The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) issued a warning that the industry is facing unprecedented challenges to deal with expected fourth quarter demand for air cargo services. The air cargo industry has responded to 18 months of pressure and challenges as the industry was faced with high demand for PPE, ecommerce, vaccines, perishables and other critical cargo as economies and society went into lockdowns then reopened. Addressing this demand, supply chain partners dealt with capacity withdrawals, then capacity shortfalls as well as ever changing travel, work and quarantine restrictions forced upon crew, handling staff and other key workers. As we head towards the fourth quarter and the growing number of annual on-line shopping events, the stress on the system is expected to grow substantially. With states, particularly China, introducing a growing number of Covid related worker restrictions which are unlikely to be lifted in the near future, the industry is urged to commence preparations urgently. Such restrictions are causing cargo to be disbursed across neighbouring countries and airports, causing further challenges. Shippers are therefore encouraged to work with forwarder partners to secure required capacity as early in the cycle as possible, said the official release.

Budapest Airport is a member of the consortium which won nearly 25 million euros of support from the European Commission, as part of a sustainability project called STARGATE. The airport operator’s task will be to develop and put in place a cloud-based, paper-free air cargo handling system, together with other sustainable projects concerning mainly the terminal, energy efficiency and traffic developments. As part of the project, Budapest Airport can implement developments to a value of 1.53 million euros, 70 percent of which (1.07 million euros) is provided by the European Union, with the rest funded by Budapest Airport. Reducing carbon emissions is a key pillar of Budapest Airport’s sustainability efforts. In recognition of this, it has been awarded ACI’s carbon neutral certification for the fourth year running. In line with its objectives, the operator of Budapest Airport thus joined a consortium consisting of Brussels Airport, Athens Airport and Toulouse Airport, along with 18 other non-airport members, which submitted a successful EU funding application dedicated to tackling sustainability in the aviation sector. Following several months of preparatory work, the contract between the consortium and the European Commission was signed on 6 September 2021.

Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings announced that its subsidiary Atlas Air has entered into a long-term agreement with FedEx to provide two 747-400 freighter aircraft on a full-time aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance (ACMI) basis. This new agreement is in addition to the company’s existing multi-year peak season contract that provides FedEx with a minimum of five aircraft during the fourth quarter. Both 747-400 freighters have entered service and are flying on behalf of FedEx to support their growing express and e-commerce network. “We are pleased to grow our long-term relationship with FedEx. This agreement reflects the continued strong demand for airfreight capacity, particularly in the express and e-commerce markets,” said John W. Dietrich, president and chief executive officer of Atlas Air Worldwide. “Atlas is a leader in supporting express networks, with a focus on operating the most modern, fuel-efficient aircraft to deliver high levels of on-time performance for our customers.”

The issue of drivers’ safety has always been one of the biggest concerns for the industry. In view of this, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, with an aim to reduce road accidents, has pitched for fixed driving hours for commercial truck drivers. He also spoke in favour of installing onboard sleep detection sensors in commercial vehicles for added safety. The Road Transport and Highways Minister said, “driving hours for truck drivers should be fixed similar to pilots’ to reduce fatigue-induced road accidents.” Earlier, Gadkari attended the introductory meeting of new members nominated to the National Road Safety Council (NRSC). The minister also said he has now directed the council to meet every two months and share their updates. About one-fourth of the truck drivers featured in a 2018 study conducted by lubricant manufacturer Castrol complained of sleep deprivation. Up to 53% reported physical and psychological issues such as fatigue, insomnia, obesity, backache, joint and neck pain, poor vision, breathlessness, stress and loneliness.

Mammoth Freighters LLC (“Mammoth”) is embarking on a long-term partnership with GDC Technics (“GDC”), a global aerospace company with extensive expertise in Engineering and Technical services, Modifications, Electronic Systems, R&D, and MRO services. The aim is to invest in a widebody maintenance and modification facility to support its Boeing 777-200LR and 777-300ER passenger-to-freighter conversion programs. Located at Alliance Airport in Fort Worth, Texas, GDC has a state-of-the-art facility with 840,000 sq feet and six widebody hangar bays for modification and maintenance work on 777 aircraft. Mammoth Co-CEO Bill Tarpley said, “By partnering with GDC, our Mammoth 777 -200LR and – 300ER freighter conversions and support initiative will be centrally located in the US in a facility designed specifically for 777-200/300 aircraft and with a skilled labor force in place.”

Transworld Group, one of the leading Global Shipping & Logistics Conglomerate, has further strengthened its overall fleet by adding large size bulk carrier – TBC Praise (36,699 DWT) . With the latest addition, Transworld is making a strong presence in the bulk carrier business with the latest acquisition coming close on the heels of 2 acquisitions of Bulk carriers TBC Passion and TBC Prime, with all 3 acquisitions done in 2021. Ramesh S. Ramakrishnan, Chairman, Transworld Group highlighted that this new addition to the fleet will further enhance Transworld’s Global footprint of Ship Owning in the Dry Bulk/ Container segment and deployment, which is a result of strong fundamentals and confidence in the growth of Shipping and Logistics sector in the present and coming years.

In a major development, Pickrr, a SaaS-based logistic startup offering end-to-end logistics and warehousing solutions to SMBs and D2C brands, has announced the launch of its easy-to-use mobile application which aims at giving the logistic competitive edge to brands in tier 2 and 3 markets. This development is in line with Pickrr’s long-term commitment to empower small brands with data driven operational efficiency, access to data intelligence and a robust communication suite for its customers. Pickrr is also the only brand in logistic space that offers its dashboard to 10 regional languages. The state-of-the-art app is built on a robust technology framework and is designed to enable a seamless logistics experience for e-commerce sellers through its advanced yet easy-to-use features. With Pickrr’s app, they can get a comprehensive analysis of their business performance and revenue generated on the go. The users of this app can also stay updated about their customers’ complete order processing journey, track their orders and calculate freight rates of packages in real-time, and avail 24×7 customer service support for any queries or issues.

SpiceJet shared that it has received the approval of stakeholders to transfer its cargo and logistics services business to a subsidiary. The transfer will be on a slump sale basis, through an all-share deal worth over INR 2,555 crore, a move is aimed at helping the airline to significantly reduce its negative net worth. In a release, the budget carrier said it has received shareholders’ approval to transfer the cargo and logistics services business to its subsidiary, SpiceXpress and Logistics Private Ltd. According to the airline, the transfer will provide greater and differentiated focus to cargo and logistics business as well as allow raising capital for the business to accelerate its growth. Also, the shareholders have cleared the proposal to raise up to INR 2,500 crore through the Qualified institutional placement (QIP) route. These developments also come at a time when the airline industry is slowly recovering after being battered by the coronavirus pandemic.

project44, the global leader in real-time supply chain visibility, has acquired Austin-based Convey, the last-mile technology leader. Together, the two companies now serve the global supply chain end-to-end, providing real-time visibility and actionable insights from raw materials to the front door to help brands deliver differentiated direct-to-consumer and eCommerce experiences for their customers. Covey has direct-to-consumer delivery experiences for more than 200 of the world’s largest brands, including The Home Depot, Nieman Marcus, Ferguson, Ingram-Micro, and others. Convey, recognized as a Challenger in the Gartner 2021 Magic Quadrant for Real-Time Visibility Platforms, combines real-time visibility, post-purchase experiences, and machine learning-powered analytics to improve the overall customer experience.

GEODIS, a global leading transport and logistics services provider, is extending its AirDirect service with the addition of a twice weekly flight routed London Stansted (STN)/Amsterdam (AMS)/ Hong Kong (HKG)/STN/AMS. GEODIS will in part use its new A330-300 full freighter aircraft to operate this rotation between Europe and Asia. From October, GEODIS’ APAC customers will have access to almost 80 percent of European destinations within 24 hours. This new investment underscores the company’s enhanced focus on the APAC region and its commitment to serve a greater range of business verticals in Asian markets. As manufacturing in Asia continues to be the backbone of several key European business sectors, the requirement for exporters to secure reliable and well-priced freight forwarding services has become even more critical through the disruption brought about by the Covid-19 outbreak. The new route launch comes on the heels of the introduction of GEODIS’ Shanghai to Guadalajara flight in March this year, which has improved cargo connectivity to the West Coast of the Americas. GEODIS also continues with its dedicated service from Hong Kong to Guadalajara.