Welcoming Intradco to the Chapman Freeborn Group

Global Leaders in Animal TransportationEquine | Livestock | Exotics Turn to page 4 to fi nd out more…

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16 JUNE, 2014 | No. 779

newsThE World’s BEsT-rEad air Cargo NEWspapEr

www.aircargonews.netaircargo100% SCREENINGWhy it won’t workAMERICA’S controversial plan to require 100 per cent pre-screening of ocean containers arriving at its seaports looks doomed to failure as forwarders point out the

flaws in the project Page3

KING OF THE JUNGLEHow to ship a lionKENYA AIRWAYS flew a lion called Simba from Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport to Lilongwe Wildlife Centre in Malawi. A roaring success? Find out on . . .

Pages12and13

US CARRIERS . . 1

Delta Cargo moves closer to passenger

US CARRIERS . . 2Robbie Anderson leaves United CargoROBBIE ANDERSON has left his post as the head of United Cargo. No reason for his departure has been given by the airline Page3

DELTA Air Lines Cargo is to move closer to its passenger division. It comes with the news that charismatic cargo leader

Tony Charaf is to retire

Page3

Cathay flies back to top of e-league

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INADEQUATE airport, road and rail infrastructure is threatening the pro-mising economic growth which Latin America has enjoyed in recent years, writes Thelma Etim.

The continent should be building on those gains by augmenting its com-

petitiveness across international mar-kets and global supply chains – but instead is plagued by excessive inter-nal transport and logistics problems.

Average freight transport prices for trade between the USA and all its trade

Continued on page three

China shows rest of the world how to do it

Latin America held back by chaos

CATHAY PACIFIC has won back its lead in the global e-freight race, writes Thelma Etim.

Latest statistics show that the Hong Kong-based carrier is pres-ently ranked as the airline operating the most e-AWB shipments, according to IATA’s April top-10 league table (see latest chart, right).

Cathay’s e-AWB penetration reached 45.7 per cent, overtaking second-placed Emirates’ 28.5 per cent, with Korean Air (21.4 per cent) in third.

Global penetration reached 14.3 per cent in April – beating March’s record of 200,000 e-AWB shipments.

Top forwarder is DHL Global Forwar-

ding, followed by DB Schenker and Panalpina.

Leading origin airports are Hong Kong followed by Dubai – and top countries of origin are China, followed by the UAE, with the USA in third.

VIP AIRCARGOShipping animals by air is a highly specialist niche, ThelmaEtim finds Pages 4, 5, 10, 11, 13

HOW TO PROSPER ASA SMALL FREIGHTER OPERATORCAL Cargo Air Lines of Israel makes a

success of operating two B747Fs Pages 6 and 7

Space satellite shipments rocketSPACE satellites have become big air cargo business says heavy metal carrier Volga-Dnepr Airlines.

The outsized freighter operator has seen a significant increase in shipments for the aerospace industry, with 22 flights moving space satellites over a 12-week period to the end of May.

One of its latest was the Express AM6 from Krasnoyarsk in Russia to Baikonur, Kazakhstan in preparation for its launch later this year.

Volga-Dnepr’s An-124-100 freighter, which carried the 25-tonne shipment, also transported support equipment for the satellite, which was protected by a hi-tech container to ensure its optimal cleanliness and temperature.

On May 20, a further eight satellites were carried on a single IL-76TD-90VD cargo flight from the Czech city of Pardubice to Yasnyi, the Russian spaceport. Produced in the UK, Canada, Japan, the Netherlands and Spain, they were delivered on behalf of Air Charter Service, a longstanding customer and are scheduled to be launched onboard a rocket called ‘Dnepr’.

Andrei Rassadkin, regional sales director of Volga-Dnepr Airlines, reveals that from March to the end of May the airline operated 22 satellite flights, including six in May carrying a total of 14 satellites.

“We see significant growth in this industry, which is fast-growing and dynamic, and the manufacture of space satellites is increasing as the number of launches and spaceports being built increases,” he says.

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4 AIR CARGO NEWS | 16 JUNE 2014AnimAls by Air

WITH profit margins and yields contin-uing to be unsatis-factorily low, air

cargo operators are increas-ingly diversifying into other areas. Animals transporta-tion appears to be among the growing verticals, writes Thelma Etim.

Although the contribution (percentage) to overall an- nual revenues can be as low as four or five per cent, spe-cialist animal shipments are seen by some within the air cargo industry as a sector that can proffer reliable re- peat business – handled with care.

However, the complexity, expertise and high risks in- volved, along with the huge investment required in ship-ping live animals, make it a less attractive option amid continuing volatile market conditions.

Horses for courses EArlIEr this year, livestock and bloodstock transport specialist Intradco, along with forwarder National Air Cargo, shipped 47 horses from Dubai World Central (DWC) to Ostend in Belgium. The chartered B747-428 (BCF) made use of DWC’s newly-introduced horse loading ramp.

The loading process was adjusted by three hours, so that when the horses arrived at the airport it was 4am in the morning – the coolest time of the day. The aircraft was ready to depart at 7am.

Intradco’s director Eddie McMullen is an ‘old hand’ at transporting animals, with some 35 years’ experience. Over the years, the UK-based company has successfully developed nine different types of specialist horse stalls, which can be used on a number of aircraft ranging from B747s and MD-11Fs to

AN-12s. It also has a variety of pens for livestock.

Intradco’s global reach is expected to grow under the umbrella of big aircraft char-ter firm Chapman Freeborn, which acquired it last year.

Flying pigs from Europe to Manila, and 247 deer from the United States to russia are among other recent no- table operations for Intradco.

Charlie McMullen, global sales and development man-ager, warns that there is no simple tried-and-tested for-mula for pulling-off success-ful shipments. “Moving an- imals by air successfully is based on lots of past experi-ence – you have to have hands-on knowledge of how to actually operate these ser-vices. You also have to con-sider things like transport-ing the stalls when they are not actually being used,” he adds.

“For example, do we invest in disposable stalls, or in re- usable equipment that can be utilised on different char-ters?”

Also, the correct number of grooms accompanying the horses can be a deal-breaker in arranging such a flight. “We want to carry the maxi-mum number of grooms on our flights, but many carri-ers now offer spaces for two or three grooms only, which would not even be an option for us, particularly when you are carrying 90 horses.”

From day-old chicks to racehorses: a job only for the experts

Global Leadersin Animal TransportationEquine | Livestock | Exotics

+44 (0) 1293 572 872enquiry@intradco-global.comwww.intradco-global.com

Intradco is a Chapman Freeborn company.

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Charlie McMullenGlobal sales and development manager at Intradco

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5AIR CARGO NEWS | 16 JUNE 2014 AnimAls by Air

From day-old chicks to racehorses: a job only for the expertsGfurther,faster

All Go round the clock cargo solutions.

Servicing the whole supply chain.

Ambient and cold storage.

Flexible solutions.

Go to: cargoport.lyonaeroports.com

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Having professional ex- perts on board is crucial for dealing with any issues that may arise during the flight, he stresses. “A lot of our grooms have been accompanying flown animals for more than 20 years, so if a horse starts to act-up, the handlers on board know exactly how to tend to it and rectify the sit-uation. We also have vets on board that can administer medication as a precaution – but that does not happen often.”

Charlie McMullen believes that some airlines are inad-vertently eliminating them-selves from being consid-ered for horse shipments, simply because they have too few seats for the grooms.

“This can be due to any modifications that the air-craft has undergone. For ex- ample, an Emirates B777F has nine groom seats, which is a good number. So, even when some carriers offer a better

price, we would still go with the one that has more seats, because we want the maxi-mum number of grooms.

“Often its mandatory for our shippers: they may de- mand that five of their best horsemen/women are on the flight.”

Although handling errors for animals shipments are rare – with strict regulations and guidelines, the margin for error is usually miniscule – yet there are some organi-sations which do not pay serious attention to detail.

“With all livestock and, es- pecially racehorses, if you don’t have the experience, you get found out extremely quickly,” he warns.

Local knowledge also plays a major part in transporting exotic animals, such as lions.

“There are a lot of airlines, which do not want to con-duct animals’ flights. When we’ve asked them why, they say it is because years ago

they dealt with an inexperi-enced partner and there were a number of casualties on the flight,” he reveals.

Shippers can also be taken in by less experienced opera-tors in this sector. “If you’re a shipper trying to locate the right service provider, it is probably quite difficult to figure out who is reliable and who is not. You may get your fingers burnt before you find out. But then, word of mouth is powerful in this business and we tend to deal with a lot of the same clients.”

Intradco can usually iden-tify the more dubious en- quiries. “We know instantly that some requests are just a waste of time due to the number of vital factors those enquirers do not even con-sider. They ask the wrong questions – nothing about safety, the types of stalls, the time of day for loading etc – instead, everything is price-focused.”

PURCHASING Liége Air Cargo Handling Service (LACHS) and then becoming its

principal client was a smart move, which has served Cargo Air Lines (CAL) well.

Strategically located at Belgium’s Liége Bierset Air- port, the ground handling company’s infrastructure allows animals to be loaded and unloaded speedily and expertly, so exposure of these fragile, living air cargo shipments to temperature and environmental devia-tions is minimal, says Rami Marom, chief operating off-icer and vice–president of ground handling at CAL.

With close scrutiny of temperature and humidity levels, along with monitor-ing the concentration of car-

bon dioxide – a must for the welfare of animals transpor-tation – dual temperature trailers and ground handling experts are on site (airside) to enhance the smooth flow of CAL’s animal transporta-tion operations.

Since its inception, the small Israeli all-cargo specia-list has benefited greatly from implementing a core strategem that carefully ex- ploits such niche markets.

Animals ranging from thoroughbred racehorses and showjumpers, a giraffe, sheep – and even 900,000 pest-control bees – can be loaded on board any of its daily B747 freighter flights.

CAL’s marked success with livestock shipments includes recent major sporting events, such as The Kentucky Equ-

estrian World Cup and the Longines Global Champions Tour.

“We operate six flights a week from Liége to JFK and we can carry between three to six horses on each of these flights,” Marom explains.

The horses can be worth up to €2-3 million. Not surpri-singly, they receive VIP treat-ment. “We put them in a special lounge and before they are loaded separately, special flooring is put down, so they do not slip,” Marom explains.

Yossi Shoukroun, chief ex- ecutive of LACHS, recalls a big project. “In 2009, we had to transport 600 horses to Kentucky within two weeks on 22 flights, so we built a special terminal for them

Continued on page 11

Super CAL is fragilistic

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AIR CARGO NEWS | 16 JUNE 2014 11animals by air

From page fiveand they had the same treatment a passenger might receive.”

LACHS invested in a special loading ramp for the operation.Marom observes: “Moving live animals is subject to specific

temperature control and carbon dioxide limitations. There-fore specialist equipment is required – whether it’s collap-sible, or non-collapsible stalls for example. And, of course, the operation needs to be carried out very, very fast – with mini-mum tarmac time.”

Eyal Zagagi, overall chief executive of CAL, believes the carrier’s recognised expertise in animals transportation has helped to differentiate it from larger competitors.

“The more complex the shipment is, the better it is for us. Animals [shipments] are one of our top three specialities. We are actually doubling our activity in this area year-on-year.”

Another of CAL’s recent successes has been in moving lob-sters (25-to-40 tonnes on each flight) from Canada to the Far East and to Europe. The airline now plans to launch weekly services.

“This requires fast transaction due to the fact that the lob-sters are alive in water. There is a great potential [in this vertical market] which we would like, of course, to further exploit,” Marom admits.

CAL has also flown exotic (pet) fish to the Far East, as well as cattle and sheep from Belgrade to Tel Aviv. “We are the only carrier using triple-deck, collapsible pen-ning systems, so we can carry more on one flight than others can.”

THE FORWARDER is a crucial piece of the animal transportation supply chain puzzle, connecting all of the logistical parts of the operation, end-to-end.

Any breakdown in communication, or even miscommunica-tion will inevitably lead to an oversight that inadvertently puts the welfare of the animals in jeopardy.

Maybe that is why Ben Dinsdale, assistant director of London Cargo at Air Charter Service (ACS), believes there is a role in the air cargo industry for forwarders that specialise in these types of shipments, where every minute wasted and degree centi-grade lost, or gained can be the deciding factor.

“The forwarders are the people that put all the bits together and it’s where those links fall apart that you get the problems,” he observes.

“Making sure the animals are picked up on time, delivered on time and don’t have to wait around anywhere for too long is the difference between whether or not they arrive at their destina-tion in a healthy condition. That’s why the freight forwarder is hugely valuable in the chain.”

The global aircraft charter specialist works very closely with a select band of airlines and customers on every detail of an animals charter, such as how to have horse stalls constructed for the particular aircraft selected.

Over the years, ACS has arranged flights for a wide variety of animals, including dolphins, cows, pigs and lions.

But it is very common for Dinsdale to regularly oversee char-ters for day-old chicks which, over the last couple of years, has become an incredibly competitive market segment, he notes. The average number for a consignment of chicks is 20,000. They are usually shipped on smaller aircraft, such as ATR 42s,

Continued on page 12

Job No: 239374 Client: Etihad Campaign: CARGO Proof No: 01 Publication: Air Cargo News Insertion Date: 20/05/2013 Approver:

Paul Owen,Freight Forwarder,London, UKLondon to Abu Dhabi, daily

When Paul Owen needed to get machine parts to Abu Dhabi, he called Etihad Cargo. With 35 passenger fl ights we off er a total weekly capacity of 642 tons from London to Abu Dhabi and beyond.

So whether it’s machine-parts or computers, visit www.etihadcargo.com for more information, or contact your local Etihad Cargo representative and we’ll take it from there.

THE WORLD IS OUR BUSINESSLET US TAKE CARE OF YOURS

‘It’s about making sure

the animals are picked up on

time, delivered on time and don’t have to wait around anywhere’

Cattle-class, with added VIP benefits

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Even lobsters receive special care

Needed:specialistforwarders

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