The issue of lithium battery shipments onboard freighters and the belly holds of passenger aircraft is again at the forefront of safety concerns as Christmas approaches and the volume of electronic gadgets relying on lithium batteries surges. The latest ‘problem child’ is this year’s toy of choice, the so-called ‘hoverboard’, a two-wheeled transportation device that relies on a larger-capacity lithium-ion battery around 42,000-mAh. Numerous reports of the devices catching fire and even … [Read more...] about Hoverboards too hot for airlines & Amazon
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Hoverboards too hot for airlines & Amazon
The issue of lithium battery shipments onboard freighters and the belly holds of passenger aircraft is again at the forefront of safety concerns as Christmas approaches and the volume of electronic gadgets relying on lithium batteries surges. The latest ‘problem child’ is this year’s toy of choice, the so-called ‘hoverboard’, a two-wheeled transportation device that relies on a larger-capacity lithium-ion battery around 42,000-mAh. Numerous reports of the devices catching fire and even exploding … [Read more...] about Hoverboards too hot for airlines & Amazon
US FAA downgrades Thailand to Category 2
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has downgraded its safety rating of Thailand's Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) from a 'Category 1' to a 'Category 2’ rating, following earlier findings by the United Nation's International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and its own recent assessment. The FAA said its downgrade meant that Thailand either lacked the laws or regulations necessary to oversee air carriers in line with minimum international standards - or that it was deficient in … [Read more...] about US FAA downgrades Thailand to Category 2
Amazon looks to be quietly testing own air cargo ops from Wilmington
E-commerce giant Amazon looks to be taking steps to operate its own air freight service to compete with the likes of FedEx and UPS, with tests taking place out of DHL’s former US hub in Wilmington, Ohio. The aim would be to improve efficiency and cut its US$4.2 billion (2014) net shipping costs. A posting on Airline Pilot Forums in late October by an individual claiming to be a pilot said that two B767s were in operation for Amazon. Various media reports have suggested the tests, said to be … [Read more...] about Amazon looks to be quietly testing own air cargo ops from Wilmington
SkyCargo inaugurates new terminal, targets 12M tonnes of cargo by 2050
Emirates SkyCargo officially opened the first phase of its state-of-the-art cargo terminal at Dubai’s new Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) yesterday. Located in the Logistics District in Dubai South, the new terminal dubbed Emirates SkyCentral, is the home of SkyCargo’s fleet of 15 freighters and was necessitated by the shift of SkyCargo’s maindeck fleet out of increasingly congested Dubai International Airport (DXB) in May of last year to the new DWC airport. The new facility, … [Read more...] about SkyCargo inaugurates new terminal, targets 12M tonnes of cargo by 2050
Qatar’s Al Baker on the Chinese ‘sleeping giants’
With no end in sight in the ongoing fracas between carriers in the US and Europe and those in the Middle East over alleged subsidies, Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar Al Baker gives his views on why Chinese carriers and others are spared the same accusations. When asked by Payload Asia in Doha recently about the largely quiet role of Chinese carriers, in what some refer to as the ‘sleeping giants’ of the air cargo sector, Al Baker said: “I agree, the Chinese carriers are sleeping giants. … [Read more...] about Qatar’s Al Baker on the Chinese ‘sleeping giants’
