Etihad Cargo, the cargo and logistics arm of Etihad Aviation Group, has reinforced its commitment to the Chinese and Indian markets, reinstating a twice-weekly freighter service from Shanghai to Abu Dhabi via Chennai starting 8 December.
The additional freighter service will provide additional capacity into two key global markets.
“The Indian market is currently booming,” said Martin Drew, Senior Vice President Global Sales & Cargo at Etihad Aviation Group. “The country’s industrial production is rising and manufacturing output is rebounding, driven by increases in the production of machinery and equipment, motor vehicles and metals, among others. As part of Etihad Cargo’s commitment to supporting this key market, the carrier has opened up freighter capacity from Chennai to support increased demand from customers in the region.”
This latest addition to Etihad Cargo’s network follows the introduction of twice-weekly direct flights to Guangzhou. With the introduction of this destination to the carrier’s network, Etihad Cargo became the first international airline to operate long-haul cargo and passenger services to the top three Chinese gateways — Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou — since the beginning of the pandemic.
In addition to expanding operations in China and India, Etihad Cargo has continuously reviewed its global network, adding destinations and frequencies, and is optimising freighter utilisation to support key trade lanes and customer demand.
In the evening, Port of Koper hosted a high-ranking Austrian delegation in the port, headed by the President of the Federation of Austrian Industries, Georg Knill, and the Ambassador of the Republic of Austria to Slovenia, Her Excellency Elisabeth Ellison-Kramer.
Boštjan Napast, President of the Management Board of the Port of Koper, presented to the guests the record performance of the Port of Koper. After discussing the plans for the next year, the guests attended a tour of the port and climbed up the largest STS container crane.
For many years, the Port of Koper has been considered the most important port for Austria. According to data published by the Austrian logistics newspaper Verkehr, the Austrian economy also handled most of its overseas traffic through our port last year. In 2021, 6.85 million tonnes of various cargo, including 232,000 TEUs, travelled to and from Austria, out of a total of 20.8 million tonnes handled in Koper.
The road/rail ratio for the Austrian market is clearly in favour of rail, at around 80%. Goods to and from Austria are handled at all our terminals, with timber, paper, coal, iron ore and a variety of goods travelling in containers leading the way in terms of commodity groups.
Kuehne+Nagel has entered into a long-term agreement for a new airside facility strategically located in the airport zone of OR Tambo International airport, Johannesburg, South Africa – the largest and busiest airport in Africa.
As part of this agreement, Kuehne+Nagel offers customers a set of logistics solutions, including warehousing, transportation, customs brokerage, supply chain management, and airside support to project-specific charter in- and outbound shipments. Core to this offering is a comprehensive cold chain solution, ensuring around-the-clock temperature-control to safeguard the integrity of highly sensitive pharma products.
The new offering is pivotal to supporting Africa’s aim to become more self-reliant in healthcare operations. South Africa, Nigeria, and Algeria are leading the manufacturing charge in sub-Saharan Africa, while imports from Europe, North America, India and China remain crucial to meeting Africa’s demand for medicines and basic healthcare. To support its healthcare customers – both importers and manufacturers – in executing their strategic growth plans for Africa, Kuehne+Nagel’s new facility is designed with healthcare and pharmaceuticals in mind.
“Pharmaceuticals in particular are highly-sensitive, time-critical products,” says Gereon Niemeier, Managing Director, Kuehne+Nagel South Africa. “Every minute these products spend on the tarmac exposes them to temperature fluctuations, physical damage, and loss. Our new facility addresses all these challenges to ensure product stability throughout the journey.”
“Our people have the expertise for plane-side access that other logistics providers don't,” Niemeier points out. “In addition, the facility is so close to the charter parking area that we can provide in-person visibility resources, as well as a unique dollie solution, that greatly reduce the risk of ground handling errors as well as shipment claims. On-site monitoring protects product stability — whether temperature-controlled, high value or time critical — throughout the entire journey.
ECS INSIDE, one of the ten Abilities on offer in ECS Group’s Augmented GSSA concept, ensures a ready supply of qualified staff at any required location: ‘The right people in the right place’ is its tagline.
Recruiting skilled, local staff is often the biggest delaying factor that air cargo companies face when looking to expand into new regions and markets. It takes time to source, vet, and train suitable candidates. ECS Group has been solving that problem for a number of its clients since more than a decade, and now offers this service as a stand-alone Ability in its Augmented GSSA concept, under the brand name: ECS INSIDE. Whether staff is required for short or long-term solutions, ECS INSIDE offers a proven, reliable, and flexible approach to appropriate talent sourcing across the globe.
“No matter where you are in the world, outstanding customer service is what defines a company’s success. Cargo is a people business and one that runs best when managed by local staff who know the market, the language, and the culture of a location,” Sauro Martinelli Coordinator of ECS INSIDE, explains. While most airlines request support for operations and reservations, ECS INSIDE can cover a complete range of air cargo-related tasks. ECS Group tailors the service to meet the airline’s exact requirements, and staff or recruit accordingly.
ECS INSIDE offers different working models depending on the airline’s location strategy and based on local labour law regulations. Either ECS Group staff join the airline’s local office to closely liaise with the airline team and cover certain outsourced activities, or dedicated airline employees are hosted in the regional ECS Group office where they provide back-office support. The number of dedicated staff depends on the planned scope and duration of the organisational set-up. In the case of short-term projects and where language skills allow it, ECS Group staff may be seconded to stations in different regions or countries. This serves to bring outside expertise to a location, ready to train up new recruits, and further augments the ECS Group employees’ own skill sets, benefitting other future customers.
“Augmented Commercial is the first of ECS Group’s four strategic pillars, since it is such a strong part of our company's DNA. Our employees are known for their perfect mix of air cargo business acumen and interpersonal skills. It is precisely this balanced commercial and communal attitude that we look for when taking on new staff,” Adrien Thominet, Executive Chairman of ECS Group, says. “ECS INSIDE customers know that they can fully benefit from the skills and experience of the staff we specifically select or train to meet their needs.”
ECS INSIDE also offers a recruitment service on behalf of the airline, if desired. Given the ECS Group’s global presence, long experience, and strong local network in the various markets, it is easily able to reach appropriate, multilingual local candidates (native tongue and English). In each case, ECS Group ensures that the solution models offered to ECS INSIDE customers adhere to the labour laws respective to each particular country.
Global shipping, logistics and marine services provider GAC Group has announced the appointment of Pontus Fredriksson as its new Group President effective from January 2023.
Bengt Ekstrand, who has held the position for the past 10 years, will take on the role of Executive Co-Chairman alongside GAC’s long-standing Executive Chairman Björn Engblom.
Ekstrand’s tenure began at a time of economic turmoil in the Eurozone and expanding armed conflicts in the Middle East. Sluggish oil prices would soon plunge to less than USD45.00 a barrel.
During that uncertain period, Ekstrand launched a wide-ranging reform programme within GAC known as Delta21. Significant structural and operational changes followed that made the Group more resilient, more efficient, and more profitable. He leaves the position with GAC reporting record results in recent years.
Fredriksson joined GAC in 2007 and has been Group Vice President of GAC’s Americas region since August 2019. He previously held various finance and managerial roles in the Middle East, including Managing Director of GAC Bahrain.
“Pontus has consistently demonstrated a strong commercial focus and top leadership skills,” says Ekstrand. “His acumen and sound industry knowledge put him in a good position to lead the Group to further successes in a turbulent environment and I look forward to supporting him in his new role.”
GAC delivers services from 300+ offices around the world and employs about 7,500 people worldwide.
Port of Tanjung Pelepas in Malaysia is breaking the stereotypes to encourage more women to pursue a career in the port logistics industry.
Port logistics has traditionally been perceived as male-dominated industry. The usual perception of the jobs as consisting of “hard labour” has led to the whole sector being considered as a workplace that is not suitable for women. And if there were women working in the industry, they were typically associated with departments such as finance, administration, legal or customer relations, while operations were “reserved” for men.
Negative consequences of such stereotypical approach have impacted the ability of women to realise their career ambitions in the port logistics industry and International Maritime Organization (IMO) has been undertaking efforts to promote gender equality and encourage women in the sector. In accordance with these, Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP) has actively engaged in helping the industry move forward and in line with twenty-first century expectations for equal employment opportunities.
Marco Neelsen, PTP’s Chief Executive Officer, believes that gender equality and diversity are crucial to continued success as Asia-Pacific’s prime transhipment and free zone business hub. Through various initiatives, PTP has focused on exploring opportunities to increase the participation of women in both operational and leadership positions.
“Apart from being a melting pot of employees from all backgrounds, including different ethnicities and nationalities, the female talents at PTP are a perfect example of how women continuously challenge the boundaries by not only working at the desk, but also being actively involved in operations”, shares Marco Neelsen. “Since its inception in 2000, PTP has always been at the forefront of progressiveness and inclusivity by diversifying the leadership and investing in development programmes and on the job experience to accelerate career progression.”
To deliver on its ambition, PTP has actively worked on various talent enrichment initiatives via academia collaboration with Young Engineer Apprenticeship Programme (YEAP) and Port Operational Planning Apprenticeship Programme (POPA). Through these collaborations, participating young talents, many of them females, are trained and exposed to the complex job dynamics in PTP and learn how to build leadership skills. This, in turn will equip them to become better, all-rounded talents in the future and subsequently supplement the port industry with a young graduate talent pool that meets the requirements in the long run.
PTP has also actively been involved in industry collaborations with various organizations for technical certification training and other leadership development programmes, such as Talent Exchange Program and Female Terminal Equipment Operator Fast Track Up-Skilling Program. As part of the latter, selected female operations staff with high potential were enrolled to a specialised training programme that will catapult their careers from prime mover drivers to Quay Crane Clerks, RTG Operators to Quay Crane Operators.
In 2021, in conjunction with the International Women's Day celebration, PTP successfully unveiled a new fleet of pink prime movers and launched a special recruitment program called ‘PTP Female Employee Referral Programme’ (FERF). The unveiling of PTP’s new fleet of pink prime movers did not only represent PTP’s commitment to champion female recruitment initiatives, but most importantly to acknowledge and celebrate the progress and excellence the female workforce has contributed to the growth and the sustainability of PTP.
The aim of the Female Employee Referral Programme, on the other hand, is to entice more female talent in Malaysia to join PTP’s workforce. Under the scheme, a special monetary incentive is offered to all PTP employees who introduce potential female candidates to the company, and which result in the successful placement of an applicant.
PTP also understands that bringing talents to work or focusing on upskilling of workforce means nothing, if it fails to provide these talents with the best and conducive work environment. With that in mind, various initiatives and facilities upgrade projects have also been executed, including opening of designated rest areas for female staff only and building female prayer’s rooms, as well as female toilet facilities at the wharf area – small practical things that make a big difference.
Periodic engagement sessions or Women Focus Group forum are also scheduled to ensure that female employees are able to channel ideas, comments or grievances to the management to make their jobs more comfortable. This focus group builds on the existing PTP policies and development opportunities to initiate programmes that contribute to the inclusive and diverse environment in PTP.
Special working arrangements are also in place for female employees working in the terminal. For example, during pregnancy a female terminal equipment operator is given exemption to operate her equipment and will be temporarily transferred to other light-duty responsibilities, such as training other new female recruits.
Today, PTP is reaping the fruit of its efforts to increase participation and contribution of women in the workplace. At present, PTP’s female workforce represents 7% or around 393 workers, in both management and non-management positions. Out of this, 266 are actively working in the areas of operations, engineering, safety and security.
The sight of female employees operating terminal trucks or cranes is now common in PTP. From the longest serving employee, to the first female marine harbour pilot in Malaysia, PTP’s female work force stands proud and ready to challenge the perception that port industry belongs to men only.
Siti Sukma Drahman, 28 is one of the many females Prime Mover drivers employed by PTP. For her, having been able to work at one of the busiest ports in the world is like a dream come true.
“Growing up, I have always been attracted to all kinds of adventurous activities, as I see such challenges as a motivation to push myself towards betterment. I am very grateful to PTP because even though I never learnt how and never operated any heavy vehicle in my life before, I was still given the chance to prove myself. I was even more surprised when I was also told that I would become one of the pioneers of female prime mover drivers in the history of PTP.
My journey in PTP has shown that the port operations do not require muscle. Although there had been an initial resistance by some of the male staff to the idea of having female drivers working alongside them, as me and other female colleagues proved our mettle, they have since accepted us part of the group.”
Moving forward, I aspire to become a Rubber Tyred Gantry (RTG) operator and progress further as a Quay Crane Operator (QC) in the future.”
Her friend, Nurul Farhana Madani, 35 is currently working as a Rubber Tyred Gantry Operator.
“Before joining PTP I actually worked as a religious teacher, but my interest since childhood has always been towards physical work.
When I told my parents that I wanted to quit my teaching job to go working with PTP as a Prime Mover Driver, they were shocked. Naturally, my parents were hesitant at first to allow me to pursue my interest, but after some explaining, they understood and fully supported my choice.
As an RTG Operator, I need to be fully aware of my surroundings, as any misstep can cause severe consequences. However, even though I chose a high-risk career, I feel comfortable and safe because I’m constantly reminded to be careful, either by my colleagues or the company.”
Interestingly, it has been documented that the attrition rate among female prime mover drivers is significantly lower compared to their male colleagues.
PTP is determined to continue playing an active part in increasing women’s participation for the benefit of female employees themselves, the industry and the nation.
Dr. Marc Pfeffer is appointed by the Board of Directors as a new member of the Management Board of the global Logistics Group Kuehne+Nagel.
From January 2023, Marc Pfeffer will join the Management Board in his capacity as Group General Counsel and will remain responsible as Corporate Secretary of its Board of Directors.
Marc Pfeffer (born 1971, a German and Swiss citizen) started at Kuehne+Nagel as Group General Counsel in 2014 and has since been heading worldwide the Legal department with responsibility for Group Legal, including Trade Control and Data Protection. The independently managed Compliance department is also under his responsiblity. From mid-2019, Marc Pfeffer assumed additional responsibility as Corporate Secretary of the Board of Directors of Kuehne+Nagel International AG.
Before joining Kuehne+Nagel, Marc Pfeffer held senior positions such as General Counsel at DB Netz AG (Frankfurt, Germany) and at OC Oerlikon Corporation AG (Pfäffikon, Switzerland). He studied law at the University of Saarland, Saarbrücken, Germany and received his doctorate in antitrust law with honours.
Embraer has secured a new firm order for five E195-E2 aircraft from an undisclosed airline with exciting new plans for future growth.
Embraer will deliver four aircraft by the end of 2023, with the final aircraft completing the deal in early 2024. The list price value of the contract is US$389.4 million, which will be added to Embraer’s Q4 backlog.
DHL Supply Chain today announces it has been awarded a three-year contract by SSE plc, the FTSE listed energy company which owns, operates and invests in economically regulated electricity networks, renewables and flexible thermal generation to support the net zero transition, and SGN, the gas distribution network and industry innovator serving 5.9m homes and businesses in Scotland & Southern England.
SSE provides power to 4m homes and businesses in the North of Scotland and Central Southern England.
DHL will provide logistics support to both businesses from two sites in Thatcham and Glasgow, to provide operations support for the delivery of essential services and sustainable energy solutions. This includes the handling of electrical plant equipment including EV chargers, along with gas network pipes and parts required to build and operate low carbon infrastructure that will enable the net zero transition.
The new contract will see DHL operations running five days a week for SSE and SGN, while also providing a 24/7 business continuity team across both warehouse and transport, ready to respond to urgent or emergency cases including reconnecting gas and electricity supply. DHL was selected based on the scale and reliability of its operation as well as the breadth of its experience. DHL will be working with both businesses to undertake a strategic review of the inbound and outbound supply chains to identify future efficiencies.
DHL is supporting both businesses with sustainable logistics solutions, including the implementation of route optimisation which enhances efficiency and drives down road miles, reducing emissions and creating a greener final mile.
Providing specialist reverse logistics services, DHL is also supporting SSE and SGN with a circular solution by collecting used equipment, cable and materials containing precious metals that can be recycled and reused. Currently DHL is collecting 14 tonnes of materials per week to be recycled through this service, with a successful recycle rate of 98%.
Neil Arnott, Director of Logistics, SSE, says, “Our business priority is always to provide an efficient and effective service to meet the needs of our customers and we are delighted to be partnering with DHL as an industry expert, perfectly positioned to support us in evolving our operation. The transition to net zero is at the forefront of our development and DHL’s aligned values will help us to reduce logistics-related emissions and develop circular solutions.”
Valerie Jamieson, Director of Procurement & Supply Chain. SGN, says, “At SGN, we are committed to delivering high customer satisfaction as we strive to establish the business as the market leader in gas distribution. Through our new partnership, we will be leveraging the expertise DHL offers to run the most effective and efficient operation possible, including improving our final mile service and optimising warehouse processes.”
Gillian Townsend, Senior Business Director, Engineering, Manufacturing, Energy & Chemicals, DHL Supply Chain, adds, “Working with two key players in the electric and gas space is an exciting opportunity, particularly as we look towards a greener future for UK energy. We look forward to supporting the growth of both SSE and SGN with careful evaluation of their supply chains and the implementation of innovative and expert solutions to improve efficiency.”
A.P. Moller - Maersk (Maersk) and IBM today announced the decision to withdraw the TradeLens offerings and discontinue the platform.
"TradeLens was founded on the bold vision to make a leap in global supply chain digitization as an open and neutral industry platform. Unfortunately, while we successfully developed a viable platform, the need for full global industry collaboration has not been achieved. As a result, TradeLens has not reached the level of commercial viability necessary to continue work and meet the financial expectations as an independent business." Rotem Hershko, Head of Business Platforms at A.P. Moller - Maersk.
Starting today, the TradeLens team is taking action to withdraw the offerings and discontinue the platform, and the intent is that the platform will go offline by end of quarter one, 2023. During this process all parties involved will ensure that customers are attended to without disruptions to their businesses.
Maersk will continue its efforts to digitise the supply chain and increase industry innovation through other solutions to reduce trade friction and promote more global trade.
“We are deeply grateful for the relentless efforts of our committed industry members and many tech talents, who together have worked diligently to advance the digitalisation of the industry through the TradeLens platform. We will leverage the work of TradeLens as a steppingstone to further push our digitisation agenda and look forward to harnessing the energy and ability of our technology talent in new ways,” said Rotem Hershko.
The TradeLens platform was announced in 2018 and jointly developed by IBM and GTD Solution, a division of Maersk, as a blockchain-enabled shipping solution designed to promote more efficient and secure global trade.
Kuehne+Nagel has put into operation its first Boeing 747-8 Freighter as part of the long-term charter agreement with Atlas Air, Inc., a subsidiary of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: AAWW).
As the global market leader in air freight, Kuehne+Nagel expands its air freight network by chartering the entire capacity of the very last two 747-8F aircraft from their delivery by Boeing.
During the official ceremony at the Boeing Everett Delivery Center in Everett, WA, the Boeing 747-8F under the name “Inspire.” was handed over to Kuehne+Nagel. The most capable freighter aircraft in the world will support Kuehne+Nagel customers with highly reliable service, reduced transit times and minimised risks. In addition to the Transpacific routings, the new service will be linked with Kuehne+Nagel Intra-Asia network to provide customers with better connectivity within the growing region of Asia Pacific.
Yngve Ruud, Member of the Management Board of Kuehne+Nagel, responsible for Air Logistics, comments: "It is a very special moment for us to see Kuehne+Nagel 747-8F “Inspire.” taking off. Together with the very last 747-8F that we named “Empower.”, the aircraft will support our customers with reliable and flexible solutions globally, continuing the legacy of the most incredible aviation programs in history. We are delighted to celebrate this day with our partners Atlas Air and Boeing and looking forward to see our aircraft connecting the world.”
The Boeing 747-8F serves an incredibly important role in global air freight, with advanced technology that allows for lower fuel consumption, higher capacity and unique nose-loading capability.
“This 747-8 delivery underscores the importance of our long-term strategic partnership with Kuehne+Nagel and our commitment to support their continued growth and expansion,” said John Dietrich, President and Chief Executive Officer, Atlas Air Worldwide. “We are very pleased to provide their first dedicated aircraft which will proudly fly in custom Kuehne+Nagel livery. The two 747-8Fs we will operate for Kuehne+Nagel will add more capacity and versatility for their network."
With its advanced design and engines, the 747-8F offers a 16% improvement in fuel use and CO2 emissions per tonne and a 30% smaller noise footprint compared to the previous generation of aircraft.
"With Atlas Air taking delivery of the final 747s for its customer Kuehne+Nagel, this iconic Boeing airplane will continue to move cargo around the world for decades to come,” said Kim Smith, Vice President and General Manager of the Boeing 747/767 Program. "As we say goodbye to the ‘Queen of the Skies,’ we’re proud of her legacy as an airplane that propelled aviation innovation and later laid the foundation for our family of freighters."
