms.
CFG: Africa’s population, on the other hand, is very young and growing rapidly. Given this demographic trend, wouldn’t it be logical to shift research, development and production of healthcare products from the industrialized countries to Africa?
FVG: For sure this is a very plausible trajectory that is already explored. Africa should less depend on full external import and production, as it weakens their development and population safety. During the pandemic there were again more HIV cases due to lack of anti-HIV drugs available as there was no uplift capacity. The biggest enemy is the quality in production and logistics. Drugs are often produced from out of different ingredients and therefore often a complex upstream logistics. Also, the quality of producing the drugs is a very big challenge. Recently India came in the news negatively because of quality issues of some coughing sirups with child death as a result. One should not forget, although investments can drive decentralized production from a financial perspective, the experience and track record is important to assure quality. It will happen, within the next decade where countries like Senegal, Rwanda, Kenya and South Africa are interesting markets to look at. I see personally a direct starting market for generic drugs which are currently and almost exclusively produced in India. When it comes down to more complex molecules and therapies, you need a strong research-based experience.
From designs for a huge, additional cargo warehouse, to two WeQare chapters lined up for this year, to views on Net Zero, the Boeing freighters to come, and Qatar Airways Cargo’s Next Generation strategy, Mark Drusch, Chief Officer Cargo, provided input on the airline’s achievements and plans in a one-to-one CargoForwarder Global interview in Doha, last week.
Despite my being the fourth journalist in a back-to-back line-up that morning, Mark Drusch still exuded the same dynamic energy he had shown when introducing the Animal Center the previous day. After congratulating him on the new Animal Center (as well as taking up his offer of providing a suggestion for improvement and delivering an idea that will now be analyzed and perhaps communicated through CargoForwarder Global at a later stage – let’s see!), my first question was centered around the ‘Bigger Plan’, he had hinted at, the previous day.
Enjoying cargo to the full. Image: Qatar Airways Cargo
Part of a bigger plan
The decommissioning of the old Animal Center is ‘part of a bigger plan’. While local inbound and outbound operations may be under consideration for the old facility, Qatar Airways Cargo and the airport are working on Phase B of the airport’s expansion. Mark Drusch confirms: “We are right now evaluating building a brand new, additional cargo center that could significantly increase our footprint,” he says. Currently around 9 different options are being analyzed that will allow for significant cargo growth. “Up to three times the size of the existing facility?” I ask. He laughs, stressing the significant growth, but that thrice the size is not the aim, though “Let me be clear: we have the opportunity to go to 3X if we need to, if we felt there is a business case or a partnership that supported that.” During our half-hour chat, the emphasis is often on finding the right business partners and creating financially sound business cases, accompanied by his clear willingness to consider new concepts and innovations.
And much of that is present in the Bigger Plan: The go-live date of the new warehouse is dependent on its size and the models eventually agreed upon. “And what we’re looking at is not just warehouse space,” he tells me. “It’s adding brand new technologies to operate the warehouse more effectively, as well as some good and exciting things for our employees to make their lives more enjoyable when they are at work. Until you’ve gone through a warehouse, you don’t appreciate what hard work that is,” he explains, describing that aside from the actual physical work involved, there are also the emotional stress aspects of having to work to a tight schedule, to stringent safety standards, and the responsibility that comes with handling air cargo. “It’s not easy stuff,” and that is why the emphasis is on providing an environment where employees know “I’m getting the best work environment possible because people respect the work I do.”
What’s next with the Next Generation?
I refer to an interview that Air Cargo News’ Rebecca Jeffrey conducted with Mark Drusch right at the start of the year, 16 days into his new role, where he stated that “what Guillaume and the team have built, has given me this fantastic platform to take it to the next level,” and ask what the next level in the airline’s Next Generation strategy is now. “We are actually refreshing the strategy,” he says, stating that a meeting had been held the previous week with the VP of transformation, and detailing the components that are being integrated internally before the next phase of the strategy in three to four months: “In particular, it is Leading, Digitization, our Commitment to our WeQare program, the Commitment to our own People, as well as the Partnerships, I mentioned before.”
And he emphasizes again: “I am now even more convinced of what I said at the start of the year: It’s a great foundation that I have inherited. I am very, very fortunate that I inherited an organization that runs so efficiently already, incredibly safely – a group of people who are very dedicated to what we do and to getting even better. It’s a gift to start from such a great platform,” he enthuses.
WeQare and Net Zero
I pick up on WeQare, and ask when we will see a Chapter 5? “It’s already in the works and will be announced in the next few weeks,” he laughs, and reveals that a Chapter 6, too, will be launched before the end of the year. While he hints at the intensity he expects with the next two chapters, he does not disclose details. Instead, we digress into the importance of air cargo and how it still remains largely unrecognized in the shadow of much more publicly present passenger operations within the aviation world. “I want to raise the consciousness, globally, of how critical we are to the global economy and our lifestyles, and improving our lifestyles,” he urges, mentioning a number of tangible examples, and stressing the need to “lead and elevate the industry so that everyone realizes this is something important to invest in.”
“How realistic is Net Zero 2050 for Qatar Airways Cargo?” I ask. He states that while 2050 is still a long way off, he is a very optimistic person and that “I am confident that the industry is taking it seriously. I believe we will get there because the drive is there, and the commitment is real. The problems are big, but everybody now is putting their energy into solving those problems.”
99% of all Qatar Airways’ ground vehicles in Doha are electric, the company is recycling as much as possible, and has a ‘game-changing’ idea in the pipeline that he hints will be revealed soon. “When you start discussing with people who want to change things for the better, you get inspired and find solutions,” he says, concluding: “If you have the desire to do it, we generally are able to achieve it.”
Boeing freighter fleet still on the books?
With Boeing having been in the news so much recently, regarding quality and product issues, I ask if Qatar Airways Cargo has any thoughts of changing their order for 34 Boeing 777-8 freighters (and an option for a further 16)? Mark Drusch is very clear in his answer: “No. We are absolutely committed to the Boeing 777-8 fleet.” As the launch customer, he tells me that he is in daily contact with Boeing and that both companies are working very closely together on what that aircraft will look like, particularly regarding the onboard digitization. Again, emphasizing his company’s 100% commitment to the Boeing freighter, he does also add that, as a businessperson, one will always talk to all manufacturers to understand and discuss the products on offer, as the aim is to select the best product for the customer – and those discussions ultimately lead to a better product.
“I’m lovin’ it!” Mark Drusch’s enthusiasm for cargo is endless and he himself says that, had I asked him if he was enjoying his new role, the answer would have been “I’m loving it! Cargo is so exciting!” I ask him what he sees are the differences to the passenger side? It is much more complex than passenger, he says, pointing out that it is therefore even more important to have better business intelligence to understand where markets are moving. It is so much more dynamic, and agility is important: agility is a core trait of Qatar Airways Cargo, he adds, again stressing his fortune in having inherited a team of extraordinarily motivated and committed people. “I am excited about achieving all aspects of our business. We have new energy, everyone is on board,” he says, pointing out the airline’s growth and achievements over the past 10 years, and particularly its performance during the pandemic. “We have done things that nobody else did. Our people always rise to the challenge to exceed, deliver, and to lead. It’s in our DNA!”
Years ago, leading managers of established airlines and journalists placed bets on this topic: will there be European low-cost airlines offering transatlantic flights and earning money with them?Of the 11 people involved in the discussion at the time, the (unofficial) vote was: 8 no, 3 yes. Two of the three representatives were journalists. A look at the situation today: the three were right.
Admittedly, there have been failures; Norwegian has withdrawn from transatlantic crossings following its bankruptcy and relaunch. Iceland’s WOW has disappeared completely, only to be replaced by budget carrier, PLAY Airlines. And in Norway, a new player, Norse Atlantic Airways, founded in 2021, has set out to serve long-haul routes on a budget basis.
Markus Engstroem is Director Cargo at Norse Atlantic Airways AS – photo: CFG/hs
Growing intercontinental network
The Viking airline’s main market is North America, served from its European hubs in Oslo, Gatwick, and Berlin. The long-haul network further includes Paris CDG and Rome. Flights from Athens to New York will be added from the end of May and Las Vegas will be served from Gatwick commencing in SEP24.The first commercial flight operated by Norse took place on 04JUN22, connecting Oslo with New York JFK. Today, the newcomer serves JFK, MIA, LAX, MCO, and IAD in the U.S. In the Caribbean, MBJ and BGI are part of its network, as is BKK in Thailand.
Keeping the flight schedule stable
At the end of OCT24, Cape Town will become the first destination in Africa to be served seasonally. “Our aim is to keep flight schedules stable on core routes, which means year-round traffic, partly combined with frequency increases,” explains Magnus Engström, Director Cargo
Uniform long-haul fleet.
Norse operates 14 Dreamliners, 12 of which it uses itself with two currently leased to Spanish Air Europa. All aircraft come from the former Norwegian fleet and were taken over by Norse from lessor BOC Aviation. Cargo is an important sales factor, confirms Mr. Engström. It can make the difference between a profitable or loss-making route, says the manager. “The cargo business opportunities represent an important part of our route selection criteria and remains a growing part of our business.” However, he does not reveal how much air freight contributes to overall sales. By using a uniform B787-900 fleet, the airline can carry 18 or even more tons per flight in the lower decks of the aircraft, depending on the number of passengers and the weight of their baggage.
GSA Kales manages the cargo business
In Europe, Kales was contracted by the management as the airline’s general sales agent. The Dutch GSA has concluded a Total Cargo Management agreement with Norse, which includes all sales activities as well as operational and commercial issues. The individual national representations of agent Kales are responsible for the everyday business coordinated by the Gatwick-based team. Finally, regarding the bet mentioned at the beginning: each of the losers had to send a bottle of tasty red wine to the winners.
