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Freight forwarders welcome UK Government commitment to technical education

The British International Freight Association (BIFA) has welcomed the Prime Minister's announcement of a major overhaul of technical education, designed to ensure that vocational learning is valued equally alongside traditional academic routes. The reforms will introduce new technical education pathways for 14-year-olds, combining academic subjects with practical skills, employer engagement and work experience linked to local employment opportunities. Steve Parker, director general of BIFA, said: "For many years, our industry has been saying there should not be a hierarchy of career choices. Logistics, freight forwarding and the wider supply chain offer rewarding, well-paid careers that are essential to the UK's economy, yet too many young people simply aren't aware these opportunities exist. "The Government's commitment to value 'the hard hat as much as the graduation cap' is a positive step towards changing perceptions of technical and vocational careers. It aligns closely with what BIFA and its members have been working to achieve through our engagement with schools and young people." The freight forwarding and logistics sector supports hundreds of thousands of jobs across the UK and underpins international trade. BIFA said as businesses continue to face skills shortages, improving awareness of careers in the sector is vital. BIFA has long recognised the importance of engaging with students before they make decisions about further education and careers. Through its schools outreach activities and partnerships with education providers, the association is helping students develop the knowledge and skills employers need while strengthening links between industry and education. A key example is BIFA's collaboration with South Hampshire College Group (SHCG), established to help develop courses that better prepare students for careers in logistics, freight forwarding and supply chain management. The partnership builds on BIFA's 2021 campaign encouraging members to work with schools and colleges to promote careers in the sector. The collaboration creates structured engagement between the college and freight forwarding businesses in the Solent region, enabling employers to help shape course content and engage directly with students through talks, careers events and industry insight sessions. Students gain first-hand insight into careers spanning customs, compliance, supply chain management, digital systems, sustainability and customer service. Parker added: "By working closely with education providers such as South Hampshire College Group, we're helping students gain a better understanding of logistics while giving employers the opportunity to influence the skills and knowledge future recruits will bring to the workplace. BIFA has started to roll out this model with The City of Bristol College and Suffolk New College, which are in areas with significant logistics activity. "The Government's proposals to strengthen links between schools and employers create an excellent opportunity for our sector to play an even greater role in inspiring the next generation. BIFA and its members stand ready to support that ambition." BIFA believes closer collaboration between education providers and industry will help ensure young people develop the skills employers need while giving them access to rewarding career opportunities in a sector central to the UK's economic growth and international competitiveness.

Geo-political uncertainty propels Lufthansa Cargo's Q2

Lufthansa's logistics division - whose main component is Lufthansa Cargo, posted an adjusted EBIT in Q2 of €116m, an increase of 58% on the same period last year while revenues were up 27% year on year (YoY) to just over €1bn. Commenting on the quarter at conference call in Frankfurt earlier today, attended by The Loadstar, group chairman and CEO, Carsten Spohr, said: "The second quarter operating environment for air cargo was anything but easy, the conflict in the Middle East affecting the reliability of global supply chain networks which had to be adjusted at short notice in an environment like this, one thing becomes clear once again. The more complex and unpredictable the global economy becomes, the more a growing cargo business, like Lufthansa Cargo, shows its worth." He continued: "In particular, the crisis in the Middle East triggered a surge in demand on routes to the Far East and for our new and now almost daily, trans-Pacific connection, as well as our new intra-Asian routes." He went on to highlight that "this commercial success was the result of the consistent execution of our strategy and our increasingly strong focus on high-margin products, semiconductors and more and more IP server equipment for the growing AI-driven investments in computers around the world and data centres". In a statement issued before the conference call, the Group noted that in the context of a significantly changed market environment, due to the conflict in the Middle East and the corresponding reduction in competitors' capacities in the region, Lufthansa Cargo's freight business had "gained momentum in overall terms". The reduction in the volume of capacity on the market and the strong rise in fuel costs led to a significant increase in yields compared to previous quarters. Demand was driven by continued strong business in the Asia/Pacific region in particular. This was reflected in an increase in cargo tonnage. India had also performed strongly. Higher fuel and charter costs in particular had a negative impact on expenses. Capacity, expressed as available cargo tonne kilometers (ATK), grew a modest 2% versus the previous year mainly driven by 6% bellyhold growth, particularly from Italian airline subsidiary, ITA Airways. Traffic, expressed as revenue cargo tonne kilometers (CTK) increased 3% YoY while the cargo load factor was stable at 62.9%. Mr Spohr also drew attention to the modernisation of Lufthansa Cargo's ground infrastructure. "At the end of June, we brought the first and most important phase of our new Frankfurt cargo centre into operation. This will make our handling operations even more reliable, more efficient, and more productive, and obviously will contribute to the premium positioning of Lufthansa Cargo." He also remarked on the Group's internationalisation strategy which was beneficial to Lufthansa Cargo with the integration of the marketing of ITA Airways' cargo capacity and closer co-operation with other passenger airlines in the Lufthansa portfolio.

Cargonet appoints regional sales manager

UK airfreight wholesaler Cargonet has appointed Kirsty McAndrew as regional sales manager to work with freight forwarders across Northern England and support the company's continued investment in regional growth. Based in Manchester, McAndrew brings extensive sales experience, including almost a decade within the freight and logistics sector. She previously worked in business development manager roles for Simplycargo Wholesale Limited and British American Shipping Limited. Andy Sullivan, commercial director of Cargonet, commented: "We're delighted to welcome Kirsty to the Cargonet team. She has built an excellent reputation within our industry for her professionalism, enthusiasm and customer-first approach. "Those values align perfectly with our own culture. As we continue to invest in our Manchester operation and strengthen our presence across the North, Kirsty's appointment represents another important step in our growth strategy. "Our customers value knowledgeable, accessible people who genuinely understand their business, and Kirsty brings exactly that." Commenting on her appointment, McAndrew said: "I'm excited to be joining Cargonet at such an exciting stage of the company's journey. "Cargonet has an outstanding reputation for service, and I'm looking forward to building new relationships while helping existing customers grow. The business has ambitious plans, and I'm delighted to be part of the next chapter." With operations in London and Manchester, Cargonet provides "neutral airfreight and courier services" exclusively to freight forwarders.