Brussels Airport Company (BAC) and Changi Airport Group (CAG) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to augment their strategic partnership in air cargo development.
The partnership will see both airports take on a variety of cargo-related initiatives to enhance capabilities in pharmaceutical logistics, undertake studies and trials in the fields of digitalisation and sustainability, as well as exchange best practices with the goal of "deepening cargo competencies."
The MoU was signed by Geert Aerts, chief cargo & real estate officer of BAC, and Lim Ching Kiat, executive vice president of air hub & cargo development of CAG, at the annual Let's Talk Cargo industry seminar in Singapore.
On the air connectivity front, CAG and BAC will work together to strengthen passenger and cargo connectivity between Singapore and Brussels.
"We are happy to sign this Memorandum of Understanding with Changi Airport and to further enhance our longstanding partnership. By exchanging expertise and building on our alliance to tackle the challenges and opportunities of today together, we can leverage the best practices and become more interconnected between our hubs," said Aerts of BAC.
Meanwhile, CAG's EVP of air hub & cargo development noted that the industry has witnessed how the Covid-19 pandemic has transformed the air cargo supply chain — so more than ever, handling capabilities are "key" to the competitiveness of the air cargo ecosystem.
"As CAG pushes forward with our digitalisation efforts to enhance Changi Airport's air cargo processes for higher handling efficiency, we look forward to exchanging insights and learning from Brussels Airport and Air Cargo Belgium," Lim said.
BAC and CAG have collaborated on various projects since 2016. One of their first joint initiatives was the co-founding of Pharma.Aero with Miami International Airport.
Pharma.Aero is a non-profit organisation where members exchange best practices and collaborate to enhance the industry’s pharmaceutical handling capabilities.
In the joint announcement, the airports noted that this joint initiative was vital for the development of capabilities and know-how by the airports in handling temperature-sensitive cargo, which eventually enabled the transport of much-needed vaccines between Brussels and Singapore during the Covid-19 pandemic.
It also established Singapore and Brussels as trusted air pharmaceutical hubs in Asia and Europe.
"Where Changi Airport has extensive experience and expertise in the operations and management of airports in Singapore and overseas, Brussels Airport offers a well-established passenger network and unique cargo platform (BRUcargo) with strong community-driven expertise in handling pharmaceuticals and life sciences, perishables, e-commerce and live animals," the statement said.
Under the MoU, the two airport companies will jointly explore and undertake trials and initiatives in areas of growing importance, such as sustainability.
One of the projects both airports will be involved in is a Green Air Pharma Corridor study, undertaken together with other Pharma.Aero members, to establish a green lane with a set of sustainability standards to be achieved throughout the supply chain.
