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Lessors reached first deals with Russia over seized aircraft

Heiner Siegmund
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Lessors reached first deals with Russia over seized aircraft

Numerous leasing companies are among those financially affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Moscow refused to return leased aircraft to them and instead confiscated foreign assets and transferred them illegally into the Russian registry. Consequently, when flying abroad, Aeroflot, S7, AirBridgeCargo and others risk having their leased aircraft chained.

But now, things have started to move. Many leasing companies inked deals with the Russian insurance company NLK Finance. Financial volume of the settlements to date: USD2.5 billion. This means that Russia has legally acquired the aircraft from their former owners.

Aeroflot operates a total of 171 Airbus and Boeing aircraft, many of them leased and not returned to their owners – photo: SU

Eight lessors involved
According to a report published by the San Diego-based Insurance Journal, this includes agreements reached between eight lessors and NLK Finance. This applies to Ireland-based AerCap, the world’s largest lessor, that had received US$645 million over 17 jets and five spare engines leased to state-controlled airline Aeroflot and its subsidiary Rossiya.

Ireland-headquartered lessor CDB Aviation, owned by the China Development Bank had settled for US$197.50 million over four planes followed by a settlement for one aircraft (US$20.6 million).

Dubai Aerospace Enterprise said in December it had received a cash settlement totaling around US$118 million for seven aircraft previously leased to Aeroflot.

BOC welcomes repossession of eight B747-8F
Another lessor is BOC Aviation from Singapore. Last November, the company had received US$208 million under an insurance settlement for eight aircraft stuck in Russia. Now BOC has repossessed three B747-8 freighter aircraft leased by Moscow-headquartered AirBridgeCargo Airlines and sidelined at Sheremetyevo Airport since the outbreak of the war. For tax reasons, the three aircraft were all Bermuda-registered. As ABC had not returned them to BOC, the Russian cargo airline risked the aircraft being confiscated by local authorities in the event of foreign operations. This and the refusal to return other freighters to leasing companies led ABC’s business model go to ashes. It was primarily based on cargo flights between the Far East and destinations in Europe with a stopover in Moscow.

Silk Way West replaces ABC
The resulting capacity gap is now being filled by Silk Way West Airlines, based in Baku-Azerbaijan, which has a similar route profile to ABC. Its president, Wolfgang Meier, held leading positions at ABC for many years before moving to Silk Way West.

Even though leasing companies have now reached various settlements with the Russian insurance company NLK Finance, numerous Airbus or Boeing aircraft continue to fly illegally on domestic Russian routes, operated by state-owned flag carrier Aeroflot, its subsidiary Rossiya or S7. So far, the lessors as their rightful owners have not benn compensated for this illegal act of piracy. The financial volume of this theft of assets is shown in a list published by the San Diego-based Insurance Journal.

Further claims are still awaiting a solution
According to this filing, Air Cap is the main affected party. It has sued insurers such as AIG and Lloyd’s of London for US$3.5 billion over the loss of 116 aircraft and 23 aircraft engines in London’s High Court under its all-risks policy. A legal decision is still pending.  

Aircastle filed a claim in New York against more than 30 insurers in October 2022 over nine aircraft and other equipment stranded in Russia, reports the paper.

Irish-headquartered SMBC, owned by a consortium including Japan’s Sumitomo Corp and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, recorded an impairment of US$1.6 billion in 2022 to cover the full financial impact of having 34 jets stuck in Russia. It is suing insurers in Dublin.

Whether and when the aforementioned aircraft insurers will reach an agreement with the Russian NLK Finance on a settlement is completely open. After all, the Western sanctions regime against Russian airlines has not changed and neither have the leasing companies’ ownership claims. But even if an agreement is reached and there is a legal change of ownership, the supply of spare parts to Western aircraft is still ruled out. These are subject to Western sanctions.

Liège snags next customer

Heiner Siegmund
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0
Liège snags next customer

Not just an impression, but reality: cargo airlines have recently been lining up at the door of Liège Airport’s (LGG) management. They include Turkish Cargo, which has now walked through the entrance portal and been warmly welcomed. As a gift to its hosts, it announced that it will launch three cargo flights a week. They will commence at the end of this month with the start of the summer flight schedule, and will connect the Belgian airport with Turkish Cargo’s home hub, Istanbul.

Turkish Cargo freighters will soon be seen regularly at Liège Airport  –  courtesy: TK

It is worth taking a look at it from a broader perspective: since the beginning of this year, Turkish Cargo is the fifth cargo airline to add LGG to its flight program. The expanded ground infrastructure that keeps growing according to demand, plenty of free slots, the 24/7/365 operational permit, and an airport management that focuses entirely on the cargo business, are convincing selling points that increasingly attract freight carriers.

Widebody freighters
This also applies to Turkish Cargo. The carrier will mainly use A330Fs on the route IST-LGG. However, sometimes an older Airbus model A310-300F will also be utilized. This aircraft belongs to the Turkish ACMI provider, ULS Airlines Cargo, but is operated by Turkish Cargo.

The carrier’s flights to Liège are backed by some big boys from the e-com sector. While on the westbound leg they are operated non-stop, on the way back to the Turkish metropolis, the freighters make a stopover in Basel or Budapest. This flight path shows that the export volumes in LGG are still insufficient to completely and permanently fill the main deck of the aircraft. “The flights are an important step to making the services more widely known within the European cargo community. We believe that the frequencies will soon be increased and that the return flights will then be operated non-stop,” estimates Torsten Wefers, VP Cargo Sales & Marketing at Liège Airport.

The pull effect
His main argument for this assumption: in addition to the acquisition of new cargo airlines, the Walloon Airport’s management has succeeded in upping the number of forwarding agents opening a station within the airport’s perimeters. Airlines attract forwarders. More forwarders mean more freight volumes handled and flown.

He emphasizes that the flights soon operated by Turkish Cargo have not been relocated to Liège from other Western European airports, and are therefore at their expense. “We don’t support the cannibalization of traffic. These Turkish flights are additional services between Turkey and Western Europe.”

Top three global brands
What makes Turkish Cargo’s services particularly interesting for the cargo community in Liège, is the fact that the airline offers a huge international network via its Istanbul gateway. “Due to these advantageous conditions for cargo customers, we hope to develop a strategic partnership between Liège Airport and Turkish Cargo,” states Mr. Wefers.

The carrier ensures long-term growth through its expanded infrastructure, operational capabilities, and constant fleet growth. “It can be expected that Turkish Cargo will rank among the top three global cargo brands by 2028,” forecasts Mr. Wefers.

DHL Express and Standard Chartered embark on green path

Heiner Siegmund
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DHL Express and Standard Chartered embark on green path

The integrator and the British multinational bank have signed a strategic partnership to reduce CO2 emissions on their common path to reaching net zero. The lever for this is the DHL product, GoGreen Plus, under which both companies have agreed to co-invest in Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). This will lower the bank’s emissions linked to its upstream logistics, and scale up SAF production.

Standard Chartered has committed to net zero in its own operations by 2025. What was not included in its environmental data so far were the upstream transports of its customers’ shipments. These are not bulk goods, but usually urgent documents, important business papers or credit cards that need to be sent to customers by air freight via the integrator’s global network, explains spokeswoman, Sabine Hartmann from DHL Express. She declined to quantify the expected volumes of the Standard Chartered deal, citing existing confidentiality agreements.

In collaboration with 18 partner companies, DHL Express operates a fleet of 300+ cargo aircraft and deploys them on more than 2,400 flights every working day. 

Saving CO2 will be rewarded
These upstream delivery services which add to fossil gases in the atmosphere, have not been included in Standard Chartered’s environmental statistics to date.

But this now changes: the bank management’s decision to co-invest in Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), allows Standard Chartered to balance CO₂ emissions caused by its supplies, with high quality Verified Emission Reductions (VER) carbon credits.

Through its cooperation with DHL Express, Standard Chartered enables the integrator to scale the use of SAF, which – compared with traditional Jet A-1 kerosene – can help to reduce lifecycle emissions of typical aviation fuel by up to 80%. In turn, it expects to see its own related emissions reduced by up to 30% in year one (against a 2019 baseline), with an expected incremental reduction of 7% year-on-year from 2025 onward. The bank estimates that 3,780 tons CO2 emissions will be saved between 2024 and 2030. An independent auditor will issue a monthly report on the carbon footprint of the bank and submit a quarterly report documenting the greenhouse gas savings achieved.

DHL hopes for imitative effects
“The partnership between Standard Chartered and DHL has been going strong for more than two decades. They were the first bank to adopt our GoGreen service in 2011, and are now working with us to make international express shipping more sustainable,” explains Yung C. Ooi, Senior Vice President for Commercial, Asia Pacific, DHL Express.

The executive goes on to say: “The fact that we are offering the GoGreen Plus service through the use of SAF in our international network, lays the foundation for this. We hope this agreement will inspire other companies to transition to low-emission transportation services using sustainable aviation fuel.”

Khuresh Faizullabhoy, Managing Director & Chief Operating Officer, Trade at Standard Chartered and Yung C. Ooi, Senior Vice President for Commercial, Asia Pacific, DHL Express (from left to right) – visuals: courtesy DHL

Environmental pact
Khuresh Faizullabhoy, Managing Director & Chief Operating Officer, Trade at Standard Chartered, responds with these words: “As a leading provider of trade finance, our customers entrust us to handle their crucial trade & shipping documents to safeguard their business interests and ensure seamless transactional delivery. Whilst the digitization of trade documentation is progressing, through this agreement to scale the use of SAF with our logistics partner, DHL Express, we will jointly drive down emissions that would otherwise be generated from this essential service. This is a win-win for our customers and in line with our own commitment to delivering net zero across Standard Chartered.”

Already since 2007, business customers are offered booking DHL’s GoGreen service for their own consignments. The product was expanded in 2011, allowing private customers to jump on the environmental bandwagon. Since then, emissions caused by air transports of products flying under the GoGreen label, are subsequently offset by investments in climate protection projects.

Using SAF beats compensation projects
GoGreen Plus was initially kicked off in the UK on 16FEB23, and rolled out worldwide thereafter. It is a main tool of the DHL Group’s goal to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, and allows customers to reduce the CO2 emissions associated with their air shipments by requesting freighters to be fueled with SAF. According to the integrator, its air freight network accounts for around 90% of the company’s carbon footprint, so sustainable air transportation solutions, including feeder services and upstream transports are crucial for greener logistics.

PRIOjet to redefine Emergency Logistics processes

Heiner Siegmund
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0
PRIOjet to redefine Emergency Logistics processes

The startup offers the market a new approach to coping with the challenges of this demanding and ultra rapid market segment. Its key tool is a neutral, cloud-based software to perfect its customers’ emergency logistics orders executed by on-board couriers (OBC). Next to come, is the implementation of AI in its platform, to continuously enhance processes and transports. CargoForwarder Global (CFG) spoke with Christian Wolff (CW), Co-Founder/Managing Director of PRIOjet Logistics, at his office in Hamburg Harbor City.

PRIOjet’s Christian Wolff invites the industry to partner for jointly enhancing time critical emergency logistics solutions based on a neutral and self-learning platform  –  visuals: courtesy PRIOjet

CFG: Chris, there are dozens of players offering end-to-end transport solutions for ultra-urgent shipments. PRIOjet has also been active in this segment since a relatively short time. How does your business model differ from that of other providers?

CW: It is true that many freight forwarders offer OBC transportation services. But PRIOjet is not a freight forwarder. At PRIOjet, we specialize in supporting logistics players in managing ultra-urgent and important shipments where an on-board courier jumps on the next aircraft for the immediate worldwide delivery of such goods. They include aircraft spare parts, cockpit instruments, critical production components, urgently needed documents, or pharmaceuticals, among others.

PRIOjet stands out in the market as the only neutral and impartial B2B Software as a Service platform, supporting the logistics industry. Our subscription-based services provide customers with an optimal multi-platform solution through our unique cloud-based, secure software. Our software is specialized in OBC services and initiating, organizing and processing international time-critical logistics orders. This enables clients to process their emergency logistics orders more efficiently, faster, CO2-neutral, and safely. Furthermore, we prioritize the security and privacy of each agency, ensuring its data remains confidential. This makes us a special actor in the OBC landscape and sets us apart from our competitors.

CFG: Do you have a unique selling point? And if so, what exactly is it?

CW: Yes, as briefly touched upon: PRIOjet Logistics offers a secure B2B Software-as-a-Service platform that is specifically designed to streamline the process of emergency logistics orders. Our unique selling proposition is our integrated system that manages all OBC logistics processes on one place. This includes receiving a transport request, finding the right OBC from the logistics agency’s network, scheduling transport, handling all communication and document exchange in a secure environment, and providing smart, real-time shipment tracking with a white label view for the customer.

Our goal is to provide faster, safer, and more cost-effective operations. Additionally, we are committed to sustainability. PRIOjet calculates and can neutralize the CO2 footprint of each transport, contributing to a greener logistics industry and helping logistics agencies meet customer demands.

Our standout features include our neutrality, robust data protection measures, and clear OBC business-focused features and interfaces. We are also the only provider that combines modern interfaces with value-added functions and services for OBC logistics on a single platform. As we know from feedback and discussions, this is appreciated by many logistics companies from small to large.

CFG: Hundreds of On-Board Couriers (OBC) are listed on your platform with profile data they have uploaded themselves. How do you guarantee customers their reliability, integrity, and expertise in executing a transport request in the required quality?

CW: When a customer selects PRIOjet as their business partner of choice for managing an emergency logistics mission, they bring their own OBC contacts into play. Hence, these companies can only monitor and evaluate the services of the couriers they have advocated themselves. Performance data from other, external couriers are not passed on to them.

So it is their own responsibility to choose the right courier for a given mission. However, we at PRIOjet, provide additional services assisting them to complete an order properly.

The shipments do not take part in a beauty contest of packaging, what counts is speed and precision.

CFG: What role does AI play in the further development of your service portfolio? An example to illustrate this would be helpful.

CW: Artificial Intelligence (AI) plays a key role in the development of PRIOjet’s service portfolio. Our ‘intelligent IT’ system uses AI to continuously learn from previous orders. In the near future, logistics agencies using PRIOjet will be able to draw insights from their own data silo on PRIOjet, from their past transports, and use them to optimize future transports with the knowledge gained from similar missions. By taking into account the experience of past transport jobs and additional data, AI helps agencies optimize their services to ensure faster, safer and more cost-effective logistics operations. OBCs will also benefit from the enormous data processing power of AI in their accounts. This will be something that has never been seen before in the OBC business. It is too early to reveal the details of the project. However, this much I can say: It will be a very special and supportive tool.

CFG: When using on-board couriers, the two-way principle makes a lot of sense. How do you support return transports?

CW: In fact, it would be ideal if the OBC can pick up a shipment at destination and take it with them on their return flight. All an OBC has to do, is to report their availability on PRIOjet’s platform upon completion of a mission. In that case, other agencies or logistics companies can commission them with a new transport on their flight back. By utilizing the two-way principle and facilitating return transportation, PRIOjet’s platform not only improves efficiency, but also contributes to the sustainability of logistics players by cutting down travel times, costs, and greenhouse gas emissions.

CFG: How has 2024 started, what are the key topics on your to-do list until 31DEC24, and will PRIOjet be profitable once the year draws to a close?CW: The start of 2024 has been excellent with the onboarding of another logistics agency and its entire OBC network, at the beginning of January. Our main focus for this year, is to significantly enhance the functionality of the PRIOjet platform. In addition to small optimizations and service offerings, there will be a major update with a new version soon, which will significantly increase the added value in the processing of transport jobs. We are looking forward to on-boarding many more customers this year. In addition to the European market, we are impressed by the international demand. After exhibiting at the transport logistics trade shows in Miami, Munich, and Singapore, we are looking forward to meeting existing and new contacts at transport logistics in Shanghai in June, this year. Profitability is important, but our main focus this year is to make a big leap in the functionality of the platform and to grow together with our existing and new customers.

Spotlight on … Sam Quintelier, Senior Business & Network Development Manager, Brussels Airport Company

Brigitte Gledhill
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Spotlight on … Sam Quintelier, Senior Business & Network Development Manager, Brussels Airport Company

CargoForwarder Global’s ‘Spotlight On…’ series sheds light on a different corner of the air cargo industry every week, as individuals working in one of the many and very varied jobs, bring their own flavor to the set of seven standard questions. Sam Quintelier (SQ), Senior Business & Network Development Manager, Brussels Airport Company, takes the stage this week. He takes us on a tour of his daily business, explains how he got involved in our industry, and offers advice to those looking to enter into air cargo.

Running the Brussels Airport Marathon in more ways than one! Image: Sam Quintelier

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

SQ: Brussels Airport Company and I am Senior Business and Network Development Manager within the Cargo & Logistics unit.

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

SQ: No such things as normal day but I can share a few common threads in an average week. There will always be at least one meeting with the core team as well as a few with the other branches within the cargo team. These make sure that even with working from home, traveling and just an overall busy schedule, we stay informed and on top of things. Next to that, we get a lot of questions from our community that can range from urgent issues to strategic opportunities, so of course we prioritize these and try to help.

I am also involved in company projects as business line owner (BLO) or advisor. This means I represent the voice of the cargo business for Perishables and Live Animals. Lastly, there is often travel involved as we represent Brussels Airport and the cargo community at trade shows and conferences or visit airlines and agents abroad for network development.

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

SQ: My fascination for the airport, airplanes and logistics led me to my first degree in Logistics management. After that I continued studying so I didn’t actually start in air cargo. But in 2015, I needed a temporary job and started as Operations Supervisor with a freight forwarding company. What was a short-term job turned into a 3 year one with a lot of growth and hands-on experience. So, this will be my 9th year in Air Cargo.

CFG: What do you enjoy most about your job?

SQ: I think the fact that it is so varied, opportunities and challenges pop up constantly, which pushes you to keep learning and improving yourself to produce creative solutions. Next to that, the traveling! Having the opportunity to get to know so many people and cultures is really enriching and has led to some great friendships. I think if everybody in the world came more in contact with others, we would be able to understand global issues so much better and I am convinced that it would be a better place for all.

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

SQ: I don’t think it is just in our industry, but the adversity to change – it’s what keeps us where we are. This is also why Cargo Collective (CC) is important to make sure that barriers are removed or at least lowered. So young people thinking of joining don’t have to wait years to see how interesting and fun it can be. The sooner they realize that, the bigger the chance is they stay, and the greater the impact is that they can make.

If I can add one more: aviation is often seen as a source of pollution which brings only bad things to our world. But I see and experience all the good it does. Conveying this correctly to the broader public should be a higher priority, I believe.

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

SQ: Training is done on the job, it helps to have a specific degree such as economics, engineering, management, etc. But this is often not required. What is required is a mindset to learn, be flexible without compromising your sanity, and have a customer focus. The last one not only applies to sales profiles, but also to colleagues, partners, etc.

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

SQ: “The tail of the traveling circus”

Excellent. Thank you for that, Sam!

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.

Azul on way to scoring a Go(a)l

Heiner Siegmund
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0
Azul on way to scoring a Go(a)l

Brazilian budget carrier, Azul Linhas Aéreas (Azul), intends to take over rival, Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes, following Gol’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in the U.S. The move is heralded by an initiative from Azul to secure funding for a proposal to Gol stakeholders. Global investment bank, Citigroup, and advisory and investment firm, Guggenheim Partners, were commissioned to draft a proposal for financing the deal.

According to Brazilian circles familiar with the matter, the merger project is currently still being explored. Neither airline has yet entered into talks on the takeover plans considered by the Azul management. This is likely to change when the two banks present a financing plan that does not overburden Azul and appears lucrative enough to Gol’s shareholders to enter into official negotiations.

Should the takeover take place, the combined airline Azul/Gol will have a major say in both the Latin American passenger and cargo markets  –  courtesy: Azul

Remarkable ascent
Incepted in 2008 by JetBlue founder, David Neeleman, his and Azul investors’ mutual aim was to create a large domestic low-cost airline in Brazil. Equipped with a fleet of Embraer aircraft and A320/A321s, Azul has meanwhile become the third largest South American airline after LATAM and Gol, but ahead of the Colombian Avianca.
A comparison of the route networks of Azul and Gol shows that the overlaps are limited. Azul operates roughly 70% of its routes independently. This fact could play a role for Brazil’s Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE), in case the regulator must ultimately decide for or against the takeover. According to latest data published by the National Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC), the domestic Brazilian aviation market is led by LATAM (36.7%), followed by Gol (34.1%) and Azul (28.7%).

Without a solid financing concept, no takeover
It remains to be seen if Azul can finance the takeover, given that the budget carrier went through a debt renegotiation process only recently. Azul told Bloomberg Businessweek that it is always attentive to the strategic dynamics of the airline industry and possible partnership opportunities. It also said that it has not negotiated or approved any specific transactions to date. Gol, Citi, and Abra, the holding company that controls Gol, declined to comment.

Cargo is an important contributor to Azul’s sales
Although primarily known as a budget carrier, Azul has also made a name for itself in air freight circles. The division is branded Azul Cargo Express and headed by Izabel Reis, one of the rare female leaders in the Latin American cargo industry. The product offering ranges from premium to e-com and standard freight.
In addition to the lower deck compartments of its more than 212 passenger aircraft, Azul Cargo operates two leased B737-400SF with a capacity of 20 tons each. Today, Azul Cargo Express offers door-to-door service at 153 domestic destinations and operates international routes to Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Lisbon, Paris, Montevideo, Uruguay, and Bariloche in Argentina.

CargoAi launches its Air Freight Load Board feature

Brigitte Gledhill
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0
CargoAi launches its Air Freight Load Board feature
Always good for something new – this time spot support. Image. CargoAi

“CargoAi revolutionizes how Airlines & Forwarders handle spot requests with their innovative Air Freight Load Board feature,” the press release promises. The tech expert has now launched a feature that has been designed to support freighter forwarders and airlines in handling the otherwise quite chaotic and manual spot process. The Air Freight Load Board efficiently and simply streamlines the process of finding and securing available spot cargo. “With the Air Freight Load Board, airlines [and GSAs] can now access a comprehensive database of available freight, complete with detailed cargo specifications, all directly in their CargoMART Airline App.” Requiring no other technical installation, the Air Freight Load Board is simple to use following a brief online instruction. “Users can receive and manage their spot requests and answer thanks to the help of the augmented data provided. A full market analysis dashboard is also providing unprecedented insights on the market conditions, helping local sales to adjust their sales and pricing strategy.” The board includes features such as ‘Seamless Search Functionality’ which enables users to check a broad selection of available freight listings, filtered to their needs. ‘Direct Connection’, as its name suggests, offers direct connections to the correct contacts and thus avoids lengthy, intermediary communication, allowing users to complete the booking process more quickly. ‘Real-Time Updates’ offer current information on available cargo, whilst ‘Enhanced Visibility’ shows the status of the air freight market and serves to support airlines in making optimal business decisions regarding their operations.

Matt Petot, CEO at CargoAi, illustrated: “At CargoAi, we are committed to driving innovation and delivering unparalleled value to our customers. With the launch of the Air Freight Load Board, we complete our value proposition allowing forwarders to manage spot requests across airlines, previously available, and now giving the airlines the ability to proactively find these opportunities – continuing our mission to revolutionize the way businesses connect and secure cargo, empowering them to find and win more volume with greater ease and efficiency than ever before.”

IAG Cargo announces new BCN-MIA service

Brigitte Gledhill
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0
IAG Cargo announces new BCN-MIA service
The planes in Spain fly mainly… across the Big Pond. Image: IAG Cargo

IAG Cargo announces new BCN-MIA service

The summer schedule has a few goodies in store for freight forwarders. This week, it is IAG Cargo that has published its newest additions. First off is a new service between Barcelona (BCN) and Miami (MIA), starting on 31MAR24 and offering up to three flights per week. All going well, those will even grow to four flights/week between JUN24-SEP24. “The introduction of this service is being made possible by adding a sixth aircraft to LEVEL’s fleet,” the release states. “Miami is IAG Cargo’s fifth connection between Barcelona and the U.S.,” it details, and goes on to confirm that the airline is also again taking up its Barcelona-San Francisco (SFO) connection from 31MAR24. Four flights per week are scheduled on this routing. “Barcelona is one of IAG Cargo’s four hubs, alongside London Heathrow, Madrid, and Dublin, and is home to two of the IAG Group’s airlines, LEVEL and Vueling. Miami will mark IAG Cargo’s fifth direct connection to the United States from Barcelona, which already encompasses Boston, Los Angeles, New York’s JFK and San Francisco.” With the latest route, the airline group now offers nigh on 200 weekly connections out of Spain to the United States. Coming in to Barcelona, freight forwarders can benefit from a vast trucking network, providing quick transfer services to neighboring countries. Likewise, Miami, as the world’s largest gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean, is the perfect link for customers flying out perishable products, hi-tech commodities, telecommunications equipment, textiles, pharmaceuticals and industrial machinery.

Camilo Garcia Cervera, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at IAG Cargo, stated: “The transatlantic corridor is an important part of our network and supports so many of our customers. Miami is a thriving logistics hub, strategic for air freight. With our already well-established network connecting major cities in the United States with Europe, this new route will enhance our connectivity even more.”

ETH Cargo first to achieve IATA CEIV Pharma certification…

Brigitte Gledhill
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0
ETH Cargo first to achieve IATA CEIV Pharma certification…
Sascha Herzig, Chief Executive Officer, ETH Cargo. Image: ETH Cargo

…first within the Puerto Rico Life Sciences Air Cargo Community, that is. The Puerto Ricon logistics provider has specialized in pharma logistics and temperature-controlled solutions across its service portfolio of air, sea, warehousing, and ground transportation freight services. With its newly-received CEIV Pharma certification, ETH Cargo will now also help other, smaller companies achieve the same quality standards, by participating in Community-hosted CEIV training initiatives. “The Departamento de Desarrollo Económico y Comercio (DDEC), who have supported the Community since its launch last year, rallied for government funding to invest in CEIV certifications across the Community, securing an 80% subsidy for 8 organizations,” the press release reveals. More than 40 members participate in the Community. They represent stakeholders across the air cargo supply chain, and include pharmaceutical and medical manufacturers, forwarders, airports, airlines, and representatives of DDEC. The goal is to increase and improve the quality of airfreight and pharma operations on the island.

Sascha Herzig, Chief Executive Officer, ETH Cargo, explained: “The CEIV Pharma certification is a guarantee that we handle our customers’ cargo in line with industry standards, ensuring it arrives intact and avoiding any damage. ETH Cargo has handled temperature-controlled pharma cargo for many years, some of which is life-saving medication – it is paramount that we keep the integrity of the cool chain, and this certification is proof of our dedication to doing just that. The cold supply chain is only as strong as its weakest link. The training systems that the Community is initiating, will ensure that CEIV Pharma standards are implemented and maintained across the hub. This accomplishment, which was time-consuming and demanding, was achieved with the support of key ETH Cargo employees, who I wish to personally thank for their dedication.”

Menzies Aviation plants Mangroves and grows network

Brigitte Gledhill
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0
Menzies Aviation plants Mangroves and grows network
More than 70,000 mangroves will be planted. Image: Menzies

Menzies Aviation announced that it is participating Climate Impact Partners’ Million Mangroves project and will be planting 70,000 mangroves. The project focuses on restoring the ‘wonder tree’ populations in threatened coastal areas such as those in China, Kenya, Indonesia, or Mexico. Mangroves are highly effective in storing excess carbon and thus aiding to reduce global warming.

Katy Reid, Head of Sustainability & Corporate Responsibility, Menzies Aviation, said: “Menzies’ commitment to building a fair and sustainable future isn’t confined to our operations; we are also passionate about restoring and protecting the environment we live in. With over 35% of the world’s mangroves having been lost since 1980, restoring these ‘wonder trees’ is one of the most effective ways of cutting emissions and supporting biodiversity. We’re proud to work with Climate Impact Partners in support of this wonderful project.”

Sheri Hickok, CEO, Climate Impact Partners added: “We are proud to work with companies like Menzies that are taking action today and raising their climate ambitions, highlighting the critical role that corporates play in delivering global climate targets. Funding the regeneration of nature is vital in our global fight against the climate crisis, and the mangrove tree is a particularly powerful tool – sequestering carbon, whilst benefiting biodiversity and communities. Planting 70,000 more of these wonder trees helps to ensure a thriving future for all life on Earth.”

In other news, Menzies Aviation won the ground handling tender for passenger and ramp handling at Lima’s Jorge Chavez International Airport (LIM) in Perú. The contract runs eight-years, and Menzies is now looking to recruit and train new staff to fulfill it. Aside from its 24 passenger airlines, LIM also sees an annual cargo throughput of more than 213.77 kt of cargo.

Philipp Joeinig, Group CEO, Menzies Aviation said: “Over the past decade, we have demonstrated our commitment to strategic growth in the region, with Jorge Chavez International Airport in Perú becoming our 134th airport in 14 countries in the Americas. Today’s announcement is credit to a truly collaborative effort between our teams in the Americas, Europe and on the ground in Lima. We look forward to returning to Perú after 17 years to build a trusted partnership with Lima Airport Partners (LAP) and working with many of our airline partners who currently operate at the airport.”

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