Aviation Firm Strengthens Female Leadership

Menzies Aviation, a leading service partner to the world’s airports and airlines, has strengthened its leadership with the appointment of two senior members of its Middle East, Africa and Asia (MEAA) team.

Lina El Mallah has been promoted to the position of Senior Vice President (SVP) Organisation Change and Systems, while Al-Anood Al-Suwaidi (pictured) joins the company as SVP of Cargo for the MEAA region.

Most recently, El Mallah served as VP Lounges and VIP Services for Menzies Aviation. Based in Kuwait, she has more than 10 years of functional and strategic experience in the telecom and aviation industries, including corporate sales, marketing intelligence and planning, strategic business planning and modelling as well as project management for various market segments. In her new role, she will be responsible for overseeing strategic transformations and working closely with senior leadership to ensure seamless integration within the region.

Al-Suwaidi joins Menzies Aviation from Etihad Airways where she recently served as Network Safety and Compliance Manager for the cargo division. With almost 10 years working in Etihad’s cargo business, Al-Anood brings a wealth of experience and expertise in the sector having managed the carrier’s Cargo Compliance Audit Program and headed cargo operations in both North and East Europe, ensuring continuous safety awareness across the entire Etihad cargo network.

The appointment of both Lina El Mallah and Al-Anood Al-Suwaidi supports the company’s commitment to increase gender diversity and the proportion of women in its middle leadership to at least 40% by 2033 and senior leadership population to a minimum of 25% by 2025, in line with the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) 25by2025 campaign.

Charles Wyley, EVP, Middle East, Africa and Asia, Menzies Aviation said: “We’re delighted to welcome Lina and Al-Anood to the Menzies MEAA team, as we focus on our market growth strategy and build on our presence in the MEAA region. Over the past 12 months, we’ve seen a steady growth in both passenger and cargo volumes, and look forward to working together to deliver safe, secure and high-quality services for our expanding customer base.”

Al-Anood Al-Suwaidi will join Menzies Aviation on 1 January 2024, while Lina El Mallah will transition to her new role, effective 1 November 2023.

Loneliest Lion gets Qatar Airways Journey

After enduring five years of isolation in an abandoned Armenian zoo, Ruben, known as the world’s loneliest lion, embarked on a remarkable journey of rehabilitation in Free State, South Africa, thanks to the collaborative efforts of Animals Defenders International (ADI) and Qatar Airways Cargo.

Ruben, who was left behind when a private zoo closed down in Armenia, suffered in a tiny concrete cell with no contact with other lions. Ruben’s happy ending was at risk when ADI could not find a suitable flight for him out of Armenia.

Qatar Airways Cargo orchestrated a 5,200-mile journey for the 15-year-old lion, where he is now re-discovering his voice and confidence as he roams the ADI Wildlife Sanctuary. Despite physical challenges from years of captivity, Ruben’s resilience and determination shine through, offering hope for his remarkable recovery.

Elisabeth Oudkerk, SVP Cargo Sales & Network Planning at Qatar Airways Cargo said: “We are committed to preserving wildlife and endangered species, that is why we launched our WeQare Chapter 2 initiative: ‘Rewild the Planet’ back in 2020. We pledged to return wildlife and endangered species back to their natural habitat, free of charge and we will continue to do so.”

“When ADI approached us and explained the sad story of Ruben, we immediately knew we had to help them. There are a lot of logistics involved in moving animals like Ruben; from the logistics at the airports involved, the process for loading and unloading the animals from the aircraft, to ensuring the correct cages and wellbeing of the animals are in place. It takes a lot of effort from our team to organise such transport – but it is something we are all collectively very proud to be a part of, knowing we helped give back to our planet.”

Jan Creamer, President, Animals Defenders International added: “Ruben was really in trouble until Qatar Airways Cargo stepped up. ADI had been funding his care in Armenia since December and when we could find no flights for him we feared he could be stuck there.

“Then Qatar Airways Cargo ‘WeQare’ initiative stepped in, moving a larger aircraft with hold doors big enough for Ruben’s crate, into the scheduled passenger route out of Yerevan. We are so thankful to Qatar Airways Cargo for all their support in helping get Ruben to South Africa. Seeing Ruben walk on grass for the first time, hearing the voices of his own kind, with the African sun on his back, brought us all to tears.”

Qatar Airways Cargo’s WeQare sustainability programme consists of a series of focus chapters based on four core pillars: environment, society, economy, and culture and is a conscious endeavour to create a more positive impact on the industry and the world. Chapter 2 – Rewild the Planet encourages the preservation of ecological balance by offering free transport to organisations involved in returning wild animals to their natural habitat.

Scheduled Route Connecting Baku with LA

Silk Way West Airlines, a cargo airline in the Caspian and Central Asian region, expands its US network by adding weekly flights to and from Los Angeles International Airport, one of the world’s largest cargo gateways, handling millions of tons of freight annually.

The addition of the California hub to its network reinforces the carrier’s dedication to meeting the evolving needs of its customers and supporting global trade. The airline will transport a wide range of general cargo, perishables, oversized and e-commerce goods on the route.

With this route expansion, Silk Way West Airlines enhances its presence in this key region by introducing an additional strategic destination. The addition of Los Angeles complements Silk Way West Airlines’ flights to Houston, launched in April of this year, as well as the previously established regular flights to Chicago and Dallas.

“We are delighted to announce the expansion of our network with the addition of Los Angeles International Airport as a new destination,” said Fadi Nahas, Silk Way West Vice President Americas. “The new route will greatly benefit our West Coast customers by providing freighter nose cargo load capacity and shorter transit times for US destinations west of the Continental Divide.”

Founded in 2012 in Baku, at the heart of the Silk Road, Silk Way West Airlines operates hundreds of flights every month across the globe via its fleet of 12 dedicated Boeing 747-8F and 747-400F aircraft based at Heydar Aliyev International Airport. On April 28, 2021, Silk Way West Airlines signed a strategic fleet expansion agreement with Boeing for the purchase of five new 777 Freighters, followed by a further agreement signed on November 10, 2022 for the purchase of two state-of-the-art 777-8 Freighters. Silk Way West Airlines also agreed the purchase of two A350 Freighters with Airbus on June 28, 2022.

The airline’s annual cargo turnover exceeds 500,000 tons, and its growing route network covers over 40 destinations across Europe, the CIS, the Middle East, Central and Eastern Asia, and the Americas.

UK 3PL Experiences Impressive Growth

Cargo Express, a transport, warehousing, and logistics management company based in the West Midlands, has experienced an impressive period of growth, resulting in huge developments to its fleet, workforce, and services. Cargo Express work with companies located around the world with their fast and reliable, road, sea, and air freight solutions.

The company has invested an impressive £2 million over the past year into an already extensive fleet, including Scania’s, DAF’s Renault’s and various trailers. Bringing in more vehicles results in a more diversified fleet, allowing the service of more clients at any one time, and provides Cargo Express with more ways to better meet client needs when transporting across the UK and internationally.

It also allows for greater flexibility with non-standard and irregular goods, a speciality of which the company are well regarded in the transport and logistics industry.

The company has been part of a government trial that has tested the use of longer semi-trailers for more than eight years. The trial itself ran for 11 years, and the trailers, which are 2.05 metres longer than standard-sized trailers are now approved for use on UK roads.

Cargo Express have recruited and employed new staff across the business, resulting in the rapid expansion of the international team. These new team members have then inherited specific skills, growing both sea and air freight offerings and the customs department.

In fact, the logistics firm recently achieved AEO (Authorised Economic Operator) status, granted directly from HMRC in recognition of secure and trustworthy businesses within the supply chain.
The accreditation gives approved logistics companies access to more streamlined customs processes, reduces the risk of theft due to a lower risk score, and allows them to benefit from trade agreements with the EU, Japan, China, the USA, and more.

Additionally, Cargo Express has expanded its warehousing offering to include “pick & pack” and stock control services to its clients, giving them greater and more fine-tuned control of their supply chain operation. The strategic location of their warehouses in the West Midlands also helps with quick distribution for their same- and next-day delivery services.

Cargo Express is a DVSA Earned Recognition operator, proving their commitment to meeting driver and vehicle safety standards. The accreditation requires the logistics provider to provide data straight to the DVSA and, in turn, ensures the fleet and transport operation is compliant and efficient on the road.

 

MSC Air Cargo Partners with IBS

IBS Software, a global leader of SaaS solutions to the travel and cargo industry, has been selected by the air cargo unit of MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, as a strategic partner in a bid to digitally transform its air cargo operations.

iCargo, the Software as a Service solution for air cargo management from IBS Software, will install a true digital platform that covers cargo sales, operations, cargo accounting and portal for MSC. The standard product implementation will help MSC to go-live faster and start business operations at the earliest opportunity. Once fully implemented, iCargo will enable MSC to have full visibility of its air cargo value chain, covering sales, operations and accounting, while also gaining insights for continuous business improvement.

The partnership enables IBS Software to deploy iCargo for a company that is already the world’s largest container carrier and which is now growing its MSC Air Cargo unit, as a complementary business to its core ocean shipping solution. iCargo adheres to best practices in the air cargo industry and is fully compliant with global industry standards and initiatives – such as Cargo iQ, C-XML, OneRecord, e-AWB and e-Freight – making this latest development a remarkable moment across the logistics industry. It is an important step toward achieving seamless operations across multi-modal logistics models, increased efficiency and the productivity to power rapid global trade and growth IBS Software has long advocated for.

“This is our first step into this market, and we plan to continue exploring avenues to develop air cargo in a way that complements MSC’s overall solutions to our customers. This is why we’ve engaged IBS Software in a strategic agreement to implement their industry leading iCargo platform. While we appreciate that many existing processes may remain relevant, our business is continuously evolving; and we believe that improvements in how a multimodal business operates internally can help its customers achieve success. We see great potential in IBS Software’s capabilities and solutions, through which we expect to harness the power of digitalisation to help achieve MSC Air Cargo’s objectives” said Mr. Jannie Davel, Senior Vice President, MSC Air Cargo.

“We’re thrilled to embark on this partnership and to support MSC Air Cargo’s new business objectives in the cargo industry. We’re confident the iCargo solution and the team that continuously innovates our products will take MSC’s multi-modal business model to new heights.” said Ashok Rajan, Head of Cargo & Logistics Solutions at IBS Software.

MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, privately owned and founded in 1970 by Gianluigi Aponte. As one of the world’s leading container shipping lines, MSC has 675 offices across 155 countries worldwide with over 150,000 employees. With access to an integrated network of road, rail and sea transport resources which stretches across the globe, the company prides itself on delivering global services with local knowledge. MSC Air Cargo is a new business unit that complements the existing ocean container shipping solutions and is serving key trade lanes and various industries, including those which traditionally have significant air cargo transportation needs.

IAG Cargo Launches Service to Cincinnati

IAG Cargo, the cargo division of International Airlines Group (BA and Iberia), today announces it will be starting a new direct service between London-Heathrow and Cincinnati, Ohio for the first time in its history.

From 5th June, IAG Cargo customers are now able to export and import vital goods between London-Heathrow and Cincinnati, Ohio five days week during the summer months, and four times a week during the winder period. The route will be essential for the movement of e-commerce, a key source of revenue for the U.S generating $272.6 billion of revenue in the first quarter of 2023.

Camilo Garcia Cervera, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at IAG Cargo said: “The transatlantic corridor is one of the world’s most important trade lanes, and a vital part of our network and so we’re pleased to support our customers with a new route to Cincinnati. With this direct route from one of our key hubs, London, customers can benefit from our wider network that spans across six continents to transport the regions high in demand imports and exports.”

This new route supports IAG Cargo’s increased schedule into the United States, where the company now serves 27 US destinations. Popular items shipped across this trade lane have included high volumes of automotive parts from Southeast Asia, transferred via Europe, into the United States, as well as sporting equipment, food and drink and ecommerce items like home office equipment.

IAG Cargo is the single business created following the merger of British Airways World Cargo and Iberia Cargo in April 2011. Following the integration of additional airlines into the business, including Aer Lingus, Vueling and bmi, IAG Cargo now covers a global network.

In 2022 IAG Cargo had a commercial revenue of €1,615 million. Its parent company, International Airlines Group (IAG), is one of the world’s largest airline groups with 558 aircraft at 31st December 2022.

New Cargo Handling Facility at Heathrow

IAG Cargo, the cargo division of International Airlines Group (IAG) today celebrates the official opening of its new cargo handling facility, New Premia at key international hub, London Heathrow.

New Premia will serve as IAG Cargo’s new home for handling premium loose shipments, enabling double the amount of cargo to be managed daily. To accommodate this increase in cargo handling capacity, significant focus has been given to designing bespoke IT systems and systems integration to regulate freight movements and allocations inside the facility.

The facility has been designed to handle more cargo for customers as efficiently as possible, with 11 new landside doors, meaning even faster engagement for drivers to collect or drop off cargo. The temperature-controlled building includes a state-of-the-art Constant Climate Quality Centre (CCQC) for pharmaceuticals, with 29 dedicated cool cells and temperature facilities available from +2°C to +8°C (COL), +15°C to +25°C (CRT) and -20°C (FRO) ensuring sensitive shipments are held in a temperature-controlled environment at all times. Additionally, the +15°C to +25°C (CRT) chamber includes two dedicated break and build workstations. The new facility is certified under IAG Cargo’s Good Distribution Practice (GDP) WDA licence issued by the UK Medicines & Healthcare Regulatory Agency.

Operationally, four large ‘transfer vehicles’ have been introduced which service the 20 new workstations. These vehicles pass through rapid-rise doors allowing cargo to be moved autonomously through the facility and into storage in advance of collection and delivery to the aircraft for exports and similarly the process works in reverse for imports. This process uses ground-breaking technology as the system is fully integrated with IAG Cargo’s existing Warehouse Management System – which is the first time globally that this integration has been delivered.

David Shepherd, Chief Executive Officer at IAG Cargo said: “The opening of New Premia is a pivotal milestone for IAG Cargo – the benefits it will bring both to our customers and our operational teams is huge. We strive to provide the best service for our customers and the investment into our IT systems will improve our operational performance, optimising the movement of cargo to support global trade. I’m proud of the entire team that have made it possible to officially launch today – it represents a truly exciting time for us as a business. I look forward to seeing New Premia now run at its full potential.”

Investment into learning and development remains key at IAG Cargo and to prepare for New Premia opening and the transition to the new model, IAG Cargo staff have received targeted training over the last 18 months and this training continues as normal operations takes place at the facility. New roles have also been created such as six new Planning Managers, who work closely with the Operations Duty Manager and are fundamental in delivering the day-to-day operations.

New Air Freight Connection: China-Bournemouth

Bournemouth Airport’s Cargo First air freight business is celebrating the start of a new regular service between China and Bournemouth as part of a strategic partnership to grow the airport’s cargo operation.

Shenzhen Sharing Express Logistic-Tech Ltd (SSELT) has launched the first all-cargo route between Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (CTU) in China and Bournemouth Airport (BOH) in the United Kingdom, further enhancing its comprehensive logistics solutions for cross-border e-commerce sellers.

The new service is operated by Bournemouth-based European Cargo using its fleet of all-cargo A-340 wide-bodied freighters, each with a capacity of 70 tonnes. Initially, there are three flights per week, with plans to gradually increase the frequency to five flights per week in the future as SSELT strengthens its global network.

The new route has received support from the China Council for the Promotion of National Trade and China Post, bolstering international connectivity for the Chengdu region and offering a fast and reliable solution for south west China’s cross-border e-commerce sellers to reach the UK market. SSELT is also targeting UK exporters on return legs, supporting the flow of UK goods to the China market.

The route is further evidence of Bournemouth’s growing status as a strategic freight hub. It is the only unconstrained airport in Southern England and Cargo First’s One Team approach means it controls every aspect of the process, airside and landslide. Combined with being just 90 minutes from London, it means shipments can get to customer warehouses in half the time of going through a London hub airport.

Bournemouth Airport managing director Steve Gill, said: “We’re delighted that Cargo First is part of this strategic partnership with SSELT and European Cargo, offering a fast and efficient route for cross border e-commerce into the UK. Together we can save customers a lot of time in a time-sensitive market. That’s a huge selling point, and one that we are taking to Air Cargo Europe next week. [May 9-10]

“Working with European Cargo we’ve proven Bournemouth as a viable alternative gateway to London and the South East for commercial air cargo. Cross border e-commerce continues to experience strong growth and we are seeing a lot of providers like SSELT scouting for alternatives to the London hubs because they want airports that can handle that growth into the future.”

European Cargo’s chief executive David Kerr said: “We have extensive experience of the China market and this new route from Chengu to Bournemouth establishes an exciting new trade corridor that ensures the timely delivery of e-commerce goods from south west China to UK consumers. It also creates significant opportunities for UK exports back to China and is among a range of potential routes that we are looking to grow.”

For European Cargo the new route is also a proving ground for its fleet of all-cargo Airbus A340 long haul freighters that it has been converting with a bespoke in-cabin pod containment system to add to belly capacity. It expects up to six conversions this year with a further pipeline in 2024, making it the largest UK-based wide-bodied carrier. In the last few months the freighters have received certification from both EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) and the Civil Aviation Authority in the UK.

IAG Cargo Restarts China Flights

IAG Cargo, the cargo division of International Airlines Group (IAG) announces it will restart services between London-Heathrow and Beijing and Shanghai after almost two years, as China reopens its borders to tourists.

From 23rd April, IAG Cargo customers will be able to export and import vital goods on a daily rotation between London-Heathrow and Shanghai Pudong International Airport. In addition, services between London-Heathrow and Beijing Daxing Airport will resume on June 3rd, with four flights each week.

During the early pandemic period, IAG Cargo offered customers cargo-only services and charters between the UK and China to support the delivery of essential cargo needed for the fight against covid-19. The business helped governments and private customers transport more than 11,000 tonnes of vital PPE and medical supplies from China.

From January 2020 and summer of 2021, IAG Cargo operated 700 charters and 160 cargo-only flights to China, with the last cargo-only service between London Heathrow and Shanghai in June 2021, and last cargo-only service to Beijing in July 2021.

Camilo Garcia Cervera, IAG Cargo Chief Sales and Marketing Officer said: “Europe – China is one of the world’s most important trade lanes, and a vital part of our network; we’re so pleased to be reopening the route after a long pause. With high-tech items, ecommerce, clothing and automotive driving both imports and exports, we can help customers to stay better connected with their trading partners across the world. Customers using our services also benefit from our wider network, that continues to grow and spans across six continents.”

Eligible customers seeking to use IAG Cargo’s services also benefit from IAG Cargo’s loyalty programmes; FORWARD.REWARDS and FORWARD.PLATINUM. Customers also have the option of utilising IAG Cargo’s extensive network, offering easy and convenient access to hundreds of destinations worldwide.

IAG Cargo is the single business created following the merger of British Airways World Cargo and Iberia Cargo in April 2011. Following the integration of additional airlines into the business, including Aer Lingus, Vueling and bmi, IAG Cargo now covers a global network.

Cathay Pacific Cargo Rebrands

Cathay has announced the launch of Cathay Cargo, a rebrand of its cargo business, and a change of name from Cathay Pacific Cargo. The change aligns with the airline’s overarching brand redesign, and reinforces the existing strong brand association and perceptions held by its customers. Cathay Cargo aligns with the same purpose, vision and values of our master brand Cathay and all of its subsidiary brands, including Cathay Pacific, the passenger airline, and Cathay, the everyday lifestyle offering.

Cathay Cargo is united behind Cathay’s vision to become one of the world’s greatest service brands, and plays an integral role in helping to fulfil that aspiration through its world-class air cargo network, which transports products that facilitate trade across the entire Cathay network and beyond. Shipping directly to more than 70 destinations worldwide, Cathay Cargo is committed to advancing the development of all destination countries served by Cathay’s more than 200 aircraft.

Group Chief Executive Officer Ronald Lam said: “Cathay’s cargo business has played a vital role in the success of the Cathay Group since 1946, when we carried our first shipment between China and Australia. Our cargo services operate out of our home base of Hong Kong, which is also the world’s busiest international air cargo hub.

“This is an opportune moment to align our cargo business with the master brand as we continue our cargo investments in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area for a promising future. This rebrand reflects our Cargo business’ commitment to the same ‘Move Beyond’ ambition as the Group, while building on a strength that the Cathay brand has long been known for – offering leading-edge services to our customers.”

Reflecting this commitment to invest, Cathay Cargo has recently introduced a number of exciting refreshed solutions, including Cathay Priority and Cathay Pharma. Cathay Mail is scheduled for a refresh in March. These services cater to the respective burgeoning demands by customers for effective temperature-sensitive solutions, and efficient and reliable delivery solutions with new digital technology that better meets the requirements for shipment visibility, reliability and speed.

Director Cargo Tom Owen said: “Cathay Cargo continues to innovate new solutions, services and technology for customers as we build towards being one of the world’s greatest service brands. Continued investment in technology and logistics will solidify our position as a leading player in the industry.”

Cathay Cargo has invested in technology in recent years. This includes Ultra Track, a multi-dimensional track-and-trace service that gives customers near-real-time information on the airport-to-airport leg of the shipment journey using low-energy Bluetooth data-loggers; and, Click & Ship, an intuitive online booking service available 24/7 with instant processing and confirmation.

As part of its rebranding campaign, Cathay Cargo’s website has been revamped to reflect the brand ethos, and enable users to easily access popular features such as booking, track and trace, and flight availability, whilst also providing a clear showcase of recent campaign offers and featured solutions. The rebrand will connect Cathay Cargo to the master Cathay brand – a premium travel lifestyle brand offering a range of products and services that create more value for customers and partners. Cathay Cargo will have more exciting initiatives in the coming months as the company works toward a complete rebrand.

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