Birmingham Airport Cargo Operations

[Ray Finkle]

Interesting. Keep us updated if you hear anything else.

 

[Ray Finkle]

As CL44 predicted Dnata have now taken over one of the units on the cargo side, I imagine Emirates moving from Servisair is only a matter of time?

 

[User0001]

The dnata deal is likely to be the same as MAN has had for a while. Dnata for cargo servisair for the other bits. No doubt it will oversee all in time but they seem to be slow in the pax side uptake.

 

[justplanecrazy]

http://www.aircargoworld.com/Air-Cargo- ... ts/3015774

 

[Ray Finkle]

The signs on the building have been up for a few weeks now, I guess we'll see Emirates cargo move to them soon.

 

[Brum X]

Anybody know what the situation is with the FEDEX 757 that operates into BHX at night. The runway is now closed after midnight until 6am until March 2014 ????

 

[User0001]

I think the freight is now road hauled up to MAN and the flight operates direct to CDG from there.

 

[Ray Finkle]

I was told the FedEx 757 flights are still operating but with revised flight times to take the runway closures into account and that the Swiftair feeder flights will be operating BFS-CDG direct until next year. Things may well have changed though.

 

[User0001]

Looking at the BHX movements blog, it seems the flight operates MAN-CDG-BHX-MAN. There are records of it arriving at around 0600 and departing at around 0700, but no late evening/night arrival seems to be logged since Monday.

Im assuming the cargo is going by road at night but landing at BHX in the morning just after the closure.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Never thought of checking the movements blog, thanks for doing the research.

 

[CL44]

Well it is official. Emirates Skycargo will be handled by Dnata from 1st April 2014 (no not an early April fool!!!). Anything moving in or out on Emirates will be transiting the Dnata warehouse from the above date. And in a months time after that the EK039/040 is re-timed for the runway work being done out in Dubai. No ward as yet if the EK037/038 will be re-timed (but I would have thought not due to the timings used for this flight anyway). We can count ourselves lucky that we are keeping the two flights as a number of destinations have had their services curtailed during the period of work being done.
I know there has been a lot of work done in the Dnata building and wish them well in the transition period and for the future.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Good to see you back.

Thanks for the info, I heard the unit was in a bit of a state when Dnata first moved in so good to see that it's up and running now. I reckon EK037/038 will remain untouched, I honestly though EK039/040 was going to be chopped but with a couple of changes they seem to have done all they can to keep it going. With the loads doing well recently it'll be interesting to see how the new timings affect them.

 

[justplanecrazy]

Is there any plans for a new cargo building?

 

[Ray Finkle]

This is a quote from Mr Kehoe in an interview with EGI last year.

Airlines are telling us that they want a cargo operation on site.” Having already moved the control tower from the “old and tired” Elmdon site, this could be ripe to house new development including a new business park for cargo, maintenance and support activities, and possibly a hotel. “We want to unlock it,” says Kehoe, “though we will need a new masterplan as it’s still zoned for airport development.”
Deloitte Real Estate (formerly DJD) has given the airport initial feedback on that part of the site, of which 50 acres is let on a long lease to PRUPIM for its Gateway Estate.

 

[CL44]

There have been rumours about a "Cargo Village" circulating for years at BHX. The advantages might seem to be big in number but you have to think about how many Companies directly involved in cargo are on the Airport at present. If you include Forwarders and Hauliers in the figure you would struggle to come up with more than about 30 Companies (and that may be quite generous). Now work out which (if any) would be prepared to move from their current location into a new location (with increased charges, after all business is business and any chance to raise rates would be a given in my opinion). Most of the big forwarders are located "off Airport" already (mainly in purpose built premises). I remember when the "Freeport" was built and touted as the future for Customs warehousing. It lasted about 3-4 years and all of a sudden the barrier came down (this seperated the "free" area from the general area of the estate) and it became known as the Gateway Estate and open for general use. BHX cannot be considered to need a "Cargo Village" unless and until a number of big Companies decide to migrate back to the Airport and that would only happen if very big things were to happen at BHX.

 

[Ray Finkle]

As you work in cargo do you think there would be enough demand at BHX for anything more than belly freight and the ad hoc stuff? We have the FedEx 757's and some Atlantic Airlines work but with such a well established cargo operation just up the M42 would, or could, they try and compete?

 

[CL44]

Hi Ray,

I think (personally) that BHX have missed any opportunity to break into cargo in any meaningful way. Yes we have the Fedex and certain smaller operations along with the belly cargo which moves in and out, but EMA have really got a monopoly on the major movers in the market (UPS/DHL/Outsize operations etc) with an infrastructure which BHX have not really got a hope of coming anywhere near to. Yes we had the engine charters way back in the 90's but that was then and this is now.

With regards to cargo now at BHX the only option I can see is to concentrate on the belly load coming in on a day to day basis. By encouraging new carriers to come into BHX with new services we can increase the flow through the 4 bonded facilities which are on Airport (WFS / Servisair / Dnata / Wares). This is something which can be done without spending rakes of money on a new facility, which to be honest we do not really need at this stage.

We have (as an Airport) spent a shed load of money on infrastructure / equipment for the Airport so now I personally believe we need to spend some cash in trying to entice Airlines to offer services / routes to & from BHX.

 

[Ray Finkle]

Thanks for the reply, I thought with EMA so well established now it would be a step too far for BHX to be anything more than a bit part player, it's good to have a more expert opinion.

We have (as an Airport) spent a shed load of money on infrastructure / equipment for the Airport so now I personally believe we need to spend some cash in trying to entice Airlines to offer services / routes to & from BHX.

Couldn't have put it any better myself :good:

 

[Ray Finkle]

The six West Midlands LEP's are trying to join up and create a unified transport strategy, there was this little snippet about cargo at BHX.

It identifies steps such as the investment in the road and rail network, improving links to HS2 and developing freight activity at Birmingham Airport as well as seeking improved connections to international gateways.

http://centreofenterprise.com/2014/04/1 ... nvestment/

The LEP cross statement on transport went slightly deeper but, bearing in mind CL44's post regarding the size of the operation up at EMA, the last sentence may just sum it up.

Developing freight activity at Birmingham Airport will reduce costs and relieve pressure on the stretched
infrastructure at and around Heathrow Airport. Birmingham Airport could be developed to cater for 800,000
tonnes of freight traffic annually, improving efficiency for local business5. Key to this will be the continued
provision of adequate surface access. Other regional airports also have the potential to serve our businesses.

http://centreofenterprise.com/wp-conten ... -FINAL.pdf

 

[CL44]

Birmingham Airport could be developed to cater for 800,000 tonnes of freight traffic annually, improving efficiency for local business5. Key to this will be the continued provision of adequate surface access. Other regional airports also have the potential to serve our businesses.

And these sentences are the big crux of the matter for BHX. They show that while the potential is there (and it certainly is based on the amount of infrastructure currently on hand (even without any further expansion) that other regional airports are already lined up to handle what could be coming through BHX.

Where BHX has lagged behind dates back to 1984 (in my humble opinion). The new terminal opened in 1984. Hangar 3 came down with a new warehouse being purpose built for BA (this building is still in use with both WFS and Swissport). Why oh why did BHX not look at extending the runway to what we now have? MAN were bimbling along with a single runway operation and not many long haul operations (compared to nowadays anyway). BHX had a major setup with BA operating their own metal and a new terminal (shortly to be joined by another one dedicated to BA ops).
We then sat on our hands and waited for Airlines to come to us. BIG MISTAKE! We should have then sorted out the runway issues and got the extension in place and trawled the Airlines to entice them into coming into BHX. Instead we now have EMA handling a good chunk of the express movements and outsized loads, MAN with a second runway and a very nice spread of long haul routes (with more to come from what I have been hearing) and BHX with an extension finally in place and 3 x charter flights and the possibility of Biman (still not confirmed as far as I am aware).

We colour me surprised that people are now thinking "where did BHX go wrong?"

I have been in the forwarding industry for 30 years (having started in 1984) and forwarders have been crying out for the extension and more services for most if not all of this time. Now do not get me wrong I am more than happy with the Emirates services available to us (i use the flights most days), and the European services (SK/KL/AF etc) suit most if not all of my needs but we need more Carriers to show a commitment to BHX and more importantly we need BHX to show more effort to attract the Airlines (AKA lifeblood) to BHX.

That has got the rant out of my system. Have a Happy Easter everyone.