Critical Cargo Bypassing Bottleneck at Ocean Ports Aboard Chartered Passenger Aircraft
Bottlenecks in the global supply chain are being bypassed by repurposing passenger aircraft for critical cargo. With retailers worldwide closing shop, warehouses becoming backed up with undelivered goods, increasing trucking restrictions and driver shortages, importers are being forced to delay delivery of goods that can’t be sold or stored. This clogs ports with containers and slows critical food and medical supply chains. Ocean carriers are rerouting containers to transshipment ports and yards close to destination so they can reach markets more quickly when business resumes, while keeping major ports unclogged. To keep food and medical supply chains flowing, critical cargo is moving on passenger aircrafts that have been idle since the travel ban.
Read more about how the ocean and air transport industries are adapting to the crisis at:
https://www.joc.com/air-cargo/idle-passenger-planes-take-mini-freighter-roles_20200317.html
(Photo credit: IAPH/International Association of Ports and Harbors)
Air Force Comes Up With Ingenious RFQ To Expedite Development Of Flying Cars
To promote the development of EVTOL cars, the Air Force will issue an RFQ for a program named Agility Prime, soliciting proposals from commercial developers to design a flying car for troops and cargo. The benefit to commercial developers is that military airspace will be made available to the winning bidders to test their aircraft. Access to military ranges will reduce the time required for certification by the FAA by creating a faster track to proof of airworthiness. Developing the technology for both military and commercial applications at inception would prevent the loss of an entire supply chain to early commercial investors, as was the case with the drone market, now controlled by Chinese investors. Uber and Nasa are working on similar concept vehicles for commercial applications.
Read more at: https://breakingdefense.com/2020/02/air-force-pushes-ahead-on-flying-car-challenge/
(Photo credits:
Above: Uber’s Flying car concept via breakingdefense.com
In header: Aeromobil VTOL concept via breakingdefense.com)