AVIATION

SriLankan’s BIA cargo centre further automated

SriLankan Cargo is transforming its Cargo Centre at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) with state-of-the-art technology to further enhance its operational efficiency, and strengthening Colombo’s position as the air cargo hub in the region.

Among the recent enhancements have been hand held bar code scanners to instantly upload information on any cargo item, and the empowering of freight forwarders to complete bookings on the Internet. Other elements to come very shortly include a CCTV system to enhance security at the Cargo Centre.

SriLankan’s Head of Worldwide Sales Mohamed Fazeel said: “We at SriLankan Cargo are determined that the BIA Cargo Centre shall be second to none in the region, and we are constantly seeking to add more value to the service we provide to our customers, especially through the use of the latest technology.

SriLankan Cargo, the cargo arm of SriLankan Airlines which is the handling agent for all airlines that operate to BIA, last year doubled its handling capacity with the commissioning of a new building to house a dedicated Exports Terminal. This included specialized areas for perishables, courier cargo, pure mail, cold rooms, chiller rooms, a vault for valuables and an animal holding room.

The 156,142 tonnes of all types of cargo in 2010 was the third highest ever total handled at BIA in a single year. It also set a new record for transshipment cargo at 26,445 metric tonnes.

Manager Cargo Operations Janaka Munasinghe said SriLankan Cargo holds regular discussions with the Freight Forwarders Association and Customer Airlines to discuss the latest technological innovations which can enhance efficiency and convenience for all parties and ensure that the BIA Cargo Centre can better perform its role for our country’s import-export sectors and for the region. We also provided the staff of freight forwarders with training in the new technology.

The hand held bar code scanners and electronic airway bills were commissioned by the airline in the presence of several members of the Sri Lanka Freight Forwarders Association.

The hand held bar code scanners capture information from the bar coded labels attached to any piece of cargo and instantly upload directly into the SkyChain system which is accessible throughout SriLankan Cargo’s global network. This considerably speeds up the process which had earlier been done manually.

The electronic airway bills provide freight forwarders with the ability to fill out airway bills for consignments in their own offices, which include bar coded labels provided by SriLankan Cargo. These are then forwarded to the BIA Cargo Centre and go directly into the system. This is in contrast to the earlier method of manually preparing airway bills.

The information includes all necessary data on each piece of cargo including the package’s origin, boarding point, destination, offloading point, documentation, number of pieces, weight, volume, type of container, booking status, manifest description, agent’s name, product and much more.

Lufthansa Cargo holds regional meeting in Sri Lanka

Lufthansa Cargo held its Regional Meeting in Sri Lanka recently, at Paradise Beach Hotel Negombo.

Lufthansa Cargo is represented in Sri Lanka and Maldives by Lewis Brown Air Services (Pvt) Ltd, a member of the Delmege Group of companies.

The meeting was presided over by Lufthansa Cargo General Manager Matthias Brazel the Mr. Brazel is based in Dubai and is responsible for sales and handling services of Lufthansa Cargo in the Middle East, Bangladesh & Sri Lanka.

The meeting was well attended with 15 participant members of the Lufthansa Cargo Regional Team representing Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Dammam, Doha, Riyadh, Jeddah, Amman, Kuwait and Colombo. The Meeting concluded with a memorable trip to the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, an event greatly appreciated by all.

In Sri Lanka, Lufthansa Cargo operated as an Online Carrier with MD-11 Freighters thrice a week until early 2005.

Currently Lufthansa Cargo operates as an Offline Carrier. Lewis Brown Air Services (Pvt) Ltd, the GSA for Lufthansa Cargo, transports cargo via Lufthansa gateways in the Middle East, India and the Far East. At present Lufthansa Cargo uplifts a significant tonnage being an off line operator, that comprises General Cargo, Garments, Live Ornamental Fish, Perishables, Dangerous Goods and High Density Cargo such as Tyres and Machinery Parts.

In a time when price pressures and volatility continue, the Lufthansa Cargo brand, quality and network are the reason for strong and loyal customer support.

Lewis Brown Air Services (Pvt) Limited is the General Sales Agent for Lufthansa Cargo since July 1993.

Lufthansa Cargo and Austrian Airlines Cargo have merged their global activities and Lufthansa Cargo now handles all Austrian Airlines Cargo Capacity Worldwide.

The merger between Lufthansa Cargo and Austrian Cargo will strengthen an already extensive global network. Lufthansa Cargo is a giant in the global cargo industry, renowned for its efficiency and dedication to the highest standards of customer service. Being an exclusive GSA for Lufthansa Cargo, Lewis Brown Air Services (Pvt) Ltd, offer their customers an unprecedented degree of service to destinations all over the world. As a result of new international markets rapidly opening up to Sri Lankan exporters, this merger between two established European Airlines, gives Lewis Brown Air Services (Pvt) Ltd, the opportunity to offer their customers a more extensive range of destinations.

SIA raises S$ 400,000 for Japan

Through contributions from staff and a pledge by the Airline to match donations dollar-for-dollar, Singapore Airlines raised S$ 362,415 for the Singapore Red Cross Society’s fund-raising drive for relief and recovery efforts in Japan, following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

Including contributions from staff in overseas stations to their local Red Cross chapters, as well as a contribution by the Airline Pilots Association - Singapore to the Japan Red Cross, a total of S$ 415,384 was raised.

Singapore Airlines operates twice-daily flights to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, as well as twice-daily flights to Tokyo’s Narita Airport.

In total, Singapore Airlines serves Tokyo with 4x daily services out of Singapore.