Vol. 11 No. 87                                      THE GLOBAL AIR CARGO PUBLICATION OF RECORD                     Monday September 10 , 2012

 

air cargo news august 31, 2012

Geoffrey arend tim clark alan joyce air nigeria Lufthansa jan meurer interaviation services heathrow

 
Pin Kee Chong Calogi e commerce

 

Ask Air France Cargo     Air France-KLM-Martinair Cargo has launched a new freighter lane between Amsterdam and Mumbai (BOM) and between Amsterdam and Kuwait (KWI).
     The BOM-freighter flight is operated twice weekly (Wed/Sat) and KWI weekly (Sunday).

France Eiffel Tower love     No one need stand atop the Tour Eiffel to shout out that 2012 is a business year better off forgotten.
     A more rational take on things is to say in clear and dulcet tones, with feet firmly earth-planted, that perhaps ‘tis better is to move forward whilst learning something from what this year has wrought.
     We wonder, with all the financial upheaval in the market today, how goes Air France Cargo amidst the larger than expected losses recorded mid-year and taken by the parent airline?
     The answers are surprisingly candid, and well worth a think or two, as Jean Claude Raynaud, spokesman at AF Cargo, takes measure and delivers his thoughts straight from the shoulder, right from the heart.

      “Cargo, trade visibility have historically probably never been as weak as presently...
      “It is all about trying to evaluate if the present weakness is a time-related one or a more systemic situation.
      “One must admit cargo business is not really at the level one would expect and hope.
      “Global trade is still hit by the international crisis and significantly also by the situation of the state debts in Europe.
      “Summer is generally a quiet period anyway, but going forward we believe there will be a (more normal) seasonal pattern.
      “Q4 will be better than summer.
      “But all advanced indications point to quite a small peak in 2012.
      “In terms of thinking about business rebound, at this point it’s too early and difficult to say, considering the paucity of reliable information one has presently about the evolution of the situation.
      “As Fall 2012 approaches, Air France is vigorously engaged in a global restructuring plan that we have branded ‘Transform 2015,’ looking ahead with the definite purpose and mission to significantly improve our global economics, and increase our cost-effectiveness performance within the next three coming years.
      “All of us at every part of this airline company are well aware of the present hard times and are very motivated to engage the challenges in order to improve the situation.
      “We all know there is a lot of difficult work in front of us, but everyone is eager to do their best to succeed.
      “We intend to get our story out to the industry, both one on one and also as Air France-KLM-Martinair or SkyTeam Cargo, at the two major industry events upcoming in the months ahead—including TIACA-ACF (Atlanta October), and the Air Cargo Europe (Munich May 2013).”
Geoffrey

 

 

Building Life Science Connections

     As 2012 rolls along, the Schiphol Airport cargo division that oversees the third largest air cargo gateway in Europe continues to develop business connections.
     Not too long ago, Schiphol Cargo set up a Lifesciences Steering Group to promote lifesciences-related activity centered around the airport in Amsterdam.
     The success of a trade mission to India at the beginning of this year by representatives from Schiphol Cargo and the Amsterdam Life Sciences Platform accelerated the move to create the group.
     These representatives met Indian pharma leaders in Mumbai to discuss the development of a pharma trade lane between India and Europe, with Schiphol as its distribution hub.
Bart Pouwels     At a second meeting in early June between the Lifesciences Steering Group and the Indian pharma, the focus of airline representatives and others moved to the role of Schiphol in the pharma supply chain and the creation of a lifesciences supply chain strategy, as well as development of a similar program that will involve the lifesciences trade elsewhere, including the USA.
     Among those involved in the Lifesciences Steering Group other than Schiphol Cargo are AmsterdaminBusiness, Amsterdamse Innovatie Motor, Bioport Europe, Amsterdam Airport Area, Schiphol Area Development Company, and the Holland International Distribution Council. According to Schiphol Airport Director of Business Development Bart Pouwels, (left) lifesciences was one of the industry clusters that Schiphol identified as a key to the further development of its role as a cargo port and logistics center for northern Europe.
     The Lifesciences Steering Group has been tasked to target process optimization in the lifesciences supply chain and assist stakeholders to establish best practices in the handling of pharma products.
     For its part, Schiphol Cargo will not only support the stakeholders in their efforts to maximize the huge potential of this fast-growing market, but also help to ensure that the process is smooth.
     Schiphol’s interest in the pharma sector stems from the fact that the Netherlands is well known as a hotspot where companies can keep track of their European operations.
     The Amsterdam Metropolitan Area in particular is the focal point for lifesciences, and Schiphol Cargo plays an important role in helping the area to maintain its premier standing.
     This dual combination—as a top logistics provider and a strong base for the lifesciences sector—makes Schiphol a top gateway for Indian pharmaceutical companies to Europe and beyond.
     In fact, during March last year, a round table, also in Mumbai—aptly titled PharmaHub Schiphol—was held to inform the Indian pharma and airlines about the position of the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol as a gateway for pharmaceuticals to Europe and as a transit hub to South America, Latin America, and North America.
enno Osinga     The importance of the meet can be gauged from the fact that it was moderated by Enno Osinga, (right)Senior Vice President Cargo of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.
     Attending the meet were representatives from Dutch Customs, Cargo Services Center (CSC) India, Air Cargo Agents Association of India, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, and others.
     One of the other reasons for Schiphol to woo Indian businesses is the fact that more than 75 Indian companies have launched new operations in the Amsterdam Area alone in the past five years.
     Since 2006, Amsterdam has been encouraging Indian businesses to set up offices in the region.
     The Indian pharma connection strengthening into a strong relationship could provide solace to the drop that Schiphol witnessed this year where, for example, January-March 2012 Asian traffic was down 15 percent on 2011.
     Looking at the traffic and tonnages, Schiphol Cargo Senior VP Enno Osinga commented that the aim for the future is to spread the business base more evenly.
“We are examining ways of encouraging increased export business in collaboration with our cargo community,” he said.
Tirthankar Ghosh

 

 

Will The B 787 Save Air India

     Air India’s management has—it seems—found the last ‘magic’ straw that could help the carrier: the Dreamliner. The aircraft has been at the center of controversy and even spawned one of the longest pilot strikes (58 days) in recent memory. However, the strike is now history and a number of the striking pilots have joined duties and the carrier is waiting for its first three fuel-efficient B787s later this month. By the end of the year, six more are supposed to join the fleet; by the end of March 2013, eight more are expected.      Incidentally Air India ordered 27 of the B787s in 2006, with the first ones joining the fleet in 2008.
     According to sources at Air India, the carrier has plans to dispose of five of its B777s. The Dreamliners will then be utilized on some of the key routes—that have been losing money—where the B777s were operating, like London, Europe, and the Far East. Apparently, the planes will save around 20-30 percent fuel.
     Other reports from Air India headquarters suggest that the Dreamliner will first operate on domestic routes and once the pilots are more proficient (around 60 of them have been undergoing training), the planes will be allowed to fly abroad. The question that is being asked is: will the induction of the Dreamliners for domestic flights make a difference to Air India’s dwindling marketshare? In the latest figures released by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Air India’s domestic passenger load factor was 71.3 percent (May: 70.6 percent) while that of IndiGo was 86.5 percent (it was 86.3 percent in May).
     A 58-day strike by pilots resulted in a Rs. 200 crore revenue loss for the carrier. The strike started with the demands of some pilots that Dreamliner training be restricted to pilots from Air India, which in 2007 merged with state-run Indian Airlines to form a new entity called National Aviation Co.
     One wonders if the Dreamliners alone can save Air India. If the management does not clear the problems within the organization, which basically stem from the merger of Indian Airlines with Air India, the carrier will continue to dodder on. Today, the headquarters is a virtual battleground of disgruntled employees with no one from either of the carriers—Air India or Indian Airlines—feeling happy. While a segment of the Air Indians wants restoration of pride and dignity, the officers from the Indian Airlines have demanded that arrears, among other dues, must be settled first.
     The General Cadre of the Air India (most of them from Marketing and Sales) has shot off a representation sometime ago to Sayed Nasir Ali, Chairman, Implementation & Anomaly Rectification Committee. The committee was set up after management found out that there were “serious objections” to the report of the Expert Committee on HR issues of Merged Air India, which had been submitted to the Ministry of Civil Aviation on January 31, 2012, headed by Justice D. M. Dharmadhikari.
     The representation made it clear that the General Cadre employees “have no personal grudges against our colleagues from erstwhile IC (Indian Airlines), although they have been getting higher salaries/promotions/career progression, etc” but what will be “difficult to accept” would be the loss of dignity and status. The aggrieved Air India employees (many of them have spent between 15 and 30 years with the company) have sent out a fervent appeal to the management to “safeguard our dignity.”
     However, even before the Air Indians sent their note, the Indian Airlines officers, represented by the Indian Airlines Officers Association, also sent out a protest note to the same Sayed Nasir Ali complaining about non-payment of arrears to recommending the retirement age of 60 years from the present 58, for only those employees who “perform.”
     With such dissatisfaction brewing among employees from the Air India and Indian Airlines, one wonders if the country’s national airline will ever be able to get back its glory days. For the moment, however, the tussle among the staff over seniority and a whole range of issues will continue to have a deep impact on the functioning of the carrier.
Tirthankar Ghosh

 

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