Tag: Europe

European Airline Traffic data

Posted by | Aug 7, 2008 | |

The Association of European Airlines has released traffic and capacity data for its members in June 2008.

Following a better-than-expected set of results in May, the June figures more clearly reflected the depressed situation of the market. Year-on-year traffic growth slowed to 1.6pct which, coupled with a 4.0pct increase in capacity, led to a substantial fall in load factor, by 1.9 percentage points to 77.4pct.

Decreases were recorded in Domestic operations (-6.7pct) and on the North Atlantic (-0.2pct). The normally buoyant European cross-border markets grew by 3.2pct and Europe-Far East by just 0.5pct. Regions which continued to post strong growth were the South Atlantic – which, at plus 10.3pct nevertheless suffered a heavy loss in load factor – and the Middle East, with +6.9pct.

Preliminary results for July, based on weekly reports, indicate a growth figure perhaps a percentage point better than in June, driven by a slight recovery in North Atlantic and Far Eastern flows, although both remain substantially depressed. Load factors are expected to show a further decline, although less dramatic than in June.

DHL and TNT recently joined the association with effect from July 1, taking membership to 35 airlines.

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Isle of Man distribution firm to use innovative PODXchange system

Posted by | Aug 7, 2008 | |

An innovative system for tracking parcels and freight is being rolled out by distribution firm Manx Independent Carriers.

The company, which operates 120 vehicles from Skelmersdale and Douglas, is using a new international databank called PODXchange developed by technology company NetDespatch. Drivers are being equipped with special mobile devices incorporating barcode scanners and a touchsceen.

When deliveries are made and signed for, details of the shipment held in the barcode can be transmitted live to the web portal along with the captured electronic signature. The data as well as electronic signatures is then transformed into the appropriate carrier format and transmitted to Manx Independent Carriers’ customers including most major UK parcel carriers.

Manx Independent Carriers delivers on behalf of major parcel carriers including Fedex, UPS, DPD, Citylink, Parcelnet and Amtrak. Using one device, the firm can now provide a live signature proof of delivery (POD) to any of these companies.

First used in the Scottish Highlands for parcel deliveries handled by AJG, the system is being implemented by Manx Independent Carriers so that it can be used for all types of deliveries.

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Royal Mail – Massive restructuring in North West (UK)

Posted by | Aug 6, 2008 | |

Royal Mail blames falling mail volumes for a massive restructuring of sorting operations in the north-west of England that are likely to see the closure of mail centres in Liverpool, Stockport, Oldham and Bolton.

However, Hellmail has learned that plans had been in the pipeline for some ten years with a proposal to combine sorting operations on a new site at former air-base Burtonwood, close to both Manchester and Liverpool and the cessation of its use of the rail network by 2004, key to plans to make better use of the road network. A planning application for development on the Omega South site at Burtonwood had already been submitted.

Preliminary plans included transferring processing from three mail centres, five outward vouching offices and three centres for bulk mail handling to new mail centres and a new regional distribution centre. A new sorting and distribution centre at Warrington to replace Crewe and Liverpool mail centres, a new Chester mail centre replacing the current Chester mail centre were already penned. It also, at that time, included five outward vouching offices in the Wirral and north Wales, and a new Crewe regional distribution centre replacing Brunswick Dock, Westhoughton and Lostock bulk handling centres.

Putting more mail on to Britain’s roads rather with less reliance on the rail network has clearly altered the network structure as well as access and selecting logical sites for distribution, the subject of much controversy, are rapidly reaching the final decision stage.

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Electronic money transfers: Spain and Morocco's Posts sign up

Posted by | Aug 6, 2008 | |

The Spanish Post (Correos de España) and its Moroccan counterpart (Poste Maroc) signed a reciprocal agreement yesterday to set up an electronic money transfer service.

José Damián Santiago Martín, CEO of Correos de España, and Anass Alami, Director General of Poste Maroc, announced that a service was being launched between the two countries, at a brief ceremony during the 24th Universal Postal Congress.

This service will be available at about 1,000 post offices in Morocco and 2,300 in Spain.

Around half a million Moroccan nationals live in Spain, said ALAMI.

In 2007, it is believed that Moroccans living in Europe sent around 4.8 billion EUR back to their country of origin. That figure was bound to rise considerably over the coming years, said Poste Maroc’s Director General, adding that he was very happy to be signing the agreement with Spain.

This accord follows on from the successful cooperation agreement signed between the UPU and the Spanish Government in December 2007. Its aim was that Spain would facilitate money transfers with Latin America and North African countries via the UPU’s international financial network. A goal that has been achieved in less than seven months.

This launch of exchanges between Spain and Morocco could pave the way for similar services in other North African countries.

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France’s Edouard Dayan and China’s Guozhong Huang re-elected to UPU top jobs

Posted by | Aug 6, 2008 | |

40 member countries elected to Council of Administration and Postal Operations Council Geneva (Switzerland), 6 August 2008.
The 24th Universal Postal Congress today re-elected, by acclamation, France’s Edouard Dayan and China’s Guozhong Huang to the positions of Director General and Deputy Director General of the Universal Postal Union’s International Bureau for the period 2009-2012.
First elected at the 2004 Bucharest Congress, Dayan and Huang were the sole candidates for the positions. The member countries elect the organization’s two top officials at each UPU Congress. “Between Bucharest and Geneva, the UPU has travelled far. We have embarked upon profound change. All countries, whatever their size, whatever their level of development and postal organization model, are finding in the UPU an organization which, thanks to solid experience within the United Nations family, helps them to play their part in a world postal network and a constantly changing global environment.
Around these values of universality, solidarity and unity of the world postal family, the Universal Postal Union has, in recent years, successfully embraced change,” declared Edouard Dayan immediately after his election. For his part, Guozhong Huang said: “The role played by our institution in economic development and social progress is invaluable. Nowadays, with the challenge of globalization, the role of the postal sector as a basic infrastructure is greater than ever. The UPU’s raison d’être is more and more evident. If we can move with the times, adapt to changing environments and persevere with our reforms, the postal sector will remain able to play its irreplaceable role and the UPU will be an international organization that can forge ahead with cooperation between all postal sector players worldwide.” Congress also elected the member countries of the 2009-2012 UPU Council of Administration and Postal Operations Council. The Council of Administration’s 41 member countries ensure the continuity of the UPU’s work between Congresses, supervise its activities and study regulatory, administrative, legislative and legal issues. The Council approves the biennial budget and the accounts of the Union.

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