NEWSWEEK WORLDNEWS


AIRBRIDGE CARGO has increased its frequency to Italy, adding a third week- ly flight to Milan. The Tuesday service will utilise a Boeing 747 freighter. Executive vice president of AirBridge Cargo Tatyana Arslanova, says: “Milan is important for us. This step will in- crease our footprint in the European market.”


Arslanova expects an increase in cargo flows from Asia to Milan through its Sheremetyevo hub, Russia.


PEGASUS CARGO has appointed general sales agent AviaCargo its representative across 25 European countries, including France, Switzerland, Spain, the Balkans, the Baltics and Scandinavia. Pegasus Airlines vice president for Cargo, Aydin Alpa, says: “We are very ex- cited about the potential as AviaCargo’s general manager, Klaus Lederer, brings with him 44 years industry experience.


Air Partner hit by freight decline


AA flies freighter from LHR


AMERICAN AIRLINES (AA) has operat- ed its first freighter flight from Heathrow Airport.


The journey, which flew from Heathrow


to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Texas, US, was carried out using one of AA’s new Boeing 777-300ERs. The carrier marked the occasion by presenting all cus- tomers that shipped more than 1,000kg of freight with a framed certificate. The new aircraft, described by regional manager for Northern Europe Andy Corn- well as a “significant arrival”, will increase AA’s capacity to over 70,000kgs per flight. Cargo operations manager for the UK and Ireland, Paul Griffin, says: “This is the


first of many 777s that will be rolled out across our London Heathrow services.” The timing comes at a critical time for


the carrier, as it completes a proposed $11 billion merger with US carrier United Airways. In recent years, AA has steadily accrued losses since 2001, which now amount to $15 billion. However, it man- aged to maintain its status as one of the world’s largest airlines until it entered bankruptcy five years ago. Despite a statement claiming the merger would result in $1 billion of “net synergies” in 2015, it was revealed that there will be a cost of $1.2 billion associated with the merger spread across the next three years.


R


esults released last week by charter broker Air Partner reveal a 56 percent year-on-year drop in the company’s freight broking sales, down to £7.9 million. Profit in this portion of the


company’s business also remained stagnant at £0.1 million. The company blames the tough current


trading conditions and the loss of a large gov- ernment contract for the decrease in sales. Air Partner CEO, Mark Briffa, says: “The group does not expect an improvement in this division until the global economy starts to recover and accordingly costs have been reduced in line with the lower revenue.” Freight broking represents only eight per- cent of the company’s business, however, Briffa describes the division as an important element in the company’s offering. As an entity, Air Partner has been in exis-


tence for over half a century, but back in 1998 it decided to venture into the airfreight mar- ket. It kick-started its operation with another launch, that of Sony’s Playstation 2 — the com- puter games console that went on to become the world’s biggest selling, a title it still retains with impressive margins. In the years since, the company has expanded from an office on the periphery of Gatwick Airport to having seven across three continents, in France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Turkey, the US and the UK. Part of the company’s strategy has been to


restrain itself in terms of global expansion. “We develop freight markets only where there is a market to be developed,” says Richard Smith, director – UK trading. One key market for Air Partner has been with


the government and military sector, and as results show, it has somewhat relied on major contracts from this sector for its airfreight divi-


sion. As such, it has had a major presence in Afghanistan. “Even with the withdrawal, we still expect to


have a presence in the region, this will involve a relief programme. But we have also diverged, with the automotive sector becoming a key part of our business strategy,” says manager of UK freight, Clive Chalmers. The company is also developing other sec-


tors, including a burgeoning relationship with the oil and gas market in Houston, US. And then there’s its foray into the world of entertainment. It recently completed work on Kylie Minogue’s tour of South America, which included transport of stage equipment. “We work in the top end of the spectrum.


Where booking with Lufthansa or using a freighter ship won’t work, we fill that gap,” says Chalmers. Despite current difficulties, Air Partner is committed to freight, and the ability to offer its customers a ‘one-stop’ solution. With the rest of the company faring well — overall it’s up by eight percent, is in a strong cash position and is free of debt — it should be able to help the freight division weather the storm.


BRIFFA


Dip is the result of a poor


climate


6


ACW 18 MARCH 2013


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