In the month of February we saw Cainiao stay open to push deliveries during the Chinese Lunar Year break, CMA CGM forming its own air cargo division, Kerry Logistics and Kuehne+Nagel announcing mergers to expand in Asia, engine parts falling from the sky, as well as some of the world’s top carriers joining Unicef’s airfreight initiative to support the delivery of vaccines. In this edition of Payload Asia’s roundup, we look at some of the B2B updates around the globe in the air cargo and logistics industry, as we wrap up the month of February.
Arizona: Mesa Air Group to lease additional 737-400F
Mesa Air Group announced it signed a letter of intent to lease an additional Boeing 737-400F cargo aircraft currently planned to be available in May 2021, of which it currently operates two of the same type for DHL. The Arizona-based ACMI and CMI operator expects the aircraft to provide its pilots with additional career advancement opportunities and provide flexibility to better meet the demands of the current cargo environment.
Dubai: Emirates SkyCargo joins Gulfood 2021
Emirates SkyCargo will participated in Gulfood 2021, an annual food and beverage trade exhibition in Dubai between 21 and 25 February 2021. The event brings together participants from the food and beverage sourcing ecosystem from around the world. The carrier said it will be inviting some of its significant logistics partners and customers to jointly present logistics capabilities at the SkyCargo booth.
Luxembourg: Cargolux confirmed as a leader in GDP
Cargolux Airlines successfully passed its GDP (good distribution practice) surveillance audit, fulfiling the latest requirements of the EU Directive ‘Guidelines on Good Distribution Practice of Medicinal Products for Human Use’ and of WHO Guidelines. The certification reflects the airline’s strong commitment to high standards in handling pharmaceutical and healthcare products.
Schiphol: AFKLMP Cargo deliver vaccines to the Dutch Carribean
Air France KLM Martinair Cargo carried the first of several Covid-19 shipments bound for the Dutch Carribean on a flight from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol to Bonaire and Aruba, with more to be delivered to the various islands in the coming weeks. The vaccines were loaded into the aircraft in the presence of Dutch State Secretary for Health, Welfare and Sport, Paul
Blokhuis, responsible for healthcare in the Dutch Caribbean, and Pieter Elbers, CEO of KLM.
Kempten, Germany: Dachser ASL reorganises regional management
Dachser Air & Sea Logistics (ASL) has reorganised the management of its business units in the Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA) and Americas regions. Dr. Tobias Burger, Deputy Director ASL, will assume the managing director post for ASL EMEA, whilst former Panalpina veteran, Ralph Riehl, will take over the ASL Americas business unit.
MNG Airlines renews CHAMP’s Traxon cargoHUB
Turkish carrier MNG Airlines Cargo has renewed with CHAMP Cargosystems for its cargo community service, Traxon cargoHUB. In its 12-year-long partnership, CHAMP says it has aided the carrier with its digitalisation efforts, expanded its eAWB penetration, and winning new business.
Munich: IAG Cargo, Senator Int’l deliver over a million masks
IAG Cargo, together with logistics company Senator International, operated a B777-200 passenger aircraft converted into a freighter to charter a flight from Shanghai to Munich carrying over 17,000 boxes of face masks, weighing around 21.1 tonnes. The moves comes after Germany’s new rules introduced in January requiring individuals to wear medical-grade face masks when in the workplace, public transport and in shops.
Maastricht, The Netherlands: CEVA Showfreight signs five-year contract
CEVA Logistics’ specialist Showfreight division has signed a five-year deal to work with MECC (Maastricht Exhibition and Conference Centre). Aside from being the primary logistics supplier, CEVA Logistics will provide forklift services, storage, Customs, on-site supervision as part of the deal, with plans underway for the 2021 edition of the art, antiques and design fair TEFAF Maastricht (organised by The European Fine Art Foundation).
Shannon: DB Schenker to open new facility in Ireland
DB Schenker has invested 10 million euros in a new logistic center in Shannon, Ireland. Located close to the airport, the site will offer all services, including air and ocean freight, land transport. The new building will span 4,831 square meters, with a warehouse covering 3,716 square meters, secured by secure fencing, full CCTV coverage, access control throughout, an intruder alarm system, remote monitoring.
London: Simon Elmore returns to Hermes as COO
Cargo management ystems (CMS) provider Hermes Logistics Technologies (HLT) has welcomed back Simon Elmore as chief operations officer (COO). Elmore returns to the role after a two-year absence, during which he worked as a consultant on a number of aviation and e-commerce projects. He was one of the team to design, build, and deliver the original Hermes CMS, whose latest version is called Hermes 5.
Levallois-Perrett: GEODIS completes PEKAES acquisition
After obtaining regulatory approval, GEODIS finalised its acquisition of PEKAES, which will consolidate the forwarder’s network in Poland and Eastern Europe. The acquisition expands GEODIS’ operations in Europe’s third-largest logistics market, with the integration of the PEKAES be led by the road transport division. GEODIS now has nearly 1,500 employees at 29 sites in Poland, including some twenty hubs spread across the entire territory.
Milan: Airport Handling joins Beta Trans at Malpensa
Airport Handling, dnata’s joint venture in Italy, and Beta Trans have inked a deal to provide a full range of cargo services to customers at Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP), including safe ramp and cargo handling, warehousing and road feeder services. The partnership will see both companies integrate operational processes and functions, offering customers a one-stop shop of ground handling and cargo services at MXP.
