In week 29 of the global wrap, we feature the Airbus as it delivered the first A350 completed from its widebody completion & delivery centre in Tianjin to China Eastern Airlines. We also cover CargoAi’s 3-day online event scheduled next week, as well as the latest B2B updates from American Airlines, Lufthansa and Worldwide Flight Services. Click here for week 28.
Airbus delivers first A350 completed from Tianjin facility
Airbus has delivered the first A350 from its widebody completion & delivery centre in Tianjin (C&DC) in China, as it looks to expand its global footprint and long-term strategic partnership in the country. The A350-900 aircraft was delivered to China Eastern Airlines, considered the largest Airbus operator in Asia and second largest in the world. As of end-June, the Chinese carrier has an Airbus fleet of 413 aircraft, including 349 A320s, 55 A330s and nine A350s.
CargoAi launches first TECH Summer event
Online freight booking platform CargoAi has launched its first TECH Summer event, slated on 3-5 August The 3-day online event will see the CargoAi team and several members of is advisory board, as well as industry experts, lead sessions to discuss how stakeholders can elevate their digitalization activities through easy-to-apply tools and strategies.
American Airlines Cargo names new VP for operations
American Airlines Cargo has announced the appointment of Sam Mendenhall to vice president for operations. Mendenhall joins the cargo team with 22 years of experience at American, where he most recently led the organisation responsible for crew scheduling at the American Integrated Operations Center. The appointment follows the retirement of former operations leader David Vance after an impressive 34-year career with the airline.
Lufthansa Cargo to modernize RFS stacker at Frankfurt hub
Lufthansa Cargo has awarded another major contract as part of its infrastructure program at the Frankfurt hub with the modernization of the road feeder services high-rack storage system. The two companies Vollert Anlagenbau and Körber recently won the procurement procedure and will carry out the modernization of the RFS stacker’s mechanical, control and IT systems in the future. Lufthansa Cargo is being supported in the planning of the project by Miebach Consulting.
French boutique class airline taps WFS for first-ever cargo route
French business class airline La Compagnie has appointed Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) as it steps into the air cargo market. WFS was awarded a three-year contract to handle cargo for the carrier on its Airbus A321LR services from Paris Orly to New York’s Newark International Airport. The service will increase from the current four flights a week to seven in September, with each each flight expected to carry up to 3.5 tonnes depending on the number of passengers.
Crane Worldwide Logistics adds capacity in Cincinnati
Crane Worldwide is rapidly expanding its contract logistics footprint in response to market conditions, with over 1 million square feet of additional warehouse space in Cincinnati, which is due to accept aircraft deliveries in August. The company is also operating regular air freight charters from Shanghai to Columbus’ Rickenbacker airport to add capacity from China to the United States. The company operates four facilities and a 775,000 sqft (72,000 sqm) warehouse in Columbus to accommodate additional inventory requirements, with domestic trucking services throughout the United States.
Half-year cargo figures up for Schiphol
Half year cargo figures for Amsterdam Airport Schiphol showed increased volume year-on-year, with inbound freight tonnage up 29.5 percent and outbound up 25.7 percent compared to the first six months of 2020. Schiphol processed 837,671 tonnes of cargo from January to June 2021, up 27.7 percent on the same period last year. The airport logged 572,111 tonnes on freighter flights, up 23.4 percent over the first half of last year and 265,560 tonnes on the bellyhold of passenger flights, up 38.1 percent compared to the same period last year. Full release here.
Aero Africa welcomes two more specialists to management team
Hong Kong-based air cargo management group Aero Africa has welcomed two new specialists to its management team. Aero Africa Southern Africa has appointed Kati Mackay as regional financial manager and will be based in Durban. Meanwhile, Aero Africa Sub Saharan Africa (Pty) Ltd has named Jarryd Niescior as regional operations manager, who will be tasked to grow the company’s Final Mile Solutions product across Africa.
DHL expands pharma logistics capacity in Florstadt
DHL Supply Chain, the contract logistics division of Deutsche Post DHL Group, is building a logistics center covering 32,000 square metres in Florstadt, Germany, scheduled to open in late 2021. The new building adds over 70,000 square metres to the current capacity at the multiuser campus for pharmaceuticals and medical products in Florstadt, which currently consists of two logistics centres. The entire warehouse features continuous temperature management, state-of-the-art security and alarm systems, and has received all major life sciences and healthcare certifications such as GDP, GMP and ISO 13485.
HAECO uses advanced livestream tech to complete modification
HAECO Group has recently leveraged its new remote inspection technology to complete the on-wing modification of nacelles in close collaboration with an original equipment manufacturer (OEM). The modification was conducted by Base Maintenance’s 24/7 on-wing structure support (OSS) team at HAECO’s maintenance hangar in Chek Lap Kok. The remote inspection system includes voice-controlled goggles paired with a communication interface that can be accessed from any computer or mobile device.
World Cargo Solutions signs multiyear contract with CHAMP
World Cargo Solutions (WCS) has signed a multiyear contract with CHAMP Cargosystems for its suite of cargo management applications, including Cargospot Airline, Handling, GSA, and Revenue Accounting. The company has also signed for CHAMP’s regulatory compliance services, which include Traxon Global Customs and Traxon Global Security. WCS will move its operations onto CHAMP’s powerful Cargospot suite, which will provide expanded features and sales offerings, including dynamic pricing, booking, and revenue accounting to maximize capacity and streamline operations.
Korean Air begins research on air launch development using B747
Korean Air has started a joint research project with Seoul National University, commissioned by South Korea’s Air Force, to develop the feasibility of using large commercial aircraft for air launching. As part of the joint research, the airline will analyse the Boeing 747-400’s current technology capability, major technology to be applied, annual operating costs, and necessary aircraft modification for air launching.
