AirBridgeCargo opens ‘Control Tower’ for special cargo

Moscow-based all-cargo carrier AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC) has introduced a new “Control Tower” operation, custom-built to handle special cargo monitoring and for preventative or corrective actions regarding service disruptions.

The Control Tower – not a physical tower structure but a “point of convergence” – is based in Moscow and is staffed by supply-chain specialists round-the-clock. Its primary purpose is to monitor special cargo shipments, including time- and temperature-sensitive shipments, live-animal shipments, off-size and heavy cargo shipments, e-commerce and other shipments requiring extra attention.

ABC’s Control Tower team is also responsible for flagging and resolving potential supply chain disruptions from events, including schedule disruption, documentation issues and impacts from bad weather. One of the team’s first tasks required them to locate additional capacity to keep a special cargo shipment from Asia to Europe on schedule after bad weather disrupted flight schedules in Asia.

“This will be the foundation of our next step forward in the arena of special cargoes, and is ultimately designed to provide benefits to final consumers, be it medicines or vaccines for their health and well-being, aircraft engines to resolve AOG situations and ensure passengers reach their destinations in good time, or the on-time delivery of cross-border ecommerce purchases for special occasions,” said Sergey Lazarev, ABC’s general director.

Growth of its special cargo operations has been a focus of ABC’s operations throughout 2017, as its special cargo volumes grew 12 percent, year-over-year.