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Tag: air cargo

Alaska Air Cargo selects iCargo software

Posted on by David Priestman

IBS Software, a worldwide leader of SaaS solutions to the travel industry, has signed a long-term agreement with Alaska Air Cargo to transform and modernise its air cargo IT ecosystem. IBS Software will implement its full suite cargo management solution across the air cargo business of Alaska Airlines.

iCargo will digitally transform Alaska Air Cargo’s sales & inventory, cargo terminal operations, air mail handling and revenue accounting, and mobile applications. Additionally, iCargo will enable the airline to have an end-to-end view of its air cargo value chain activities and provide important operational insights across the entire network.

The enhanced messaging and communication capabilities of iCargo will also ensure that Alaska Air Cargo can connect seamlessly with customers and partners in near real-time for better collaboration, resulting in faster decisions and better business outcomes.

“Selecting IBS Software’s iCargo was a strategic decision, and part of our digital transformation programme,” said Adam Drouhard, managing director, Alaska Air Cargo “This fully integrated solution will allow us to re-imagine and deliver a truly digital air cargo ecosystem of solutions to our employees, while creating a seamless business experience for our customers.”

“IBS Software is proud to partner with Alaska Air Cargo and be part of its digital cargo transformation. We welcome Alaska Air Cargo to the growing iCargo family of airlines and ground handlers and believe it’s the start of a great journey for both of our companies,” said Sam Shukla, Vice President of The Americas Region at IBS Software.

transport logistic and TIACA organise joint San Francisco event

Posted on by Keith McKinley

From 22 to 25 March 2022, the global air cargo and logistics industry will meet at the 2+2 event in San Francisco. The air cargo sector proved to be a safeguard for global supply chains during the pandemic and secured the supply of important medical and industrial goods. At the face-to-face event, leading industry representatives and experts will discuss the lessons learned from the pandemic and other current topics such as digitalisation, sustainability, and UAVs directly in Silicon Valley. Registrations among exhibitors, visitors and sponsors are already high.

Messe München and the air cargo association TIACA are merging their events for the first time. The 2+2 event will be one of the largest gatherings of experts and decision-makers in the air cargo and logistics industry. A two-day conference programme at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in San Francisco will feature panel discussions, keynotes, workshops, and presentations.

In addition to the air cargo sector’s experiences and insights from the pandemic, topics such as digitalisation, sustainability as well as gender diversity or UAV technologies will also be discussed. The future of the industry will also be addressed: TIACA board member Steven Polmans, for example, will moderate a panel discussion on the future direction of the association. The subsequent two-day Innovation Journey gives visitors direct and on-site insights at innovation leaders and up-and-coming Silicon Valley start-ups.

The number of exhibitors, speakers, sponsors, and trade visitors is already high and the anticipation is rising among everyone involved. Patrik Tschirch, Managing Director of LUG air cargo handling and Chairman of the Board of Air Cargo Community Frankfurt, also sees the advantages of a presence event: “For the globally active air cargo sector, an international gathering is enormously important. Thanks to the promising concept, we are looking forward to the 2+2 event in San Francisco with great confidence.”

An original date for the event in September 2021 was postponed as a precaution due to the pandemic at the time. The current COVID-regulations and the full implementation of applicable protective measures in the state of California allow the event to take place in the usual attendance form.

There will be no restrictions on the number of visitors. Since last November, the United States has allowed foreign citizens to enter the country if they are fully vaccinated and present a negative COVID-19 test or proof of recovery recognised by the WHO.

“The TIACA Executive Summit, together with the transport logistic Americas Forum, will once again bring together the key decision makers and experts in the air cargo industry in one place, live and in person. We look forward to a wide-ranging conference programme and accompanying exhibition where current and upcoming air cargo topics will be discussed with a broad audience,” said Steven Polmans, Chairman of the TIACA Board of Directors and Vice President Business Development & Free Zone Regulatory Affairs at Abu Dhabi Airports.

“With the 2+2 event in San Francisco, we can again offer the airfreight and logistics industry an intensive exchange in presence. With various online events, we have proven that such events can also take on other attractive formats. However, personal contact on site is indispensable, especially for an industry like logistics and airfreight with its many diverse and international players. We are glad to be able to offer our guests this opportunity again, while observing all safety precautions,” adds Dr. Robert Schönberger, Head of transport logistic exhibitions at Messe München.

Transporeon partners with BlueBox Systems

Posted on by David Priestman

Supply chain digitalisation expert Transporeon and air freight real-time tracking platform provider BlueBox Systems are now working on joint solutions to enable even more transparency in air freight.

In an industry such as logistics, where increasingly precise figures and schedules are the order of the day, digitalisation is the logical consequence in terms of further development and optimisation of supply chains. With new technologies in tracking and the retrieval of logistics data in seconds, one’s shipments can be tracked precisely – an overview and transparency that the industry would have dreamed of 20 years ago.

Transporeon is one of the pioneers in this field and has quickly become one of the most important players in the field. It is constantly expanding its network and capabilities. In this context, the latest partnership between Transporeon and BlueBox Systems makes perfect sense.

Transporeon, with over 1,000 employees and offices around the world, offers a range of successful transport logistics platforms that it uses to connect all the players involved in a supply chain. This has resulted in one of the largest cloud-based logistics platforms in the world with a focus on process optimisation. Through the partnership with BlueBox Systems, solutions are now also to be developed that include air freight.

With its BlueBoxAir solution, BlueBox Systems offers a product that enables companies and logistics providers to track their air freight to the minute, analyse loading times at airports and thus plan optimal supply chains. In addition, the platform offers the possibility of displaying the respective CO2 emissions for each shipment.

Accordingly, the partnership of these two companies is very good news for the logistics industry, which will further advance goal-oriented digitalisation through new products.

“Transporeon was a kind of dream partner for us from the very beginning because, like us, they combine many years of industry experience with cutting-edge technology. A joint solution will have a lasting impact on the industry for years to come, I am sure,” says Martin Schulze, Managing Director of BlueBox Systems.

 

IAG Cargo announces record-breaking Q4 results

Posted on by Keith McKinley

IAG Cargo, the cargo division of IAG (International Airlines Group) has reported record financial results for 2021, with annual revenues of €1,673m for the period from 1st January to 31st December 2021. The results reflect the surging demand for air cargo capacity as global trade rebounds.

The 2021 revenues represent an increase of 30% at constant currency versus the same period last year. Overall yield for 2021 was up 11.3% at constant currency versus 2020. Sold tonnes were up 21.4%.

Throughout 2021, IAG Cargo reshaped its business to take advantage of the strong cargo market and actively repurposed Group capacity where appropriate. Demand for air cargo exceeded 2019 levels throughout 2021. The business continued to align its network to customer demand, supporting customers with cargo-led flying, increasing frequencies on important trade routes and implementing an active charter programme of 745 rotations.

In the second half of the year IAG Cargo saw momentum build with capacity starting to return as the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic gained ground. IAG Cargo closed the year very strongly, achieving a Q4 quarterly record revenue of €499m up from €389m in Q4 of 2020.

In Q4, ecommerce and hi-tech flows from South East Asia into North America accounted for much of this success as did the movement of automotive parts from the UK and Europe. Hong Kong demand remained very buoyant and from mid-December the business directed volumes to flow via Bangkok as crew quarantine restrictions limited direct Hong Kong Flights. IAG Cargo also moved large volumes of what are typically seen as non-airfreight commodities as shippers favoured shorter delivery times and volumes shifted from sea to air against a background of supply chain disruption, port congestion and low inventories.

At the same time, cargo has been vital in supporting the return to widescale passenger flying, providing additional revenue to key passenger routes.

Commenting on the 2021 financial results, IAG Cargo Managing Director David Shepherd said: “Since joining the business in August 2021 I’ve been extremely impressed by the way in which the talented team at IAG Cargo have optimised the opportunities which the market has presented. In 2021 the role of air cargo remained very much in the spotlight. Our people went above and beyond to find solutions to the global capacity crunch and airfreight restrictions. These results are a reflection of their determination and creativity.

“I’m also proud of our work in the fight against Covid-19. In 2021 our cold chain, Constant Climate, service was responsible for shipping millions of doses of life-saving COVID-19 vaccines to almost every corner of the world.

“In 2021 we also invested in improving the functionality of our website and expanded our partnerships with third party platform providers. Both actions, supporting online channel shift and digital bookings whilst providing more flexibility to our customers. It was also great to see a massive expansion in our Forward Rewards loyalty programme last year with an additional 700 customers  signing-up to benefit from earning free flights, hotel stays and cargo credit.

“We enter 2022 with ambition and optimism for the year ahead.”

DIMOS opens branch office in Dubai

Posted on by Keith McKinley

DIMOS Maschinenbau GmbH, a manufacturer of warehouse and industrial trucks as well as system supplier for the air cargo sector, is establishing a branch office in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. With this move, the family business based in Peterberg, Germany, is strengthening its local customer and project support and taking a big step towards internationalisation.

The connection between DIMOS and Dubai began in 1999, when the manufacturer delivered the first Pallet Mover to Dubai International Airport. Today, numerous other products from the Air Cargo portfolio are in use in the Arab region, in particular the X-Way Mover multifunctional vehicle. The team of Unitechnik Systems GmbH, based in Dubai, has supported DIMOS as a partner from the very beginning. Together with the specialist for automation solutions for internal logistics and production, DIMOS has implemented a large number of joint air cargo projects.

Out of this long-standing partnership, DIMOS is now establishing its own branch office in Dubai. As a result, from now on the Projects & Systems department of DIMOS will represent the business in the United Arab Emirates independently. The air cargo experts concentrate on the acquisition and handling of intelligent system solutions in the airport sector. The organisation and administration are controlled from Germany. The Dubai team, consisting of technicians, programmers and sales staff, continues to carry out, finalise and follow through orders and processes on site.

Building on experience

“We are enabling a new generation to emerge in Dubai, but we are relying on a team that is established in the market with a large number of project successes and a high level of customer trust in the United Arab Emirates,” emphasises Pascal Schütz, Sales Manager at DIMOS. “Our customers will retain their long-standing contact persons, who can now offer even more intensive support.”

DIMOS plans to further develop and strengthen the air cargo sector it has built up so far in Dubai, but at the same time is looking towards the material handling market: “In the medium term, we would like to position ourselves in the Dubai area as a contact for warehouse and industrial trucks for all industries and actively shape the market there, which is characterised by innovation and visionary thinking,” Schütz concludes.

 

 

IAG Cargo boosts Latin American service

Posted on by Keith McKinley

IAG Cargo, the cargo division of International Airlines Group (IAG), has increased services to Colombia and Argentina from Madrid, whilst offering daily capacity between Sao Paolo and Buenos Aires. The business now services 17 destinations in Latin America from Madrid, London and Barcelona.

IAG Cargo has particularly increased services to Colombia, with 14 flights per week now operating between Madrid and Bogota (up on the previous 10), while the three flights per week schedule into Cali is maintained. It has also increased services between Madrid-Buenos Aires from 8 to 10 flights per week, and services between London-Heathrow and Mexico City increase to 7 per week (up from the previous 5).

IAG Cargo’s new service between Sao Paolo and Buenos Aires will enable the flow of goods between the two cities and the opportunity to fly freight across its network onto busy transatlantic trade lanes. All services utilise the Group’s wide-body aircraft.

IAG Cargo now offers capacity to nearly every destination in Latin America which it operated pre-pandemic with over 250 weekly services in total and all utilising wide-body aircraft. This service has proved particularly valuable to the automotive and manufacturing industries which utilise air freight between the regions, and to the medical sector.

The extra capacity also benefits perishable exporters seeking to transport fresh produce into Europe and the UK, an important period in the run-up to Valentine’s Day.

Rodrigo Casal, Regional Commercial Manager for Latin America at IAG Cargo, said: “These additional flights will provide a welcome boost to businesses trading between Europe, UK and Latin America. Additionally, we are delighted to be able to offer regular wide-body capacity between Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires, on flights that feed into London and Madrid.

“Our global network allows customers a gateway to the world, connecting automotive freight to assembly plants in Europe, or perishables onto the supermarket shelves in the UK.”

The news of IAG Cargo’s expanded offer in the region follows strong performance in 2021, when a new route from Heathrow to Guayaquil, Ecuador was announced and increased flights to Sao Paolo, Brazil and Mexico City. Regular flights to San Juan, Puerto Rico and from Heathrow to Rio de Janiero were also re-started in 2021.

Eligible customers seeking to book their freight with IAG Cargo can benefit from its loyalty programme – FORWARD.REWARDS and FORWARD.PLATINUM.

Atlantic Pacific purchases Freedom Logistics

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Atlantic Pacific Group has acquired Freedom Logistics UK Ltd, effective from 19th January 2022.

Freedom Logistics is a Heathrow-based international logistics supplier that predominantly has been providing air freight, warehousing and logistics services for 15 years.

In support of global logistics and niche services, including specialising in temperature controlled cool-chain services, Freedom operates from its own warehousing unit in Feltham, with the ability to collect and deliver using its own vehicles.

Atlantic Pacific Group Chairman Ashley Nichols commented: “We are delighted to welcome the Freedom Logistics team to our group. Strategically, this is a great fit for all group members, which enables us to extend our air freight services to better support many of our specialist verticals.

“The experience and specialist knowledge that Freedom provide within the cool-chain sector will be of great benefit to our existing customers, especially the many we have in the Food industry.”

Freedom Logistics Managing Director Chris Houghton added: ”Joining the Atlantic Pacific Group is a great opportunity for us. Gaining access to the group’s buying power, worldwide network and global service offering, while maintaining our dedicated and personal approach to customers, should open up a host of opportunities for our existing clients.”

Chris Houghton will continue to lead Freedom Logistics, as he has done since the company was formed in 2007.

 

STILL raises standards with new truck series

Posted on by David Priestman

With the new LXT 120-350 and LXW 20-30 series, STILL says it has not only modernised and expanded its product portfolio of electrically powered tractors and platform trucks but has also raised the safety standard of these trucks to a new level.

In particular, the unique Descent Speed Regulation (DSR) assistance system, a load- and inclination-dependent speed regulation system, provides extra safety and increased handling performance when driving on ramps.

Electric tow tractors and platform trucks have become an indispensable part of the modern working world. Shipyards, car manufacturers, international airports and railway stations, logistics companies, freight forwarders and countless production plants around the world have relied on the qualities of STILL’s tow tractors and platform trucks for many years. Now the Hamburg-based intralogistics provider has once again expanded its vehicle portfolio and geared it up for the future.

The new LXT 120-350 electric tow tractors with towing capacities of between 12 and 35 tonnes and the LXW 20-30 electric platform truck (payloads of two and three tonnes on the load area, towing capacities of six tonnes) offer a wide range of modular equipment options and impress with their performance. Extensive tests in different industries at sometimes very harsh locations have proven that efficiency and top performance can be perfectly combined with these new vehicles.

The STILL engineers are particularly proud of the Descent Speed Regulation (DSR) assistance system they developed. “An absolute world first,” emphasise the two STILL experts Alexander Claus, product manager for tractors, and Janos Poppe, product trainer for tractors. “This unique system not only supports the driver in driving safely on ramps, but also increases the handling performance. With trailer loads of up to 35 tonnes, the drivers always move in accordance with the situation – and at the same time as quickly as possible,” says Poppe.

Depending on the version, the DSR detects the exact inclination on sloping ramps for this purpose, takes the current load weight into account and automatically adjusts the speed to the respective conditions by intervening in the oil bath multiple-disc system. In the basic version, which is installed in all vehicles, the speed is limited manually to a predefined speed via a switch when driving down a slope.

In the optionally available ECO version, the system shows the gradient on the display and automatically limits the speed to a predefined value. In the premium version of the DSR, the automatic speed reduction depends on the gradient and additionally on the towed load. The trailer load is determined by measuring the torque on the drive motors.

“This very innovative method of determining the load, in which we measure the trailer load virtually at the trailer coupling, is so far the only one of its kind in the world and is only used on STILL trucks,” reports Claus, not without pride.

Uncompromised technical equipment

The STILL developers have also come up with something for the other technical components of the new trucks. For example, all the trucks have hydraulic multi-disc brakes on both axles, which enable a particularly high-performance and precise braking process, are wear-free and operate almost completely silently. In addition, the regenerative braking of the electric drive allows energy to be recovered during the braking process. The parking brake is also electric and engages automatically.

The vehicles of the LXT/LXW series are driven by two 10.5kW motors on the rear axle. The 80V three-phase motors are encapsulated and maintenance-free. The intelligent motor control ensures agile driving behaviour and the speed-controlled drive means that there is no loss of speed, even when driving uphill for long periods. The maximum speed of the LXT vehicles without load is 25km/h, the LXW reaches up to 23km/h. The towing tractors and platform trucks can be charged quickly and easily without opening the bonnet thanks to the quick-charge socket or on-board charger.

The new cab is generously designed and offers even tall drivers plenty of headroom and a very spacious footwell. A wide range of seat adjustments ensures a comfortable workplace and offers every driver the right position for fatigue-free work. The driver’s cab itself is mounted on rubber buffers and is therefore vibration-damped and decoupled from the chassis.

The chassis, which is equally damped by extra-long coil springs, offers additional driving comfort and allows first-class road holding. Thanks to the STILL Easy Control colour display, the drivers always have all the important information at a glance – for example the steering wheel position, direction of travel, driving programme, speed, angle of inclination, load display or loading status. The new steering wheel with optional knob allows easy and ergonomic operation of the fully hydraulic steering. Its haptic surface provides a good grip.

Improved visibility

‘All-round glazing’ ensures optimum visibility in the new vehicles. To this end, 23% more window surfaces were installed compared to the predecessor models. Optimised visibility in all directions increases safety and prevents physical damage. The optional reversing camera makes manoeuvring and coupling easier when reversing.

Protection against accidents and breakage of goods is also provided by the Curve Speed Control system, also available as an option, which automatically adjusts the speed during cornering and thus ensures safe cornering. The vehicles can be easily integrated into control systems such as STILL neXXt fleet, the most innovative and powerful web portal for fleet optimisation of industrial trucks, via an optional interface. All relevant information for quick analyses or optimisation measures are thus bundled in just one tool.

Other optionally available safety features include the STILL Flashlight, Safety Light 4Plus, FleetManager and the intelligent acoustic warning signal, the volume of which is always 10dB higher than the ambient volume. With this system, passers-by and other drivers or operators are always warned of the vehicle at the right volume, without creating an unnecessarily high noise level for the driver and the person being warned.

Samskip adds air freight to portfolio

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Samskip is bringing together expertise from its Bremen-based project cargo business and its dedicated air freight team at Schiphol airport in the Netherlands to leverage its full potential as a “hidden gem” in special load logistics.

The joint initiative creates a focus for capabilities which extend from express air freight delivery, through breakbulk, heavy lift and out-of-gauge special cargoes movements by sea. The one-stop-shop service includes coordinated plane and ship chartering by Samskip.

“We are extending our ability to overcome exceptional transport challenges by bringing together proven expertise in air and ocean logistics,” says Jens Siedentopf, Head of Breakbulk Projects, Samskip.

Mostly associated with multimodal transport, Samskip has identified project cargoes as a strong opportunity for growth, based on its global logistics presence and the potential to coordinate with its shortsea, rail, trucking and inland barge service network. The opportunity to add airfreight to the project cargo mix follows the launch of Samskip Air in May 2021.

Seafood volumes moving by air grew strongly in the second part of 2021, especially through sea-air links into global markets via Schiphol. However, coordinating sea and air services allows Samskip Air Freight Manager Hans Blauw to convert other opportunities. A recent requirement to help a customer facing production backlogs to transfer a 19-tonne load that would normally have been shipped by sea to air service provided “one example of how this can work”, says Blauw.

However, Blauw is more focused on growing volumes based on logistics expertise rather than opportunism. The former KLM, FedEx and TNT executive says a job for an oil major which involved sending some cargoes by sea and chartering a plane to carry urgently needed equipment by air “to get rigs operational after a storm” showed what can be done. Another, for a mining company, saw equipment shipped by sea and plane on a door-door basis, with trucking managed by Samskip at both ends.

“We offered full project cargo logistics services that deal with the customer’s need to get their asset working and earning again, backed up by out-of-gauge loads moving by sea,” says Blauw Other areas where Samskip’s airfreight skillsets have been making an impact include logistics management for China’s mobile phone industry, he adds.

The attractions of Samskip as air freight service provider for overweight/oversized cargoes could be a “no brainer” for its existing project cargo customers, according to Siedentopf. “Based on extensive knowledge, we offer services ranging from logistics management to individual transport planning from origin to destination. We’ve also made a speciality of combining tailor-made transport services to secure attractive freight rates. We have the experience, the engineering and the risk assessment, the chartering solutions and the equipment to support our ambitions.”

With 47 offices in 35 countries, Samskip also has the network, the local staff, the customs knowhow and the digital booking systems “to support pain-free, A-Z project cargo logistics for large and small customers alike, whatever the challenge or routing,” says Siedentopf.

Samskip’s multimodal-focused employees are increasingly getting the message on the potential to introduce customers to project cargo services which uphold the same high standards on safety and sustainability, he adds. Currently, Siedentopf is raising awareness internally of Samskip’s longstanding sole in multi-purpose vessel chartering, which often flies under the radar.

“We have the special skills in handling loads of different sizes, the financial strength, the chartering expertise and contacts, and the experience to deliver reliability and load combinations which achieve competitive rates,” he says. “Samskip is the hidden gem of project cargo management, and coordination with our airfreight division puts us one step closer to its discovery by the mainstream market.”

Silk Way West offers bookings on WebCargo platform

Posted on by Keith McKinley

Fast-growing Azerbaijan-based freight operator Silk Way West Airlines is set to enable Digital Air Cargo real-time pricing and eBooking for thousands of forwarders on WebCargo, the world’s largest air cargo booking platform.

Supply chain challenges this year, which saw air cargo demand 10% higher than 2019 levels and ocean rates four times higher than already elevated prices at the start of the year, have reinforced the need for more efficient air cargo capacity utilisation and booking. Digital Air Cargo has emerged as a key tool to address this, with strong support from both airlines and forwarders.

Continuing this trend of air cargo innovation, Silk Way West Airlines, a top-25 global all-freighter airline, is joining WebCargo’s air cargo booking platform, enabling access to real-time pricing and booking across their rapidly growing fleet for over 10,000 freight forwarder offices globally. As of mid-January 2022, capacity across Silk Way West Airlines’ 13 freighters, which connect over 40 destinations across Europe, Asia, and the Americas, will be made available to WebCargo forwarders around the world starting from Europe.

“It has become clear that the pandemic and increased global logistics demand has accelerated the need to offer digital booking capabilities for air freight,” said Wolfgang Meier, CEO and President of Silk Way West Airlines. “Building on the strength of a full freighter network, Silk Way West Airlines looks forward to the new year by extending greater service accessibility and capacity visibility to our valued customers 24/7.”

Demand for Digital Air Cargo via the WebCargo platform has soared during 2021, with over 10x growth on a strong 2020, resulting in hundreds of thousands of eBookings on WebCargo. Airlines have also encouraged adoption; Silk Way West Airlines’ addition brings the level of global capacity across top-100 airlines digitised on WebCargo to over 35%.

“In 2017, air cargo digitisation was a question of if the industry could adapt. By 2019 it was a question of when. Today, we’re asking how much faster it can go. Freighters like Silk Way West Airlines are showing that the answer is ‘faster than you can possibly imagine’,” said Manuel Galindo, CEO of WebCargo.

“We’re witnessing a massive shift towards Digital Air Cargo reflected on WebCargo’s booking and rate management platform and are proud to welcome Silk Way West Airlines to our list of innovative partner airlines.”

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