Technology | Air Cargo World

Like its fellow Swiss-based rival Panalpina, freight forwarder Kuehne + Nagel ended up with a tidy profit at the end of 2015, in spite of a stagnant cargo market. But unlike Panalpina, which saw a 2.5 percent decline in air cargo volume, K+N’s success came largely from a 4.7 percent increase in airfreight demand top […]

Randy Woods
March 4, 2016

Panalpina sees small profit amid 2015’s soft market

Although global freight forwarder and logistics company Panalpina suffered a drop in revenue, from $6.73 billion to US$5.88 billion in 2015, the Swiss company’s EBIT moved edged up from $117.1 billion to $117.6 billion at the close of last year, while net profit rose slightly to $88.5 billion from $86.79 billion in 2014. These results […]

Staff Reports
March 4, 2016

Yusen sees opportunity with Hitech acquisition

Japan-based freight forwarder Yusen Logistics has acquired Australian sensitive-freight specialist Hitech Asia-Pacific for an undisclosed sum. This move will assist Yusen in its quest to diversify into the high-technology industry, where Hitech already has a presence. Some of Hitech’s customers include Canon, Siemens, GE, Philips and Device Technologies, which will now be served by Yusen. […]

Staff Reports
March 3, 2016

Appel adamant in support of DHL-GF division

If there were still any doubts about the veracity of the rumors last month that Deutsche Post was considering selling its underperforming DHL Global Forwarding (DHL-GF) division, Frank Appel, CEO of Deutsche Post DHL Group, did his best to put the notion to rest yesterday at the Trans-Pacific Maritime (TPM) Conference, held in Long Beach, […]

Randy Woods
March 2, 2016

Alibaba vs. Amazon: How e-commerce giants are reinventing forwarding

Last September, Mike Maynard, an airport planner for Cincinnati-based engineering firm CDM Smith, was checking out the flight activity at nearby Wilmington Airpark (ILN) in Ohio, when he noticed something odd. As a former network analyst at DHL, Maynard had a habit of reviewing innovative routes, and this one, in particular, jumped out at him. […]

Randy Woods
March 1, 2016

Cainiao, by the numbers

Just about every number associated with Alibaba’s Cainiao network is staggering. Here are just a few of the eye-poppers: 217 – Countries expected to be involved in its e-commerce cross-border network 1,800 – Distribution centers across China 3,000 – Foreign and domestic logistics partners in China Smart Logistics network 176,000 – Cainiao delivery stations across […]

Randy Woods
February 27, 2016

Pilots, shippers at odds over ICAO’s battery ban

Various aviation groups are still reacting to the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) decision to temporarily ban the carriage of lithium batteries as cargo on passenger aircraft until a new packaging standard can be reached. The controversial issue has placed some groups in opposite camps. For instance, the Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA), applauded […]

Randy Woods
February 26, 2016

Oman Air chooses SmartKargo for IT services

Soon after announcing an expansion of its route-sharing agreement with Cargolux, Muscat-based Oman Air has signed on with SmartKargo, providers of cloud-based IT software, for management of the carrier’s sales and operations. The contract is scheduled to begin in June, SmartKargo said. Mahfood Al Harthy, chief officer of sales for Oman Air, said the carrier’s […]

Randy Woods
February 24, 2016

Logwin opens 19th operation in Germany

Worldwide logistics company Logwin opened an air and ocean office in Mannheim, making this the company’s 19th office in Germany, following the opening of offices in Erfurt and Leipzig last year. “The main reason for opening the new office was to be close to our air and ocean customers” said Stefan Schwind, head of Logwin […]

Staff Reports
February 22, 2016

Swiss WorldCargo beefs up e-AWB effort

Swiss WorldCargo is taking the lead in IATA’s e-AWB 360 campaign to speed up process implementation of switching to electronic air waybills (e-AWB) to all destinations and customers at numerous airports using the “single process” concept. Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) became the first such “e-airport” on Jan. 1, later joined by Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) […]

Staff Reports
February 16, 2016

Will Deutsche Post shed DHL Global Forwarding?

The true costs of last year’s failed experiment with DHL Global Forwarding’s new IT system called “New Forwarding Environment” are starting to be felt nearly a year later as its parent company, Germany’s Deutsche Post, said it is considering getting rid of the troubled forwarding arm altogether. Because of the failed IT rollout, Deutsche Post […]

Staff Reports
February 12, 2016

Symetrica introduces handheld radiation detector

Symetrica, a company that specializes in radiation detection and identification, has created a handheld radiation detector that is being used by many European customs authorities and may soon be introduced to other aviation markets. Called the VeriFinder, the unit is designed to scan inaccessible areas, “which is an essential new capability within an integrated detection […]

Staff Reports
February 10, 2016

Finnair signs with Mercator for IT at new cargo terminal

Finnair’s new cargo terminal at Helsinki airport is under way, so the carrier has decided on software and technology company Mercator to provide its air cargo management service, known as SkyChain. Finnair broke ground on the new terminal in the summer of 2015, and the facility is expected to be ready for business by the […]

Staff Reports
February 5, 2016

Forwarders brace for impact of new EU customs code

In May, the new European Union Customs Code will come into effect. According to its authors, the new code will streamline the clearance process and make it more transparent and user-friendly. But there are concerns about some elements, as well as the time frame for its introduction. Forwarders, especially, are looking with some trepidation to […]