Passenger airlines start shifting idled planes into freight business
The coronavirus pandemic has left many passenger planes grounded due to a of lack people wanting to travel accompanied by government flight bans. However, some airlines are putting grounded passenger planes to use to help keep medical supplies, industrial parts and high demand consumer goods moving. Global carriers including Delta Air Lines Inc., Korean Air Lines Co., Quantas Airways Ltd. and American Airlines Group will all run passenger aircrafts as freight only flights.
The planes will be put to work as freight only aircrafts, with the main cabins empty and cargo holds filed with shipments. The tactic will provide some revenue for carriers hit hard by the virus and the associated plunging travel demand. It may also help ease freight bottlenecks caused by the cascading cancellations of passenger services, which has dramatically reduced capacity for good travelling in the bellies of passenger planes.
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H&M lines up supply chain to deliver protective gear to hospitals
With many countries already running out of protective gear for health workers and of equipment crucial in the treatment of severe coronavirus cases, H&M, the world’s second biggest fashion retailer, has announced this week that it would use its vast supply network to source personal protective equipment (PPE) for hospitals in the European Union to help curb the spread of coronavirus.
H&M said it has offered the EU its help and was now trying to understand which needs are the most urgent while working out what its supply chain can offer. “The EU has asked us to share our purchasing operations and logistic capabilities in order to source supplies, but in this most urgent initial phase, we will donate the supplies” according to a company spokeswoman.
H&M is not the only company aiding the countries in tackling the COVID-19 outbreak. Some countries have already drafted in automakers and aerospace manufacturers to repurpose their factories to produce ventilators. H&M competitor Inditex, which owns the Zara brand, has offered to make hospital garments or scrubs and make its vast logistics and supplier network available to help meet the need for protective masks, gloves, googles and caps for stretched hospitals in Spain.
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Amazon suspends deliveries of nonessential goods in France, Italy and India
As the coronavirus outbreak continues, Amazon has announced that it will temporarily suspend deliveries of nonessential goods to customers in France, Italy and India. The decision has been made to allow “fulfilment centre associates [to] focus on receiving and shipping the products customers need most at this time” according to a company spokesperson. The decision follows similar, but less stringent, announcements in the U.S. and UK in which Amazon said it would deprioritize – as opposed to suspend – fulfilment and shipments of nonessential goods orders through its logistics services until April 5th.
While there are no restrictions to the products customers can buy on Amazon, the company is prioritising getting essential goods from suppliers to consumers, according to Amazon senior vice president of Global Corporate Affairs, Jay Carney. The company currently considers “baby products; health and household items; beauty and personal care; groceries; and industrial, scientific, and pet supplies as essential products,” according to Reuters.
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Have a lovely (and safe) weekend!
