NEWSWEEK NEWSBRIEFS


AIRPORT OPERATOR Fraport Cargo Services (FCS) has installed a new x-ray system. The company claims the system will provide a more reliable service and hopes it will “double capacity and avoid long waiting times for customers”.


CATHAY PACIFIC SERVICES has im- plemented a new cargo management system. Warehouse Operating Sys- tem, supplied by Niit Technologies, will manage the carrier’s new car- go-handling terminal in Hong Kong, which opened in February. Cathay’s opening of the terminal was a blow to the carrier’s long-stand- ing Hong Kong handler, Hactl. Read an interview with Hactl’s CEO, Mark Whitehead in the next issue of ACW.


IAG Cargo’s united front I


nternational Airlines Group (IAG) has been busy integrating the freight product of its carriers — British Airways, Iberia and BMI. It kick-started the project in 2011, immedi- ately creating one sales team for its entire


cargo business. In addition, 25 of the 40 sta- tions it operates now have a single handling operation. This integration process has come during


turbulent times, not only for the carrier, but, as we all know, for the economy at large. “Revenue was up about two percent, volume


was down one percent,” says IAG Cargo manag- ing director, Steve Gunning. “But in this difficult economic clime, we are one of the few carriers to maintain market share”. Basing its business model around a single


platform will allow IAG to add new airlines and extra cargo capacity, as and when new acquisi- tions are made. “We also want to reach out to other partners


and have closer links with them, potentially through interline and similar types of arrange- ments. We have widebody lift to more of the top 120 cargo destinations than any of our competitors and we want to expand that further through relationships with other car- riers, some of which may come into IAG,” he continues. However, expanding its network through


freighter acquisition would be a mistake, says Gunning. Instead focus will be on partnerships. “Having two or three really significant global


partners is definitely the right way forward. You have to also consider that some handlers may be perfect for one station, but they aren’t global,” he says. This is why IAG uses different handlers for


different stations, dependent on what best suits its requirements. However, Gunning is keen to work with some of the larger handling partners, though he’s wary of “placing all his eggs in one basket”. There are a number of challenges in the way, most of which are factors outside of Gunning’s,


GUNNING


Having two or three really significant global partners is the right way forward


or the industry’s, control; most obvious of course, is the economy. “The downturn is long and protracted, which


creates a lot of challenges for us. Yields and volumes are under pressure. The amount of capacity cut doesn’t match the drop in demand. No part of the globe seems immune to it. “We’re focused on driving quality, but that


backdrop doesn’t help. So, our strategic agenda will be to continue the integration, the bulk of which should be finished by the end of 2013, with the revenue management integration by early 2014,” he says.


Ruslan carries record order


RUSLAN INTERNATIONAL has arranged transport of a new Sikorsky S-92 helicop- ter from Stewart International Airport, New York, to Stavanger, Norway.


The helicopter is the first of a record order of 16 S-92s, all of which will be uti- lised for flying to and from offshore oil rigs in the North Sea.


The flight was operated by Ruslan on be- half of Danish charter broker AirContact, which arranged the charter for its customer Norsk Helikopterservice (NHS), an opera- tor that specialises in oil-rig crew transfer services.


The first helicopter was accompanied by NHS managing director Bjorn Seljevold. A joint venture of Antonov Airlines and


Volga-Dnepr Airlines, Ruslan manages and markets the Antonov An-124 fleets of the two carriers.


A chill in the air for Ethiopian


ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES has unveiled a new cargo cold-storage facility at its hub in Addis Ababa.


The new warehouse covers a 3,700 square-metre area and can accommodate four aircraft during their cargo loading at any one time. Tewolde GebreMariam, Ethiopian


storage, palletisation and ULD storage area of 3,500 square metres, and has a controlled-temperature ranging from 2 to 4°C.


storage facility Air-


lines’ CEO, says: “In line with our Vision 2025 programme and national obligation to support Ethiopian export growth, we have built one of the biggest cargo ter- minals in the world, serving both dry and perishable cargo. It will accommodate an annual capacity of 1.2 million tons.” The facility comes with receiving, skid


Operating through two hubs — Addis Ababa and Liège, Belgium — Ethiopian is Africa’s biggest cargo carrier, flying six dedicated freighter aircraft to 24 loca- tions. It is also the first African carrier to operate a 777 freighter.


As part of its Vision 2025 programme, the carrier is looking to transform itself into the profit centre of the Ethiopian Avi- ation Group by 2025, offering capacity for 820,000 tons of cargo carried across 15 dedicated freighters.


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ACW 18 MARCH 2013


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