Search
Home Blog Page 146

Menzies Aviation’s Recite Me makes it easier to apply for jobs

Brigitte Gledhill
-
0
Menzies Aviation’s Recite Me makes it easier to apply for jobs
For a more inclusive, barrier-free recruiting process. Image: Menzies

Recite Me is a software company that aims for break down barriers online to make websites accessible to everyone. It was founded in the UK in 2009 and has since worked with many established companies, assisting them in facilitating all kinds of online processes. Menzies Aviation is the latest to partner Recite Me and has chosen to focus on making its recruitment processes more accessible. Recite Me’s website has this to say about Recruitment: “Everyone should have the opportunity to find their dream job. Discover hidden talent and recruit from a larger talent pool by providing assistive technology. Support your potential candidates who may be disabled, visually impaired or who speak English as a second language, with tools to use your website effectively.” Within such an internationally active company as Menzies Aviation, English as a second language is definitely a large topic. Hence, with Recite Me, existing and potential employees visiting Menzies’ Global Careers Hub now have access to an on-demand live translation feature capable of handling more than 100 languages, including 65 text-to-speech and styling options. They can also customize the page to suit their requirements, using a large variety of tools on the Recite Me assistive toolbar, which include a screen reading functionality, multiple reading aids, and customizable styling options.

This assistive technology supports Menzies’ diversity strategy and opens up opportunities to a greater spectrum of the workforce, ultimately leading to greater diversity and inclusivity within the company.

Juliet Thomson, Chief People Officer, Menzies Aviation, explained: “Ensuring that everyone can access our Global Careers Hub in an inclusive way and that best suits their needs is vital to maximizing the strength and diversity of our workforce. We’re proud to have embraced Recite Me’s innovative assistive technology, which will improve accessibility for anybody wanting to build their career at Menzies.” Ross Linnett, Founder and CEO, Recite Me, said: “It is important to provide an inclusive online experience, where everyone can use our digital world in a way which best suits their needs. As more organizations provide accessibility tools online, those who face online barriers can access information and services hassle-free. The digital world must be accessible for all.”

MST welcomes Malaysia Airlines’ weekly freighter

Brigitte Gledhill
-
0
MST welcomes Malaysia Airlines’ weekly freighter
From the 13APR24, weekly Malaysia Airline flights will carry cargo to and from Maastricht Aachen Airport. Image: Meantime Communications

Malaysia Airlines has opted to put its cargo eggs into two baskets, it seems – to the benefit of Maastricht Aachen Airport (MST). MST has become the second Dutch airport for the airline’s cargo services from Kuala Lumpur. It already flies to Schiphol Amsterdam Airport (AMS). At the same time, MST is only the second airport in Europe served by Malaysia Airlines. From this month on, Malaysia Airlines will operate a scheduled weekly flight, deploying a “relatively fuel efficient and quieter” Airbus A330F on the route. The year has started well for MST. It welcomed Royal Jordanian Airlines back in JAN24, with its new fleet, and now Malaysia Airlines is the second business win. The airport puts its success down to the recent strategic investments and renovations that were carried out by its two shareholders: RSG (40%) and the province of Limburg (60%). Together, they invested EUR30 million in a new runway (completed last year), and another EUR40+ million are flowing into further infrastructure and hardware upgrades to the airport. Investments that stand it in good stead to deal with possible further fall-out from a slot-limited AMS, around the corner. Jonas Van Stekelenburg, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), MST, said: “This is an important opportunity for MST, as since Royal Schiphol Group (RSG) invested in 40% of the airport last year, we have seen our operations consistently growing. Our new runway and close partnership with AMS are among the many reasons we can offer MH a great option to fly inbound and outbound cargo to and from. Our location, high-performing team, and efficiency are widely known to attract cargo flights, but being part of RSG is accelerating our growth and popularity within Europe as a top cargo destination.”

Challenge Technic exercising expansion techniques

Brigitte Gledhill
-
0
Challenge Technic exercising expansion techniques

Growing to the Challenge. Image: Challenge Technic

Challenge Group’s maintenance subsidiary, Challenge Technic, has a shopping list of activities scheduled for 2024, as it grows to match its expanding customer portfolio. Among those customers is its own peer, Challenge Airlines, which welcomes new aircraft to its fleet, and thus requires more maintenance flexibility and facilities. A total of three new planes are due, hence Challenge Technic is looking to open a new line station and A-Check line in hangar, and will be recruiting new staff to manage the increased workload. But its customers growth is not limited to in-house. Challenge Technic has already welcomed one external new partner this year, with the addition Leav Aviation GmbH since 01MAR24. The airline’s two A320s are maintained at Challenge Technic’s Cologne/Germany hangar. Another two customers additions are already lined up – in total, nine more aircraft awaiting maintenance.

Infrastructure and digitalization are also on the books. The company hints at the inauguration of a new, large hangar this month, able to hold a B747, but does not reveal where. And it continues on its digital transformation, focusing on a new, activity-based system this year. Sustainability initiatives are also ongoing. These include investments in electric vans, waste recycling programs in three countries, and energy-saving measures at all line stations.

In just six years, Challenge Technic has become an established player on the MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) scene and counts more than 35 airlines as its customers, providing MRO services “with passion, precision, and fair pricing,” the release emphasizes. CEO and Accountable Manager, Erlingur Petur Ulfarsson explains: “Challenge Technic focuses not on being the cheapest, but on maximizing flight hours for clients, ensuring minimal turnover thanks to its stellar reputation. Challenge Technic’s expansion in 2024 is a testament to its unwavering commitment to excellence, customer satisfaction, and sustainability, reinforcing its position as a leader in the aviation maintenance sector.”

Ardian sells Staci to bpost

Heiner Siegmund
-
0
Ardian sells Staci to bpost

Belgian postal service provider bpostgroup has acquired Staci (100%), a fulfilment and logistics services specialist registered in the Parisian suburb, Pontoise. Seller is French private investment house Ardian that purchased Staci in 2019, together with some other minor stakeholders. The deal, valued 1.3 billion euros, will enable state-owned Belgian Post to strengthen its position in Europe and secure market shares in the APAC region as well as in North America.

Different names, common goal: business success – picture: courtesy Belga / Staci

The days when state postal services defined themselves primarily as deliverers of letters and small items, are largely over. Today, they are increasingly moving into the business of multichannel logistics and distribution solutions, including B2B, B2C, D2C and e-commerce. Hardly any other company embodies this transformation from letter carrier to full service provider more vividly than Deutsche Post. It bought the U.S. express service DHL in 2000, and now operates internationally under its name.

The Dutch postal service (Posterijen, Telegrafie en Telefonie) pursued a similar strategy when it took over the Australian express service provider TNT in 1998. However, the plan did not materialize. Today, TNT is part of FedEx and the logistics division, TNT Logistics, has been renamed Ceva Logistics, which belongs to the French multinational shipping company CMA CGM.

“The Staci acquisition catapults bpost to the next level” – Chris Peeters
Next postal candidate to strive for higher goals is the Belgian bpostgroup. By acquiring Staci, it embarks on an expansion spree with the ambition of opening up new markets and further strengthening existing business areas. Chris Peeters, CEO of bpostgroup, explains the logic behind the Staci purchase: “The contemplated acquisition […] is fully in line with the strategic choices bpostgroup had already made and presents the potential for a robust B2B-service offering. Also, bpost in Belgium can expect extra volumes in its last-mile-delivery network. Moreover, this transaction promises growth, sustainable employment, and enduring value creation.”

bpost emphasizes that Staci’s service portfolio complements that of its own subsidiaries, Active Ants and Radial, and amplifies its existing activities. It will gain immediate access to special know-how and technology of B2B, e-commerce and benefit from successful initiatives lifting the traditional brick-and-mortar businesses to the next level. As a welcome addition to the deal, bpost gets access to Staci’s portfolio of clients in many sectors, including Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), retail, pharmaceutical, health, cosmetics, industrial, energy, financial services, catering, and public services. Above all, bpost expects that the acquisition accelerates the ongoing transformation of its business model in its traditional Belgian home market, by accelerating processes.

Strategic change
Chris Peeters comments: “I am convinced that with the contemplated acquisition of Staci, we will be ready for robust growth. The B2B logistics sector, including in Belgium, holds immense potential. Our collaboration with Staci will bring us expertise, innovation power, and customer insights, enabling us to craft a complete customer-centric offering tailored to their needs. With this strategic change, we aim at possessing the assets, potential, and ambition to excel as an international logistics player, securing a sustainable future for our company and employees.”

No job-axing, promises bpost
bpost emphasizes that the management team and all employees of Staci will remain on board, so that the group can continue to rely on their expertise and experience. After the transaction closing, Staci CEO Thomas Mortier will become member of the executive committee of bpostgroup and will lead the new business unit 3PL.

The Belgian Post Group plans to pay the transaction by using bridge financing upon closing combined with a portion of its own cash. The transaction is subject to prior communication and consultation with the relevant employee representatives, and is expected to close in fall 2024, depending on green light from the relevant competition authorities.

China invests heavily in drone industry

Heiner Siegmund
-
0
China invests heavily in drone industry

Drones can be used in multiple ways, for both civilian and military purposes. The latter is demonstrated day after day by Russia’s war against Ukraine. China has now announced its intention to provide the equivalent of USD 70 billion for the development of a ‘low altitude economy’. A gigantic chunk of money.

China is building various models of smaller drones such as the FimiX8 Mini to scan landscapes – courtesy China-Gadgets…

The volume of the market segment of low-altitude aerial vehicles [operating below 1,000 meters], grew by almost 34% last year, reaching a financial volume of USD 70 billion. Market experts forecast it will more than double by 2026. This estimate is based on an analysis from a research institute linked to Beijing’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), and published last week.

Sun Wensheng, Deputy Director of the Department of General Affairs at the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), stated that the regulator intends to “continuously improve support services for low-altitude flight activities, including plan approval, air traffic management, meteorological services, communication and surveillance.”

Powerful driving force
The project is outlined in a nine-page guideline for the general aviation industry presented by the MIIT in cooperation with other agencies. The scheme reveals government intentions to provide considerable start-up assistance to pave the way to launching commercial applications in sectors such as urban air transport, drone food deliveries, emergency rescue, and logistics supplies, in general. “By 2030, a new development model for general aviation, characterized by high-end, intelligent and green features, will be established,” the guideline announces. It goes on to say: “General aviation equipment will be fully integrated into production and life, becoming a powerful driving force for economic growth.”

Bright future of drone applications
“In China, civilian drones have pioneered industry-wide adoption in sectors such as agriculture, fishery, forestry, animal husbandry, and aerial photography,” stated Luo Hongjiang, from the civil aviation regulator during a briefing last week. He went on to say: “Logistics services of drones have expanded into urban commercial areas and communities. The airworthiness certification process for eVTOL aircraft is steadily advancing, and the future prospects of drone applications are bright.”

… but also large combat drones, like the WZ-7 “Soaring Dragon” –  courtesy: Future Zone

Dual-use considerations
The USD 70 billion project runs under the collective term ‘General Aviation’. Possibly a deliberate name that sounds harmless in order to emphasize the civilian nature of the scheme to the outside world, to avoid raising and spreading mistrust. In a country that keeps its true plans under wraps, it fits that military considerations are not mentioned anywhere. However, experts suspect that the entire plan is of dual-use character, i.e. the high investments in drones also serve to build up a powerful drone infrastructure for the Chinese military, which is under the command of China’s Central Military Commission. Just this March, a large Chinese drone was discovered in the airspace of Taiwan – a country that China regards as part of its own territory and wants to annex – by force if necessary.

Spotlight on… Julia Knecht-Ostwaldt, COO and CargoCoach

Brigitte Gledhill
-
0
Spotlight on… Julia Knecht-Ostwaldt, COO and CargoCoach

CargoForwarder Global’s ‘Spotlight On…’ series aims to highlight the many different functions involved in ensuring that cargo flies from A to B safely, efficiently, and on time. Every week, another person in the industry explains what they do, what brings them to our industry and why, and what advice do they have for those considering a career in air cargo. This week, we hear from STRIKE Aviation Group’s COO, Julia Knecht-Ostwaldt (JKO).

COO and CargoCoach. Image: Julia Knecht-Ostwaldt

CFG: What is your current function? And what are your responsibilities?

JKO: My responsibilities include those of a COO, alongside exhibition and event planning, cargo operations, and optimizing workflows and SOPs. In January each year, we select the important events that we as STRIKE Aviation Group want to participate in, planning around 10 events per year. In regard to the day-to-day job, it is my responsibility to optimize the daily workflows using those AI and IT systems on the market designed to help maintain the increasing duties with same number of staff, using automation to support the team as much as possible.

In my additional function as Board Member of the Federation of Airline GSA Geneva, I am involved in pushing forward items that the board is heavily working on, and where you can expect to see updates coming this year.

CFG: What does a normal day look like for you? Or is there such a thing?

JKO: Every day is different to the previous day – that makes it so nice and never boring. It is definitely not a nine-to-five job and certainly not a job that is carried out only on weekdays. You need to be available to reply to mails and WhatsApp at any time of the day, but nevertheless this gives you the flexibility that you are not fixed to a certain location. You can get the work done anywhere in the world and work remotely.

CFG: How long have you been in the air cargo industry, and what brought you to it?

JKO: I started in forwarding in 2003 and changed to the GSSA world in 2006. I was introduced to forwarding by a friend and he connected to the matching company where I was able to start my carrier as trainee. Whilst I very much enjoyed the job, working with end customers was not really my passion, so I decided to change sides and work as GSSA, where my customers, the freight forwarders, are well educated in the area of logistics.

CFG: What do you enjoy most about your job?

JKO: The variety of things which need getting done. And since I also want to give guidance to everyone who is passionate about the air cargo industry, I recently launched CargoCoach. The concept was on my mind for quite some time. The idea is to offer all sorts of information on loadability, industry related language and other important points – all from a single source and just a click away.

CFG: Where do you see the greatest challenges in our industry?

JKO: The mostly man driven fixed boundaries. By that, I mean that if you are a woman in a male-dominated industry, you need to grow your self-confidence to overcome hassles and boundaries. Successfully mastering these, gains you respect and a name in the industry. That said, our industry should open to more flexibility, and we should learn from other industries.

CFG: What advice would you give to people looking to get into the air cargo industry? Any particular training they should aim for?

JKO: Start in Forwarding to learn the aviation basics and change to an airline or a cargo GSSA to discover and see a wider picture. As long as you are an open-minded person and you are willing to learn, this can be performed at any skill level and as an on-the-job training.

CFG: If the air cargo industry were a film/book, what would its title be?

JKO: Get infected! Live Aviation Life.

Thank you for sharing your insights, Julia.

If you would like to share your personal air cargo story with our CargoForwarder Global readers, feel free to send your answers to the above questions to cargoforwarderglobal@kopfpilot.at We look forward to shining a spotlight on your job area, views, and experiences.

FAA plays hardball with Boeing

Heiner Siegmund
-
0
FAA plays hardball with Boeing

Washington’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has tightened its grips on Boeing. The regulator is undertaking much tougher audits following a blowout on a B737 MAX in January, blamed on assembly failures. It imposed a production cap of 38 jetliners a month and announced stepping up factory checks at the manufacturer’s Renton plant.

The FAA announced that it  will up its Boeing inspections significantly  –  picture: CFG/hs

The FAA’s patience with Boeing has ended. Repeated technical glitches with the B737 MAX in the recent past, blatant production errors and sloppy technical controls by Boeing’s own experts have alarmed the authority. It came under increasing criticism itself and was accused by aviation experts and media of treating Boeing too leniently. Now the wind has changed. Gone are the days when technicians and safety experts from the aircraft manufacturer were allowed to carry out the final inspection of passenger and cargo aircraft themselves and only had to provide the FAA with documentary evidence of the results of the final technical and operational checks.

Increasing budget gap
The reduction in the monthly production rate that has now been ordered, is tearing a big hole in the manufacturer’s coffers. Frame makers get paid for their jetliners upon delivery. The underlying production rate dictates the pulse of an industrial system feeding thousands of aerospace suppliers worldwide. Hence, Boeing’s production slowdown is expected to ripple through the airline industry, with carriers scrapping flights from their schedule or prolonging existing jet leases to meet demand.

In addition, any prolonged output slump has potential repercussions for engine maker CFM International, co-owned by newly standalone supplier GE Aerospace and France’s Safran. As sole engine supplier for the MAX, CFM gets paid for the turbines once a fully assembled aircraft is delivered to an airline and not when aircraft parts are handed over to Boeing or, in case of Airbus jetliners, to its European rival.

Falling further behind Airbus
With FAA ordering Boeing to sharply cap MAX production, enabling Washington’s inspectors to check if industrial operations are working smoothly, Boeing falls further behind its arch-rival. In the single-aisle category, Airbus already has a comfortable lead which will now be extended.

News agency Reuters cites Rob Morris, Global Head of Consultancy at Cirium Ascend, who said that 11 MAXs were finished by Boeing in February, following 13 in March. The rate peaked around 38 a month in mid-2023, Cirium data shows.

Airbus, in contrast, produced an average of 46 jets a month of its competing variant A320neo in the first quarter, Morris said.

Boeing customers getting nervous
Due to the string of mishaps that have severely damaged Boeing’s reputation, and led to a management shakeup, some airlines are considering canceling earlier orders and switching to Airbus models. But it is not all is running smoothly at the European aircraft manufacturer, either. Hit by supply chain disruptions, the production rate of the A320 variants could not be ramped up as quickly as originally announced by management.

Air Cargo Data has become the “new oil”

Heiner Siegmund
-
0
Air Cargo Data has become the “new oil”

Air cargo data is commercial air freight shipment data sourced from the AWB. It reveals the actual transaction between a carrier and its forwarder, and is thus a valuable source for pricing decision-making. Provided however, vendors are enabled to compete based on sound and transparent factors. Unfortunately, this is not always the case in the day-to-day practice of the air freight business, as the example of Virgin Atlantic Cargo illustrates, published exclusively in this online portal.

Source: courtesy Investopia

The best-known provider of this market information is IATA’s marketing tool, CargoIS, enabling users to measure and benchmark their air freight activities and create cost-effective transport strategies. However, why airlines book this data service without any tender is a mystery, as there are also other providers of the new “data oil” keeping the freight business running, holds René Portal, head of MI-t, an MS cloud-based application whose database is fed by airlines.

Lufthansa Cargo inked CargoIS deal without tender
He cites two examples of questionable behavior, that of LH Cargo and Royal Jordanian Cargo. First to LH Cargo: The carrier announced its renewal of the IATA CargoIS agreement at IATA’s World Cargo Symposium, held shortly ago in Hong Kong. This market tool has been in place for nearly as long as CASS operates. However, Lufthansa Cargo’s step would have been more credible and newsworthy had the carrier tendered the services to the best bidder. Instead, management awarded it to an organization that monetizes airlines’ data under a tax exemption status that no other vendor could dream of. In addition, such practice is not in line with an industry that praises digitalization and real-time data at everyone’s fingertips. It is an agreement inked by an IATA member and the airline association that commercializes data from thousands of air waybills, in this case submitted by Lufthansa Cargo. These data, contributed by Lufthansa Cargo and others, represent an immense value. It is therefore all the more surprising that such deals are not tendered before contracts are inked. After all, there are more providers of intelligence and up-to-date data services out there than just IATA’s CargoIS that is priced as commercially as any other product.

The Royal Jordanian example
Contrary to European peers, some Middle East carriers do tender – especially those government-controlled. But does this lead to more equitable practices? Not in the ones ‘Market Intelligence tank’ (MI-t) was invited to participate in. Royal Jordanian tendered for air cargo data in 2023, after having contracted a vendor for the prior year without considering any other potential bidder. Provider MI-t had already run a trial period before, supported by on-site presentations in AMM.  That led Royal Jordanian Cargo to choose a vendor the airline had no prior

experience with. The worst part came during the tendering process when Procurement instructed Market Intelligence tank to change the contract term it had originally offered in the commercial proposal, from one to three years, simply to match the term offered by the other vendor. Because the agreement draft in MI-t’s proposal provided renewal at convenience, Royal Jordanian already had multiple years of service guaranteed but without the burden of a longer commitment. In the end, Procurement notified their decision only after MI-t asked, in writing, for the intervention of their Head of Legal following eight months of unanswered e-mails and declined phone and WhatsApp calls.

The Virgin Atlantic Cargo principle
The tender practice of airlines is often opaque. This is illustrated by the scandalous example of Virgin Atlantic Cargo, published in CargoForwarder Global recently and thus made known to a wider audience (view our website).

It is not uncommon for tenders to be decided according to the buddy principle: I know you, you know me – deal done. It is an open secret that financial donations sometimes ‘help’ to decide which GSA will be awarded a sales contract. It is a mystery as to why, despite internal audits and the digitalization of business processes, such cases of corruption are not or only very rarely brought to light.

In a narrower sense, the term ‘compliance’ means that a company and its employees comply with the law. This is intended to ensure that market participants don’t play foul, but instead act seriously and with integrity in daily business practices. This said, it would be desirable if some cargo carriers not only had these principles written in bold letters on their website, but would also adhere to them when launching a tender and before signing a sales contract.

Phil Wardlaw leaves Atlantic Cargo
The helmsman of the cargo section of Virgin Atlantic has handed in his resignation. This was confirmed by the airline’s communications department on request. In detail, spokesperson Louise Gallagher writes the following:

“Phil has made the decision to leave Virgin Atlantic for a new role at another global airline. We’ve begun the process of recruiting his successor and will announce this as soon as we’re in a position to do so.” Ms. Gallagher did not answer the question as to whether Emirates was the airline for which the manager would be working in future. It seems that there is no interrelation between Wardlaw’s upcoming Virgin exit and the management’s dubious tender practices. Asked about this, Virgin Cargo’s spokesperson did not touch on this issue in her email to CargoForwarder Global.                                      

Heiner Siegmund

Embraer embarks on the freighter avenue

Heiner Siegmund
-
0
Embraer embarks on the freighter avenue

The Brazilian aircraft manufacturer, Empresa Brasileira de Aeronáutica S.A., better known as Embraer, wants to convert its C-390 military transporter into an aircraft designed for commercial purposes. Partner is the Brazilian state-owned postal service, Correios. Both companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), to jointly drive the conversion project. This intent complements the Brazilian manufacturer’s plans to transform its production series E190 and E195 passenger aircraft into an all-cargo configuration.

Embraer military C-390: Soon flying without armament in Correios colors? – Courtesy: Embraer

Big company, small cargo fleet
Correios is the largest postal service in South America, but its freighter fleet is very small. It consists of one B737-300F and two B737-400Fs – older aircraft models that are long past their prime. Given the size of the country, air transportation of mail and smaller packages is essential. The distance between Sao Paulo and Manaus is around 2,700 km, and Fortaleza in the northeast of the country and Porto Alegre in the south are about 2,100 km apart. Therefore, Correios’ own three freighters only complement the supplier’s utilization of lower deck capacity offered by local passenger airlines. Otherwise, nationwide and timely mail deliveries would be impossible. 

Filling a niche in the freighter market
However, the postal company now wants to become more involved in the freighter business to gain greater independence and completely manage the postal business by itself. This led to the inking of the MoU with Embraer. Their common goal is to conduct a study to find out if the conversion of the C-390 ‘Millennium’ from military to commercial would fit the operational demands of the postal service, and what the cost structure would be. Originally built for the armed forces, the aircraft offers payloads of 26 tons, with a civilian version likely to have a similar capacity. It can cover distances of up to 6,200 km nonstop, so could cross the entire South American sub-continent without the need to refuel.

“We are very pleased to collaborate with Correios in studying a more efficient logistics network for the transport of goods, both in Brazil and internationally. Embraer has a consolidated aircraft portfolio, and the solutions to be studied together will allow Correios to expand its service offering to its customers with high reliability and efficiency,” said Bosco da Costa Junior, President and CEO of Embraer Defense & Security.

Correios dominates the cargo business in Brazil – in volume
State-owned Correios has the largest logistics infrastructure in any Latin American country. Its network comprises of 10,000+ branches spread all across Brazil, more than 8,000 operational units, 23,000 vehicles, and 87,000 direct employees.

Thanks to the MoU and the collaboration with Embraer, “we will be able to bring more efficiency to our logistics network and thus benefit the Brazilian population, which is our greatest mission as a public company and representative of the federal government. We are the largest air cargo operator in the country; no other logistics company has even half of the cargo volumes handled by Correios,” stated Fabiano Silva dos Santos, President of Correios while inking the Memorandum of Understanding.

Others are watching the outcome of the MoU
With Correios as the likely launching customer for the civilian version of the C-390, Embraer could achieve a breakthrough in the class of freighters currently available in the category of 20 to 30 tons. Above all, other countries are also closely watching the outcome of the joint Correios-Embraer project, as they operate military C-390s. These include Portugal, Hungary, South Korea, the Czech Republic, and the Netherlands.

Maybe sales managers of the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer will soon be knocking on their doors, praising the remodeled C-390 in its commercial outfit.

About-Volt(a) – ready to return this summer

Brigitte Gledhill
-
0
About-Volt(a) – ready to return this summer
Planning a well-deserved comeback. Image: Volta Trucks

It was a sad day back on 17OCT23, when Volta Trucks filed for bankruptcy. The fresh, forward-looking company with the most beautiful trucks in the industry had seemed so full of promise, bringing safer and greener logistics to our roads. The sad days are about to end. Volta announced this week that it is gearing up for a comeback this summer. This time as UK-registered ‘Volta Commercial Vehicles Ltd’. Since coming out from administration on 01DEC23, its financial backer, Luxor Capital, has been busy cooperating with a dedicated team to create a clear, efficient business plan, and a European re-launch is underway. The new company employs around 150 staff and is concentrating Volta Zero 16t and 18t versions, planning series production and GSR-2 (General Safety Requirement) standards from JUL24. Customer trials are already ongoing in the UK. Germany, France, Nordics, and Austria are to see larger fleets during this quarter, and the company is planning to resume series production with Austrian Steyr Automotive later this year. Before that, Volta is looking to partner with customers to have the distinctive Volta Zero on the road during this summer’s Paris Olympics.

Essa Al-Saleh, CEO of the new Volta Trucks Commercial Vehicles Ltd, explained: “We’re looking to confirm orders with existing customers [in Germany, France, UK, and Scandinavia], reassemble the supply chain, complete a crucial [Series-A] fundraising round, and ensure series vehicles are ready for delivery. Right now, we are in the midst of discussions with all our suppliers and partners to enable these objectives. We have learned a lot from our challenging journey and are emerging stronger and more focused than ever. During the last couple of months, we have analyzed our original business plan and worked hard to simplify our business model with a strong focus on speed to market, capital efficiency and profitability. The new Volta Trucks will provide an innovative “chassis-cab” product, supported by a tailored Maintenance and Service offering and partnerships with certified Body Builders. We believe this will best support our customers’ immediate needs and facilitate the electrification transition [and] with the City of Paris aiming to create the greenest Olympics ever, this is a perfect opportunity for our logistics and consumer-brand customers to showcase the future of urban logistics.”

1...145146147...172Page 146 of 172

About us

Most recent

Most popular

Subscribe