Kuehne+Nagel announced the opening of a new facility near Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to support a new partnership with MHI RJ Aviation Group (MHI RJ), a worldwide leader in offering superior maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services for airline fleets worldwide. “The relocation of supply chain operations from Des Plaines, IL to Haltom City, TX will bring operations close to DFW, a major gateway providing cargo lift for both domestic and international shipments. At the new Dallas facility, MHIRJ will be utilising the space to better meet their global customers’ needs through a state-of-the-art, technology-enabled distribution facility,” says a release from K+N. “This is an exciting new partnership that builds on our strategic focus in the aerospace industry and further expands our growing presence in the Dallas/Fort Worth area,” says Eduardo Razuck, Senior Vice President, Contract Logistics Americas, Kuehne+Nagel. “The investment in a new facility in the area is the latest step in growing our network focused on supporting our customers.”

Supply chain firm Prozo has leased 99,771 sq ft warehouse at Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu. Chennai is one of the most important trade hubs in India, and the ports in and around the region receive shipments from around the world. With rising e-commerce logistics needs in the area, there is also a very high demand for enterprise-grade warehousing and integrated logistics support. Prozo focuses on integrating technology and automation into the supply chain to provide end-to-end logistics support. They oversee supply chains for over 100 enterprises, including leading e-commerce players. The latest addition is the 4th facility for one of the enterprises that is a leading player in asset pooling in Prozo’s extensive fulfillment network of over 34 centers across 12 Indian locations, covering 1.7 million sq. ft. “The Chennai region is one of the most important trade centers in India. Our strategically located warehouse will facilitate easy storage and transportation of goods from and to the rest of India due to the excellent logistics connectivity in the area,” said Ashvini Jakhar, Founder and CEO of Prozo. The services include fulfillment centers, D2C freight, Part truck load freight, full truck load freight, in-house built tech stack (OMS, WMS, TMS, planning & analytics tool, control tower) and retail as a service. The company operates in more than 10 categories and serves several large enterprises such as Reliance JioMart, Urban Ladder, Hyundai, Tata Consumer Services, McGraw Hill, Hisense, Marico, TMRW (an Aditya Birla Unit), HIL, and more.

Abhishek Goyal, Executive Director, Aeroprime Group says, “In 2024 and beyond, the global aviation industry is poised for several key trends that will shape its trajectory. Firstly, sustainable aviation practices such as eco-friendly technologies, alternative fuels, and carbon offset programs etc are expected to gain prominence as environmental concerns intensify. Secondly, advancements in technology will continue to revolutionize global aviation industry. The rise of artificial intelligence, data analytics etc. will enhance operational efficiency, safety, and customer experience. Lastly, geopolitical factors, regulatory changes, and economic shifts will impact global aviation dynamics. Open skies agreements, trade relations, and geopolitical stability will influence market access and competition.”

Hong Kong-based Aerovision Technology (ATL) and Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals (Hactl) signed a collaboration agreement to install ATL’s patented intelligent cargo thermal detection system at suitable locations within Hactl’s SuperTerminal 1. Hactl is also the world’s first air cargo terminal equipped with an intelligent cargo thermal detection system, which will further enhance the safety and reliability of cargo inspection to address the increasing volume of hazardous air cargo and mitigate potential fire risks, says an official release. The collaboration agreement was signed on December 14, 2023 at Hong Kong Asia World-Expo by Angus Cheung, CEO, ATL and Wilson Kwong, Chief Executive, Hactl, the release added. “By combining advanced thermal imaging technology, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, data analytics, and artificial intelligence, ATL has overcome the limitations of existing thermal energy monitoring techniques. The system can monitor the temperature of different cargo materials in various environments in real-time and quickly identify any abnormal conditions, triggering alerts.”

Air cargo volumes were boosted by seasonal e-commerce demand from Asia in November, but Xeneta is doubtful the industry will see sustained stronger demand. November was the first month this year that saw demand outstrip supply, but, echoing IATA’s concerns, the rate analytics platform said global airfreight capacity will likely continue to outpace market demand next year. “This is due to anticipated weak consumer spending at least in H1 2024 and a continuing recovery in belly capacity for certain markets next year, boosted by improving passenger travel,” said the company. E-commerce demand from Asia to Europe and the US has seen air cargo volumes rise, but this shouldn’t be relied on to see air cargo demand, in what is already a subdued market, sustained into next year, explained Xeneta. Increased e-commerce volumes from Hong Kong and China to the US and Europe inflated global air cargo demand by 5% year over year in November. Retail brands Shein and Temu accounted for most of the rise in air cargo volumes and rates out of Hong Kong and China last month. China to the US spot rates outpaced their October growth of +10%, climbing +11% month-over-month to $4.46 per kg. Air cargo spot rates from China to Europe followed a similar upward trend, rising to $3.96 per kg, up 9% from a month ago. These increases contributed to an overall 7% month-on-month improvement in the global air cargo spot rate, which averaged $2.45 per kg in November, compared to +2% in October. Demand slightly outpacing supply helped to push the global dynamic load factor to 60%, based on both volume and weight perspectives of cargo flown and capacity available.

Airbus has secured another major A350 freighter customer with an order from Turkish Airlines for five of the new cargo aircraft. The order follows Cathay Cargo’s recently announced decision to order six A350Fs with the right to order 20 more. The A350F can carry a payload of up to 111 tonnes and can fly up to 8,700 kms. Its cargo door will have a width of 4.4 m. The deal is another blow for Boeing, whose 777-8F freighter programme has also slowed down this year. The 777-8F offers a maximum structural payload of 118 tonnes (revenue payload 112.3tonnes) and a range of 8,167 km, while its cargo door has a width of 3.72 m. Orders placed for the Boeing aircraft include: Silkway West (2), Cargolux (10), Lufthansa (7), ANA (2) and Qatar (34).

Cargo Service Center (CSC) announced significant expansion of its operations in Kerala. On June 1st, 2023, CSC commenced its security functions as an BCAS Authorized Regulated Agent (RA), reinforcing its commitment to cargo safety. Building on this momentum, on August 22nd, 2023, CSC launched international operations at Cochin International Airport (CIAL). A year earlier, in 2022, CSC had initiated services at the Cochin Domestic Cargo Terminal, solidifying its presence in the vibrant state of Kerala. CSC Group Chairman Shri Tushar Jani said, “Cochin International Airport serves as a pivotal hub for international air cargo activities in the southern region of India. CSC’s expansion in Kerala holds immense significance, as it is the second airport in the state, alongside Kannur, where the company efficiently operates and manages the entire cargo terminal, encompassing both domestic and international cargo operations, with an unwavering commitment to enhancing air cargo services nationwide.”

India’s logistic costs ranged between 7.8% and 8.9% during 2021-22, down from 8.7-9.9% during 2011-12, a report by economic think tank National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) and the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), said. According to the report, ‘Logistic Cost in India: Assessment and Long-term Framework’, India’s logistics costs saw a dip during 2014-15 to 2016-17, from 8.3-9.4% to 7.8-8.8%, due to a faster growth in nominal GDP than in logistic costs, and a fall in fuel prices compared to the earlier period. The national logistics policy will reduce the cost and enhance the competitiveness of Indian industry, said Rajesh Kumar Singh, DPIIT Secretary. He said that the government has released a national logistics policy to reduce the cost and enhance competitiveness of the Indian industry. The kind of investment that India is making in both physical and digital infrastructure….all that is creating an enabling environment where we will start getting good and credible data, based on which, we can do data-based planning and ultimately data-based policy-making as well,” Singh said. He added that through the report, a framework is being developed which will be used to calculate credible logistics cost estimates.

Pharma.Aero, a cross-industry collaboration platform for life science logistics, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Cool Chain Association (CCA), an industry association specialising in temperature-controlled logistics, to harmonise pharmaceutical and perishable cold chain processes. The MoU outlines the associations’ shared commitment to foster collaboration and enhance transparency between the life science and perishable supply chain, says an official release. “Our partnership with Pharma.Aero is born out of a shared goal to improve the quality and safety of the cool supply chain,” says Stavros Evangelakakis, Chairman of the Board, CCA and Head of Global Healthcare, Cargolux. “We believe that we can achieve so much more through cross-industry collaboration than we ever could working independently in silos.”

Essar signed three Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with the Government of Gujarat for a total investement of Rs 55,000 crore ahead of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024. Essar is in a renewed phase of making stategic investements in the field of Energy Transition, Power and Port sectors in the state. This initiative aims to create over 10,000 job opportunities. Over the last four decades, Essar has invested more than Rs 1 lakh crore in the Energy, Metals & Mining and Infrastructure sectors in Gujarat. Gujarat has played a crucial role in Essar’s growth story. The company’s investments in core industrial projects have enhanced the state’s industrial landscape, serving as a case-study for the state’s potential as an investment destination. On the signing of the MoU, Mr. Prashant Ruia, Director at Essar Capital, commented, “Gujarat has consistently been at the forefront of Essar’s strategic investments. We are delighted to further contribute to the state’s economic progress with an additional investment of Rs 55,000 crore in the Energy & Infrastructure sectors.”