Still at the top of the pile


Germany’s economy has kept relatively strong while so many of its Continental neighbours have faced a virtual financial meltdown. Its air cargo sector has stayed comparatively healthy too, thanks in large part to the impetus provided by the country’s traditionally healthy manufacturing export trade


percent compared to the same period of 2011. Traffic as measured in revenue tonne-km


L


(RTK) fell by 8.5 percent to 4.4 billion RTK for the half-year. Nonetheless, by reducing its available capac-


ity by 7.6 percent to 6.4 billion available tonne-km, Lufthansa Cargo succeeded in keep- ing its load factor relatively steady – dipping by just 0.7 percentage points to 68.4 percent.


ufthansa Cargo, the freight division of the German flag-carrier, transported 864,490 tonnes of cargo and mail over the first six months of this year, repre- senting a decline in volume of 9.2


Karl Ulrich Garnadt, executive board chair-


man and CEO at Lufthansa Cargo, commented: “There can be no talk as yet of a real crisis. Extreme volatility has been a hallmark of our industry for some time now, and we know how we have to deal with it. “Lufthansa Cargo temporarily suspends


flights from its schedule or closes down routes permanently when they cease to be financially viable. “This flexible, demand-driven management


of our capacities is one of our strengths that we are also relying on now,” Garnadt added. In other news from the freight carrier,


Lufthansa Cargo has said that it reduced its CO2


emissions by


more than 700 tonnes in just May and June through the use of lightweight containers. That period marked the first


time in which more than half the LD3 standard ULDs (unit load devices) it used were made from lightweight composite materials. These containers are 13kg


lighter than the conventional model, Lufthansa pointed out, adding that it expects to bring approximately 5,000 lightweight containers into service in the coming years. “Reducing weight on board our aircraft is a


key factor in lowering the fleet’s fuel consump- tion and emissions,” explains Bettina Jansen, head of environmental management at Lufthansa Cargo. “In the efforts to realise our ambitious envi-


ronmental targets and reduce specific emissions by a quarter by 2020 on the 2005 level, we will


continue investing in modern technology and press ahead with renewal of our container fleet,”


she added. n The new freight acceptance area at the Lufthansa Cargo Center in Frankfurt is now open. During its trial phase, the facility’s new ramps, optimised layout and additional service counters are said to have reduced transit times considerably.


VG Cargo selects Hermes management system


Hermes Logistics Technolo- gies, the UK-based supplier of freight management systems to those responsible for cargo handling at airports around the world, has expanded its customer base with the addi- tion of a new customer at Frankfurt-Hahn airport. June saw German handler


VG Cargo choose to use Her- mes to improve its processes at Hahn. According to a Hermes


statement: “Delivering a com- prehensive suite of highly configurable modules, the Hermes solution is easily able to adapt to meet VG Cargo’s specific needs, enabling a rapid and agile implementation and allowing VG Cargo to achieve optimum benefits in no time.”


Ben-Zvi: “a very good fit for cargo handlers”


Amit Ben-Zvi, CEO at Her-


mes, told Air Cargo Week: “The deal is proof that we offer a very good fit for cargo han- dlers with an out-of-the-box product.” He is confident that the


implementation phase for VG Cargo will be just as smooth as it was for another of the technology provider’s cus- tomers in Germany, Celebi at Frankfurt-Main International airport. Nikolai Dinges, managing


director of VG Cargo, com- mented: “Hermes has an in-depth working knowledge


of the cargo handling industry and has fully understood our need for change, plus the necessity to provide our customers with a superior level of service.”


Italian pharma specialist plans expansion in Germany


In April this year, Italian forwarder PHSE launched PHSE Clinical Logistics in Frankfurt. “The team in Frankfurt is totally focused on


this special industry sector … within only five months we will have the ISO 9001 accredita- tion,” said commercial director Gianluca Meneguzzi. Additional certifications such as for


Live Animals and Dangerous Goods will be attained this year and the pharma logistics spe- cialist will also participate in the Qualified Envirotainer Provider programme. “Frankfurt is just the beginning; Munich and


Berlin are to follow and there’s much more to come,” Meneguzzi revealed.


Page 12


23 July 2012


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