Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, flagged off the maiden voyage of barges with a consignment of 1798 MT of finished steel products of Tata Steel Limited from Haldia to Pandu ( in Assam) through the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route (IBP Route) in the presence of Shantanu Thakur, MoS for Ports, Shipping and Waterways. This maiden voyage alongside showcasing the multimodal movement of cargo also harnesses the power of river – sea combination. The Tata Steel ltd consignment arrived at Haldia Dock Complex through the Railway mode; and were loaded onto barges [DB ABDUL KALAM and DB KALPANA CHAWLA chartered by SMPK] at berth no. 11 operated by TMILL who have organized movement of the cargo and loading at their berth. With an on-priority slip from the customs, the barges will complete the voyage with the help of operator Ocean Whale Services. Flagged off and moved from Haldia to IWAI Pandu terminal in Assam, the said barges will move along NW-I – Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route – NW-II. On the trip back the barges will be carrying coal provided by Fuel Sources India Pvt. Ltd. where LSC Solutions is providing ground logistic support along with last mile delivery, and is destined for unloading at SMPK, Kolkata.

APM Terminals Pipavav is delighted to cater to the largest container vessel ever to arrive at the port. MV Express Athens from Hapag Lloyd is deployed in the TP1 INDAMEX service that caters to the USEC trade. EXPRESS ATHENS has a length overall (LOA) 349 m, beam 49 m, gross tonnage of 113973 and deadweight of 122959 was built in 2011 and can carry appx 10114 TEU. The vessel came from Charleston terminal [US] and will go to the Port Muhammad Bin Qasim [Pakistan]. By handling such large ship at our port showcases our infrastructural capabilities to handle larger vessels safely and quickly. We are eager to welcome more such vessels to keep moving the wheels of the supply chain. The current annual cargo handling capacity includes 1.35 million TEU Containers, 250,000 Passenger cars, 2 million metric tons of Liquid bulk and 4 million metric tons of Dry bulk. APM Terminals Pipavav is India’s first public private partnership (PPP) port in India and is a part of the APM Terminals global terminal network.

Singapore Airlines (SIA) has firmed up an order for seven Airbus A350F freighters, with options for five more aircraft. The agreement was signed at the Singapore Airshow 2022 by Goh Choon Phong, Chief Executive Officer, Singapore Airlines, and Christian Scherer, Chief Commercial Officer and Head of International, Airbus. The A350Fs will replace SIA’s seven Boeing 747-400F freighters. The Airline will be the first carrier to operate this new generation widebody freighter aircraft when deliveries begin in the fourth quarter of 2025. The A350F burns up to 40% less fuel on similar missions to the 747-400F, reducing SIA’s carbon emissions by around 400,000 tonnes annually. This supports the SIA Group’s goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The A350F is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines. Please see Annexe A for more information on the aircraft. The range and payload of the A350F will provide SIA with greater flexibility in its freighter deployment, bolstering its cargo business and cementing its leading position in the sector. SIA has strengthened its cargo capabilities over the last few years in key segments including e-commerce, fresh produce, and pharmaceuticals. It has also rolled out several digital initiatives that provide greater value and options for customers. Please see Annexe B for more information on SIA’s cargo business. The A350F deal with Airbus includes a swap with 15 A320neo and two A350-900 passenger aircraft in the SIA Group order book. This allows SIA to manage its capital expenditure while continuing with its essential freighter renewal programme.

CEVA Logistics connects Turkey, while offering daily connections between the Halkali terminal in Istanbul and Duisburg in Germany. A block train solution links Vietnam and Germany via China. At the same time, the company also increased its multimodal services linking China with southeastern Asian destinations like Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. The multimodal connection between China and Southeast Asian countries was already there for CEVA. The company launched it in June 2020, at the peak of the Covid pandemic, as a response to the decreased flights, capacity limits, operational restrictions and waiting times in border crossings. Between the Halkali terminal in Turkey and Duisburg in Germany, CEVA Logistics will run daily trips with a transit time of six days. In this direct connection, it will deploy its own mega-box trailers and 45 High Cube Pallet Wide (HCPW) containers. As for Vietnam-Germany, the company launched a block train service that runs to Europe after passing through China. CEVA says that this service can also be combined with other multimodal truck-rail and sea-rail solutions to enhance connectivity between Southeast Asia and Europe. The service’s launch results from a very successful year, where CEVA saw its China-Europe services more than doubling. In 2021, the company operated 135 block trains compared to 50 in 2020.

CDB Aviation has ordered an additional twelve A330-300 P2F conversions with Elbe Flugzeugwerke GmbH (EFW), expanding its fleet of this type to fourteen aircraft. The lessor, a wholly owned Irish subsidiary of China Development Bank Leasing, is also on track to launch the A330-300 P2F freighter type in China in 2022, with lease commitments from Sichuan Airlines and Jiangxi Cargo Airlines. “We have strategically positioned our platform to be the A330 P2F program frontrunner among lessors,” commented Patrick Hannigan, CDB Aviation’s chief executive officer, adding that the A330 P2F marked the lessor’s first entry into the air cargo space. CDB Aviation’s first two A330-300 P2Fs are currently being converted in EFW’s facility in Dresden, Germany, and will be re-delivered to its launch operator, Mexico-based MasAir, in early 2022. Andreas Sperl, EFW’s chief executive officer, said: “The A330 P2F program is proving highly popular, and we now have over eighty aircraft on order. EFW is leading the overall A330 P2F programme, which is a collaboration between ST Engineering, Airbus, and EFW.”

Chennault International Airport in Louisiana, US is nearing completion of a $4m facility to enter into the air cargo sector. Construction of the 10,000 sq ft air cargo pass-through facility began in June 2021. It is expected to be completed this summer, according to Chennault Airport executive director Kevin Melton. “We believe there is value for companies to move goods through Chennault,” said Melton. “We provide a low-cost alternative to the larger markets where expense, ground delays, and airspace delays affect the efficient flow of goods.” The facility is anticipated to be certified for international cargo by federal agency U.S. Customs and Border Protection. As the facility is being built, ongoing discussions are planned with potential ground handling partners on such related issues as ramp handling, warehouse operations and securing unique ground equipment to service large aircraft.

APM Terminals Mumbai, also known as Gateway Terminals India (GTI) will invest US$115 million in infrastructure development that will increase the container handling capacity. The company is investing in Ship-to-Shore (StS) cranes and Rail Mounted Gantry (RMG) cranes. The investment is aimed at enabling GTI to accommodate changing customer needs for larger vessel capability. With this investment, the container handling capacity of GTI will increase by 10% to 2.18 million TEUs. Explaining the rationale behind investment, Girish Aggarwal, COO, GTI said “The investment will allow us to cater to the larger vessels safely and efficiently at our terminal. This in turn will assist our customers to drive operational efficiency towards the Indian trade.” According to Aggarwal, “The terminal’s initiative is a step forward in supporting Government’s initiative to improve ‘Ease of Doing Business.” GTI is a joint venture between APM Terminals and domestic rail operator Container Corporation of India (Concor) operating at Nhava Sheva. The terminal includes a berth line of 2,336 feet, 128 acres of yard space, and modern service equipment — including 10 twin-lifting quay cranes, 40 rubber-tire gantry cranes, and three rail-mounted quay cranes.”

AirAsia X (AAX) has secured full belly space utilisation for one third of its widebody A330-300 fleet as it strives to boost its air cargo revenue. Teleport, the logistics venture of Capital A (formerly AirAsia Group), will use the additional capacity from AAX for an initial period of one year. AAX is the medium haul, low-cost affiliate of the AirAsia Group and operating an all widebody A330-300 fleet. In 2021, the airline was successfully restructured and is now relaunching service as a combination carrier with equal emphasis on both cargo and passengers. The company aims to boost its regional presence by working in partnership with global freight forwarders. It recently announced a strategic partnership with global logistics leader GEODIS, to mount several weekly dedicated cargo flights throughout Asia Pacific for an extended period. CEO of AAX, Benyamin Ismail said, “We are also in discussions with several other major global clients that have air cargo requirements, particularly to where we have established bases and flying rights. It’s just two months post our restructuring and the appetite for expansion of our cargo operations is significant. This dovetails neatly into one of the core pillars of our combination carrier strategy. For the foreseeable future, cargo revenue will underpin our route strategy and passenger revenue for the first time, will be ancillary.”

In yet another acquisition, Shiprocket has acquired a majority stake in Glaucus Supply Chain Solutions Pvt. Ltd., a leading supply chain management company, and plans to merge in due course. The transaction will allow Shiprocket to accelerate the development of solutions that will improve speed, accuracy, and efficiency in the post-purchase process across trade channels. “In an environment where it is becoming increasingly important for every brand to delight their customers with both products and services, it is essential to build innovative, resilient solutions to unlock the next phase of growth for the industry at large. There is a very clear need to remove the fulfillment complexity across B2B and B2C channels for our clients and help them focus on what they do best – make and sell products. We are thrilled to announce our acquisition of Glaucus Supply Chain Solutions Pvt. Ltd. With our technology prowess, capital availability, and ability to focus on solving problems for our current and future clients, we aspire to become the country’s largest provider of fulfillment services. We welcome the Glaucus team onboard and look forward to working with them.” said Saahil Goel, Co-Founder, and CEO of Shiprocket Glaucus provides enterprise-grade fulfillment services to mid-market brands supported by a mature combination of processes, geographic spread, quality reporting, and proprietary technology. B2B distribution, sales return management, D2C marketplace fulfillment, and managed transportation are a few of the services offered by Glaucus’ key. The company has an established presence in Gurgaon, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ludhiana, Faridabad, and Sonipat.

Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), operator of Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (BLR Airport) has been awarded the prestigious PEER (Performance Excellence in Electricity Renewal) Platinum certification by Green Building Certification Inc. (GBCI), the foremost authoritie on sustainability in building design, construction, and operations. This honor makes BIAL the first airport operator in the world to receive an outstanding score of 92/100 for its airport power infrastructure. To ensure that the BLR Airport’s power system continues to support its sustainable development goals, BIAL sought PEER certification to analyse and improve the airport’s power system performance and was awarded the ‘Platinum Rating’ based on GBCI’s rigorous certification and review process. GBCI is the one of the world’s leading sustainability and health certification and credentialing body and is responsible for administering the LEED green building program. BIAL has demonstrated exceptional performance through its commitment to build sustainably. About 98% of the project’s distribution circuit is protected with distribution redundancy and auto restoration. It also has a 6.8 MW onsite solar PV system that supports essential services during grid failure and long-term blackout and 100% of its energy mix comes from renewable energy. Hari Marar, MD & CEO, BIAL, said, “We are proud to receive this recognition from GBCI for our relentless efforts in the energy conservation and energy resilience domain. As the operator of a world-class airport, BIAL has undertaken a variety of steps to deploy onsite renewable energy generation systems, offsite renewable power procurement, to meet our long-term goal of becoming Net Energy Neutral in 2020-21. Certified with PEER Platinum Rating will only motivate us to keep fast tracking our sustainability journey, even as we keep enhancing our infrastructure to meet the …