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2023

25/10/2023
Swiss WorldCargo and Sonoco ThermoSafe Announce Global Master Lease Agreement

Swiss WorldCargo, the expert carrier in transporting high-value, care-intensive, and temperature-sensitive shipments, is pleased to announce its partnership with Sonoco ThermoSafe. The two industry leaders have signed a global master lease agreement for the deployment of Sonoco ThermoSafe's innovative Pegasus ULD® temperature-controlled bulk shipping container. This collaboration paves the way for pharmaceutical freight forwarders to access the Pegasus ULD® fleet directly through Swiss WorldCargo as of Winter Timetable 2023/2024, further enhancing the safe and efficient transportation of customers’ cargo shipments.

Sonoco ThermoSafe's Pegasus ULD® represents a modern, FAA and EASA-approved solution that enables cost-effective international airfreight handling and customs processes. With the creation of their Pegasus ULD® Sonoco ThermoSafe with composite materials, Sonoco ThermoSafe is showcasing a strong commitment to sustainability, offering a solution that is both lighter and more damage-resistant compared to traditional metal containers. Additionally, the container incorporates a fully integrated, FAA-approved telemetry system, providing real-time, cloud-based data on payload, ambient temperature, and other critical environmental factors, all precisely synchronized with GPS location.

Swiss WorldCargo, renowned for its dedication to safeguarding the integrity of pharmaceutical and healthcare shipments, operates an extensive CEIV Pharma certified global pharma network, including its Zurich hub, which is double certified – GDP compliant by Swissmedic and IATA CEIV Pharma. Recently, Swiss WorldCargo announced the launch of SWISS Pharma and Healthcare, its new flexible product designed to meet the unique growing needs of its customers in regard to pharmaceuticals logistics.

“We are excited to partner with Swiss WorldCargo. Healthcare companies and their logistics providers can access the Pegasus ULD fleet via Swiss WorldCargo’s extensive global network and through their branded products SWISS Pharma & Healthcare, General Cargo and Perishables. We are delighted the Pegasus ULD will offer a unique choice for pharma shippers as a one-of-a-kind Advanced Passive Temperature Controlled Container (TCC)”, said Bourji Mourad, Director of Global Logistics and Partner Management for Sonoco ThermoSafe’s Bulk Rental Group.
Christian Wyss, Head of Cargo Offering Development and Steering at Swiss WorldCargo, stated: "Our SWISS Pharma and Healthcare product has been highly refined to meet the evolving demands of our customers when it comes to pharmaceutical consignments. We look forward to offering soon the Pegasus ULD as part of our transportation/temperature solutions for rental, ensuring further safe and efficient transport of time- and temperature-sensitive healthcare freight."
 


About Sonoco ThermoSafe
Sonoco ThermoSafe, a unit of Sonoco (NYSE:SON), is one of the largest global providers of temperature assurance packaging for the safe and efficient transport of pharmaceuticals, biologics, vaccines and other temperature-sensitive products. Sonoco ThermoSafe shipping solutions mitigate risk for customers and ensure product efficacy throughout the extremes of a supply chain. With operations in the Americas, Europe and Asia, Sonoco ThermoSafe has a vast product offering featuring industry-leading technology that encompasses refrigerated, frozen or controlled room temperature applications. In addition, Sonoco ThermoSafe's ISC Labs® deliver individualized design and testing services and innovative packaging solutions along with qualification and validation services to meet all regulatory requirements. More information can be found at www.thermosafe.com

About Swiss WorldCargo
Swiss International Airlines (SWISS) is Switzerland’s largest air carrier. With one of Europe’s most advanced and carbon-efficient aircraft fleets, SWISS is a premium airline that provides direct flights from Zurich and Geneva to keep Switzerland connected with Europe and the world. Its division, Swiss WorldCargo, offers an extensive range of airport-to-airport airfreight services for high-value, time-critical and care-intensive consignments. As The Airline of Switzerland, SWISS embodies its home country’s traditional values and is dedicated to delivering the highest product and service quality. SWISS aims to reduce its CO2 emissions by 50% by 2030 compared to 2019 and to achieve net zero (CO2-neutral balance) in 2050 - in line with Switzerland's climate strategy. SWISS is part of the Lufthansa Group and is also a member of Star Alliance, the world’s biggest airline network.

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28/09/2023
World Courier invests in Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) together with Swiss WorldCargo

Today, Swiss WorldCargo announced an agreement with World Courier, a global specialty logistics provider and a part of Cencora (formerly AmerisourceBergen), which will support the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) within the SWISS airfreight division. World Courier’s investment in SAF, which represents the highest investment that Swiss WorldCargo witnessed so far, will be the equivalent to supporting more than 2,000 shipments from London to Switzerland, and will result in 146,513 kg of reduced carbon emissions.

The agreement between World Courier and Swiss WorldCargo reflects the two parties’ shared commitment to establish more sustainable practices across the biopharma logistics and airfreight industries.

SAF, which is made from renewable biomass and waste resources, is a biofuel used to power aircraft that has similar properties to conventional jet fuel but with a fraction of its carbon footprint. In fact, SAF can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 80%, according to the International Air Transport Association.

The collaboration will help to advance the production of SAF, which is one of the enablers for the transition of aviation to carbon neutrality. The SAF manufacturer is certified according to ISCC EU and complies with the requirements of the RED and the certification system ISCC EU, which is approved by the European Commission.

“At Swiss WorldCargo we invest in driving positive change in the airfreight landscape and are directing our efforts to make collaborations such as the one with World Courier a new reality in the near future. World Courier's investment in SAF with Swiss WorldCargo is in fact a statement of our shared commitment for a more sustainable future of our logistics industry” says Lorenzo Stoll, Head of Cargo at Swiss International Air Lines.

“Our partners trust us to deliver vital pharmaceutical products around the world, ensuring they can reach the patients who need them. As we continue to enhance our service capabilities, we remain equally focused on investing in solutions and implementing practices that enable us to establish more efficient and sustainable operations globally. Our collaboration with Swiss WorldCargo directly aligns with our strategy and reflects the commitment across Cencora to achieve our enterprise-wide science-based carbon reduction target,” said Alex Guite, Senior Vice President of Global Operations & Services at World Courier.

Cencora is committed to the science-based target initiative to reduce its absolute Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions 54.6% by FY2032, based on FY2019.

A small ceremony to celebrate this cooperation was held at the Bush House in London, where Gieri Hinnen, Head of Cargo Global Sales at Swiss WorldCargo, and Susanne Wellauer, Vertical Industry Pharma & Healthcare representative at Swiss WorldCargo, handed over a carbon emission reduction certificate to the World Courier’s representatives and thanked them for their dedication and investment. The attendees were (from left to right): Nigel Strong (VP Global Operations), Ray Wood (Head of Global Carrier Management), Alex Guite (Senior VP of Global Operations & Services), Gieri Hinnen, Susanne Wellauer and Paula Pulsoni (VP Sales & Services).

 

Swiss WorldCargo

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) is Switzerland’s largest air carrier. With one of Europe’s most advanced and carbon-efficient aircraft fleets, SWISS is a premium airline that provides direct flights from Zurich and Geneva to keep Switzerland connected with Europe and the world. Its division, Swiss WorldCargo, offers an extensive range of airport-to-airport airfreight services for high-value, time-critical and care-intensive consignments. As The Airline of Switzerland, SWISS embodies its home country’s traditional values and is dedicated to delivering the highest product and service quality. SWISS aims to reduce its CO2 emissions by 50% by 2030 compared to 2019 and to achieve net zero (CO2-neutral balance) in 2050 - in line with Switzerland's climate strategy. SWISS is part of the Lufthansa Group and is also a member of Star Alliance, the world’s biggest airline network.

 

 

 

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05/07/2023
Fine-tuned. Flexible. Fit for the future: Swiss WorldCargo’s new product structure unveiled. 

Swiss WorldCargo is glad to announce that its new commodity-focused, modular airfreight service structure is now live, offering a range of tailored solutions that cater to our customers’ unique needs. For the past few days, Swiss WorldCargo’s new product structure has been in full swing, giving its customers more flexibility when it comes to selecting the shipping service that best matches their cargo’s needs. 

"From high-value goods to temperature-sensitive shipments, and everything in between, we handle every commodity with expert care and precision. At Swiss WorldCargo, we extend the same level of quality and dedication to all types of shipments, ensuring excellence across our entire product pallet. I’m very excited about our new offer structure, as I believe that it will bring added value to our customers thanks to the enhanced customization opportunities that come with it" said Lorenzo Stoll, Head of Cargo at Swiss International Air Lines.

Giving customers the full choice  

It is our commitment to ensure the highest quality for a seamless and secure journey of our customers’ shipments, giving them peace of mind throughout the entire transportation process. Thanks to the new modular product structure, the customers can now choose one of the branded products and easily combine it with one or more of the transportation solutions and add-on services to facilitate their shipment; this modular structure enables them to customize their air cargo service to align it with their requirements perfectly.  

Provide customers the advantage of customisation possibilities  

Thanks to the new product structure, customers can now choose from temperature-controlled options, expedited speed choices, or specialised handling for dangerous goods. The flexible offerings cater to their specific needs, enhancing their shipping experience. The customers can also take advantage of add-on services, like the "Green Choice" option for more sustainable practices, real-time visibility through active tracking devices, or the convenience of home delivery service, directly to the customers' warehouse.

 

 

Swiss WorldCargo

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) is Switzerland’s largest air carrier. With one of Europe’s most advanced and carbon-efficient aircraft fleets, SWISS is a premium airline that provides direct flights from Zurich and Geneva to keep Switzerland connected with Europe and the world. Its division, Swiss WorldCargo, offers an extensive range of airport-to-airport airfreight services for high-value, time-critical and care-intensive consignments. As The Airline of Switzerland, SWISS embodies its home country’s traditional values and is dedicated to delivering the highest product and service quality. SWISS aims to reduce its CO2 emissions by 50% by 2030 compared to 2019 and to achieve net zero (CO2-neutral balance) in 2050 - in line with Switzerland's climate strategy. SWISS is part of the Lufthansa Group and is also a member of Star Alliance, the world’s biggest airline network.

 

 

 

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25/04/2023
Lufthansa Cargo, Swiss WorldCargo and time:matters become members of Pharma.Aero

Lufthansa Cargo, together with Swiss WorldCargo and time:matters, has joined the Pharma.Aero interest group as a member. Pharma.Aero is regarded as a leading international collaboration platform for medical technology and pharmaceutical companies, as well as for logistics experts, freight companies and airport operators, operating across all sectors. The Belgium-based organization now has more than 50 partners and members. The joint membership of Lufthansa Cargo, Swiss WorldCargo and time:matters underlines the Lufthansa Group approach in terms of interlocking exchange and also cooperation in complementary offers for pharmaceutical customers. During this year's World Cargo Symposium in Istanbul and at LogiPharma 2023 in Lyon, Lufthansa Cargo, Swiss WorldCargo and time:matters announced their membership with Pharma.Aero today. All partners confirmed their interest in promoting and further deepening the exchange on innovative solutions in the airfreight transport of goods from the medical and healthcare segment. 

 

Time-critical medical technology or temperature-sensitive medicines such as insulin or vaccines require professional and fast transport by air freight in special refrigerated containers. The handling requirements are high and require strict processes and specifications as well as investments in ground infrastructure. Lufthansa Cargo, as well as Swiss WorldCargo and time:matters, specialize in the transport of medical goods and pharmaceuticals and have many years of experience in this segment. 
Every week, Lufthansa Cargo transports up to 1,400 tons of pharmaceutical goods. Lufthansa Cargo is very active at more than 250 pharmaceutical stations, including around 30 CEIV pharmaceutical locations. Particularly noteworthy are the large and modernly equipped pharmaceutical hubs in Frankfurt, Munich, Brussels, Shanghai and Chicago. The Pharma Hub in Frankfurt alone has already been in existence for ten years, has three temperature zones and is Europe's largest airport hub with an area of 8,000m2. In addition, the expanded cargo capacities in the short- and medium-haul segment with A321 freighters offer even more and direct connections for pharma customers, for example on routes between Frankfurt to Dublin or also Birmingham.

 

Swiss World Cargo is also a trusted niche partner of freight forwarders and pharmaceutical and healthcare logistics companies for the transportation of high-value, time-sensitive and high-care pharmaceutical shipments. Swiss WorldCargo provides its customers with CEIV-certified and GDP-compliant temperature-controlled infrastructure, facilities and logistics solutions across its entire network, now and in the future, and demonstrates compliance with key international standards to meet the diverse requirements of pharmaceutical transportation.

 

For more than 20 years, time:matters has been an expert in the worldwide transport of time-critical and temperature-sensitive products, such as cell material and medical samples for use in cell and gene therapy. Solutions offered include temperature-controlled transport by air, rail and road, as well as by specially trained onboard couriers. On customer request, packaging units from cryopreserved to body temperature (-190°C to +37°C) are offered, as well as the return of the packaging. time:matters controls the entire supply chain from shipper to recipient with GDP-compliant handling and courier partners, even across airport borders. The basis for this is the global network with over 500 partners.

 

Trevor Caswell, Chairman of Pharma.Aero, welcomes the new additions: "We are thrilled to have Lufthansa Cargo, Swiss WorldCargo and time:matters as part of our global community. Onboarding such a significant, global industry leader, with a clear and determined focus on the life sciences and MedTech sector, demonstrates once more the importance of our mission and the value our association provides to the industry. We are excited to collaborate and leverage our industry knowledge through forward-thinking projects that offer meaningful content to our industry and result in better access to healthcare for people around the world", added Caswell.

 

"We are very pleased to become part of the Pharma.Aero network and to exchange views directly with all players along the supply and transport chain on current issues in the pharmaceutical industry environment. In this way, we gain valuable insights into market developments and can jointly identify and evaluate potentials. The exchange of knowledge sharpens understanding - not only for the needs of business partners and customers, but also for the existing and future demand for products. We would like to make our contribution here with our know-how from the Lufthansa Group perspective, work closely together and thus actively shape the future of innovative transport solutions in the airfreight segment," says Ashwin Bhat, Chief Executive Officer at Lufthansa Cargo.

 

“In the cold chain logistics, a robust collaboration system between all parties involved is of extreme value. By entering the Pharma.Aero network as a member, we aim to drive knowledge sharing and expertise building even further. In view of this collaboration, we look forward to fostering the dialogue between all relevant actors involved and contributing with our know-how to innovation, digitalization, and sustainability in the air cargo industry”, says Lorenzo Stoll, Head of Cargo at Swiss International Air Lines.

 

“The requirements for cell and gene therapies logistics differ significantly from those of traditional pharmaceutical logistics solutions. These therapies put the patient at the center, which makes a robust, reliable, resilient and scalable supply chain essential. As a new member of the Pharma.Aero network, we look forward to contributing our long-standing expertise to the development of a global logistics infrastructure to provide patients with better access to advanced therapies and healthcare services”, says Lars Krosch, COO at time:matters.

 

Swiss WorldCargo

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) is Switzerland’s largest air carrier. With one of Europe’s most advanced and carbon-efficient aircraft fleet, SWISS is a premium airline that provides direct flights from Zurich and Geneva to keep Switzerland connected with Europe and the world. Its division, Swiss WorldCargo, offers an extensive range of airport-to-airport airfreight services for high-value, time-critical and care-intensive consignments. As The Airline of Switzerland, SWISS and Swiss WorldCargo embody its home country’s traditional values and is dedicated to delivering the highest product and service quality. The company has also committed to the ambitious climate goals of halving its 2019 net carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and making its operations entirely carbon-neutral by 2050, particularly by promoting the use of sustainable aviation fuels. SWISS is part of the Lufthansa Group and is also a member of Star Alliance, the world’s biggest airline network.

Luthansa Cargo AG

With a turnover of 4.6 billion euros and a transport performance of 7.2 billion freight ton kilometers in 2022, Lufthansa Cargo is one of the world's leading companies in the transport of airfreight. The company currently employs around 4,100 people worldwide. Lufthansa Cargo's focus is on the airport-to-airport business. The route network covers around 300 destinations in more than 100 countries, using both freighter aircraft and cargo capacity from passenger aircraft operated by Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings Discover and SunExpress, as well as trucks. The majority of the cargo business is handled via Frankfurt Airport. Lufthansa Cargo is pursuing the goal of becoming the world's most environmentally friendly cargo airline. To achieve this, the company relies on state-of-the-art technologies and constant investments in the area of sustainability. In 2022, important milestones were reached, such as the investment in the continuous expansion of the B777F fleet, the expansion of the short- and medium-haul network with A321 freighters, and the continuation of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel program. In 2023, Lufthansa Cargo plans to successively equip its B777F fleet with Sharkskin technology, implement further digital services and contribute to reducing CO2 emissions through sustainable logistics solutions. Lufthansa Cargo is a wholly owned subsidiary of Deutsche Lufthansa AG and the specialist for the logistics business of the Lufthansa Group.

time:matters

time:matters has been the expert for time-critical express transports and supply chain solutions for more than 20 years. Urgently needed spare parts, missing production equipment, medical samples, dangerous goods and important documents are transported quickly and reliably from A to B via air, rail and road and if required also personally accompanied via on board courier or as charter solution. This is made possible by a global network with more than 500 courier partners and airlines. time:matters generally has access to all available airlines and can therefore utilize a wide range of flight routes. Besides speed and reliability, providing an individual, flexible service is paramount. time:matters is available 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, whenever customized logistics concepts are needed – for everything from ad-hoc situations through to regular business. At any time, customers can submit a transport request themselves via the time:matters booking website, which is quoted in real time and can be booked immediately. time:matters has achieved ISO 9001:2015 certification as well as ISO 14001:2015 environmental certification. The company is consistently expanding its ambitious sustainability strategy. By 2025, time:matters aims to reduce its own CO2-emissions by up to 50%, mainly through the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). As of 2023, investments will be made in 100% SAF for all Sameday Air and On Board Courier transports. time:matters’ operations has already been carbon-neutral through reduction and compensation measures in 2022. time:matters employs more than 300 people and operates its own terminals for express and courier shipments at Frankfurt and Munich airport. time:matters GmbH has been AEO certified since April 2019. time:matters (Shanghai) International Freight Forwarding Ltd. was established on June 1, 2019. The company supports customers locally, from booking to issuing air waybills and local invoicing. The launch of time:matters Americas, Inc. took place in July 2020 as part of time:matters' internationalization strategy. The US corporate affiliate, headquartered in Miami, Florida, caters to both national and international customers.

Pharma.Aero

Founded in 2016, as a cross-industry collaboration platform, Pharma.Aero expanded rapidly to over 60 Life Science and MedTech manufacturers, cargo pharma-certified communities and other logistics stakeholders. Over the years, the organization has matured into an industry thought leader by developing cutting-edge projects, providing insights, and addressing new trends, thus fuelling the changes needed for tomorrow's Life Science and MedTech logistics’ strategies. Pharma.Aero is also co-founder and organizer of the annual International Pharma Logistics Masterclass, a unique program that brings together industry executives, experts, policy makers and international academics for a knowledge exchange experience of immense value. 

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12/04/2023
First lightweight active container made its maiden flight as part of a collaboration between Swiss Airtainer, Swiss WorldCargo and B.P.L. Biotech & Pharma Logistics

Swiss WorldCargo, Swiss Airtainer, and B.P.L. are excited to announce the launch of a self-sustaining airfreight container for life-saving medicine that brings significant weight reduction of 250kgs and thereby less fuel consumption. This achievement seeks to revolutionize the cold chain logistics by providing a sustainable and innovative solution for the transportation of life-saving medicine. The first shipment with this container recently took place from Basel via Zurich to San Francisco. 

 

Lorenzo Stoll, Head of Cargo at Swiss International Air Lines states: "We are excited to be a part of this innovation, which has the potential to significantly impact the transportation of life-saving medicine. The self-sustaining airfreight container is a game-changer for the industry, and we are highly committed to its success."

 

The topic of sustainability is important for the next generations but also for the future of SWISS and Swiss WorldCargo. At Swiss WorldCargo, we are highly committed to proactively progressing the mobility of goods and air travel as a whole into a more sustainable future. In creating alliances and supporting initiatives like these, we seek to boost technology development and actively contribute to scaling climate technologies, necessary to achieve our industry’s ambitious climate targets.

 

“B.P.L. are thrilled to be partnering with Swiss WorldCargo and Swiss Airtainer on this first joint shipment. This joint initiative is a great opportunity to explore innovative ways we can reduce our carbon footprint," said Urs Suter, General Manager at B.P.L. Switzerland.

 

"Our partnership with Swiss WorldCargo is a testament to our shared commitment to sustainability and innovation in the airfreight industry. Together, we are redefining the possibilities of cold chain logistics, and the successful completion of our first joint shipment marks a revolutionary milestone in our journey towards a greener and more efficient future," said Eduard Seligman, CEO of Swiss Airtainer.

 

The container utilizes solar energy to feed the battery, allowing the thermal unit to maintain the required temperature range without the need for an external power source. This process allows for a simplification of the cold chain and makes the container an ideal solution for transporting medicine to remote and underdeveloped areas, where access to cold chain infrastructure can be limited. The container is made of sustainable and eco-friendly materials in line with minimizing our environmental impact. Additionally, advanced temperature and humidity control systems and smart technology were incorporated which provide real-time tracking and monitoring of the cargo, ensuring that vaccines and other medical supplies arrive at their destination safely and securely.


Swiss Airtainer's airfreight container weights 250 kg less than its competitors and has received the full certifications required, including the one from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which confirms the safety and reliability of the product. Swiss Airtainer has also received strong support from the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) and from the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO, further validating the company’s efforts to innovate and improve the airfreight industry.

The project has already received positive feedback from the industry and is set to make a significant impact on the transportation of life-saving medicine. 

 

Swiss WorldCargo, Swiss Airtainer, and B.P.L., three Switzerland based companies, are committed to creating sustainable solutions for the logistics industry and are excited to be at the forefront of this innovative project. All parties involved share the same Swiss values and look forward to the positive impact the collaboration will have on the industry and the communities it serves.

 

Swiss WorldCargo

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) is Switzerland’s largest air carrier. With one of Europe’s most advanced and carbon-efficient aircraft fleets, SWISS is a premium airline that provides direct flights from Zurich and Geneva to keep Switzerland connected with Europe and the world. Its division, Swiss WorldCargo, offers an extensive range of airport-to-airport airfreight services for high-value, time-critical and care-intensive consignments. As The Airline of Switzerland, SWISS embodies its home country’s traditional values and is dedicated to delivering the highest product and service quality. SWISS aims to reduce its CO2 emissions by 50% by 2030 compared to 2019 and to achieve net zero (CO2-neutral balance) in 2050 - in line with Switzerland's climate strategy. SWISS is part of the Lufthansa Group and is also a member of Star Alliance, the world’s biggest airline network.

 

B.P.L

Founded in 2011, B.P.L. has been dedicated to global pharma logistics and temperature-controlled transportation for over a decade, patient safety and ensuring the quality of pharmaceutical products has always been its primary focus and mission. From controlled room temperature to cryogenic transportation, B.P.L.’s expertise in temperature-controlled logistics solutions includes the global provisioning of active and passive airfreight containers, qualified passive packaging, in-transit storage, advanced monitoring, security transports and more. With five locations in Germany and Switzerland along with a network of approved and qualified partners worldwide. B.P.L.’s global infrastructure, resources and capabilities are in place to meet the precise needs of its clients and ensure they remain experts in the handling of irreplaceable products, strict chains of custody and identity and temperature-controlled transportation.

 

Swiss Airtainer

Swiss Airtainer has made its mission to develop and rent out safe, sustainable, and smart temperature-controlled Air Cargo containers to help deliver lifesaving medicines to the most remote locations in the world in an affordable way. The company is offering a service composed of a container and its integrated software to maximize the added value for its customers. The company is based in Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland, and has subsidiaries in Sweden and Germany. Swiss Airtainer holds the Solar Impulse Foundation label, which recognizes profit-driven solutions to environmental challenges.

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2022

22/12/2022
Swiss WorldCargo celebrates the 1st SAF-compensated cargo shipment

Zürich, 22 December - Recently, the 1st SAF-compensated cargo shipment departed from Barcelona, heading to Zurich, with Narita as the final destination. The flight represents an important milestone for Swiss WorldCargo, as it brings the division a significant step closer to SAF leverage and, thus, to a greener future in aviation.

Swiss WorldCargo’s 1st SAF-compensated cargo shipment left Barcelona, heading to Zurich. According to the Swiss WorldCargo colleagues supervising the transfer process at the Zurich airport, the handling went smoothly, and the cargo could proceed to its final destination, landing safely and on time in Narita. The successful delivery of this life-saving medicines shipment was also made possible by the professional coordination of the forwarding agent PHSE, a leading company in pharmaceutical logistics.

The cargo flight was carefully planned, focusing on the specific handling requirements crucial for the shipment’s transportation, with timing being of utmost importance: a fast turn-around was guaranteed, and the shipment arrived on time in Narita. Swiss WorldCargo gladly witnessed a growing willingness of its customers to compensate for the carbon emissions of their cargo shipment. The division is therefore thrilled to announce the successful delivery of the 1st SAF-compensated shipment on its network.

The compensated cargo shipment is only the 1st of a regular series of SAF-compensated cargo transport that the customer has agreed to ship with Swiss WorldCargo until the end of March 2023. 

 

Swiss WorldCargo

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) is Switzerland’s largest air carrier. With one of Europe’s most advanced and carbon-efficient aircraft fleets, SWISS is a premium airline that provides direct flights from Zurich and Geneva to keep Switzerland connected with Europe and the world. Its Swiss WorldCargo division offers an extensive range of airport-to-airport airfreight services for high-value, time-critical and care-intensive consignments. As The Airline of Switzerland, SWISS embodies its home country’s traditional values and is dedicated to delivering the highest product and service quality. The company has also committed to the ambitious climate goals of halving its 2019 net carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and making its operations entirely carbon-neutral by 2050, particularly by promoting the use of sustainable aviation fuels. SWISS is part of the Lufthansa Group and is also a member of Star Alliance, the world’s biggest airline network.

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07/10/2022
Gieri Hinnen to become Head of Global Cargo Sales from 1st February 2023

Zürich, 7 October - Gieri Hinnen, currently Head of Labour Relations & HR Steering at SWISS, has decided to take on a new challenge within the company: he will become Head of Global Cargo Sales on 1 February 2023. In his new capacity, Gieri will be in charge of Swiss WorldCargo’s commercial division. He succeeds Alexander Arafa, who will be entering early retirement at the end of 2022 after 28 years working in various roles at Swissair, SWISS and Lufthansa Group.

Gieri began his SWISS career when he joined the External Affairs unit in 2009. He then went on to take over SWISS Strategic Communications, before holding his current position as Head of Labour Relations & HR Steering within Human Resources since 2017.

In his new function, Gieri will work with Swiss WorldCargo sales organisation to continue to provide best-in-class airfreight services and solutions to our cargo customers worldwide, helping the division achieve its ambitious revenue and contribution margin objectives. As a member of the Cargo Management Team, Gieri will also contribute to defining Swiss WorldCargo’s future strategic direction concerning sustainability, forward-looking innovations and digitalisation in our airfreight activities.

“I am really pleased that we have secured Gieri’s services for this role,” says Lorenzo Stoll, Head of Cargo. “And I am convinced that, with his broad knowledge and solid experience within SWISS and the airline sector, he will play a vital part in giving our business a successful and sustainable future.”

Swiss WorldCargo also takes the opportunity to thank Alexander Arafa for his outstanding dedication and valuable work in the past years.

 

Swiss WorldCargo

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) is Switzerland’s largest air carrier. With one of Europe’s most advanced and carbon-efficient aircraft fleets, SWISS is a premium airline that provides direct flights from Zurich and Geneva to keep Switzerland connected with Europe and the world. Its Swiss WorldCargo division offers an extensive range of airport-to-airport airfreight services for high-value, time-critical and care-intensive consignments. As The Airline of Switzerland, SWISS embodies its home country’s traditional values and is dedicated to delivering the highest product and service quality. The company has also committed to the ambitious climate goals of halving its 2019 net carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and making its operations entirely carbon-neutral by 2050, particularly by promoting the use of sustainable aviation fuels. SWISS is part of the Lufthansa Group and is also a member of Star Alliance, the world’s biggest airline network.

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31/05/2022
Cathay Pacific and Lufthansa Cargo expand joint business agreement to include Swiss WorldCargo

Zürich, 31 May - Cathay Pacific and Lufthansa Cargo announce today the entry of Swiss WorldCargo into the airlines’ joint business agreement, providing cargo customers with more direct connections, more flexibility and more time-saving. 

The entry of Swiss WorldCargo builds on the joint business agreement signed in 2016 between Cathay Pacific and Lufthansa Cargo which enables the two airlines to cooperate in terms of sales, pricing, contracts, and the handling of shipments between Hong Kong and Europe.

Cathay Pacific and Lufthansa Cargo already have a close collaboration on international lanes via their hubs in Hong Kong and Germany, while the handling of cargo in Hong Kong is coordinated under one roof at the Cathay Pacific Cargo Terminal of Hong Kong International Airport.

Under the expanded joint business agreement, Cathay Pacific, Lufthansa Cargo, and Swiss WorldCargo will work closely together on network planning, as well as on sales, IT and ground handling. Initially, the airlines will cooperate on traffic from Hong Kong to Zurich and Frankfurt, with traffic to and from Hong Kong and the rest of Europe planned to be included later this year.

Cargo customers will be able to access the entire joint network via the booking systems of all three partners.

Cathay Pacific Director Cargo Tom Owen said: “We are delighted to welcome Swiss WorldCargo into our joint business agreement. Cathay Pacific is always looking for more ways to give our cargo customers greater choice and more options for shipments whenever they fly their goods with us.

“The addition of Swiss WorldCargo’s flights to the already large combined network of Cathay Pacific and Lufthansa will further bring Hong Kong, the world’s busiest air cargo hub, closer to Europe and strengthen one of the world’s great trade lanes.”

Lufthansa Cargo CEO Dorothea von Boxberg said: “We are very pleased about the trilateral cooperation just starting, bringing three well known cargo carriers to the table and making our customers an even more attractive offer. Cargo customers will appreciate the opportunities for quicker and easier shipping. The expanded joint venture will generate numerous benefits for our customers because our networks, our hubs and our fleet complement each other effectively.”

Swiss International Air Lines Head of Cargo Lorenzo Stoll said: “We are very excited to be entering this joint business agreement between Lufthansa Cargo and Cathay Pacific Cargo, thanks to which we can not only strengthen our already close collaboration, but also expand our network offering to our customers, while staying true to our high quality and flexibility.”

The joint activities will be carried out in full compliance with all applicable laws, including the competition rules of the European Union and Hong Kong.

 

About Swiss WorldCargo

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) is Switzerland’s largest air carrier. With one of Europe’s most advanced and carbon-efficient aircraft fleets, SWISS is a premium airline that provides direct flights from Zurich and Geneva to keep Switzerland connected with Europe and the world. Its division, Swiss WorldCargo, offers an extensive range of airport-to-airport airfreight services for high-value, time-critical and care-intensive consignments. As The Airline of Switzerland, SWISS embodies its home country’s traditional values and is dedicated to delivering the highest product and service quality. The company has also committed to the ambitious climate goals of halving its 2019 net carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and making its operations entirely carbon-neutral by 2050, particularly by promoting the use of sustainable aviation fuels. SWISS is part of the Lufthansa Group and is also a member of Star Alliance, the world’s biggest airline network.

 

About Lufthansa Cargo AG

With a turnover of 3.8 billion euros and a transport performance of 7.2 billion freight ton kilometers in 2021, Lufthansa Cargo is one of the world's leading companies in the transport of airfreight. The company currently employs around 4,200 people worldwide. Lufthansa Cargo's focus is on the airport-to-airport business. The route network covers around 300 destinations in more than 100 countries, using both freighter aircraft and cargo capacity from passenger aircraft operated by Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings Discover and SunExpress, as well as trucks. The majority of the cargo business is handled via Frankfurt Airport. Lufthansa Cargo is pursuing the goal of becoming the world's most sustainable cargo airline. To achieve this, the company relies on state-of-the-art technologies and continuous investments in the area of sustainability. In 2021, important milestones were reached, such as the fleet modernization to an all-B777F fleet and the introduction of completely CO2-neutral freight transport for all customers. In 2022, Lufthansa Cargo plans to successively equip its fleet with Sharkskin technology and expand its Sustainable Aviation Fuel program to further reduce CO2 emissions. Lufthansa Cargo is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Deutsche Lufthansa AG and the specialist for the logistics business of the Lufthansa Group.

 

About Cathay Pacific

Cathay Pacific is the home airline of Hong Kong, offering scheduled passenger and cargo services to destinations in Asia, North America, Australia, Europe and Africa. Cathay Pacific is one of the world’s biggest international air cargo carriers, operating a dedicated freighter fleet to 45 destinations. The airline’s cargo division, Cathay Pacific Cargo, operates a fleet of 14 Boeing 747-8F freighters and six 747-400ERFs (Extended Range Freighter). The Cathay Pacific Group also includes Air Hong Kong, an express all-cargo carrier offering scheduled and charter services in Asia. Cathay Pacific is a member of the Swire Group and is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The airline recently published its 2021 Sustainability Report that addresses its commitment and progress in the areas of environmental, social and governance. Cathay Pacific is committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, including targeting 10% sustainable aviation fuel use for its flights by 2030. For more information, please visit www.cathaypacific.com

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13/04/2022
Swiss WorldCargo and its partner Fischer Road Cargo have extended their joint collaboration

Zurich Airport, 13 April – Swiss WorldCargo and its partner Fischer Road Cargo share a longstanding partnership and joint history, which dates back to the existence of SWISS, both being strongly committed to continue their good collaboration for the years to come.

Fischer Road Cargo started to transport luggage for SWISS, marking this way the first collaboration and continued with the creation of a dedicated air cargo trucking service, serving as an expansion of the network. To this day Fischer Road Cargo connects the major airports in Europe on a daily schedule with Full Truck Load (FTL) and Less Truck Load (LTL).

Fischer Road Cargo shares the same values as Swiss WorldCargo when it comes to providing premium logistic services to their customers and offering top-quality road transportations across Europe. Since its foundation in 1946 it has become a strong transport partner in road feeder service and transports for industries such as pharmaceutical and life science, AOG, perishables and many more. Fischer Road Cargo views its clients as partners and therefore always strives to establish a lasting, reliable relationship with them, based on solid improvement and new optimisation opportunities. The same applies to Swiss WorldCargo, a division, which has continuously invested in the optimization and improvement of its offerings and services to meet the customer’s needs and to provide premium customer service, a standard that can only be met by joining forces with good partners.

“We highly appreciate the longstanding collaboration with our Partner Fischer Road Cargo and their continuous efforts for keeping the highest transportation standards and certifications also in the field of pharma transportation, which underlines both our efforts in maintaining highest quality and jointly enhancing our current offerings”, says Lorenzo Stoll Head of Cargo for Swiss International Air Lines.

“It’s a true honor to have such a long-term partnership with Swiss WorldCargo. Trust, know-how, precision like a swiss clock, and service beyond the normal unites the attributes of both companies and make this partnership so unique and successful. We are delighted to further extend our collaboration,” says Peter Hauser Managing Director of Fischer Road Cargo.

 

Swiss WorldCargo
Swiss WorldCargo is the airfreight division of Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS). Headquartered at Zurich Airport, Swiss WorldCargo offers a comprehensive range of logistics solutions for transporting high-value and care-intensive consignments to some 130 destinations in over 80 countries. Its extensive network of airfreight services is supplemented by daily truck connections between key business centers. As a reliable and innovative service provider within the Lufthansa Group, Swiss WorldCargo is consistently committed to delivering Swiss quality to its airfreight customers and makes a substantial contribution to SWISS’s overall profitability.

 

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09/02/2022
Envirotainer and Swiss WorldCargo are intensifying their partnership by the new Envirotainer Releye® RAP for a better, sustainable air transport of pharmaceutical products.

Zurich, 9 February – Envirotainer, the global market leader in secure cold chain solutions for air transportation of pharmaceuticals, and Swiss WorldCargo, the leading airline in time-sensitive and care-intensive pharmaceutical logistics, today announced their continued collaboration on the launch of the Envirotainer Releye® RAP.

Swiss WorldCargo is one of the first carriers to soon launch the Releye® RAP container for their operations and to add it to their portfolio. This complements our close collaboration and caters to the previous generation of Envirotainer containers. Further, it’s the focus of both organizations to contribute towards their ambition on sustainability and offering various initiatives towards their offering of a more sustainable operation and transparency for their customers. The Releye® RAP sets a new benchmark for temperature-controlled 5-pallet solutions. The largest of the new generation Releye® containers, the RAP is the only one of its type in the world, combining big capacity with superior features.     

Designed to meet the strictest requirements in pharmaceutical air freight, the integrated live monitoring enables a unique insight into product condition, location and progress of the shipment. With its increased efficiency and capacity, it reaches outstanding CO2 reductions per shipment and is the future solution for secure cold chain shipments. All monitored and maintained with the new service Control Tower.

The Releye® RAP is the second in a family of advanced temperature-controlled air freight containers. It joins the 3-pallet Releye® RLP launched in 2021. The foundation of the Releye® platform are the five pillars: Control, Monitoring, Autonomy, Value and Sustainability.

“When we now launch our latest member of the Releye® family, the RAP, it’s with great pleasure that we today also announce SWISS being one of the first carriers to shortly complete their approval of the Releye® RAP. We have always valued our close cooperation with SWISS, especially as SWISS, a premium carrier and operating from the heart of the European pharma region, are well-known for their expertise in pharma shipments.", says Peter Gisel-Ekdahl, CEO at Envirotainer.

“We really appreciate our close partnership with Envirotainer and are proud to be at the forefront to soon operate the new Envirotainer Releye® RAP and to welcoming it into our temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals solutions portfolio,” said Lorenzo Stoll, Head of Cargo at Swiss International Air Lines. “The Releye® RAP sets a new benchmark for temperature-controlled 5-pallet solutions, it combines newest technology and reaches outstanding CO2 reductions per shipment. This fully aligns with our own focus on sustainable offering and continued reduction of the carbon footprint.”

 

Swiss WorldCargo
Swiss WorldCargo is the airfreight division of Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS). Headquartered at Zurich Airport, Swiss WorldCargo offers a comprehensive range of logistics solutions for transporting high-value and care-intensive consignments to some 130 destinations in over 80 countries. Its extensive network of airfreight services is supplemented by daily truck connections between key business centers. As a reliable and innovative service provider within the Lufthansa Group, Swiss WorldCargo is consistently committed to delivering Swiss quality to its airfreight customers and makes a substantial contribution to SWISS’s overall profitability.
 

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17/03/2022
Swiss WorldCargo’s ground handling partner Cargologic obtains CEIV re-certification at Zurich Airport

Zurich Airport, 17 March – Swiss WorldCargo’s ground handling partner Cargologic just obtained the re-certification as a “Center of Excellence for Independent Validators” (CEIV) from IATA for the handling of pharmaceutical products at Zurich Airport. In addition to Swiss WorldCargo becoming fully CEIV re-certified last year, the accreditation further assures cool chain integrity to customers throughout the Swiss WorldCargo global network.

In 2016, Swiss WorldCargo’s Zurich hub first became CEIV certified and recognised as GDP compliant by Swiss authorities Swissmedic. In 2018, IATA authorities evaluated Swiss WorldCargo’s pharmaceutical handling and processes before announcing that the Swiss WorldCargo organisation had met all necessary requirements for a full CEIV certification and in 2021 Swiss WorldCargo was successfully re-certified. With this milestone, Swiss WorldCargo is part of a small, selected group of airlines keeping a full CEIV certification.

“We highly appreciate Cargologic's efforts for being CEIV recertified again, which underlines our both efforts in maintaining highest standards and jointly enhancing our already state of the art hub in Zurich, the center of Europe. The CEIV certification of Cargologic strengthens the whole Swiss WorldCargo offering for temperature-controlled pharma as it provides end to end quality”, says Lorenzo Stoll Head of Cargo for Swiss International Air Lines.

“As market leader in the Swiss airfreight handling business, we invest heavily to ensure that the airfreighted goods on the ground enjoy Swiss quality. The processes between aircraft loading and preparation for dispatch, storage and clearance are very complex. Security, reliability and experience are true competitive advantages. In this growth market, Swiss quality is in high demand. So I’m especially delighted that we have received CEIV certification again”, says Marco Gredig, Managing Director of Cargologic AG.

The temperature-controlled handling of pharmaceutical products continues to be increasingly challenging owing to global regulatory conditions. The Center of Excellence for Independent Validators in Pharmaceutical Logistics (CEIV Pharma) created by IATA supports the air transport industry in complying with pharmaceutical manufacturers’ requirements.

The industry identifies the need to build a network of certified pharmaceutical trade lanes that meet consistent standards and assure product integrity. With the pharmaceutical sector being one of the key driving forces of the Swiss economy, the volumes of pharmaceutical and biotech shipments being transported via Zurich Airport – transfer shipments in particular – is ever increasing.

Swiss WorldCargo Zurich’s ground handling partner Cargologic is continuously investing in the development of a leading-edge technical and operating expertise to better serve the needs of the Swiss pharmaceutical industry and has recently received their CEIV re-certification for the third time.

 

Swiss WorldCargo
Swiss WorldCargo is the airfreight division of Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS). Headquartered at Zurich Airport, Swiss WorldCargo offers a comprehensive range of logistics solutions for transporting high-value and care-intensive consignments to some 130 destinations in over 80 countries. Its extensive network of airfreight services is supplemented by daily truck connections between key business centers. As a reliable and innovative service provider within the Lufthansa Group, Swiss WorldCargo is consistently committed to delivering Swiss quality to its airfreight customers and makes a substantial contribution to SWISS’s overall profitability.

 

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2021

04/08/2021
Swiss WorldCargo successfully transports first shipment with Envirotainer Releye® RLP from Zurich to New York

Zurich, 4 August – Swiss WorldCargo, the air cargo division of Swiss International Air Lines, is proud to be the first airline to have successfully carried out a commercial shipment between Zurich (ZRH) and New York (JFK) with an Envirotainer Releye® RLP container onboard. 

The shipment was transported on flight LX 14 on August 3rd, departing at 13.20h local time and landing at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) at 16:10h local time. Ahead of the flight, the Envirotainer Releye® RLP and its shipment were loaded into the belly of a Swiss International Air Lines Boeing 777-300ER. The container held a care-intensive shipment from a leading pharmaceutical company, requiring a specific temperature range, which the container was able to provide. 

“We are proud to have successfully carried out the first shipment of an Envirotainer Releye® RLP from Switzerland, and look forward to welcoming this container into our product portfolio,” said Lorenzo Stoll, Head of Cargo at Swiss International Air Lines. “The RLP helps showcase Swiss WorldCargo as the premier carrier of choice for the transport of temperature-sensitive, care-intensive pharmaceutical goods. Additionally, the RLP offers reduced CO2 emissions and improved environmental performance through a lightweight material design. This fully aligns with our own focus on sustainable operations and continued reduction of our carbon footprint.”

Swiss WorldCargo recently approved the Envirotainer Releye® RLP container for usage and will add it to its portfolio in the coming weeks. This complements its selection of previous generation Envirotainer containers.

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19/02/2021
Lorenzo Stoll named new Head of Swiss WorldCargo

Lorenzo Stoll has been appointed as SWISS’s new Head of Swiss WorldCargo. He will assume his new function on 1 April. He succeeds Ashwin Bhat, who will take up new duties as Chief Commercial Officer of Lufthansa Cargo on 1 March. Lorenzo Stoll is currently SWISS’s Head of Western Switzerland, with responsibility for its Geneva business and operations. The search for his successor to oversee the key Geneva market is already under way.

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) has appointed Lorenzo Stoll (49) as the new head of its Swiss WorldCargo airfreight division. He will assume his new position, reporting to CFO Markus Binkert, on 1 April. He succeeds Ashwin Bhat, who will take up new duties as Chief Commercial Officer of Lufthansa Cargo on 1 March.

Lorenzo Stoll joined SWISS as its Head of Western Switzerland in 2013, and has since achieved the turnaround of the company’s Geneva business and operations together with his team. With his wide experience in the consumer goods segment, his innovative flair and his keen focus on the customer, Lorenzo Stoll has further enhanced product and service quality. His success in Western Switzerland has been assisted by the extensive deployment from Geneva of SWISS’s advanced and efficient Airbus A220 aircraft fleet. Under his leadership, SWISS has also created over 200 new jobs at its Geneva location.

“I am really pleased that, in Lorenzo Stoll, we have appointed such a skilled and seasoned expert from our own ranks,” says CFO Markus Binkert. “Lorenzo has been instrumental in ensuring our success in Geneva and our positioning as a premium carrier. I’m convinced that, with his wide experience in the commercial, the consumer goods and the aviation fields, he will be just as effective in further developing our air cargo division. And I wish him every success and satisfaction in his new capacity.”

Lorenzo Stoll came to SWISS from Nestlé, where he had spent the previous 12 years serving in international management positions within various corporate divisions in Vevey, Frankfurt and Paris. Prior to this he had been Sales & Marketing Manager at Montreux-Vevey Tourism. A graduate of Lausanne’s Ecole Hôtelière, he was born in Zurich and grew up mainly in Western Switzerland. Lorenzo Stoll is married.

The search for Stoll’s successor to oversee SWISS’s key Geneva market is already under way.

Swiss WorldCargo
Swiss WorldCargo is the airfreight division of Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS). Headquartered at Zurich Airport, Swiss WorldCargo offers a comprehensive range of logistics solutions for transporting high-value and careintensive consignments to some 130 destinations in over 84 countries. The extensive Swiss WorldCargo network of airfreight services is further supplemented by daily truck connections between key business centers. As a reliable and innovative service provider within the Lufthansa Group, Swiss WorldCargo is consistently committed to delivering Swiss quality to its airfreight customers, and makes a substantial contribution to SWISS’s overall profitability.

 

 

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15/01/2021
SWISS launches new cargo flights to Seoul and Lima

SWISS is adding two new destinations exclusively for freight shipments to the regular route network of its airfreight division Swiss WorldCargo: Seoul, South Korea, and Lima, Peru.

The first cargo flight to Seoul in South Korea will take off today, 15 January. The flight, operated by a Boeing 777-300ER, connects Zurich and Switzerland with one of Asia's largest economic centres. A variety of products will be transported, including general cargo, spare parts, car parts, electronics and other goods. This will be followed on 19 January by the start of cargo flights to Lima in Peru. This connection is also operated with a Boeing 777-300ER and offers additional cargo capacity between Switzerland and South America. The cargo transported will focus on pharmaceutical goods, machinery and spare parts as well as perishable goods from the region, among others.

"Thanks to our freight division, we are able to adapt continuously and very flexibly to the prevailing market conditions," says Markus Binkert, Chief Financial Officer, SWISS. "In this way, we can make a continuous economic contribution and ensure the flow of goods between Switzerland, Europe and the world.”

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2020

18/12/2020
Swiss WorldCargo successfully transports over fourteen tons of COVID-19 vaccines to Sao Paulo

Zurich Airport, December 18, 2020 – On December 18, a SWISS aircraft arrived in São Paulo, carrying over 14 tons of finished COVID-19 vaccines. Flight LX 96 from Zurich to São Paulo had departed Zurich on the evening of December 17. Previously, the shipment had been transported from Beijing to Zurich.

The special cargo was carried in ten Envirotainer RAP-e2 containers, which kept the temperature consistently cooled within a range of 2-8 degrees Celsius.

Together with forwarding partner PGL Brazil, Swiss WorldCargo carried out the shipment on behalf of the Brazilian Butantan institute. Upon arrival, the aircraft was welcomed by several prominent government officials, including the Governor of São Paulo, Mr. João Doria. The total shipment carried close to 2 million doses of finished COVID-19 vaccines.

This successful collaboration and transport further underlines Swiss WorldCargo’s long-standing expertise in complex pharmaceutical transportation.

Swiss WorldCargo
Swiss WorldCargo is the airfreight division of Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS). Headquartered at Zurich Airport, Swiss WorldCargo offers a comprehensive range of logistics solutions for transporting high-value and care-intensive consignments to some 130 destinations in over 84 countries. The extensive Swiss WorldCargo network of airfreight services is further supplemented by daily truck connections between key business centers. As a reliable and innovative service provider within the Lufthansa Group, Swiss WorldCargo is consistently committed to delivering Swiss quality to its airfreight customers, and makes a substantial contribution to SWISS’s overall profitability.

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18/12/2020
Ashwin Bhat appointed Chief Commercial Officer of Lufthansa Cargo

SWISS Head of Cargo succeeds Dorothea von Boxberg
Ashwin Bhat will take over as member of the Executive Board in charge of Lufthansa Cargo's Product and Sales division on 1 March 2021. The 51-year-old will thus take over the current position of Dorothea von Boxberg, who will become chairwoman of the Executive Board and CEO on the same date.

As Lufthansa Cargo’s Chief Commercial Officer, Ashwin Bhat will be responsible for the external organisation of sales and handling, product, revenue management, pricing, network planning and sales management worldwide.

Bhat has been Vice President and Head of Cargo at Swiss International Air Lines in Zurich since October 2015. He joined the former Swisscargo AG in February 1999 and has held various positions in revenue management, transport management and global area management, until his most recent position as Head of Cargo for Swiss International Air Lines. 

"I am very pleased that we have been able to gain Ashwin Bhat, a highly experienced senior manager within Lufthansa Group, as our Chief Commercial Officer," said Harry Hohmeister, member of the Lufthansa Group executive board and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Lufthansa Cargo. "With his extensive expertise in the airfreight business as well as his many years of sales experience, he will further strengthen Lufthansa Cargo's leading position in international competition."

Ashwin Bhat, born in 1969, graduated with a Bachelor in Science, Major in Chemistry from the University of Mumbai, India in 1990 and worked for several years as an accounting manager for an airline financial services provider in Mumbai before starting his career in Zurich.

Lufthansa Cargo AG
With a turnover of 2.5 billion euros and 8.9 billion revenue tonne-kilometres in 2019, Lufthansa Cargo is one of the world's leading companies in the transport of air freight. The company currently employs about 4,500 people worldwide. Lufthansa Cargo focuses on the airport-to-airport business. The cargo carrier serves around 300 destinations in more than 100 countries with its own fleet of freighters, the belly capacities of passenger aircraft operated by Lufthansa German Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings and SunExpress, and an extensive road feeder service network. The bulk of the cargo business is routed through Frankfurt Airport. Lufthansa Cargo is a wholly owned Lufthansa subsidiary of Deutsche Lufthansa AG and Lufthansa Group’s logistics specialist.

 

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17/12/2020
Swiss WorldCargo has finalized preparation for transport of COVID-19 vaccines

Zurich Airport, December 17, 2020 – For the past six months, Swiss WorldCargo has prepared for the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. Beginning in summer 2020, the company set up an internal task force to analyse the potential for shipping COVID-19 vaccines throughout the world. The task force, comprised of team members from different divisions, has closely analysed how Swiss WorldCargo’s aircraft, network and capacity to and from Switzerland, can best support these global shipments.

Recently, the company has successfully carried out first shipments. These have proven that the company can handle complex regulatory and customer necessities, including temperature, cold-chain and timing requirements.

As a leading carrier of pharmaceutical and care-intensive goods, Swiss WorldCargo has a rich history of successful and speedy delivery of pharmaceutical products, including vaccines. This long-standing expertise is based on its well-trained staff, as well as the strengths of its hub and ground handling partners. Swiss WorldCargo’s organization is CEIV Pharma-certified. Swiss WorldCargo’s hub in Zurich, operated by Cargologic, is IATA CEIV Pharma-certified and Swissmedic GDP-compliant, as recognized by the Swiss authorities.

“The next few months present a significant challenge for the entire air cargo and logistics industry,” said Christian Wyss, Head of Quality & Services at Swiss WorldCargo, and leader of the Swiss WorldCargo Vaccine Transport task force. “However, based on our extensive experience carrying out complex pharmaceutical shipments, Swiss WorldCargo is well-positioned to help ship COVID-19 vaccines, to, from and through Switzerland to a variety of global destinations.”

Swiss WorldCargo is continuing to closely monitor the regulatory approval process for all COVID-19 vaccines, and is ready to carry out shipments in the coming weeks and months.

Swiss WorldCargo
Swiss WorldCargo is the airfreight division of Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS). Headquartered at Zurich Airport, Swiss WorldCargo offers a comprehensive range of logistics solutions for transporting high-value and care-intensive consignments to some 130 destinations in over 84 countries. The extensive Swiss WorldCargo network of airfreight services is further supplemented by daily truck connections between key business centers. As a reliable and innovative service provider within the Lufthansa Group, Swiss WorldCargo is consistently committed to delivering Swiss quality to its airfreight customers, and makes a substantial contribution to SWISS’s overall profitability.

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12/11/2020
SWISS operates more than 1,000 cargo-only flights since March

Since the beginning of the Coronavirus crisis in March, Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) has operated more than 1,000 cargo-only flights, carried out by its airfreight division, Swiss WorldCargo. Over 23,000 tonnes of goods have been transported. During the months of April and May, the major commodities transported were medicines and medical supplies supporting the Swiss population and economy. Since then the focus has been on the transportation of commercial cargo.

A number of these cargo-only flights have been charter flights in which goods are mainly transported in the cargo hold. SWISS also uses the Economy Class cabin area on its three converted Boeing 777-300 to transport cargo. Since July, however, SWISS has also transported commercial cargo items within its cabins, following the approval received from the Swiss authorities. Previously this space was limited to protective medical gear and related humanitarian goods.

SWISS currently operates regularly scheduled cargo-only flights between Zurich and Beijing, Buenos Aires, Delhi, Dubai, Johannesburg, Mumbai and Shanghai. Cargo-only flight operations between Zürich and Santiago de Chile (via Sao Paulo) will also begin shortly. Within Europe, Swiss WorldCargo continues to offer service through regularly scheduled flights and its trucking network.

In addition to its charter flights, SWISS also continues to transport cargo in the belly of its regular passenger flights which has traditionally been the main business focus for its airfreight division, Swiss WorldCargo. The long-haul network for passenger flights currently includes destinations such as Bangkok, Boston, Dubai, Chicago, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Montreal, Newark, New York, San Francisco, Sao Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore Tel Aviv and Tokyo.

Swiss WorldCargo
Swiss WorldCargo is the airfreight division of Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS). Headquartered at Zurich Airport, Swiss WorldCargo offers a comprehensive range of logistics solutions for transporting high-value and careintensive consignments to some 130 destinations in over 84 countries. The extensive Swiss WorldCargo network of airfreight services is further supplemented by daily truck connections between key business centers. As a reliable and innovative service provider within the Lufthansa Group, Swiss WorldCargo is consistently committed to delivering Swiss quality to its airfreight customers, and makes a substantial contribution to SWISS’s overall profitability.

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30/07/2020
Swiss WorldCargo begins transporting commercial cargo in cabin on certain routes

Zurich Airport, July 30, 2020 – Beginning this week, Swiss WorldCargo has updated its offering to include the transportation of commercial cargo in the cabin on select charter flights. Such cargo may include fashion/apparel, garments, fabrics, glassware, perishables, printing materials, machinery, electronic parts, aircraft parts, flowers, pharmaceuticals and spare parts. Medical equipment like diagnostic instruments and PPE equipment such as facemasks and surgical gloves can also continue to be transported within the cabin. 
 
Commercial Cargo in the cabin is currently allowed on flights to Shanghai (PVG), Beijing (PEK), Bangkok (BKK),São Paulo (GRU), Johannesburg (JNB) and Dubai (DXB). Medical and PPE equipment can also continue to be transported in the cabin on all wide-body aircraft routes. In order to transport commercial cargo effectively inside the aircraft cabin, additional airport handling competencies are required. Additionally, SWISS staff onboard every flight supervise all materials in order to ensure a safe journey. 
 
On Monday, 27 July, the first of such flights arrived in Zurich Airport from Dubai International Airport. The Boeing 777-300ER carried diverse garments and other fashion-related goods within the passenger cabin. 
 
Swiss WorldCargo  
Swiss WorldCargo is the airfreight division of Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS). Headquartered at Zurich Airport, Swiss WorldCargo offers a comprehensive range of logistics solutions for transporting high-value and careintensive consignments to some 130 destinations in over 84 countries. The extensive Swiss WorldCargo network of airfreight services is further supplemented by daily truck connections between key business centers. As a reliable and innovative service provider within the Lufthansa Group, Swiss WorldCargo is consistently committed to delivering Swiss quality to its airfreight customers, and makes a substantial contribution to SWISS’s overall profitability.  
 
This media release can be found at swissworldcargo.com 

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15/05/2020
SWISS to add new intercontinental destinations to its cargo-only network

Zurich Airport, May 15, 2020 – Since the end of March, SWISS and its Swiss WorldCargo division have operated more than 200 cargo-only flights, transporting over 4,000 tonnes of cargo between Asia and Switzerland. Most of the goods transported included medicines and medical supplies to support Switzerland and its population.

By including further intercontinental destinations to the SWISS route network, the company’s airfreight division, Swiss WorldCargo, can expand its services and, as of 15 May, will also offer frequent flights to Hong Kong (twice weekly), New York JFK (four times weekly) Johannesburg (weekly, performed initially by Edelweiss as cargo-only flight and from June by SWISS) and Mumbai (thrice weekly).

At the end of June, another 160 cargo flights are expected to be carried out on behalf of various private companies and public institutions. These will include the first-ever services to destinations such as Toronto and Shenzhen. The first of four such flights from Zurich to Toronto was conducted on 12 May, and ten cargo-only flights will be operated to Shenzhen from 22 May onwards. All these services will be performed with Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.

In addition, preparatory work is underway for the conversion of 4 Boeing 777-300ER. The Economy Class seats would be removed in order to increase the cargo volume on the aircraft.

Swiss WorldCargo
Swiss WorldCargo is the airfreight division of Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS). Headquartered at Zurich Airport, Swiss WorldCargo offers a comprehensive range of logistics solutions for transporting high-value and care-intensive consignments to some 130 destinations in over 84 countries. The extensive Swiss WorldCargo network of airfreight services is further supplemented by daily truck connections between key business centers. As a reliable and innovative service provider within the Lufthansa Group, Swiss WorldCargo is consistently committed to delivering Swiss quality to its airfreight customers, and makes a substantial contribution to SWISS’s overall profitability.

 

 

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28/04/2020
SWISS performs cargo flights for the Swiss Red Cross

Zurich Airport, 28.04.2020 – SWISS has conducted a total of seven charter cargo flights from Shanghai (China) to Switzerland on behalf of the Swiss Red Cross. The flights, which brought medical equipment and testing materials to Switzerland, were performed with the close support of the company’s Swiss WorldCargo division.

In total, the flights brought in over 20 million protective facemasks and 300 000 protective overalls. The flights were performed with Airbus A340 and Boeing 777 aircraft. To make maximum use of the space available, the cargo was carried not only in the hold but also in the passenger cabin.

Markus Binkert, SWISS CFO and member of the Management Board responsible for the cargo division, comments: "On cargo flights operated on behalf of the Swiss Red Cross we brought urgently required medical supplies to Switzerland. We are delighted to be able to support Switzerland and the population in these times".

Swiss WorldCargo
Swiss WorldCargo is the airfreight division of Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS). Headquartered at Zurich Airport, Swiss WorldCargo offers a comprehensive range of logistics solutions for transporting high-value and care-intensive consignments to some 130 destinations in over 84 countries. The extensive Swiss WorldCargo network of airfreight services is further supplemented by daily truck connections between key business centers. As a reliable and innovative service provider within the Lufthansa Group, Swiss WorldCargo is consistently committed to delivering Swiss quality to its airfreight customers, and makes a substantial contribution to SWISS’s overall profitability.

 

 

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27/04/2020
SWISS to expand its cargo services and reconfigure three Boeing 777s into cargo aircraft

Zurich Airport, 27.04.2020 - SWISS and its Swiss WorldCargo division have performed more than 80 cargo-only flights since the end of March, transporting over 1,300 tonnes of airfreight between Asia and Switzerland. The cargoes concerned have consisted mainly of medicines and medical supplies and equipment for the Swiss healthcare system.

SWISS plans to operate over 100 further cargo flights on behalf of various private and public entities between now and the end of May. The Airline of Switzerland will also introduce a new network of cargo-only services offering regular cargo flights between Zurich and Shanghai (up to three times daily), Beijing (up to twice daily), Chicago and Tokyo (twice weekly) as well as Bangkok and Singapore (weekly). Further destinations are expected to be added to the new network over the next few weeks.

In a further development, SWISS is considering to remove the Economy Class seating from three of its twelve Boeing 777-300ER aircraft to meet the growing demand for air cargo capacity. More than 800 seats would be deinstalled at Zurich airport for this purpose. The modifications would help ensure consistent and regular goods deliveries and thereby help keep Switzerland optimally connected with the world in the difficult present conditions – particularly for the provision of medical and humanitarian supplies to and from the country.

Swiss WorldCargo
Swiss WorldCargo is the airfreight division of Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS). Headquartered at Zurich Airport, Swiss WorldCargo offers a comprehensive range of logistics solutions for transporting high-value and care-intensive consignments to some 130 destinations in over 84 countries. The extensive Swiss WorldCargo network of airfreight services is further supplemented by daily truck connections between key business centers. As a reliable and innovative service provider within the Lufthansa Group, Swiss WorldCargo is consistently committed to delivering Swiss quality to its airfreight customers, and makes a substantial contribution to SWISS’s overall profitability.

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22/04/2020
Swiss WorldCargo operates first cargo-only flight from Shanghai to Geneva

Zurich Airport, 22 April, 2020 –On behalf of Geneva University Hospital (HUG) and the Canton of Geneva, SWISS transported medical supplies from China to Switzerland, supported by its Swiss WorldCargo airfreight division. This operation was conducted in collaboration with Swiss Centers China. It was SWISS's first cargo-only flight to Geneva.

The Boeing 777 carried syringes and several million surgical masks. On this cargo-only flight no passengers were carried, the material was transported in the aircraft’s cargo hold and passenger cabin. The flight from Shanghai landed at Geneva airport at 7:45pm on 21 April.

Conversely, goods were transported from Switzerland to China on behalf of other partners in the interests of the Swiss export economy and the worldwide movement of goods.

To date, SWISS has already operated approximately 30 cargo flights from Shanghai, Beijing and Hong Kong to Switzerland. Further cargo flights to and from China and other countries are being planned to ensure the functioning of supply chains between Switzerland and the world.

Swiss WorldCargo
Swiss WorldCargo is the airfreight division of Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS). Headquartered at Zurich Airport, Swiss WorldCargo offers a comprehensive range of logistics solutions for transporting high-value and care-intensive consignments to some 130 destinations in over 84 countries. The extensive Swiss WorldCargo network of airfreight services is further supplemented by daily truck connections between key business centers. As a reliable and innovative service provider within the Lufthansa Group, Swiss WorldCargo is consistently committed to delivering Swiss quality to its airfreight customers, and makes a substantial contribution to SWISS’s overall profitability.

 

 

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06/04/2020
Swiss WorldCargo to perform more than ten cargo flights for Swiss healthcare institutions

SWISS is to perform a series of flights bringing vital protective medical equipment from China to Switzerland. The operation, which is extensively supported by the company’s Swiss WorldCargo airfreight division, is being conducted on behalf of the Zurich Cantonal Pharmacy and in collaboration with knechtcare / Welti-Furrer (the Knecht Group) and Männedorf Hospital.

Under the operation, more than ten cargo-only Airbus A340 flights will be performed this month from Mainland China, bringing over 35 million personal protection items for the use of healthcare personnel including protective suits, medical gloves, safety goggles and breathing masks. All in all, the transports will amount to over 200 tonnes.

No passengers will be transported on these flights. They will only carry cargo, loaded in both the hold and the passenger cabin. The first such flight arrived from Shanghai in Zurich at 17:54 on Sunday 5 April.

Swiss WorldCargo is also working with further partners to transport cargo from Switzerland to China which is of key importance to the Swiss export sector and to global goods flows.

Swiss WorldCargo operated two cargo-only flights to Zurich from Hong Kong and Shanghai as well as one such flight from Beijing so far. Further Swiss WorldCargo flights to and from China are being planned, to continue to maintain the supply chains between Switzerland and the world.

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23/03/2020
Swiss WorldCargo launches charter flights to support global supply chains

Zurich Airport, March 23, 2020 – Swiss WorldCargo, the air cargo division of SWISS, will operate cargo-only flights on some aircraft beginning this week.

Swiss WorldCargo is a belly carrier, transporting high-value and care-intensive goods on the existing SWISS passenger network. In these unprecedented times, the carrier is committed to continue maintaining global supply chains and delivering goods on behalf of its customers.

This week, Swiss WorldCargo will fly twice between Zurich and Hong Kong, the first of several planned charter flights. The route will be serviced by the Airbus A340-300, and additional destinations and aircraft may be selected based on customer needs for global shipping.

“Despite the slowdown in global air travel, we are seeing an ongoing demand for the transportation of goods,” said Ashwin Bhat, Head of Cargo, Swiss International Air Lines. “At Swiss WorldCargo, we are therefore committed to supporting logistics and customer needs, especially for the shipping of sensitive goods such as medicines or pharmaceuticals. We aim to continue to offer the Swiss quality and consistency we are known for throughout the industry.”

For anyone potentially interested in charter services, please contact cargo.charter@swiss.com.

Swiss WorldCargo
Swiss WorldCargo is the airfreight division of Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS). Headquartered at Zurich Airport, Swiss WorldCargo offers a comprehensive range of logistics solutions for transporting high-value and careintensive consignments to some 130 destinations in over 84 countries. The extensive Swiss WorldCargo network of airfreight services is further supplemented by daily truck connections between key business centers. As a reliable and innovative service provider within the Lufthansa Group, Swiss WorldCargo is consistently committed to delivering Swiss quality to its airfreight customers, and makes a substantial contribution to SWISS’s overall profitability.

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01/03/2020
Swiss WorldCargo begins flying to Osaka

1 March, Zurich Airport – Swiss WorldCargo, the airfreight division of Swiss International Air Lines, begins direct flights between Zurich and Osaka today. The non-stop Airbus A340-300 service between Zurich and Osaka enhances the connection between Japanese and Swiss markets and enables optimal connections to the entire Swiss WorldCargo network.

The service is operated during the following times:

Winter 2020
Zurich – Osaka                         LX 158            13:00 – 09:10+1           Mon/Wed/Fri/Sat/Sun
Osaka – Zurich                         LX 159            11:00 – 16:00                Mon/Tue/Thu/Sat/Sun

Summer 2020 (beginning 27 March, 2020)
Zurich – Osaka                         LX 158             13:00 – 08:10+1           Mon/Wed/Fri/Sat/Sun
Osaka – Zurich                         LX 159             10:05 – 15:45                Mon/Tue/Thu/Sat/Sun

The local handling agent assigned in Osaka is ANA Cargo Inc., located at Kansai International Airport. Tango Tomonari, based in Tokyo, will be responsible for the entire Swiss WorldCargo team in Japan. Jun Nakatani has recently been appointed as Head of Kansai Region.

Since 1 February, Swiss WorldCargo also operates a Boeing 777-300ER on its daily non-stop flight to Tokyo Narita Airport. This change in aircraft offers an increase in capacity of up to 40% on the Zurich-Tokyo lane.

“Today, we are proud to launch the 1st of our two new intercontinental destinations of 2020,” said Ashwin Bhat, Head of Cargo, Swiss WorldCargo. “With this direct connection, we can ensure our continued commitment to serving and connecting our customers in Switzerland with Far East and around the world. This is an exciting moment for us and we look forward to continuing to further offer our known Swiss reliability and quality.”

Swiss WorldCargo
Swiss WorldCargo is the airfreight division of Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS). Headquartered at Zurich Airport, Swiss WorldCargo offers a comprehensive range of logistics solutions for transporting high-value and care-intensive consignments to some 130 destinations in over 84 countries. The extensive Swiss WorldCargo network of airfreight services is further supplemented by daily truck connections between key business centers. As a reliable and innovative service provider within the Lufthansa Group, Swiss WorldCargo is consistently committed to delivering Swiss quality to its airfreight customers, and makes a substantial contribution to SWISS’s overall profitability.

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03/02/2020
Swiss WorldCargo begins flying to Ljubljana

3 February 2019, Zurich Airport – Swiss WorldCargo will begin cargo operations to Ljubljana, Slovenia, as of today. Swiss WorldCargo will operate flights between Zurich and Slovenia’s capital 7 times/week.


Swiss WorldCargo will plan flights using an Airbus A220 and Embraer E-190, with a weekly capacity ranging between 3.5 to 10 tons. As of today, general cargo shipments will be available to and from the destination, while mail will be accepted as of 2 March and special cargo in the coming weeks.
The dedicated team from Cargo Austria, based in Vienna, will handle LJU bookings and all operational issues. Physical ground handling will be done by A/P LJU (Fraport Slovenija). Furthermore, an RFS service for larger shipments is expected to open in the next months.


The service is important in connecting Slovenia’s capital and main business hub with a non-stop flight to Zurich, as well as to and from onward destinations within the wide-ranging intercontinental Swiss WorldCargo network.


“We are excited to begin operating our non-stop service to and from Ljubljana,” says Jochen Leibfritz, Head of Cargo North and East Europe. “The destination will connect Zurich and the entire Swiss WorldCargo network with an important Central European market which is home to a growing pharmaceutical sector.”


Swiss WorldCargo
Swiss WorldCargo is the airfreight division of Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS). Headquartered at Zurich Airport, Swiss WorldCargo offers a comprehensive range of logistics solutions for transporting high-value and care-intensive consignments to some 130 destinations in over 84 countries. The extensive Swiss WorldCargo network of airfreight services is further supplemented by daily truck connections between key business centers. As a reliable and innovative service provider within the Lufthansa Group, Swiss WorldCargo is consistently committed to delivering Swiss quality to its airfreight customers, and makes a substantial contribution to SWISS’s overall profitability.

 

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2019

02/12/2019
Swiss WorldCargo opens Cancun-Zurich flights for export

Zurich, 2 December, 2019 –Swiss WorldCargo, the freight division of Swiss International Air Lines, will open its Cancun (CUN) station for exports today. With this development, all flights between Zurich and Cancun can now carry freight on both their inbound and outbound journeys.


Swiss WorldCargo connects Cancun and Zurich with a thrice-weekly Airbus A340-300 service, operated by Edelweiss, sister company of Swiss International Air Lines. The aircraft will offer a payload in excess of 15 tonnes on each leg of the flight.


In Cancun, Skylog, a member of the ECS Group, will manage all commercial activity for this new service, while Swissport will oversee ground operations. Inbound flights depart Zurich in the afternoon and arrive in Cancun in the evening, while outbound flights leave Cancun in the evening and arrive in Zurich the following afternoon. With this schedule, customers in Mexico benefit from late delivery times in Cancun as well as ideal arrival times in Zurich for many same-day connections to Swiss WorldCargo’s worldwide destinations in Europe, Africa and Asia.


“We are delighted to open our Cancun station to exports,” said Hendrik Falk, Head of Cargo for USA West, South, and Latin America. “With this new development, we will create additional export options for numerous customers shipping a wide variety of products from the Yucatan Peninsula to Switzerland, Europe and the rest of the world. Having a strong foothold in the Latin American market remains a critical focus point for us.”

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17/09/2019
Swiss WorldCargo continues capturing Success Stories, launches new advertising campaign

Zurich Airport, 17 September 2019 – Swiss WorldCargo, the airfreight division of Swiss International Air Lines, has launched a new marketing campaign. Each advertisement, continuing the previously launched “Success Stories,” provides insight into the company’s successful shipment of care-intensive assets.


The images highlight four specific commodities: high-end clothing/garments, luxury watches, high-tech products and temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals transported to different destinations within the Swiss International Air Lines and Edelweiss network.


The visuals/stories illustrate:

  • New York City/Fashion: Swiss WorldCargo flies from Zurich and Geneva to the world’s fashion capital up to four-times daily, ensuring the regular transport of high-value garments and clothing. These are then distributed on to various designers, fashion houses and international shows.
     
  • Singapore, different climates/Pharmaceutical goods: Swiss WorldCargo’s daily flight to and from Singapore is a primary route for temperature-sensitive traffic. Additionally, the carrier routinely delivers pharmaceutical goods to destinations in all climates, ensuring that life-saving medicines and life sciences products meet the requirements of the cool chain and are transported safely to end customers.
     
  • San Francisco/High-tech: Customers routinely ship high-tech goods between Silicon Valley and Zurich, due to the safe and high-quality transportation that Swiss WorldCargo provides.
     
  • Geneva/Luxury Watches: Swiss WorldCargo’s second hub is located within Western Switzerland’s watchmaking industry, making this the ideal location from which to transport these valuable goods with precision to destinations all around the world.

“This campaign is in line with our core values and highlights both the Swiss WorldCargo network and the complex shipments we routinely carry. The Success Stories reflect our brand of being a quality-focused and a specialized carrier,” explained Alexandra Dahl-Augustin, Head of Marketing, Swiss WorldCargo. “We aim to add on to this campaign in the next few months, with visuals of new commodities and markets.”


“It is vital that we continue to regularly communicate about our successes and leadership within the markets,” said Ashwin Bhat, Head of Cargo, Swiss WorldCargo. “We strive to capture the close collaboration and successes that we enjoy with our customers around the world, and the impressive work that our teams deliver every day. We also want to ensure that our brand stands for and continues to reflect our quality and premium capabilities.”


Swiss WorldCargo
Swiss WorldCargo is the airfreight division of Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS). Headquartered at Zurich Airport, Swiss WorldCargo offers a comprehensive range of logistics solutions for transporting high-value and care-intensive consignments to some 130 destinations in over 84 countries. The extensive Swiss WorldCargo network of airfreight services is further supplemented by daily truck connections between key business centers. As a reliable and innovative service provider within the Lufthansa Group, Swiss WorldCargo is consistently committed to delivering Swiss quality to its airfreight customers, and makes a substantial contribution to SWISS’s overall profitability. This media release can be found at swissworldcargo.com

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28/10/2019
Swiss WorldCargo begins operating new routes for Winter Timetable 2019, increasing capacity to and from Japan

Zurich Airport, 28 October 2019 - Swiss WorldCargo, the airfreight division of Swiss International Air Lines, will begin operating flights according to its Winter Timetable today. This introduces new destinations as well as increased capacity in Asia.


As from 1 February, a daily Boeing 777-300ER will operate on flights to Tokyo, offering additional tonnage. Flights to Osaka, Japan’s third-largest city will commence on 1 March, serviced by an Airbus A340-300.


Cargo traffic will also resume on the following routes:
- Flights to Colombo will resume on 31 October; operated by an Airbus A340-300
- Flights to Phuket will resume on 3 November; operated by an Airbus A340-300
- Flights to Ho Chi Minh City will resume on 18 November; operated by an Airbus A340-300


In the Americas, the winter schedule will offer additional flights to and from Miami (MIA). This complements Swiss WorldCargo’s daily flights to North America gateways, including New York, Newark, Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Montreal, and Chicago.


“We look forward to augmenting our customer offering in Japan,” said Ashwin Bhat, Head of Cargo, Swiss International Air Lines. “With additional capacity to Tokyo, as well as our first-ever direct flights to Osaka, we will be able to provide even better service in the region. Likewise, we will re-commence flights in select destinations in Asia and boost capacity in North America, thus rounding out our strong presence in both areas.”


Swiss WorldCargo
Swiss WorldCargo is the airfreight division of Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS). Headquartered at Zurich Airport, Swiss WorldCargo offers a comprehensive range of logistics solutions for transporting high-value and care-intensive consignments to some 130 destinations in over 84 countries. The extensive Swiss WorldCargo network of airfreight services is further supplemented by daily truck connections between key business centers. As a reliable and innovative service provider within the Lufthansa Group, Swiss WorldCargo is consistently committed to delivering Swiss quality to its airfreight customers, and makes a substantial contribution to SWISS’s overall profitability. This media release can be found at swissworldcargo.com

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03/10/2019
Swiss WorldCargo and Cargologic extend partnership

Zurich Airport, 3 October 2019 – Swiss WorldCargo and Cargologic have agreed to continue their long-standing, successful partnership for another seven years. The partnership will see Swiss WorldCargo continue to use Cargologic’s airfreight handling competencies at its hub in Zurich, where Cargologic will maintain its position as dedicated ground handler.


According to Swiss WorldCargo’s Head of Quality and Services Christian Wyss, the main reasons for the extension are the reliability as well as quality of services offered by Cargologic. “We can depend on Cargologic as a professional partner delivering a premium service. Together, we offer our customers fast, efficient and reliable services. Needless to say, we jointly ensure that consignments arrive as per our promise to our customers.”


Marco Gredig, Managing Director of Cargologic, is also delighted about the ongoing cooperation with Swiss WorldCargo: “The long-term continuation of this proven partnership is extremely important to us. It is a clear reaffirmation of the Zurich Airport location and makes a substantial contribution to its future growth.”


Swiss WorldCargo
Swiss WorldCargo is the airfreight division of Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS). Headquartered at Zurich Airport, Swiss WorldCargo offers a comprehensive range of logistics solutions for transporting high-value and care-intensive consignments to some 130 destinations in over 84 countries. The extensive Swiss WorldCargo network of airfreight services is further supplemented by daily truck connections between key business centers. As a reliable and innovative service provider within the Lufthansa Group, Swiss WorldCargo is consistently committed to delivering Swiss quality to its airfreight customers, and makes a substantial contribution to SWISS’s overall profitability.


Cargologic – a leader in airfreight handling
As a leading Swiss airfreight handling specialist, Cargologic processes 440,000 tonnes of goods a year. The company currently has around 800 employees in Zurich, Basel, Berne and Lugano. Cargologic provides airlines and forwarders with customized services in all areas of freight handling. These include import, export and transit shipments, as well as the dispatch of special consignments and security checks for air freight.


Cargologic is part of the Rhenus Group
The Rhenus Group has an annual turnover of EUR 5.1 billion, making it one of the world’s leading logistics service providers. It has some 31,000 employees based at 660 locations. Throughout the supply chain, the Rhenus Group provides solutions for a wide range of industries, including multimodal transportation, storage, customs clearance and innovative added-value services.


This media release can be found at swissworldcargo.com

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05/08/2019
Swiss WorldCargo to launch nonstop service to Osaka, Japan and Washington D.C., U.S.A. in March 2020

Additional plans to increase capacity with year-round Boeing 777-300ER on flights to Tokyo, Japan and Miami, U.S.A.


Zurich Airport, 5 August 2019 – Swiss WorldCargo, the air freight division of Swiss International Air Lines, will begin nonstop services to Osaka, Japan, and Washington D.C., U.S.A., in March 2020. Flights to the two destinations will be operated by an Airbus A340-300 and Airbus A330-300, respectively.


Swiss WorldCargo will fly to Osaka five times weekly, while servicing Washington D.C. daily during its Summer Timetable, and five times weekly during its Winter Timetable. The new destinations will create nonstop connections between Japan’s third-largest city and the capital of the United States of America, while offering a weekly payload of 100 to 150 tonnes in each direction.


Additionally, the carrier will also begin operating a Boeing 777-300ER on daily flights to Tokyo, Japan, and Miami, U.S.A. Both destinations are already well-established and important routes within the Swiss WorldCargo network, currently flown with smaller Airbus A330 and A340 equipment. The Zurich-Tokyo route will be operated with Boeing 777-300ERs from February 2020 onwards, and the Zurich-Miami route will switch to all-Boeing 777-300ER service from Summer 2020. The larger-capacity Boeing 777-300ERs will offer an increase in payload.


“We are very excited to announce our new destinations for 2020, which allow us to expand our reach within strategic global markets,” said Alexander Arafa, Head of Global Area & Contribution Management. “By increasing capacity to and from major locations in Japan and the U.S.A, we are able to further meet the needs of our customers in these cities and their surrounding regions.”


Flights and schedule changes will begin going into effect following the arrival of two new Boeing 777-300ER to the SWISS aircraft fleet.


Swiss WorldCargo

Swiss WorldCargo is the airfreight division of Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS). Headquartered at Zurich Airport, Swiss WorldCargo offers a comprehensive range of logistics solutions for transporting high-value and care-intensive consignments to some 130 destinations in over 84 countries. The extensive Swiss WorldCargo network of airfreight services is further supplemented by daily truck connections between key business centers. As a reliable and innovative service provider within the Lufthansa Group, Swiss WorldCargo is consistently committed to delivering Swiss quality to its airfreight customers, and makes a substantial contribution to SWISS’s overall profitability.


This media release is also available on swissworldcargo.com

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02/07/2019
Swiss WorldCargo approves CSafe RAP for wide-bodied aircraft

2 July 2019, Zurich Airport, Switzerland – Swiss WorldCargo, the airfreight division of Swiss International Air Lines, has approved the CSafe RAP for its fleet of wide-bodied aircraft. The CSafe RAP is CSafe’s latest innovation in active temperature-controlled containers and has quickly gained approval to fly on an ever-expanding list of airlines. 


Susanne Wellauer, Head of Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare Vertical Industry Management, comments: “Swiss WorldCargo is delighted to allow CSafe RAP containers onboard our aircraft. Our partnership underscores not only a continued focus on quality in shipping temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical goods worldwide everyday, but also our dedication to finding the best solutions for doing so.”


Jeff Pepperworth, Chief Executive Officer for CSafe Global states, “Adding Swiss WorldCargo to our directory of airline partners approved to fly the CSafe RAP certainly extends our ability to serve more life-science customers with this state-of-the-art air cargo container solution.  We are proud to further our partnership with SWISS and believe the combination of our industry-leading solution with their pharma cargo service will go a long way to ensure that life-enhancing, temperature-sensitive products make it to patients in need around the world.”


The CSafe RAP is part of Swiss WorldCargo’s growing portfolio of temperature-controlled containers. It underscores CSafe’s dedication to quality and ensures Swiss WorldCargo’s commitment to providing the best solutions to maintain temperature integrity and the deliver temperature-sensitive, life-enhancing products worldwide.
 
Swiss WorldCargo
Swiss WorldCargo is the airfreight division of Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS). Headquartered at Zurich Airport, Swiss WorldCargo offers a comprehensive range of logistics solutions for transporting high-value and care-intensive consignments to some 130 destinations in over 84 countries. The extensive Swiss WorldCargo network of airfreight services is further supplemented by daily truck connections between key business centers. As a reliable and innovative service provider within the Lufthansa Group, Swiss WorldCargo is consistently committed to delivering Swiss quality to its airfreight customers, and makes a substantial contribution to SWISS’s overall profitability.
This media release can be found at swissworldcargo.com
 

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21/06/2019
Swiss WorldCargo wins DHL Care Award for the fourth time in a row, reflecting excellence in pharmaceutical and healthcare transport

Miami, June 21, 2019 – Swiss WorldCargo, the airfreight division of Swiss International Air Lines, has won the DHL CARE Award, this year for the fourth time in a row. The award was given by DHL Global Forwarding, the air and ocean freight specialist of Deutsche Post DHL Group, on June 19 in Miami, Florida.


The Carrier Award for Reliability and Excellence (CARE) honours air freight providers for their excellence in the handling and safe shipment of temperature-sensitive life science products. Recipients of the DHL CARE Award, which was first instituted back in 2016, offer exceptional service, quality, ground handling and innovative technologies and processes for their shipments. Swiss WorldCargo has previously received the award in 2016, 2017 and 2018.


“We are delighted and honoured to receive the 2019 DHL CARE Award, this time for the fourth year in a row,” said Ashwin Bhat, Head of Swiss WorldCargo. “This achievement underscores not only our work with DHL, but also both our companies’ continued commitment to best-in-class quality and service offerings in the field of temperature-sensitive cargo. We look forward to a continued strong partnership between our organizations and will continue with our focus on our reliability and quality commitment in the future.”


“Swiss WorldCargo has been one of our valued partners for many years. Being awarded with the DHL CARE Award for the fourth time in a row clearly reflects their service excellence,” stated Thomas Mack, Head of Global Air Freight, DHL Global Forwarding.

 

Swiss WorldCargo Swiss WorldCargo is the airfreight division of Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS). Headquartered at Zurich Airport, Swiss WorldCargo offers a comprehensive range of logistics solutions for transporting high-value and care-intensive consignments to some 130 destinations in over 84 countries. The extensive Swiss WorldCargo network of airfreight services is further supplemented by daily truck connections between key business centers. As a reliable and innovative service provider within the Lufthansa Group, Swiss WorldCargo is consistently committed to delivering Swiss quality to its airfreight customers, and makes a substantial contribution to SWISS’s overall profitability.

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19/06/2019
Cargo Matters goes digital

Zurich Airport, 19 June 2019 – Cargo Matters, Swiss WorldCargo’s customer magazine focusing on company as well as industry-wide developments, has transitioned to a digital format. It is now available as an easily accessible blog, providing readers with readily available stories highlighting the latest Swiss WorldCargo news and air cargo trends.


In the last fifteen years, Cargo Matters has developed a reputation for compelling, research-driven insights. The publication has sourced content from a variety of authors, including Swiss WorldCargo executives, industry leaders, and prominent air cargo journalists. With this shift to a new blog platform, the publication will offer similar content at a more frequent pace. Customers and readers will have regular access to success stories, thought leadership pieces, and a variety of digital content.


The new blog format will be divided into six main categories:


• Highlights: Cover stories highlighting the latest and most interesting topics at Swiss WorldCargo
• Collaboration: Customer stories focusing on how Swiss WorldCargo achieves successful results with its clients and partners
• Market Trends: An overview of trends in import-export, logistics and airfreight
• Insights: Expert editorial views about changes, innovation and other industry development
• People: Interviews and team portraits from throughout the Swiss WorldCargo network
• In Short: Quick news and updates, including awards, timetable changes, and much more.
The blog platform will also highlight the company’s commitment to sustainability. With a reduction in printing, the company expects to save 4.5 tonnes of paper per year.


“Shifting Cargo Matters to a blog underscores our ongoing commitment to quality content, digitalization and sustainability,” said Ashwin Bhat, Head of Swiss WorldCargo. “We are proud to continue offering the same level of journalism for our customers and readers everywhere, in a new, even faster and more easily accessible format compatible with all devices.”

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11/04/2019
Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) and Swiss WorldCargo launch New York’s first GDP-compliant airport facility

Zurich Airport/John F. Kennedy International Airport, 11 April 2019 – Worldwide Flight Services (WFS), the world’s largest air cargo handler and Swiss WorldCargo, the air freight division of Swiss International Air Lines and one of the industry’s leading pharma air carriers, opened New York’s first GDP (Good Distribution Practice) compliant pharma facility after achieving certification of its Building 66 at JFK airport.

The GDP certification confirms WFS’ compliance with World Health Organization (WHO), IATA, and Parenteral Drug Association (PDA) quality standards for handling pharmaceutical and life science products, as well as with Service Level Agreements signed with individual airline customers in New York.

“As the leading cargo handler at JFK, we are proud to be the first airline handling facility to become GDP certified, which is in response to growing customer demand for high quality, standardized pharma handling,” said Michael Simpson, WFS’ Executive Vice President Americas, who added: “We will continue to expand our network of certified facilities, adding to our current list of JFK and Miami in the Americas as well as multiple locations in Europe.”

“We are very excited that New York’s first GDP-compliant airline facility is located at Swiss WorldCargo’s warehouse,” said Michael Ganz, Head of Northeast-/Midwest USA and Canada for Swiss WorldCargo. “This latest addition of GDP-compliant facilities allows us to offer additional quality corridors to our pharma and healthcare customers. The certification of our boutique-like single-airline facility in New York further strengthens our position as a global quality leader.”

This initiative is aligned with WFS’ program to provide coordinated cold chain handling services which secure product integrity and ensure patient safety. Achieving GDP certification is further evidence of the company’s ability to deliver resilient working procedures and processes, as well as specialized and dedicated equipment for the handling of sensitive temperature-controlled cargo. The features of the program include a Pharmaceutical Handling Quality Manual and Quality Management System, dedicated cooler facilities, a Special Products Manager, as well as providing a team of fully experienced and trained personnel. WFS also invested in a new cooler for the 1,000 sq ft pharma facility at JFK in support of the GDP requirements.

The opening of this pharma facility also closely aligns with key Swiss WorldCargo values of customer focus and quality care. In 2018, Swiss WorldCargo received a global CEIV certification, which ensures that the company adheres to the highest standards of pharmaceutical handling globally. The airline remains committed to providing the highest standards at its stations worldwide. With three daily flights from Zurich and Geneva, JFK is an important North America-gateway for Swiss WorldCargo.

WFS has also signed a 15-year lease on a new state- of-the-art, 346,000 square feet cargo terminal at the airport, the first phase of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s comprehensive Vision Plan. The facility, which will have a throughput capacity of over 300 million kilos a year, will offer improved cargo flows and reduced transfer times, shorter truck waiting times and incorporate the latest security and screening systems and procedures. It will also house dedicated facilities for temperature-controlled pharmaceutical products and perishables cargo when it opens in 2020/21.

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31/03/2019
Swiss WorldCargo Summer 2019 Timetable goes into effect; offers increased capacity to North America and Asia

Zurich Airport, 31 March 2019 – Swiss WorldCargo, the air freight division of Swiss International Air Lines, today announced the launch of its Summer 2019 Timetable. Between now and October 2019, the airline will offer enhanced nonstop services between its hubs in Switzerland and gateways in North America and Asia.


With the launch of the Summer Timetable, Swiss WorldCargo will increase to daily Airbus A330-300 service from Zurich to both Montreal and Beijing.


Beginning in May, Swiss WorldCargo will also increase capacity on the following routes:
• Zurich – Chicago: Twelve weekly flights operated by a Boeing 777-300ER and an Airbus A330-300.
• Zurich – Vancouver: Four weekly flights operated by an Airbus A340-300.
• Zurich – Calgary: Two weekly flights operated by an Airbus A340-300.
• Zurich – San Diego: Weekly flight operated by an Airbus A340-300, upgraded to two weekly flights in July 2019.
Beginning in June, Swiss WorldCargo will increase capacity on the following route:
• Zurich – Boston: Up to fourteen weekly flights, operated by an Airbus A330-300 and Airbus A340-300.


Swiss WorldCargo will also continue to offer regular service to major destinations in North and South America including Newark, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Orlando, Tampa, Miami, Havana, San Jose, Punta Cana, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires and Sao Paulo.


In Asia, the carrier will continue to offer regular service to major destinations including Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok, Tokyo, Delhi and Bombay.


The entire Swiss WorldCargo network extends to over 170 destinations in over 80 countries.

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28/02/2019
Continued partnership between Edelweiss and Swiss WorldCargo

Zurich, February 28, 2019 – Edelweiss, Switzerland’s leading leisure travel airline and sister company of Swiss International Air Lines, and Swiss WorldCargo, the freight division of Swiss International Air Lines, have agreed to a continued partnership for the coming years.  

The agreement, effective since the beginning of 2019, will see Swiss WorldCargo continue to market and sell Edelweiss freight capacity. Both companies will benefit from the expanding Edelweiss network, while pursuing additional global growth opportunities. Swiss WorldCargo will maintain responsibility for managing the belly cargo of the entire Swiss International Air Lines and Edelweiss fleet on all applicable routes. 

Edelweiss and Swiss WorldCargo have enjoyed a close partnership since 2009. In recent years, the Edelweiss fleet and range of destinations has grown significantly. Edelweiss now flies to over 70 destinations in 34 countries, and the airline’s fleet consists of a total of 16 aircraft, including 10 Airbus A320s, 2 Airbus A330s, and 4 Airbus A340s. 

  Swiss WorldCargo markets cargo capacity for Edelweiss on the following destinations:
•    North and South America: Vancouver, Calgary, Cancun, San Jose, Tampa, Orlando, Punta Cana, Rio de Janeiro, San Diego, Havana and Buenos Aires
•    Africa and Asia: Phuket, Colombo, Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City, Malé, Mauritius and Cape Town
•    Europe: Larnaca, Gran Canaria, Pristina, Tenerife and Skopje

“Our partnership with Edelweiss offers great opportunities for both us and our customers, as we are able to complement our already strong international network with additional routes in diverse markets,” said Ashwin Bhat, Head of Swiss WorldCargo. “We look forward to a continued successful partnership with Edelweiss in the future.”

“Swiss WorldCargo has been a strong partner for us over the last several years,” said Bernd Bauer, CEO of Edelweiss. "As Edelweiss expands in both fleet size and destinations, we look forward to continuing to augment our network through their valuable support in managing cargo traffic on our routes.”
 

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2018

29/11/2018
Swiss WorldCargo promotes livery on new truck in Japan

Tokyo, Japan, 29 November 2018 – Swiss WorldCargo in Japan is promoting its Boeing 777-300ER livery on a new truck operated by Road Feeder Service (RFS) provider Hirano Logistics. 

Developed in partnership between Swiss WorldCargo and Hirano Logistics, the branded truck operates on different routes throughout Japan. The vehicle, which is temperature-controlled, ensures the safe and effective handling of various goods, including pharmaceuticals. While it does not carry exclusively Swiss WorldCargo freight, the truck promotes the company and brand as it travels throughout Japan to meet the needs of customers.

The freighter’s livery focuses on a Boeing 777-300ER from three angles, offering different visualizations. On the right side, a close-up reveals the back of an engine alongside the Swiss WorldCargo livery. The left shows a Swiss WorldCargo airplane flying above the alps, while the back displays an impressive take-off.  

“We are very proud of our collaboration in successfully developing and launching this initiative,” said Tango Tomonari, Head of Cargo Japan with Swiss WorldCargo. “It’s an excellent way for Swiss WorldCargo to continue positioning and promoting itself within the Japanese market. At the same time, the impressive pharmaceutical handling capabilities of this truck ensure that a diverse range of products can be delivered to various destinations for different customers.”

Swiss WorldCargo operates a daily flight via A340-300 to Tokyo Narita Airport via Zurich Airport. In addition to this, an extensive, already established network of trucks transports the carrier’s freight throughout the country.

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28/10/2018
Swiss WorldCargo begins operating new routes for Winter Timetable 2018

Swiss WorldCargo, the airfreight division of Swiss International Air Lines, will begin operating new flights according to its Winter Timetable. This year’s Winter Timetable introduces new global destinations in Asia and South America.

Flights to Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon from Zurich will commence on November 15, 2018, operated twice weekly, while flights to Colombo, Sri Lanka will begin operating on November 3, 2018, two times weekly. A twice-weekly flight to Buenos Aires, Argentina, will begin on 7 November.

By servicing these additional destinations, Swiss WorldCargo will continue to focus on meeting customer demands as well as complementing already established routes within the network. In Asia, Swiss WorldCargo currently handles cargo traffic on direct flights to Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Bangkok, Singapore and Phuket. In South America, destinations include São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

"The introduction of these new routes offers great new opportunities for us," said Ashwin Bhat, Head of Cargo with Swiss International Air Lines. "This shows the impressive intercontinental footprint of both Swiss International Air Lines and Swiss WorldCargo. In addition to our increased cargo capacity with the arrival of new Boeing 777-300ERs, new destinations allow us to showcase our best-in-class quality and service on a variety of global routes."

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23/07/2018
Swiss WorldCargo fully CEIV certified

Swiss WorldCargo, the air cargo division of Swiss International Air Lines, has received IATA’s Center for Independent Validators (CEIV) Pharma certification encompassing the entire airline and organization. The certification was awarded following an extensive review from IATA recognised independent auditors. Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO handed over the certificate to Michael Niggemann, Chief Financial Officer and Member of Management Board of Swiss International Air Lines.

Swiss WorldCargo’s Zurich hub has already received the distinction of being CEIV certified in 2016, and is also recognised as GDP compliant by Swiss authorities Swissmedic. Based on meeting all necessary requirements, IATA now recognises Swiss WorldCargo’s globally consistent pharmaceutical handling and processes to safeguard product intergrity and maintain high quality standards. With this milestone, Swiss WorldCargo has now become part of a small group of airlines who have earned this recognition.

“I am incredibly proud of our achievement in attaining full CEIV pharma certification,” said Ashwin Bhat, Head of Cargo. “Quality, reliability and long-standing experience underscore all our efforts in shipping products around the globe, and we are delighted to have been recognised at not just our hub, but throughout our entire airline and network. Our commitment to upholding safety standards throughout our global network offers us opportunities to carry out pharmaceutical shipments around the world. We are happy to play a valuable role in the shipment of pharmaceutical and life-saving products every day.”

“IATA congratulates Swiss WorldCargo on this important achievement, which demonstrates their commitment to the critical safeguarding of the integrity of pharma products. CEIV Pharma certification ensures these lifesaving products are handled using the best global standards of safety, security, compliance and efficiency,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

Swiss WorldCargo continues to develop a “pharma road-map” to improve its footprint in the important and growing segment of pharmaceuticals and life sciences. Previously, Swiss WorldCargo was the first company to establish the so-called “quality corridors,” or dedicated pharma traffic lanes between select destinations, that offer safe pharmaceutical shipments from airport to airport. With its CEIV Pharma certification, the firm provides further evidence of its adherence to the most important and strict international regulations standards for pharma shipments and further enhances its leadership in this segment.


Swiss WorldCargo
Swiss WorldCargo is the airfreight division of Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS). Headquartered at Zurich Airport, Swiss WorldCargo offers a comprehensive range of logistics solutions for transporting high-value and care-intensive consignments to some 130 destinations in over 84 countries. The extensive Swiss WorldCargo network of airfreight services is further supplemented by daily truck connections between key business centers. As a reliable and innovative service provider within the Lufthansa Group, Swiss WorldCargo is consistently committed to delivering Swiss quality to its airfreight customers, and makes a substantial contribution to SWISS’s overall profitability. This media release can be found at swissworldcargo.com

Contact information Swiss WorldCargo:

Alexandra Dahl
Senior Manager
Head of Cargo Marketing and Communications
+41 44 564 42 58
alexandra.dahl-augustin@swiss.com

Fabian Mettler
Cargo Communications Executive
+41 44 564 47 54
fabian.mettler@swiss.com

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04/07/2018
Swiss WorldCargo and Lufthansa Cargo receive DHL Care Award

Quality, expertise and innovation in transporting temperature-sensitive cargo recognized

Swiss WorldCargo and Lufthansa Cargo were awarded with the DHL Care Award, which recognizes both air freight providers for their excellence in the handling and safe shipment of temperature-sensitive life science products.

The awards ceremony took place on 28 June in Lake Maggiore, Italy. The DHL Care Awards, inaugurated in 2016, recognize the safe transport of temperature-sensitive life sciences products. Carriers receiving the award are selected by DHL based on their experience in shipment quality, ground handling expertise and innovation. Swiss WorldCargo previously received this award in 2016 and 2017, and Lufthansa Cargo in 2017.

“We are honored to receive the DHL Care Award 2018, this time for the third year in a row,” said Ashwin Bhat, Head of Cargo at SWISS International Air Lines. “We are proud of this recognition and consider it a testament to our organisation’s continued dedication to the safe delivery and transportation of pharmaceutical products throughout the world.”

“We are very pleased that we have again received this important customer award together with our group colleagues for our services in the field of temperature-sensitive cargo. We will continue doing our utmost to offer our customers the most reliable and innovative solutions and to set new standards in the industry,” said Peter Gerber, CEO and chairman of the executive board of Lufthansa Cargo.

Swiss WorldCargo
Swiss WorldCargo is the airfreight division of Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS). Headquartered at Zurich Airport, Swiss WorldCargo offers a comprehensive range of logistics solutions for transporting high-value and care-intensive consignments to some 130 destinations in over 84 countries. The extensive Swiss WorldCargo network of airfreight services is further supplemented by daily truck connections between key business centers. As a reliable and innovative service provider within the Lufthansa Group, Swiss WorldCargo is consistently committed to delivering Swiss quality to its airfreight customers, and makes a substantial contribution to SWISS’s overall profitability. This media release can be found at swissworldcargo.com

Lufthansa Cargo AG
Lufthansa Cargo ranks among the world’s leading air freight carriers. In the 2017 business year, the airline transported around 1.6 million tonnes of freight and mail and sold 8.9 billion revenue tonne-kilometres. The company currently employs about 4,500 people worldwide. Lufthansa Cargo focuses on the airport-to-airport business. The cargo carrier serves around 300 destinations in more than 100 countries with its own fleet of freighters, the belly capacities of passenger aircraft operated by Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines and Eurowings, and an extensive road feeder service network. The bulk of the cargo business is routed through Frankfurt Airport. Lufthansa Cargo is a wholly owned Lufthansa subsidiary of Deutsche Lufthansa AG.

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07/06/2018
Swiss WorldCargo reaches 36 QEP accredited Stations

Envirotainer, the global market leader in secure cold chain solutions for the pharmaceutical supply chain, announced today that Swiss WorldCargo now has 36 QEP accredited stations, comprised of QEP Basic, Advanced and Expert levels. With 31 stations receiving the QEP Advanced accreditation, Swiss WorldCargo has the highest number of stations with this distinction within the industry. Alongside this, the airline’s Zurich hub has recently been recognized as a QEP Expert station, based on its GDP compliance and CEIV certification.

Bourji Mourad, Head of Global Partner Management at Envirotainer, said “Swiss WorldCargo demonstrates their commitment to providing best-in-class services to their customers, and the pharmaceutical industry by promoting best practices and industry standards, such as the Qualified Envirotainer Provider (QEP) program. The commitment by teams on both sides is very encouraging and we expect such announcements to continue.”

“This is another very important milestone for Swiss WorldCargo on our pharma road-map,” said Susanne Wellauer, Head of Vertical Industry Pharmaceutical and Healthcare. “It clearly shows the expertise of our teams and our ability to handle Envirotainer shipments in accordance with the industry standard Goods Distribution Practice. The QEP expert level of our Zurich hub is a clear evidence of our premium SWISS quality that extends through the whole Swiss WorldCargo network of 31 QEP advanced stations.”

Envirotainer launched the award-winning QEP program over 10 years ago to promote the safe handling of pharmaceuticals. QEP has led the way for other pharmaceutical handling certification programs and has, with approximately 40 participating companies, educated tens of thousands of individuals at more than 730 participating stations across the world. The effect has been to promote strong distribution practices and standardize the safe handling of Envirotainer containers.

“The QEP program and its participants serve to protect the safe delivery of Pharmaceuticals for the benefit of the patient,” said Chris Fore, Compliance Manager at Envirotainer. “QEP is both a benchmark and a means by which we engage our partners to provide consistent service and fulfill Good Distribution Practice requirements from Pharmaceutical companies. It helps pharmaceutical companies identify potential hazards and control the subsequent risks.”

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2017

28/11/2017
Swiss WorldCargo further strengthens its network of “quality corridors” with the renewal of the GDP compliance at Zurich hub

Swiss WorldCargo’s hub in Zurich reaffirms its position as a leading airport when it comes to handling pharmaceutical shipments: Swissmedic, the Swiss authority responsible for the authorization and supervision of therapeutic products, renewed the Cargologic handling facilities’ GDP compliance certification in September 2017. Swiss WorldCargo’s ground handling partner was one of the first to secure GPD compliance in 2014 and the "Center of Excellence for Independent Validators" (CEIV) certification from IATA for the handling of pharmaceutical products in 2015.

Over the last two years, Swiss WorldCargo has been investing heavily in replicating this best practice model in collaboration with its ground-handling partners around the world. A network of certified trade lanes is being implemented to ensure the highest quality standards and product integrity in cold chain handling on a global scale. By the end of 2017, some 50 "quality corridors" are expected to be in place, covering the top pharma destinations.

Swiss WorldCargo is also seeking to extend the Envirotainer QEP (Qualified Envirotainer Provider) programme, which recognizes its partner carriers as competent service providers when handling Envirotainer active units around their network; 30 stations in the Swiss WorldCargo network have already received this accreditation and more will follow in the coming months.

Swiss WorldCargo has also further enhanced its capabilities when handling pharma products with the implementation of the additional storage temperature range "ERT" in the cool storage facilities at the main pharma destinations.

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15/08/2017
Swiss WorldCargo: new organizational set-up in the Americas

The air cargo division of SWISS announces a new organizational set-up in the American market and the appointment of Mr. Hendrik Falk as Regional Manager Western, Southern USA & South America.

Effective October 2017, Swiss WorldCargo’s American organization will be consolidated from three to two regions: Western, Southern USA & South America and Northeast/Midwest USA and Canada.

The newly created region Western, Southern USA & South America will be headed by Hendrik Falk, who has recently joined Swiss WorldCargo and will be based in Atlanta. Hendrik has extensive executive experience and almost thirty years expertise in the air cargo industry. In his former role as Vice President North and South America of an international all cargo carrier, he was responsible for all aspects of that company’s activities in both continents. Previously, he held several executive roles for industry leaders in various challenging capacities in the USA, Asia and in Europe.

The region Northeast/Midwest USA and Canada will continue to be led by Mr. Michael Ganz, based in New York. Michael joined the American organization two years ago, after holding several commercial management positions at Swisscargo and Swiss WorldCargo in Zurich.

Mr. René Brechbuehl, who had been successfully heading the region South-East USA & South America for the last 3 years, will be leaving Swiss WorldCargo in October to begin his well-deserved retirement following 44 years of service with Swissair and SWISS.

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22/06/2017
Swiss WorldCargo awarded again for the DHL CARE Award

Swiss WorldCargo, together with Lufthansa Cargo and two other air cargo carriers have been rewarded for the DHL CARE Award in 2017. All of the nominees are recognized for excellence in transporting temperature-sensitive life science products.
Swiss WorldCargo feels greatly honoured for the recognition of its performance and core expertise via this industry wide award.

 
DHL, the world’s leading logistics and shipping provider, recognized Lufthansa Cargo & Swiss WorldCargo, United Cargo and Emirates SkyCargo as the recipients of this year’s Carrier Award for Reliability and Excellence.
Inaugurated in 2016, the DHL CARE Awards acknowledge air freight providers, whose services set the industry standard for the transport of temperature-sensitive life sciences products.
The DHL CARE Awards were presented at the 17th DHL Global Life Sciences and Healthcare Conference in Singapore this week, where close to 400 life sciences and healthcare leaders met to discuss major supply chain trends affecting the industry.


This year’s DHL CARE Award winners were chosen from a pool of carriers according to criteria including shipment quality, ground handling expertise and innovation in both technology and process. The award recipients all demonstrated extremely high levels of shipment performance, combined with a variety of factors including rigorous certification and bold infrastructural investments.


Swiss WorldCargo is very happy that its reliability and excellence gets a wide recognition. Ashwin Bhat, Head of Cargo at SWISS, comments: “It is a great honour for us to be nominated again for the DHL CARE Award, we are very proud. We also are encouraged to be on the right track on tackling the two major challenges which determine our business nowadays; the increasing need for customisation and the complexity of the regulatory framework. We will continue to improve on these core challenges and finding innovative solutions for our clients.”

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11/04/2017
Swiss WorldCargo appoints Alexandra Dahl-Augustin as Head of Marketing and Communications

Swiss WorldCargo, the airfreight division of Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS), has announced the appointment of Alexandra Dahl-Augustin as the new Senior Manager Head of Marketing and Communications.

 

Alexandra joined Swiss WorldCargo in December 2014 and since then she has been responsible for Key Account Management both in defining and building Swiss WorldCargo’s key account strategy. Alexandra was developing and creating stronger customer relationships with the strategic partners of Swiss WorldCargo.
 

“With her experience and educational background, we look forward to Alexandra leading our efforts to meet our key strategic success factors of positioning and enhancing our brand promise and values. In her new role, Alexandra is responsible for both communication disciplines: Marketing, Public Relation and Internal Communication,” said Ashwin Bhat, Head of Cargo, Swiss International Air Lines.
 

Before joining Swiss WorldCargo she held various positions in passenger sales within American Airlines, Lufthansa and Swiss International Air Lines.
 

Alexandra holds an MBA in Sales and Marketing from Danube University Krems in Austria. A German national, Alexandra is proficient in German, English and with basic knowledge in French and Spanish.

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05/04/2017
Swiss WorldCargo rolls out new organisational structure

Swiss WorldCargo rolls out a new organisational structure to further develop its brand presence and to meet the challenges of the global logistics industry.

 

To keep pace with the modern challenges of global logistics and to align with the rapid transformation taking place across the supply chain, Swiss WorldCargo, the airfreight division of Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS), announces a restructuring of its organisational setup to further enhance its brand promise to its global customers.

The new structure, in place since the beginning of 2017, was designed to enable Swiss WorldCargo to offer new business solutions on today’s logistics challenges, and to further strengthen the company’s position as a service and quality leader. The new structure is based on three pillars: Business Development & Customer Experience, Area & Contribution Management, and Quality & Services. 

“The new organisational structure of Swiss WorldCargo is designed to make it more agile and to put our customers in the centre of all our activities. It is our purpose to enable our organisation to provide the right solutions and services to new logistic needs,” says Ashwin Bhat, Head of Cargo, Swiss International Air Lines. “In a people business like air cargo, it is extremely important that these services are supported by a well-structured organisation and delivered by skilled professionals who can play to their individual strengths bringing diverse and varied experience.”

The Cargo Business Development & Customer Experience is headed by Andrés L. Perez. Andrés’ mission is to create strategy and capabilities within Swiss WorldCargo to understand market demands to improve our products and services for our customers. Andrés will lead his team to bring Swiss WorldCargo a step closer to customers and further enhance its focus on customer service engagement and creating stakeholder value.

Alexander Arafa took on his new role as Head of Cargo Area & Contribution Management in 2016. Alexander is in charge of Swiss WorldCargo’s regional organisation and contribution management, improving decision making speed and cooperation between the head office and outstations to enable quick responses to customer requests. Accelerating time to market is the goal of Alexander and his team. 

Christian Wyss, the new Head of Cargo Quality & Services, ensures that the transportation chain works seamlessly with fulfilling our promise to our customers. Christian’s team will ensure operational excellence with increased process efficiency and simplification at Swiss WorldCargo while fully complying with industry and regulatory standards.

All three departments are supported by the central functions of Audit, Safety & Compliance, Training & Continuous Improvement, Marketing & Communications, and Procurement & Supplier Management.

 

Ashwin Bhat

A 47 year old Indian national, Ashwin joined Swiss WorldCargo in 2002. After several years serving in various capacities within Pricing, Revenue Management and Controlling, he was appointed Head of Area Management Asia, Middle East & Africa in 2010. Responsibility for the Americas was added to his remit in November 2012. Prior to his appointment as Head of Cargo in 2015, he served as Swiss WorldCargo’s Head of Global Area Management, in overall charge of worldwide sales of the Swiss WorldCargo product.

Andrés L. Perez

Andrés brings to Swiss WorldCargo a fresh perspective from his professional experience gained working across some of the world’s biggest luxury brands – e.g. Swarovski and Burberry. Prior to joining Swiss WorldCargo early 2017, he was the Transportation Manager for Global Travel Retail with Estée Lauder Companies. Between 2010 and 2015, he worked with Swarovski in various functions, as Senior Project and Process Manager, Head of Sourcing and Product Development and Supply Chain Manager.

 

Alexander Arafa

Prior to joining Swiss WorldCargo in 2016, Alexander was Head of Cabin Crew of Swiss International Air Lines since 2008. Alexander began at Swissair in 1999 as Head of Sales Europe, headed Product Development at SWISS from 2001 to 2005, and served three years as Vice President Sales Europe.

 

Christian Wyss

Christian began his career with Swissair in 1992. In 2002 he joined Swiss WorldCargo as Manager Pricing & Capacity Distribution. Prior to his current role Christian became Head of Cargo Procurement at Swiss WorldCargo in 2010.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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10/03/2017
Swiss WorldCargo launches new website

New swissworldcargo.com puts user experience and its customers at the center.

 

Swiss WorldCargo has completely overhauled its website with the customer at the center of the redesign process. Several seminars around the world were held to better understand the needs of the customers and create an engaging user experience. With its responsive design the new website can be used over all devices, be it desktop, mobile or tablet. The new design of swissworldcargo.com is closely tied to the award winning website swiss.com of Swiss International Air Lines.

Apart from enhanced and renewed content that better reflects the business strategy of Swiss WorldCargo, a social media feed and an improved Track'n'Trace feature have been implemented. The website provides enhanced transparency and more actual information regarding the shipment status to Swiss WorldCargo’s  customers which results in an improved customer service. Further, a new Route Finder offers an enhanced timetable functionality with a wider display of routing options and pharma capability information for each routing.

Watch our demo video and get an overview of the new features and benefits for the user.

The new website went live on 1st March and will be continuously refined with additional features over the course of 2017.

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2016

17/11/2016
Swiss WorldCargo offers real-time visibility for sensitive shipments

Swiss WorldCargo allows approved active tracking devices and provides a 24/7 dedicated intervention team for additional customer peace of mind.

The need for timely information and transparency is a key requirement in supply chain logistics, since, despite careful planning, cargo irregularities can occur, such as temperature deviation, misrouting or pilferage.

That is why Swiss WorldCargo now allows the transportation of SWISS-approved active tracking devices (ATDs) as of November 2016. Additionally, Swiss WorldCargo provides a 24/7 dedicated intervention team able to react to any deviation worldwide based on ATD data.

“This service is unique to Swiss WorldCargo customers as it offers the transparency of real-time information and an intervention team which can influence transportation quality in real-time. Fully in line with the GDP and Swiss WorldCargo philosophy, this worldwide initiative will support the overall continuous service improvements required by the forwarders, shippers and the supply chain,” said Alain Guerin, Head of Product, Services and Technology Management.

The following ATDs are approved:

 

  • 7PSolutions GD100
  • 7PSolutions GL200
  • 7PSolutions GL300
  • 7PSolutions GL300W
  • Cartasense U-Sensor
  • Moog Crossbow ILC2000
  • Senseaware 2000
  • Sendum PT300D
  • OnAsset Sentry500 Flightsafe
  • OnAsset Sentry400
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06/09/2016
Swiss WorldCargo launches new brand identity campaign

Swiss WorldCargo has launched a new advertising campaign. While retaining its well-established “We care for your cargo.” claim, the new campaign is focused more on the customer than ever before. As such, it puts an even greater emphasis on Swiss WorldCargo’s “brand DNA” of being a forward-thinking, solution-oriented, caring and sustainable provider of quality airfreight services.

With its sophisticated logistics, its extensive route network, its people and its quality transportation services, Swiss WorldCargo creates decisive added value for each and every customer, which turns into success stories. “The aim of the campaign is to show how Swiss WorldCargo helps the customer to be successful,” comments Ashwin Bhat, Head of Cargo at Swiss International Air Lines.  

There are examples of this every single day. And three of them have been selected for the new Swiss WorldCargo campaign: an art transport for an exhibition that went on to attract record visitor numbers, a consignment to a research lab which will improve patients’ quality of life, and a vital spare part for a shipping line that will put a loss-making laid-up vessel back into revenue-earning service.

The three visuals chosen illustrate the vast range of products and services that Swiss WorldCargo offers. And the stories behind them also highlight Swiss WorldCargo’s superbly-coordinated collaboration with so many vital business partners.

“In a world of commoditization, it is imperative that we differentiate and further highlight our core capabilities,” Bhat continues. “With the new advertising campaign, we aim at further strengthening our brand promise and values and at demonstrating that we will continue “delivering success” to our customers.”

 

 

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19/04/2016
Swiss WorldCargo signs agreement with va-Q-tec

Swiss WorldCargo expands SWISS °Celsius Passive product portfolio with high-performance container solutions from va-Q-tec on global lanes

Swiss WorldCargo, the airfreight division of Swiss International Air Lines Ltd., signed a partnership agreement with award-winning company va-Q-tec, a leader in passive closed cold chain container solutions within a global service network. The additional offering of va-Q-tec’s advanced passive solution containers within its portfolio will support pharmaceutical manufacturers and forwarders to ship their temperature sensitive goods within the global network of Swiss WorldCargo through direct airline rentals, cost-efficiently and with the highest quality standards.

After the signing ceremony at the SWISS headquarters in Zurich on the 18th of April, Dominic Hyde, Managing Director va-Q-tec Limited, says: “va-Q-tec has been requested by pharma customers to establish a partnership with Swiss WorldCargo to enable direct container rentals. Many pharma shippers and forwarders see the cargo division of SWISS as a strategic partner for reliably transporting pharmaceuticals and they want the simplicity of ordering the va-Q-tainer containers through the airline directly. Today we have made this step and we look forward to a successful cooperation with Swiss WorldCargo on a global basis”.

“With va-Q-tec’s cutting edge containers we welcome the opportunity to offer a more complete, value-added passive solution set to our pharma & healthcare client base worldwide,” remarks Ashwin Bhat, Head of Cargo at SWISS. “As a specialist and global leader in the air transportation of high-value and care-intensive shipments, we are excited about the partnership agreement with a leading supplier like va-Q-tec, sharing similar values and reputation for quality and operational excellence.”

va-Q-tec offers a unique advanced passive solution portfolio with five hard shell container sizes, taking up to two pallets inside, and  temperatures ranges from -70°C to +25°C. Within the ‘Load & Go’ rental concept, va-Q-tec containers reach their customers fully temperature preconditioned and ready to be loaded for one way rental shipments over five days or more on global lanes. va-Q-tec upholds highest quality assurance measures before and after every shipment which have made the company become the frontrunner in innovative and reliable cold chain packaging solutions.

The global product launch will take place in June 2016 with Swiss WorldCargo and va-Q-tec continuing to serve existing customers in the meantime.

 

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19/01/2016
Swiss WorldCargo’s ground handling partner Cargologic obtains CEIV certification at Zurich Airport

Swiss WorldCargo’s ground handling partner Cargologic obtained certification as a "Center of Excellence for Independent Validators" (CEIV) from IATA for the handling of pharmaceutical products at Zurich Airport. The certification further assures cool chain integrity to customers throughout Swiss WorldCargo global network.

 

The temperature-controlled handling of pharmaceutical products is becoming increasingly challenging owing to global regulatory conditions. The Center of Excellence for Independent Validators in Pharmaceutical Logistics (CEIV Pharma) was created by IATA to support the air transport industry in complying with pharmaceutical manufacturers’ requirements.

The industry identified a need to build a network of certified pharmaceutical trade lanes that meet consistent standards and assure product integrity. With the pharmaceutical sector being one of the key driving forces of the Swiss economy, the volumes of pharmaceutical and biotech shipments being transported via Zurich Airport – transfer shipments in particular – is ever increasing; Swiss WorldCargo Zurich’s ground handling partner Cargologic is continuously investing in the development of a leading-edge technical and operating expertise to better serve the needs of the Swiss pharmaceutical industry.

"Besides the regulatory landscape becoming more and more complex when it comes to the transportation of pharmaceutical products, the industry demands for more and more customised solutions and we believe that with our vertical industry approach and the choice of the right business partners such as Cargologic we are on the right track to meet the needs of the industry," comments Susanne Wellauer, Vertical Industry Manager Pharma & Healthcare. "With Cargologic completing the CEIV process, we can now offer pharmaceutical handling excellence at Zurich Hub and meet our customers’ needs for more safety, security, compliance and efficiency."

Before the CEIV Certification, another two crucial milestones were achieved in the last two years by Cargologic: in 2014, our ground handling partner was awarded the GDP compliance from Swissmedic (the Swiss drug registration institution) and, last April, cold storage facilities were expanded, to meet the quantitative and qualitative capacity requirements for the storage of temperature-sensitive shipments.

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29/01/2016
SWISS receives its first Boeing 777-300ER

Swiss International Air Lines Ltd. took delivery of the first of its nine new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft today. The new twinjet will also enable its Swiss WorldCargo division to offer improved airfreight services and enhanced environmental performance on its long-haul operations.

The first of the nine Boeing 777-300ERs which SWISS has ordered arrived at Zurich Airport this morning. The aircraft, which bears the registration HB-JNA, was flown directly to Zurich from Boeing’s Everett Factory in the state of Washington in the USA.

The new long-haul twinjet will enable the airline’s Swiss WorldCargo division to offer improved airfreight services between its Zurich hub and points such as New York JFK, Hong Kong, Montreal, Los Angeles, Bangkok, São Paulo, San Francisco and Tel Aviv.

“Our acquisition of this innovative aircraft is a further confirmation of Swiss WorldCargo’s commitment to premium Swiss quality, both in the air and on the ground, flexibility and top customer service,” says Ashwin Bhat, Head of Cargo at SWISS. “The youngest – and biggest – member of the SWISS fleet won’t just extend our service offer to our customers: it will also enhance the environmental performance of our long-haul operations, as it produces substantially lower carbon emissions and is impressively low-noise.”

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11/02/2016
Swiss WorldCargo accelerates e-AWB implementation

Swiss WorldCargo, the air cargo division of SWISS, has been intensifying its efforts to adopt the new electronic air waybill or e-AWB. SWISS is one of a number of IATA airlines that have taken the lead in the e-AWB 360 campaign, and have committed to offering e-AWB under the "Single Process" concept at a number of airports.

Swiss WorldCargo is switching to e-AWB as the preferred means of shipping cargo, using the "Single Process" service. As envisaged under the "e-AWB 360 campaign" promoted by IATA to accelerate process implementation, the new e-AWB approach is offered to all destinations and to all customers at a number of airports.

Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) became the first such "e-airport" on 1 January, joined by Paris (CDG) on 1 February, and by Zurich (ZRH), Dubai (DXB), Singapore (SIN), London (LHR) and Milan (MXP and SWK) on 1 March. Additional key airports will follow in subsequent months.

"The e AWB 360 campaign marks another important milestone on the front of paperless cargo," comments Christine Barden, Head of Transportation Processes at Swiss WorldCargo. "At Swiss WorldCargo we have a holistic approach and we work extensively with regulators, freight forwarders, ground handling agents and other key stakeholders worldwide to achieve a paperless and more secure supply chain: In Zurich, for instance, we were the first airline to adopt the eCSD "Electronic Consignment Security Declarations" which complements the paperless acceptance of air cargo."

About the e-AWB Single Process

The e-AWB “Single Process”, which Swiss WorldCargo adopted in summer 2015, makes e-AWB adoption much smoother for the freight forwarding community. Under the process, the forwarder can tender all shipments to the airline without a paper AWB, even on trade lanes where a paper AWB is generally required. The benefits are considerable, from a faster acceptance time to easier regulatory compliance, and from reduced operating costs to improved reliability. And the e-AWB allows enhanced visibility and transparency, too.

The e-AWB Single Process in 10 Steps is available at: here

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16/02/2016
Alexander Arafa named new Head of Global Area Management at Swiss World Cargo

Alexander Arafa, currently Head of Cabin Crew at SWISS, has been appointed Head of Global Area Management at Swiss WorldCargo. He will assume his new duties on 1 June. He succeeds Ashwin Bhat, who became Head of Cargo last October.  

In his new capacity Alexander Arafa will be in overall charge of the worldwide sales of Swiss WorldCargo products and services. 

Thomas Klühr, Chief Executive Officer, stated: “We are delighted to have appointed a proven executive from within our own ranks to this important position. In addition to his extensive sales expertise from his earlier airline career, Alexander also brings the ideal credentials to his new post through the eight years he has spent as the head of our cabin crew corps.”

Alexander Arafa, who is 55, can draw on a thorough airline knowledge along with more than 25 years of experience in the sales field. A German/Egyptian dual national, he began his airline career in Hamburg as an accounting analyst with Northwest Airlines some 33 years ago. He went on to hold sales positions with Olympic Airways and American Airlines before joining Lufthansa in 1993 as its General Manager Sales & Distribution USA, based in New York. Three years later he was called to Frankfurt to become Vice President Sales Strategy. At the end of 1999 Alexander joined Swissair as Head of Sales Europe. He was in charge of our Product Development at SWISS from 2001 to 2005, and then served three years as Vice President Sales Europe before assuming his present position as Head of Cabin Crew in 2008. 

Ashwin Bhat commented:  “We are pleased to welcome Alexander Arafa to Swiss WorldCargo. Alexander’s strong commercial expertise, vast experience and personality, will perfectly complement our current skill set and Swiss WorldCargo culture.“

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14/06/2016
Swiss WorldCargo, Cargologic and SATS launch quality corridor between Singapore and Zurich

Swiss WorldCargo, Cargologic and SATS have today established a secure temperature-controlled, quality corridor between Singapore and Zurich.

Swiss WorldCargo, Cargologic and SATS have synchronised their cargo handling facilities and procedures between Singapore and Zurich, to deliver the most accurate, reliable handling on the ground and in the air, with full paperless cargo acceptance processes that enhance visibility and transparency for shippers.

The primary target for this initiative is the pharmaceutical industry, with their need for the highest levels of certified, temperature integrity and tracking. Both Cargologic and SATS are certified as part of IATA’s Centre of Excellence for Independent Validators (CEIV) in pharmaceutical handling. They are also compliant under Good Distribution Practices (GDP) regulations and employ a trained team of cold-chain handling specialists. These certifications offer Swiss WorldCargo’s customers an assurance of the highest standards in cold-chain handling, and help to promote the carriage of pharmaceuticals and other temperature-sensitive airfreight on the Singapore-Zurich route.

“Switzerland exports a third of its entire exports by airfreight in terms of value. This reflects the fact that the goods of the Swiss export industry’s goods are of high value e.g. pharmaceuticals. The investment in our relationship underscores our faith in Zurich as one of the top cargo airports for handling pharmaceutical products. We believe this gives a clear signal to the pharmaceutical industry to use Cargologic and SATS in Zurich and Singapore respectively. Together with our partner SATS we will improve all involved processes to a very high quality level to fulfil the needs of our customer Swiss WorldCargo,” said Marco Gredig, Managing Director, Cargologic. 

“We are pleased to partner with Swiss WorldCargo and Cargologic, to enhance connectivity between their hub in Singapore and Zurich, and to our wider airfreight handling network across Asia. Together, we will continue to innovate new solutions to meet the changing needs of our customers,” said Alex Hungate, President and Chief Executive Officer, SATS.

“In a collaborative world this alliance is about exchanging best practices, sharing synergies and knowledge and promoting innovation. Together with our partners, we can deliver excellence and provide quality leadership, especially in the temperature-controlled transport management,” said Ashwin Bhat, Head of Cargo, Swiss International Air Lines Ltd.^

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28/06/2016
Swiss WorldCargo Receives DHL CARE Award

Reliability and excellence are core values in logistics – especially for temperature-sensitive shipments. Swiss WorldCargo feels very honored that its performance and core expertise has been recognized in the 1st DHL CARE Award.

DHL, the world’s leading logistics and shipping provider, recognized the performance of Swiss WorldCargo and three other air cargo carriers with the first DHL Carrier Award for Reliability and Excellence. DHL CARE Award sets a new industry standard for airfreight transport of temperature-sensitive life science products.

Swiss WorldCargo and the other carriers who received the DHL CARE Award achieved the highest ranking in an evaluation in terms of performance, attention to quality and innovative leadership. The ranking included indicators such as shipment temperature consistency, effective communication and collaboration, process compliance, airport hub assessments and near-real-time data sharing.

Swiss WorldCargo is very delighted that its reliability and excellence gets a wide recognition. Ashwin Bhat, Head of Cargo at SWISS, comments: “It makes us very proud that we have been awarded by DHL – and it encourages us to further improve on these core values and continue finding innovative solutions for our clients.”

Over the last years, Swiss WorldCargo has become one of the world’s leading air cargo carriers for cold chain logistics. It offers individual services for temperature-controlled and temperature-sensitive shipments as well as cold storage facilities at Zurich Airport.

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06/07/2016
Brand-new, efficient Bombardier C Series enters service at SWISS

Just months after the introduction of the Boeing 777-300ER, the brand-new SWISS Bombardier CS100 enters service, reducing carbon and noise emissions on short haul flights, while offering improved temperature control capabilities to Swiss WorldCargo’s clients.

On Friday 15th July 2016, the brand new SWISS Bombardier C Series will enter service. The new aircraft’s first commercial flight LX638 will take it from Zurich to Paris Charles de Gaulle. The CS100 is set to replace its predecessor, the Avro RJ100, throughout autumn.

The commencement of scheduled operations with the new Bombardier twinjet marks another milestone in SWISS history, shortly following the successful service entry of the Boeing 777-300ER. The new aircraft are reflecting our innovativeness, operative excellence and commitment to sustainability.

Innovation leadership: co-creating value with Bombardier

The SWISS Bombardier C Series is a next-generation aircraft, made of cutting edge materials and technology. As the launching carrier, SWISS pushed innovation forward with Bombardier. The results are visible in the following facts:

- Compared to the RJ100, the CS100 reduces carbon emissions by 25%
- To the human ear, the C Series halves noise emissions compared to the RJ100, which will particularly benefit residential areas close to airports
- The aircraft has the same cargo capacity as the RJ100 in terms of volume and weight
- The front cargo compartment is fully heated and ventilated

Operative excellence and continuity in cargo strategy

“Compared to the RJ100, the CS100 reduces carbon emissions effectively, a fact which is often demanded by our customers,” comments Ashwin Bhat, Head of Cargo. “This new generation aircraft from Bombardier guarantees the high reliability and constant level of services within our quality solutions.”

Delivering on sustainability promise

With the introduction of the C Series, SWISS further delivers on the sustainability promise. Besides the substantial reductions in carbon emissions and noise, the arrival of the C Series creates 150 new jobs for SWISS. Efficiency gains and network density paired with the well-known SWISS and Swiss WorldCargo service and quality will ensure commercial success for us, and our partners in air cargo.

SWISS and Swiss WorldCargo C Series destinations

Besides Paris, other destinations to receive Bombardier C Series service are: Manchester, Prague, Budapest in July, Warsaw and Brussels in August, Nice, as well as Stuttgart, Hanover, Milan, Florence and Bucharest in September.

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2015

13/01/2015
Swiss WorldCargo, Cargologic and SATS signed Memorandum of Understanding

Zurich, 13 January 2015: Swiss WorldCargo, the airfreight division of Swiss International Air Lines Ltd., and its partner ground handling companies Cargologic AG and SATS have concluded a groundbreaking Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at further enhancing their cargo handling and information services.

The MoU, which was signed in Zurich last month by Oliver Evans, SWISS’s Chief Cargo Officer, Marco Gredig, Managing Director of Cargologic, and Alex Hungate, President and Chief Executive Officer of SATS, outlines the basis for the partners’ future collaborations and alignments in areas such as quality, e-initiatives, temperature-controlled transport management and specialized handling solutions.

The new agreement establishes a unique and innovative “quality alliance” among the three partners that will position itself as a knowledge, innovation and quality leader with a special focus on providing value-adding services and superior facilities. Within the new alliance, Swiss WorldCargo, SATS and Cargologic will share knowledge and best practices and will collaborate in the fields of information technology, facility development, joint training, staff/management attachments and joint innovation workshops. The concept of the agreement is not only to bring the three parties to the agreement much closer together, but to facilitate exchange and mutual learning between the respective air cargo communities of Singapore and Switzerland, including the administrations, as both states share a number of characteristics and values including a commitment to a liberal aviation market innovation and quality leadership.

In the temperature-controlled transport management field, the three parties have agreed to actively cultivate Good Distribution Practice (GDP) at both Cargologic’s certified cool chain facilities and SATS  network stations across Asia (particularly Zurich and Singapore) to promote pharmaceutical and other temperature-controlled airfreight for Swiss WorldCargo. The same network stations will also see specialized handling solutions adopted to promote the carriage of premium and care-intensive airfreight such as valuables shipments for Swiss WorldCargo, as well as the provision of new value-adding services. Swiss WorldCargo, Cargologic and SATS also intend to develop joint e-initiatives that will simplify work processes and drive efficiency, explore preferred service partnership arrangements and collaborate on such other projects of common interest as may be identified from time to time. 
 
“There’s no denying that efficiency and consistency are key elements in sustainable business operations,” says Cargologic Managing Director Marco Gredig. “And we are proud that, with this quality alliance, Cargologic will be driving innovation in airfreight handling together with these two strong partners.”

Alex Hungate, President and Chief Executive Officer of SATS, comments: “We are excited about these specific collaborative opportunities with our customer Swiss WorldCargo and Cargologic. Both companies are leaders in transporting high-value and care-intensive consignments for industrial sectors like the pharmaceutical industry. This focus aligns very well with SATS’ own airfreight handling capabilities across Asia.”

Oliver Evans, SWISS’s Chief Cargo Officer and Head of Swiss WorldCargo, is equally enthusiastic. “Both SATS and Cargologic are trusted partners of ours,” he confirms, “and help us to achieve our goal of being a global leader in the transportation of care-intensive shipments. We are very excited to embark on a long-term collaboration with them as the reliability of ground processes is a key differentiating factor. We are confident that all three parties will be able to achieve an even higher level of operational excellence.”
 

About Cargologic

Cargologic is Switzerland's leading provider of airfreight handling services, handling up to 500,000 tonnes of cargo each year. With its workforce of some 750 employees, the company operates at airports in Switzerland (Zurich, Basel, Bern and Lugano) and is also present in Amsterdam and Brussels through its Skylink affiliate. Cargologic offers airlines and forwarders tailor-made solutions for all airfreight handling tasks. These include handling import, export, transit and special consignments and carrying out airfreight safety checks. Cargologic also runs a bonded warehouse at Zurich Airport with over 6,000 square metres of space. For more information, please visit www.cargologic.com


About SATS

SATS is Asia’s leading provider of gateway services and food solutions. Its comprehensive gateway services encompass airfreight handling, passenger services, ramp handling, baggage handling, aviation security services, aircraft interior and exterior cleaning, and cruise centre management. Its food solutions include airline catering, institutional and remote catering, aviation laundry, as well as food distribution and logistics. SATS is present in 42 airports and 11 countries across Asia and the Middle East. The Company has been listed on the Singapore Exchange since May 2000. For more information, please visit www.sats.com.sg.

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07/04/2015
Swiss WorldCargo expands its summer services

Zurich Airport, 7th April 2015: At Swiss WorldCargo, the air cargo division of Swiss International Air Lines, the summer timetable 2015 brings attractive network enhancements and additional capacities, with more frequencies to existing intercontinental routes and a wide range of new European connections.

With the new timetable, effective as of 29 March, Swiss WorldCargo offers additional capacity to North America and Asia, its two most important global markets: more opportunities will be available to and from Chicago, San Francisco, Montreal and Beijing.

The European network will be expanded, too, with a wide range of new direct services to and from Zurich: airfreight capacity will be offered to and from Dresden, Gothenburg, Helsinki, Krakow, Leipzig, Ljubljana, Naples, Porto, Sofia, Thessaloniki, Toulouse, Riga and Zagreb.

 “These network enhancements allow Swiss WorldCargo to expand its consistent offer of high-value and care intensive solutions and meet our customers’ increasing demand for premium air cargo services in these diversified markets,” comments Ashwin Bhat, Head of Global Area Management.

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21/04/2015
Swiss WorldCargo to test drone technology in cooperation with Swisspost and Matternet

Zurich Airport, 21 April 2015: Swiss Post, Swiss WorldCargo, the air cargo division of Swiss International Air Lines, and Matternet, a transportation drone manufacturer based in California, U.S.A., have jointly launched a project to test the deployment of drones.

The three companies are currently researching the practical uses that drone technology could offer, and the business case to support such a development. The possibilities range from internal logistics to the delivery of consignments over the last mile. The first tests involving drones are scheduled to take place in summer 2015 in Switzerland. The primary aim of this pilot project is a Proof of Concept to clarify the legal framework, consider local conditions and explore the technical and business capabilities of the drones.

The partners will test a number of Matternet ONE drones. These vehicles have been exclusively designed for the transportation of small packages, and will be deployed with partners for the first time in this Proof of Concept. Matternet ONE’s centrally-located payload makes it exceptionally easy to load and unload and its unique architecture makes it light and strong enough to transport 1 kilogram over up to 20 kilometers on a single battery charge. Matternet ONE is capable of  autonomous operation, following secure routes generated by Matternet’s proprietary Cloud software.

Dieter Bambauer, Head of PostLogistics, Swiss Post: “With drone technology, we are testing a possible means of transportation of the future already today. Swiss Post aims to always be in tune with customer needs.”

Oliver Evans, Chief Cargo Officer, Swiss International Air Lines: “As a specialist and global leader in the transportation of high-value and care-intensive shipments, Swiss WorldCargo is keen to explore any new technology which promises to increase reach, speed or reliability while at the same time reducing costs or environmental impact. Likewise we are keen to explore new types of collaboration with partners in the supply chain, from technology partners like Matternet to service partners like Swiss Post. “
 
Andreas Raptopoulos, CEO Matternet:  “We are extremely excited to bring Matternet ONE to Switzerland, one of the most technologically-advanced countries in the world, and discover how this new transportation paradigm will bring tremendous value to our partners, their customers and the country at large.”
 
 
About Swiss Post

As a diversified company, Swiss Post operates in the communication, logistics, retail financial and passenger transport markets. Within the communication market, its services include delivery of letters and newspapers, direct marketing, and information and document solutions. In logistics, it operates in Switzerland and internationally as a parcels, courier and express service provider, and provides tailored and comprehensive logistics solutions. In retail finance its subsidiary PostFinance Ltd offers extensive services for payment transactions, savings, investments, retirement planning and financing solutions, and has had a banking licence since 2013. In the public passenger transport market its subsidiary PostBus Switzerland Ltd operates regional, municipal and urban bus services, and also develops value-added system and mobility management services. Thanks to PubliBike, Swiss Post is also the leader in the Swiss bicycle rental market. Swiss Post is present in 25 countries and employs more than 62,000 staff worldwide. For more information please visit post.ch.
 

About Matternet

Matternet – a technology company based in California – builds world-class flying vehicles and software seamlessly integrated into a complete transportation solution. Matternet is recognized across the world for its pioneering work on autonomous flying vehicles, which have been tested in the transportation of medicine and diagnostics in some of the world’s most challenging environments such as Bhutan, Papua New Guinea and Haiti. Matternet was founded with the vision to bring to the world its next transportation paradigm and the drive to take it to everyone, especially those who need it most. For more information please visit mttr.net.
 

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29/04/2015
Cold storage facilities expanded at Zurich Airport

Zurich Airport, 29 April 2015: Swiss WorldCargo’s ground handling partner Cargologic has expanded its cold storage facilities at Zurich Airport to provide more capacity for the storage of temperature-sensitive shipments.

Temperature-sensitive shipments can now be assured of accelerated handling, greater capacity and enhanced service quality at Zurich Airport. After receiving its Good Distribution Practice (GDP) certification from Swissmedic last year, Swiss WorldCargo’s ground handling partner Cargologic opened an expanded temperature-controlled storage facility at the airport earlier this month.

The new facility will cater for the increasing volumes of pharmaceutical and biotech shipments via Zurich Airport – and transfer shipments in particular – by offering 120 additional euro pallet spaces for cargo that needs to be stored at between +2°C and +8°C.

“Our new cold storage area meets the demand for space and guaranteed temperature control – an important priority among our customers,” explains Cargologic’s Managing Director Marco Gredig. “So we’re very pleased to be able to make this storage area available to our customers with immediate effect.”

“Swiss WorldCargo’s highly-reputed air logistics solutions for the pharmaceutical and biotech industries are also the result of a close collaboration with reliable partners, particularly our long-standing hub operator Cargologic in Zurich,” adds Susanne Wellauer, Vertical Industry Manager at Swiss WorldCargo. “And the expansion of these cold storage facilities further confirms our joint commitment to making Zurich Airport a first-class hub for handling pharmaceutical shipments.”

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17/06/2015
Swissport and Swiss WorldCargo extend strategic cooperation until 2020

Swissport International and Swiss WorldCargo will continue their strategic handling partnership until 2020.

The newly signed agreement extends the successful long-term cooperation between Swissport and the air cargo division of Swiss International Air Lines for another five years. Swissport Cargo Services offers award-winning Cargo Handling at more than 109 airports worldwide, and handles in excess of 4.1 million tonnes annually. The cooperation with Swiss WorldCargo includes 35 stations across the globe and the annual handling of some 130,000 tonnes of cargo and mail.

According to the renewed agreement, any additional requirement by Swiss WorldCargo for its stations around the globe will be handled smoothly and efficiently. Both partners will further focus on innovative handling solutions to speed up the acceptance and clearance of air cargo shipments for the benefit of the involved industry.

Oliver Evans, Chief Cargo Officer at Swiss International Air Lines, on the extension of the cooperation: “Global leadership in quality and reliability are at the heart of our strategy and customer promise. We pride ourselves on the performance standards of the airline itself, but as we have outsourced all ground handling activities, one of our most important decisions is the selection of our partners, and the commitment we jointly make to what European politicians call “ever closer union”. In the service industry this means that we truly live partnership. Our long-standing commitment to working with Swissport on a global basis is a testament to the mutual benefits of this strategy.”

Nils Pries Knudsen, Executive Vice President Global Cargo Services at Swissport: „We have been working very closely with Swiss WorldCargo for many years, and are very proud of the trust we have earned. We are very much looking forward to continuing our cooperation, and potentially extend it.” 

Swiss WorldCargo is the airfreight division of Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS). Headquartered at Zurich Airport, Swiss WorldCargo offers a comprehensive range of logistics solutions for transporting high-value and care-intensive consignments to some 130 destinations in over 80 countries. Its extensive network of air cargo services is supplemented by daily truck connections between key business centres. As a reliable and innovative service provider within the Lufthansa Group, Swiss WorldCargo is committed to delivering consistently Swiss quality to its airfreight customers, and makes a substantial contribution to SWISS’s overall profitability. For more information, please visit www.swissworldcargo.com.

Swissport International Ltd. provides ground services for around 229 million passengers and handles 4.1 million tonnes of cargo a year on behalf of some 700 client-companies in the aviation sector. With a workforce of around 60,000 personnel, Swissport is active at more than 270 stations in 48 countries across five continents, and generates consolidated operating revenue of CHF 3.0 billion. www.swissport.com

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22/06/2015
SWISS appoints new Head of Cargo

Ashwin Bhat has been named as SWISS’s new Head of Cargo, effective 1 October. He succeeds Oliver Evans, who is stepping down from the post.

SWISS has appointed Ashwin Bhat as its new Head of Cargo. He will assume his new duties on 1 October. Bhat, who is currently Head of Global Area Management at SWISS’s Swiss WorldCargo division, succeeds Oliver Evans, who has decided to step down from the post after some 13 years.


Ashwin Bhat, who is 46 and an Indian national, joined Swiss WorldCargo in 2002. After several years serving in various capacities within Pricing, Revenue Management and Controlling, he was appointed Head of Area Management Asia, Middle East & Africa in 2010. Responsibility for the Americas was added to his remit in November 2012. For the last two years he has served as Swiss WorldCargo’s Head of Global Area Management, in overall charge of worldwide sales of the SWISS cargo product.


“Ashwin Bhat is a proven airfreight specialist,” says Harry Hohmeister, CEO of SWISS. “We look forward to continuing our collaboration with him, and we wish him every success and satisfaction in his new capacity. I also offer Oliver Evans our sincere thanks, on behalf of our Board of Directors and our entire Management Board, for his own exceptional commitment and for the outstanding work and performance of his Cargo team over the past few years.”

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07/07/2015
Swiss Post, Swiss WorldCargo and Matternet start drone tests

Swiss Post, Swiss WorldCargo and Matternet are jointly testing the commercial use of logistics drones. The three companies are investigating specific uses of drone technology and examining the cost-effectiveness of these business ideas. They will be carrying out drone tests in July 2015 for this purpose. The widespread use of drones is not expected within the next five years. The focus is primarily on their use in exceptional cases or the transport of special items.

 

In spring 2015, Swiss Post, Swiss WorldCargo (the air freight division of Swiss International Air Lines) and Matternet (a logistics drone manufacturer based in California) joined forces to test the practical use of drones in logistics. The possible areas of application offered by drone technology are very diverse, ranging from delivery to peripheral areas to the express delivery of goods. Until the time of their realistic commercial use in around five years, there are various requirements which need to be clarified. This includes the regulatory framework. In addition, there are technical restrictions with the drones of today, such as limited battery life. 
 
Use in emergency situations conceivable With these tests, the partners are pursuing the aim of playing a leading role in this significant development and pinpointing the technical possibilities and their own needs at an early stage. From today’s point of view, the use of drones in emergency situations is conceivable. This could, for example, involve bringing supplies to an area that has been cut off from the outside world following a storm. Another realistic possibility is the urgent transport of consignments with the highest priority, such as laboratory tests. Which specific uses will prevail depends on how quickly the regulatory requirements are clarified and technical obstacles dismantled.

Drone model to be initially used The business partners will test several Matternet ONE vehicles. The flying device is specially designed for transporting small deliveries and it is extremely simple to operate. Matternet ONE will be used for the first time together with our partners as part of the tests. The drone has an extremely light construction and is capable of transporting loads of up to 1 kilogram over more than 10 kilometres with a single battery charge. Matternet ONE flies autonomously, following clearly defined, secure flight paths, which are drawn up by cloud software developed by Matternet.

 

Photos and videos can be accessed on the online version of this press release at  www.swisspost.ch/news

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05/08/2015
New pricing structure at Swiss WorldCargo and Lufthansa Cargo

A new Airfreight Surcharge to be introduced as of winter schedule 2015/16

Swiss WorldCargo and Lufthansa Cargo are adapting their pricing structure with effect from the winter flight schedule 2015/16. As of October 25 the pricing of both airlines will consist of just two components: a net rate and an “Airfreight Surcharge”. As a result, the different surcharges currently in place, i.e. for fuel and security, will be eliminated. As the new airfreight surcharge will be much lower than the total amount of the current surcharges, the net rates will be re-aligned so that overall prices of transportation will remain at current levels.
 

“The new pricing structure is uncomplicated and ensures that we are well-positioned for the future, given the changes that the markets have undergone,” said Dr Alexis von Hoensbroech, Lufthansa Cargo Board Member Product and Sales. “We have listened to our customers. The net rate will be considerably more important, and we will be able to significantly reduce special processes, such as negative rates, with the lower airfreight surcharge. That cuts down on complexity and makes us faster.”

Oliver Evans, Chief Cargo Officer of SWISS stated: “The new airfreight surcharge reflects the volatility of external cost factors beyond the airlines’ control, such as fuel, currency rates, airport charges and fees. The Airfreight Surcharge will be adjusted whenever one of these external cost factors changes significantly and thus will display necessary price adjustments in a transparent way. This would not have been the case with an all-in rate, which both airlines reviewed in detail. An all-in rate would have been less transparent.”

To accommodate customer requests for price stability with long-term contracts, it will be possible in the future to fix the overall price ? subject to a risk add-on ? across the entire term of certain contracts.

The adjusted pricing structure will go into effect in most markets worldwide on October 25. For legal reasons, the current surcharge structure will remain in place only in those countries where pricing is subject to government regulation (e.g., Japan and Hong Kong).

 

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28/09/2015
Swiss WorldCargo ready to offer the e-AWB Single Process

Following a successful four-month pilot phase, Swiss WorldCargo, the air freight division of Swiss International Air Lines Ltd, is now offering the “e-AWB Single Process”. The new process should significantly accelerate adoption of the e-AWB throughout its network.

Swiss WorldCargo can now accept Single Process e-AWB shipments in Zurich, Montreal, Los Angeles, New York JFK and Copenhagen. The facility will be further extended to six to eight more stations by the end of this year, and to the further suitable airports in the Swiss WorldCargo network in the course of 2016.

The “e-AWB Single Process” makes e-AWB adoption much smoother for the freight forwarding community. In fact, the Single Process allows the forwarder to tender all shipments to the airline without a paper AWB, even on trade lanes where a paper AWB is required.

“Our adoption of the e-AWB Single Process at Swiss WorldCargo is thanks to the collaborative efforts of our ground handling partners Cargologic, Swissport and Lufthansa Handling and – during the pilot phase - our customers Panalpina, Brinks, Unitrans, Schenker and Malca Amit,” says Paolo Tuzzi, Manager Transportation Processes and e-AWB Project Lead.

In Switzerland, the transformation has been driven by IG Air Cargo (Interest Group Air Cargo Switzerland), of which Swiss WorldCargo and its handling partners are founding members, and which has been committed to facilitating the involvement of local stakeholders.

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2014

13/01/2014
Electronic Consignment Security Declaration (e-CSD) to be adopted in Switzerland

Zurich, Switzerland: Swiss WorldCargo will soon be transmitting live “Electronic Consignment Security Declarations” (e-CSDs) for its electronic air waybill shipments that were tested in cooperation with its business partners Kuehne + Nagel and Cargologic. The adoption of e-CSD in Switzerland marks a significant milestone for the achievement of a more secure and “paperless” supply chain worldwide.

For the last two years, The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has been working extensively with carriers, regulators, freight forwarders, ground handling agents and other key stakeholders worldwide to develop standards and processes for e-CSD data capture.

In Switzerland, the air cargo division of SWISS, with the leading logistics provider Kuehne + Nagel and ground handling agent Cargologic were actively involved in the preparatory e-CSD testing earlier last year in close collaboration with IG Air Cargo (the Interest Group Air Cargo Switzerland). 
 
The adoption of the new e-CSD facility in Switzerland follows the recent approval of the corresponding e-CSD standards by the Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA), Switzerland’s aviation authority:  IATA and its partners have in fact satisfied the FOCA that there are no obstacles to the electronic transmission of highly sensitive data. The e-CSD approach is paving the way for a more secure and efficient transport of air cargo by providing the security status of a shipment in electronic format:  The new electronic declaration highlights “who” has secured each consignment as well as “how” and “when” it was secured. With its standardization of both the process and the documentation of such evidence, e-CSD will replace redundant security declarations in various formats, and will simplify validity checks to ease the operational work.   

“The e-CSD is a key facilitator for securing the whole supply chain,” comments Des Vertannes, Global Head of Cargo at IATA. “By establishing that cargo and mail consignments have been correctly secured upstream of the airport and through transit points, bottlenecks and delays will be reduced,” he continues. “Thanks to the work of the IG Air Cargo in Switzerland, the FOCA have joined other key regulators in endorsing the e-CSD, which we hope will pave the way for other significant endorsements in the months to come.” 

Swiss WorldCargo and IG Air Cargo will now be presenting the benefits of the new e-CSD standards to the main air cargo stakeholders in Switzerland. This will be done in January 2014 in the form of three separate introduction sessions in Zurich, Basel and Geneva. Further information on these will be found at  www.ig-aircargo.ch

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10/02/2014
Swissmedic awards Cargologic GDP- (Good Distribution Practice) certificate

With good reason, the transportation of pharmaceutical products is subject to special requirements. The management of the logistics chain for temperature-sensitive healthcare products is especially demanding. 
 
At the request of the responsible inspection authority, Cargologic has just been awarded a permit from the Swiss drug registration institution, Swissmedic, to engage in wholesale trading of pharmaceutical products and to store such products on its site at Zurich Airport.

In recent years, Cargologic has invested considerable amounts in adapting its infrastructure and expanding its temperature-controlled storage capacity. It can ensure at all times that the pharmaceuticals are continuously protected against moisture and kept at constant temperatures – in accordance with their manufacturers’ instructions – so that their quality is unchanged all the way through to their final destination. The related logistical processes involved in the transshipment of pharmaceutical products have aso been revised and accelerated. All staff active in this area have completed specific GDP training.

“Swiss WorldCargo’s reliability across our global network is the result of a close cooperation with reliable handling partners, most notably our long-standing hub operator Cargologic in Zurich,” comments Urs Stulz, Vice President, Head of Central Services Group at Swiss WorldCargo. “The GDP certification is a further affirmation of our partner’s commitment to continuity in quality and allows Swiss WorldCargo to offer increasingly sophisticated air logistics solutions to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry".

The manufacture of pharmaceutical products requires compliance with the highest quality assurance standards. Risk minimization in line with the requirements at the respective storage sites is of course one of the aspects involved. This certificate will naturally be of particular use to clients in the healthcare field, who are operating in an increasingly demanding environment”, says Marco Gredig, Managing Director of Cargologic. By obtaining this certificate, Cargologic has met not only the Swiss but also the European requirements issued by the drug registration authorities in the respective areas.

Cargologic – leader in airfreight handling
Cargologic is Switzerland's leading provider of airfreight handling services. Around 750 employees handle up to 500,000 tons of airfreight each year. The company operates at airports in Switzerland (Zurich, Basel, Berne and Lugano) and is also present in Amsterdam and Brussels through its affiliate, Skylink. Cargologic offers airlines and forwarders tailor-made solutions for all airfreight handling tasks. These include the handling of import, export, transit and special consignments, and carrying out airfreight safety checks. Cargologic also runs a bonded warehouse at Zurich Airport with over 6000 m2 of space.

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10/03/2014
Swiss WorldCargo and CREATETALENT pioneer a mentoring or talent concept

Swiss WorldCargo, the air cargo division of Swiss International Air Lines Ltd, is the first company to partner with CREATETALENT, a company that specializes in providing global mentoring services for students and a platform for academic institutions as well as corporations to interact, attract and retain talent.  The partnership has the objective to launch a talent/mentoring concept specifically designed for, and promoted in, the air cargo Industry. The initiative aims at increasing the industry’s attractiveness for student graduates as well as connecting with and shaping the next generation of leadership for the air cargo industry at an early stage. 
 
“At its most basic level, a mentoring relationship guarantees a young person that there is someone who cares about them. A young person is not alone in dealing with professional and personal challenges”, said Christine Dunton-Tinnus, Founder and Owner of CREATETALENT. “Do you remember embarking on your first job search or preparing for that first interview? Simple things that seem easy to you now may be a challenging situation to a young person. Our objective is to support the next generation of young talents through a professionally supported, one-to-one relationship with a mentor, and become a Global Citizen. At the same time we provide the air cargo industry with the opportunity to attract and retain talent at an early stage and develop skills for the future. We are very pleased to partner with Swiss WorldCargo, a world leading cargo carrier, and being a pioneer.”
 
Swiss WorldCargo is encouraging its leadership team to enroll as mentors with CREATETALENT. In addition, Swiss WorldCargo will engage with partner universities specialized in air logistics in Switzerland and elsewhere to work with them and CREATETALENT to promote exchange between industry and academia. Swiss WorldCargo has also initiated dialogue with both IATA and TIACA to create a wider, indeed global adoption of the concept.
 
CREATETALENT member universities connect and network with a wide range of global companies and their executives to ensure curriculums reflect current industry issues, collaborate on mutual research projects and increase internship as well as employment opportunities for their students. Organizations who partner with CREATETALENT, such as Swiss WorldCargo, have access to students who are pre-selected by their university, in their final year of studies and have completed a mentorship with an executive. They can establish presence in the marketplace as well as build and improve their brand image as a leading employer among the next generation of young talent. The CREATETALENT mentoring processes, guidelines and talent strategies are developed in partnership with an expert team specialized in executive leadership and professional development. CREATETALENT was a nominee for the Best Start Up of the Year Award 2013 by the Riviera Business Club.
 
“I strongly believe that the CREATETALENT mentoring program is an extremely valuable experience for the development of my future career. The program has provided me with the opportunity to acquire knowledge from a mentor who is an expert in his field. At the same time it allows me to explore an industry that I was not even aware of and find out about new attractive career options that I had never thought before as possible. I feel so lucky to have been matched with my mentor as he is a very inspiring person always ready to answer all of my questions,” said Alexandra Grammenou, CREATETALENT Mentee, Master Student in Economics and Communication at Università della Svizzera Italiana/Switzerland. 
 
 “Our world is more interconnected than ever, and that is precisely what is so exciting for anyone preparing to embark upon a career today,” comments Oliver Evans, Chief Cargo Officer at Swiss WorldCargo and Chairman of TIACA. “No other industry depends upon globalization, or indeed enables globalization, more than the air cargo industry. We transport the urgent components that keep the factories working in the most divers industries, we transport the latest fashions and consumer products to markets all over the world. A career in the air cargo industry is therefore challenging and exciting, and it is the surest way to develop and keep in daily contact with a network of friends and colleagues in a wide range of countries. The highest responsibility we have it to attract, develop and motivate talented individuals. The CREATETALENT mentoring program is a great example of linking companies to universities, and the experience of the industry, insider to the raw talent and energy of graduating students.”
 
“I consider the participation of our NHTV students in the CREATETALENT program to be an essential and indispensable phase in preparation for their future careers in international business. It is the perfect setting for them to start building-up a "real world" experience.” - Herman Mensink, Professor, NHTV Breda University of Applied Sciences, Netherlands.


About CREATETALENT  

Founded in 2011 CREATETALENT provides global mentoring services for students and a platform for academic institutions as well as corporations to interact, attract and retain talent. The mission is to connect the academic with the corporate world to make a positive difference for young talents allowing them to achieve their highest potential through a professionally supported, one-to-one relationship with a mentor, and become a Global Citizen. CREATETALENT specifically helps young women to gain valuable experience for leadership positions and is committed to achieving excellence through diversity.  

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28/03/2014
Swiss WorldCargo announces partnership and support for the 2014 “Flying Donkey Challenge”

Swiss WorldCargo, the airfreight division of Swiss International Air Lines, is providing logistical and other support to Switzerland’s La Fondation Bundi, a non-profit organization, for the first staging of the “Flying Donkey Challenge”, which will be held in Kenya in November 2014. Under the Challenge, universities and corporations from all over the world will demonstrate the capabilities, safety and benefits of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) designed to meet cargo transportation needs in rural areas of Africa and other remote parts of the world.
  
Some 33 teams from Africa, Australia, Europe, India and North America have applied to participate in the first Flying Donkey Challenge (FDC), which will take place in Kenya between 8 and 16 November. The applications are from universities, start-ups and companies with recognized research, proven technology and experience in UAV.
                 
“Multidisciplinary teams of engineers, designers, lawyers, regulators and business partners will be collaborating to demonstrate the benefits and promote the acceptance of ‘flying donkeys’ – cargo robots with a maximum takeoff weight of 60 kilos that could play a crucial role in the future of logistics and offer great transport opportunities, especially in fast-growing economies with infrastructure gaps such as Africa,” says Simon Johnson, the Director of the FDC. 
           
Swiss WorldCargo and further partners will be providing logistics support for the FDC teams and their equipment between their place of origin and the Challenge venue. SWISS’s airfreight division is also sharing its expertise and experience in the global air cargo market to help the Challenge participants to understand the potential practical applications of the knowledge developed. 
                   
Swiss WorldCargo was particularly pleased to note that Andreas Raptopoulos, the co-founder and CEO of Matternet, attended the IATA World Cargo Symposium in Los Angeles in March 2013 and demonstrated the possible use of UAVs for goods transportation in places like rural Africa. 
                                                       
“Networks of small autonomous flying vehicles will be the next paradigm of transportation. In the short term they will revolutionize last-mile medical delivery; over time they will become a new platform for commercial transactions, enabling unprecedented access to markets and commercial goods to communities that are currently under-served due to inadequate infrastructure. These new local aerial networks will interface with and extend the reach of the current long-range current aerial cargo networks,” says Andreas Raptopoulos.
                          
Swiss WorldCargo is also keen to explore what role UAVs might play in extending its own scope and services. SWISS’s airfreight division appreciates that the air cargo industry is being transformed by new business models in manufacturing (such as nanotechnology and 3D printing), e-commerce and distribution. Swiss WorldCargo’s partnership with the "Flying Donkey Challenge" is also part of its corporate social responsibility programme. 
                          
“The question is not whether but when and how cargo robots will appear in our skies and work alongside aircraft and trucks,” says Oliver Evans, Chief Cargo Officer at Swiss International Air Lines and Chairman of the International Air Cargo Association (TIACA). “My guess is that it will happen first in unexpected areas, driven by disruptive new entrants and benefiting the millions living in remote regions who will soon have access to the Internet and global trade using low-cost smartphones. Our partnership with the "Flying Donkey Challenge" underlines our commitment to social responsibility, innovation, and learning from diverse fields of endeavor.”


About the Flying Donkey Challenge 
The Flying Donkey Challenge is an escalating series of sub-challenges held annually in Africa. The Challenge offers world-leading roboticists, engineers, regulators, entrepreneurs, logisticians and designers the opportunity to win substantial grants by advancing the safety, durability, legality, profitability and friendliness of flying parcel carriers on a massive scale. Before 2020, with world media attention, the sub-challenges will culminate in a race of ‘flying donkeys’ – cargo robots with a maximum takeoff weight of 60 kilos – around Mount Kenya in under 24 hours, delivering and collecting 20-kilo payloads along the way. The winner(s) will be awarded a multi-million-dollar prize.

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01/07/2014
Chapman Freeborn and Swiss WorldCargo announce new on board courier partnership

As of 1st July 2014, global on board courier specialist Chapman Freeborn OBC GmbH is supporting Swiss WorldCargo with all hand-carry requirements through its worldwide office network.

Already an acknowledged global leader for care-intensive cargo services, the agreement will allow Swiss WorldCargo to expand its specialised service portfolio and offer solutions for hand-carry courier shipments worldwide.

Whether the consignment is a single document or 30 boxes of time-critical manufacturing parts, Chapman Freeborn’s OBC service provides transportation solutions tailored to clients’ specific requirements - with dedicated couriers accompanying shipments from pick up to delivery straight to the recipient.

The service will provide Swiss WorldCargo’s clients with a premium solution for urgent shipments and the ability to monitor the progress of their cargo at any time by using an online tracking system provided by Chapman Freeborn.

Chapman Freeborn OBC will benefit by working closely with one of the market’s leading airlines which has a network of some 120 destinations in over 80 countries - served by a fleet of 85 aircraft including Airbus A319, A320, A321, A330-300 and A340 types.

Carsten Volk, Managing Director of Chapman Freeborn OBC, said: 
“We’re delighted to sign this OBC agreement with Swiss WorldCargo and we welcome the opportunity to present our services to their worldwide network. Leading suppliers involved in industries like automotive, energy and pharmaceutical rely on us on a daily basis, so working with an airline with such a strong reputation for customer service and operational excellence is an ideal fit.”

“It is our strategic goal to strengthen and deepen customer relationships in our chosen markets and to offer a more complete solution set, and we’re convinced that in Chapman Freeborn we have found the perfect partner for charter and on board courier services,” comments Oliver Evans, Chief Cargo Officer of Swiss International Air Lines.

“Our two companies can forge a true partnership as we have distinct areas of expertise and experience while sharing a common dedication to and passion for quality, customer service and just getting the job done according to our promises.”

About Swiss WorldCargo

Swiss WorldCargo is the air freight division of Swiss International Air Lines Ltd. With a global network of about 120 destinations in over 80 countries and a wide range of services offered, Swiss WorldCargo generates true added value for its customers and makes a substantial contribution to the financial results of Swiss International Air Lines Ltd.
Chapman Freeborn Airchartering and Swiss WorldCargo today announced that they are expanding their existing cargo partnership to offer clients access to worldwide on board courier services.

For more information visit:  www.swissworldcargo.com
About Chapman Freeborn OBC

Chapman Freeborn OBC GmbH is a subsidiary of Chapman Freeborn Airchartering, an award-winning global aircraft charter specialist with a network of over 30 offices worldwide.
Headquartered in Cologne, Chapman Freeborn OBC specialises in delivering time-critical hand-carry shipments worldwide. 
In 2012 the company further expanded its global reach by successfully acquiring the on board courier business of Euro Express Ltd - a specialist logistics company based in Hong Kong with a decade of experience providing hand-carry services in Asia and worldwide.  

For more information visit:www.onboardcourier.com

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04/09/2014
Swiss WorldCargo partners with WCA

Swiss WorldCargo, the air cargo division of Swiss International Air Lines Ltd, has entered into a new partnership agreement with WCA Ltd – the world’s leading freight forwarding network for independent logistics providers. Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), Swiss WorldCargo and WCA will undertake a number of unique cross-cooperation projects with three of the network’s specialty groups – WCA Pharma, WCA Time Critical and WCA Dangerous Goods.

The alignment of these industry verticals between WCA’s members and Swiss WorldCargo will allow the generation of a range of new business opportunities in these burgeoning sectors of the industry.

Executives from both organisations will conduct regular regional meetings to ensure the efficiency, quality and accessibility of end-to-end logistics solutions for specialist shippers that meet the highest industry standards. 
The two organisations will also exchange product and operational information to drive growth and cost-efficiencies across these specialist sectors of transport.

Swiss International Air Lines’ Chief Cargo Officer, Oliver Evans, said: “We already have an excellent name in the targeted market segments which we have achieved through the relentless pursuit of reliability, quality and customer responsiveness. Nevertheless the logistics market is complex and customers need a range of solutions to support and develop their supply chain. WCA have created innovative networks offering proven benefits to their participating members. We see our partnership with them as a complement to our existing offer, opening the door to new, flexible and pragmatic solutions for end users all across the globe.”

WCA President David Yokeum added that the partnership agreement demonstrated that an increasing number of airlines recognise the growing importance of the independent logistics sector to the health of the industry. “Our members have an unbeatable reputation for quality, service and innovation – especially in these niche, but highly important, verticals within our industry. By working closely with SWISS, which itself has established such a strong global reputation as a leader in these sectors, we can help bring even greater value to the ultimate users – the shippers and consignees.”
Yokeum also commented that the “recent release of industry data has established that the independent sector is significantly increasing its global market share within airfreight. Therefore it is encouraging to see that innovative airlines are looking to increasingly engage with WCA and its members.”

About WCA

Founded in 1998, WCA Ltd is the world’s largest and most powerful network of independent freight forwarders, with over 5,580 member offices in 189 countries around the world. The combined logistics volumes within the WCA membership exceed that of even the world’s largest multinational freight forwarders. Dedicated to providing a portfolio of world-leading benefits and networking opportunities to its members, WCA employs a full time staff of over 120 personnel based in eight member service and support offices around the world.

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15/10/2014
Swiss WorldCargo launches new eBooking platform

Zurich Airport,  15 October 2014: Swiss WorldCargo, the airfreight division of Swiss International Air Lines, launches its new “eBooking” tool today. The new booking and data capturing platform, which is based on Unisys’s Cargo Portal Services, is accessible via the swissworldcargo.com website, and gives customers round-the-clock access to Swiss WorldCargo’s full range of products and services.

The new eBooking tool is a comprehensive web-based application through which Swiss WorldCargo can securely and efficiently enable its customers to perform the most essential cargo booking and data capturing tasks. With eBooking, cargo agents all over the world can now manage single or multiple bookings in one step, monitor a shipment’s confirmation status, capture MAWB and HAWB data and/or create templates for recurring bookings.

“At Swiss WorldCargo we constantly strive to maintain the best possible standards and processes worldwide, to ensure consistently high quality,” says Urs Stulz, the company’s Vice President and Head of Central Services. “Our endeavours here include continually finding ways to further enhance and refine our e-services, to both meet our industry’s standards and fulfil our customers’ needs.”

The new eBooking facility represents a significant advance in paperless cargo and e-freight terms. “As an early adopter of the eAWB, Swiss WorldCargo has long been a driving force towards a paperless air cargo world,” Urs Stulz continues. “And our new eBooking tool now closes the gap in the electronic cargo process chain, by enabling consignments with Swiss WorldCargo to be ‘e-freightable’ all the way.”

The new eBooking facility has been developed and implemented in collaboration with Unisys, the leading global IT provider in the transportation and other industries, and is based on their proven Cargo Portal Services: “eBooking marks a major milestone that has been achieved through the energies and the dedication of our own and our supplier’s teams, and thanks to the loyalty and the trust of our customers,” adds Angelo Toffanin, Swiss WorldCargo’s Regional Manager for Italy, Spain & Portugal and the leader of the eBooking project.

“We are excited that Swiss WorldCargo has based its new eBooking system on our Cargo Portal Services technology to offer clients greater flexibility in the way they book their cargo shipments,” adds Christopher Shawdon, VP Logistics Solutions at Unisys. “And we welcome Swiss WorldCargo to our Unisys airfreight community.”

About Swiss WorldCargo 

Swiss WorldCargo is the airfreight division of Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS). Headquartered at Zurich Airport, Swiss WorldCargo offers a comprehensive range of logistics solutions for transporting high-value and care-intensive consignments to some 120 destinations in over 80 countries. Its extensive network of air cargo services is supplemented by daily truck connections between key business centres. As a reliable and innovative service provider within the Lufthansa Group, Swiss WorldCargo is committed to delivering consistently superior quality to its airfreight customers, and makes a substantial contribution to SWISS’s overall profitability.

About Unisys

Unisys is a global information technology company that solves complex IT challenges at the intersection of modern and mission-critical. Unisys works with many of the world’s largest companies and government organizations to secure and  keep their mission-critical operations running at peak performance, streamline and transform their data centres, enhance support to their end-users and constituents and modernize their enterprise applications, all while protecting and building on their legacy IT investments. Unisys’s offerings include outsourcing and managed services, systems integration and consulting services, high-end server technology, cybersecurity and cloud management software, and maintenance and support services. For more information visit unisys.com and/or follow Unisys on Twitter.

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03/11/2014
Swiss WorldCargo launches new app for customers

Zurich Airport, 3 November 2014: Hot on the heels of last month’s new eBooking tool, Swiss WorldCargo has launched a new app that enables customers worldwide to access its interactive services from their smartphone or tablet. The new app is a further milestone in Swiss WorldCargo’s ongoing endeavours to bring greater digitization to the airfreight sector.

Available free of charge from the App Store or Google Play Store, the Swiss WorldCargo App makes customers’ day-to-day business easier by offering the following utilities on all mobile devices:

- Track'n'Trace: cargo shipment status via the air waybill number
- Timetable: all the details of all current connections
- Booking Contacts: full contact information for all Swiss WorldCargo offices worldwide including email, phone and fax numbers
- Products & Services: at-a-glance details of Swiss WorldCargo’s various  products and services

“The new Swiss WorldCargo App confirms our commitment to continuously investing in digital solutions,” says Alain Guerin, Head of Marketing at Swiss WorldCargo. “This includes trialling different ways of delivering our services on mobile platforms. And our first app marks a small but significant milestone in this direction.”

About Swiss WorldCargo

Swiss WorldCargo is the airfreight division of Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS). Headquartered at Zurich Airport, Swiss WorldCargo offers a comprehensive range of logistics solutions for transporting high-value and care-intensive consignments to some 120 destinations in over 80 countries. Its extensive network of air cargo services is supplemented by daily truck connections between key business centres. As a reliable and innovative service provider within the Lufthansa Group, Swiss WorldCargo is committed to delivering consistently superior quality to its airfreightcustomers, and makes a substantial contribution to SWISS’s overall profitability.

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10/12/2014
Chief Cargo Officer Oliver Evans to step down in September 2015

Oliver Evans, SWISS’s Chief Cargo Officer of the airline’s Swiss WorldCargo division, is to relinquish his post at the end of September 2015 at his own request in order to pursue self-employment in the air logistics industry on his way into retirement.

Oliver Evans has been with SWISS since the end of 2002 when he was appointed Chief Cargo Officer. During his tenure, he has been instrumental in realigning SWISS’s airfreight division to specialize in high-value and care-intensive consignments for the industry and pharmaceuticals sectors. SWISS’s air cargo activities make a major contribution to the company’s present business success.

“In Oliver Evans we are losing a successful executive and a greatly-valued colleague,” says SWISS CEO Harry Hohmeister. “We will be very sorry to see him go; but we also appreciate that, after so many years in his current capacity, he is now seeking a new professional challenge.” The search for his successor is already under way.

About Swiss WorldCargo

Swiss WorldCargo is the airfreight division of Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS). Headquartered at Zurich Airport, Swiss WorldCargo offers a comprehensive range of logistics solutions for transporting high-value and care-intensive consignments to some 120 destinations in over 80 countries. Its extensive network of air cargo services is supplemented by daily truck connections between key business centres. As a reliable and innovative service provider within the Lufthansa Group, Swiss WorldCargo is committed to delivering consistently superior quality to its airfreightcustomers, and makes a substantial contribution to SWISS’s overall profitability.

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2013

08/03/2013
SWISS °Celsius Passive launched

Zurich, Switzerland: Swiss WorldCargo, the air cargo division of Swiss International Air Lines Ltd, announces the launch of SWISS °Celsius Passive, an enhanced solution for “passive” temperature-sensitive shipments.

To meet the specific needs of today’s pharmaceutical industry, Swiss WorldCargo differentiates its offer for temperature-sensitive shipments: 
In addition to SWISS °Celsius Active, for shipments carried in “active” temperature controlled containers, Swiss WorldCargo offers SWISS °Celsius Passive, for temperature sensitive shipments transported in passive packaging solutions.

“Pharmaceutical and healthcare companies are investing more and more in sophisticated passive packaging solutions for their time and temperature-sensitive shipments,” says Markus Scheuber, Product Manager SWISS °Celsius at Swiss WorldCargo. “However, it is not all about packaging; these healthcare shipments rely on high quality standardized processes, speed and adequate storage wherever possible.”

Swiss °Celsius Passive offers a choice of three official IATA temperature ranges, “refrigerated” (COL, +2 °C to +8 °C), “controlled room temperature” (CRT, +15 °C to +25 °C) and “deep frozen” (FRO, -20 °C). At its Zurich hub, Swiss WorldCargo provides a temperature controlled ULD stacker for CRT and COL shipments; an exclusive area for loose temperature-sensitive shipments completes the facilities.

Standardized processes ensure that temperature-sensitive cargo is stored in the required temperature environment as fast as possible. Moreover, the extremely short distances between the aircraft position and the warehouse in Zurich, mainly covered by a tunnel, ensure limited exposure to outside conditions.  

In addition to its extensive storage facilities in Zurich, Swiss WorldCargo has defined a network of stations that have been audited and approved for their healthcare handling capabilities.
The product can also be combined with Swiss WorldCargo’s ultra-fast SWISS X-Presso solution or its reliable service SWISS General Cargo. 

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25/04/2013
Cargo 2000: renewal of certification and reconfirmation of Platinum Membership for Swiss WorldCargo

Swiss WorldCargo receives two further acknowledgments from the IATA interest group “Cargo 2000”: the renewal of the quality programme certification and the confirmation of the “Platinum Member” status for 2013.

An audit carried out by IATA at the end of 2012 reasserted Swiss WorldCargo’s full compliance to the quality requirements of Cargo 2000 which resulted in the renewal of the certification until 2015.

This important achievement was followed by a further accolade: for the second year in a row, the cargo division of SWISS reached the highest level of the new Cargo 2000 classification system and was again one of 7 out of 27 carriers among more than 80 airlines, forwarders and airfreight partners members, to receive the Platinum Member status, thereby confirming its role as a global leader when it comes to quality. 

 “By embedding the “Cargo 2000” quality approach within our comprehensive suite of quality measures at Swiss WorldCargo we have achieved continuous improvements in our performance, “comments Christine Barden, Head of Transportation Management at Swiss WorldCargo. “The renewal of our platinum membership recognises our continued commitment towards enhancing the quality of our service to customers.”

 Swiss WorldCargo was one of the first air cargo carriers to have all the stations in its network certified in accordance with the “Cargo 2000” standards as well as being continuously ranked amongst the top airlines in terms of published “Cargo 2000” results, since all members had to start publishing data measured by the programme’s quality management system in 2005.

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13/05/2013
New Zurich-Singapore service up and running

Swiss International Air Lines’ inaugural non-stop flight between Zurich and Singapore took off yesterday at 22:45 and landed in Singapore today at 17:10 (local times). This new daily service, which is being operated with Airbus A340-300 equipment, offers Swiss WorldCargo’s customers significant airfreight capacity in both directions. Singapore is SWISS’s eighth Asian destination from its Zurich hub, and its addition to its network marks a further milestone in the airline’s growth.


The business-friendly city-state of Singapore has built on its advantageous geographical location to become one of the world’s top transportation hubs for sea and air cargo. The most extensive network of trade agreements in Asia also helps to make Singapore a major gateway to this rapidly-growing economic region.

Singapore holds a leading position in various areas of manufacturing such as electronics, precision engineering and chemicals. More than 30 leading biomedical science companies have also established their regional headquarters in the country. And Singapore has attracted other industries, too, such as medical and healthcare technology, IT products and clean-energy developers.

“We’re very proud to reconnect our global network to one of Asia’s most vibrant economic powerhouses,” comments Ashwin Bhat, Swiss WorldCargo’s Vice President Area Management Americas, Middle East and Asia. “Like Switzerland, Singapore is known for its quality, reliability and productivity. And our customers for this new route can be sure of receiving all the tailor-made airfreight solutions and high-grade service that they have come to expect from Swiss WorldCargo.”

All of Swiss WorldCargo’s products and services for general and special airfreight consignments are available on the new Zurich-Singapore route. And at Changi International Airport, shipments are handled 24 hours a day at the state-of-the-art facilities of Swiss WorldCargo’s handling partner SATS.

SWISS’s eastbound flight LX 178 departs from Zurich daily at 22:45 and arrives in Singapore at 17:10 the next day. The westbound flight LX 179 leaves Singapore at 23:10 and lands in Zurich at 06:10 (all times local). 


Key facts

- First flight: Sunday 12 May 2013

- Equipment: Airbus A340-300

- Cargo capacity: up to 18 tonnes per flight

Timetable

Zurich-Singapore (daily) LX178 ZRH-SIN 22:45-17:10+

Singapore-Zurich (daily) LX179 SIN-ZRH 23:10-06:10+

+ the following day

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15/07/2013
Swiss WorldCargo and Chapman Freeborn announce new partnership agreement

Zurich, Switzerland – London, UK: Swiss WorldCargo, the air cargo division of Swiss International Air Lines, and Chapman Freeborn Airchartering, today announced that they have forged a new strategic partnership to further enhance their offerings in the cargo market.

As of July 1 2013, the global aircraft charter specialist is supporting Swiss WorldCargo with all third-party chartering requirements through its worldwide office network.

Already an acknowledged global leader for care-intensive cargo services, the agreement will allow Swiss WorldCargo to expand its specialized product portfolio and offer clients full or part charter solutions using the entire range of cargo aircraft worldwide.

Chapman Freeborn will benefit by working closely with one of the market’s leading airlines which has a network of some 120 destinations in over 80 countries - served by a fleet of 85 aircraft including Airbus A319, A320, A321, A330-300 and A340 types.

The agreement was signed in Zurich last week and follows the March launch of a strategic cooperation deal between Chapman Freeborn and Lufthansa Cargo, the partner airline of Swiss International Air Lines.

Russi Batliwala, CEO of Chapman Freeborn, said:

“We’re delighted to sign this partnership agreement with Swiss WorldCargo and we welcome the opportunity to offer our cargo charter services to their international client base. Both companies share a reputation for focussing on value-added services and operational excellence, and their expertise in belly cargo and worldwide network of destinations make it an ideal fit.” 


“It is our strategic goal to strengthen and deepen customer relationships in our chosen markets and to offer a more complete solution set, and we’re convinced that in Chapman Freeborn we have found the perfect partner for charter and other related services,” comments Oliver Evans, Chief Cargo Officer of Swiss International Air Lines. 

“Our two companies can forge a true partnership as we have distinct areas of expertise and experience while sharing a common dedication to and passion for quality, customer service and just getting the job done according to our promises.” 

For more information visit:  swissworldcargo.com  and chapman-freeborn.com
 

About Swiss WorldCargo

Swiss WorldCargo is the air freight division of Swiss International Air Lines Ltd. With a global network of about 120 destinations in over 80 countries and a wide range of services offered. 
Swiss WorldCargo generates true added value for its customers and makes a substantial contribution to the financial results of Swiss International Air Lines Ltd.


About Chapman Freeborn Airchartering

Chapman Freeborn was established in the UK in 1973 and the group now comprises of 35 offices in 25 countries around the world.

The company specialises in the charter and lease of fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft for a wide ranging client base including major international organisations, NGOs, multinational corporations, governments, and a host of industries around the globe.

Chapman Freeborn is dedicated to adding real value to clients and suppliers. The company was voted Air Cargo Charter Broker of the Year at the World Air Cargo Awards for six consecutive years. Industry publication Air Cargo News also named Chapman Freeborn as its Cargo Charter Broker of the Year 2012 and 2013.

In addition to cargo charter and on board courier (OBC) operations, Chapman Freeborn offers specialist passenger services including private jet and helicopter charters for executive travel and large aircraft for crew rotations and international group travel.

Chapman Freeborn has over 450 employees worldwide and is currently ranked 32nd in the Sunday Times HSBC Top Track 250 list of Britain’s biggest mid-market private companies

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28/10/2013
Swiss WorldCargo introduces new Zurich-Kiev service

Zurich, Switzerland: Swiss WorldCargo, the airfreight division of Swiss International Air Lines, today announces the introduction of a new non-stop flight between Zurich and Kiev.  The new daily service to the capital of Ukraine, operated with A-320 aircraft, will effectively add cargo capacity to and from Eastern Europe.

The second largest contiguous country on the European continent, Ukraine is regarded as being a developing economy with high potential for future success, holding many competitive advantages such as abundant natural resources and vast stretches of arable land in a strategic location with a highly skilled labour force.

The country is already well known for its strength in the heavy-industry base as well as the refinery of metallurgical products. Among the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States), Ukraine is the second-biggest export market for Switzerland after Russia and has proven to be an important industrial, scientific, educational and cultural centre.

The Swiss export to the Ukraine is dominated by pharmaceutical products, machinery and consumer goods whilst the import to Switzerland from the Ukraine predominantly constitutes raw materials, industrial consumables and foods as well as machinery and agriculture products.

"Our additional service into Ukraine strengthens Swiss WorldCargo’s position in Eastern Europe and builds on to the extensive list of destinations that connect this region to the rest of the world," Lâlin Sabuncuo?lu - Janssen, Head of Area Management Europe & Africa comments. “All our range of products is available on both directions and we are sure that, with our trademark focus on time-sensitive and care intensive solutions we will meet the demands of the customers of this diversified and developing market.“

SWISS flight LX2290 departs Zurich at 09:45 and arrives in Kiev at 13:20. The return flight LX2291 leaves Kiev at 14:10 and lands in Zurich at 15:50. SWISS is operating the daily Kiev-Zurich flight with an Airbus A320, offering up to 2.4 tonnes of capacity in both directions. 

 

Timetable

Zurich-Kiev (daily) LX2290 ZRH-KBP 09:45-13:20

Kiev-Zurich (daily) LX2291 KBP-ZRH 14:10-15:50

+ the following day


Key facts

- First flight: Sunday 27 October 2013

- Equipment: Airbus A320

- Cargo capacity: up to 2.4 tonnes per leg

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08/11/2013
Swiss WorldCargo introduces lightweight containers for its valuable shipments

Zurich, Switzerland: Swiss WorldCargo is replacing some of its unit load devices for the transportation of valuable shipments with state-of-the-art, lightweight containers.

The entire XKN fleet, used on long-haul routes, will be replaced with containers of the AVA type provided by Jettainer, the leading international service partner for outsourced ULD management.

The roll-out of the new containers, a total of 180 units, started last summer; 50 containers have already been replaced and the remaining 70 will be rolled-out by the end of 2015.

Manufactured by Dokasch, one of the leading producers of air cargo equipment, the AVA units are made of carbon fibre and partly recycled composite material and are about 40 kilos lighter than the XKN. This significant weight reduction will, by extension, result in  an improved payload, increased fuel efficiency, as well as the reduction of CO2 emissions.

Weight reduction is not the only advantage of the new container’s high-tech material. The production of this material is by far more sustainable than the production of aluminium and, in the event of repair, the risk of injury to the handling personnel is significantly reduced.

“With the departure of the last XKN units and the arrival of further new lightweight containers, the Swiss WorldCargo ULD fleet continues to develop towards modern, lightweight, efficient and environmental material. We are proud that Jettainer’s innovative approach can support and contribute”, says Christine Barden, Head of Transportation Management at Swiss WorldCargo. 

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2012

11/02/2012
Swiss WorldCargo launches new direct flights between Zurich and Beijing, adding third Chinese destination

Zurich, Switzerland - Beijing, China: Swiss WorldCargo, the airfreight division of Swiss International Air Lines Ltd., announces the launch today of new direct flighs between Zurich and Beijing. Operated with A340-300 wide body equipment, the new connection marks a significant increase of cargo capacity to and from China, where Beijing is the third destination served by SWISS, after Hong Kong and Shanghai. 

The Chinese capital is not only the political and cultural centre of the most populous state in the world, but also the heart and mind of one of the fastest growing economies, and home to an amazing array of companies. Most of China’s largest state-owned corporations are based here, as well as 100 of the biggest private firms, and no fewer than 26 Fortune-500-companies -more than any other city apart from Tokyo and Paris.

In the past decade, the annual average growth rate of China’s export to Switzerland stood at 19% while that of Switzerland’s export to China was as high as 29%. “China is the largest contributor to Swiss export growth, with a growth rate ten times faster than Swiss exports to the EU: It is therefore a great opportunity to position our brand and service quality in Beijing, our third online station within the Greater China area,” says Ashwin Bhat, Managing Director Asia, Africa and Middle East.

“The new flight will enable our customers to take advantage of Swiss WorldCargo’s exceptional services and high quality transportation of general cargo and special products across its global network,“ Bhat continues. “Our customers can be sure we deliver our services with a passion for their needs, a drive for punctuality, and the dedication “to care for their cargo” every step of the way. “ 

SWISS flight LX196 departs at 12.30 and arrives in Beijing at 05.15 the next morning. The return flight LX197 leaves Beijing at 06.45 and lands in Zurich at 10.40 (all local times). SWISS is operating the flights with an Airbus A340-300, offering 18 tons of capacity in both directions. 

Key Facts

  • First Flight: Saturday, 11 February 2012
  • Equipment: A340-300
  • Capacity: Up to 18 tons per flight


Zurich-Beijing (daily)

LX196 ZRH-BJS 12.30 - 05.30 (+1)

Beijing-Zurich (daily)
LX197  BJS-ZRH 06.45 -10.40

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23/03/2012
“Cargo 2000 Platinum Membership” for Swiss WorldCargo

Zurich, Switzerland: Swiss WorldCargo, the Cargo Division of Swiss International Air Lines Ltd, has been classified as a “Cargo 2000 Platinum Member 2011”, the highest of four categories of membership established by the new classification system introduced by the IATA interest group “Cargo 2000”.

“Cargo 2000”, the well recognised quality monitoring and improvement platform in the air cargo industry, has implemented a new membership classification: Based on a point system that objectively measures a company’s integration of the initiative into its daily business processes, the new membership classification aims at encouraging integration even further by all the industry stakeholders.

Full integration is in fact crucial for the achievement of the initiative’s objectives. Bringing together more than 80 major airlines, forwarders and third parties such as ground handlers, trucking companies and IT providers, since it was founded in 1997 “Cargo 2000” aims at implementing a new quality monitoring system for the air cargo industry. More specifically, it is about implementing processes, backed by quality standards that are measurable and supported by data, thereby improving the efficiency of air cargo, enhancing customer service levels and reducing operational costs.

Given the active support demonstrated by Swiss WorldCargo to the industry-wide initiative since its inception, it is not surprising that the Cargo Division of SWISS was one of only seven member airlines to score more than 81 points - the minimum required in order to be ranked as a “Platinum Member” according to the new membership classification system.

The evaluation matrix consists of three sections, each one allowing for a score of up to 100 points and carrying a percentage weight: 
-  Performance and Integrity (30%), which evaluates KPIs, volume of shipments measured and data integrity
-  Process/Degree of Implementation (30%), measuring the level of “Cargo 2000” implementation 
-  Contribution to “Cargo 2000” Community (40%), which assesses a company’s level of engagement with the broader “Cargo 2000” community.

“At Swiss WorldCargo we have always been recognized as a global leader in providing high quality services and being a “Cargo 2000 Platinum Member” is a further industry accolade to prove that fact”, comments  Christine Barden, Senior Manager, Head of Transportation Processes and responsible for “Cargo 2000” at Swiss WorldCargo. “By embedding the “Cargo 2000” quality approach within our comprehensive suite of quality measures at Swiss WorldCargo we have achieved continuous improvements in our performance and we do believe this new membership classification system is a further milestone for the transparency of quality standards in the industry overall.” 

Swiss WorldCargo was one of the first air cargo carriers to have all the stations in its network certified in accordance with the “Cargo 2000” standards as well as being continuously ranked amongst the top airlines in terms of published “Cargo 2000” results, since all members had to start publishing data measured by the programme’s quality management system in 2005.

 

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30/03/2012
Swiss WorldCargo to market cargo capacity between Zurich and Newark thanks to fleet upgrade

Zurich, Switzerland: Swiss International Air Lines Ltd. has announced the replacement of the leased all business-class Boeing 737 with wide bodied aircrafts on the Zurich-Newark route.  Swiss WorldCargo, the cargo division of Swiss International Air Lines Ltd. is mandated to market the cargo capacity of this route. Effective 31 March 2012, a daily service will be operated with A340-300 equipment, effectively adding cargo capacity to and from the region, in which SWISS already serves New York JFK. 

Newark Liberty International Airport is an important cargo gateway in the greater New York area, well situated to serve the entire east coast of the United States with Swiss WorldCargo’s finely meshed Road Feeder Service network already in place; from Newark, destinations like Philadelphia and Washington can be reached more easily. 

Pharmaceutical goods are expected to be a key commodity on the route. Located in the heart of New Jersey and its vibrant industrial sector, Newark is in fact the perfect entry point to one of the major manufacturing areas for pharmaceuticals worldwide – with 15 of the industries' leading companies present here. 

“SWISS’ service upgrade on this route will enable cargo customers from the greater New York area to take advantage of Swiss WorldCargo’s exceptional services and high quality transportation of general cargo and special products across our global network,” says Jack Lampinski, Managing Director, Area Management Americas. “ Most of the products in our portfolio are available on both directions and we are sure that, with our trademark focus on time-sensitive and care intensive solutions we will meet the demands of the customers in the fiercely competitive North American market.“ 

In North America, Swiss WorldCargo already offers multiple daily services between Zurich and New York JFK, daily services to Boston, Chicago, Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Montreal complemented by a dense truck service.

The non-stop A340-300 service departs daily from Zurich at 17.30 with arrival in Newark at 20.20 on the same day. The return flight leaves Newark at 22.00 and reaches Zurich at 11.30 on the following morning. 

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02/05/2012
Alles Gute kommt von oben: Luftfracht-Installation am Flughafen Zürich

Ob Medikamente oder Früchte, Handys oder Software, Kinofilme oder Kunstobjekte – ohne Luftfracht wäre das Leben nur halb so bunt. Die Partner Cargologic, Swissport, Swiss WorldCargo und die Zürich Flughafen AG sorgen gemeinsam dafür, dass der Flughafen Zürich als einer der qualitativ besten Güterumschlagplätze weltweit gilt. Im Mai und Juni können sich Besucher am Flughafen Zürich über die Bedeutung und die unbekannten, faszinierenden Seiten der Luftfracht informieren.

Im Mai und Juni 2012 ist beim Busterminal am Flughafen Zürich eine Installation zu sehen, in deren Mittelpunkt ein Leichtbaucontainer für Luftfrachttransporte der neuesten Generation steht. Sie erzählt fünf interessante Geschichten über die Rolle, die die Luftfracht in unserem Alltag spielt und wie die Güter schnell, sicher und zuverlässig transportiert werden.

Eine Exportnation wie die Schweiz profitiert massiv von der Luftfracht. Dank dem Luftgüterverkehr sind viele Branchen, die das Rückgrat der Schweizer Wirtschaft bilden, global erfolgreich. Damit werden in den Sparten Pharma, Maschinenbau und Präzisionsinstrumente sowie in der Luxus- und Genussgüterindustrie (z.B. Uhren, Schokolade) Zehntausende Arbeitsplätze geschaffen. Die Luftfracht trägt somit viel zum Wohlstand und zur Zukunftsfähigkeit der Schweiz bei. Aber nicht nur der Export, auch der Import ist in der Luftfracht von zentraler Bedeutung. Ohne ihn gäbe es weder die neusten Handys, lebensnotwendige Medikamente noch frische Ananas.

Am Flughafen Zürich sorgen der Handling-Spezialist Cargologic, Swissport, der weltweit führende Anbieter von Bodenabfertigungsdiensten, Swiss WorldCargo, die Frachtdivision der Swiss International Air Lines AG und die Flughafen Zürich AG dafür, dass der Flughafen Zürich als einer der qualitativ besten Güterumschlagplätze weltweit gilt.

Für den Umschlag von 1‘000 Tonnen Luftfracht pro Tag steht bei Cargologic am Flughafen Zürich 43‘000 m2 Hallenfläche zur Verfügung. Zusätzlich können rund 3‘000 Flugzeugpaletten und 8‘000 Euro-Paletten in einem achtstöckigen Hochregallager zwischengelagert werden.

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25/05/2012
New weekly service between Zurich and Tampa

Swiss WorldCargo, the airfreight division of Swiss International Air Lines, is introducing a new weekly non-stop flight between Zurich and Tampa (Florida).
Swiss WorldCargo further expands its network of airfreight services today with the introduction of a new weekly non-stop flight between Zurich and Tampa International Airport, Florida. The service, which is operated in partnership with Edelweiss Air using Airbus A330 equipment, offers attractive new business possibilities for airfreight shipments between Switzerland and the USA and throughout the global Swiss WorldCargo network.

The addition of the new non-stop Zurich-Tampa flight further strengthens Swiss WorldCargo’s position in the North American market, where SWISS’s airfreight division already offers such services to New York (JFK and Newark), Boston, Chicago, Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Montreal and Toronto. This year’s summer schedules will also see the resumption of the seasonal Edelweiss Air flights from Zurich to Vancouver and Calgary (Canada). 

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01/11/2012
Toutes les bonnes choses viennent du ciel: une installation sur le thème du fret aérien à l’aéroport de Genève

Téléphones portables ou tablettes, montres ou originaux des films de cinéma, documents diplomatiques ou biens de première nécessité destinés à des régions en crise – sans le fret aérien, notre existence ne serait pas aussi trépidante.

Swissport, Swiss WorldCargo et Genève Aéroport veillent ensemble à ce que la plateforme aérienne genevoise soit considérée comme l’une des plus performantes en termes de qualité. En novembre, les visiteurs de l’aéroport pourront s’en persuader en découvrant les coulisses méconnues et passionnantes du fret aérien.

En novembre 2012, une « installation » consacrée au fret aérien sera placée dans le hall des arrivées de l’aéroport de Genève. Elle mettra en avant les conteneurs légers de toute dernière génération destinés au transport de marchandises et présentera cinq éclairages intéressants sur le rôle joué par le fret aérien dans notre quotidien en permettant un transport rapide, sûr et fiable des biens que nous utilisons.

Une nation exportatrice comme la Suisse tire de grands bénéfices du fret aérien. Il assure le succès mondial de nombreux secteurs formant  l’ossature de l’économie nationale. Les secteurs  de la pharmacie, du génie mécanique, des instruments de précisions, de l’industrie de luxe ou alimentaire (montres et chocolat), notamment, garantissent des dizaines de milliers d’emplois et contribuent au bien-être et à la prospérité durable du pays. Les organisations internationales et ONG de toute premier plan implantées à Genève,  telles que la Croix Rouge, dépendent étroitement du fret aérien pour l’expédition de documents diplomatiques, de matériel médico-chirurgical  et de biens de première nécessité destinés à des régions en crise. 

Le fret aérien est aussi primordial à l’import qu’à l’export. Sans lui, pas de téléphones portables dernier cri, de médicaments indispensables ni d’ananas frais.

À l’aéroport de Genève, les spécialistes que sont Swissport (première entreprise mondiale de services au sol pour le secteur aéronautique), Swiss WorldCargo (division fret aérien de Swiss International Air Lines) et Genève-Aéroport veillent ensemble à ce que la plateforme aérienne genevoise soit considérée dans le monde entier comme l’une des plus performantes en termes de qualité.

Les 73 000 tonnes annuelles de fret sont entreposées dans les halles de Swissport à l’aéroport de Genève sur une surface de 24 000 m2. La plateforme aéroportuaire dispose également de chambres froides spéciales, de coffres-forts pour les objets de valeur et d’entrepôts chauffés.

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08/11/2012
Organizational changes

Zurich, Switzerland – SWISS’ airfreight division is  modifying its area management and reporting lines by consolidating its current markets into two main groups: Europe & Africa on the one hand, and Americas, Middle East & Asia on the other.

Under the changes (which came into effect on 1 November), Lalin Sabuncuoglu-Janssen, who is currently Head of Market Europe, becomes Vice President Europe & Africa, while Ashwin Bhat assumes additional responsibility for the American markets as Vice President Americas, Middle East & Asia.  

The important voice of the US market will continue to be fully heard, however: Jack Lampinski, Senior Director The Americas, remains a full member of the Cargo Management Team.

The revised area management model offers the benefit of better alignment with Lufthansa Cargo (where Europe and Africa are also led by the same Vice-President), facilitating reciprocal learning and collaboration within the Group. The new structure shall also strengthen and promote Swiss WorldCargo’s own internal learning and collaboration processes, as most intercontinental markets will now be under the same leadership.

Another key change has been effected in Swiss WorldCargo’s Product Management, where Susanne Wellauer, formerly Sales Manager in the Basel district, was appointed Manager SWISS Mail last month.

“Any organization must remain dynamic and constantly realign itself to new  trends and developments,” says Oliver Evans. “Lalin Sabuncuoglu-Janssen, Ashwin Bhat, Susanne Wellauer and Jack Lampinski have shown great leadership and have made enormous contributions to Swiss WorldCargo over many years; and I am confident they will continue to do so in their new roles.”

Swiss WorldCargo’s organizational changes in brief:

  • Area Management Europe & Africa, 
  • headed by Lalin Sabuncuoglu-Janssen, Vice President
  • Area Management Americas, Middle East & Asia, 
  • headed by Ashwin Bhat, Vice President
  • reporting line: Area Management the Americas, 
  • headed by Jack Lampinski, reporting to Ashwin Bhat
  • Manager SWISS Mail: Susanne Wellauer
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11/12/2012
Multiladeral EDI Agreement

Swiss WorldCargo is the first carrier to sign up the Proof of Concept for IATA’s “Multilateral e-Air Waybill Agreement”.
 

Swiss WorldCargo underlines its commitment to paperless cargo by joining the Proof of Concept for the IATA’s “Multilateral e-Air Waybill Agreement” initiative. The cargo division of SWISS is the first carrier worldwide to sign up for this Proof of Concept, which marks a significant milestone within the e-commerce framework promoted by the Global Air Cargo Advisory Group (GACAG).

The model agreement for electronic data interchange (EDI) as a substitute for the traditional paper air waybill is proposed to become “multilateral”: The objective is to have the bilateral EDI agreements between the forwarders and the carriers replaced by a single multilateral agreement. The concept is that forwarders entering into the agreement with IATA effectively enter into agreements with all participating carriers who have appointed IATA as their agent to enter into the agreements with the forwarders on their behalf.

A Proof of Concept has been launched by IATA with a group of freight forwarders and carriers to trial the draft agreement and provide recommendations on potential enhancements. The final version of the agreement is anticipated to be adopted as an IATA resolution and declared effective by mid-2013.

The “Multilateral e-Air Waybill Agreement” is a crucial development within the e-Air Waybill framework, introduced by IATA with the acknowledgement of FIATA, the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Association and GACAG, to enable airlines, shippers and freight forwarders to experience the benefits of a paperless environment.

“The new agreement will allow forwarders and airlines to get away from the painstaking and slow process of company-to-company and location-to-location agreements which have slowed the adoption of e-commerce until now” comments Christine Barden, Head of Transportation Processes and responsible for the e-Air Waybill project at Swiss WorldCargo.
“The ultimate benefit will be the increase of the volume of e-Air Waybill shipments, with a consequent increase in productivity, reliability of information and customer service.”

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