ISSUE 4 2010


NEWS Airfreight chiefs sign the pledge


Four of the main airfreight groups pledged to work together and set up an advisory group to give the industry a more unified voice in its dealings with regulatory authorities and other bodies. The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA), the International Air Transport Association


(IATA), the


International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA) and the Global Shippers’ Forum (GSF) signed the agreement at the Air Cargo Forum in Amsterdam on 8 November. It commits the four groups to


look at their current positions on issues such as security, customs reform, e-commerce and the environment and try to find common ground to best protect and promote the interests of the air cargo industry and its customers. It will also consider how to make best use of the associations’ respective resources and the most effective use of the existing and growing relationships with governments and regulatory bodies. The associations will also discuss


the involvement of other global industry groups in the air cargo supply chain and seek the support


of bodies such as the World Customs Organization (WCO). TIACA vice chairman Michael


Steen explained that the four organisations would however “continue to operate as they do today in terms of how they support their respective memberships. This initiative is to look at how we can combine our respective strengths, contacts and resources in the area of regulatory affairs.” All four groups, he said, “share


a common goal to protect our members against costly and sometimes unnecessary changes in legislation and to have a


practical input into any future regulatory challenges before they become mandatory. We also want to have the strongest possible voice when it comes to highlighting to policy makers the vital role air cargo plays.” IATA director general Giovanni Bisignani added: “The industry is working together to improve efficiency with programs like IATA e-freight but governments have not always received clear signals from industry on what is needed for efficient global air cargo operations. A strong and unified industry voice is a step in the right direction.”


More to Europe but Airbridge unlikely to stretch to the UK


on which markets might be involved. But Arslanova suggested the


Tatyana Arslanova


Russian scheduled B747 freighter service operator AirBridgeCargo Airlines is planning to increase its flight frequencies to and from Western Europe during 2011. However, it remains unlikely to add the UK to that online network. Speaking to FBJ at the recent


25th International Air Cargo Forum & Exhibition in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Tatyana Arslanova, AirBridgeCargo’s executive president, outlined the carrier’s latest thinking regarding its coverage of Western Europe and a range of other expansion plans for next year, including the start of services to the US. In Europe, where the airline currently links Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Maastricht, Malmo, Zaragoza, Milan and, since September, Paris CDG, with Russia (Moscow, Yekaterinburg, Krasnoyarsk) and the Far East (China, Japan, Korea), she said targets for 2011 included “increasing service frequencies to some European points”, although she did not elaborate


airline was likely to continue serving the UK using trucking connections to and from Amsterdam. “Cargo volumes between the UK and Russia are not that large and there is a lot of competition in that market from bellyhold cargo carriers so we truck UK cargo to Amsterdam to connect with our scheduled flights from there,” she explained. “We have considered launching direct UK flights several times in the past but with all the logistics possibilities available through Amsterdam, it has so far never been the right time to do that.” However, AirBridgeCargo is apparently now finally set to implement its long talked about plans to introduce scheduled services between Russia and the US. The target date, according to Arslanova, is “March or April” next year, although many of the details have still to be confirmed, including the actual US point or points to be served and the routing from Russia. “We are still in negotiations regarding the US airports we will serve and are looking at a number of options, including Chicago, New York, Houston and others,” she said. “We are also still considering two possible routings. One would be a transpolar route from Krasnoyarsk and the other would be from Moscow.” Asked about the thinking


behind that planned expansion to the US, Arslanova said AirBridgeCargo needed to


extend beyond its current Far East-Russia-Europe axis and become a global operator. She added that other development plans included strengthening the carrier’s presence in Central Asia and possibly also going to Latin America. The intended expansion into


the US will be supported by the planned addition of one more B747-400F to the airline’s present fleet of 10 B747Fs at the beginning of 2011. These should be followed in the second half of the year by the first of five


new B747-8 freighters originally ordered from Boeing by Russian parent group Volga-Dnepr for delivery this year but currently subject to production delays. AirBridgeCargo’s


other


plans for 2011 include adding some new points in Russia, particularly in the far east of the country, to its international network and increasing the frequency of its new twice- weekly B747-400F operation out of Zhengzhou, China to Russia and Western Europe to five times a week.


7 ROUND-UP: AIR & EXPRESS


Kenyan-based Astral Aviation is introducing a new sea-air service to landlocked parts of Africa via Mombasa as an alternative to existing services via Dubai. Containers are moved by sea from worldwide destinations and the contents transferred to flights operating to Lusaka in Zambia, Kinshasa and Lubumbashi in Congo, Kigali (Rwanda), Kampala (Uganda) and Juba (South Sudan). Astral currently operates DC9 freighters along with other smaller types but is in the process of acquiring more modern types such as B737-300 freighters for 2011. It is also due to move its Nairobi operation to the airport’s new Transglobal Cargo Centre January 2011.


Nick Jones has rejoined Virgin Atlantic Cargo as regional vice president EMEA after three years with Emirates in Dubai. In his new post, he is based at London’s Heathrow Airport. James Williams becomes regional vice president, Americas, based in New York. Dominic Jones has been appointed regional vice president, Asia Pacific.


FedEx Express is to acquire the logistics, distribution and express businesses of AFL in India, together with its affiliate, Unifreight India. FedEx said the move would give it a more robust domestic ground network and added capabilities. The transaction is due to be completed in February 2011. Privately-owned AFL offers comprehensive distribution and logistics services including a ground distribution day- definite distribution network and AFL WiZ Express, which offers express services through more than 160 Express Service Centers.


TNT Airways has a signed an agreement to lease three new Boeing 777-200 long-range freighters with Guggenheim Aviation Partners. The first aircraft will enter service by July 2011 and the others by the end of 2011. The new aircraft will replace two owned B747-400ERFs and two B747-400ERFs on short-term lease on routes between Europe and Asia and will also reduce TNT’s reliance on commercial line-haul and external short-term contract capacity. While the B777 freighter offers a maximum payload of 107 tons compared to the 117 tons of a B747, it carries more payload than a 747 over distances greater than 13,000km.


An Iraq Airport Expansion, Cargo Logistics conference and exhibition is being help on 6-7 April 2011, in the northern city of Erbil, Kurdistan. The event will be an opportunity for companies in the sector to better understand the needs of the aviation industry in Iraq, where it is envisaged that more than US$150 billion worth of airport and logistics infrastructure related projects are under consideration. www.arabianreach.com/iraq


The Air Cargo Africa 2011 exhibition and conference will take place at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre, Nairobi, Kenya from 22-24 February, 2011. The theme will be ‘Air Cargo in Emerging Africa’ and participants include Preston Murray, president & CEO of National Airlines Cargo, Tewolde Mariam, COO and CEO designate of Ethiopian Airlines and Desmond Vertannes Group Head-Cargo at IATA . For Further information see: www.stattimes.com/ACA2011


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