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First real test begins Teams begin full-scale trial of operations as opening date gets ever closer The construction is complete, the systems are installed – and now the first real test of the Cathay Pacific Cargo Terminal has begun. On 29 October, the first of three operation trials commenced in the facility, with all the systems in operation and ULDs – the unit load devices that carry cargo – moving around the building for the first time. The terminal will open in three stages and operation trials, each lasting approximately two months, will take place before the launch of each stage. “The trials will ensure we’re ready at every stage,” says Stephen Luk, Head of Operations & Services with Cathay Pacific Services Ltd (CPSL). “We need to test that all the right procedures are in place and assess our level of confidence before letting the management team know that we’re ready to go.” The first stage will focus on the shipment of valuables, transit civil mail and interface transfers – that is, freight with tight connections between aircraft. Some 200 staff from CPSL and other stakeholders – including CX Cargo, HAS, government departments such as Customs & Excise and Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation, and sub-contractors – are participating in the trial, which runs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday through to late December. “It took us more than a year to develop the trial plan and we are asking every person taking part to follow a specific script,” says Stephen. “We’re doing a full test of the flow and procedures, and after each day of the trial we conduct a full assessment of how it went. The findings are fed back to the working team so we can fine-tune things for the next day of the trial.” Stephen says that a big emphasis is being placed on safety throughout the trial. “We have new staff, new handling procedures and new technologies employed in the terminal, so safety is paramount,” he says. The early stages of the trial have been going according to plan and Stephen says the team has been encouraged by the progress. “It’s a challenging and exciting event for all of us. There’s a lot to understand and a lot to follow up, but we are on track so far,” Stephen says. Boneyard airfield tests flying skills The traditional destination for retiring aircraft has been Victorville in the United States, but the latest Boeing 747-400 passenger aircraft to leave the fleet have gone to Kemble Airfield in the UK .This has posed a challenge to pilots as the visual approach is carried out on a very short runway. The latest 747-400 to retire departed Hong Kong on 22 October following the salvage of its cabin equipment. At the controls of B-HOX was Captain Peter Lees and he was joined in the cockpit by Senior First Officers Paul Aubert and Ben Haigh-Smith and Second Officer James Robinson. Once the decision had been made to phase out the aircraft and it became clear there was no market for either selling or leasing instead, a procurement exercise was launched by the Aircraft Trading team to find an agent that could extract the maximum value from the breakdown, marketing and sale of the salvaged spare parts. “GA Telesis were chosen as they have a strong reputation and track record in the business of parting out and marketing aircraft spare parts and offered the best solution for extracting maximum value,” says Manager Aircraft Projects Robert Taylor. “Kemble in fact, is only one of five facilities used by GA Telesis. 1. The Stage 1 Operation Trial commenced in October with staff and contractors working closely together to simulate the operations. 2. The terminal is equipped with extensive Wi-Fi services to facilitate the use of handheld devices. 3. The first piece of trial cargo gets moving in the materials handling system. 4. Stakeholders and business partners were also involved in the trial. 5. The Terminal Control Centre (TCC) monitors and governs all activities on the ground. They also have facilities in the US, which include Victorville, and future aircraft retirements may go there depending upon capacity and where the demand is for the inventory at the time,” Robert adds. After a short delay due to bad weather over Kemble, Captain Lees successfully landed the aircraft on 25 October on an airfield he last saw in the 1980s. “I have landed in Kemble before when I was in the Royal Air Force, but the last time I landed there was in 1986 and that was in a Hawk not a 747!,” he says. “The challenge posed by Kemble is that not only are there no approach aids, there is also no approach lighting – both things that RETIREMENT READY: B-HOX’s crew in Hong Kong before the aircraft’s final flight. we are used to having in normal day-to-day operations. Additionally, there’s no air traffic control as such, only a flight information service,” Captain Lees adds. B-HOX is the third 747-400 to be retired from the fleet early as part of the airline’s efforts to employ more fuel-efficient aircraft on longhaul routes. Six more of the aircraft will be retired in 2013.
Spend a day with CX staff Behind-the-scenes videos show life in the air and on the ground Hundreds of CX Facebook fans had the chance to go behind the scenes of the lives of three CX staff through a series of People and Service videos in October. The first video, which launched online on 9 October, was with Flight Attendant Grace Hui (pictured above left) as she prepared to fly from Hong Kong to Sydney. The second video focused on Airport Service Leader Sammy Yeung, while the third showed a typical day in the life of Senior First Officer Richard Clausen (pictured above right). To increase engagement, there were lucky draws with CX-branded items as prize or fans could leave a question for the staff with the most interesting ones receiving a reply. “The filming was like a reality show and I had to remember that every single thing I said was being recorded,” Grace says. “I have been flying for four years now and flying has become a normal activity. The video brought me back to the feeling I had when I first started flying and everything Teams gear up for Oxfam Trailwalker For the ninth consecutive year, Asia Miles will be the logistics sponsor of the annual Oxfam Trailwalker. Once again, several staff will be taking part, and some are pictured above. Asia Miles is donating one million miles as a fundraising prize, with teams who raise more than HK$30,000 entering the draw. Asia Miles is also supporting six teams this year including Pari Passu, captained by Employee Services Manager Bob Nipperess (far right), who will be competing in his 13th trailwalker event. The teams will take on the challenge of the 100-kilometre MacLehose Trail from Pak Tam Chung to Yuen Long from 16-18 November to raise funds for Oxfam’s charitable projects. More in the December CX World. was so new, so I tried my best to explain as much as I could. It was actually like bringing my friends and family to work for a day!” she adds. Richards says he was amazed at how a full day of video shooting was able to be condensed into a short five-minute clip. “I enjoyed meeting the filming crew and seeing behind the scenes of their own operation,” Richard says, adding he wished filming on the flight deck had been allowed, but regulations unfortunately do not permit it. The videos attracted hundreds of comments from fans with several saying it gave them a greater appreciation for what CX staff do. They also asked many questions ranging from how the crew stay awake on overnight flights to whether there is time to enjoy the view. “There were some really interesting questions. My favourite would have to be the one about the decision on who answers a passenger’s call light and whether it’s always the most junior crew. It made me realise how our passengers pay attention to details like this,” Grace says. New status board at HKIA A new electronic flight status board has been installed behind the staff standby counter at HKIA, allowing staff travellers to view their flight number, destination, the acceptance status for three classes and departure times. The board also features reporting times so staff know when to go back to the counter. It also tells them the area where they can check in directly if the flights are open.
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