NEWS FROM FREIGHT
HANDLERS GLOBALLY CARGO SHORTS
Air Cargo has benefitted from
the pandemic in that the hundreds
of freighter shipments to the U.S. by
legacy air cargo carriers, ad-hoc shippers
Airway successfully launching its first ground handling contract at JFK as part of the Alaska family at both JFK and Newark airports. Airway
is now an official ground handler at JFK, EWR and ISP!
AIRPORT VOICE, OCTOBER 2020 27
and cargo-in-cabin over the past
6 months have been a life saver to airports,
airlines , freight forwarders,
truckers, and the air cargo industry
not to mention the lives of our country
who are using the PPE being shipped.
The anticipated vaccine distribution
will not only save lives but bring
a boost in economic health to the entire
transportation industry.
Airway Ground handles
Congrats to a long time JFK service
provider and stakeholder, Airway.
They successfully launched their
first ground handling contract at JFK
now being a part of the Alaska family
at both JFK and EWR! Airway is now
an official ground handler at JFK,
EWR and ISP!
Cargo revenues jump
Air France-KLM, Aeromexico,
IAG Group/British Airways and Korean
Air significantly exceeded last
year’s cargo revenues in the second
quarter. Air Canada cargo revenue
exceeded passenger revenue for the
first time. United Airlines cargo sales
jumped by more than a third and represented
more than a quarter of the
company’s total revenue.
Lufthansa-JFK
Lufthansa has deployed a camera
thermal and ID system at JFK. All
cargo personnel pass through this and
if a high temperature reading or missing
face masks is indicated, a flash
image is sent to the central security
office. The he identified individual is
then contacted immediately for further
action.
Lufthansa Cares
Cargo Human Care e.V. aid organization
was founded by Lufthansa
Cargo employees 13 years ago, the
freight crane has been supporting the
organization’s sustainable aid in Kenya.
Their Boeing 777F with the registration
D-ALFI and the name “¡Buenos
días México!” was given a special
livery. In addition to the Cargo Human
Care logo and the slogan “Step by step.
Giving children a future”, portraits of
Kenyan children living in the orphanage
“Mothers’ Mercy Home” operated
by Cargo Human Care also decorate
the modern cargo aircraft.
Humanitarian Officer
Daniel Carriett was promoted to
group humanitarian cargo director
at Chapman Freeborn. He will lead
the company’s focus on this endeavor.
Chapman Freeborn is one of the leading
providers of emergency airlift to
the humanitarian and NGO community
shipping PPE and urgent medical
supplies to support the global fight
against Covid-19.
IATA statistics
The International Air Transport
Association (IATA) estimates cargo
revenue worldwide will reach a nearrecord
and more than double to 26% of
the industry’s total revenue up from
pre pandemic cargo revenues which
represented about 12% of total airline
revenues.
Boeing
“In the coming years, the value
of freighters will be increasingly apparent
as above-trend growth from
e-commerce and pharmaceuticals is
expected although the company’s projects
have been reduced a bit.
” Boeing said in its commercial
market outlook report that although
freighters carry just 1% of all commodities
by weight, the value of those
commodities comprises 35% of total
trade.
Boeing’s own downgrade comes as
the air cargo market has had a difficult
couple of years. In 2019, airfreight
volumes declined as a result of a series
of trade wars while this year demand
has been hit by the Covid-19 outbreak
and associated reduction in belly capacity.
Air Cargo facing capacity?
“Economic indicators are improving,
but we have not yet seen that
fully reflected in growing air cargo
shipments,” IATA director general
and CEO Alexandre de Juniac said.
“That said, air cargo is much stronger
than the passenger side of the
business. And one of our biggest
challenges remains accommodating
demand with severely reduced
capacity. If borders remain closed,
travel curtailed and passenger fleets
grounded, the ability of air cargo to
keep the global economy moving will
be challenged.”
CNS Departure
Michael White is set to leave his
role as president of IATA’s US cargo
organization CNS at the end of the
year as part of its restructuring program.
CNS was created as an independent
subsidiary to serve as IATA’s
Cargo Accounts Settlement System
(CASS) and cargo agent endorsement
program in the US.
NCA/ASL partnership
Nippon Cargo Airlines (NCA) and
ASL Airlines Belgium have added a
new partnership covering B747-400
freighters.
ASL Belgium will operate two of
NCA’s B747-400Fs, while the Japanbased
carrier will have access to capacity
on the flights.
NCA said that the deal would allow
it to expand coverage to new markets.
ASL Belgium’s B747-400F fleet is
three aircraft.
National Airlines
National Airlines has called up
three of its freighters from storage
as it looks to meet cargo demand.
Following maintenance checks, the
first of the three aircraft was put into
service in September, with another
due to join in October and the third
in November. Chris Alf, chairman
of National, said: “We always had a
plan of bringing out the parked airplanes
into service right at the beginning
of the year but then the Covid-19
pandemic hit.
US carrier Eastern Airlines has
appointed Mike Duggan as director
of international cargo business development
as it prepares to expand into
freighter operations. The Pennsylvania
based airline and lessor currently
operates a mix of eight B767-200/300
passenger aircraft but – although no
time line was revealed – it also plans
to add converted B767 freighters and
potentially B777Fs.