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The rst and only PAN-Regional Magazine<br />

Middle East - Africa - Asia and beyond<br />

Years<br />

2001-2019<br />

Celebrating<br />

Vol. 9 Issue 01, No. 70, January 2019<br />

ECS Group<br />

Nurturing tomorrow's<br />

industry leaders<br />

Adrien Thominet, ECS Group CEO<br />

The Lounge<br />

26<br />

Feeding the<br />

world<br />

30<br />

DUBAI: Engineered to<br />

be the world's future<br />

aviation capital<br />

34<br />

Made in<br />

Germany:<br />

Electric trucks<br />

of the future<br />

Stanley Lim<br />

Group Chief Operating Officer, Addicon Logistics Management Pte Ltd.<br />

Chairman, Singapore Logistics Association<br />

Chairperson Congress Committee, FIATA Extended Board<br />

www.aircargoupdate.com


EDITORIAL<br />

Monthly: Vol 09 | Issue 01 | No. 70<br />

Middle East, Africa, Asia & beyond<br />

Chief Editor<br />

Gemma Q. Casas<br />

gemma dimensionsmedia.com<br />

Contributors<br />

Nirmala Rao<br />

Ayesha Rashid<br />

ayesha aircargoupdate.com<br />

Sales Marketing<br />

Israr Ahmad<br />

israr dimensionsmedia.com<br />

Tousif Ahmed<br />

tousif dimensionsmedia.com<br />

Head Operations<br />

Jamal Ahmad<br />

jamal dimensionsmedia.com<br />

Photo Journalist<br />

Wasim Ahmed<br />

wasim dimensionsmedia.com<br />

Creative Head<br />

Mohammed Imran<br />

imran dimensionsmedia.com<br />

Editor’s Note<br />

Bracing for 2019<br />

Disagreements in economic policies between the US and<br />

China continue to take its toll on the general movement of<br />

goods on a global scale.<br />

In Asia, shippers on the China-Europe routes are already<br />

bracing to pay on average $0.50 more per kilogram this year<br />

as demand for air cargo dips after an unprecedented growth<br />

in 2017. The continued fluctuation on global oil prices,<br />

peaking at US$86 per barrel in October from only $66 early in<br />

20<strong>18</strong>, is also a major concern.<br />

The air cargo industry grew in 20<strong>18</strong> albeit slowly. How it<br />

will fare in 2019 is still uncertain pending solutions on global<br />

political trade policies that impact the whole world.<br />

In this edition, we'll share with you the latest efforts of ECS<br />

Group, one of the world's biggest GSSA companies, to<br />

empower the youth with employment and the chance to<br />

enter the growing aviation industry.<br />

We're also carrying the story of how even the remotest<br />

parts of the Pacific island-nation of Vanuatu is finally being<br />

reached to provide vaccination to the young and helpless.<br />

UNICEF and Vanuatu have partnered in this world's first<br />

drone-carried vaccines project that could be used in other<br />

far-flung areas across the world.<br />

In Saudi Arabia, Saudia Cargo is being kept busy hauling<br />

production equipment for various entertainment and events<br />

held for the first time in the kingdom in its bid to open up to<br />

the world for economic reforms after decades of<br />

reclusiveness.<br />

In the UAE, we have the story of Dubai's ambitious goal to<br />

become the world's future aviation capital and how it's<br />

unfolding.<br />

Argentine beef shipped for the first time to the US after 17<br />

years with America agreeing to lift import ban on meat<br />

products from Argentina which had been in place since 2011.<br />

Read on more news and features in this edition of Air<br />

Cargo Update.<br />

Happy New Year!<br />

Gemma Q. Casas<br />

Editor-in-Chief


Content<br />

January 2019<br />

22<br />

08 The<br />

Lounge<br />

Mentoring the young<br />

through teaching<br />

ECS GROUP AROUND THE WORLD<br />

Cover Story<br />

ECS Group: Nurturing tomorrow's<br />

industry leaders<br />

CONTENTS<br />

09 Global<br />

News<br />

Saudia Cargo brings the<br />

int’l Cirque du soleil to Riyadh<br />

Amazon adds 10 more<br />

freighters to cargo eet<br />

26 Feature<br />

Feeding the world<br />

34- Made in Germany:<br />

Electric trucks<br />

of the future<br />

38 - Airlines<br />

DAE sells portfolio of <strong>18</strong> aircraft<br />

on lease to 15 airlines<br />

Air Astana to launch<br />

new ights between Uzbekistan<br />

and Europe<br />

41 - Airports<br />

Emirates takes delivery of its last<br />

Boeing 777-300ER aircraft<br />

Prague welcomes record 16.8 million<br />

passengers in 20<strong>18</strong><br />

44 - Technology<br />

Japan's 'Lovot” on a mission to<br />

cheer you up<br />

46- Executive Moments<br />

Raj Subramaniam is new<br />

President & CEO of FedEx<br />

50 - Upcoming Events<br />

44 - Falco: The world's rst<br />

autonomous ferry<br />

30 - DUBAI: Engineered<br />

to be the world's future<br />

aviation capital<br />

48 - Photo Gallery:<br />

MEBAA Show <strong>Dec</strong>ember 10-12, 20<strong>18</strong><br />

DWC, Dubai Airshow Site


NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FREIGHT AND LOGISTICS<br />

www.meaclconference.com<br />

Middle East Air Cargo & Logistics Conference<br />

Connecting Middle East to the World<br />

and the World to the Middle East<br />

January 29-30, 2019 | Dubai South HQ | Dubai, UAE<br />

Middle East Air Cargo & Logistics 2019 will bring together airlines, airports, forwarders, shippers, brokers,<br />

logistics & supply chain companies, and aviation service providers to gain market intelligence and excellent<br />

networking. Air cargo and logistics executives from the Middle East and globally will join for this unique<br />

conference, and discuss the future trends in air freight logistics. The UAE government has heavily invested<br />

on infrastructure and technology to facilitate seamless cargo transportation and supply chains. Learn about<br />

your business opportunities in this exciting region!<br />

Program Highlights<br />

The big picture on Air Cargo & the global<br />

supply chain<br />

Will Middle East keep its position as<br />

leading cargo gateway?<br />

Innovation in Logistics & Supply Chain<br />

Artificial Intelligence in<br />

logistics - what to expect?<br />

Shipper’s view<br />

Expo 2020 -assessment of<br />

procurement of opportunities<br />

Building world competitive<br />

airports/cargo hubs<br />

E-commerce -redefining<br />

industry relationship<br />

Humanitarian logistics<br />

The future of the air cargo industry<br />

Gold Sponsor<br />

Silver Sponsor<br />

Host Sponsor Endorsed by Organized by<br />

Media Partners


The<br />

L<br />

UNGE<br />

Mentoring the young<br />

through teaching<br />

Stanley Lim holds the record as the longest serving<br />

council member of the Singapore Logistics Association<br />

having been with the group since 1992. He served as<br />

SLA chairman for several terms, including this year,<br />

with focus on globalizing the organization founded in<br />

1973 that represents nearly 600 companies.<br />

Lim, 71, is a well respected figure in Singapore's<br />

freight forwarding industry with an illustrious 50-year<br />

career in the business. Apart from SLA, he also serves in<br />

the International Federation of Freight Forwarders<br />

Association (FIATA) Extended Board where he chairs<br />

the Congress Committee.<br />

After completing his Cambridge education in<br />

teaching, Lim opted to work for the Government of<br />

Singapore as customs officer instead of teaching. Two<br />

years later, he moved to the logistics industry.<br />

“I am already 50 years in this industry. I'm already 71,”<br />

Lim proudly shared with Air Cargo Update on the<br />

sidelines of the first FIATA Congress ever held in New<br />

Delhi, India. “I have been doing logistics all these years.<br />

Logistics is in my blood and I'm very passionate about it.”<br />

Lim, the Group Chief Operating Officer of Addicon<br />

Logistics Management (S) Pte Ltd. which has 10 offices<br />

across Singapore, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Thailand<br />

and Bangladesh, says although he didn't teach in his<br />

younger years, the time calls for him to pass on his<br />

knowledge to the younger generation.<br />

“We need to nurture the young,” says Stanley who<br />

now teaches diploma courses at SLA's Logistics<br />

Academy apart from running his business and actively<br />

serving various trade organizations.<br />

“After I left school in my senior Cambridge level, I was<br />

offered to become a school teacher. But I became a<br />

customs officer and after two years, I said, ‘I must go<br />

Stanley Lim<br />

Group Chief Operating Officer, Addicon Logistics Management Pte Ltd.<br />

Chairman, Singapore Logistics Association<br />

Chairperson Congress Committee, FIATA Extended Board<br />

into logistics.’ I did not accept the teaching job but I'm<br />

now teaching the young in diploma courses in the<br />

academy.”<br />

In recognition of his invaluable contributions to<br />

Singapore and the global freight forwarding industry,<br />

Lim was bestowed the Pingat Bakti Masyarakat (PBM)<br />

Public Service Award by the President of the Republic of<br />

Singapore in 2001. In 2006, he won the Golden Chariot<br />

Award – Achievement for Strengthening International<br />

Relationships in the Transport Sector, in Shenzhen,<br />

China.<br />

Lim says the freight forwarding industry is moving to<br />

the digital world but at a slow pace for various reasons.<br />

“Technology is imposed unto us. It's disruptive to the<br />

industry and we have to adapt to cater to this<br />

innovation so that we can be up to date and serve our<br />

customers in the right way. The freight forwarding<br />

industry is not so receptive yet but we have no choice<br />

but to adapt,” the businessman said.<br />

Singapore is one of the leading nations in technology.<br />

It's pushing to become a smart-nation where<br />

everything is interconnected digitally.<br />

“In Singapore, the government is pushing for<br />

digitalization. We're aiming to become a “smart-nation”<br />

where everything is interconnected. We have to use<br />

technology not to replace humans but to get humans to<br />

make use of technology for their business,” said Lim.<br />

With so many things to learn and pass on, Lim says he<br />

unwinds by meeting people through networking,<br />

having a couple of drinks and trading jokes with friends.<br />

“I love humor and humorous moments,” he says.


Saudia Cargo brings the international<br />

Cirque du soleil to Riyadh<br />

RIYADH: Using four B747-400,<br />

Saudi Airlines Cargo Company<br />

transported 400 tons of equipment<br />

and supplies for the international<br />

event Cirque du soleil from Zagreb,<br />

Croatia to the Saudi capital, Riyadh.<br />

Saudia Cargo CEO Omar Talal Hariri<br />

said the company is proud to be part<br />

of Circue du soleil held in Riyadh from<br />

<strong>Dec</strong>ember 17 to 29, 20<strong>18</strong>.<br />

"Saudia Cargo is proud to be part of<br />

this entertainment event, providing<br />

all its logistical capabilities, and<br />

always keen to extend cooperation<br />

and joint efforts with all stakeholders<br />

to achieve the Kingdom's Vision<br />

2030,” said Hariri.<br />

The Saudia Cargo CEO said the<br />

Kingdom's flagship air carrier is<br />

c a p p i n g 2 0 1 8 w i t h m a j o r<br />

a c c o m p l i s h m e n t s i n h a u l i n g<br />

production cargo for various major<br />

entertainment events held in Saudi<br />

Arabia.<br />

“During the year, Saudia Cargo has<br />

contributed to so many events, and<br />

festivals, due to its logistical<br />

capabilities in terms of its freighter<br />

fleet, charter services or ground<br />

GLOBAL NEWS<br />

handling services,” he said.<br />

Saudia Cargo carried cars, spares,<br />

and equipment for the FIA Formula E<br />

Championship for the 20<strong>18</strong> Saudia Ad<br />

Diriyah E-Prix festival sponsored by<br />

the Saudi Arabian Airlines.<br />

It also hauled cargoes for the WWE<br />

Greatest Royal Rumble held in<br />

Jeddah.<br />

What about this place<br />

keep the same artwork<br />

or change ?


GLOBAL NEWS<br />

Amazon adds 10 more freighters<br />

to cargo fleet<br />

SEATTLE: Amazon is leasing 10<br />

more B767-300 freighter aircraft<br />

from Air Transport Services Group,<br />

Inc. (ATSG) bringing to 50 the current<br />

fleet of the e-commerce global giant.<br />

Amazon Air, a subsidiary of<br />

Amazon, which runs the fleet said<br />

the 10 new planes will be operated<br />

on Amazon's behalf by an ATSG<br />

airline and will join the air cargo<br />

operation over the next two years.<br />

Amazon Air's operation was<br />

launched in 2016 to suppor t<br />

package delivery to the rapidly<br />

growing number of customers who<br />

love fast delivery, great prices and<br />

vast selection.<br />

With advanced algorithms and<br />

software used for capacity and route<br />

planning, the Amazon Air operation<br />

c a n t r a n s p o r t h u n d r e d s o f<br />

thousands of packages per day. With<br />

a dedicated air network the<br />

company currently has 40 aircraft<br />

flying in and out of gateway<br />

operations at over 20 airports,<br />

making two-day shipping possible<br />

almost anywhere in the U.S.<br />

“Our customers love massive<br />

selection and fast delivery, and the<br />

Amazon Air capacity we are building<br />

enables Prime delivery speeds for<br />

customers from Seattle, Washington<br />

to Miami, Florida,” said Dave Clark,<br />

Senior Vice President of Worldwide<br />

O p e r a t i o n s a t A m a z o n . “ B y<br />

expanding the Amazon Air network<br />

through our partnership with ATSG<br />

we're able to ensure we have the<br />

capacity to quickly and efficiently<br />

deliver packages to customers for<br />

years to come.”<br />

“We're pleased to expand<br />

and extend our partnership<br />

in support of Amazon's<br />

exceptional ability to<br />

provide reliable and fast<br />

delivery to its customers,”<br />

said Joe Hete, President<br />

and CEO of ATSG. “As the<br />

world's leading source of<br />

customer-dedicated 767<br />

cargo aircraft, we have the<br />

access to aircraft and are<br />

uniquely qualified to<br />

support Amazon for many<br />

years to come.”<br />

Amazon will open a new Regional<br />

Air Hub next year at Fort Worth<br />

Alliance Airport, and the Air Hub at<br />

the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky<br />

International Airport will open in<br />

2021. Recently, Amazon also<br />

announced a gateway operation to<br />

launch in Wilmington, Ohio, in 2019<br />

as well as an expanded operation in<br />

Rockford, Illinois.<br />

Frankfurt-Hahn<br />

Airport cargo volumes<br />

up 58.4%<br />

FRANKFURT: Freight<br />

volumes at Frankfurt-Hahn<br />

Airport increased by 58.4<br />

percent from January to<br />

October 20<strong>18</strong> and the<br />

positive trend is likely to<br />

continue with China<br />

Aerospace International<br />

Holdings Limited (CASIL)<br />

agreeing to distribute Asian<br />

goods within Europe via<br />

Frankfurt.<br />

CASIL, along with a number<br />

of global logistics service<br />

providers, signed air freight<br />

contracts worth more than<br />

2.6 billion yuan (about EUR<br />

334 million) for intensive<br />

cooperation and support of<br />

the Chinese "One Belt One<br />

Road" initiative, Frankfurt-<br />

Hahn Airport disclosed.<br />

The airport has been<br />

connecting Europe with<br />

China through new freight<br />

routes as part of its<br />

agreement with CASIL. The<br />

first flight from Shanghai was<br />

operated with a Boeing 747-<br />

400 by Suparna Airlines.<br />

The flights will be operated<br />

with various cargo airlines to<br />

different destinations in<br />

China, including Zhengzhou<br />

(CGO) and Hong Kong (HKG).<br />

“The new cargo flights to<br />

China are an important step<br />

in further expanding the<br />

cargo business at Frankfurt-<br />

Hahn Airport. With its 24-<br />

hour operating permit,<br />

flexible slots and fast<br />

handling, Frankfurt-Hahn<br />

Airport is ideally positioned<br />

for the freight business and a<br />

backbone of the German<br />

export industry,” says<br />

Christoph Goetzmann, Chief<br />

Operating Officer (COO) of<br />

Flughafen Frankfurt-Hahn<br />

GmbH.


Lufthansa Cargo is<br />

first to offer DG<br />

online for shippers<br />

FRANKFURT: Lufthansa Cargo became the<br />

world's first cargo airline to make an application<br />

available for digital creation of transport<br />

documents required for dangerous goods with the<br />

launch in <strong>Dec</strong>ember of DGD.online.<br />

The new DGD.online offering will strongly<br />

support shippers and can be used in equal measure<br />

for shipments sent via air, road and sea. The<br />

developers, using input from pilot customers,<br />

focused on achieving a very user-friendly<br />

application with validation and convenience<br />

features designed to add value, Lufthansa said.<br />

“With DGD.online, we are further expanding our<br />

digital offering and striving to make it as easy as<br />

possible for our customers and partners to use<br />

electronic services. In this way, we can all leverage<br />

the potential that digitization has to offer and make<br />

air cargo handling even faster and more efficient in<br />

the future,” said Boris Hueske, Head of Digital<br />

Transformation at Lufthansa Cargo.<br />

Siemens Healthcare GmbH is one of the first<br />

users of DGD.online, having already accompanied<br />

all stages of the application's development.<br />

“This new application fits seamlessly into our<br />

digitization strategy. DGD.online will have a lasting,<br />

positive effect on the productivity of our service<br />

delivery process,” said Markus Dess, logistics<br />

process planner at Siemens Healthineers.<br />

DGD.online can be used to, for example,<br />

generate electronically signed dangerous goods<br />

declarations and send them automatically,<br />

complete with attachments such as safety data<br />

sheets. Forwarders and other logistics providers<br />

can also be digitally integrated into the handling<br />

process, facilitating paperless cooperation.<br />

DGD.online is equipped for future use of eDGD.<br />

The integrated validation and convenience<br />

features can help accelerate processes and prevent<br />

costly errors, Lufthansa Cargo assured.


GLOBAL NEWS<br />

Etihad Cargo lifts global capacity<br />

with more flights to Barcelona<br />

Argentine beef<br />

back to the US for the<br />

first time in 17 years<br />

ABU DHABI: With Etihad Airways<br />

now having five flights a week<br />

between the capital of the United<br />

Arab Emirates and Barcelona, Etihad<br />

Cargo's capacity has also expanded<br />

along with its global network.<br />

Etihad Cargo said its expanded<br />

belly hold capacity into Spain will<br />

provide freight forwarders and cargo<br />

customers greater access to its global<br />

network along key trade routes<br />

connecting Europe to the Middle<br />

East, Africa and Asia over its Abu<br />

Dhabi hub.<br />

Etihad launched its first scheduled<br />

flights linking Abu Dhabi and<br />

B a r c e l o n a o n N o v e m b e r 2 8 .<br />

Combined with its daily Madrid<br />

service, launched in 2015, these<br />

operations now offer more than<br />

23,000 tons per year of cargo capacity<br />

for the Spanish market. In addition,<br />

trucking services from gateways<br />

across Europe further compliment<br />

the network, offering customers<br />

greater reach & faster delivery times.<br />

“20<strong>18</strong> has been a very successful<br />

year for Etihad Cargo, with positive<br />

progress achieved across our fleet<br />

and network optimization, our<br />

p r o d u c t s d e v e l o p m e n t a n d<br />

enhancement, and our digital<br />

transformation,” said Abdulla<br />

Mohamed Shadid, Etihad Airways<br />

Managing Director Cargo and<br />

Logistics.<br />

“More recently, following our<br />

decision to deploy additional<br />

capacity to key markets such as China,<br />

India and Vietnam, as well as an<br />

aircraft dedicated for charters to<br />

meet fourth quarter demand, this<br />

Barcelona service marks a timely<br />

addition to the network. We are<br />

e n c o u r a g e d b y t h e d e m a n d<br />

demonstrated by the market for this<br />

service and delighted to see the<br />

inaugural flight carrying 17.6 tons of<br />

cargo,” he noted.<br />

Etihad Cargo first started operating<br />

in Spain as on off-line carrier, sending<br />

shipments to Paris and Amsterdam<br />

via truck to feed into the Etihad<br />

network . Since the inaugural<br />

passenger flight to Madrid on March<br />

30, 2015, Etihad Cargo has provided<br />

daily air cargo services to key<br />

destinations across the GCC, Africa,<br />

Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia<br />

and Australia.<br />

The new Barcelona service will have<br />

an initial schedule of five times per<br />

week before increasing to a daily<br />

service on March 31, 2019.<br />

FORT WORTH, Texas:<br />

American Airlines Cargo flew<br />

nearly 14,000 pounds of<br />

Argentine beef to Miami last<br />

<strong>Dec</strong>ember, the first time in 17<br />

years after the US agreed to<br />

lift the import ban on meat<br />

products from the Latin<br />

American country.<br />

The decision was reached at<br />

the recently held G20 summit<br />

in Argentina's capital, Buenos<br />

Aires. Argentine beef were<br />

banned in the US since 2001<br />

amid fears of an outbreak of<br />

foot-and-mouth disease.<br />

Cattle herds in Argentina have<br />

been free of the disease since<br />

2007.<br />

American Airlines Cargo says<br />

the Argentine beef, one of the<br />

most sought-after entrees,<br />

were among the wide range of<br />

seasonal food flown by air<br />

worldwide for Christmas and<br />

New Year celebrations.<br />

“Our team was ready and<br />

waiting to deliver the first air<br />

shipments of Argentinian beef<br />

within days of the regulation<br />

change,” said Lorena Sandoval,<br />

Director of Cargo Sales – Latin<br />

American and Miami for<br />

American Airlines Cargo.<br />

Argentina is a country that is<br />

synonymous with high-end<br />

meat and has attained a worldclass<br />

reputation for its beef<br />

production.<br />

With American's daily<br />

widebody services between the<br />

U.S. and various locations in<br />

Argentina, the airline is poised<br />

to offer customers wishing to<br />

ship beef to the U.S. and<br />

beyond even more<br />

opportunities to move their<br />

goods in 2019.


Turkish Cargo livestock volume up 138% in 20<strong>18</strong><br />

ISTANBUL: Turkish Cargo says the<br />

volume of livestock it carried, pets<br />

included, grew by 138 percent in 20<strong>18</strong><br />

compared to 2017 as it marches<br />

forward to reach its goal of becoming<br />

one of the top 5 cargo brands in the<br />

world.<br />

“In 20<strong>18</strong>, we grew 138% in livestock<br />

transport! We welcome our best<br />

friends in a healthy and comfortable<br />

environment under the rules of CITES<br />

and IATA. As customers' preferred air<br />

cargo brand, we continue to grow<br />

with confident steps in the sector.<br />

#TurkishCargo,” the company<br />

announced on its LinkedIn profile but<br />

did not cite numbers in details.<br />

Turkish Cargo will continue to<br />

operate its freighter flights out of the<br />

Istanbul Ataturk International Airport.<br />

But staring January 1, 2019, its belly<br />

hold capacity will be moved out of the<br />

Istanbul New Airport, the hub of<br />

Turkey's flag carrier, Turkish Airlines,<br />

w h i c h s e r v e s m o re t h a n 3 0 4<br />

destinations as of 20<strong>18</strong>.<br />

This year, Turkish Cargo kept its 8th<br />

spot as the top global cargo brand<br />

with World Air Cargo Data (WACD), an<br />

independent research consultancy<br />

firm, affirming its 29 percent rise in<br />

revenue and 25 percent rise in<br />

transpor ted cargoes between<br />

J a n u a r y t o S e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 8<br />

compared to the same period last<br />

GLOBAL NEWS<br />

year.<br />

At Turkey's biggest transportation<br />

and logistics fair, “Logitrans” held Nov<br />

14-16, 20<strong>18</strong>, Chief Cargo Officer<br />

Turhan Ozen highlighted the<br />

company's target goals and future<br />

plans.<br />

The company bagged the “International<br />

Air Cargo Carrier of the Year”<br />

at the Atlas Logistics Awards<br />

Ceremony organize d during the fair.


GLOBAL NEWS<br />

Drones deliver first vaccines to<br />

remote island in Vanuatu<br />

Drone use in Africa<br />

gaining momentum<br />

PORT VILA, VANUATU: One in 5<br />

children in the remote Pacific islandnation<br />

of Vanuatu is not fully<br />

immunized but that's changing with<br />

its government and UNICEF teaming<br />

up to use commercial drones to reach<br />

even the farthest village in this<br />

archipelago.<br />

In a world's first, UNICEF and<br />

Vanuatu’s Ministr y of Health<br />

successfully delivered via commercial<br />

drones vaccines for anti-hepatitis and<br />

tuberculosis for children in Cook's Bay,<br />

a small scattered community with no<br />

health center or electricity accessible<br />

only by foot or small local boats<br />

known as banana boats.<br />

Tucked in styrofoam boxes with icepacks<br />

and temperature logger, the<br />

vaccines were transported last<br />

<strong>Dec</strong>ember to Cook's Bay using<br />

commercial drones from Australia's<br />

S w o o p A e r o a n d G e r m a n y ' s<br />

WingCopter, both specialized in<br />

delivering supplies in hard to reach<br />

areas.<br />

The drone operators were selected<br />

after a bidding process and agreed<br />

not to be paid if they failed to deliver<br />

the vaccines.<br />

Covering a 50-km flight over<br />

numerous islands and way points, the<br />

vaccines reached its destination which<br />

would have otherwise been extremely<br />

difficult due to its remote location.<br />

Henrietta H. Fore, UNICEF Executive<br />

Director, the project is a big leap in<br />

their goal to reach out to the remotest<br />

places on earth.<br />

“With the world still struggling to<br />

immunize the hardest to reach<br />

children, drone technologies can be a<br />

game changer for bridging that last<br />

mile to reach every child,” she said.<br />

Miriam Nampil, a registered local<br />

nurse, she had experienced extreme<br />

difficulty serving the Cook's Bay<br />

community and the drones are<br />

extremely helpful to attend to their<br />

medical needs.<br />

“It's extremely hard to carry ice<br />

boxes to keep the vaccines cool while<br />

walking across rivers, mountains,<br />

through the rain, across rocky ledges.<br />

I've relied on boats, which often get<br />

cancelled due to bad weather,” said<br />

Nampil, the nurse who injected the<br />

world's first drone-delivered vaccine.<br />

”As the journey is often long and<br />

difficult, I can only go there once a<br />

month to vaccinate children. But now,<br />

with these drones, we can hope to<br />

reach many more children in the<br />

remotest areas of the island.”<br />

Vanuatu's government says it will<br />

integrate drone delivery of vaccines<br />

into its national immunization and<br />

other health programs.<br />

JOHANNESBURG: The use<br />

of commercial drones is<br />

gaining momentum in Africa's<br />

three leading<br />

industries—agriculture,<br />

mining and renewable energy,<br />

according to the German<br />

company Microdones.<br />

Established in 2005 in<br />

Germany, Microdones has set<br />

its sights on Africa which is<br />

seeing a significant impact on<br />

the use of drones and<br />

integrated solutions in<br />

growing businesses connected<br />

to those three industries.<br />

Hanno Truter, Sales<br />

Manager for Microdrones<br />

Africa, said the continent has<br />

a lot of potentials<br />

economically and drones<br />

could be used to unlock them.<br />

In Microdrones news blog,<br />

Truter explained unlike other<br />

territories, Africa is very much<br />

different mainly because of its<br />

sheer size and scope.<br />

“First of all, let me give you<br />

a bit of perspective on the<br />

actual size of Africa,” explains<br />

Truter. “If you look at it from<br />

South to North, you're talking<br />

about 8,000 kilometers and<br />

from East to West about 7500<br />

km. North America, China,<br />

India, Eastern Europe, Spain,<br />

France, Germany, Switzerland<br />

and Japan all can fit into<br />

Africa itself. So that's quite a<br />

vast area to cover.”<br />

But because Africa remains<br />

underdeveloped there are<br />

many challenges in different<br />

fronts. For one, only 28<br />

percent of African countries<br />

have regulations in place with<br />

drone use because many<br />

governments consider drones<br />

as aircraft and should be<br />

handled as such.<br />

Truter says drone use in<br />

Africa also faces<br />

technological, economic,<br />

social and legal challenges.


GLOBAL NEWS<br />

AirBridgeCargo Airlines partners with<br />

Unilode Aviation on IoT concept<br />

LONDON: AirBridgeCargo Airlines<br />

and Unilode Aviation Solutions have<br />

extended their ULD management<br />

partnership for the extensive usage<br />

of Transmitting Portable Electronic<br />

Devices (TPEDs) for ULDs – pallets<br />

and containers.<br />

This Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE<br />

v.5.0) tracking and sensing device will<br />

be firmly mounted to ULDs supplied<br />

and managed by Unilode and carried<br />

in the cargo compartments of<br />

AirBridgeCargo's Boeing 747<br />

freighter fleet, the companies said.<br />

The monitoring devices will be<br />

used to track ULDs, register all<br />

environmental parameters, covering<br />

such crucial factors as temperature,<br />

humidity, illumination and shock<br />

a c t i o n s t o g u a r a n t e e 1 0 0 %<br />

transparency of shipment data. In<br />

addition, AirBridgeCargo will get<br />

accurate information from Unilode<br />

about the cargo status and its<br />

location, be it in the air or on the<br />

ground (warehouse, apron).<br />

Both companies have reached<br />

agreements on the terms of BLE v. 5.0<br />

usage, with the main work to be<br />

c o m p l e t e d a f t e r w a r d s .<br />

AirBridgeCargo Airlines and Unilode<br />

Aviation Solutions are working on<br />

the rollout, making sure all the ULDs<br />

are properly equipped with BLE v.5.0,<br />

Bluetooth readers are installed at the<br />

p l a c e s o f c a r g o m o v e m e n t<br />

(warehouse, ground handling<br />

p re m i s e s ) , a n d d e d i c a ted I T<br />

infrastructure is set to capture signals<br />

for real-time cargo monitoring.<br />

“ W i t h t h e p e n e t r a t i o n o f<br />

digitalization taking place in the air<br />

cargo sector, we want to make sure<br />

that our customers get the full<br />

benefit of it, be it general cargo, abc<br />

pharma, abc XL or other specialist<br />

dedicated services,” stated Sergey<br />

L a z a r e v , G e n e r a l D i r e c t o r,<br />

AirBridgeCargo Airlines.<br />

“AirBridgeCargo Airlines is<br />

Unilode's loyal customer since 2004<br />

and we are very pleased to work<br />

t o g e t h e r i n o u r d i g i t a l<br />

transformation program which will<br />

enhance Unilode's ULD management<br />

with the most innovative solutions<br />

available in the market,” added<br />

Benoît Dumont, Unilode CEO.<br />

AirBridgeCargo Airlines had since<br />

upgraded its online track and trace<br />

tool, introduced 24/7 Control Tower<br />

to monitor status of special cargo<br />

shipments, and reinforced its team at<br />

all levels.


UPS increases freight rates to US and Canada<br />

ATLANTA, GA: UPS has increased<br />

by 4.9% its freight rates for all ground,<br />

air and international services within<br />

and between the United States,<br />

Canada and Puerto Rico.<br />

The company said the rate changes<br />

that took effect on <strong>Dec</strong>ember 26,<br />

20<strong>18</strong> will support ongoing expansion<br />

and capabilities enhancements while<br />

ensuring UPS is fairly compensated<br />

for the value and high service levels it<br />

provided.<br />

“UPS continues to make investments<br />

in capacity, technology and<br />

reach of our transportation network<br />

in order to support our customers'<br />

growth, visibility, and service needs,”<br />

the company said in a statement.<br />

Last November, UPS, a global<br />

logistics provider and leading<br />

GLOBAL NEWS<br />

advocate for global trade, lauded the<br />

US, Canada and Mexico for agreeing<br />

to sign the US-Mexico-Canada<br />

Agreement (USMCA).<br />

The signed USMCA but is yet to be<br />

ratified is unofficially known as NAFTA<br />

2.0. It is meant to supersede the North<br />

American Free Trade Agreement<br />

( N A F T A ) w h i c h t h e T r u m p<br />

administration believes does not<br />

support the US economic agenda.<br />

“The new USMCA will help to take<br />

time, cost and complexity out of trade<br />

between the United States, Mexico<br />

and Canada,” said David Abney,<br />

C h a i r m a n a n d C E O o f U P S .<br />

“Specifically, the agreement will<br />

significantly improve customs<br />

regulations, spur the growth of e-<br />

commerce through new digital trade<br />

rules and support the participation of<br />

more small businesses in regional and<br />

global supply chains.”<br />

UPS has been a vocal supporter of<br />

modernizing the North America trade<br />

regime and bringing it into the 21stcentury.<br />

Air France KLM Martinair Cargo rolls<br />

out new digital products<br />

THE NETHERLANDS: Air France<br />

KLM Martinair Cargo has rolled out<br />

new digital products following the<br />

success of its online booking toll<br />

myCargo lauched about 2.5 years ago.<br />

The company says it recently added<br />

the option to make instant bookings of<br />

up to 4 tons 24/7 and the option of<br />

booking pharma shipments online.<br />

It also launched an API (Application<br />

Programming Interface) capability that<br />

will enable customers to directly<br />

connect with Air France KLM Martinair<br />

Cargo's “Quote & Book” online<br />

booking tool into their systems,<br />

offering more efficiency gains.<br />

“ We a re v e r y p l e a s e d w i t h<br />

myCargo's degree of adaptability and<br />

its customer satisfaction ratings. We<br />

get a lot of positive responses from<br />

customers. In <strong>Dec</strong>ember, we reached a<br />

milestone in Europe by having 52% of<br />

the quotes requested online. This<br />

means, in practice, that about every 20<br />

seconds a quote is requested online<br />

during a working day,” says GertJan<br />

Roelands, Vice President Europe at Air<br />

France KLM Martinair Cargo.<br />

“We promote our digital approach<br />

with our GoSurfing campaign, which<br />

we recently introduced in Germany<br />

and will be rolling out further in Europe<br />

in the weeks ahead. Another<br />

development driving online sales is<br />

our new program for small and<br />

medium-sized forwarders called<br />

“WHAT COUNTS,” he added.<br />

WHAT COUNTS creates value for Air<br />

F r a n c e K L M M a r t i n a i r C a rg o<br />

customers in three ways. First, it gives<br />

customers the opportunity to save<br />

Blue Credits for the cargo flown which<br />

they can use to buy airline tickets.<br />

Second, it gives them access to<br />

MyCargo, allowing them to book and<br />

manage shipments 24/7. Third, the<br />

GertJan Roelands<br />

WHAT COUNTS approach is largely<br />

based on big data.<br />

“This enables us to send targeted<br />

offers to customers, based on their<br />

specific needs. We began rolling out<br />

this program in the Netherlands last<br />

year, which led to higher customer<br />

satisfaction ratings and increased<br />

sales. That is why we decided to roll out<br />

the program throughout Europe,”<br />

explained Roelands.


GLOBAL NEWS<br />

Emirates SkyCargo lifts close to<br />

10,000 tons of Irish exports in 20<strong>18</strong><br />

DUBLIN, IRELAND: Close to<br />

10,000 tons of Irish seafood, cheese,<br />

chocolate, beef, pharmaceuticals and<br />

electronics heading to the Far East<br />

were transpor ted by Emirates<br />

Skycargo in 20<strong>18</strong>.<br />

The freight division of Emirates says<br />

35% of Irish export cargo for 20<strong>18</strong> are<br />

food items such as crabs, oysters,<br />

razor shells and salmon, much of<br />

which went to the Far East, specifically,<br />

Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore.<br />

Other produce made its way to the<br />

supermarkets of Dubai and onwards<br />

to Asia like yogurt, cheese, Irish beef,<br />

chocolates and baby milk formula.<br />

Emirates SkyCargo also transported<br />

2,000 tons of pharmaceuticals from<br />

Dublin to Australia, India and the<br />

Middle East during the period.<br />

O t h e r I r i s h p ro d u c t s b e i n g<br />

exported to markets such as the UAE,<br />

China, Singapore, Australia and South<br />

Africa, and making up 35% of exports,<br />

include computer equipment,<br />

electronics and machinery.<br />

L a r g e C o m p u t e r s e r v e r s<br />

(supporting Cloud Technology)<br />

manufactured in Ireland are exported<br />

worldwide using Emirates' wide-body<br />

aircraft services to Australia, New<br />

Zealand and the Middle East.<br />

M i c h a e l M e a g h e r, E m i r a tes<br />

SkyCargo manager for Ireland, said<br />

t h e c o m pa n y 's p re s e n c e h a s<br />

enhanced business activities in<br />

Ireland since it began operating on<br />

the route in January 2012.<br />

It carried 50,000 tons of cargo out<br />

Dublin at that time making the<br />

company the top cargo carrier from<br />

Ireland to the Middle East, Australia<br />

and China.<br />

“We are continuing to<br />

grow our operation in<br />

Ireland and are currently<br />

developing Dublin as a<br />

gate-way to aNorth<br />

America for cargo traffic<br />

coming from Dubai and<br />

elsewhere on our network.<br />

This is a very exciting<br />

development for the<br />

Emirate SkyCargo team in<br />

Dublin, where every piece<br />

of cargo is treated with kid<br />

gloves to ensure it arrives at<br />

its destination in perfect<br />

condition,” said Meagher.<br />

Flying twice daily between Dublin<br />

and Dubai and beyond, Emirates<br />

offers up to 25 tons of belly cargo<br />

capacity on each of its Boeing-777<br />

aircraft on the route.<br />

LATAM Cargo gets<br />

first of 3 converted<br />

freighters<br />

BRAZIL: LATAM Cargo<br />

welcomed in <strong>Dec</strong>ember the<br />

first of three 767-300ER<br />

(Extended Range) passenger<br />

aircraft converted to 767-<br />

300BCF (Boeing Converted<br />

Freighters).<br />

The second freighter will be<br />

delivered in 2019 and the<br />

third in 2020, the company<br />

said noting that the change is<br />

part of its strategy to upgrade<br />

its fleet of freighters amid<br />

expansion plans in Latin<br />

America. The new deliveries<br />

will bring to 12 LATAM<br />

Cargo’s fleet of freighters.<br />

“This new addition to our<br />

fleet strengthens our presence<br />

in Latin America by<br />

reinforcing our cargo<br />

operation and supplementing<br />

our passenger network. This<br />

aircraft, together with the<br />

other two B767BCF that will<br />

be delivered over the next<br />

two years, clearly attests to<br />

LATAM’s commitment to the<br />

region’s cargo markets,” said<br />

Andrés Bianchi, CEO of LATAM<br />

Cargo.<br />

Considered one of the most<br />

complex operations in<br />

commercial aviation, the<br />

conversion was successfully<br />

completed with the<br />

collaboration of several<br />

departments of the LATAM<br />

Group. Initially, the converted<br />

aircraft will operate in South<br />

America, Central America and<br />

Europe.<br />

LATAM Cargo said<br />

migrating towards a uniform<br />

B767F fleet allows it to better<br />

adjust its itineraries to the size<br />

and seasonal fluctuations of<br />

the South American cargo<br />

markets.<br />

It also gives greater<br />

flexibility in terms of routes<br />

and operating frequency.


LOGISTICS NEWS<br />

Aramex Fleet offers Saudi 'fleeters' additional income<br />

RIYADH/DUBAI: The Uber in<br />

c o u r i e r s e r v i c e w a s re c e n t l y<br />

introduced in the Kingdom of Saudi<br />

Arabia with 'Aramex Fleet'—a crowdbased<br />

delivery platform that connects<br />

Saudi nationals to flexible last mile<br />

paid delivery work.<br />

Aramex (DFM: ARMX), the leading<br />

global provider of comprehensive<br />

logistics and transportation solutions,<br />

says the project supports Saudi<br />

Arabia's call for economic reforms<br />

and the strong demand for the<br />

company's services in the Kingdom.<br />

In a statement, the company<br />

explained Aramex Fleet follows a<br />

network-based business model that<br />

provides Saudi nationals ('Fleeters')<br />

with income per successful delivery.<br />

All Fleeters are on-boarded through a<br />

dedicated digital platform, which<br />

provides security and transparency by<br />

recording names, vehicle types, and<br />

license plate numbers.<br />

Aramex is the first among major<br />

i n t e r n a t i o n a l l o g i s t i c s a n d<br />

transportation providers to integrate<br />

this service in the MENA region, with<br />

plans to introduce the platform to at<br />

least 10 more countries over the next<br />

12 months.<br />

Commenting on the launch,<br />

Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al Nowaiser,<br />

General Manager of Aramex in Saudi<br />

Arabia, said Saudi Arabia is Aramex's<br />

largest market in the Middle East<br />

leading growth in the region's shared<br />

economy.<br />

“'Aramex Fleet' will help boost<br />

economic growth in Saudi Arabia by<br />

empowering Saudi nationals through<br />

c r o w d s o u r c e d e m p l o y m e n t<br />

opportunities and flexible working<br />

hours, whilst increasing last mile<br />

delivery capacity for customers<br />

during busy periods,” he said.<br />

Khalid Jamjoum, Head of Global<br />

Capacity Planning and Last Mile<br />

Innovation at Aramex, added,<br />

Aramex's newest innovative product<br />

will transform the way packages are<br />

delivered today.<br />

“This on-demand supply will enable<br />

us to seamlessly scale-up during peak<br />

seasons to absorb more business and<br />

maintain our service levels. Our digital<br />

transformation strategy focuses on<br />

leveraging lean, tech-driven models<br />

such as 'Aramex Fleet' to tackle<br />

capacity constraints and enhance last<br />

mile delivery. We look forward to<br />

announcing further innovations in the<br />

near future,” he said.<br />

In October, Aramex launched<br />

WhatsApp for Business which<br />

i n c l u d e s a t r a c k a n d t r a c e<br />

functionality as well as a 'find Aramex<br />

nearest location' feature. The<br />

company says the project is part of its<br />

e f f o r t s to e n h a n c e c u s tomer<br />

experience and digitize the end-toend<br />

shipment journey.<br />

Saudi nationals can join the Aramex<br />

Fleet platform through the official<br />

website: fleet.aramex.com<br />

India sets integrated logistics plan as industry<br />

seen to reach $215 billion in value by 2020<br />

N E W D E L H I : T h e I n d i a n<br />

government says it's preparing an<br />

integrated logistics plan to speed up<br />

the movement of goods in the sector<br />

seen to reach a market value of over<br />

US$215 billion by 2020.<br />

Commerce and Industry Minister<br />

Suresh Prabhu said the plan would<br />

integrate all sectors—air, road,<br />

ship ad rail.<br />

“We are preparing an integrated<br />

logistics plan and also a portal to<br />

make logistics efficient and costeffective<br />

in the country,” said Prabhu<br />

during the recently held CILT<br />

(Chartered Institute of Logistics &<br />

Transport) India Expo 20<strong>18</strong>.<br />

CILT said the Suresh Prabhu<br />

logistics industry<br />

i n I n d i a i s<br />

currently valued<br />

at $160 billion and<br />

p r o v i d e s<br />

employment to<br />

m o r e t h a n 2 2<br />

million people.<br />

G r o w t h i n t h e<br />

s e c t o r i s<br />

noticeable with<br />

even the World<br />

Bank agreeing to upgrade the<br />

country's logistics performance from<br />

54th in 2014 to 35th in 2016.<br />

With a growing population of over<br />

1.3 billion and the rise in the middle<br />

class, India's logistics sector is seen<br />

as a vital connectivity to the country's<br />

quest for economic development.


CSP Abu Dhabi Terminal opens at Khalifa Port<br />

ABU DHABI: COSCO Shipping<br />

Ports (CSP) Abu Dhabi Terminal at<br />

Khalifa Port was officially opened last<br />

<strong>Dec</strong>ember positioning the UAE capital<br />

as the regional hub for COSCO's<br />

global network of 36 ports and<br />

enhancing its connectivity to major<br />

trade routes along the Belt and Road<br />

Initiative (BRI).<br />

The deepwater, semi-automated<br />

container terminal includes the largest<br />

Container Freight Station (CFS) in the<br />

Middle East, covering 275,000 square<br />

meters.<br />

It offers facilities for full and partial<br />

bonded container shipments, the full<br />

range of container packing services,<br />

short-term warehousing for deconsolidated<br />

cargo as well as easy<br />

connectivity with container terminals<br />

in Khalifa Port, the Emirates News<br />

Agency WAM reported.<br />

The terminal is also the first<br />

international greenfield subsidiary of<br />

COSCO Shipping Ports, a subsidiary of<br />

China COSCO Shipping, the largest<br />

integrated shipping enterprise in the<br />

world. CSP has so far invested AED1.1<br />

billion in capital expenditure on<br />

construction and machinery at the<br />

terminal.<br />

The partnership with COSCO<br />

Shipping Ports is part of a five-year<br />

strategy by Abu Dhabi Ports aimed at<br />

strengthening the maritime sector in<br />

the capital and driving economic<br />

LOGISTICS NEWS<br />

diversification, in line with Abu Dhabi<br />

Economic Vision 2030, by increasing<br />

regional trade and attracting foreign<br />

direct investment.<br />

Abu Dhabi Ports has earmarked<br />

AED10 billion in investment that will<br />

increase capacity at Khalifa Port from<br />

the current 5 million TEU to 9.1 million<br />

TEU, which also includes boosting<br />

capacity at Terminal 1 to more than 5<br />

million TEU.<br />

The CSP Abu Dhabi Terminal has a<br />

design capacity of 2.5 million TEU and<br />

will begin with a handling capacity of<br />

1.5 million TEU, with 1200 metres of<br />

quay. The water depth of the terminal<br />

is 16.5 meters, allowing it to<br />

accommodate mega-vessels typically<br />

carrying in excess of 20,000 TEU.<br />

CSP Abu Dhabi Terminal is the result<br />

of the 35-year agreement between<br />

Abu Dhabi Ports and COSCO Shipping<br />

Ports whose terminal portfolio covers<br />

the five main port regions in Mainland<br />

China, Southeast Asia, Europe, the<br />

Mediterranean and the Black Sea.<br />

The new terminal is part of Abu<br />

Dhabi Ports' five-year growth strategy<br />

to increase Khalifa Port, with its two<br />

container terminals, to a combined<br />

total capacity of 9.1 million TEUs. The<br />

addition of CSP Abu Dhabi Terminal<br />

has already moved Khalifa Port up<br />

from being the 89th largest container<br />

port in world rankings to within the<br />

top 25.<br />

DB Schenker commits stricter CO2<br />

targets in freight transport<br />

ESSEN, GERMANY: DB Schenker<br />

says it's committed to impose stricter<br />

CO2 reduction targets for commercial<br />

vehicles over 7.5 tons.<br />

"I believe that more can be done and<br />

more must be done," says Jochen<br />

Thewes, CEO of DB Schenker, on the<br />

occasion of Deutsche Bahn's "Green<br />

November" initiative. "To encourage<br />

t h e f o r t h c o m i n g s t r u c t u r a l<br />

transformation in the automotive<br />

industr y and the availability of<br />

alternative drive technologies in freight<br />

transport as well, I consider the<br />

ambitious CO2 reduction targets for<br />

commercial vehicles of 20% by 2025<br />

and 35% by 2030 to be absolutely<br />

feasible.<br />

Having joined the global climate<br />

initiative EV 100, DB Schenker recently<br />

decided to gradually convert its own<br />

fleet of distribution vehicles to<br />

electromobility.<br />

The objective is to retrofit all vehicles<br />

up to 3.5 tons with electric drives or fuel<br />

cells by 2030. Half of all vehicles<br />

weighing between 3.5 and 7.5 tons will<br />

also be electrically powered by then.<br />

Even today, DB Schenker already<br />

operates electric transport vehicles in<br />

Austria, Italy and Norway as well as<br />

electric cargo bikes in a dozen<br />

European cities.<br />

In addition, a pilot project in Germany<br />

together with MAN and Fresenius<br />

University is currently testing the<br />

efficiency of digitally controlled truck<br />

convoys, also known as "platooning".<br />

Together with the Swedish startup<br />

Einride, the world's first electric and fully<br />

autonomous truck was recently put into<br />

commercial operation.


COVER STORY<br />

ECS Group<br />

Nurturing tomorrow's industry leaders<br />

Teaming up with colleges, universities, numerous startup nurseries and accelerators<br />

as well as airlines and transit agents around the world, ECS is launching the<br />

#NexGenLeaders—a project that challenges the best young innovators to come up<br />

with new ideas on how to improve the air cargo industry. The best projects will be<br />

revealed at “Air Cargo Europe” in Munich, Germany in June 2019.<br />

Behind a l l s u c c e s s f u l<br />

companies are people. The<br />

employees who think and<br />

execute the work. The management<br />

that oversees the operations and<br />

directs its future. And the consumers<br />

who patronize the products or services<br />

that companies sell.<br />

Despite the emergence of new<br />

technologies that have taken over<br />

many sectors in recent years, the value<br />

of human capital remains strong in the<br />

air cargo industry so much that it<br />

continues to invest on people,<br />

e m p o w e r i n g t h e m w i t h n e w<br />

knowledge, skills and techniques.<br />

ECS Group, the largest integrated<br />

GSSA worldwide with more than 1,000<br />

strong employees across 69 offices in<br />

47 countries, is taking its human<br />

capital investment a notch up with the<br />

launch of #NexGenLeaders—a project<br />

that challenges the best young<br />

innovators to come up with new ideas<br />

on how to help improve the air cargo<br />

industry.<br />

Adrien Thominet, CEO of ECS Group,<br />

explained to Air Cargo Update the<br />

project is aimed at discovering new<br />

talents and tomorrow's industry<br />

leaders and giving them the<br />

opportunity to grow in the GSSA<br />

industry.<br />

“We indeed have the intention to<br />

launch an ambitious project on the<br />

international scale to discover<br />

tomorrow's industry leaders. In the<br />

four corners of the world, the project<br />

will be an opportunity for students,<br />

startups and ECS group employees to<br />

make their ideas known and to deploy<br />

their talents with the same goal:<br />

rejuvenating our industry by way of<br />

innovation,” says Thominet who is<br />

deeply passionate about empowering<br />

the Millennials with industr y<br />

opportunities.<br />

“Known as #NexGenLeaders, this<br />

project will consist of a challenge<br />

lasting almost 6 months, with a totally<br />

dematerialized on-line part followed<br />

by a live finale. The grand jury<br />

consisting of experts from our industry<br />

will elect the best projects which will be<br />

revealed during the Munich “Air Cargo<br />

Europe” event in June 2019,” he added.<br />

The project involves collaborating


“<br />

The men and women in<br />

the Group are the<br />

keystone behind our<br />

growth. Although we<br />

have our eyes constantly<br />

turned toward the future,<br />

we also count a great deal<br />

on the new generation to<br />

take up the everyday<br />

challenges and invent<br />

tomorrow's industry with<br />

a new way of seeing<br />

things and having<br />

groundbreaking ideas. We<br />

are convinced that their<br />

new ways of seeing<br />

things, from an external<br />

standpoint, are the ideal<br />

complement for the skills<br />

of our more experienced<br />

collaborators. “<br />

-Adrien Thominet,<br />

ECS Group CEO<br />

with many colleges and universities<br />

worldwide as well as numerous<br />

nurseries and accelerators. ECS said<br />

#NexGenLeaders will be a wideranging<br />

activity for the company this<br />

year. The initial response has been<br />

encouraging with even airlines and<br />

transit agents pledging support.<br />

“Convinced of the value of this<br />

project, several partners (airlines and<br />

transit agents) have also promised<br />

their support to help us carry this<br />

project through,” said Thominet.<br />

A Dynamic Network<br />

With an operation that spans<br />

through continents, dozens of<br />

countries, involving multi-cultural<br />

workforce working at different time<br />

zones, ECS Group says people united<br />

with common goals despite their<br />

diversity is the core strength that<br />

drives it to succeed.<br />

“The strength behind ECS Group has<br />

always been our expertise and, more<br />

particularly, the expert input of our<br />

collaborators all over the world. Local<br />

group managers are fully aware of<br />

their market and have established<br />

privileged ties with their partners.<br />

These "local heroes” as we sometimes<br />

call them form a single joint network<br />

enabling our Group to develop over<br />

the years. Our managers and<br />

collaborators have a wide range of<br />

profiles adding to our complementary<br />

capability and making our Group<br />

particularly dynamic from the<br />

commercial standpoint,” explained<br />

Thominet.<br />

“The men and women in the group<br />

are the keystone behind our growth.<br />

Although we have our eyes constantly<br />

turned toward the future, we also<br />

count a great deal on the new<br />

generation to take up the everyday<br />

challenges and invent tomorrow's<br />

industry with a new way of seeing<br />

things and having groundbreaking<br />

ideas. We are convinced that their new<br />

ways of seeing things, from an external<br />

standpoint, are the ideal complement<br />

for the skills of our more experienced<br />

collaborators,” he continued.<br />

Combining the expertise of the<br />

company's experienced people while<br />

welcoming innovative ideas, help ECS<br />

Group maximize its resources and spell<br />

growth.<br />

“What we are striving to do at ECS<br />

Group is to add together all these


COVER STORY<br />

ECS GROUP AROUND THE WORLD<br />

This service offer, the heart<br />

of our strategy, illustrates<br />

the confidence that our<br />

airline partners put in our<br />

expertise and performance.<br />

We have this type of<br />

partnership with JetStar<br />

Asia, Air Italy and more<br />

recently with NokScoot. We<br />

are particularly proud of<br />

this cooperation which<br />

points toward the future of<br />

our group,” said Thominet<br />

who noted that this is an<br />

important goal for ECS<br />

Group that requires deep<br />

commitment from its team.<br />

strengths and complementary profiles.<br />

They represent our ace card and we are<br />

reaping the benefits of this strategy<br />

every day, within the group, the<br />

affiliates, and more generally on an<br />

industry-wide scale,” said Thominet.<br />

New deals<br />

ECS Group capped 20<strong>18</strong> with new<br />

partnerships, collaborations and<br />

prospects for expansion. First, it<br />

welcomed new shareholder Naxicap, a<br />

multibillion private equity firm<br />

focusing on leverage buyouts and<br />

growth capital.<br />

Thominet said Naxicap's entry as<br />

investor will enable ECS Group to<br />

“considerably bulk up our investment<br />

plan and work on new acquisitions to<br />

expand our already considerable<br />

network even more.”<br />

In Latin America, ECS Group formed<br />

a new partnership with the Brazilheadquartered<br />

BCS Air, enabling it to<br />

expand on the market.<br />

“Our partnership is the result of a<br />

long friendship and we are now<br />

reaping all the benefits. The BCS AIR<br />

team, headed by the particularly<br />

proficient João Ferreira, this is what<br />

one might call a perfect team,<br />

recognized as the leading GSSA in<br />

Brazil, for technical and innovative<br />

accomplishments. The team is<br />

dynamic, enthusiastic and deeply<br />

committed to the future of our group<br />

and its expansion, especially in Latin<br />

America,” Thominet shared.<br />

Last year, ECS also demonstrated its<br />

growing expertise on Total Cargo<br />

Management (TCM) by replacing the<br />

airline entirely for the complete cargo<br />

chain.<br />

“This service offer, the heart of our<br />

strategy, illustrates the confidence that<br />

our airline partners put in our expertise<br />

and performance. We have this type of<br />

partnership with JetStar Asia, Air Italy<br />

and more recently with NokScoot. We<br />

are par ticularly proud of this<br />

cooperation which points toward the<br />

future of our group,” said Thominet<br />

who noted that this is an important<br />

goal for ECS Group that requires deep<br />

commitment from its team.<br />

This year, ECS Group envisions keep<br />

up with its positive growth with new<br />

projects, products and innovations<br />

with Thominet saying they are<br />

“constantly on the lookout for new,<br />

solid and sustainable partnerships.”<br />

“ECS Group now has locations in the<br />

four corners of the world and our<br />

network extends to every continent. it<br />

does not prevent us from continuing<br />

our organic growth however, through<br />

acquisitions (recently in Latin America<br />

with BCS AIR and last year with EXP-<br />

AIR Cargo in Canada); other projects<br />

are under way and every day is a<br />

challenge to plan the way our group<br />

could deploy further. We take great<br />

care of this network which is what<br />

makes us strong, stronger from dayto-day.<br />

It is particularly true in Northeast<br />

Asia and the Pacific where we<br />

have several ongoing projects for<br />

expansion to help us better set up in<br />

the region,” the CEO said.


COVER STORY<br />

Adrien Thominet, ECS Group CEO<br />

Digitalization is<br />

essential for our industry<br />

and we must accompany<br />

this change. Obviously,<br />

the change is already<br />

taking place but without<br />

everybody's backing, it<br />

will take longer for the<br />

process to be<br />

implemented entirely.<br />

Performance<br />

improvement and<br />

making our daily work<br />

easier should offer the<br />

means of overriding any<br />

reticence in changing our<br />

way of working.<br />

Adrien Thominet, the CEO of ECS<br />

Group, has been with the company for<br />

more than 23 years. An economics<br />

graduate, he first worked in New York<br />

and Tokyo before settling back to his<br />

roots, Paris, France.<br />

Constantly looking out for growth,<br />

this pragmatic and dynamic business<br />

leader who helped steer the company<br />

to new heights in the GSSA industry,<br />

shares more insights with <strong>ACU</strong> on<br />

different issues facing the air cargo<br />

industry.<br />

As someone who has been in the<br />

GSSA business for many years,<br />

please briefly tell us the perks of<br />

nurturing a career in this industry.<br />

Our industry is somewhat watertight<br />

but it does actually offer<br />

thousands of opportunities. With the<br />

constantly growing demand, the air<br />

cargo industr y is developing<br />

continuously, and the field of<br />

possibilities is as open as ever. The<br />

industry players are all driven by the<br />

same concern for performance and<br />

renewal.<br />

The industry is particularly effective<br />

for those who dare. In this line of<br />

thinking, it is also possible to bring to<br />

the fore innovative ideas, and to move<br />

the traditional ways of doing things. In<br />

short, it means constantly maintaining<br />

action and taking up new challenges<br />

every day. From a more personal<br />

standpoint, I have had the opportunity<br />

of working in a group which has never<br />

stopped its expansion in terms of<br />

performance and geographical<br />

coverage. My job is especially<br />

interesting, as is the group in which I<br />

work. Being constantly in the field, face<br />

to face with the players who make and<br />

keep this industry alive is an experience<br />

which is a long way from the humdrum<br />

will never be a simple routine.<br />

The Yellow Vest Movement in<br />

France is gaining momentum,<br />

what's your stand on issues being<br />

raised as one of the biggest<br />

employers in the GSSA industry?<br />

Above all, the Yellow Vest Movement<br />

is a protestation movement reacting to<br />

the government policy (tax on<br />

automobile fuel, increased cost-ofliving).<br />

At ECS Group, we do not "do”<br />

politics but at the heart of our concerns<br />

lies the well-being and development of<br />

our cooperators. There is a very strong<br />

team spirit at ECS group and we want<br />

to develop it, by setting up various<br />

tools and processes, by internal<br />

communication, organization and<br />

above all, by involving the teams to the<br />

utmost so that they feel that they are<br />

supported by the group.<br />

The Yellow Vest Movement has not<br />

affected our group in any way and has<br />

not had any impact on our quality of<br />

service and our in-house organization.<br />

In terms of innovations, please<br />

share with us your latest projects in<br />

this front.<br />

Internally, we have begun to deploy<br />

business intelligence and reporting<br />

tools. These innovative solutions will<br />

revolutionize our way of working and<br />

dealing with the various markets. Not<br />

only are these tailor-made tools easy to<br />

use, but they also represent a<br />

considerable gain in time and boost<br />

our performance enormously. We will<br />

soon be announcing a new product.<br />

Innovation is therefore the heart of<br />

our concerns and our everyday work,<br />

without it being a constraint. On the<br />

contrary, we see it as a tool, a driving<br />

force and a target. That is why<br />

innovation is part of the 5 values at ECS<br />

Group.<br />

In your opinion, how can the air<br />

cargo industry in general address<br />

problems with digitalization?<br />

As mentioned previously, the matter<br />

of innovation, digitization or any other<br />

conversion of our methods should not<br />

be seen as a constraint but as a chance.<br />

Change is often considered warily,<br />

whereas it should be greeted<br />

enthusiastically.<br />

Digitalization is essential for our<br />

industry and we must accompany this<br />

change. Obviously, the change is<br />

already taking place but without<br />

everybody's backing, it will take longer<br />

for the process to be implemented<br />

entirely. Performance improvement<br />

and making our daily work easier<br />

should offer the means of overriding<br />

any reticence in changing our way of<br />

working.


ANALYSIS<br />

Feeding the world<br />

Demand for air cargo soars as consumer appetite<br />

for food variety and healthier options grows<br />

“<br />

As disposable income rises, consumer expenditure on food and<br />

beverages in the Asia-Pacific and Middle East and Africa regions will<br />

increase from 53% of global expenditure in 2017 to 60% by 2030.<br />

Urbanization and population growth are expected to aid this consumer<br />

spend. As a result, packaged foods and beverages are expected to<br />

become more accessible, with increased access to international brands<br />

and western food types. – Euromonitor International<br />

“<br />

By Gemma Q. Casas<br />

Contributions from Oman Air, as the national airline, to<br />

the economy of the Sultanate of Oman have been very<br />

significant and these are expected to show further<br />

growth. Each new destination started, adds to an already<br />

existing successful bilateral relations apart from the<br />

trade, business and tourism prospects. In addition to our<br />

online network, we work with almost 75 interline<br />

partners helping us extend our selling horizon to all<br />

continents in the world.<br />

- Mohammed Ali Al Musafir<br />

Oman Air Senior Vice President, Commercial Cargo


ANALYSIS<br />

he air cargo industry may just<br />

Taccount for transporting a<br />

third of world trade annually<br />

but those are high value goods worth<br />

trillions.<br />

In recent years, much of these air<br />

flown goods constitute fresh produce<br />

from different farming villages<br />

immediately transported to various<br />

cities across the world as the demand<br />

for healthier food options get<br />

stronger.<br />

The food and beverage industry<br />

has become so big it contributed<br />

US$77.5 trillion in global economy in<br />

2017, largely driven by the rise in<br />

population, urbanization and growth<br />

in middle class in emerging markets<br />

within Asia-Pacific, the Middle East<br />

and North Africa, according to<br />

leading market research firm<br />

Euromonitor International.<br />

Consumer expenditure<br />

on food and beverages<br />

was pegged at US$6.6<br />

trillion or 8.5 percent of<br />

world GDP in 2017. Much<br />

of the growth was seen in<br />

Asia-Pacific, the Middle<br />

East and Africa.<br />

Air flown food is<br />

common practice<br />

nowadays that it's not<br />

surprising to see guests at<br />

a wedding reception in<br />

Shanghai eat succulent<br />

lobsters freshly harvested<br />

from Halifax, Canada<br />

flown within hours after<br />

being plucked from the<br />

waters. Lobsters are a<br />

must in weddings in China<br />

despite high value on<br />

belief that they bring luck<br />

to the couples.<br />

China's new rich consume lobsters<br />

at unimaginable proportions helping<br />

Canada's lobster industry—mainly in<br />

the maritime provinces of Nova<br />

Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward<br />

Island and Newfoundland—to grow<br />

more than $5 billion in value annually.<br />

The demand for these crustaceans is<br />

also high in Europe, Japan, Korea and<br />

Thailand.<br />

In Dubai, airlifting food from all<br />

corners of the world at whim is also<br />

common—mainly among the affluent<br />

class. Wines from California, Chile,<br />

Argentina, France, etc. Caviar from<br />

Russia. Fresh seafood from Japan.<br />

Salmon from Norway. Edible flowers<br />

from Thailand or Africa. Chocolates<br />

from Belgium or Switzerland. Truffles<br />

from Italy. Lamb from Australia.<br />

Cheese and dairies from France. And<br />

the list goes on.<br />

And millions of expatriates in Dubai<br />

and the rest of the United Arab<br />

Emirates, including millions more in<br />

nearby countries around the oil-rich<br />

Middle East like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait,<br />

Bahrain, others, are also heavily<br />

dependent on air freight for their<br />

food on a regular basis. Poultry and<br />

processed meat from Brazil, New<br />

Zealand, Africa and Australia; grains<br />

and legumes from South Asia, Africa,<br />

Asia; vegetables and fruits from India,<br />

Iran and Pakistan, and so on.<br />

G r a p e s , c h e r r i e s , o r a n g e s ,<br />

pomegranate, among other seasonal<br />

fruits, from Turkey, Egypt, Lebanon<br />

and Iran, are also regularly flown to<br />

Europe and other parts of the Middle<br />

East via air freight.<br />

And the demand for air transported<br />

fresh vegetables and fruits, fish,<br />

seafood, meat and dairies, and<br />

processed food is forecast to grow<br />

even more as consumers' appetite for<br />

food variety and healthier options get<br />

stronger.<br />

Healthy perishable market<br />

Emirates SkyCargo, the freight<br />

d i v i s i o n of E m i r a t e s , s a i d i t<br />

transported close to 400,000 tons of<br />

perishables year-on-year since the<br />

launch of its specialized service<br />

Emirates Fresh in April 2017 and is<br />

bracing for more shipments in the<br />

second half of this year.<br />

The Dubai-based freight carrier<br />

said fruits and vegetables were the<br />

largest category of perishables it<br />

transported at 150,000 tons with<br />

more than 20 percent sourced from<br />

India mainly for the UAE, home to a<br />

large expatriate population from all<br />

over the world.<br />

“The three different service levels of<br />

Emirates Fresh allow us to respond to<br />

the varied needs of perishables<br />

exporters. We continue to work with<br />

our customers and to invest in and<br />

develop Emirates Fresh as well as our<br />

other sector specific offerings. This is<br />

what helps us stay ahead of the<br />

game,” said Nabil Sultan, Emirates<br />

Divisional Senior Vice President,<br />

Cargo.<br />

The freight carrier transported over<br />

65,000 tons of seafood and close to<br />

60,000 tons of meat during the<br />

period.<br />

Salmon from Norway to East Asia,<br />

seafood from South Africa and<br />

Uganda to Europe and premium meat<br />

from Melbourne to the Middle East,<br />

were some of the high-value seafood<br />

items it carried along with close to<br />

25,000 tons of meat exports from


ANALYSIS<br />

Saudi Arabia, food and<br />

agriculture imports<br />

US$19 billion in 2014.<br />

Largest consumer of food in GCC region<br />

growing at <strong>18</strong>.5 percent annually, analysts<br />

forecast the Kingdom's food imports to reach<br />

US$70 billion per annum in the next five years<br />

In neighboring Saudi Arabia, food<br />

and agriculture imports were valued<br />

at US$19 billion in 2014. As the largest<br />

consumer of food products in the<br />

GCC region growing at <strong>18</strong>.5 percent<br />

annually, analysts forecast the<br />

Kingdom's food imports to reach<br />

US$70 billion per annum in the next<br />

five years.<br />

The Kingdom's lands and weather<br />

are not suitable for farming, thus, it<br />

resorts to food importation mainly<br />

sourced from India, Brazil, Germany,<br />

France, Egypt and Argentina. And<br />

food imports keep the governmentowned<br />

Saudia Cargo busy all year.<br />

“Despite the slowdown in economy,<br />

Saudi Arabia's food consumption is<br />

forecast to grow by 7.3 percent in<br />

2016, to SR224.5 billion and projected<br />

to reach SR259.4 billion in 20<strong>18</strong>. In<br />

sum, capital spending in the food<br />

sector will expand further, while the<br />

value of the casual dining sector will<br />

increase at a growth rate of 3 per cent<br />

per annum,” said Anees Moumina,<br />

CEO of Sedco Holding Group, a<br />

l e a d i n g S h a r i a h - c o m p l i a n t<br />

organization, in his interview for The<br />

Hotel Show Saudi Arabia.<br />

Turkish Cargo, now ranked as the<br />

8th top freight carrier, is also doing<br />

good in terms of perishables, helping<br />

in the process to make Turkey's<br />

agricultural products a global brand.<br />

The carrier also transports live fish<br />

and other seafood products to Oman,<br />

Kuwait and some countries in Africa<br />

like Ghana.<br />

American Airlines is also doing<br />

great in transporting fresh produce.<br />

During the first half of 20<strong>18</strong>, the<br />

company moved nearly 12 million<br />

pounds of fresh asparagus around the<br />

world, helping in the process growers<br />

from Mexico and Peru.<br />

“The majority of what we move is<br />

green asparagus, but we do move<br />

very small amounts of both the albino<br />

and purple varieties. And because<br />

they are all fresh spears, they do<br />

require careful specialized handling,”<br />

shared Joe Goode, American Airlines<br />

Cargo's managing director, Sales –<br />

Western Division.<br />

“In addition to moving significant<br />

volumes of asparagus, we also move<br />

large volumes of lettuce, radicchio,<br />

tomatoes and mangoes into Asia over<br />

the same period of time,” he added.<br />

This spring, American carried<br />

multiple shipments of the vegetable<br />

on a daily basis between Los Angeles<br />

(LAX) and Tokyo (NRT). To put it in<br />

perspective, just in 20<strong>18</strong> so far, the<br />

airline shipped enough asparagus<br />

spears to span 8.5 Tour de France<br />

routes (one of which is a collective<br />

2,200 miles) when lined up end-toend,<br />

or enough to fill nearly 240 space<br />

shuttles.<br />

Cold chain market heated up<br />

The world's insatiable appetite for<br />

air flown food is not only benefitting<br />

the air cargo industry but the cold<br />

chain market and the rest of the<br />

supply chain as well.<br />

Markets and Markets, a data<br />

intelligence company servicing 7,500<br />

customers worldwide including 80%<br />

of global Fortune 1,000 companies,<br />

estimate the cold chain market to<br />

grow to US$293.27 billion by 2023 as<br />

international trade of perishable<br />

foods increases.<br />

“The global cold chain market is<br />

estimated to account for US$203.14<br />

billion in 20<strong>18</strong> and is projected to<br />

reach US$293.27 billion by 2023, at a<br />

CAGR of 7.6%. The global cold chain<br />

m a r k e t i s e x p a n d i n g w i t h<br />

considerable growth potential over<br />

the next five years. The growth of this<br />

market can be attributed to the<br />

growth of international trade of<br />

perishable foods, technological<br />

advancements in refrigerated storage<br />

& transport, government support for<br />

the infrastructural development of<br />

the cold chain industry and increase<br />

in consumer demand for perishable<br />

foods,” the research firm said in its<br />

report Cold Chain Market Global<br />

Forecast 2023.<br />

The increase in consumption for<br />

perishable foods would require more<br />

refrigerated transport & refrigerated<br />

storage. Emerging markets in the<br />

Asia-Pacific are projected to post the<br />

highest growth as it sees massive<br />

expansion in food retail chain<br />

industry.<br />

“The refrigerated storage market is<br />

estimated to be dominated by the<br />

Asia Pacific region. Refrigerated<br />

storage capacities are growing in the<br />

Asia Pacific due to the increased need<br />

for reducing wastage of perishable<br />

foods. In North America and Europe,<br />

the refrigerated transport industry is<br />

b o o m i n g , m a i n l y d u e t o t h e<br />

advancement of technology in<br />

refrigerated trucks, vans, trailers,


COVER STORY<br />

andmaritime reefer containers,”<br />

MarketsandMarkets noted.<br />

In the frozen cold chain market,<br />

dairy and frozen desserts will drive<br />

the highest percentage of growth due<br />

t o t h e i r n e e d f o r c o n s t a n t<br />

temperature control. The market is<br />

growing for these items especially in<br />

China where the government<br />

encourages daily consumption as<br />

main source of protein.<br />

“Dairy & frozen desserts are<br />

witnessing high demand due to<br />

e c o n o m i c g r o w t h a n d r a p i d<br />

u r b a n i z a t i o n , a l o n g w i t h<br />

sophisticated marketing channels,<br />

which have led to significant changes<br />

in dietary patterns. Government<br />

guidelines in China state that milk is a<br />

major source of calcium and protein,<br />

and recommend regular milk<br />

consumption, which has led to milk<br />

a n d d a i r y p r o d u c t s b e i n g<br />

incorporated into the daily diet of<br />

consumers,” the report said.<br />

In 2017, ice cream, meat and<br />

seafood which required temperatures<br />

ranging between -<strong>18</strong> °C to -<br />

24 °C (-0.4 °F to -11.2 °F) drove the<br />

cold chain market to new growth.<br />

Humanitarian cargo<br />

When natural disasters strike, the<br />

air freight industry is also tapped to<br />

quickly and effectively deliver food,<br />

medicines, shelter and other supplies<br />

to victims.<br />

In conflict zones, the weight is also<br />

on the industry to deliver vital life<br />

sustaining supplies. The United<br />

Nations says the world is facing the<br />

largest humanitarian crisis since its<br />

creation with more than 165 million<br />

people in over 40 countries in need of<br />

i n t e r n a t i o n a l h u m a n i t a r i a n<br />

assistance. Across the world, over 815<br />

million people are hungry and more<br />

than half of them are living in<br />

countries at war.<br />

In 2016, the UN served 164.2<br />

million people in 47 countries in need<br />

of humanitarian assistance with the<br />

majority located in just three<br />

countries—Yemen 21.2 million; Syria<br />

13.5 million, and; Iraq 10.4 million.<br />

Yemen and Syria remain major<br />

concerns for the UN with just a<br />

Required Temperatures<br />

ice<br />

cream<br />

Seafood<br />

Meat<br />

Range between<br />

-<strong>18</strong> °C to -24 °C<br />

fraction of those in need helped due<br />

to logistical challenge and limited<br />

funding.<br />

Responding to these crises on a<br />

global scale requires methodical and<br />

systematic operation that requires<br />

rigid security and cooperation<br />

between aid agencies, organizations,<br />

air freight carriers, forwarders and<br />

countries.<br />

Air freight plays a pivotal role in the<br />

delivery of food, medical supplies,<br />

shelter and other relief goods in<br />

conflict zones and this is particularly<br />

c h a l l e n g i n g i n a r e a s w h e r e<br />

infrastructures have been destroyed<br />

or under attack.<br />

Away from the war zones, the UN<br />

must also provide for over a million<br />

Rohingya Muslims who began fleeing<br />

Myanmar by boat or on foot with<br />

barely any belongings to neighboring<br />

B a n g l a d e s h a f t e r a m i l i t a r y<br />

crackdown in August 2017 that led to<br />

thousands of deaths and reports of<br />

rape and sexual abuse among women<br />

and girls.<br />

The UN, which described the<br />

military offensive in Myanmar's<br />

Rakhine state where the Rohingyas<br />

are deeply rooted as a “textbook<br />

example of ethnic cleaning” says it<br />

needs US$12.83 million to feed the<br />

refugees every month with rice,<br />

lentils, yellow split peas, vegetable oil<br />

and other food essentials flown by air<br />

freight carriers.<br />

Managed by the World Food<br />

Program, the United Nations<br />

Humanitarian Service (UNHAS)<br />

mainly deliver humanitarian aid to<br />

different countries operating more<br />

than 92 chartered planes, 20 ships<br />

and 5,000 trucks on a daily basis.<br />

The world's largest humanitarian<br />

aid logistics hub, the International<br />

Humanitarian City, is located in Dubai<br />

hosting nine United Nations agencies<br />

and over 40 NGOs, making the<br />

emirate a vital link in facilitating first<br />

responses at a global scale to conflict<br />

zones and disaster areas in all corners<br />

of the world.<br />

The International Air Transport<br />

Authority (IATA) described air cargo as<br />

“a trade facilitator that contributes to<br />

global economic development and<br />

creates millions of jobs. The global<br />

economy depends on the ability to<br />

deliver high-quality products at<br />

competitive prices to consumers<br />

worldwide. Air cargo transports over<br />

US$6 trillion wor th of goods,<br />

accounting for approximately 35% of<br />

world trade by value” but in recent<br />

times its role had expanded to saving<br />

lives in areas where there are poverty<br />

and conflict.<br />

Apart from food, the industry plays<br />

a crucial role in transpor ting<br />

medicines and vaccines to save lives<br />

in Africa and other parts of the world.<br />

Many major carriers support this<br />

move.<br />

“The World Health Organization<br />

e s t i m a tes t h a t i m m u n i z a t i o n<br />

programs will prevent more than 4<br />

million annual child deaths by 20<strong>18</strong>.<br />

Air cargo is critical in flying these<br />

temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals<br />

in the best conditions, using<br />

cutting-edge technologies and<br />

procedures,” said IATA.


AVIATION<br />

Dubai South, a multi-phased urban development covering 145 square<br />

kilometers, is designed to handle up to 220 million passengers at the Al<br />

Maktoum International Airport and 16 million tons of cargo every year. The<br />

airport city will also house a Dh25 billion (about USD7 billion) residential<br />

zone, a free zone business park, logistics and cargo district and the<br />

exhibition site being built to host Expo 2020 Dubai.<br />

hree years ago in January,<br />

TDubai International (DXB)<br />

m a d e h i s t o r y w h e n i t<br />

officially took over from Heathrow<br />

Airport the title as the world's busiest<br />

airport for international passengers.<br />

It's also the third top airport in the<br />

world in terms of passenger traffic<br />

along with Har tsfield-Jackson<br />

Atlanta International Airport and<br />

Beijing Capital International Airport.<br />

This year, DXB's passenger traffic<br />

reached 1 billion. It marked the<br />

occasion with a warm welcome to the<br />

family of nine-year-old Arjun who<br />

w a s a d j u d g e d t h e b i l l i o n t h<br />

passenger to arrive in Dubai. The<br />

family of four, who came from<br />

Orlando, Florida via Emirates flight<br />

EK220, had been given a luxurious<br />

vacation package during their stay.<br />

Founded on September 30, 1960, it<br />

took DXB over 51 years to reach its<br />

5 0 0 m i l l i o n t h p a s s e n g e r o n<br />

<strong>Dec</strong>ember 31, 2011. Remarkably, the<br />

additional 500 million passengers<br />

came within just seven years.<br />

“The billionth passenger has flown<br />

through Dubai International Airport,<br />

marking a new phase in its journey<br />

towards a bright future. One billion<br />

passengers have made DXB a part of<br />

their personal story and helped<br />

shape Dubai into a global hub,” His<br />

Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin<br />

Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President,


AVIATION<br />

Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai<br />

was quoted in the media as saying.<br />

Diversified aviation<br />

Echoing Sheikh Mohammed's<br />

statement, Mohammad Al Falasi,<br />

Dubai South Aviation District<br />

Business Development Director, says<br />

the vision has always been to<br />

establish Dubai as the global aviation<br />

capital.<br />

“We are not building the largest<br />

airports in the world. We are building<br />

the aviation capital of the world,”<br />

Sheikh Mohammed previously<br />

stated highlighting Dubai's capacity<br />

to reinvent aviation with new<br />

products, technologies and services.<br />

Dubai South is the<br />

emirate's answer to this<br />

vision. With total<br />

investment of US$70<br />

billion, this multi-phased<br />

urban development<br />

covering 145 square<br />

kilometers is the site for<br />

the Al Maktoum<br />

International Airport which<br />

is designed to handle up to<br />

220 million passengers and<br />

16 million tons of cargo<br />

every year once fully<br />

completed.<br />

It will also house a Dh25 billion<br />

(about USD7 billion) residential zone,<br />

a free zone business park, logistics<br />

and cargo district and the exhibition<br />

site being built to host Expo 2020<br />

Dubai. In all, Dubai South is<br />

envisioned to create 500,000 jobs.<br />

“We have the mandate from His<br />

Highness Sheikh Mohammed to turn<br />

Dubai South into the aviation capital<br />

of the world by building soft and hard<br />

i n f r a s t r u c t u r e a b o v e a n d<br />

underground. To ensure ease of<br />

doing business and the smart way to<br />

do business by offering consolidated<br />

solutions in one location. This<br />

mandate is very important because<br />

28 percent of our GDP comes from<br />

aviation,” explained Al Falasi.<br />

By 2025, Dubai South is forecast to<br />

generate over 35 percent of Dubai's<br />

GDP.<br />

Dubai South Aviation District is<br />

d i v i d e d i n t o f o u r b u s i n e s s<br />

verticals—General Aviation which is<br />

home to the VIP Terminal, hangars,<br />

fuel farm, catering, ground handling,<br />

helicopter operations; Maintenance<br />

and Technical Suppor t which<br />

includes a paint shop, the MROs and<br />

t h e a e r o s p a c e s u p p l y c h a i n ;<br />

Commercial, which has retail & hotel<br />

and the exhibition area; and an<br />

Education and Training vertical that<br />

hosts the Emirates Flight Training<br />

Academy, simulators and different<br />

universities and vocational training<br />

institutes.<br />

Dubai South Aviation District<br />

added last year the Suppliers<br />

Complex which caters to small and<br />

medium enterprises in the aviation<br />

and aerospace industries, specifically<br />

the MRO sector. With a budget of<br />

US$55 million for 20<strong>18</strong>, the Complex<br />

and two aerospace supply chain<br />

buildings were built, designed to<br />

allow for easy and quick start-up for<br />

related companies.<br />

Globally, the value of MRO &<br />

Te c h n i c a l S u p p o r t i n d u s t r y<br />

generated as much as US$75.6 billion<br />

in 2017 and by 2022, growing at 2.4%<br />

CAGR, it would reach US$84.9 billion.<br />

In the Middle East, the industry is<br />

also projected to grow bigger with<br />

spending for MRO by major airlines<br />

reaching US$10.2 billion in 2027 from<br />

only US$5.6 billion in 2017.<br />

Major MRO companies such as<br />

Lufthansa Technik, GE Aviation and<br />

Advanced Aerospace Industries have<br />

successfully positioned themselves<br />

at Dubai South Aviation District for<br />

the region's growing MRO industry.<br />

In terms of education and training,<br />

three major companies have already<br />

established their presence at Dubai<br />

South—the Emirates Flight Training<br />

Academy, the University of South<br />

Wales and Dynamic Advanced<br />

Training.<br />

“Two more global universities are<br />

coming. Construction for their<br />

facilities will start in 2019,” shared Al<br />

Falasi. “There is a great shortage for<br />

aviation professionals in this region.<br />

The Aviation District is also home<br />

to at least five FBOs catering to VIP<br />

passengers.<br />

ENOC Group, which supplies jet<br />

fuel to DXB through two jet fuel


AVIATION<br />

Mohammad Al Falasi:<br />

Helping transform<br />

Dubai South<br />

pipelines, recently announced the<br />

16.2-km jet fuel pipeline to the Al<br />

Maktoum International Airport will<br />

be fully operational in the first<br />

quarter of 2020 in time for Dubai<br />

Expo 2020 to support infrastructure,<br />

assuring seamless jet fuel supply to<br />

the airlines.<br />

Upon completion, the<br />

pipeline will carry 2,000<br />

cubic meters of jet fuel per<br />

hour to Al Maktoum<br />

International Airport,<br />

helping meet the demand<br />

for aviation services from a<br />

significant proportion of<br />

the international visitors to<br />

the Expo.<br />

Set to meet the demand for jet fuel<br />

at Dubai Airports up until 2050, the<br />

pipeline will be equipped with stateof-the-art<br />

safety features including a<br />

leak detection system, complete<br />

automation control and quality<br />

control, among others.<br />

Multimodal logistics hub<br />

Reaching two thirds of the world<br />

within just seven hours, Dubai's<br />

access to many key destinations in<br />

Europe, Asia, the Middle East and<br />

Africa is unparalleled. And this gives<br />

businesses at Dubai South the edge<br />

to deliver goods and services quickly<br />

and efficiently.<br />

“This remains the gateway to the<br />

Middle East, Africa and a third of the<br />

world's population within a fourhour<br />

flight radius and two thirds of<br />

the world within seven hours,” Al<br />

Falasi said.<br />

For cargo, Dubai's proximity to<br />

most destinations &its technologically<br />

advanced infrastructure in<br />

seaports & airports, facilities for<br />

aviation, cargo and logistics make<br />

things happen seamlessly & quickly.<br />

“We move cargo in four hours. It<br />

used to be 16 hours,” Al Falasi noted,<br />

adding that Dubai South Logistics<br />

District offers connectivity on land,<br />

sea and air to ensure the best<br />

possible results in transporting<br />

goods. “The speed of doing business<br />

is how we differentiate ourselves<br />

from the rest.”<br />

Strategically located next to the Al<br />

Maktoum International Airport,<br />

Dubai South Logistics is also<br />

connected to the Jebel Ali Port, the<br />

busiest port in the Middle East and<br />

8th across the world with 150<br />

shipping lanes, in addition to having<br />

direct access to the UAE's main transemirates<br />

highways.<br />

Mohammad Al Falasi is the<br />

Director of Business Development<br />

for Dubai South's Aviation District.<br />

In his role, he is responsible for<br />

identifying potential opportunities,<br />

driving profitable and<br />

sustainable growth in-line with<br />

business needs, and providing<br />

various solutions to existing and<br />

potential customers as part of the<br />

continued growth of Dubai South<br />

Aviation District.<br />

Since joining Dubai South,<br />

previously known as Dubai World<br />

Central (DWC) 12 years ago,<br />

Mohammad has been instrumental<br />

in the transformation of the<br />

d i s t r i c t ' s A v i a t i o n s e c t o r,<br />

cultivating partnerships with<br />

leading aviation industry players<br />

and facilitating the growth of the<br />

burgeoning aerotropolis.<br />

Before joining Dubai South in<br />

2006, Mohammad held various<br />

positions, in which he was able to<br />

gain extensive experience in the<br />

media, construction, real estate<br />

and logistics in Dubai's market. He<br />

is a graduate of the American<br />

InterContinental University in<br />

London, United Kingdom and<br />

holds a BBA in International<br />

Business & Marketing.


TRUCKING<br />

Europe's strongest economy, Germany,<br />

which also leads the continent in the<br />

transport industry, has begun steps to<br />

move away from fuel-powered trucks<br />

to the more efficient and<br />

environment-friendly electric trucks.<br />

Daimler's all-electric eActros<br />

Mercedes-Benz Trucks have been<br />

steered across roads in a number of<br />

German cities since September 20<strong>18</strong> in<br />

line with the federal government's<br />

push for cleaner environment by<br />

reducing carbon dioxide emissions,<br />

one of the many global pollutants that<br />

impact climate change.<br />

ore battery charging<br />

Mstations are being built<br />

across Germany as the<br />

country pushes for more electric<br />

trucks and other vehicles to be used in<br />

the foreseeable future.<br />

The rest of Europe agreed to slash<br />

carbon dioxide emissions by 37.5<br />

percent from new cars starting 2030.<br />

U n d e r t h i s E u r o p e a n U n i o n<br />

agreement, 15% cut for both cars and<br />

trucks should be targeted by 2021<br />

despite strong opposition from car<br />

manufacturers.<br />

Signed in <strong>Dec</strong>ember 2015, The Paris<br />

Climate Agreement envisions a fossilfree<br />

future for earth by 2050 to<br />

protect the environment and<br />

u l t i m a t e l y k e e p t h e g l o b a l<br />

temperature rise well below 2°C.


TRUCKING<br />

Incentives to roll in 2019<br />

Andreas Scheur, Germany's Federal<br />

Minister for Transport and Digital<br />

Infrastructure, ordered electric trucks<br />

to be exempt from truck tolls from<br />

January 1, 2019 as part of the<br />

government's long-term plan to<br />

encourage the use of alternative<br />

energy-powered vehicles.<br />

“Electric trucks will be exempt from<br />

truck tolls from 1 January 2019. This is<br />

a great incentive for transport<br />

companies to switch to green<br />

vehicles,” the minister was quoted as<br />

saying about the plan in Süddeutsche<br />

Zeitung, one of Germany's largest<br />

daily newspapers.<br />

Growing urban emissions is one of<br />

the many problems facing cities and<br />

heavy trucks have been identified as<br />

among heavy polluters with a single<br />

truck consuming about 40 times the<br />

fuel consumption of a personal<br />

vehicle.<br />

Germany is expanding its existing<br />

toll on trucks from nearly 15,000 km of<br />

federal highways to 40,000, leaving<br />

only the electric trucks exempt from<br />

paying toll fees as additional incentive<br />

to those switching to environmentfriendly<br />

vehicles.<br />

Further, the German government is<br />

continuing its "Concept ELV²" project<br />

which is essentially the development<br />

and testing of heavy-duty electric<br />

trucks for distribution operations with<br />

subsidy from the Federal Environment<br />

Ministry (BMU) and the Federal<br />

Ministry of Economy and Energy<br />

(BMWi).<br />

Gas-fueled trucks are also exempt<br />

from paying road toll charges from<br />

2019 apart from a subsidy of up to<br />

EUR 12,000 for LNG trucks and up to<br />

EUR 8,000 for CNG trucks.<br />

The Benz eActros<br />

With the German freight logistics<br />

the largest in Europe with an<br />

estimated turnover of over EUR 170<br />

billion annually, the country leads in<br />

innovation when it comes to modes of<br />

transport, interlinked roads, rails,<br />

water and air routes. Last October,<br />

Mercedes-Benz Trucks has delivered<br />

yet another all-electric eActros to a<br />

customer for on-road testing.<br />

Meyer-Logistik, a company based<br />

in Friedrichsdorf in Hessen, will be<br />

test-driving a 25-ton truck with a<br />

refrigeration unit for transporting<br />

temperature-sensitive foodstuffs<br />

from the warehouse to different<br />

supermarkets in the centre of<br />

Hamburg.<br />

The weight of the transported<br />

goods can be up to 10 tons. The whole<br />

day's tour is approximately 100 km<br />

long and is dealt with by one driver in<br />

one shift at first. There is no need to<br />

recharge during the trip because the<br />

range of the eActros is up to 200 km.<br />

Daimler said Meyer-Logistik is one<br />

of 20 customers from different<br />

industries that have integrated the<br />

heavy-duty electric truck into their<br />

fl e e t . E a c h of t h e s e s e l e c ted<br />

customers will put a near-series<br />

version of either the <strong>18</strong> or 25-ton<br />

variant through its paces in real<br />

operations and will test the respective<br />

vehicle for its suitability for their daily<br />

field of work.<br />

T h e a i m i s to m a ke l o c a l l y<br />

emission-free and quiet driving a


TRUCKING<br />

reality in cities by 2021, also with<br />

series heavy-duty trucks – and all of<br />

this as economically viable as with a<br />

diesel truck. The test series consists<br />

of t wo p h a s e s , e a c h w i t h 1 0<br />

customers and spanning a total of<br />

around two years.<br />

The first eActros of the so-called<br />

"innovation fleet" has been in action<br />

since September with a customer,<br />

and the second one was handed over<br />

at the beginning of October. The rest<br />

of the first phase of vehicle handovers<br />

will be completed by the end of<br />

the year.<br />

All test customers transport goods<br />

in urban areas and use the eActros for<br />

tasks which would otherwise be<br />

carried out by conventional diesel<br />

vehicles – in a wide range of different<br />

sectors and categories. The palette<br />

ranges from food to building and<br />

industrial materials. The body<br />

variants range from refrigerated and<br />

box bodies to bulk goods and<br />

tarpaulin bodies.<br />

Field tests, the real benchmark<br />

Oliver Kraft, Head of Key Account<br />

Management Mercedes-Benz Trucks<br />

Germany, said the practical tests of<br />

the eActros are very important for the<br />

company to gauge it effectively.<br />

" Each customer makes a<br />

valuable contribution<br />

towards the further<br />

development right up to<br />

series production by using<br />

and testing the eActros in a<br />

very special area of<br />

everyday operation. Our<br />

experts are available to our<br />

customers around the<br />

clock. Before starting, we<br />

have given our customers<br />

intensive advice,” he said.<br />

“That includes working together to<br />

define their individual requirements,<br />

choose the corresponding variant of<br />

the eActros and sort out questions<br />

about the required infrastructure.<br />

Before the tests started, our experts<br />

gave the drivers and the customers'<br />

dispatchers thorough coaching,” he<br />

added.<br />

Matthias Strehl, Managing Director<br />

of Meyer-Logistik , said using<br />

alternative drive concepts are an<br />

i m p o r t a n t a s p e c t o f t h e i r<br />

commitment to their customers.<br />

"As a company that supplies<br />

supermarkets with foodstuffs in<br />

metropolitan areas, we would like to<br />

keep the impact of our work on<br />

humans and the environment as<br />

small as possible. That is why using<br />

alternative drive concepts has been<br />

such an important part of our<br />

corporate strategy long since. We are<br />

happy to be able to test drive the<br />

eActros in Hamburg now,” he said.<br />

Adding: “We think e-trucks are<br />

perfect for delivering over that last<br />

mile – for example to supermarkets.<br />

Because they are locally emissionfree<br />

and very silent, which really<br />

re d u c e s t h e b u rd e n o n l o c a l<br />

residents."<br />

The refrigerated replacement box<br />

on the eActros used by Meyer-<br />

Logistik is the "W.KO COOL" model<br />

supplied by Schmitz Cargobull. It has<br />

optimum insulation for energyefficient<br />

transport of refrigerated<br />

goods.<br />

This robust body is ideally suited<br />

for intensive day-to-day use. The<br />

purely electrically operated cooling<br />

unit functions completely emissionfree<br />

and is specially designed for use<br />

in distribution traffic.<br />

"Electromobility for commercial<br />

vehicles is a highly significant topic<br />

that opens up new opportunities. We<br />

use these with our refrigerated unit,"<br />

said Jörg Irsfeld, Head of IKAM at<br />

Schmitz Cargobull.<br />

The truck of the future<br />

The frame of the Mercedes-Benz<br />

Actros is used as the basis for the<br />

eActros. Otherwise, the vehicle<br />

architecture has been configured<br />

specifically for an electric drive<br />

system, with a high proportion of<br />

specific components.<br />

The drive axle, for example, is<br />

based on the ZF AVE 130 that has<br />

already proved its worth in hybrid<br />

and fuel-cell buses from Mercedes-<br />

Benz, and has now been fundamentally<br />

revised for the eActros.<br />

The drive system comprises two<br />

electric motors located close to the<br />

rear-axle wheel hubs. They have an<br />

output of 126 kW each, together with<br />

a maximum torque of 485 Nm each.<br />

The gearing ratios turn this into 11<br />

0 0 0 N m e a c h , re s u l t i n g i n a<br />

performance that is comparable with<br />

that of a diesel truck.<br />

The maximum permissible axle<br />

load stands at the usual 11.5 tonnes.<br />

The energy comes from lithium-ion<br />

batteries with 240 kWh. Depending<br />

on the available charging capacity,<br />

they can be fully charged within two<br />

to eleven hours (at 150 and 20 kW).


eed New Artwork


DAE sells portfolio of <strong>18</strong> aircraft on lease to 15 airlines<br />

AIRLINES<br />

Jonathan Morris, Head of Wholesale Banking and Senior Executive Vice President at Emirates NBD Bank and Firoz Tarapore, Chief<br />

Executive Officer at Dubai Aerospace Enterprise, with their respective teams after concluding a new four-year unsecured revolving<br />

credit facility with an initial commitment of US$535 million from a group of eight regional banks. DAE has made Emirates NBD as<br />

its sole Mandated Lead Arranger and Bookrunner.<br />

D U B A I : D u b a i A e r o s p a c e<br />

Enterprise (DAE) Ltd. has entered into<br />

a definitive sale agreement to sell a<br />

portfolio of <strong>18</strong> mid-life aircraft to<br />

institutional investors.<br />

The <strong>18</strong> aircraft in this portfolio are<br />

on lease to 15 airlines in 13 countries<br />

and have a weighted average age of<br />

approximately 9 years with a<br />

weighted average remaining lease<br />

term of 4.5 years. The portfolio is<br />

made up of 69% current generation<br />

narrow body aircraft, 24% widebody<br />

a i r c r a f t , a n d 7 % AT R 7 2 - 6 0 0<br />

turboprop aircraft., said DAE which<br />

will act as portfolio servicer.<br />

“We continue to build our managed<br />

aircraft portfolio. This transaction<br />

takes us one step closer to our stated<br />

goal of having US$5 billion of<br />

managed aircraft assets. Investors are<br />

increasingly recognizing the value of<br />

DAE's Aircraft Investor Services (AIS)<br />

p l a t f o r m a n d e n t r u s t i n g t h e<br />

management of their aircraft assets to<br />

us. So far, we have continued to<br />

o u t p e r f o r m o u r i n v e s t o r s '<br />

expectations in all the portfolios we<br />

manage,” said Firoz Tarapore, Chief<br />

Executive Officer of DAE.<br />

MEA & Rolls-Royce sign deal for aircraft total care<br />

BEIRUT: The Lebanese carrier<br />

Middle East Airlines–Air Liban (MEA)<br />

has decided to purchase four new and<br />

two option Airbus A330-900neo<br />

powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 7000<br />

engines scheduled for delivery in<br />

2021.<br />

Rolls-Royce signed in <strong>Dec</strong>ember a<br />

contract with MEA to provide support<br />

for the Trent 7000 engines powering<br />

its new Airbus A330-900neo fleet. The<br />

contract covers long-term engine<br />

maintenance services, throughout<br />

the operation of the engine with MEA,<br />

the purchase of spare engines and<br />

supply of parts.<br />

The contract was signed during the<br />

Lebanon-UK Business and Investment<br />

Forum in London by MEA Chairman -<br />

Director General Mohamad El-Hout<br />

and Rolls-Royce Chairman Ian Davis<br />

and witnessed by the Prime Minister<br />

of Lebanon, His Excellency Mr Saad<br />

Hariri and the Rt. Honourable Alistair<br />

Burt, UK Minister of State for<br />

International Development and<br />

Minister of State for the Middle East.<br />

Rolls-Royce will deliver the latest<br />

engine in its Trent range, the Trent<br />

7000, along with its flagship TotalCare<br />

support service. The Trent 7000 is part<br />

of a Trent family that has now<br />

accumulated more than 125 million<br />

engine flying hours.<br />

“We are committed to ensuring our<br />

airline is at the leading-edge in terms<br />

of using technology to provide<br />

excellent customer service and<br />

performance. Our new aircraft, and<br />

their latest-generation Trent 7000<br />

engines, will deliver on that goal.<br />

Rolls-Royce Totalcare is expected to<br />

offer optimisation to our maintenance<br />

costs through long term<br />

engine maintenance services,” said<br />

MEA Chairman - Director General<br />

Mohamad El-Hout.<br />

The relationship between Rolls-<br />

Royce and MEA dates back more than<br />

50 years, when the airline operated<br />

Dart-powered Viscount aircraft. MEA<br />

currently operates five Airbus A330<br />

aircraft powered by Trent 700<br />

engines, which will be progressively<br />

replaced by these latest aircraft.<br />

The 68-72,000lb thrust Trent 7000<br />

delivers a step change in performance<br />

and economics compared to the Trent<br />

700. Benefitting from a bypass ratio<br />

double that of its predecessor, the<br />

Trent 7000 will improve specific fuel<br />

consumption by 10% and will<br />

significantly reduce noise.


AIRLINES<br />

Air Astana to launch new flights<br />

between Uzbekistan and Europe<br />

Aviation District and<br />

D J Aviation to build<br />

two hangars<br />

ASTANA: The national carrier of<br />

Kazakhstan, Air Astana, will offer<br />

new flights to Tashkent, Uzbekistan<br />

via its Astana hub from London<br />

Heathrow, Frankfurt and Paris CDG<br />

starting March 29, 2019 through the<br />

summer.<br />

Tashkent flights originating from<br />

London Heathrow will run three<br />

times weekly; from Frankfurt four<br />

times per week and twice a week<br />

from Paris.<br />

Timings have been<br />

optimized for seamless<br />

and convenient transfers<br />

to Tashkent through<br />

Astana's newly completed<br />

airport terminal. Flights<br />

are already available now<br />

to purchase from<br />

www.airastana.com or<br />

from Air Astana's ticketing<br />

offices.<br />

Richard Ledger, Vice President<br />

Marketing and Sales, Air Astana,<br />

said the airline is delighted to serve<br />

the Tashkent market which has huge<br />

potential for growth.<br />

“We are delighted to be able to<br />

offer this twice weekly service to<br />

Ta s h ke n t f r o m t h r e e o f o u r<br />

European departure airports on<br />

what we believe will be a highly<br />

popular route. Interest in the Silk<br />

Road destinations continues to<br />

grow and the addition of Tashkent<br />

offers passengers the perfect<br />

opportunity to combine a visit to<br />

Kazakhstan with Uzbekistan to<br />

f u r t h e r e x p l o re t h e re g i o n's<br />

fascinating history,” he said.<br />

Lead in return fares from London<br />

to Tashkent start from £386* for<br />

Economy Class, and £1,643* for<br />

Business Class.<br />

Fares are valid for year-round<br />

departures from London including<br />

the peak season.<br />

DUBAI: The Aviation<br />

District in Dubai South and D<br />

J Aviation, an Emirati<br />

company, has signed a<br />

Memorandum of<br />

Understanding (MOU) to<br />

construct two hangars set to<br />

be completed by the end of<br />

2019.<br />

Tahnoon Saif, Chief<br />

Executive Officer of the<br />

Aviation District at Dubai<br />

South expressed satisfaction<br />

over the signing of the MOU,<br />

saying: “The Aviation District<br />

in Dubai South is proud to<br />

have such partnership with<br />

UAE national partners,<br />

indicating the mutual trust<br />

and confidence.”<br />

Extending over an area of<br />

approximately 11,000 sqm,<br />

the two hangars will offer<br />

local, regional and<br />

international clients, various<br />

services including; aircraft<br />

parking, service provision<br />

and aircraft management, as<br />

well as regional management<br />

services, customer<br />

relationship, commence<br />

charter sales, setting up full<br />

A6 AOC structure, and<br />

fueling. The hangers will also<br />

provide maintenance<br />

covering; line maintenance,<br />

and cleaning.<br />

Ibrahim Al Mulla, CEO of D<br />

J Aviation thanked His<br />

Highness Sheikh Mohammed<br />

bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice<br />

President and Prime Minister<br />

of the UAE and Ruler of<br />

Dubai for the support he<br />

extended to the aviation<br />

sector in Dubai. He also<br />

thanked Sheikh Ahmed bin<br />

Saeed Al Maktoum,<br />

President of the Dubai Civil<br />

Aviation Authority, and<br />

Chairman of Dubai World for<br />

encouraging such projects.


AIRLINES<br />

Emirates takes delivery of its last Boeing 777-300ER aircraft<br />

DUBAI, UAE: Emirates received last<br />

month the final Boeing 777-300ER<br />

aircraft up for delivery on its order<br />

books, an important milestone in its<br />

history as the world's largest airline<br />

operating the Boeing 777 aircraft.<br />

The carrier also holds the record as<br />

the only airline in the world to have<br />

operated all six variants of the Boeing<br />

777 family. In essence, one of out<br />

ever y eight 777 aircraf t ever<br />

manufactured by Boeing has been<br />

delivered to Emirates.<br />

It will also be one of the first airlines<br />

in the world to fly the two next<br />

generation models— the Boeing 777-<br />

8 and 777-9—as it starts taking<br />

delivery of 35 Boeing 777-8s and 115<br />

Boeing 777-9s from 2020.<br />

These next generation aircraft will<br />

have a more fuel efficient design and<br />

will feature larger windows, increased<br />

cabin pressure and humidity, higher<br />

ceilings, wider cabin and an advanced<br />

inflight enter tainment system<br />

contributing to superior quality of<br />

travel experience.<br />

“The Boeing 777-300ER has been a<br />

cornerstone of Emirates' success story<br />

as the world's largest international<br />

airline. The aircraft's efficiency, range<br />

and payload capabilities have enabled<br />

us to connect our customers across six<br />

continents to and through Dubai, and<br />

offer them a flight experience that is<br />

second to none. With 140 of these<br />

aircraft in our fleet, the Boeing 777-<br />

300ER will continue to play an integral<br />

role in our operations and facilitating<br />

g l o b a l t o u r i s m a n d t r a d e<br />

opportunities in the years to come,”<br />

said Sir Tim Clark, President of<br />

Emirates Airline.<br />

Emirates' Boeing 777<br />

fleet has carried close to<br />

350 million passengers on<br />

more than 1.28 million<br />

flights and covered over<br />

6.6 billion kilometers since<br />

1996. That's the equivalent<br />

of flying almost 8,600<br />

times to the moon and<br />

back.<br />

Strong ties with Boeing<br />

The airline welcomed the first<br />

Boeing 777-300ER aircraft into its fleet<br />

in March 2005 and over the last 13<br />

years, the 777-300ER has become the<br />

backbone of Emirates' fleet operating<br />

currently to over 119 destinations<br />

across the airline's global network.<br />

On the partnership with Boeing, Sir<br />

Tim said: “We've worked closely with<br />

Boeing on the 777 program over the<br />

last three decades, and we will build<br />

on this partnership as we start taking<br />

deliveries of the 777-8 and 777-9<br />

aircraft from 2020.”<br />

Setting the standards for passenger<br />

experience and safety, Emirates has<br />

continually invested in its onboard<br />

product and services. The airline<br />

recently unveiled brand new cabins<br />

for its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft<br />

including the game-changing fullyenclosed<br />

First Class private suites as<br />

well as newly-designed seats and<br />

improved inflight entertainment<br />

systems for Business and Economy<br />

class cabins.<br />

Emirates has also started a program<br />

to reconfigure its 10 Boeing 777-<br />

200<strong>LR</strong> aircraft, installing new wider<br />

Business Class seats as well as a<br />

completely refreshed Economy Class<br />

for improved passenger comfort.<br />

Emirates operates one of the<br />

youngest aircraft fleets in the world<br />

with an average age of 5.87 years,<br />

much lower than the accepted norm<br />

in the aviation industry. The airline<br />

pursues an ambitious fleet renewal<br />

strategy by retiring older aircraft and<br />

i n t ro d u c i n g n e wer a n d m o re<br />

advanced planes leading to more<br />

efficient operations.


AIRPORTS<br />

Prague welcomes record 16.8 million passengers in 20<strong>18</strong><br />

P R A G U E : C z e c h Re p u b l i c 's<br />

increasing popularity in the global<br />

tourism industry has resulted to a<br />

record 16.8 million passengers<br />

handled at the Václav Havel Airport<br />

Prague by the end of 20<strong>18</strong>.<br />

This is the third year in a row that<br />

Prague airport handled a record<br />

increase in passenger traffic with the<br />

latest figure representing a 9%<br />

increase than 2017, making it one of<br />

the fastest growing airports in Europe.<br />

The airport expects to welcome<br />

more travellers in 2019. On average, it<br />

services 46,000 passengers per day<br />

with July as the busiest month. The<br />

largest number of passengers, a total<br />

of 1.7 million, travelled to London,<br />

where all six international airports have<br />

direct connections to Prague.<br />

“For the third year in a row, Prague<br />

Airport has reported a record number<br />

of serviced passengers. We are<br />

expecting approximately 1.4 million<br />

passengers more in 20<strong>18</strong> compared to<br />

2017. The growth is anticipated to<br />

continue in 2019, both in terms of the<br />

number of passengers, where the<br />

expected increase is 3 to 5%, and in the<br />

number of direct routes,” said Vaclav<br />

Rehor, Chairman of the Board of<br />

Directors at Prague Airport.<br />

During the third quarter of 20<strong>18</strong>, the<br />

airport recorded a 9.3% growth in the<br />

number of serviced passengers, while<br />

the European average over the same<br />

period was 5%.<br />

Prague Airport has responded to<br />

this trend by investing in various<br />

development projects. “Next year, we<br />

are planning to open new check-in<br />

counters in Terminal 1 and a brand new<br />

check-in island in Terminal 2. We will<br />

finish the redevelopment of aircraft<br />

parking stands in pier B, where we will<br />

also modernize two departure gates.<br />

We will also start reconstruction and<br />

expanding our baggage sorting<br />

facility,” said Rehor.<br />

South Africa and Thailand now officially 'airport sisters'<br />

JOHANNESBURG: O.R. Tambo<br />

I n t e r n a t i o n a l A i r p o r t a n d<br />

Suvarnabhumi International Airport<br />

are now officially “sisters” after signing<br />

a Memorandum of Understanding<br />

that calls for strategic links for mutual<br />

benefits.<br />

Airports Company South Africa and<br />

the Airports of Thailand Public<br />

C o m p a n y L i m i t e d a g r e e d t o<br />

undertake joint marketing and<br />

promotions as well as exchange of<br />

staff and information that include<br />

statistics on traffic and financial data,<br />

and best practices in airpor t<br />

d e v e l o p m e n t , o p e r a t i o n a n d<br />

management.<br />

Bongiwe Mbomvu, Acting CEO of<br />

Airports Company South Africa and Dr.<br />

Nitinai Sirismatthakarn, president of<br />

Airports of Thailand, signed the MoU<br />

last month.<br />

The two companies will also<br />

collaborate in marketing and<br />

promoting activities aimed at<br />

expanding passenger and air cargo<br />

traffic between the two airports.<br />

Mbomvu said their company is keen<br />

to demonstrate what it has to offer as<br />

well as learn from its colleagues in<br />

Thailand which is known for its multibillion<br />

tourism industry.<br />

“The airports business worldwide is<br />

undergoing rapid transformation to<br />

cope not only with growing passenger<br />

numbers but also with demands for<br />

extremely high levels of digitisation<br />

and automation of services. We<br />

believe that this agreement will benefit<br />

both parties in striving to stay ahead of<br />

market trends,” said Mbomvu.<br />

Airports Company South Africa<br />

continues to benefit from a similar<br />

agreement with Munich Airport<br />

signed in 2015.<br />

“We have gained much through this<br />

structured cooperation that enables<br />

the parties to identify where and how<br />

they can both benefit,” said Mbomvu.


WCS<br />

Singapore<br />

Need New<br />

Artwork


T E C H N O LO G Y<br />

Falco: The world's first autonomous ferry<br />

FINLAND: Using sensors, cameras and Rolls-<br />

Royce intelligence technologies, Falco<br />

successfully crossed the waters off Turku,<br />

Finland last month, unmanned, becoming the<br />

world's first autonomous ferry.<br />

The return to the shore of the 53.8-meter<br />

double-ended car ferry equipped with twin<br />

azimuth thrusters from Rolls-Royce was even<br />

more astonishing with only a remote control<br />

used to navigate its voyage.<br />

Rolls-Royce and Finferries, which acquired<br />

the ferry in 1993, began collaborating on a new<br />

research project called SVAN (Safer Vessel with<br />

Autonomous Navigation), to continue<br />

implementing the findings from the earlier<br />

A d v a n c e d A u t o n o m o u s Wa t e r b o r n e<br />

Applications (AAWA) research project, funded<br />

by Business Finland.<br />

Mikael Makinen, Rolls-Royce, President –<br />

Commercial Marine, said Falco's success is “a<br />

huge step forward in the journey towards<br />

autonomous shipping and reaffirms exactly<br />

what we have been saying for several years, that<br />

autonomous shipping will happen.”<br />

“This is a very proud moment for all of us and<br />

marks our most significant milestone so far.<br />

Today's demonstration proves that the<br />

autonomous ship is not just a concept, but<br />

something that will transform shipping as we<br />

know it,” he added.<br />

Mats Rosin, Finferries CEO, says history was made in the maritime<br />

industry with Falco's launch which had some 80 VIP guests aboard.<br />

“We are very proud that maritime history has been made on the<br />

Parainen-Nauvo-route once again. First with our world-renowned<br />

hybrid vessel Elektra and now Falco as the world's first autonomous<br />

ferry. As a modern ship-owner our main goal in this cooperation has<br />

been on increasing safety in marine traffic as this is beneficial for both<br />

the environment and our passengers. But we are also equally excited<br />

about how this demonstration opens the door to the new<br />

possibilities of autonomous shipping & safety,” said Rosin in a<br />

statement.<br />

Japan's 'Lovot” on a mission to cheer you up<br />

TOKYO: Japan is getting a new addition<br />

in its animated and eclectic world with the<br />

launch of the household robot named<br />

“Lovot”—an amalgam of “love” and<br />

“robot.”<br />

Groove X, a Japanese startup, with<br />

funding of about US$71.1 million from<br />

investors that include Toyota Motors Corp.,<br />

chat app operator Line Corp., and the<br />

Japanese government, unveiled its first<br />

creation in Tokyo on <strong>Dec</strong> <strong>18</strong>.<br />

The AI-powered cuddly robot resembles<br />

a penguin with cartoonish human eyes and<br />

can interact with owners. It's capable of<br />

showing affection when shown kindness<br />

and can be used to watch over the house<br />

via a camera that users can access through<br />

a mobile app while they are out.<br />

Groove X founder and CEO Kaname<br />

Hayashi told the media the Lovot “will draw<br />

out your ability to love.”


EXECUTIVE MOMENTS<br />

Raj Subramaniam is new President & CEO of FedEx<br />

Raj Subramaniam<br />

M E M P H I S , Te n n e s s e e : R a j<br />

Subramaniam has been named the<br />

new president & CEO of FedEx Express<br />

following the retirement of the<br />

company's head David Cunningham<br />

on <strong>Dec</strong>ember 31, 20<strong>18</strong>.<br />

Subramaniam was the executive<br />

vice president, chief marketing and<br />

communications officer of FedEx<br />

Corporation before he was named to<br />

his new post that took effect on<br />

January 1, 2019. He has been with the<br />

company for over 27 years, holding<br />

various executive level positions.<br />

He began his career in Memphis and<br />

David Cunningham<br />

subsequently moved to Hong Kong,<br />

where he oversaw marketing and<br />

customer service for the Asia Pacific<br />

region. He then took over as president<br />

of FedEx Express in Canada before<br />

moving back to the U.S. as senior vice<br />

president of international marketing.<br />

He was promoted to EVP marketing<br />

in 2013 at FedEx Services, prior to<br />

being named executive vice president<br />

a n d c h i e f m a r k e t i n g a n d<br />

communications officer at FedEx<br />

Corporation in 2017.<br />

Cunningham began his FedEx<br />

career in 1982 in operations at the<br />

FedEx Express World Hub in Memphis,<br />

Tenn. Over his more than 36-year<br />

career, he held numerous leadership<br />

positions across the FedEx Express<br />

operating company in multiple<br />

regions, including chief operating<br />

officer and president—international,<br />

FedEx Express Asia Pacific chief<br />

financial officer, and regional<br />

president of the Asia Pacific region.<br />

Most recently as president and CEO<br />

of FedEx Express, Cunningham has<br />

been responsible for the leadership<br />

and direction of the FedEx Express<br />

group, which includes FedEx Express<br />

and TNT.<br />

David J. Bronczek, president and<br />

chief operating officer, FedEx<br />

Corporation, thanked Cunningham for<br />

his distinguished services while<br />

expressing his optimism in Raj's global<br />

vision for growth for the company.<br />

Brie Carere, a more than 17-year<br />

F e d E x v e t e r a n , w i l l s u c c e e d<br />

Subramaniam as executive vice<br />

president, chief marketing and<br />

communications officer of FedEx<br />

Corporation.<br />

ATM has new chief as World Travel Market<br />

names new portfolio director<br />

DUBAI: The World Travel Market<br />

portfolio, which includes the Dubaibased<br />

Arabian Travel Market (ATM), is<br />

getting a boost with the appointment<br />

of French national Claude Blanc as<br />

new portfolio director.<br />

In his new role, Blanc takes on the<br />

overall responsibility for all events in<br />

the World Travel Market—WTM<br />

L o n d o n , Tr a v e l F o r w a rd , t h e<br />

International Travel & Tourism<br />

Awards, ATM, WTM Latin America<br />

and WTM Africa.<br />

Blanc has 25 years experience in the<br />

industry and was the CEO at the Parisbased<br />

Travel & Co, a tour operating<br />

group which he founded in 2007<br />

before his appointment.<br />

“Having been a sponsor, an<br />

exhibitor and a visitor at many travel<br />

trade shows, I bring a client<br />

perspective, an international network<br />

and a digital culture. It's an exciting<br />

time to come on board, as the WTM<br />

Portfolio is set to smash last year's<br />

achievement of $7 billion worldwide<br />

industry deals,” said Blanc.<br />

Blanc will now report to Nick<br />

Pilbeam, Divisional Director, Reed<br />

Travel Exhibitions, a travel industry<br />

stalwart, with more than 17 years of<br />

FTSE 100 experience in the travel<br />

industry with corporate giants such as<br />

British Airways, Iberia and Avios.<br />

Claude Blanc<br />

ATM 2019, taking place at Dubai<br />

World Trade Centre from 28 April – 1<br />

May 2019, will adopt cutting-edge<br />

technology and innovation as its<br />

spotlight theme.


MEBAA Show<br />

10-12 <strong>Dec</strong>ember 20<strong>18</strong><br />

DWC, Dubai Airshow Site


UPCOMING<br />

E V E N T S<br />

1st Port Development<br />

Southeast Asia Summit 2019<br />

Cargo Logistics<br />

Canada<br />

AVSEC World 2019<br />

A modern and well managed port sector is crucial<br />

to Southeast Asia's economic progress and to<br />

expanding global trading routes. Port<br />

infrastructure is a growing priority in such an<br />

extensive archipelagic region of some 24,000<br />

islands which span 5,200km east to west and<br />

3,400km from north to south. Indonesia,<br />

Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, and the<br />

Philippines are currently planning to upgrading<br />

or building new port facilities.<br />

Expect notable speakers from different port<br />

authorities in ASEAN, port & terminal operators,<br />

s h i p p i n g l i n e s , l e a d i n g e q u i p m e n t<br />

manufacturers, solutions providers, investors,<br />

etc., to deliver informative presentations.<br />

Bangkok, Thailand<br />

January 23-24, 2019<br />

Middle East Air Cargo & Logistics<br />

2019 Conference & Awards<br />

North America's Largest Multimodal Expo &<br />

Conference will be held in the beautiful<br />

Vancouver, British Columbia. Connecting freight<br />

owners with freight movers – fostering<br />

multimodal synergy between diverse<br />

stakeholders in import, export and domestic<br />

supply chains, this is one event you wouldn't<br />

want to miss.<br />

Vancouver Convention Centre West<br />

February 5-7, 2019<br />

Breakbulk Middle East<br />

Breakbulk Middle East is the only exhibition and<br />

conference in the region specifically designed for<br />

the project cargo and breakbulk industry. Under<br />

the patronage of the Federal Transport Authority,<br />

more than 60 exhibitors, representing the end-toend<br />

value chain for the transport of oversize<br />

cargo, will be present at the event, with some of<br />

the leading names in the regional and<br />

international sector attending.<br />

Expect lively panel discussions, case studies and<br />

thought leadership in this two-day conference<br />

and exhibition, with key industry members<br />

sharing their knowledge and experience.<br />

Dubai World Trade Center<br />

February 11-12, 2019<br />

Air Cargo Africa<br />

2019<br />

AVSEC World in Miami, Florida, USA, will<br />

showcase the dynamic security environment and<br />

provide a forum to address the challenges that the<br />

industry faces. The Conference unites<br />

professionals in the security sphere to discuss<br />

current issues and actions to be taken to manage<br />

risks in the aviation industry today.<br />

With over 450 security experts representing the<br />

full spectrum of the aviation industry, this is the<br />

security event to attend and to expand your<br />

networks.<br />

Hilton Miami l Miami, Florida<br />

February 26-28, 2019<br />

Defence Logistics Central<br />

and Eastern Europe<br />

The 2019 conference will bring together the key<br />

military logisticians from across the Central and<br />

Eastern European region and beyond, to discuss<br />

new trends and crucial developments in Defence<br />

Logistics and discuss how modern Armed Forces<br />

are increasingly pursuing improved logistical<br />

efficiency.<br />

Prague, Czech Republic<br />

March 5-6, 2019<br />

13th World Cargo<br />

Symposium<br />

The Middle East Air Cargo & Logistics 20<strong>18</strong><br />

Conference & Awards is a new transformative<br />

event to be held in Dubai, the global business hub<br />

and the region's focal point in air freight and<br />

logistics. In partnership with Dubai South<br />

(formerly Dubai World Central), a sprawling<br />

multibillion economic zone supporting logistics,<br />

aviation, commercial, humanitarian, residential<br />

and other businesses around the Al Maktoum<br />

International Airport, the venue for Expo 2020,<br />

this conference promises to be an engaging and<br />

informative gathering of cargo operators,<br />

forwarders, airlines, integrators, airports,<br />

shippers, investors, brokers, general sales<br />

agents, entrepreneurs, suppliers, among other<br />

stakeholders.<br />

Dubai South | www.meacl.com<br />

January 29-30, 2019<br />

AIR CARGO AFRICA 2019 is the mega event set for<br />

in February at the Casino Convention Resort,<br />

Emperors Palace in City of Ekurhuleni. This year's<br />

theme “Liberalization & Modernization: The way<br />

to push frontiers of excellence in air freight<br />

industry in Africa.” Expect an engaging global air<br />

cargo community to explore and strengthen<br />

networking corridors with the African Continent.<br />

Casino Convention Resort, Emperors<br />

Palace, South Africa<br />

February 19-21, 2019<br />

The World Cargo Symposium (WCS) is the largest<br />

and most prestigious annual event of its kind and<br />

the only one to bring together key stakeholders<br />

from the entire air cargo supply chain. Join over<br />

1,000 air cargo leaders and more than 40<br />

exhibitors in Singapore, for this action-packed<br />

World Cargo Symposium.<br />

WCS 2019 will feature plenary sessions,<br />

specialized tracks, workshops and executive<br />

summits, tackling aspects related to Technology<br />

& Innovation, Security & Customs, Cargo<br />

Operations, and Sustainability.<br />

Marina Bay Sands, Singapore<br />

March 12-14, 2019<br />

To view Careers in Aviation Industry visit:<br />

http://www.aircargoupdate.com/index.php/careers


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