For this week’s instalment of the global wrap, we have a handful of announcements from week 33, including the planned freighter conversion site in Addis Ababa by IAI and Ethiopian Airlines and the completed purchase of Agility’s unit by DSV Panalpina. There’s also the latest updates from DHL Global Forwarding, BBAM’s new orders for narrowbody freighter conversions, and Qatar Airways’ global rollout with WebCargo.

DSV Panalpina completes purchase of Agility’s GIL unit
Danish forwarder DSV Panalpina is now set to take over the global integrated logistics division of Kuwait-based Agility after it formally completed the acquisition last week. The merger, worth around US$4.8 billion, will put DSV amongst the top three players in transport and logistics. The two organisations will be merged in a country-by-country process, with Agility becoming the second largest shareholder in the Danish company.

IAI to build cargo conversion site for B767-300 with Ethiopian (cover photo)
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) Aviation Group has signed an agreement with Ethiopian Airlines to establish a conversion site for Boeing 767-300 passenger aircraft. The new passenger-to-freighter conversion center, which will operate from the company’s maintenance center in Addis Ababa, will provide solutions in the field of converting passenger aircraft to cargo configuration, aircraft maintenance and overhaul, staff training and guidance, as well as assistance in acquiring certification and licenses. The conversion line in Ethiopia will join existing conversion sites at Ben Gurion International Airport and in Mexico.

BBAM tops up orders for A320/A321P2F conversions

Aircraft lessor BBAM and Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW), a joint venture of ST Engineering and Airbus, last week have announced an agreement for Airbus A320/A321 passenger-to-freighter (P2F) orders including options. BBAM’s new orders will bring its total orders for the narrowbody conversion to no less than 20, with modifications to be carried out by EFW through 2025. The order volume by BBAM translates into a full conversion line with a minimum of five slots per year, with most of the conversions to be carried out at the airframe facility ST Engineering in the US. The deal comes with the option to add new conversion slots every year starting 2026.

LEJ bolsters activities to support humanitarian cargo flights
LEJ has announced plans to set up a logistics centre together with the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Office as the airport looks to bolster its capabilities as an emergency logistics and humanitarian hub. Deploying its AN-124-100, long-standing partner airline Volga Dnepr, who earlier this year signed an MOU to ramp up humanitarian flights to Namibia, took off from LEJ to Windhoek to deliver an urgent shipment of medical supplies donated by Germany, which consisted of more than 600 pallets and weighed over 95 tonnes. Plans to set up a logistics centre for disaster control together with the German Red Cross (DRK) near the airport are also underway.

Qatar Airways completes global rollout with WebCargo
Qatar Airways Cargo has expanded the rollout of online cargo booking platform WebCargo by Freightos across the rest of its network, with some exclusions, effective 23 August. After launching WebCargo in February across France, Germany, Italy, South Africa, Spain and the Netherlands, the airline has been quick to implement WebCargo across several countries in Europe and most recently, the US in July. The global implementation across the carrier’s network will cover 72 countries where customers will have instant access to capacity and pricing.

Cainiao opens parcel stations, distribution hubs to speed up Lazada orders
Alibaba logistics arm Cainiao Network has launched new logistics facilities to accelerate the delivery of Lazada orders for consumers in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines. The company has launched distribribution centers in the Chinese cities of Yiwu, Shenzhen and Quanzhou, as well as community-based parcel consolidation stations, which are expected to cut delivery times and improve efficiency in first mile deliveries, while improving the workflow for merchants and businesses.

DHL Global Forwarding supports UK nonprofit in vaccine delivery
Air and ocean freight specialist DHL Global Forwarding has supported the British nonprofit organisation Crown Agents in the successful delivery of four million COVID-19 vaccine doses to 15 countries. The vaccines, donated by the United Kingdom to help tackle the pandemic, will be shared directly with countries in need, which include Indonesia, Jamaica and Kenya, Another five million doses have been offered by the UK to the COVAX global vaccine sharing scheme that aims to accelerate global equitable access to immunisation against the pandemic. DHL said it has transported more than 731 million vaccine doses to 153 countries worldwide.

WFS flaunts uniforms for cargo, ground handling staff
Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) has launched a new uniform for over 13,000 of its cargo and ground handling employees in North America and Europe, the Middle East, Africa & Asia (EMEAA). Some 125,000 pieces of uniform will be rolled out in September for staff working in cargo handling, ramp handling, passenger services and baggage handling across 170 airport stations in 20 counties.“First impressions count and in a market that’s more competitive than ever, it’s important to demonstrate a corporate image which is consistent with the brand quality of our airline customers across the globe,” said Barry D. Nassberg, Group Chief Commercial Officer at WFS.

Hellmann expands contract logistics deal with Polish manufacturer
Logistics service provider Hellmann Worldwide and family-owned lighting systems and vehicle electronics manufacturer Hella Polska have extended their cooperation for another four years. As part of the contract extension, Hellmann will provide cross-border logistics services, including international road transport, covering groupage distribution, full truckloads and direct deliveries in the Baltic States, Romania, Croatia, Bulgaria and all non-EU Balkan countries. Hellmann has been the contract logistics partner of Hella Polska since 2017 providing services such as the storage of around 10,000 indices (SKUs), the completion of lamp sets for bus and trailer manufacturers as well as the domestic distribution and export handling from Czeladź, Poland.

DHL brings road freight platform Saloodo! to South America
Digital road freight platform Saloodo!, a product of DHL Global Forwarding and Freight, has launched its digital logistics platform for shippers and transport providers in Argentina, as it extends its footprint in the Latin America market. The intuitive platform simplifies the search for suitable and reliable freight forwarders and helps optimise costs, routes, freight loads and transit times. It recommends a transport price based on current market data and makes all transportation documents accessible online.

APOC opens stock hub in Miami
Aircraft, engines and landing gears trading, leasing, and part-out company APOC announced last week the opening of a new stock hub in Miami. The move comes alongside expansion of its European facility to grow its narrowbody inventory and consignment programme. APOC says this is the second part of its on-going strategic plan to expand its global footprint, and following the launch of its Singapore base last November.

SEKO Logistics joins top 5 most trusted 3PLs
SEKO Logistics has been recognized as a top 5 third-party logistics provider in a survey of thousands of shippers in North America to find their most trusted supply chain partners. SEKO ranked fifth overall for reliability and responsiveness in uncertain and unpredictable conditions, through material shortages and demand volatility. Voters included supply chain decision-makers from tech companies like Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft; retailers Best Buy, Target, and Walmart; as well as manufacturers Boeing, Caterpillar, General Motors, and Tesla.

SpiceJet to transfer logistics business to SpiceXpress
SpiceJet announced plans of transferring its cargo and logistics services on a slump sale basis along with all related assets and liabilities, including know-how, trademark, licenses, franchises, customer contracts, distribution network to its subsidiary SpiceXpress. The logistics arm reported another profitable quarter in Q2 with a net profit of INR30 crore as revenue soared 285 percent to INR 473 crore versus the same period as last year. SpiceJet said it will continue to provide certain transportation services, ground and logistics support, management services, sharing and provisioning of resources to SpiceXpress.

FedEx Delivers COVID-19 Vaccines to South Korea
FedEx Express delivered a shipment of Covid-19 vaccines on August 15 to South Korea on behalf of the US government. The FedEx team loaded and transported the time- and temperature-sensitive vaccine shipment from Memphis, Tennessee (MEM) to Incheon International Airport (ICN) towards the final destination in South Korea. FedEx used its healthcare solutions and expertise to protect the integrity and security of this shipment throughout the entire journey.

DHL Freight to build new Erlensee facility near Frankfurt
DHL Freight plans to increase efficiency and quality across its European network with a new transshipment facility near Frankfurt. The modern freight centre will be built on the site of the former military air base at the industrial park in Erlensee. The 82,840 m² construction project comprises three buildings: a cross-dock terminal, a warehouse for specialty chemicals and general production materials and office premises. These will largely be created through the refurbishment of the former air base tower, now listed as a historical monument on the site.