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The Middle East represents 18% of the world's air cargo revenue, and the region's air cargo revenues have been growing three times faster than worldwide air cargo, making the Dubai airport an appropriate and novel focus for the operations management study on air cargo. The study provides a synthesized measure of freight forwarder satisfaction and tests the measure in an empirical model. The data collected from a population of freight forwarders, identified through the National Association of Freight and Logistics (NAFL), who use the Dubai International Airport, the world's busiest airport, yielded a sample of 187 respondents surveyed during the fourth quarter of 2019. The results of the study provide evidence that freight forwarder customer satisfaction is positively associated with airport competitiveness (performance) through a mediator—customer loyalty. • Freight forwarder satisfaction construct is comprised of three dimensions – cost, infrastructure, and operations. • Freight forwarder satisfaction is positively related to airport competitiveness. • Customer loyalty partially mediates the relationship between freight forwarder satisfaction and airport competitiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent years have witnessed a surge in demand for air cargo transportation. Air cargo terminals initially built for handling the former demand volume start struggling with low operational efficiency and high congestion due to limited capacity. The industry has explored methods such as building new terminals and renting warehouses to stay competitive in the market. However, these methods may not be practical in many scenarios due to economic reasons and the scarcity of airport land. As an alternative method, this paper investigates an innovative operational paradigm with the concept of Offshore Consolidation Centre (OCC) to deal with the imbalance between the surging demand and the limited capacity of air cargo terminals. We redesign air cargo terminal operations with the existence of OCC and formulate the problem as a mixed-integer linear program (MILP). We then propose a two-stage alternating algorithm embedded with a tailored metaheuristic to analyse the validity of our model and algorithm. Experiment results reveal that our alternating algorithm has the best performance compared with the solver and benchmark policies adopted in industrial practice. Moreover, the comparison with air cargo terminals without OCC demonstrates that OCC can reduce delays, cargo waiting time, and traffic flow, by a large margin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional revenue management relies on long and stable historical data and predictable demand patterns. However, meeting those requirements is not always possible. Many industries face demand volatility on an ongoing basis, an example would be air cargo which has much shorter booking horizon with highly variable batch arrivals. Even for passenger airlines where revenue management (RM) is well-established, reacting to external shocks is a well-known challenge that requires user monitoring and manual intervention. Moreover, traditional RM comes with strict data requirements including historical bookings (or transactions) and pricing (or availability) even in the absence of any bookings, spanning multiple years. For companies that have not established a practice in RM, that type of extensive data is usually not available. We present a data-driven approach to RM which eliminates the need for demand forecasting and optimization techniques. We develop a methodology to generate bid prices using historical booking data only. Our approach is an ex-post greedy heuristic to estimate proxies for marginal opportunity costs as a function of remaining capacity and time-to-departure solely based on historical booking data. We utilize a neural network algorithm to project bid price estimations into the future. We conduct an extensive simulation study where we measure our methodology's performance compared to that of an optimally generated bid price using dynamic programming (DP) and compare results in terms of both revenue and load factor. We also extend our simulations to measure performance of both data-driven and DP generated bid prices under the presence of demand misspecification. Our results show that our data-driven methodology stays near a theoretical optimum (< 1% revenue gap) for a wide-range of settings, whereas DP deviates more significantly from the optimal as the magnitude of misspecification is increased. This highlights the robustness of our data-driven approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Airport transshipment centers play a pivotal role in global logistics networks, enabling the swift and efficient transfer of cargo, which is essential for maintaining supply-chain continuity and reducing delivery times. The handling of irregularly shaped air cargo containers presents new constraints for automated guided vehicles (AGVs), as these shapes can complicate loading and unloading processes, directly impacting overall operational efficiency, turnaround times, and the reliability of cargo handling. This study focuses on optimizing the scheduling of AGVs to enhance cargo-handling efficiency at these hubs, particularly for managing irregular air cargo containers. A mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model is developed, validated for feasibility with the Gurobi solver, and designed to handle large-scale operations. It incorporates a novel approach by integrating a simulated annealing optimized genetic algorithm (GA). The experimental results demonstrate that the designed algorithm can solve models of considerable size within 8 s, offering superior time efficiency compared to the solver, and an average solution quality improvement of 12.62% over the genetic algorithm, significantly enhancing both the model's efficiency and scalability. The enhanced AGV scheduling not only boosts operational efficiency but also ensures better integration within the global logistics framework. This research provides a robust foundation for future advancements in logistics technology, offering both theoretical and practical insights into optimizing complex transportation networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To maintain the quality of frozen Atlantic salmon after thawing and highlight the potential for moving from air fright to boat for long‐distance export, a study was designed to investigate the effects of sub‐chilling before rapid freezing on the quality of thawed fillets. Atlantic salmon chilled on wet ice before filleting and freezing was used as a control for the experimental factor chilling, whereas fresh fillets were used for the frozen–thawed samples. Results: The pre‐freezing chilling method interacted with the storage protocol and significantly affected the product. For fresh stored fillets, sub‐chilling improved the microbiological and textural stability and degradation of proteins. After 1 month of frozen storage, sub‐chilled fillets gave better color and textural properties, less adenosine triphosphate degradation and protein denaturation. In addition, sub‐chilled 4‐month‐frozen fillets also showed improved microbial stability compared to those initially chilled with ice before frozen storage. Quality was lost as a function of storage. Fresh fillets generally had higher bacterial counts, surface breaking force, firmness, hue and contents of inosine monophosphate, and lower drip loss and inosine (HxR) levels than those stored frozen–thawed. Moreover, 4‐month‐frozen fillets had higher HxR levels and lower psychrotrophic viable count growth than those that were frozen for 1 month. The time fillets were stored frozen did not profoundly affect their quality. Conclusion: It is concluded that a frozen product might be competitive with a fresh product when sub‐chilling is performed before freezing, especially when including the environmental benefits of frozen export by boat rather than air freight. © 2024 The Author(s). Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on conceptual reasoning, combined with illustrations from the air cargo industry, this article proposes a gradual broadening of the concept of what project management offices (PMOs) are responsible for to provide added value to the collaborating organizations when planning for and executing interorganizational projects. Thus far, the ability of PMOs to support interorganizational projects and practices has been restricted—this goes for project management practice as well as a lack of concepts and theoretical reasoning from research in the domain of project studies. Against this background, this article distinguishes four types of PMOs and identifies promising organizational design elements pointing to functions and barriers, as well as to the interorganizational bridging practices of PMOs in support of their interorganizational responsibilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) is the top imported fish in Japan. It is usually shipped in chilled form by air cargo to preserve its freshness but posts a high environmental impact. As a sustainable alternative, ocean freight can be implemented if the salmon is frozen. However, the question arises as to whether the quality of the frozen and thawed salmon is comparable. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the environmental impact and quality of Norwegian Atlantic salmon in chilled and frozen form. The CO 2 equivalent emissions of the key life-cycle stages were calculated, and the quality assessment was carried out by colorimetry and sensory evaluation with careful preparation and execution. The results showed that the CO 2 equivalent emissions of the packaging, transport, and overall cycle of the frozen salmon were 35 %, 90 %, and 60 % lower than those of the chilled salmon. Color measurements using digital imaging show that the frozen salmon is slightly redder, with a higher a* value and a lower b* value. Panelist ratings indicated that there was no statistically significant difference in perceived color, glossiness, fishy smell, texture, umami, and juiciness between chilled and frozen salmon. The study provides preliminary results that demonstrate the potential of frozen seafood and ocean freight transportation as a sustainable cold chain solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to evaluate the performance of logistics service providers (LSPs) in the Philippines, emphasising their impact on economic development and competitiveness. Utilising data collected from 126 respondents affiliated with the Philippines International Sea freight Forwarder Association and the Air cargo Forwarders of the Philippines Inc., the study identifies key performance indicators, including cost, time and reliability. The findings reveal that while LSPs in the Philippines maintain acceptable performance levels, significant challenges remain, particularly in domestic logistics. The study highlights that delays in customs processes and infrastructure inadequacies are major impediments to optimal logistics performance. Comparative analysis with other ASEAN countries shows that the Philippines lags in certain areas, particularly in delivery reliability and logistics infrastructure quality. The research also explores human resource issues, noting a high turnover rate and reliance on on-the-job training. Policy implications suggest the need for enhanced infrastructure, better regulatory frameworks and targeted human resource development to boost logistics performance. This study offers valuable insights for policy-makers and industry stakeholders aiming to improve the efficiency and competitiveness of the Philippines' logistics services. JEL Codes: F0, F2 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Booking control focuses on the problem of deciding whether to accept or reject bookings to maximize revenue while considering limited capacity. For freight applications, computing the cost of fulfilling requests requires solving an operational decision-making problem which often corresponds to a mixed-integer linear program. We propose a two-phase learning-based approach that first learns to predict the objective of the operational problem, then leverages the prediction within reinforcement learning algorithms to compute the policies. The method is general and applies to different problems faced in practice. We show strong performance on two booking control problems in the literature: distributional logistics and airline cargo management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractBulk granular cargoes would encounter strength failure during sea transportation, and serious accidents may happen. Limiting their moisture content is the most widely utilized preventative measure. However, using this method is not enough for their sea transportation safety. It is essential to have an in-depth comprehension of their mechanism to encourage the development of crucial technologies and devices. The application of theoretical, experimental and numerical methods to study strength failure mechanism in bulk granular cargoes is reviewed. The mechanism from macroscopic, mesoscopic, and microscopic perspectives are then summarized. Based on the present studies, however the macroscopic and microscopic interactions between particles and water during strength failure remain unclear. Microscopic alterations in cargo structure and water-air development remain unknown. As a result, the techniques that could be used to investigate cargo particle movement and moisture migration are advised. So the macroscopic and microscopic relationship could be established. Further, the direct ship stability assessment model of the sea conditions-cargo-ship coupled motion could also be established. The effects between wave loads, cargo wet granular structure and water migration could be understood more deeply. A more accurate transport scheme for bulk granular cargoes can be developed to ensure the safety of their sea transport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air freight is a fast and reliable mode of transportation in global supply chains. Because of its speed and reliability, air freight has been argued to help firms respond to supply chain disruptions. Yet, the literature lacks a quantitative analysis that examines the dynamics of air freight demand throughout the phases of a disruption as well the moderating factors that influence air freight demand throughout these phases. Drawing on the microanalytic view of property rights theory applied to the dynamics of air freight demand during the COVID‐19 disruption, the study hypothesizes that importers adjust air freight demand based on considerations of demand and lead time uncertainty and that these dynamics will be contingent on heterogeneous product characteristics. Specifically, the study hypothesizes that air freight demand will increase more for products used as intermediate inputs, and that products, regardless of their value, will have higher air freight demand during the large surge in demand after reopening from the initial COVID‐19 lockdowns. The hypotheses are tested using archival import data and other publicly available sources with panel regression models that include product and quarter fixed effects. The study finds support for these hypotheses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]