This is the age of multitasking, and in that spirit Air Canada aircraft are doing double duty. Along with safely carrying 48 million customers to six continents each year, our planes simultaneously move hundreds of millions of kilos of goods, equipment, mail and produce over our expansive network.
We do this through our low-key but dynamic division, Air Canada Cargo, which allocates, markets and fills our planes’ bellies to ship high-value, often perishable goods. The division had a record-breaking year in 2017, and I am proud that we recently won an Air Cargo Excellence award based on a global indus- try survey by the respected industry publication Air Cargo World.
Apart from being Canada’s largest air-freight services provider, we are about the fastest way to ship items into and out of Canada, making our Cargo division a preferred option for exporters and importers, who demand dependable delivery. Whether it’s moving essential medical supplies or machine parts, tonnes of lobster monthly to Asia, a symphony orchestra’s instruments cross-country, smartphones to India or fresh flowers for Mother’s Day, Air Canada Cargo will get it there.
To better leverage our schedule and global network, our Cargo team increasingly uses complex logistical planning tools. The division is becoming highly data-driven, with plans to draw on big data, artificial intelligence and predictive analytics to better match variable traffic volumes with aircraft space. It has also been working with other new technologies, such as radio tags to track the progress of shipments.
Another reason for our Cargo group’s success has been the significant investments Air Canada has made in new aircraft, equipment and facilities. In particular, the larger version of our Boeing 787 Dreamliners can carry up to 75 percent more cargo by weight than the Boeing 767s they are replacing. We are also expanding and modernizing our Cargo facilities, including at our Toronto global headquarters, where a new Hub Operations Control Centre recently opened.
As a trading nation, Canada depends on a steady flow of goods across the country and to its partners abroad. And while Air Canada’s primary focus will always be on taking care of our passengers, we are also proud of the essential role we play in carrying cargo and helping the country win in a globalized world
Calin’s column appears every month in enRoute Magazine, Air Canada’s award-winning in-flight magazine found onboard all Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge and Air Canada Express flights. This edition is from the May 2018 issue.
