Informamos a todos nuestros clientes sobre los cambios efectuados por AESA (Agencia Estatal de Seguridad Aérea) en materia de seguridad en el transporte aéreo de mercancías, los cuales afectarán principalmente y de forma directa a todos aquellos exportadores y expedidores de carga aérea que venían declarando sus mercancías como seguras mediante una certificación escrita (Carta Expedidor Conocido). 

En este sentido, y como principal novedad, les informamos que los compromisos adquiridos mediante la declaración anteriormente mencionada, dejarán de tener efecto el próximo 29 de abril de 2013, siendo a partir de ahora la Autoridad competente (AESA) quien efectúe los tramites de validación. A tal efecto, AESA ha habilitado un portal mediante el cual podrán informarse y también efectuar todos los trámites necesarios para efectuar la solicitud o renovación de su acreditación como Expedidor Conocido. 

Asimismo, también consideramos importante remarcar que, debido a los diferentes requerimientos que se solicitan para obtener la citada acreditación, consideramos importante que no demoren los tramites para solicitar o renovar su acreditación (en el caso de que estén interesados en efectuarlo), ya que este proceso podría representar un cambio importante tanto en su operativa en la preparación de envíos como en las características de sus instalaciones. 

A continuación encontrarán el enlace al portal que AESA ha habilitado para tal fin y también una serie de FAQ que les podrán aclarar algunas posibles dudas:

http://avseccargo.senasa.es 

o también: 

 http://www.senasa.es/avseccargo/

1. Como exportador/expedidor y usuario de los servicios de carga aérea, ¿estoy obligado a acreditarme como Expedidor Conocido?

No existe ninguna obligación al respecto, es el exportador/expedidor quien decide someterse o no a este trámite.

2. ¿Cuáles son las principales diferencias entre estar o no acreditado como Expedidor Conocido?

Los envíos procedentes de los Expedidores Conocidos no están regularmente sujetos a inspecciones exhaustivas de seguridad contra actos de interferencia ilícita por parte de las compañías aéreas o agentes acreditados, ya que sus cargas deberán ser sometidas a controles de seguridad por el propio expedidor y deberán ser debidamente transportadas y custodiadas hasta la entrega en la terminal de carga del aeropuerto. No obstante, ninguna carga está exenta de eventuales controles de seguridad adicionales por parte de las Compañías Aéreas, Agentes Acreditados o incluso por las Autoridades de los países de tránsito y/o destino. Las mercancías seguras están sujetas a una tasa única por expedición (*) en concepto de gastos de comprobación de datos (Tasa PNS). 

Los envíos procedentes de exportadores no acreditados, antes de ser embarcados en un vuelo, deberán ser sometidos a inspecciones de seguridad por un Agente Acreditado, lo cual supondrá un coste adicional (**) y posibles demoras en la salida de la carga. 

* En la actualidad el coste medio de la Tasa PNS asciende a unos 10 € por expedición.

** En la actualidad el coste medio de la inspección de seguridad de mercancías no seguras asciende a 0.09 € por kg bruto. 

3. ¿A que medidas de seguridad son sometidas las mercancías que se transportan por vía aérea?

Principalmente, las cargas son inspeccionadas mediante mecanismos de Rayos X (X-ray), aunque también son utilizados otros procedimientos como el registro manual (hand search), sistema de detección de explosivos (EDS), equipo de detección de trazas de explosivos (ETD), entre otros. 

4. En el caso de estar interesado en acreditarme como Expedidor Conocido ¿Cuándo y donde puedo iniciar los trámites?

Los tramites se pueden iniciar de forma inmediata en el portal habilitado por AESA (más arriba encontrará el enlace de acceso).

5. ¿Puedo solicitar la tramitación de esta acreditación a terceros?

A pesar de no estar este punto claramente definido en el programa de AESA, todo apunta a que debe ser el propio personal de la empresa interesada quien debe gestionar la solicitud de acreditación, para lo cual, deberán designar un responsable de seguridad quien será la principal figura durante todo el proceso de acreditación.

Por último, ponemos a su disposición una persona de contacto para atenderles ante cualquier consulta o duda adicional que tengan al respecto:

Sr. Juan Padilla –  jpadilla@airfarm.com - 932 641 919

 

 

 

 Stockpharma presented the H-Fred Project last December 14th. It consists of a specific protocol for the register of every state that temperature controlled goods go through at Barcelona Airport from reception to shipping.

 Our STOCKPHARMA office in Basel, Switzerland, just obtained the SN EN ISO 9001 : 2008 certificate through Bureau Veritas.

In such a competitive environment like nowadays, we believed it was important to take a step further and implement this legislation, which will provide an even greater focus towards customer satisfaction with a management system based on continuous improvement.

This fact reassures our commitment to quality as a main goal.

 Our company has recently been awarded by El Port de Barcelona with the Efficiency Network certificate.

 Therefore, from now on we will be able to enjoy the commercial advantages this implies.

Those advantages are subject to us fulfilling the following efficiency standards:

 Operational reliability

·         Pick-up and delivery of goods within the time constraints agreed with the client, never exceeding 2 hours.

·         Customs clearance in less than 17 hours.

·         Customs clearance with border inspection service (BIS) in less than 25 hours.

·         Good’s shipment on the suggested port of call as agreed.

·         Authorization of entry of dangerous goods on the agreed day at the harbor.

·         Notification of Bill of Lading’s availability 10 hours after the reefer’s departure.

 Transparency of information

 ·         Reliable information on the main operations related with the goods’ transfer in the harbor.

 Goods’ integrity

·         Incidence control during the goods’ stay in the harbor.

 Our company’s daily efforts have been essential to achieve this new award, certifying that we fulfill the quality standards as well as our role in continuous improvement, through Port de Barcelona’s new quality project.

 Also, a follow-up will be carried out to our brand new Efficiency entity, through periodic audits to verify that we comply with all the quality standards of the brand, which we will definitely continue to fulfill and overachieve in the future.

 Trailwalker is the greatest team challenge of the world fight against poverty. The challenge consists of four member teams walking 100km in less than 32 hours. 

The members of the team must start together, stay together and finish together.

The goal: To fight poverty and injustice around the world. That is why the teams commit to obtain donations for Intermón Oxfam, and each contribution improves many lives.

Last 5th and 6th of May, 270 teams walked 100 km from Via Verde de Olot to Sant Feliu de Guíxols in less than 32 hours. The first team arrived to the finish line in 10 hours and 43 minutes. The initiative, which counted with the support of 450 volunteers, raised almost 650.000 €.

Airfarm Group supported Laboratorios HIpra’s teams with an economic contribution.

The Corporate Social Responsibility department is pleased to announce that the 2011 Sustainability Report is already available in its full version on our website (2011 Report).

Furthermore, we inform you that, last March, we were invited to participate in the Normes i standards d'RSE a la pime. Eines de gestió i comunicació presenting our Sustainability Report to a group of experts at the Barcelona Provincial Council. This event was a great chance to spread the word about our 2011 Report.

During the presentation, these elements were highlighted about our sustainability report:

- It is not necessary to be a big company to elaborate a CSR Report based on GRI guidelines.
- Top management’s commitment is a key factor for the project to work.
- We have to be set on which CSR aspects we want to highlight regarding our company, and make them visible in the report. In our case, those are: diversity, the environment and internationalization.
- In the report, there must be not only what we want to convey, but also what the stakeholders’ needs are, previously consulted.

For further information, please email rsc@airfarm.com

Last April, a surgical mobile unit was delivered to the NGO Gesta Africa, with whom we have been collaborating for years. The unit’s building project, finances by Fundación Probitas (Laboratorios Grifols), has had Catalan company Lafuncar’s assistance in transforming the sanitary vehicle, and Airfarm Group’s contribution of providing free transport and custom procedures.The vehicle is completely self-sufficient, where any ophthalmological, minor surgery and emergency interventions of a primary level can be performed.

 The operating room has been built with aluminum panel drawers hinged to the chassis, which avoids instability and overweight.

It has been supplied to attend basic operating room needs, for which it has all kinds of material: lamp with sterilizer, clean and dirty water deposits, among others.

The vehicle will start its first interventions in Koutal, a village where the population has squeals of leprosy. Afterwards, it will conduct another campaign where over 950 interventions of various natures will take place.

 

On the past 10th of May, Airfarm Group organized the first STOCKPHARMA forum at the Sala Port Vell of the World Trade Centre in Barcelona, through its STOCKPHARMA division. The discussion topic was the the cold chain in the pharmaceutical industry, which attracted a remarkable number of important companies in the sector.

The speakers described all the steps involved in the cold supply chain.

 Mª Jose Muñoz elaborated on Airfarm Groups work method, and Mª Teresa Moreno from Chemo Group talked about the harmful effects on drugs of a breach in the cold chain.

Afterwards, Ricard Bermúdez presented Storopack's specific products, made of Neopor, for perishable goods packaging. On the suppliers section, Javier Rueda presented MAERSK's brand new CRM system which will be introduced throughout the following year, and Arno van Klaveren remarked how their specialist team is present in the main worldwide destinations. Finally, Ricardo Bagen gave the handler's point of view suggesting improvements in communication.

After the lectures, the visitors had the chance to speak their minds by questioning the speakers and throught the debate which went on until the event's closure, where Emili Ventura expressed his wish to continue with this kind of initiatives in the future.

Our STOCKPHARMA office in Basel, Switzerland, has currently expanded their Swissmedic licence portfolio. As a result, STOCKPHARMA AG is now authorised for the following:

Narcotics

Manufacturing

Export

Import

Wholesaling

Foreign Trade

These allow STOCKPHARMA AG  to maintain their leading positiion as a swissmedic certified logistic provider

For more information on our Swiss subsidiary you can now visit their brand new website through the following link:

www.stockpharma.ch

STOCKPHARMA was at Chemie Plus Magazine for the Swiss Chemical, Pharmaceuetical and Biotechnological industry.

 See article

Global Freight Group is a private Organization formed by small and medium enterprises of which Airfarm Group is a full rights member since 1997.
Through this association, Airfarm is able to deliver a local service on a global scale. 

The member companies of the Global Freight Group meet annually, and in the last reunion in Sri Lanka, Airfarm Group received the presidential award for company of the year, recognizing its effort and work both with the association and individually.

In the picture, Emili Ventura, Sales Manager in Airfarm Group, is receiving the award.

Under the tagline “Global change, migration and health”, Barcelona held de VII Congress of Federation of European Societies for Tropical Medicine and International Health (FESTMIH) 2011 at the CCIB Exhibition Centre. During four days, starting on October 3rd, more than a thousand specialists had a chance to debate about a wide range of topics related to tropical medicine and global health.

Mundo Sano foundation was present in this congress and Airfarm Group utilized the occasion to offer their support. This participation represents a new step on their fight against the spread of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs).

Barcelona forwarders visited the port of Tarragona accompanied by its President, Josep Andreu; the President of the Association for the promotion of the port of Tarragona (APPORTT), Josep Saltó; the President of ATEIA Tarragona, José Luis Vilar; and the director of organization of the port, Joan Basra, who made a presentation of the enclave and terminals as DP World Tarragona and Euroports Iberica.

Josep Andreu reminded the forwarders that Tarragona is working to provide as soon as possible with European track gauge.

Valenciaport’s figures during the first half of the year have been very positive, especially in terms of container traffic, goods of reference for the port of Valencia.

Until the month of June 2.134.637 TEUs have been moved in the three ports managed by the port authority of Valencia - Valencia, Sagunto and Gandia – these results represent an increase of 7,58% over the same period of the previous year.

The total traffic of the port of Bilbao has reached the figure of 17 million tonnes between January and June, representing a 10% increase over the same period of last year.

AENA gave yesterday the details of airport traffic in the first half of the year, closed with an increase of 3.1 per cent in the total volume of air cargo managed.

The Spanish airports moved 327.61 million of kilos, against the 317.9 of the first half of 2010.

These data confirms the positive streak launched in 2010, based on the success of Madrid-Barajas and Vitoria, and despite of the bad results obtained at Barcelona and Zaragoza.

Until June, Madrid grew 7.7% to 193.67 million kilograms, while Vitoria did a 18.8% to 16.68 million kilos. Barcelona closed the first half of the year with a drop of 6.5 per cent (49,65 million kilograms) and Zaragoza with a decline of 8.3% (18,61 million kilos).

Spanish airports moved a total of 255.66 million kilos of international freight, which means a growth of 4.7% over the same period of the previous year; while the national shipments suffered a decline of 2.1%.

Protection and security are the subject of a specific and constant dedication in the field of management of the port authority of Valencia (VPA) making it one of the strategic lines of the VPA: "Promote and integrate respect for the environment and security in the operations".

For this reason, the port of Valencia has become the first major port operator in Europe to obtain the international certification ISO 28000.

UNE-ISO 28000 credits the VPA meets the requirements of the standard to the organizations to which they provide services, guaranteeing the real increase in the protection of the logistics chain within its sphere of competence

This will be a crucial week for the return to normality of fruit and vegetable exports by road from Spain. Although until last Friday, the markets were still standing, everything suggests that this week will be a change in the situation, beginning to recover the demand gradually.

CETIM estimated weekly losses that their organization is suffering at 25 million euros, while those of Fenadismer would exceed the 15 million euros.

The damages to the transport sector will be included in the compensatory measures which the Government will request to the EU. Responsible for coordinating this plan of action is the Government first Vice President, Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, who confirmed last Friday that he had requested the EU to assume the leadership of this matter.

Rubalcaba was concerned about the commercial dimension that has had the management of the crisis for Spain and said, with regard to compensation, that "someone has to pay the damage" to the Spanish producing and exporting companies.

Angela Merkel promised to Zapatero on Thursday afternoon that his country will consider formulas within the framework of the EU to compensate Spain.

A new agreement between AIRFARM and Mundo Sano Foundation has been signed on 7th of May 2011 . Mundo Sano Foundation is a non-profit organization involved in the research and prevention of transmissible diseases such as Chagas disease, dengue or hantaviruses diseases.

Born in 1993, develops and manages intervention models based on technology transfer in order to share approaches or models with the affected communities and trying to integrate scientific activities and the needs of the most socially vulnerable areas.

Currently chaired by Dr. Silvia Gold, its aim is to achieve tangible results which can be applied to different situations, both domestic and international, with projects that tend to achieve assessable and sustainable social impact.

On the basis of a multidisciplinary work, Mundo Sano is financed by private companies concerned with scientific knowledge applied to improve living conditions of the most affected areas.

The intention of AIRFARM with the sign of this new agreement is to obtain the continuity and stability to the initiatives that the Foundation has been carrying with CRESIB to mitigate the impact of tropical diseases neglected around the world.

Spanish and European air sector lives with uncertainty the evolution of the cloud of volcanic ash from the Icelandic volcano Grimsvötn.

The spokesman for transport of the European Commission, Helen Kearns, stated that there is the possibility that the volcanic cloud affects European airspace, starting with the Northwest area, specifically the United Kingdom and Ireland.

It is currently difficult to make predictions beyond the next 48 hours and see if it will affect other areas of Europe, because the weather conditions are constantly changing and just a few data are available on the volume of ash expelled and its density.

The cloud of ash from the volcano could come to the North of Spain on Thursday if the intensity of the eruption continues. Meanwhile, the aviation sector lives with uncertainty this week with the mind set in the crisis of last year.

Container’s traffic moved by the Spanish ports reached the 2.965.077 of TEUs during the first quarter of the year, what means an increase of 3.8% over the same period of the last year.

This registration consolidates the sustained growth that had this type of traffic over the past year, when Spanish ports moved 12.5 million TEUs.

The analysis of the results of the first quarter by autonomies shows that one million containers were moved from Valencia, which confirms its supremacy at the national level and also in the South of Europe.

The Valencia port authority had closed 2010 with 4.2 million TEUs, ranking as the fifth European port and the twenty-eighth in the world. Behind Valencia we find Andalucía, with 805.733 containers in the first quarter, what means a 27.2% of the national total.

Catalonia, with a growth of 17.3 per cent in the first quarter, occupies the third position at the national level, and their 590.019 TEUs represent a 19.9% of Spanish total. Barcelona, with 536.023 containers, has been consolidated in third national position behind Valencia and Algeciras Bay.

The Basque country is positioned as fifth community per volume of manipulated TEUs, after the Canary Islands, with a growth of a 6.7% in the first quarter. 125.868 Containers were moved by the port authority what represent a 4.2 per cent of the national total.

Valencia, Algeciras, Barcelona and Las Palmas appear among the first hundred ports of the world. This mode of transport is very important because an 85% of imports and 65% of Spanish exports are carried out by sea.

It was unanimously adopted the motion submitted yesterday to support the Puerto de La Luz and Las Palmas as a logistic centre of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).

The longshoremen in the port of Las Palmas have valued very positively this initiative which would involve the creation of 200 jobs in the stowage sector.

AIRFARM intends to settle in the Air freight Centre of Barcelona where will feature 10,000 SqMts located in the second row of the airport facilities.

This project includes the construction of a warehouse of 9,500 sqMts of surface and some modern offices of about thousand square meters, where the headquarters of the company will be accommodated.

These new facilities will make it possible to concentrate all our operational logistics and simplify workflows that currently are located in several spots or warehouses, in these facilities located in the Air Cargo Centre of Barcelona international airport.

In the new platform will operate our two brands: STOCKPHARMA (committed to chemical and pharmaceutical products) and SMARTCARGO (committed to the general cargo), aiming to provide a better service to our customers and optimizing our operating costs.

On the other hand these new facilities will allow us to increase our capacity for goods in transit, in regime of storage and picking activities. The storage area will have a total of 15 docks and two ramps and will feature four well differentiated areas, distinguishing a controlled temperature of 2 to 8 degrees area, an area aimed to the general cargo, an exclusive area for dangerous goods and another dedicated to the goods that require a temperature below 25 degrees.

The project includes also a space for what is known as "white room", a special zone very well defined and specially designed for very low rates of contamination. The definition of all these spaces is necessary due to our specialization in the logistics of chemical, pharmaceutical and veterinary industries.

It is scheduled that construction will start on the next month of May and be able to make the move to new facilities just after the summer of 2012.

Iberia and British Airways have joined its cargo operations in a single business unit, result of its fusion in International Airlines Group (IAG), which will report directly to the 'holding'. Both companies will maintain their current brands and will be located among the ten largest cargo Airlines in the world.

The Union of both businesses will allow combining the extensive network of British Airways flights in North America, Africa and Asia with the ones of Iberia at Latin America as well as joining purchasing or commercial opportunities with the intention of increasing the profitability of the group.

IAG is planning to form a small management team in the 'holding' and the rest of the employees will continue working in their current companies.

In 2010, Iberia and BA Cargo revenues amounted to more than €1.1 billion, with more than 5.890 million tones-km transported. They have over 2,700 employees and a network covering more than 200 airports.

The past 28th of March was inaugurated the new flight Barcelona - Sao Paulo, which will operate three times a week. Singapore Airlines offers this service using the most modern aircraft in its fleet to cover this route, the Boeing 777-300R.

On the other hand, Iberia launched its direct flight from Barcelona to Miami that will connect both cities three times a week; this adds to the direct flights the company already offers from the Catalan capital to New York operated by American Airlines.

Jade Cargo plans to open a new service with two direct weekly flights between Shenzhen and Barcelona with a stop in New Delhi and Frankfurt, but this service is still pending of approval by the regulatory authorities.

Finally, Lufthansa Cargo will cover the route from Barcelona to the cities of Shanghai and Shenzhen via Frankfurt using a MD11-F freighter with three weekly flights offering a capacity of 84 tons per flight.

Last 25th of March was held the presentation of the project of the third stage of the Barcelona airport Air Cargo Centre which will involve the development of a new area of 104.000Sq.Mts (29.000Sq.Mts in front of the airport and 75.000Sq.mts in the second line).

This urbanization has meant an investment of 11.2 million Euros by AENA who has already invested 46.5 million Euros in the air cargo centre of Barcelona.

This way the airport will feature 471.000Sq.Mts dedicated to the air cargo, with a complete system of facilities designed to improve their competitiveness and to enhance the logistics activity of air transport in Barcelona.

Note the significant increase in the activity of air cargo in Barcelona the past 2010 with a total of 104.280 rigged tons, a 16.1% increase over the previous year. The set of Spanish airports transported 652.146 tonnes during the same period which represents a 15.5% more than in 2009. The first two months of this year confirms this positive trend with a growth of the 7.7% in Spain and 1.2% in Barcelona.

AIR France-KLM Cargo will offer new flights this summer to several destinations all around the world. The main destinations we would like to highligh are the following:

To the United States and from the beginning of June the company will offer a new service to Orlando from Paris three times per week and their direct flights from Amsterdam to Miami will restart from the 21st of March.

From the 28th of March they will fly three times a week from Paris to Phnom Penh in Cambodia via Bangkok. There will also be three direct flights per week from Schiphol to Xiamen from the 27th of March.

In Africa the airline will add Freetown and Monrovia to its network, operating from Paris twice a week to Freetown and adding also two flights per week to Monrovia via Conakry from Paris.
Finally Lima will be a new direct destination from Paris from the 21st of June five times a week.