The facility owned by RSA-TALKE is being constructed in DWC’s Logistics District. It has separate sections for chemical storage and more than 19,000 pallet spaces.

It will be operational by the first quarter of 2014.

RSA-TALKE will offer logistic services for non-hazardous and hazardous materials. The facility provides direct connections not only to regional and international road and sea routes but also to Al Maktoum International Airport.

“The production as well as the import and export of specialty chemicals is gaining in importance here in the Gulf region,” Richard Heath, director Middle East & Asia at TALKE and Director at RSA-TALKE, said. “The new RSA-TALKE storage facility strongly positions us to capitalize on the rapid market growth by taking advantage of the dedicated, state-of-the-art logistics infrastructure at Dubai World Central.”

RSA-TALKE is a joint venture between RSA Logistics, a provider of transport and logistics services headquartered in Dubai, and TALKE, a chemical logistician based in Hürth, Germany near Cologne.

“In line with the sustained growth of the market, we support our customers by providing added capacity for high-quality and safe logistics services through the new RSA-TALKE storage facility,” Abhishek Ajay Shah, director of operations & business development at RSA and director at RSA-TALKE, said. “Moreover, Dubai World Central is strategically located and offers unique multimodal capabilities, which opens a wide range of opportunities to grow and further expand our business across the region.”

Tremendous deposits of natural gas have been discovered in the country, positioning Mozambique as a major player in this sector over the next decade.

Companies are struggling with logistical challenges in the area due to a limited road network, minimal freight services and lack of local production or building materials.

Crane Worldwide, which has expertise in the oil and gas sector, will offer supply chain services with its new office.

“It is extremely important to understand that Mozambique is a very young country in its present form,” Scott Taylor, operations manager at Crane Worldwide in Pemba, said. “The day-to-day operation of conducting business in this developing country are challenging, and it is important for any company or individual wanting to work here to understand those challenges and temper their expectations to that. This is not Singapore, Rotterdam or Los Angeles, yet times are changing in Mozambique and slowly improving.”

Two 747 freighters will be used on the twice-daily service between Amsterdam and Abu Dhabi.

This new route will enable customers to have access to many connecting destinations within the Etihad network.

Cargolux Airlines introduced the Boeing 747-8 freighter on its services to Brazil.

Cargolux and Boeing welcome the clearance of Viracopos International Airport in Campinas, Brazil for 747-8 operations by the Brazilian authorities.

“We are extremely pleased to see our new flagship freighter eventually operating to a first airport in Brazil,” Richard Forson, Cargolux interim president and CEO, said. “I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the Luxembourg government and the Brazilian authorities for their unwavering support. And I would like to thank the Cargolux employees in Luxembourg and Brazil who worked very hard to make this happen. We look forward to other Brazilian airports following suit, so that the entire Brazilian market can benefit from the superior performance of our Boeing 747-8 freighters.”

Until now, none of the airports served by Cargolux in Brazil were certified for 747-8 operations.

“The 747-8F will further support airfreight exports from Brazil, permitting export commodities like automotive parts, pharmaceutical products and fruits to reach their markets throughout
the world in a more fuel efficient and therefore sustainable way,” Pier Curci, Cargolux vice president of the Americas, said.

The event marks the culmination of a US$105-million, four-year effort to improve the facility.

“The completion of the CVG hub is a further milestone in the continuous expansion of our international express network. We are growing, building for the future and providing U.S. companies with the logistics support they need to succeed globally, ” Frank Appel, CEO Deutsche Post DHL, said.

The improvements include a new 180,000-square-foot sorting facility designed to accommodate larger express shipments, an expanded south ramp for additional wide-body aircraft, an employee and pilot building and a facility-wide information technology upgrade.

The CVG global hub sits at the heart of the DHL U.S. network with flights connecting customers from more than 220 countries and territories worldwide to every corner of the U.S. In addition to global hubs in Hong Kong and Germany, the CVG hub completes the backbone of the DHL intercontinental network.

“Our investments in the DHL CVG hub enable us to respond more quickly and effectively to the growing international activity we see, especially among small and mid-size businesses,” Stephen Fenwick, CEO, DHL Express Americas, said. “DHL aims to be an invaluable resource this important business segment can depend on to expand and grow in an increasingly global environment.”

DHL recently launched new direct flights between CVG and Japan and increased capacity into Australia.

“DHL Express is such a valuable resource for our state, not only enhancing our strong logistics network for international trade, but also for the Northern Kentucky community itself, which has benefited from the company’s continued investment and development,” Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear said. “DHL is an exemplary partner for the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, and that partnership has created economic growth now and for years to come.”

Rickenbacker International Airport in Columbus is the latest airport in the network to be served by Cargolux’s new 747-8 freighters. Cargolux will operate two weekly flights on the route.

Forwarding company Hellmann Worldwide and the Columbus Regional Airport Authority helped Cargolux establish the flight.

“We are pleased that we are expanding our North American network by adding Rickenbacker International Airport to our global portfolio of destinations,” Richard Forson, interim president and CEO of Cargolux, said. “The airport infrastructure and service is very accommodating for airfreight operators and well-adapted to the needs of the 747-8F.”

The Columbus Regional Airport Authority and its three airports, as well as select businesses located at Rickenbacker Inland Port, accounted for US$6.6 billion in total annual economic output in 2012.

Columbus is one of the world’s major fashion and apparel markets and home to a number of large international fashion companies. The direct Cargolux flight from Hong Kong offers shippers of fashion goods and other commodities fast and convenient connections from Asia to this market.

Rickenbacker handled 22,755 tonnes of cargo in the first four months of 2013.

“The Central Ohio region is gaining a valuable logistics asset with the entrance of Cargolux and their advanced 747-8 freighter aircraft service through Rickenbacker International Airport,” David Whitaker, vice president of business development and communications for the Columbus Regional Airport Authority, said. ‘The expertise, flexibility and reliability that Cargolux is known for creates smart opportunities for businesses in our region and beyond.”

• Volga-Dnepr Airlines carried one of Eurocopter’s Super Puma helicopters and two Sikorsky S-92 helicopters from Mount Pleasant in the Falkland Islands and Philadelphia to Bergen, Norway. The project was completed in two delivery stages. The Super Puma was loaded onboard one of the airline’s AN-124-100 freighters in Mount Pleasant before the aircraft continued onto the U.S. to pick up two Sikorsky helicopters, which flew into Philadelphia. Each helicopter weighed 10 tonnes.
• Air France-KLM’s cargo traffic fell by 6.4 percent in May compared to May 2012. Capacity was down by 3.5 percent, and the load factor dropped by 1.9 points to 62.3 percent. Air France recently got new, lighter baggage containers that will lead to a 8,000-tonne reduction in CO2 emissions.
• Etihad Cargo has unveiled a new global advertising campaign. With the brand line “The world is our business. Let us take care of yours,” Etihad Cargo will run the major new brand campaign across 24 countries, supported by print and digital media advertising. The campaign focuses on freight forwarders.
• C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. was awarded the Truckload/IMC Carrier of the Year by Sharp Electronics Corporation. The award is based upon quantitative data of four key performance factors: on-time pickup and delivery, EDI transactions, load acceptance and invoice accuracy.
• The sustainability program at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport is taking a step with the groundbreaking of a new public compressed natural gas fueling station. St. Louis-based The Laclede Group and Siemens are launching Spire natural gas fueling solutions. Spire will be open to the public and will serve the region’s growing number of company fleet vehicles operating on compressed natural gas. Natural gas is less expensive and more environmentally friendly than gasoline.



• Kerry Logistics, a leading global logistics service provider, has opened three new logistics centers in China: Chongqing (pictured left), Wuxi and Xiamen. The company now owns and operates 17 logistics centers across China.
• IAG Cargo transported a large shipment of high-value, specialist security equipment for use at the FIFA Confederations Cup Brazil 2013. The equipment was shipped to Rio de Janeiro from IAG Cargo’s hubs at London Heathrow and Madrid-Barajas and carried on both British Airways and Iberia aircraft.
• UTi Worldwide, a supply chain company providing freight forwarding services, reported that airfreight volumes were slightly lower during its fiscal year 2014 first quarter compared to a year prior.
• Implant Sciences Corporation, a technology supplier of systems and sensors for homeland security and defense markets, sold its Quantum Sniffer QS-B220 desktop explosives trace detector to Air Freight Atlanta. The detector is approved by the Transportation Security Administration. Air Freight Atlanta is a TSA Certified Cargo Screening Facility and will use the QS-B220 for air cargo.
• Nairobi-based airline Astral Aviation has selected Aeronautical Engineers, Inc. to provide one firm and two optional MD83SF 12 Pallet Configuration conversions. The modifications will begin August at AEI’s Authorized Conversion Center, Commercial Jet.
• Volga-Dnepr Airlines has delivered the Ukrainian Lybid satellite payload from Montreal to Krasnoyarsk, Russia onboard one of its IL-76TD-90VD freighters. The space equipment weighed approximately 15 tonnes and was placed inside a special container to protect the satellite payload’s sensitive technology systems. The airline conducted the flight on behalf of Canada’s MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Corporation, which was awarded a contract by the State Space Agency of Ukraine.
• Boeing partnered with Thai Airways International to transport 1,000 backpacks filled with school supplies onboard Thai Airways’s newest 777-300ER aircraft. The Boeing-sourced backpacks are destined for underprivileged children in Thailand.

Devereaux has spent the last 14 years of his 21-year Southwest career on the cargo side of the business.

His previous role was director of sales and marketing.

As senior director of cargo, he will focus on all commercial aspects of Southwest Airlines Cargo, including oversight of the sales, marketing and revenue management teams.

For the past year, one of the two runways at Huntsville International Airport has remained quiet from the whirr of airplanes.

Later this summer, the runway on the west side of the Alabama airport will re-open, looking a little bigger.

It’s all to accommodate the Boeing 747-8.

“We’ll be completely open, runways, taxiways, everything,” Rick Tucker, executive director of Port of Huntsville, says. The Port of Huntsville includes the airport, which ranks No. 14 in the U.S. in international cargo.

Tucker says the US$28-million expansion of the west runway and its taxiway system began because of Panalpina, which operates a hub in Huntsville and flies to Europe, Mexico and Asia.

Since Panalpina is such an important partner of the airport, Huntsville has tried to upgrade over the years to match the freight forwarding company’s growth.

For instance, when Panalpina started using 747-400s, Huntsville expanded its runway to accommodate the size of the aircraft.

Rick Tucker, executive director of Port of Huntsville

A few years ago, Panalpina decided to start flying the 747-8, an even bigger plane than the -400. Now, eight out of Panalpina’s nine weekly flights are serviced by 747-8s.

In order to address that change, Huntsville began a four-phase project to improve its two runways: first work on the west runway, the east runway, the west runway taxiway system and finally the east runway taxiway system.

First on the agenda was phases one and three, expanding the west runway and its parallel taxiway system, which the airport has worked on simultaneously for the past year.

“Our main goal was to shut down the runway only once,” Tucker says.

The construction project began when Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration started identifying airports around the U.S. that would be handling the 747-800, which is categorized as a group VI aircraft due to its size.

“Now that we’ve got these new group VI airplanes coming into the system, worldwide and in the U.S., what are going to be the new standards for your airfield based upon the requirements of these bigger airplanes?” Tucker says. “We looked at our entire airfield, west runway and east runway.”

Huntsville Airport got the money to start on phase one of the project, which was upgrading the west runway. It began phase three, the west runway taxiway system, after the Airport Improvement Program, a U.S. federal grant program, gave Huntsville additional discretionary money.

Tucker says the airfield layout of the airport allowed operations to continue smoothly with only one runway.

“We’re in a unique position where having a parallel system, 5,000-foot separation, it’s like having two airports in one,” he says.

Tucker explains that the upgraded runway will improve the level of safety at the airport, whose international air cargo operation services more than half of the U.S.

“Basically the eastern side of the United States, east of the Mississippi, is the area that’s serviced by these cargo operations and flights,” he says. “It’s very important to the industries that use these flights to keep production going, fill orders for their customers, all of those kinds of things.”

Now that the west side is almost completed, next is the east side.

The airport is working on the design of the east runway and its taxiway system, and in August, it hopes to take bids on those plans.

But Tucker seems doubtful that the airport will receive funds by the end of the FAA’s FY 2013 on Sept. 30. That’s why the airport looks to FY 2014 funds to pay for phase two of the project, which is the east runway.

It may take another year after that to get the money for the final phase, the east taxiway system.

This four-phase runway plan is only Huntsville’s latest construction project. In December 2012, the airport spent US$7 million to bring its number of 747 parking positions to 10.

“We’ve expanded our airfield and ramp facilities to accommodate growth in these international air cargo operations,” Tucker says, “so we’re set for the future to grow that operation.”

Cargo, including freight and mail, declined by 0.7 percent year over year to 191,361 tonnes.

Airfreight declined by 0.6 percent, while airmail declined by 3.3 percent. Aircraft movements dropped by 2.6 percent.

“Airports are airlines’ closest partners. Neither of us could exist without the other,” Tony Tyler, IATA director general and CEO, said at the Airports Council International Europe/World Annual Congress and Exhibition in Istanbul.

Tyler said major investments in infrastructure are needed to meet the global demand for air connectivity, which is growing at about 5 percent annually.

“Neither partner can afford poorly-thought-out and overly expensive infrastructure development,” Tyler said. “To avoid this, we must work together in a collaborative process based upon the basic principles laid down by the International Civil Aviation Organization, which include consultation with airport users, transparency, non-discrimination, cost-based charges and strict safeguards on pre-financing of future infrastructure.”