ANA Cargo has joined Pharma.Aero, a non-profit organization with its headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, family as a full member to exchange and build market knowledge and expertise. “Pharma.Aero continues to pursue its vision in achieving reliable end-to-end air transportation of pharma cargo by expanding its global network and inviting more stakeholders across the pharma air supply chain in our collaborative projects. In the near term, we wish to jointly forge quality pharma trade lanes and develop new standards and guidelines”, said Nathan De Valck, chairman, Pharma.Aero. Dai Yuasa, senior vice president of global marketing, ANA Cargo added, “We are very honored to join Pharma Aero, which brings together top global pharma companies, pharma hub airports, airlines and forwarders that focus on pharmaceuticals. We are looking forward to making further contributions to the pharma air transport sector. ANA has been focusing on the air transport of pharmaceuticals. In 2017, ANA became the first Japanese airline to obtain CEIV PHARMA certification. Under current COVID-19 situations, air transport plays a more significant social role in the transportation of vaccines, therapeutic drugs and PPEs. At the same time, we have to consider sustainability issues. It is important that we continuously improve our services such as temperature, time and container management to maintain the quality of each pharma shipment. By participating in Pharma.Aero, ANA hopes to learn and co-operate with those who are leading the pharma air transportation, so that we can deliver pharma products to the world with higher quality service.”

Cathay Pacific released its traffic figures for August 2021 that continued to reflect the airline’s substantial capacity reductions in response to significantly reduced demand as well as travel restrictions and quarantine requirements in place in Hong Kong and other markets amid the on-going global Covid-19 pandemic. The airline carried 124,278 tonnes of cargo and mail last month, an increase of 21.7percent compared to August 2020, but a 23 percent decrease compared with the same period in 2019. The month’s revenue freight tonne kilometres (RFTKs) rose 20.7 percent year-on-year, but were down 15.4 percent compared to August 2019. “While August is traditionally a quieter month for cargo due to the summer holiday period in the Northern Hemisphere, this was not the case this year and demand continued to be buoyant both from our home market, Hong Kong, and from across our network. Cargo capacity increased about 9 percent month-on-month, reaching approximately 66 percent of our August 2019 pre-pandemic levels,” said chief customer and commercial officer Ronald Lam.

In a major development at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), one of India’s premier container handling port, the Union Minister for Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, virtually flagged-off the dwarf container train service from JNPT in the presence of Dr. Sanjeev Ranjan, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, Sanjay Sethi, IAS, Chairman, JNPT and Unmesh Sharad Wagh, IRS, Deputy Chairman, JNPT. With this, the first consignment of laden Dwarf containers from Dwarf container depot (DCD) at the port was being moved by train to ICD Kanpur. The port is set to gain steadily from the implementation the Dwarf container train services from JNPT, as the rail movement of EXIM cargo through double stacked dwarf containers, would offer competitive cost advantage to the EXIM community, resulting in an increase in port cargo traffic via rail route.As the name suggests, the ‘Dwarf Containers’ are lesser in height by 660 mm than normal ISO containers, giving them a logistical edge. The Low height of dwarf container loaded on trailers can pass through rural, semi urban and urban roads, through limited height subways & level crossing in electrified sections. Furthermore, the ‘Dwarf’ containers provide a 67% increase in volume when double-stacked and can carry a weight of 71 tons, against 40 tons by an ISO container.

Sustainable fuels are expected to play a critical role over the next 10 to 20 years in efforts to cut down the consequences that transport has on the climate. Climate-neutral logistics is now an imminent future and efforts are on to leverage this opportunity, especially for the logistics and supply chain sector. The emergence of carbon-neutral fuels has come at a time when the need for sustainability is pronounced and strongly felt across industries, and fortunately today, we have a variety of potentially sustainable fuels that now exist. From well-known alternatives like biofuels and hydrogen to lesser-known options like synthetic fuels, each alternative fuel comes with its own set of advantages and limitations. There is not a particular choice that has surfaced as the obvious alternative, but regardless, it is all about generating momentum for continued development of sustainable fuels. To achieve the vision for a climate-neutral future, intelligent strategy, requisite infrastructure and bundling expertise will play a paramount role. Creating a more sustainable economy is only possible if we join forces and follow the right strategy, and logistics plays a critical role in this.

The Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) has launched an ease of Logistic Portal to facilitate the process of container demand fulfilment in a systematic manner with the provisions for exporters to post their requirements. The portal is an initiative of FIEO to bring service seekers and service providers on a single platform to discuss and finalize business. It gives visibility of exporters logistics requirements (ocean freight, air freight etc) on Pan India basis to be fulfilled by Logistics Service Providers. The platform also gives large business outreach and networking opportunities to users.

SpiceXpress is creating unique propositions in the Indian Logistics field by inaugurating the first of its kind Airport Based Free Trade Zone Warehouse in GMR Hyderabad international Airport, Telengana. At a time when India and the state of Telengana in specific is looking forward to promote the export and import of goods and help the manufacturers and traders boost their business we at SpiceXpress have taken the initiative of creating the Free Trade Zone at GMR Hyderabad International Airport, which is the right solution. A free-trade zone (FTZ) is a class of special economic zone. It is a geographic area where goods may be imported, stored, handled, manufactured, or reconfigured and re-exported under specific customs regulation and generally not subject to customs duty. “Most of our free trade zones are on the sea port side helping the manufacturers and traders who use the sea mode. Manufacturers and traders using Air mode, specifically Pharma, E Commerce, Aero Space, Perishables, etc had logistical challenges using these free trade zones. We at SpiceXpress are the first ones to set up a Free Trade Zone (FTZ) Warehouse on the Airport Side.”said Sanjiv Gupta, CEO, SpiceXpress

Logistics operator LOGOS, in one of the largest warehouse lease transactions, leased out a million square feet of warehousing space in Devanahalli Industrial and Logistics Park in north Bengaluru to e-commerce major Amazon India. The 20-year long lease tenure has a rental outflow of $100 million. Built by LOGOS, the Amazon India facility will comprise a receiving centre, sorting centre, fulfilment centre and Amazon Retail in a single location, thus enabling the firm to enhance operational efficiencies and service the growing demand in this region. “The Indian warehousing sector has seen significant attraction from both global and domestic investors and occupiers on the back of the GST changes and significant growth in e-commerce. LOGOS is committed to establishing a new benchmark of high quality and sustainable logistics warehousing in India to support the critical infrastructure services needed for new economy businesses in India.” said Mehul Shah, CEO, LOGOS’ Indian business

Air France KLM Martinair Cargo (AFKLMP Cargo) and Total Touch Cargo Holland BV (TTC) join hands within the framework of the airline’s sustainable aviation fuel programme. Under the partnership, AFKLMP Cargo will use sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) on selected cargo flights from Nairobi – Kenya to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, carrying TTC’s fresh agricultural and horticultural products. Cargo CEO/owner Harry van der Plas was at the AFKLMP Cargo headquarters at Schiphol to sign the formal documents. The agreement includes a fixed annual investment from Total Touch Cargo that will allow AFKLMP Cargo to further expand development and procurement of SAF. TTC’s contribution will be used to cover the cost differential between conventional aircraft fuel and SAF.

Ecom Express has announced the launch of its delivery partner initiative under the name of “Ecom Sanjeev Program (ESP)” that is aimed at creating part-time work opportunities for individuals that allow them to work at flexible timings to maximise their earnings by delivering e-commerce packages to customers. “This program, besides empowering the gig workforce, will help to scale the company’s delivery capabilities in assuring speed, reliable and effective logistics solutions to deliver online-ordered products safely at customers’ doorstep. Ecom Express is looking at engaging 16000 + gig workforce as independent delivery partners to handle the upcoming e-commerce festive season shipment load in key cities and districts across the country,” reads the release.

With just weeks to go until one of the biggest events for the air cargo sector, IATA’s World Cargo Symposium has now moved to Dublin. The symposium will take place at the Convention Centre Dublin, from October 12-14. The three-day event had originally been scheduled to take place in Istanbul but due to difficulties in travelling to and from Turkey, it has now been moved to Dublin. “IATA’s World Cargo Symposium is moving to Dublin, Ireland,” the airline association said on its website. “Dublin is picturesque, historic, and filled with stories at every turn. We had hoped to bring you to Istanbul, but circumstances changed.” The event had originally been scheduled to take place in Istanbul in March 2020 but was later rescheduled due to the outbreak of covid-19. The symposium has become the largest annual event in the air cargo calendar, attracting more than 1,000 attendees and 40 exhibitors.