All Policy articles – Page 14
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Why China still depends on Hong Kong
As the civil unrest on the streets of Hong Kong gradually abates, the interesting question emerges of whether China needs the former British colony just as much as Hong Kong needs China.Mark Whitehead, CEO of handler Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited (Hactl), is clear that the relationship is two-way, ...
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LH Cargo fights Dutch flower ban
THE Dutch government is expected to review its controversial ban of Lufthansa flower shipments through Schiphol Airport.The previous government banned Lufthansa in 2012 from flying flowers from Colombia and Ecuador through the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico to Schiphol. It warned of a €40,000 fine per cargo flight.Joop Atsma, the ...
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Eastward push for global trade
A substantial shift to emerging economies is pushing eastward the world’s economic centre of gravity, says global logistics giant DHL in its latest study.The third edition of DHL’s Global Connectedness Index (GCI) indicates that emerging countries are now involved in the majority of "international interactions".This is in contrast to pre-2010, ...
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UK runway rivals argue economic case
UK gateways Heathrow and Gatwick have stepped up their war of words over rival runway expansion plans following the release of new analysis by the government’s Airports Commission.The consultation documents – published for further public comment - present the commission’s analysis of the three proposals shortlisted late last year: two ...
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Pharma: The human factor
There has been a lot of interest in pharmaceutical shipments in the air freight industry in recent years as airlines and forwarders search for traffic that can give them those elusive higher yields. As a result some thirty airlines now offer pharmaceutical products and many are investing in expanding their ...
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Chinese economic growth slows and sustainability pressures mount
Economic and environmental pressures are coming to bear on the Chinese economy, and the logistics industry has a key role to play in responding to the challenge.That was the message delivered by Lv Jijian, deputy director of trade in services for the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, to the Sino International ...
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‘We will keep Hong Kong in pole position’, says government
Air carriers have welcomed a political commitment to maintain Hong Kong’s status as an international logistics and aviation hub.In his policy address, the chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), C Y Leung, said he would support the development of a third runway at Hong Kong International ...
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Hactl welcomes pledge to ease Hong Kong's labour shortage
Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals (Hactl) has welcomed the political commitment to address Hong Kong’s chronic labour shortage, which has pushed up costs for the airfreight industry.In his policy address earlier this month, the chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), C Y Leung, said he would ...
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Transport experts back Heathrow – but with caveats
The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport – the international professional body for individuals and companies associated with the sector – has come out in favour of Heathrow as the site of south-east England’s additional runway but says that its impact needs to be capped.CILT is responding to the UK ...
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Schiphol: Shippers, not freighters
In any industry, does it not make sense to study the strategies of the most successful players? Yet at a time when Amsterdam Schiphol airport is showing robust growth in cargo volumes, many of its major rivals are taking the opposite approach.They are dispensing with cargo managers and making cargo ...
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Africa: The view of UPS
Q: How have UPS’ operations changed on the African continent over the past two years?A: Connecting with African-domiciled customers is a key to growth, so [we] have been focusing more on the needs of the African customer, both from an export and import perspective. Approaching the African mar-ketplace in this ...
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Cathay welcomes call for third runway
CATHAY Pacific Airways has welcomed a Hong Kong government budget strategy, set out by financial secretary John Tsang, which highlights the need to strengthen the region’s competitiveness as an international hub and improve the business environment to achieve continued economic growth.John Slosar, the airline’s chief executive, has expressed his support ...
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Growth gap between passenger and air cargo widening
PASSENGER volume growth is outpacing air cargo, with a "big gap" emerging in the last three years as onshoring has stifled international trade volumes.IATA chief economist Brian Pearce said that air cargo's role as a lead indicator for passenger volumes has broken down since 2010, as witnessed by a ‘dramatic ...
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International trade stifled by protectionism, says Fred Smith
FEDEX founder Fred Smith has warned that 'the golden age' of double-digit air cargo growth is unlikely to return due to trade protectionism, higher fuel costs and the rapid growth in bellyhold capacity.Smith told the IATA World Cargo Symposium in Los Angeles: "The big reason why international trade is not ...
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Coming soon: a global air cargo standard for pharma
MEDICAL authorities are devising a GDP-style global standard regulation covering the air transportation of pharmaceuticals and healthcare products.It will shake up the air cargo industry and weed out the bad operators.All 44 members of the Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation Scheme (PIC/S) are working on draft documentation inspired by the game-changing new ...
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Air cargo ground handling profit margins squeezed
WITH margins ‘extremely tight and under constant pressure’ in the ground handling sector, businesses are facing mounting obstacles to delivering better quality.Carriers on the look-out for ever-lower prices has become a major bone of contention.Patrik Tschirch, managing director and chief operating officer at Germany’s LUG aircargo handling, argues: “Whilst our ...
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European regulations benefit Turkish air cargo operators
REGULATORY constraints on European airport expansion present a business opportunity for Turkish airlines and hubs, believes the head of Germany’s Dusseldorf Airport cargo division.Gerton Hulsman, Dusseldorf Airport Cargo managing director, told an audience of logistics students in Istanbul that carriers such as Turkish Airlines can take “a large chunk” of ...
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Air cargo to play a big role in Turkey's future
AIRFREIGHT has a key role in Turkey’s ambitious programme to be the world’s tenth largest economy by 2023, the 100th anniversary of the founding of the republic.Transportation, including the airport and aviation, is one of the six economic pillars supporting the 2023 Vision set out by Turkish Prime Minister Recep ...
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Shippers support Heathrow's cargo hub role
LONDON Heathrow's role as an air cargo hub for UK PLC needs to be safeguarded in the political debate over the country's plans for future airport capacity.The Multimodal conference audience in Birmingham heard from a shipper, freight forwarder and airline that the air cargo hub concept plays a vital part ...
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Runway rivals: Heathrow and Gatwick make their case
Heathrow and Gatwick airports have submitted rival proposals for new runway capacity in the UK.Heathrow wants a third runway, generating “at least £100 bn of UK economic benefits”, while Gatwick seeks to build a second runway, which its owners argue will produce an extra £40 bn of economic benefits to ...