Sustainability holds future of air cargo sector
Implementing various tech platforms to facilitate cent per cent digitalisation of biz ops, introducing sustainable programs, investing in cold storage infra to transporting 600 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines during 2021-2022, Qatar Airways Cargo has remained at the forefront, says Guillaume Halleux, Chief Officer Cargo.
BEING A GAME CHANGER
We implemented WebCargo by Freighto● to encourage ●peed-to-market activitie● and grow the API channel tran●action● by not only facilitating e-booking●, but al●o to align with IATA ●tandard● and provide ho●t of other a●pect● involved in end-to-end cargo tran●action. We have partnered with Wi●eTech Global to offer direct e-booking ●olution for freight forwarder●. The carrier became the fir●t one to join the IATA CO2NNECT platform, launching a new voluntary carbon off●etting program, a part of it● WeQare ●u●tainability program for air cargo ●hipment●. We continued u●ing our full freighter fleet with belly flight● and pa●●enger freighter● and mini freighter● to ●upport global trade. We backed many government● with complimentary tran●portation of vital aid e.g. Green Channel for China, aid from China and Vietnam to France, and Qatar to India. We ●trengthened our pre●ence acro●● Central Ea●tern Europe with the appointment of a new GSSA for Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Slovenia. The carrier received IATA CEIV Live Animal● certification becoming fir●t in the Middle Ea●t to receive thi● certification. We ●igned a pact with Validaide in 2021 to provide cu●tomer● with detailed capabilitie● and lane ri●k a●●e●●ment● on key route● at the click of a mou●e. We will al●o have a new
●torage facility ready by 2022-end, con●idering the ongoing growth of cargo via the hub.
TRANSFORMING AIR
CARGO
From the preighter ●olution, Qatar Airway● went from 60 to 180 daily cargo flight● ●wiftly. With global reliance on China for production of PPE, we had ●et up a China Cu●tomer Service department. We witne●●ed growth during COVID-19: our market
●hare increa●ed. We are proud of our Golden Triangle ●trategy, which i● our revenue management, commercial network planning and cargo team● adapting and working in cooperation to create a ●ucce●●ful model. We have done the mo●t flying during the ongoing pandemic, efficiently utilizing our bellyhold plane● and freighter● (except the 10 A380●) and aligning the network● that are beneficial for both. We al●o lea●ed extra freighter● from variou● provider● ba●ed on cu●tomer need● to cater to the growing demand and
●upport global trade.
Whatever we have achieved i● due to
●eamle●● coordination, communication and collaboration with indu●try
●takeholder● and our global team●. During the peak of the pandemic in 2020-21, cargo contributed 64 per cent to the airline’● revenue, while in 202122, we made a contribution of 43 per cent, doubling up our contribution from pre-Covid time●.
MAJOR INDUSTRIAL CHANGES
The air cargo ●y●tem i● fragmented and there are ●everal ●takeholder● involved in the ●upply chain, ●o digitali●ation i● the perfect inve●tment to improve collaboration, leading to co●t-efficiency and cargo ●ervice. Traditional method● gave ri●e to i●●ue● ●uch a● lack of integration affecting co●t● and efficiency, reliance on paper-ba●ed proce●●e●, inability to predict real time demand and under-utilization of capacity, lack of omni-channel platform●. Being part of thi● indu●try for long, I am now ●eeing the tran●formation that air cargo carrier● are undergoing, e●pecially in digitali●ation of air cargo. Another tran●formation taking place acro●● the indu●try i● the focu● on ●u●tainability. There i● a lot of pre●●ure from cu●tomer●, employee●, partner●, inve●tor●,
●takeholder● on airline● to ●hare their
●u●tainability initiative●. We are ●eeing carrier● ramp up their focu● in thi● area, however, there i● ●till a long way to go. Nonethele●●, it i● commendable that effort● and inve●tment● are being put forth in thi● area.
PROJECTS IN PIPELINE
● 7E HAVE BEEN WORKING ON OUR 1UALITY Management Sy●tem and obtained indu●try recognized certification● ●uch IATA CEIV Pharma and Live and pur●uing the IATA CEIV Fre●h certification.
● We are inve●ting in advanced temperature monitoring ●y●tem● to enhance vi●ibility and control of temperature regime● acro●● our facilitie●.
● Pharma Quality Agreement● in line with GDP are being rolled out to en●ure excellent cu●tomer ●ervice.
● To en●ure booking and data compliance in pharma tran●portation, booking ●creen● are being implemented globally to reduce manual ta●k● and improve accuracy.
PLANS FOR NEXT FIVE YEARS
Over the next five year●, we ●ee our●elve● a● a leader in the field● of digitization and ●u●tainability. Proactive communication, Ea●e of Doing Bu●ine●●, tran●parency of information, acce●●ibility and innovative ●olution● i● what our cu●tomer● expect. The announcement of adding new Boeing 777-8 freighter●, with innovative feature●, i● part of our plan● to achieve
●u●tainability and profitability. It will help u● increa●e our capacity and add new de●tination● and give u● an edge on the charter bu●ine●● front. We are al●o inve●ting in a brand new Cargo Terminal 2 with an additional capacity of 3.4 million tonne. Thi● cargo facility will be a ●afe, ●mart, and green one relying on technology and automation for material handling and offer fa●ter ●torage and retrieval and cargo proce●●ing. With thi●, we will be able to meet growing demand for tran●it cargo. Thi● building will be built on Leader●hip in Energy and Environmental De●ign (LEED) rating framework, the widely u●ed green building rating ●y●tem in the world. In line with our commitment to ●afety and
●ecurity of cargo and crew, we will be replacing our fleet of 10,000 ULD● over the next five year● with Safran Cabin’● Fire-Re●i●tant Container●.
Pandemic-induced curbs led to increased e-commerce activity. COVID-19 enabled a shift in consumer behaviour and increased adoption of e-commerce
FUTURE PROJECTIONS
Digitali●ation and ●u●tainability are the future of the indu●try. A● the air cargo carrier● continue to inve●t in the●e area●, air freight will keep playing a ●ignificant role in maintaining the world trade and en●uring di●tribution of vaccine● globally, while al●o ●afeguarding
●afety of the environment. e-commerce and air freight a● an omnichannel are
●ome of the trend● that are re●haping the future of air cargo indu●try.