Recently, the 1st SAF-compensated cargo shipment departed from Barcelona, heading to Zurich, with Narita as the final destination.
The flight represents an important milestone for Swiss WorldCargo, as it brings the division a significant step closer to SAF leverage and, thus, to a greener future in aviation.
Swiss WorldCargo’s 1st SAF-compensated cargo shipment left Barcelona, heading to Zurich. According to the Swiss WorldCargo colleagues supervising the transfer process at the Zurich airport, the handling went smoothly, and the cargo could proceed to its final destination, landing safely and on time in Narita. The successful delivery of this life-saving medicines shipment was also made possible by the professional coordination of the forwarding agent PHSE, a leading company in pharmaceutical logistics.
The cargo flight was carefully planned, focusing on the specific handling requirements crucial for the shipment’s transportation, with timing being of utmost importance: a fast turn-around was guaranteed, and the shipment arrived on time in Narita. Swiss WorldCargo gladly witnessed a growing willingness of its customers to compensate for the carbon emissions of their cargo shipment. The division is therefore thrilled to announce the successful delivery of the 1st SAF-compensated shipment on its network.
The compensated cargo shipment is only the 1st of a regular series of SAF-compensated cargo transport that the customer has agreed to ship with Swiss WorldCargo until the end of March 2023.
Aviation services group, Air Partner, a Wheels Up company, has handled Teesside International Airport’s first export cargo flight.
This follows Air Partner handling some of the first inbound cargo flights into Teesside International Airport in recent weeks, as the airport is set to establish itself as the latest key cargo hub, following the closure of Doncaster Sheffield Airport earlier this year.
Air Partner’s team in Cologne arranged the charter following an urgent request from a German freight forwarder, that required automotive parts to be expeditiously flown to Stockholm for a global car manufacturer.
Pierre Van Der Stichele, Vice President of Global Cargo at Air Partner, says: “It was imperative that this time-critical cargo was delivered swiftly to prevent delays to the production line in Stockholm. Our communications and logistics processes offered the best solution with a Metroliner aircraft and a five-hour turnaround.”
In recent weeks, the team has arranged for three Cessna aircraft to fly automotive cargo into Teesside International Airport for a global manufacturer based in the north of England, with more flights taking place in the next few days.
“As a key cargo partner to Teesside International Airport, we are ready to not only support its growth as a cargo hub, but also to support global automotive manufacturers and all other industries as an enabler of seamless export and inbound operations,” adds Pierre Van Der Stichele.
As the UK’s most centrally located cargo hub in the country’s largest and first operational freeport, Teesside International Airport can cover 94.8% of England, Wales and Scotland in six hours.
Walter Jones, Head of Cargo, Teesside International Airport, says: “Teesside International Airport has the capacity and functionality to fulfil the demands of a growing cargo infrastructure. With the support of companies such as Air Partner, which has now successfully taken care of inbound and export cargo flights, Teesside International Airport will grow as the UK’s most centrally located cargo hub in the UK.”
Air Partner offers 24-hour operational support for arranging aircraft handling, acting as the first point of contact for aircraft operators globally.
Already providing airport security training through Air Partner Services’ Redline Assured Security, the new cargo charter partnership reinforces Air Partner Group’s long-established relationship with Teesside International Airport.
Cargolux and DB Schenker have launched an API providing a direct interface between both companies’ systems to generate tailored and immediate, bookable quotes.
Cargolux’s Austria, Spain and Portugal offices were selected to participate in this innovative approach in collaboration with long-standing customer DB Schenker.
The API interface allows DB Schenker to directly connect its operating system to Cargolux’s system to receive quotes and book their freight onboard a Cargolux flight. The interface offers dynamic pricing options based on specific requirements such as weight, routing, and product type.
“The implementation of API offers customers more choice and flexibility when booking their cargo with us. Launching this venture in collaboration with a key customer such as DB Schenker highlights both companies’ wish to pursue digitalization and continue looking for innovative solutions in the industry”, says Domenico Ceci, Executive Vice-President Sales & Marketing.
“The new connectivity will further transform our joint process into the latest technology and is clearly a remarkable milestone of the professional collaboration. This innovation brings benefit to all stakes of our transportation chain through digital proposition and exchange – Cargolux as preferred partner, our global customer base and the entire global Air Freight network of DB Schenker. We are very excited to establish it now globally, says Stefan Spriestersbach, Head of Production Systems, DB Schenker Global Air Freight.
Cargolux is in the midst of an extensive sales transformation project and initiatives such as the API highlight the airline’s commitment to innovation and service excellence. Cargolux is committed to implementing flexible and lean processes to enhance customer experience and contribute to digitalization along the supply chain. By increasing its “speed to market” capabilities, the airline complements its service offering while offering the quality service customers have come to expect.
The war in Ukraine, energy costs, inflation, skills shortages, climate change and the ongoing pandemic conditions - the multi-crises of 2022 have also led to a very challenging business environment in logistics.
BLG CEO Frank Dreeke explained today at the state press conference on ports that BLG LOGISTICS has mastered these challenges well thanks to robust and adaptable structures.
BLG's CEO expects just over 1.6 million vehicles to be handled, transported or technically processed at the BLG AutoTerminal Bremerhaven by the end of the year. This compares to 1.7 million in 2021 and 2.1 million vehicles before Covid (2019). In the entire AUTOMOBILE network, BLG will have handled, transported or technically processed around 4.1 million vehicles by the end of the year. The situation in the AUTOMOBILE division remains tense. The reasons and responsibilities often lie outside the ports, yet the problems are most visible there. The ports are the hub of logistics, Dreeke emphasised.
In the 2021 financial year, the Bremerhaven car terminal had to report a minus of 11 million euros. Frank Dreeke expects business to remain tight: "In June 2022, we as the Executive Board decided to restructure the terminal. The repositioning or realignment is an absolutely necessary step from our point of view. The primary goal of all those involved is to establish a stable long-term position for the Bremerhaven site, even without a collective employment protection agreement."
In the AutoTransport and AutoRail business segments - vehicle transports by truck and rail - BLG expects a volume of about 1.6 million vehicles. Here, too, the situation is complex: the demand for transport capacities by rail is high, but the provision of traction by the rail transport companies is limited due to a shortage of train drivers, a large number of construction sites in the European rail network and the prioritisation of other goods on the railways. "We need more resilient infrastructure," demands BLG's CEO: "The good connection of seaports to the rail network - the hinterland - is a key competitive advantage - also for BLG AutoTerminal Bremerhaven."
Neustädter Hafen, the only universal port in the state of Bremen and Europe's largest terminal for general and heavy cargo, remains an important hub for breakbulk traffic to North America. The volume handled at the end of November was 1.44 million tonnes. BLG expects the handling volume at the end of the year to be around 20 per cent above the volume of the previous year. "With an area of one million square metres, 2.3 kilometres of quay length and an extensive rail infrastructure, we have great potential in the middle of Bremen that must be used sensibly and sustainably, maintained and strengthened," says Frank Dreeke.
BLG's CONTRACT division is now active at over 40 locations throughout Germany and the world. BLG has reorganised this division in recent months. In future, the locations and countries will be managed in a regional structure and the topics of technology and sustainability will be more firmly anchored in the organisation. This reorganisation has come at the right time, as the negative effects of the multi-crises also pose a major challenge for this division. However, BLG's Contract Logistics expects a very reasonable result for 2022. This underlines that the strategic orientation of this division in particular makes sense.
With the "C3 Bremen", BLG commissioned a lighthouse project in the last quarter of 2022 that sets standards in terms of economy, ecology and social issues. "C3" stands for the terms "customer", "climate" and "comfort". The new logistics property in the GVZ Bremen is a pioneer in terms of climate protection. In addition to an above-average insulated building envelope, there will be a photovoltaic system on the entire roof area, a solar thermal system and an air source heat pump.
Competition for container volumes is getting tougher all the time. This year, for example, handling volumes at all German EUROGATE terminals have fallen short of expectations. Extremely high storage fees, however, more than compensate for this fact. However, these warehousing fees are special effects and therefore positive, but only temporary. This is no basis for sustainable success, Dreeke emphasised: "The industry is experiencing structural and permanent changes. The further implementation of transformation measures for a stable future of EUROGATE is and will therefore remain indispensable."
"At BLG LOGISTICS, we have taken advantage of the opportunities presented to us in the pandemic and initiated many changes that make us robust, adaptable and fit for the future - even in times of multi-crises. Given the multitude of challenges, this is a respectable achievement. However, we also know that economic uncertainties will continue to increase in 2023 – and we are preparing very intensively for them. The energy crisis, inflation and shortage of skilled workers are putting a noticeable strain on the German economy. In order to meet these challenges, we are continuing to tackle topics such as flexibility, digitalisation, automation and sustainability with full force," said Frank Dreeke at the end of his statement at the state press conference Ports 2022.
Singapore Airlines has extended its cargo partnership with Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) in the United Kingdom with a new contract for domestic trucking services connecting 18 regional offline airports.
WFS has provided cargo handling for the airline in the UK since 2015 in support of its passenger and freight services from London Heathrow and Manchester airports, including trucking services between the two airports as well as offline handling across all of WFS’ other UK stations. WFS now handles over 45,000 tonnes per annum for Singapore Airlines, which currently operates 30 flights a week ex Heathrow and seven weekly services from Manchester using a combination of Airbus A350 and A380 and Boeing 777 and 747F aircraft.
With the awarding of the new domestic trucking contract, Singapore Airlines will now access WFS’ 600 road transport services per week serving 18 other UK regional airports. WFS services every airport with overnight services 5-7 days a week.
“WFS is delighted to be extending its partnership with Singapore Airlines in the UK to include the airline’s regional transport requirements. The airline is already a major customer of our UK operations and this new contract will enable us to support Singapore Airlines’ continued growth in the UK market by giving its customers across the country fast and seamless access to its wide choice of passenger and freighter flights,” said Jennifer Smith, WFS’ UK Commercial Director – Cargo & Ground Handling.
WFS has recently invested to expand its UK transport fleet to 28 tractor units and 31 trailers to support the 50,000 tonnes its moves annually by road in the UK. The comprehensive fleet includes Q7 curtain-sided and Q6 refrigerated units as well as and rollerbed temperature-controlled trailers with state-of-the-art ‘Carrier Vector 1950’ temperature management units.
Within the framework of the SOPOREM project, which brings together the lead partner Luka Koper, the Municipality of Koper, and the Norwegian company Greenstat, two solar power plants will be built, one at the port and one on top of the P+R Sonce parking garage.
The second largest solar power plant in Slovenia, with a total capacity of 3 megawatts, will be built at the Port of Koper. The project is worth almost €3.6 million in total, €2.1 million of which is EU funding.
The project will install 400 metres of solar panels on the roofs of two sets of warehouses in the port, providing up to 3 MW of electricity. In addition, the Municipality of Koper will build a small solar power plant of 270 kilowatts. The SOPOREM project is co-funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway through the EEA Mechanism.
“Projects must be geared towards harnessing solar energy. It is right to use every rooftop, where possible, to create the best possible energy self-sufficiency in our area. I am convinced that the project to build a solar power plant on the roof of a parking garage, and especially in the Port of Koper, which has more such areas, will be a success story that will turn a new, important page in the development of the Slovenian energy sector,” said Aleš Bržan, Mayor of the Municipality of Koper, at today’s presentation of the project. The investment in the construction of a solar power plant on the Sonce parking garage is worth €655,000 and will be fully financed by the EEA mechanism.
The second largest solar power plant in the country will be installed by the Port of Koper on the roofs of two general cargo warehouses on Pier 2. “The project is a combination of the needs of the economy and of the Port of Koper, while at the same time trying to meet the needs of the local community for a cleaner, greener environment. The power plant we will build at the Port of Koper will be one of the largest in the country. Construction is scheduled to start next year and to be completed in 2024,” said Vojko Rotar, Works Director and Member of the Management Board, on the timetable for the construction of the power plant in the Port of Koper.
By 2025, the Port of Koper plans to cover three more warehouses with solar panels, increasing the total nominal capacity to 7 MW. According to Borut Čok, Head of Strategic Development Department, the company will invest around €15 million in sustainable projects in the coming year. A significant part of this will be devoted to the electrification of work equipment. For example, the Container Terminal will continue to replace diesel-powered cargo-handling vehicles with electric ones. In the coming years, a major investment in the electrification of berths is also planned, so that ships can be powered from shore.
Aviation services group, Air Partner, a Wheels Up company, has handled Teesside International Airport’s first cargo flights as the airport is set to establish itself as the latest key cargo hub, following the closure of Doncaster Sheffield Airport earlier this year.
As the UK’s most centrally located cargo hub in the country’s largest and first operational freeport, Teesside International Airport can cover 94.8% of England, Wales and Scotland in six hours.
The closure of Doncaster Sheffield Airport means 10,000 tonnes of cargo must be flown elsewhere each year, and as regional airports such as Manchester and Gatwick become increasingly congested, Teesside International Airport has the capacity to provide full operations to support cargo infrastructure in the UK.
Over the past two weeks, the Air Partner Cargo Team has arranged for three Cessna aircraft to fly automotive cargo into Teesside International Airport for a global manufacturer based in the north of England, with more flights taking place in the next few days.
Pierre Van Der Stichele, Vice President of Global Cargo at Air Partner, says: “Air Partner offers 24-hour operational support for arranging aircraft handling, acting as the first point of contact for aircraft operators globally. The successful, swift mobilisation of three turbo prop cargo aircraft in recent weeks is the tip of the iceberg as we intend to handle wide-body aircraft at Teesside International Airports in due course to support the growth of such a crucial cargo hub in the UK.”
Accessible from three dual carriageways serving the region, Teesside International Airport is set up to operate as a flexible hub to strengthen cargo connectivity in the UK, with a 2,291m runway, on-site fuel farm, unconstrained slot times and fast goods screening capabilities.
Walter Jones, Head of Cargo at Teesside International Airport, says: “Teesside International Airport has the capacity and the network to fulfil the current need to fly in 10,000 tonnes of cargo and more. Through working with businesses like Air Partner we know cargo will be taken care of. In two years, Teesside International Airport could be handling 20,000 tonnes of cargo per annum.”
Already providing airport security training through Air Partner Services’ Redline Assured Security, the new cargo charter partnership reinforces Air Partner Group’s long-established relationship with Teesside International Airport.
Air France KLM Martinair Cargo (AFKLMP Cargo) is very proud to announce that Metro Shipping Ltd has joined its Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) programme.
Birmingham-headquartered Metro Shipping is the first of our customers in the United Kingdom to invest in our SAF programme, confirming our shared ambition to contribute to the development of sustainable aviation.
Grant Liddell, Metro’s managing director, is absolutely delighted to be the UK’s first logistics provider to acknowledge the importance of participating in AFKLMP Cargo’s innovative SAF programme.
"We are proud to be partnered with Air France KLM Martinair Cargo and take this collaborative approach directly with the airline. Although it is currently early in the switch to full SAF on cargo flights, this will gather pace over the coming years, and we are already promoting the benefit in greenhouse gas reductions to our customers that are using time-critical modes across the industry."
The signing ceremony took place at Metro Shipping’s head office in Birmingham. Officials from both companies attended, including Arturo Marte, cargo director for the United Kingdom & Ireland at Air France KLM Martinair Cargo, and Grant Liddell, managing director of Metro Shipping Ltd.
Since 1981, Metro have powered the supply chains of leading British and international brands. Importing and exporting raw materials and finished products that feed, clothe, transport and protect consumers around the world.
Arturo Marte explains: “I’m pleased to welcome Metro Shipping as our first UK customer to join our Sustainable Aviation Programme. Metro Shipping has been very active in helping us raise awareness in our industry and more specifically in the UK. Creating a more sustainable air bridge for our customers is crucial and will require many initiatives from all of the players in the logistics chain.
We’re very proud of the many initiatives being put into production to help curb the impact of fossil fuels in air freight logistics. Looking forward to 2023, we’ll continue to engage with our respective customers to gather the much-needed momentum here in the UK. Looking forward to partnering up with many more of our local UK customers to continue our mission on sustainability.”
Frankfurt Cargo Services’ (FCS) operation in Germany is now powered by 100% renewable energy in support of its parent company Worldwide Flight Services’ (WFS) ‘Our Sustainable Flight Path’ program, a core part of WFS’ Environmental, Social & Government (ESG) strategy.
The switch to renewable power is the latest sustainability initiative by FCS, which is certified to the EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) and the ISO 14001 environmental management system. The new energy source supports the operation of the entire FCS warehouse facility, including material handling. IT and security systems, lighting, and charging stations for electric forklifts and company and customer vehicles.
FCS also operates a waste management and recycling system and has KPIs in place to monitor its usage of water, heating, and other consumables.
FCS is buying green energy from supplier, Energy Air GmbH, which offers a tariff certified in accordance with Germany’s ‘VdTÜV Basic Directive for Green Electricity Products’. Its production is based on 100% renewable energy and is sourced from plants were 50% are not more than 12 years old to support the passive expansion of new regenerative power plants. FCS will receive an annual validation certificate from Germany’s Federal Environment Agency based on its assessment of the energy provider.
“The use of green energy is a key part of our operating strategy and another important step towards our group’s sustainability objectives. WFS’ ‘Our Sustainable Flight Path’ sets out clear targets and expectations for the group’s global handling operations and this is uppermost in our thinking. As we replace our ground support equipment, we are increasingly building a fleet of electric vehicles, which now stands at 75% of our total fleet. We have also just acquired replacement electric cars to transport documents from the warehouse to airside – which alone is saving 11 tons of CO2 during the next three years- and we are continuing to seek more opportunities to help the planet,” said Steffen Kuhn, Director, HSSE, Real Estate & Maintenance at FCS.
Earlier this year, WFS’ cargo handling operation in Denmark created the capacity to generate 100% of its power requirements through renewable energy after entering a partnership with NRGreen to create the largest solar plant in Greater Copenhagen. This initiative involved positioning 3,500 high efficiency solar panels across the existing 10,000m2 roof area of WFS’ cargo facilities at Copenhagen Airport. WFS’ operations in France are also on track to be powered by 100% renewable energy in the New Year, and more stations will follow.
Earlier this year WFS has developed the program ‘Our Sustainable Flight Path’. It aims to coordinate, build upon, and accelerate the numerous WFS sustainability projects across the company’s network spanning stations at 164 major airports in 18 countries and five continents, and provide the sustainability focal point for WFS’ 30,000-strong international workforce.
NORDFROST GmbH & Co. KG and REMAIN GmbH Container-Depot and Repair, a company of the EUROGATE Group, are now working together in partnership at the German container seaports.
The objective of this cooperation is to unite the depot service expertise of both companies for standard containers and reefers as well as for special equipment used in project logistics. This collaboration will initially focus predominantly on the container port of Wilhelmshaven. In the future, these two established service providers will jointly offer the complete range of services for empty and full containers that already exists in Wilhelmshaven to the port's customers.
Over the past decade, the 33-hectare NORDFROST Seaport Terminal at the container port of Wilhelmshaven has witnessed the development of a complete range of services for all types of goods. This also includes depot services, a heavy goods hall for project logistics and a rail link. As part of the ongoing successful development of the German deep-water container port, the logistics specialist is currently expanding its container depot operations for heavy loads, including service facilities for repairing, washing and checking containers.
REMAIN, the leading depot operator at the German seaports, plans to extend its services to the location in Wilhelmshaven within the scope of this cooperation. Further, this collaboration will see REMAIN lease a four-hectare plot of land in the goods transport centre (GVZ) of the container port of Wilhelmshaven with a link to the NORDFROST Seaport Terminal. When combined with NORDFROST's existing depot area, which is also four hectares in size, the two companies will have roughly 80,000 m² of container depot space at their disposal in the future.
Kai Warnken, Managing Director of REMAIN GmbH Container-Depot and Repair, said when signing the cooperation agreement: "I am delighted to see the launch of this cooperation, as it makes for a very positive outlook for the port of Wilhelmshaven. Germany's only deep-water port is set to play a much greater part in global container traffic in the future. At REMAIN, we want to help drive this development forward and, together with NORDFROST, offer our customers the corresponding services, already today."
Britta Bartels, Managing Director of NORDFROST, explained: "We have always believed in the container port of Wilhelmshaven and have developed our Seaport Terminal accordingly to meet all the needs of local shippers. The route to success that is now anticipated is irreversible and cargo handling via the port is set to grow rapidly from next year. We are also promoting this by massively increasing our depot activities in Wilhelmshaven together with REMAIN and ensuring the high availability of container equipment at the location!"
Andreas Bullwinkel, Managing Director of Container Terminal Wilhelmshaven JadeWeserPort-Marketing GmbH & Co. KG, said: "We look forward to finalising yet another lease agreement for the GVZ in the near future. Cooperation between REMAIN and NORDFROST is another key step towards expanding the portfolio in the GVZ for the port and its customers and creating additional jobs."
Boeing [NYSE: BA] and Ethiopian Airlines have again partnered to bring humanitarian aid to those in need – this time using the airline’s three recently delivered 737-8 airplanes to transport more than 12,000 pounds of supplies to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
“Ethiopian Airlines has a long history of collaborating with Boeing on humanitarian flights,” said Mesfin Tasew, Group CEO of Ethiopian Airlines. “This is our 43rd humanitarian delivery with Boeing, and we are proud to partner with their team to once again bring this support home to Addis Ababa.”
The humanitarian delivery flights departed Boeing’s Everett and Seattle Delivery Centers on Nov. 24, Nov. 26 and Dec. 4 and contained medical supplies, books and school supplies for those in need.
Global Ethiopian Diaspora Action Group (GEDAG) provided surgical gloves, which will be distributed by the Ethiopian Ministry of Health’s Pharmaceutical Supply Agency.
Noble Humanitarian Missions (NHM) provided surgical gloves. Mekedonia, an Ethiopian non-governmental organization working to shelter people experiencing homelessness, will lead local distribution efforts for the NHM donated supplies.
Open Hearts Big Dreams (OHBD), a Washington state-based nonprofit organization that works to increase literacy in Ethiopia, donated books and art supplies, which will be distributed by Project Mercy, an Ethiopian charitable organization serving women, children and families.
Ethiopian Institute of Resilience and Climate Change provided clothing, gloves and bandages, which will be distributed by its Ethiopian nonprofit partner, Wollo Bete Amhara.
“The Humanitarian Flight Program has helped thousands of people in need gain access to critical care items and humanitarian aid over the past 30 years,” said Cheri Carter, vice president of Boeing Global Engagement at Boeing. “These flights are the latest in a long legacy of service by Ethiopian Airlines for the Ethiopian people, and we are grateful for their continued partnership.”
Boeing’s Humanitarian Delivery Flight Program was launched in 1992 as a collaboration between the company and its customers to help transport humanitarian aid supplies on newly delivered airplanes with otherwise empty cargo holds. To date, there have been more than 200 humanitarian delivery flights. More than 1.7 million pounds of critical supplies have been delivered since the program’s inception.
