LATAM Cargo today made the inaugural flight of the direct route that will connect North America for the first time with the southern region of Brazil. Specifically, it is the Miami – Florianopolis route, which will initially have a weekly frequency and will be served on a B767F with capacity to carry 53 tons per flight.

The state of Santa Catarina is a market that focuses its economy on the import of products for industry and commerce, and from here it is supplied to the southern region of Brazil. In this context, the new LATAM Cargo route is a milestone in being the only one to implement a direct and fast route. From the United States, cargo from North America, Europe and Asia will be consolidated. In particular, Santa Catarina demands products from the automotive, metallurgical, food, pharmaceutical, electronics, and other industries.

“This new route will allow us to provide a direct, stable and permanent service between the United States and Santa Catarina, and is a concrete example of our effort to meet the needs of our customers. As strategic partners we are constantly evaluating routes that promote international trade, bringing buyers and producers closer together with the speed, attention and logistics excellence that are characteristic of our global network of services,” said Gabriel Oliva, Commercial Director of North America, Europe and Asia.

Before the Miami-Florianopolis route, the international cargo used to enter Brazil through Guarulhos and Viracopos. Therefore, it depended on complementary ground transport to reach the final destination.

“In addition to the benefits delivered to Santa Catarina, with this opening we also extend our coverage in the country by adding a tenth airport with exclusive operation in cargo planes. As we did with this route, we will continue to focus on offering more origins-destinations in the international and domestic markets to be present in the relevant markets of our customers”, says Kamal Hadad, Director of Alliances and Network of LATAM Cargo.

For the importance of this route to the southern region of Brazil, the inaugural flight was greeted with a ceremony at the local airport of Floripa and was attended by representatives of the state government, LATAM Cargo, and the airport.

Drone delivery service provider Skyports announced its partnership with Robotic Skies, the global maintenance, repair, and overhaul network for commercial unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).

Skyports specialises in operating end-to-end drone deliveries within the medical, e-commerce, and logistics sectors. The company is conducting medical drone deliveries to assist the NHS in Scotland in the battle against COVID-19.  In addition, as a participant in the UK Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) Regulatory Sandbox, Skyports is working to advance regulatory approvals that foster more beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations and the safe integration of these flights into non-segregated airspace – key to realising a permanent drone delivery service.

Duncan Walker, CEO of Skyports, said: “Certified maintenance is vital to enable full-scale, permanent commercial drone delivery operations. With Robotic Skies, our fleet of UAV systems will be maintained to the same safety standards as traditional certified aircraft. This partnership allows us to further demonstrate our commitment to the safe operation and integration of delivery drones alongside other users of the airspace and supports our plans to grow our service network internationally.”

Robotic Skies, through partnerships with companies like Skyports, provides enterprise UAS and drone delivery fleet operators with local field maintenance services. The company’s proprietary system combines expertise in unmanned aircraft systems and traditional aviation maintenance methodology to deliver high-quality, scalable services. The Robotic Skies Service Center network is comprised of over 200 independently owned and operated certified repair stations, spanning more than 40 countries.

Robotic Skies Founder and CEO, Brad Hayden, said: “We are excited to partner with Skyports as they pursue the expansion of drone delivery and other BVLOS flight operations in the UK and beyond. Our global Service Center Network puts high-quality support services where Skyports customers need it. Because we are leveraging the existing manned aviation infrastructure, we offer the highest quality, safety, and consistency in our programs to satisfy operators, regulators, and manufacturers.”

Maintenance standards provide an essential framework for the safety and ongoing airworthiness of certified UAS as they evolve to transport heavier payloads, fly longer distances, and carry people within and between urban environments.

Skyports will also work with Robotic Skies to develop maintenance programmes and facilities for the emerging Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) industry. Skyports designs, builds, and operates networks of vertiports to enable safe and efficient passenger air taxi and cargo drone operations in the world’s major cities.

Volga-Dnepr Airlines, the world’s leading carrier of oversized and super-heavy air cargo, and KUEHNE+NAGEL, one of the world’s most prominent logistics companies, have recently partnered on a flight delivering a power turbine from East Midlands, UK to Russia.

The 4.5-ton shipment was safely loaded into Volga-Dnepr’s IL-76TD-90VD aircraft using its onboard crane system, and then expedited to its final destination on time.

“We always were of a high opinion on the quality of Volga-Dnepr Group’s solutions, and this flight was no exception. At this challenging time it is very important to have a reliable partner who is able to provide a consistent level of service. For us, Volga-Dnepr Group (including AirBridgeCargo, Volga-Dnepr Airlines, and ATRAN Airlines) is such a partner. Together we achieve inspiring results, and expect further development,” said Oleg Makushkin, Head of procurement and airline relations, Russia and CIS, Kuehne+Nagel, Russia.

‘For over two decades Volga-Dnepr Airlines and Kuehne+Nagel have partnered on projects which have allowed us to innovate and develop new solutions together — pushing the boundaries on what air freight can do. Starting with our AN-124 and IL-76 charter flights, and then progressing to partnership on scheduled operations with AirBridgeCargo Airlines, we work under the alignment of specialty cargo transportation across the globe. Having Kuehne+Nagel among VD’s TOP customers is an honor, and we hope for continuous development and quality enhancement between us for years to come,’ – commented Ekaterina Andreeva, Commercial Director for Volga-Dnepr Airlines.

For over 25 years, Volga-Dnepr Group together with KUEHNE+NAGEL, have supported various industries and operated numerous missions to support global industrial projects — a partnership that has continued to strengthen year by year.