Amidst the COVID crisis, Cargo Operators rise up to challenge

We have asked a number of cargo operators about their perspective on the current market situation. With Leon being designed around various types of aviation business (whether it be PAX charter, air ambulance or trip support), it is Cargo business these days that generates a lot of air traffic, delivering freight shipments where they are needed the most. How Leon aids them during the ongoing state of pandemic? Let’s find out.

Pacific Air Express

Providing cargo solutions over the Australia and South Pacific region, Pacific Air Express operates on scheduled routes that include Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji and Nauru. Being also the first all-cargo airline to operate scheduled freighter services in the western Pacific region, Pacific Air Express is boasting nearly 30 years of experience in conducting cargo operations.

From its headquarters in Brisbane, Australian operator dispatches regular flights using B757-200F aircraft. In our talk with Peter Holmes, Network Operations Manager at Pacific Air Express, we have discussed the transition to the current state of affairs, with the mention of the role of Leon in this whole process.

How are you dealing with the current situation? Is Leon of any help?

Peter Holmes: With the onset of COVID19, anything resembling an orderly schedule has gone out of the window. Schedules cancelled, charter requests to all over the world, it is hard to keep up especially with such a small team. Without Leon we would be floundering in makeshift spreadsheets and scrap pieces of paper floating around the office (now the family dining table). With the Leon Ops board we can see exactly what resources we have available at a glance. What airframes are available, any upcoming maintenance requirements and any other future operational restrictions that may be headed our way. This puts our team in a valuable position of being able to quickly and efficiently advise flight operations management exactly what we have available. Using the virtual aircraft we can overlay various charter requests to see if they are feasible or not, or if, with a little bit of tweaking, we can make two clients happy instead of one.

Apart from the aforementioned, are there any other features of Leon that stand out for you at the moment?

Peter Holmes: Crew Panel is essential for us. Like the Ops Board, we are able to see immediately who is available to be rostered for duty. Various draft duties can be tried then either accepted or reverted back to the original duty again with a few clicks of the mouse key. A multitude of cautions or warnings along the process of creating flights and crew duties aids our team in making the right choices first time round.

Speaking of the process management, with so many uncertainties in present-day operations on global markets, what aspect of the scheduling software is the most vital in your opinion?

Peter Holmes: One of Leon’s greatest assets is its intuitiveness. Vital when under time pressure to get everything done and dusted in time – everyone wants that schedule 10 minutes ago! Leon does not require a user to drill down multiple levels to get to data or complete a task. If it is not there on the screen in front of you then the solution is only a mouse click or two away. Despite the current worldwide crisis, Leon is helping us to keep on top of all the rapid changes happening around us at this time. We cannot imagine life without Leon.

Find out more about Pacific Air Express by visiting their website www.pacificairexpress.com.au.

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