FM Latest News

Original news was published on 15 October 2019

Emirates SkyCargo, the freight division of Emirates, is venturing into the delivery space with Emirates Delivers, an open e-commerce fulfilment platform that can also be used by other e-commerce businesses and logistics integrators.

Emirates Delivers is targeted both at individual customers, as well as small businesses who regularly shop online for their personal or business needs.

It will allow customers shopping from multiple online retailers in the US to consolidate their purchases and have the goods delivered to a home or office address.

Speaking to STAT Times on the sidelines of Air Cargo Europe in Munich, Germany in June this year, Nabil Sultan, Emirates divisional senior vice president, cargo, had acknowledged the opportunities in the e-commerce space.

"To start with, e-commerce is the biggest emerging verticals. E-commerce in our part of the world - Middle East, Indian Subcontinent, Africa - continues to grow exponentially. We believe that with such a high growth, there will definitely be new commerce, emergence for e-commerce in these areas that understand the geography, psyche of the customers. With all of these new upcoming e-commerce companies, I think there are a lot of opportunities for being able to create the right product to fill in the gap and ensure that a lot of these companies coming with less investment in infrastructure and more on the marketing side, we need to work jointly so that we have a complete end-to-end product offering for these business partners," he told STAT Times.

Users can register for free on www.emiratesdelivers.com. On completion of registration, members are allocated a unique and free Emirates Delivers mailing address in the USA.

Customers can have their online purchases from US e-commerce retailers delivered to this address where the goods can be stored free of charge for up to 30 days.

Customers have the flexibility to create a shipping request anytime within these 30 days and have their purchases consolidated into one parcel and have this delivered to their designated UAE address. The packages will be transported to Dubai on Emirates SkyCargo’s flights from the US and will then be delivered to the shopper’s doorstep within 3-5 days of the creation of the shipping request.

Sultan said, “Emirates SkyCargo is delighted to be the first international cargo airline in the world to develop a dedicated e-commerce delivery platform. Currently, Emirates Delivers enables consumers to purchase their favourite products from any US based online retail store and have it delivered in the UAE."

"The launch of Emirates Delivers is in line with our strategy to roll out specialised and innovative air transportation products targeted at industry verticals and with our efforts to position Dubai as a global e-commerce fulfilment hub for customers based in the Middle East, Asia and Africa. This is line with the Dubai Silk Road Strategy announced earlier this year by Sheikh Hamdan which aims to strengthen Dubai’s position as a key trade and logistics hub," added Sultan.

Emirates SkyCargo offers cargo capacity on Emirates’ fleet of over 265 modern wide-body aircraft including 12 freighters - 11 Boeing 777-Fs and one B747F.

The carrier operates to 13 destinations in the US, offering cargo capacity on over 100 weekly flights including scheduled freighter services to destinations including Columbus, Chicago, Houston and New York.

*NEWS SOURCE

Original news was published on 09 October 2019

Puerto Coronel has added a new facility for faster processing of road trucks.

Chile’s Puerto Coronel has inaugurated a new facility on its landside called the “Coronel Logistics Center” (CLC). Built at a cost of US$1M, the CLC involved the construction of a new building and road improvements and is part of an investment plan aimed at strengthening infrastructure and improving the port’s service quality.

Javier Anwandter, general manager of Puerto Coronel, said the new CLC is “a building delivered primarily to the service of carriers.

It is a much more modern, comfortable and technology service that speeds up the process of receiving cargo”. The 560-square-meter building processes gate transactions, a process the port said is “complemented by the promotion of digital transportation service scheduling platforms”.

Coronel receives an average of 750 trucks every day, and can handle a peak of 1,200 vehicles in the same period.

“Today we are mobilizing about 30,000 containers per month, and that required an inland prepared to receive these cargos in a good way”, said Anwandter.
 
“In last February we received two new STS cranes and currently our productivity in container ships exceeds 100 movements per hour, and that forces us to have better infrastructure to sustain that level of productivity”, he added.

Puerto Coronel services central-southern Chile. In 2018, it handled 7.4 million tons of cargo from different productive sectors, including cargo from Argentina.

*NEWS SOURCE

Original news was published on 07 October 2019

The project to deepen the Nieuwe Waterweg waterway and the Botlek area at the Port of Rotterdam has been officially completed, allowing Europe’s largest port to accommodate ever-larger ocean-going vessels.

One of the busiest waterways in the Netherlands has been deepened by a meter and a half across a distance of 25 kilometers.

The EUR 70 million (USD 76.9 million) undertaking was kicked off in March 2018 with the aim of allowing vessels with a depth of 15 meters to access Rotterdam port’s Botlek area.

“Big, bigger, biggest. We’re talking here about the Aframax, Suezmax and Panamax, mammoth vessels that sail cheaper, more sustainably and safer,” Cora van Nieuwenhuizen, Dutch Infrastructure & Water Management Minister, commented.

“In the port sector, big is not only a matter of honor, but it’s also a condition for survival in today’s cut-throat competitive world. That is certainly true for the port of Rotterdam.”

“Port Authority investments are eliciting a wide range of port business sector investments. This confirms our aim to continue to strengthen existing port industry, while also working hard to develop entirely new activities, for instance by investing in the energy transition and digitization,” Ronald Paul, the Port of Rotterdam Authority’s Chief Operating Officer, added.

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Original news was published on 02 October 2019

Northern Irland’s Belfast Harbour has unveiled details of a GBP 40 million (USD 49.1 million) investment program to upgrade its container terminal at Victoria Terminal 3 (VT3).

The investment in the VT3 facility, which connects Northern Ireland’s businesses to global markets through the European hub ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp, is expected to improve productivity and create better trade opportunities.

The three-year investment program, which is part of the port’s 2035 strategic outlook, will see Belfast Harbour invest GBP 28 million in ten new cranes and undertake major civil works to reconfigure the 27-acre terminal to increase terminal capacity by around 30% and improve terminal efficiency.

The terminal is operated by Belfast Harbour’s partners, Irish Continental Group (ICG), and currently handles more than 250 sailings annually between Belfast and key Northern European container ports such as Rotterdam, Antwerp and Le Havre, providing local importers and exporters with access to overseas markets.

“This investment programme will future-proof the terminal for a generation as well as utilise the most modern technology making Belfast Harbour one of the world leaders through the implementation of Rubber Tyre Gantry remote control and stack automation technology,” Michael Robinson, Belfast Harbour’s Port Director, said.

“Long-term, we anticipate that the container market will continue to grow and surpass pre-recession levels and as a port we need to be ready to handle these volumes,” he added.

The investment in new larger cranes and a new terminal layout would enable the port to handle larger ships. The first of the two ship to shore (STS) cranes will be delivered in Q1 2020, while the first five of rubber tyre gantry (RTG) cranes are expected in November this year.

“This is amongst the largest investment projects that Belfast Harbour has ever undertaken and will help create one of the most modern container handling terminals of its size in Europe,” Robinson concluded.

*NEWS SOURCE

Original news was published on 01 October 2019

Leipzig/Halle has automated and digitalised the handling of e-commerce shipments with the deployment of a new software system from Dakosy.

The new software, Zodiak, which is approved for all ATLAS Customs procedures, is now being used at Germany's second-largest air freight hub by ground handling service provider PortGround GmbH, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mitteldeutsche Flughafen AG, primarily for its growing e-commerce business.

Approximately 70 cargo planes land at Leipzig/Halle Airport every day, most of them loaded with parcels ordered via the internet.

The new software has an integrated interface with the airport's in-house IT systems and can thus process relevant Customs information to automatedly trigger Customs processes.

“Especially in times of growing e-commerce business, a smooth supply chain is important to guarantee punctual delivery for customers and consumers. The digital handling of Customs processes is an essential part of this," says Ulrich Wrage, CEO of DAKOSY Datenkommunikationssystem AG, and adds: “We are confident that with our support, Leipzig/Halle Airport will become an air cargo hub that pioneers the digitalization of e-commerce for the future.”

ZODIAK is used at the airport as an SaaS application (Software-as-a-Service).

The software now simplifies the workflows for Customs clearance of goods on site.

In concrete terms, this means that PortGround GmbH uses an electronic interface to send the flight manifest data (FFM) for all expected shipments to the DAKOSY Customs software.

This automatically extracts the relevant Customs information from the manifests and triggers all pending Customs processes. For example, the first message triggered is the ICS declaration to the ICS (Import Control System) IT platform, as required for all EU imports from third countries.

For air cargo, this must take place at least four hours in advance of reaching the first airport within the EU.

If the value of a shipment exceeds 22 euros, then upon landing ZODIAK also triggers the summary declaration to Customs and automatically initiates Customs import duty processing.

“The new Customs software expands our comprehensive logistics portfolio and supports us, especially in the steadily growing e-commerce business. As the fifth-largest cargo airport in Europe, we need to seize the opportunities offered by digitalization. With DAKOSY, we have a reliable partner who contributes a great deal of technical, logistical and Customs know-how,” says Alexander König, Managing Director of PortGround GmbH.

The infrastructure at the Leipzig/Halle air freight hub promotes its role as an e-commerce hub.

The airport is connected to the A 9 and A 14 motorways and also has an excellent train connection.

This enables incoming goods from all over the world to be distributed quickly throughout Germany.

*NEWS SOURCE

FM keeps expanding from all corners of the world!

Today we are glad to welcome BUDGET LOGISTICS SERVICES CO., LTD. from Thailand with the management reference.
 
Let’s have a warm welcome to our new member on board of the Freight Midpoint.

Wish you a great cooperation together!

BUDGET LOGISTICS SERVICES CO., LTD.
ADDRESS: 89/46 The Enterprize Park , Moo15, Samutprakarn, 10540, Thailand
CONTACTS: Ms. Monthida Chaiyapon, Ms. Jit, Ms. Oranuch Pitakparadorn
TEL: +66 2 170 8720 22
FAX: +66 2 170 8723
WEB: www.budgetlogistics-th.com

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This notification is for your kind attention.

FM member Across Pacific Shipping Co., Ltd, China continues their Freight Midpoint membership in Premium Level.

Kindly review company details as below:

Across Pacific Shipping Co., Ltd
Membership Level: Premium
Main Contact Person: Michael Chen
Tel: +86 (0)755 86575463 / 13823379696
Fax: +86 (0)4008266163 / 55077
Website: www.ap-shipping.com
Address: 10F, Block A, Haide Bldg, 2nd Haide Road and Nanxin Road Intersection, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, China

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Today it is our pleasure to share with you that RUSEM LOGISTICA LTDA re-joined Freight Midpoint from CHILE.

Remind that they used to be our member and now we are happy to see them among us again.

Wish you a great cooperation together!

RUSEM LOGISTICA LTDA
ADDRESS: Serv. de Carga Rusem Logística Ltda. Agustinas 1560 oficina 2, Santiago, Chile
CONTACT: Gustavo Rubio Nunez
TEL: +56 2 26969884
WEB: www.rusem-log.cl

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Original news was published on 25 September 2019

Global launch customer of the Boeing 787-9 jet Air New Zealand today finalised $2.7 billion deal with Boeing, for eight 787-10 Dreamliner airplanes.

This order is a strategic move to grow the business of the carrier, which according to Boeing is ‘recognized for its long-range flights and global network’.

The flag carrier of New Zealand will integrate the largest Dreamliner model into its world-class fleet of 787-9 and 777 airplanes from 2022 to strategically grow its business.

The airplane deal, announced in May as a commitment, includes options to increase the number of aircraft from eight up to 20, and substitution rights that allow a switch from the larger 787-10 to smaller 787-9s, or a combination of the two models for future fleet and network flexibility.

"With the 787-10 offering around 15 percent more space for both customers and cargo than the 787-9, this investment creates the platform for our future strategic direction and opens up new opportunities to grow," said Christopher Luxon, chief executive officer, Air New Zealand.

As the largest member of the passenger-pleasing and super-efficient Dreamliner family, the 787-10 is 224 feet long (68 meters) and can seat up to 330 passengers in a standard two-class configuration, about 40 more than the 787-9.

The 787-10 set a new benchmark for fuel efficiency and operating economics when it entered commercial service last year. The airplane allows operators to achieve 25 percent better fuel efficiency per seat compared to the previous airplanes in its class.

KLM signs deal with Boeing for two 777 jets

"Air New Zealand has made very strategic investments in advanced widebody aircraft to build on its status as a leading global carrier connecting the South Pacific with Asia and the Americas," said Ihssane Mounir, senior vice president of Commercial Sales and Marketing, The Boeing Company.

Air New Zealand today operates 13 of the Dreamliner variant. With another 787-9 on the way and the 787-10 airplanes in the future, the airline's Dreamliner fleet is on track to grow to 22. The new Dreamliner aircraft will replace Air New Zealand's fleet of eight 777-200ERs. Air New Zealand's widebody fleet also includes seven 777-300ERs.

*NEWS SOURCE

Original news was published on 22 September 2019

US retail pharmacy Walgreens and Wing Aviation, the first drone operator certified as an air carrier by the Federal Aviation Administration, will begin offering deliveries to residents of Christiansburg, Virginia next month.

The two companies will use the pilot programme to determine the viability of delivering health and wellness products by drone within minutes of placing orders via the Wing app.

Eligible customers in the Christiansburg area will have access to more than 100 non-prescription products and six convenient packs via the Wing app that include many of Walgreens most sought-after products in its stores.

Christiansburg, with a population of 22,000, was selected because Wing has been working since 2016 with nearby Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University to test drone delivery under a U.S. Department of Transportation programme.

“This is the kind of omni-channel partnership and offering that can redefine convenience for our customers and communities – delivering items to homes in minutes, not hours or days,” commented Vish Sankaran, chief innovation officer for the Walgreens Boots Alliance company.

Walgreens says approximately 78 percent of the US population live within five miles of a store.

Last year Walgreens Boots Alliance replaced General Electric on the Dow Jones Industrial Index with fiscal year sales of US$131.5 billion and GAAP net earnings of US$5 billion.

*NEWS SOURCE