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CARGO NEWS
Airport cargo complex will hold 8,000 tonnes
The projected expanded cargo complex at Chennai airport is to be almost as large as a football pitch: the facility, which measures some 65,000 square feet in all, will be able to accommodate up to 8,000 tonnes of cargo. Providing details about these new facilities, subsequent to inspecting the new cargo complex, EP Hareendranathan, Executive Director, Cargo and Technical, said that a state- of-the-art Automatic Storage and Retrieval System was to be installed within the complex. This specialist ASRS was imported from Portugal, reputedly at a cost of Rs40 crore. Its main advantage is that import cargo will be able to be stored in a vertical manner at a height of up to 16.5 metres. The absence of any human intervention should eliminate unsafe handling practices, the misplacing of cargo, theft and pilferage. Until now, it has not been possible to store cargo in such an efficient manner. Work on synchronising the cargo software and ASRS software was due to get underway at the end of 2012. Once that is done, the AAI will begin a trial operation; and when that is satisfctorily completed, the new facility will go live. EP Hareendranathan explained that once the import cargo was received from the airline, it would be stored in the ASRS bin, which has a capacity of 1.5 tonnes. These bins are then stored in specified locations through the expedient of automated robotic cranes. Similarly, cargo retrieval will be faster, since each bin will possess a barcoded label.
Other important features include security and the safe handling of cargo. The ASRS has already been installed in the cargo complex at Kolkata airport, which can handle up to 1,000 tonnes of cargo. EP Hareendranathan added that work on the expansion of the cargo complex began nearly two years ago and was due to be completed by January 2013. This expansion work has cost around Rs145 crore, which is part of the airport expansion project. With the introduction of ASRS, the Airports Authority of India is expecting an increase in the number of cargo freighters coming to Chennai. Consequently, there will be a demand for parking bays for the cargo freighters. To that end the AAI has said that it will start assessing parking bays near the cargo complex to facilitate freighter requirements.
GROUND HANDLING INTERNATIONAL FEBRUARY 2013 Mixed fortunes for TNT Express
TNT Express saw adjusted operating income fall 11.6%, year-over-year, to €38m in the third quarter of 2012. This was attributed to sluggish volumes in the Eurozone, the Middle East and in Africa. The European courier’s adjusted revenues also stalled in the third quarter, falling by 1.9%, year-over-year, to €1.74bn. The company’s offer period for the proposed merger of TNT and UPS has also been extended to February 23.
IAG Cargo’s successful launch
In December 2012, the IAG Group announced the launch of IAG Cargo as a single, unified commercial entity for customers, suppliers and other external stakeholders looking to engage with the company. The new brand will also support new cargo entrants to the International Airlines Group (IAG) alongside British Airways, Iberia and bmi. The launch supports IAG Cargo’s aim of becoming one of the world’s leading air cargo companies by improving the way customers can access and engage with its products and services. The combined networks of Iberia, British Airways and bmi provide the most extensive and geographically diverse global cargo network, delivering to all the major continents throughout the world. As part of the launch, IAG Cargo is investing significantly in marketing and advertisement activity to highlight the core strengths of the company: network reach, outstanding products and dynamic distribution channels, all communicated through a common brand identity. Steve Gunning, Managing Director of IAG Cargo, commented: “The launch of our brand is an important milestone in our aim of becoming the world’s leading air cargo network. For IAG Cargo, uniting our business under this single brand will help us to scale up as new carriers are brought under our banner, while creating a powerful identity that our customers will be able to relate to. In short, it will make it easier than ever to do business with us and help us become even more competitive.”
J Ignacio Díez Barturan, Deputy Managing Director of IAG Cargo, commented: “Since we merged a year ago, we have invested heavily in creating one of the most extensive networks, while also working to integrate our product portfolios. The launch of IAG Cargo as a single commercial platform was the next logical step. From today customers across the world will benefit from a premium and unified service delivered through easy to access channels such as
iagcargo.com.”
Smartphones to record data at Jettainer
Jettainer, the ULD management specialist, together with Lufthansa Cargo, has started testing an application for smartphones. The so- called JettApp enables airlines to record ULD data both promptly and accurately. All parties involved in the process chain, namely Jettainer, ground handling companies, repair shops as well as the airline itself, ultimately benefit from heightened data quality.
The new application is supposed to function as the mobile arm of Jettainer’s system JettWare, which is used in order to professionally steer fleets of loading devices. At this point in time the application is being tested at Lufthansa Cargo’s stations in Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Munich and Singapore. In total, some 40 employees, using ten smartphones, are involved in the test run. They are checking all the functions JettApp features, from determining the location of a loading device by maintaining the ULD history up to monitoring of ULD stocks.
As for the test run, mobile devices based on the Android system are used. Later on, users can also decide on other products. JettApp allows an exact scan of all kinds of barcodes, including QR and RFID/NFC. Moreover, Jettainer has equipped the application with an electronic signature function so that the handover of loading devices to third parties may be acknowledged on the display.
“The test run of the JettApp is an important part of the diversified innovation programme of Lufthansa Cargo. With the implementation of the mobile application, we plan on increasing the efficiency and quality of data in terms of recording ULD movements. We therefore want to further enhance the supervision of the circulation of our loading devices,” explained Thilo Schäfer, Vice President Global Handling of Lufthansa Cargo. “The improvement of business
processes due to the introduction of mobile devices will allow us to further improve the value chain between the ULD management, airlines and other players. We at Jettainer are glad about the high interest the innovation developed by us is receiving,” adds Alexander Plümacher, Managing Director of Jettainer. “It took us just one year to implement the application and we’re now pleased to be testing its suitability for daily use with Lufthansa Cargo. This year, we plan to comprehensively introduce the product to our customers.”
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