Qatar Airways Cargo Announces Chapter 3 of WeQare “Let’s Stand Together”

cargoai donation Qatar Airways Cargo Teams Up with Cainiao to Launch a Weekly Charter Flight Linking China and Brazil

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Qatar Airways Cargo Announces Chapter 3 of WeQare “Let’s Stand Together”

May 9th, 2022 Tim Jay Leave a comment

Qatar Airways Cargo continues its commitment by launching Chapter 3 of its WeQare program, “Let’s Stand Together”. Chapter 3 involves a big donation drive that seeks to gather donations in kind for children, from April 26 to May 10 2022.

Commitment, care and charity means a lot to Qatar Airways Cargo. The success of the first two chapters of the WeQare program demonstrated it very well. Chapter 1, “One Million Kilos” launched in July 2020 led the way by providing the free transport of 1 million kilos of humanitarian aid and medical equipment to charitable organizations. As for Chapter 2, “Rewild the Planet”, Qatar Airways Cargo committed to preserve wildlife and endangered animals and to transport them back to their natural habitat free of charge.

Aware of the importance of perpetuating this solidarity, the cargo carrier announced Chapter 3, Let’s Stand Together. Through this new chapter, Qatar Airways Cargo wants to convey the idea that together we can achieve great things. For this chapter, the company is organizing a collection of in kind donations for children. The donation drive focuses on three aspects: education, sports and fun. Thus, Qatar Airways Cargo is collecting study material (books, school bags, pencils), clothes and sports items (socks, soccer balls, sneakers, jerseys) as well as toys, musical instruments and board games. Any donation for children is welcome, as long as it is clean, in good condition and without batteries.

The collection of the donations is rolled out worldwide, and open for business partners, friends, families and anyone who is willing to participate in this great movement of solidarity that will last until May 10, 2022. To collect all the donations, each station of the company has its own collection point, where people can drop off their donations. Qatar Airways Cargo has also opened six donation collection points for its employees, as well as a public collection point in Doha.

The donations will be sent in by Qatar Airways Cargo global offices to its hub in Doha where a massive sorting activity will take place on 17 May, following which the donations will be sent all over the world. In line with its commitment to sustainability, Qatar Airways Cargo will also offset the CO2 emissions of the donated items.

For children to remain children, Let’s Stand Together, because #WeQare.

About Qatar Airways Cargo

Qatar Airways Cargo, the world’s leading international air cargo carrier is based in Doha, State of Qatar. It serves a global network of more than 60 freighter destinations and 150 passenger destinations utilising freighters, belly-hold passenger flights, passenger freighters and mini freighters. The airline’s freighter fleet includes two Boeing 747-8 freighters, two Boeing 747-4 freighters, 26 Boeing 777 freighters, two Airbus A330 freighters and one Airbus A310 freighter. It also has an extensive road feeder service (RFS) network.

With considerable investments in its products, services, quality handling, infrastructure, facilities, people and procedures at each of its destinations, the cargo carrier provides high operating standards for the transportation of cargo. Qatar Airways Cargo remains committed to sustainability and giving back to communities it serves through its sustainability program WeQare, built on the key pillars of sustainability: environment, society, economy and culture.

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Maersk Reveals Focus on Air Cargo

May 4th, 2022 Thomas Cullen Leave a comment

Essentially this is a rebranding of Maersk’s existing air freighter business, Star Air, with the significance of the move possibly being in the re-naming. Rather than a somewhat peripheral subsidiary like Star Air, the intention seems to make Maersk Air Cargo a core market offer from Maersk Group. As the company states in its press release, “Maersk’s ambition is to have approximately one-third of its annual air tonnage carried within its own controlled freight network. This will be achieved through a combination of owned and leased aircraft, replicating the structure that the company has within its ocean fleet.

The remaining capacity will be provided by strategic commercial carriers and charter flight operators”. Surely the most important line here is “replicating the structure that the company has within its ocean fleet”, suggesting that Maersk aims to become as much of an airfreight company as it is a shipping line.

It is interesting that the head of Maersk Group’s ‘Logistics and Services’ business is a former CEVA executive. He comments that Maersk Logistics and Services views air freight as “a crucial enabler of flexibility and agility in global supply chains as it allows our customers to tackle time-critical supply chain challenges and provides transport mode options for high value cargo”. This is a clear statement that Maersk is aiming for a high- to very high-level of vertical integration.

Not only that, but Maersk has also outlined plans to develop Billund airport as its “air freight hub”. It is unclear if this will just be a base for administration and maintenance, or if Maersk envision a hub within an airfreight route network. Bearing in mind Maersk’s shipping operations emphasize networked operations, it may not be surprising if it is the latter.

Maersk Group has long had an interest in air transport, but the creation of Maersk Air Cargo goes beyond this in its implications. It is another significant step towards Maersk becoming a multi-sector vertically integrated, asset-based logistics provider where ships are just one asset class.

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Kargo Xpress Implements CHAMP’s Cargospot Airline Solution

May 4th, 2022 Tim Jay Leave a comment

Carrier will also streamline booking via CHAMP Portal solution

M Jets International (DBA Kargo Xpress), has become the first Malaysian carrier to implement CHAMP’s advanced Cargospot application. The airline, delivering innovative middle-mile logistics solutions through a growing fleet of freighter aircraft, will use Cargospot to manage its business-critical cargo processes.

The CHAMP solution selected by Kargo Xpress is part of the Cargospot suite that also fulfills the business needs of over 126+ airlines and cargo terminal operators in 75+ countries around the globe.

For Kargo Xpress, Cargospot enables the airline to efficiently manage its cargo capacity and inventory across an expanding network, whilst simultaneously providing full control and visibility of flight profitability from the time of shipment booking. The airline also derives significant cash-flow benefits through the integrated and fully automated Cargospot sales invoicing features.

Kargo Xpress has also implemented the acclaimed Cargospot Portal to empower its customers through real-time flight availability and price requests, booking requests, e-AWB submission and more. This advanced web-based tool provides registered cargo agents with total control of their shipments, whilst creating sales and operational efficiencies for the airline.

Gunasekar Mariappan, Managing Director at Kargo Xpress commented on them benefiting from the streamlined booking process and the early and accurate customer billing that Cargospot delivers adding that the high level of automation available to us means there is minimal manual intervention in our processes, allowing our teams to focus our attention on the needs of our valued customers.

Nicholas Xenocostas, Vice President Commercial and Customer Engagement at CHAMP Cargosystems commented them continuously extending their air cargo eco-system through the introduction of interoperable technologies such as APIs, IoT-based applications and AI adding that they will be partnering with Kargo Xpress as they further their own digital enablement ambitions.

About Kargo Xpress

M Jets holds an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) issued by the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) and an Air Service License (ASL) issued by the Malaysia Aviation Commission (MAVCOM). M Jets,operate cargo freighters from our primary hub in Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL). In addition to domestic routes of BKI and KCH from KUL, we also operate international flights to Hong Kong (HKG), Macau (MFM), Jakarta (CGK) and Dhaka (DAC).

Our current fleet of aircrafts comprise of 2 B737-800BCF (Boeing Converted Freighter) both of which are 14 years of age and a B737-400F which is 26 years of age. M Jets is finalizing long term collaboration with several E-commerce giants who are part of world leading group. This collaboration is in line with Malaysia government plan to enhance E-commerce business between Malaysia as well as ASEAN. M Jets International also occupies 265,342 sqft of warehouse space in Cainiao Aeropolis eWTP hub.

About CHAMP Cagrosystems

CHAMP Cargosystems provides the most comprehensive range of integrated IT solutions and distribution services for the air cargo transport chain. The portfolio spans core management systems, messaging services, and eCargo solutions. These include applications to meet customs and security requirements, quality optimization as well as e-freight and mobility needs. The products and services are well known under the Cargospot, Traxon and Logitude brands.

The company serves over 200 airlines and GSAs, and links these with some 3,000 forwarders and GHAs worldwide. CHAMP’s solutions help its customers and their clients adapt to critical and continuous changes in air transport logistics to meet global trade demands.

CHAMP Cargosystems is headquartered in Luxembourg and operates offices in London, Zurich, Frankfurt, Manila, Singapore and Atlanta.

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Air Freight Rates May Be Spiking Now but a Fall in Rates Looks Possible

April 22nd, 2022 Thomas Cullen Leave a comment

The airline sector is recovering. As Willie Walsh, the former CEO of British Airways and now Director General of IATA said on Thursday, “the recovery in air travel is gathering steam as governments in many parts of the world lift travel restrictions.

States that persist in attempting to lock-out the disease, rather than managing it, as we do with other diseases, risk missing out on the enormous economic and societal benefits that a restoration of international connectivity will bring,” Willie Walsh is, of course, referring to China, which continues the most savage response to COVID-19 outbreaks. This is placing a break on the bounce-back of air traffic at the global level.

The rest of the world is doing its best to compensate. Total air traffic measured in revenue passenger kilometers increased 115% year-on-year in February 2022, although this is still 45.5% less than the volumes seen in February 2019. In particular international traffic is recovering violently, with a 256.8% increase year-on-year, although this is 59.6% lower than 2019, showing how severe the crash in international air traffic has been.

In terms of demand, air cargo is a very different market. Over the past two years the market for cargo has often been extraordinarily strong in the face of a near absence of belly freight. Demand is still respectable, with global traffic measured in cargo ton-kilometers up 2.9% year-on-year for February, with a slight bias to domestic operations, possibly due to e-commerce traffic in markets such as the US. However, IATA also reports that actual ton-kilometers, that is the volume of cargo carrying capacity available, increased 12.5% year-on-year in February, whilst load-factors fell 4.9%.

Cargo capacity is still 5.6% below February 2019, but demand is not increasing as fast as it was in December 2021. If these trends are sustained the implications are that the balance between air cargo capacity supply and air cargo demand will tip towards lower prices.

The disruptions in China and Hong Kong are taking their toll, as is the avoidance of Russian airspace by many airlines, with air freight rates reportedly spiking on China-Europe routes in recent days.

However, as Willie Walsh commented “Demand for air cargo continued to expand despite growing challenges in the trading environment. That is not likely to be the case in March as the economic consequences of the war in Ukraine take hold. Sanction-related shifts in manufacturing and economic activity, rising oil prices and geopolitical uncertainty will take their toll on air cargo’s performance”.

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Auburn University Students Visit the Air Cargo Facility at Atlanta Airport

April 20th, 2022 Tim Jay Leave a comment

Qatar Airways Cargo, Swissport, and JAS Worldwide open their doors to the next generation in aviation and air cargo management, inviting Auburn University students to Atlanta Airport.

A group of students currently studying Logistics and Supply Chain Management at Auburn University, were given an exclusive, behind-the-scenes air cargo familiarization tour at Atlanta Airport on 25 March 2022. It was a joint initiative planned by Auburn University, JAS Worldwide, Swissport, and Qatar Airways Cargo.

The 7.5-hour event kicked off in the afternoon, first with lunch at the JAS WW Campus Sandy Springs, a meet and greet session with JAS and Qatar Airways Cargo management, and company presentations, before transferring to Atlanta Airport. Following the airport’s introductory presentation, the students were given a tour of the Swissport warehouse and then taken airside to witness the arrival of Qatar Airways Cargo flight QR8141 from Doha, Qatar, and its subsequent offloading and reloading.

In smaller groups of five, the students took turns in visiting the main deck, observing the main deck high loader in operation, and learning how the Swissport warehouse operates from cargo build-up to breakdown, as well as flight planning and preparation. Refreshments in the Swissport warehouse rounded off the educational and informative familiarization tour.

Matthias Frey, Global VP Airfreight Operations at JAS at the event emphasized on the the importance of logistics as it became very visible over the past two years, whereas in the past, the industry was very much the silent strongman in the background, struggling to attract the air cargo managers of tomorrow.

Guillaume Halleux, Chief Officer Cargo at Qatar Airways, commented on their partnership with Auburn University in the past, conducting speaking sessions and participating in their Job Fair.

Halleux pointed out the fact that the Atlanta air cargo facility will be their first joint familiarization tour with the university, and it will certainly not be the last, as they look forward to making it a recurring event having planned a second one already in the Autumn.

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Amsterdam Airport Schiphol mandates digital declarations to streamline the cargo chain

April 12th, 2022 Meantime Communications Leave a comment

Full deployment of Automated Nomination brings time savings and minimizes human error at the airport, while eliminating all paper declarations for a more sustainable operation.

Automated Nomination, the digital station declaration of a forwarder’s involvement in the handling of a shipment, has become the standard for inbound shipments at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, which no longer accepts paper declarations as of the 1st of April 2022.

Prior to Automated Nomination, ground handlers at Schiphol Airport would have to wait for the freight to arrive and review the corresponding paperwork before a forwarder could be nominated to handle the shipment.

With Automated Nomination, this process has been completely digitized and now takes place at an earlier stage, prior to the flight landing at the airport.

Ground handlers at Schiphol are now informed about incoming shipments much sooner, reducing the time required to process cargo, while the elimination of manual processing has minimized the possibility of human error and shipment mishandling.

“We have been piloting Automated Nomination with growing success since October 2021 and are proud to have now rolled it out officially as a mandatory process at Schiphol Airport,” said David van der Meer, Cargo Partnerships Director for the Smart Cargo Mainport Program (SCMP), Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.

“We aim to have every shipment nominated automatically, which offers benefits for every stakeholder in the cargo supply chain.

“Automated Nomination creates a better connection between the air waybill (AWB) and the receiving forwarder.”

Developed by the SCMP team, Automated Nomination is an algorithm that predicts which forwarder will collect a shipment using only AWB, airline, and shipper data, with a 99 percent accuracy rate.

In order to be compliant for Automated Nomination, a digital station declaration is required.

Handlers, forwarders, and Schiphol Airport, in collaboration with Air Cargo Netherlands, have introduced a digital station declaration, marking the end of the decades-old paper freight station statement.

The number of digital station declarations at Schiphol has already seen a record increase, from 1,200 declarations in October last year to 3,000 declarations by the 1st of April this year.

The number of forwarders participating in Automated Nomination has meanwhile increased from 60 to 140, with numbers still growing.

As well as bringing greater efficiencies to cargo operations at Schiphol, the reduction in paper and ability to combine shipments during the transfer process will bring all parties closer to their sustainability goals.

Automated Nomination will also optimize import planning and fuel future developments at Schiphol, as better data will be available sooner.

“Literally every part of the cargo chain will benefit from Automated Nomination,” said Luc Scheidel, SCMP Program Manager, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.

“We expect all of our cargo partners to be pleased that we’ve made it a mandatory process as of 1st April 2022, and in particular with the operational efficiencies they will gain as a result.”

Automated Nomination is the latest in a series of digital initiatives under the SCMP that are streamlining cargo services at Schiphol, including the digital station declaration, which has made handling more structured and secure since January 2022, and the Milkrun project, which has streamlined truck movements at the airport.

“With every digital service we activate from within the SCMP, we get closer to our goal of having the most seamless cargo process in Europe,” said van der Meer.

“This next step with Automated Nomination is a great example of all the stakeholders working together and the beginning of an important collaboration.”

Director of Charter Sales for Mercury Jets, explains that a change in perception on private jet travel is a key element that also explains the trip

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Is Private Aviation Getting Popular?

April 6th, 2022 Felipe Reisch Leave a comment

Ryan DeBruyne, Director of Charter Sales for the New York-based air charter solution company Mercury Jets discusses whether the sustained increase in demand is positive for the global business air ecosystem.

Record-breaking private jet demand

As January broke another record in global jet demand, it is easy to assume that trend will continue well into 2022 and beyond. Although the pandemic and the lack of commercial aviation are key
reasons that explain the surge, both aspects are far from telling the entire story behind the impressive record-breaking activity of private aviation.

The industry is in the middle of a rebranding, a change of image, although not created by operators or brokers, but by the historic moment itself. On that note, Ryan DeBruyne, Director of Charter Sales for Mercury Jets, explains that a change in perception on private jet travel is a key element that also explains the surge in demand.

“Private aviation is getting popular. And there is nothing wrong with that statement. The expectations for the industry are swiftly changing as well as the consumer behavior.

What is the main performance indicator of a service increasing in popularity?

Returning first-time flyers and sustained demand from frequent clients. The problem is not the rise in demand and popularity, which is a fact, but if the main players in the business will be capable of responding to that demand, long term”, shares DeBruyne. That is a discussion probably happening today in some war rooms.

When commercial aviation returns to shape, and it will, is it possible that private jet demand will suffer a drop in movements?

DeBruyne thinks it will for some specific routes, although this 2.5-year window has demonstrated that the new private jet market is here to stay.

“Private aviation will never be the same. The 2019 version is long gone, as the pandemic has positively reshaped the entire ecosystem. A decline in movements in some domestic routes is expected once commercial aviation resumes its activity. Nevertheless, the seed of reliability has been planted on hundreds of new customers and going back to long lines and many hours spent in the terminal will be a hard pill to swallow”, says DeBruyne.

Some challenges on the runway

As WingX recently reported, January 2022 registered a 35% increase compared to last year and 15% more activity than pre-Covid January (2019). That is impressive. That, coped with a lack of
deliveries from major manufacturers poses a short-term challenge due to a potential lack of availability in some in aircraft segments.
DeBruyne agrees. “Reliability is arguably the main added value of private aviation. If we, as an industry, because it takes everyone, cannot accommodate to our passenger’s expectations, that poses a risk, as smaller operators worldwide have witnessed. Being able to have access to thousands of aircraft worldwide, as Mercury Jets has, definitely increases the chances of adapting to our clients’ needs and expectations.”

A solid fix is without a doubt an influx of new private aircraft in the market. Textron, the leading manufacturer in mid-sized private jets, reported in early January that it delivered 167 jets in 2021, up from 132 in 2020, and expects that number to increase this year. That is great news for the entire industry, as new aircraft in the ecosystem will contribute to meet the rising demand.

Furthermore, as Zoom meetings are getting close to a burnout stage, more businesses worldwide will rely on private aviation to go places, increasing pressure on the overall supply chain. Leisure travel is also growing after more than two years of lockdown, and, again, private flight serves as the perfect partner to access any remote destination.

“A well-managed business aviation company will find ways to accommodate to the trends and deliver a consistent service. Private aviation is getting popular, in a very good sense, as more passengers are experiencing the amenities that have positioned this market at the very top, led by flexibility and comfort. Planning for increased demand during 2022 and advising clients to book ahead of time are the recipe for a successful partnership as the industry navigates history in the making regarding private jet activity”, concludes DeBruyne.

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Expert Insight: Supply Chain Disruptions Through the Eyes of TITAN Professional Tools

March 14th, 2022 Eric Allais, President & CEO, PathGuide Technologies Leave a comment

“Supply chain troubles.” “From bad [2020] to worse [2021].” It was a “perfect storm for our supply chain crisis.” These are just a few of the headlines I’ve seen in recent weeks looking back on 2021. While I think we’re all eager to turn the page and start anew, I fear many of the challenges we experienced last year will continue into 2022 – and perhaps beyond. If there’s one thing we learned last year, it’s that our supply chain is more fragile than many of us imagined.

Case in point, a recent estimate from the American Trucking Associations (ATA) reported that the truck driver shortage has risen to 80,000 – an all-time high for the industry. According to the ATA study, the driver shortage could surpass 160,000 by the end of the decade, noting that the industry will need to recruit nearly one million new drivers to replace those retiring or leaving the business. Not only did the outbreak of COVID-19 in early 2020 exacerbate the issue, but it also revealed gaps in every link of the supply chain and then amplified the impact of those collective weaknesses.

A recent Wall Street Journal article perfectly summarized the challenge:

Trucks haul more than 70% of domestic cargo shipments. Yet many fleets say they can’t hire enough drivers to meeting booming consumer demand as the U.S. economy emerges from the pandemic. The freight backup has intensified longstanding strains in the industry over hours, pay, working conditions and retention. The surge of goods has created logjams at loading docks and port terminals, gobbling up scarce trucking capacity and making drivers’ jobs even harder. Factories and warehouses are also short of staff to load and receive goods. Meanwhile, the broader labor shortage has left openings for other blue-collar jobs that compete with trucking, including in local delivery operations, construction and manufacturing.

To better understand the operational and logistical issues retailers, importers, wholesalers and other distribution organizations are facing due to the state of today’s supply chain, I recently spoke Nick Tsitis, vice president at TITAN Professional Tools. His account is eye-opening, to say the least, and can hopefully help those facing similar challenges.

Q: How did the Suez Canal accident create operational and logistical issues for businesses like TITAN Professional Tools?

A: No one talks about this anymore. Before conversations of current supply chain issues, however, our forwarders often referenced the incident. I believe it significantly contributed to and accelerated our current supply chain problems, including shortages of equipment and limited space on vessels and at our ports. There’s been a huge stress on the ports, making it difficult to even get containers off the ships. And when you do get them off the ships, they sit in these piles disorderly piles they’re calling “pig piles” now. Whatever’s on top becomes available first. And if you’re on the bottom of that pig pile, your merchandise is stuck.

So, not only is it taking time to get containers off ships, but it’s also taking time to get them from the ground onto chassis. Once containers finally do make it to our facility, and we get them unloaded, you would think with such a shortage of equipment there would be an urgency to return containers, but they cannot be returned to the port. We recently discovered 12 containers being stored in our business park from someone that is not a tenant here. Apparently, they ran out space in their complex, and decided to park the equipment at ours.

Q: How have issues like this impacted your operating costs?

A: In so many ways. It used to cost $1,500 to get a container from Asia to Seattle. Now we’re paying as high as $18,000. We are often charged demurrage for containers that are off vessels but not delivered to us within a week. There are surcharges being implemented on both sides as well (Asia and USA). It’s a huge burden on us. It also affects our cash conversion cycle as goods invoiced to us are stuck in transit, and we can’t invoice until we receive and ship to our customers.

Q: How are you dealing with dock scheduling and similar issues caused by all this unpredictability?

A: Once we can get the container and get an appointment, it hasn’t been too big of a problem. On occasion, the truck drivers will have to wait sometimes six to eight hours to pick up a container. We used to pay under $100 to get a container from Seattle to Kent. Now it’s almost $700 to move it seven miles. Local drayage is up, and we’re often having to pay the drivers by the hour to wait in line to ensure we get our merchandise.

Q: Are you also facing labor shortages in the warehouse that compound these issues?

A: I know others have but we haven’t realized that because we’re a small business and have a lot of family here that have been with the company for a long time. We are fortunate and may be y the exception when it comes to labor. But, yes, when you look down the road and see Amazon hiring at $23.50 an hour with a $3,000 signing bonus, it can be hard to compete with that. it has in the past.

Q: How close do you think we are to seeing an end to these disruptions?

A: Well, everything’s related in one way or another – if not directly, then indirectly – to these supply chain problems. Our lead time with several factories is now as high as 18 months, where it used to take 45 to 90 days to manufacture product and 14 days transit is now taking as many as 60 or 90 days transit. There are some factories, that if we placed an order now, we won’t see it for almost two years. That’s an extreme. Most factories now are taking 6 to 8 months. As a result, we’re buying out a year, which is really scary. So, yes, it’s going to take a long time to recover. I don’t think it’s going to get back to normal for at least another year.

Q: Based on your experiences, what advice would you share with other businesses facing similar challenges?

A: We often use the word “partnership” between vendors and customers. We are making it thru these challenging times because of the true partnerships we have on both sides, with our vendors, and our customers. Everyone is understanding, being more flexible and forgiving, and more willing to accommodate than before. Pardon the pun, but everyone is “in the same boat” on this. We need to work together to get through it.

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Global aircraft charter specialist Chapman Freeborn Airchartering has appointed NAQEL Express as its exclusive partner in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

February 28th, 2022 Chapman Freeborn Leave a comment

NAQEL Express, as well as Chapman Freeborn, are both well-respected companies in the aviation industry. This partnership will enable clients to receive a complete end-to-end solution, delivering an entire range of logistics covering all industries. The collaboration will strengthen both partners’ presence and coverage in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as well as support the Kingdom across multiple industry verticals.

Neil Dursley, Chapman Freeborn Chief Commercial Officer Cargo comments:

“We believe that this new strategic partnership will allow us to grow and develop our offering to our global clients and suppliers. Chapman Freeborn has almost five decades of experience within the air charter industry globally, this new partnership with NAQEL will allow us to service our clients’ needs far more effectively and efficiently, now more than ever.

The combined strength of Chapman Freeborn, its parent company Avia Solutions Group, and NAQEL Express will give existing and new potential clients in the Kingdom a fantastic service offering. Capabilities include access to our family members’ fleets of both passenger and freighter assets globally and in the region.

Chapman Freeborn has decades of experience in the Middle East Region and neighbouring countries and has supported missions in many challenging environments for many years and continues today with innovative solutions to support our clients.”

Michael Harradine, NAQEL Express Director, Global Freight Forwarding Division says:

“NAQEL enables the world to do business in Saudi Arabia with simplicity and transparency. The new partnership with Chapman Freeborn enhances our offerings.

This strategic partnership gives our clients within Saudi Arabia a direct access to the vast cargo air charter, passenger charter, and on-board courier capabilities of Chapman Freeborn.

Now there will be direct control with transparency for the fulfilment of air charter needs of global and local firms in Saudi Arabia.

NAQEL Express is one of a select group of firms operating as Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) for Saudi Customs.

We are also the leading and largest overland express carrier with the largest reach among any express carriers in KSA.

NAQEL is a key player in building transparent connectivity between KSA and its global economic partners, as part of Saudi Arabia’s VISION 2030.

NAQEL is also a committed leader in developing its people by enhancing leadership (Future Leaders Program) and business management skills”.

__________________________________________________

About Chapman Freeborn:

The Chapman Freeborn group was established in the UK in 1973. The company has offices worldwide including North America, Europe, Africa, Russia, Asia, and Australia. In the cargo market, Chapman Freeborn Airchartering specialises in the charter and lease of aircraft for a wide-ranging customer base, including freight forwarders, multinational corporations, governments, humanitarian agencies, and a host of industries around the globe.

In addition to freight services, Chapman Freeborn offers specialist passenger services including private jet charters for executive travel and large aircraft for crew rotations and international group travel. As well as on-board courier services. Chapman Freeborn is a family member of Avia Solutions Group, a leading global aerospace services group with almost 100 offices and production stations providing aviation services and solutions worldwide.

Avia Solutions Group unites a team of more than 7,000 professionals, providing state-of-the-art solutions to the aviation industry and beyond.

For more information, please visit www.chapmanfreeborn.aero / www.aviasg.com

About NAQEL Express

NAQEL Express’s journey started as Hala Express in 1993 with 150 vehicles. In 2005, NAQEL Express was born as a joint venture between Saudi Post and Hala Express.

NAQEL Express is providing seamless end-to-end logistics solutions for most industrial sectors in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Being the largest logistics network in the Kingdom, with 5000+ employees and 4000+ vehicles, they serve the remotest locations and deliver to both businesses and individuals.

They offer door-to-door air and sea freight services from the rest of the world into Saudi Arabia and Middle Eastern countries.

Their freight service desk based out of the United States, Europe, United Kingdom, China, India, and Egypt ensures that you have a smooth and hassle-free experience in importing your goods from around the world.

NAQEL Express clears your shipments based on their multi-modal presence at the key airports, land ports, and seaports. They have own facilities at all the three key airports – Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam.

They are the first logistics company in the Kingdom that received a customs clearance license. They clear your shipments as well as deliver them to your doorstep.

NAQEL Express has now expanded their operations to 16 countries – Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, UK, Turkey, China & Hong Kong, USA, Germany, India, Russia, and Qatar. This presence helps their vision of uniting across borders and horizons a reality.

They are further expanding in line with their mission of giving you access to new markets and removing distance as a constraint for your business operations.

For more information, please visit www.naqelexpress.com

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CEVA LOGISTICS ADDS SUSTAINABLE AIR TRANSPORT TO LOGISTICS SOLUTIONS

February 12th, 2022 Ashley Kleinsorge Leave a comment

Sustainability continues to underscore operations and initiatives in logistics. Last year, the industry saw even more attention on reducing carbon emissions, specifically for airfreight transportation–from commercial airliners to leading logistics companies. As seen with the maritime industry with IMO 2020, reducing the overall carbon footprint is the primary goal, but the logistics industry is taking a piecemeal approach to cover all bases. Notable companies linking arms to fight the issue of carbon emissions in the airfreight logistics sector include DHL, Yusen Logistics, Bollore Logistics and, of course, CEVA Logistics. In April 2021, CEVA Logistics announced its position on the issue through the joining of United Airlines’ Eco-Skies Alliance as an official partner (along with the other aforementioned companies).

Known for being the world’s leading supply chain management organization headquartered in Marseille, France, CEVA is no stranger to stepping up in the name of sustainability. As part of parent company CMA CGM Group’s mission, CEVA is committed to acting for people, the planet and responsible trade–and that’s exactly what the logistics company is accomplishing through initiatives such as switching to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), for example. Not only does this move support the Group’s mission, but it also supports collaboration along the supply chain.

“One long-term benefit and advantage of SAF is that it is a concrete opportunity for shippers, freight forwarders and carriers to work together to improve the air freight industry,” explains Peter Penseel, chief operating officer of Air Freight at CEVA Logistics. “This type of collaboration can extend beyond SAF and environmental topics to ones like safety. As an example, we were recently the first company to receive IATA’s new CEIV Lithium Certification for the safe air transport of lithium batteries, so we’re encouraging other industry participants, whether freight forwarders, ground handlers, or carriers, to support this important safety topic as well.”

The leaders behind the CEVA mission capitalize on what can be done now to reduce problems for the future. This proactive approach differentiates the business from competitors while creating a competitive advantage for customers. This serves as a primary driver behind the CMA CGM Group’s goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050.

“The Group aims at becoming carbon-neutral by 2050 and is significantly investing in research and development to help the emergence of future energy sources and technologies to reduce the impact of transport and logistics on the planet,” Penseel adds. “Encouraging the use of SAF in air transport is a direct outflow of this corporate commitment. Whether or not SAF is the long-term answer in air freight logistics, CEVA is taking tangible action today, with an eye on the solutions of tomorrow.”

What some logistics organizations might misunderstand that CEVA does not is the critical blending of customer needs and environmental needs. And in the modern world, it seems all players in the logistics arena are feeling the pressure to support sustainability more now than ever.

“Reducing emissions in the supply chain requires alignment with customers,” said Penseel. “We work alongside them to offer and encourage the right products and services, including alternative fuel options. We must embark on this journey together with a common vision and roadmap. To that end, we are a part of the Sustainable Air Freight Alliance (SAFA), which advocates for responsible transportation. The organization is made up of shipping companies, airlines and freight forwarders that are committed to measuring and reducing their carbon dioxide emissions.”

These changes do not come without their own set of unique challenges, however. Penseel adds that the current infrastructure landscape poses specific roadblocks that could potentially impede progress in the pursuit of carbon neutrality, warning that careful planning and collaboration along each step of the shipping process is critical and shouldn’t be compromised.

“As an air freight industry, we need to be conscious of the production and infrastructure capacities for SAF,” he says. “As we ramp up the use of this alternative fuel, we need to ensure that we can deliver on our commitments. If the industry offers more SAF options, we need to work closely with the entire upstream environment to ensure the needed supply and infrastructure will be there to meet the demand we as an industry are creating.

“Estimating carbon footprint and planning accordingly is the first step toward a more sustainable supply chain. For example, we offer an eco-calculator on our website and through our MyCEVA digital booking platform to estimate the logistics carbon footprint of a shipment via ocean, air, or ground.”

Looking to the future, CEVA has more carbon-neutral tricks up its sleeve. Penseel confirmed the organization is currently discussing additional SAF options and programs with numerous air carriers to confront and resolve near-term environmental concerns.

2022 has officially greeted the industry with CEVA taking it by the horns with customer and environmental needs at the forefront of its dedicated solutions. The organization capped off 2021 with its latest acquisition of Ingram Micro’s Commerce & Lifestyle Services business, representing another feather in the CMA CGM Group’s hat in the ecommerce planning and omnichannel sectors, further positioning them as leaders in all things shipping and supporting the goal of becoming a name among the top five global third-party logistics players.

“The acquisition of Ingram Micro CLS is strategic for the CMA CGM Group,” Rodolphe Saadé, chairman and CEO of the CMA CGM Group, said in a December release. “After completing its turnaround this year, our subsidiary CEVA Logistics will accelerate its development and join the world’s top four in contract logistics.”

Customers can continue to look forward to maximizing their opportunities in meeting their own customer needs while playing an active role in contributing to a cleaner, greener and more eco-friendly way of conducting business.

“We look to help our customers make the best decisions when planning their logistics and freight transport operations to reduce environmental impact as they balance the business and timing needs of their supply chain processes and shipments,” Penseel concludes.

To learn more about CEVA Logistics, please visit cevalogistics.com.

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Peter Penseel is chief operating officer at CEVA Logistics.

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