At the heart of IAG Cargo’s London Heathrow operations is a passion for delivering operational excellence and driving continuous improvement. Heading up three of IAG Cargo’s biggest areas is Josh Lane, Hollie Button and Neal McGuckin. The three individuals share insights into their daily responsibilities, strategic visions, and plans for navigating the ever-evolving air cargo landscape in 2024.
Josh Lane, Head of Premia, IAG Cargo
Tell us about your role.
I am responsible for running our Prioritise and Constant Climate operation through London Heathrow, which we handle in our 10,470m² climate-controlled Premia facility which opened last year. The team based here have a genuine passion for the products and our customers and it’s our job to ensure we use the new facility and the data it gives us to drive the highest levels of operational performance and service.
Each day, the team and I continuously review our performance and assess the operational setup to maintain stability and ensure we are responding to key changes in customer demand. A key aspect of my routine is a daily ‘gemba’ or walk around of the Premia facility. I actively engage in first-hand observations, listening, and learning amongst my team. This approach is vital in driving our strategy to meet customer expectations and emphasise a commitment to quality and operational excellence through all areas of the department.
How is Premia set up to deliver a premium service for customers?
Premia has been built with state-of-the-art technology and innovative IT systems that operate seamlessly alongside our dedicated team of expert cargo handlers, allowing us to deliver an exceptional service to our customers. It is the first warehouse of its kind to integrate a number of different operational systems with our physical Material Handling System.
On arrival at the facility our customers will be directed to one of 11 rapid-rise doors, allocated through call-forward screens based on cargo type and onward destination. Not only does this significantly reduce drop off and collection wait times for drivers, but these doors also feature cutting-edge air-curtain technology which creates a thermal barrier and regulates temperatures. Within the facility lies our large, automated Material Handling System and four ‘Transfer Vehicles’ which service 20 build-and-break workstations with main deck capability. Another highlight is our Constant Climate Quality Centre dedicated to safeguarding temperature sensitive cargo with two chambers; one at 2 to 8°C and one at 15 to 25°C, as well as a freezer at -20°C.
Since the opening of Premia in 2023, we’ve been increasing the volumes of cargo that we handle through the facility. We work closely with our commercial teams to plan and forecast for busy periods and communicate these plans with our teams on the ground so they can align and focus on priorities.
What’s coming up this year?
Our focus for 2024 is on elevating performance and enhancing customer experience using all of the new data and systems we have available to us. By actively engaging in continuous improvement practices, implementing robust processes which we meticulously manage, and managing agile change, we aim to make Premia an even better place of work for our teams as well as seamless for our customers to do business with.
Hollie Button, Head of Airside, IAG Cargo
Tell us about your role.
I lead our Airside department, the biggest resource area of London Operations, with a team of nearly 500 who are responsible for moving all freight to and from the aircraft across the Heathrow campus safely and efficiently. A big part of my role is also looking forward at the strategic plan for our area, ensuring we are driving change and investing in new technology that will benefit our colleagues and customers.
What sets IAG Cargo’s airside operations apart from others at London Heathrow?
Our ambition. We’ve been heavily investing in technology to help improve our operations. One of these investments has been in our airside tasking system. This uses live data sets and dynamic system rulings to continuously optimise the tasking for our drivers, making sure we run a stable and efficient operation whilst also reacting in the right way to operational challenges. We’ve also recently completed the transition of our fleet of vehicles to HVO as part of our push to become more sustainable.
What are your plans for 2024?
We’re working on several tech projects that will result in improvements to the reliability and service we offer our customers. We’ll soon be introducing a new control centre for our London Operation which is designed to provide our teams in charge with the right information at the right time to make decisions that benefit our customers. It will surface data to our teams in a completely different way and facilitate a step change in our ways of working. The team and I are incredibly excited for the improvements this investment will make.
Neal McGuckin, Head of Warehouse Operations Ascentis, IAG Cargo
Tell us about your role.
I’m responsible for overseeing the operational performance and strategy at our Ascentis warehouse at London Heathrow, through which we handle both General Cargo and also other products such as Constant Fresh and Secure. My team are also responsible for championing new ways of working across the Ascentis operation to better our customer proposition.
What measures are taken to ensure cargo keeps running smoothly during busy periods?
We regularly review our planning assumptions to ensure we have the right plan in place to meet forecasted volumes. It’s crucial to keep our teams well informed about upcoming volumes, so we can swiftly adapt and handle cargo fluctuations. One way we are able to do this is with our multi-skilled teams deployed in different areas across the campus. We are also utilising new tools that give our management team greater oversight of live operational performance, allowing them to take corrective actions that protect the service for our customers.
What’s on the horizon for 2024?
We’re investing in new technology and processes. I’m particularly excited about our partnership with CIND, which I believe will transform our order acceptance processes by ensuring that we are planning with the correct weight and dimensions on every shipment. Having the right input data is crucial if we are to drive a reliable operation for all our customers. I’m looking forward to seeing this project progress throughout the year.
Discover the various destinations you can fly your freight to from our London Heathrow Hub on our global network here.
