Ahead of The Air Cargo Agents Association of India (ACAAI)’s upcoming 47th convention in Kuala Lumpur from November 23 to 26, Huned Gandhi, Managing Director Air & Sea Logistics Indian Subcontinent at DACHSER India says, “In the next 5-10 years, AI will transform air cargo operations. Continuous learning from data and AI-driven robotics will revolutionize deliveries and warehouses. It will enhance efficiency, reduce errors, and enable data-driven decision-making. It will automate the supply chain for real-time tracking, predictive maintenance, and intelligent route optimization. However, concerns regarding overreliance on AI, data security, privacy, and job displacement must be addressed. Reskilling and upskilling can mitigate risks, while ethical guidelines and regulatory frameworks ensure responsible practices. Collaboration among airlines, airports, technology suppliers, and freight forwarders is crucial. Sharing best practices, establishing standards, and investing in tailored AI solutions will meet industry needs. Open dialogue and collaboration will navigate regulatory challenges, fostering a supportive AI adoption environment.

According to the latest weekly figures from WorldACD Market Data, global air cargo tonnages and rates appear to have stabilised after recovering from China’s National Day Golden Week in early October. There are no clear signs yet of any significant fourth quarter (Q4) peak season despite anecdotal reports from some freight forwarders of a slight seasonal tightening of the market, the update added. Preliminary figures for week 42 (October 16-22) show a one percent increase in tonnage and in global average rates compared with the previous week, based on the more than 400,000 weekly transactions covered by WorldACD’s data. “That follows a four percent week-on-week (WoW) increase the previous week following a six percent drop during the first full week of October, corresponding with China’s Golden Week holiday break.” Comparing weeks 41 and 42 this year with the preceding two weeks (2Wo2W), overall tonnages, worldwide rates and also capacity increased by one percent versus their combined total in weeks 39 and 40, the update added. The biggest percentage increases in tonnages were found on flows to Asia Pacific from Europe (11 percent) and Middle East & South Asia (eight percent). Declines in tonnages (2Wo2W) were recorded most strongly on flows outbound from Europe to, respectively, Africa (eight percent), Central & South America (eight percent) and Middle East & South Asia (seven percent).

IAG Cargo will benefit from increased capacity on bellyhold flights this winter with the addition of extra frequencies and new routes for the season, from the end of October to March 2024. The cargo division of International Airlines Group (IAG) will have belly space on 14 flights a week between London and Miami, 14 weekly flights between London and Doha, and 17 services linking the UK capital with Cape Town. From the carrier’s Madrid hub, meanwhile, there will be extra space on routes to Bogota, Santiago, Quito and Santa Domingo. A statement said the winter schedule includes restarting Boeing 777-200 services from London Gatwick to Cape Town and Costa Rica. An extra daily service to Doha has been introduced from London Heathrow, while services to Miami have resumed from Dublin. Capacity will also be available between Rio De Janeiro and Buenos Aires, IAG Cargo said, adding that there will be three more weekly services between Barcelona and Buenos Aires in a further expansion of its Latin American coverage.

Finnair Cargo is making a move towards fully self-sustainable energy production in November, just in time to celebrate Finnair’s 100th birthday. Throughout the summer and autumn months, Finnair Cargo has installed an additional 1790 solar panels to the roof of its COOL Nordic Cargo Hub at Helsinki Airport in Finland. These join 1200 panels installed when the terminal was originally constructed and provide enough energy on sunny days to sustain the cargo space in full and feed surplus energy to other Finnair facilities. “With this addition, the COOL Nordic Cargo Hub will be the third largest solar panel energy production unit in Finland. At the maximum level, the solar power station can produce over 1,1 MW peaks, more than tripling our production”, says SVP Finnair Cargo Gabriela Hiitola. After the COOL solar park upgrade, solar panels produce the equivalent of 37% of annual COOL electricity consumption. On a sunny day, the COOL terminal is completely self-sufficient in terms of electricity production and the excess production will be fed to other Finnair facilities.

Softlink Global plans to continue expanding its global presence through strategic partnership and new market entry while driving a transformation agenda for the entire company in parallel. In this regard, the company recently has taken a significant step towards strengthening its foothold in South East Asia through a collaboration with e-Konek Filipinas Inc., a renowned service provider specialising in e-Governance in the Philippines. Partnering with e-Konek will improve data transfer and productivity. Amit Maheshwari, Founder and CEO of Softlink Global Pvt. Ltd., outlined the company’s strategy, stating, “Our aim is to collaborate with global players to furnish essential capabilities that ensure the success of SaaS customers on both a global and local scale. Furthermore, our global collaborations will empower customers in adopting new business processes and technologies while guiding them towards becoming intelligent enterprises.” Having already established partnerships with numerous companies in various countries, Softlink Global continues to grow its global network. Maheshwari emphasized that SaaS adoption represents a natural progression to support customers on their transformation journeys. “The value and benefits of business and technology adoption align closely with the goals of an intelligent enterprise. Our services empower customers to make impactful changes, enhancing resilience, performance, and sustainability.” Softlink Global, India’s only SwaS-based enterprise logistics technology provider offers a combined solution of human support with the software. With a SaaS provider you are given software to “set and forget,” we, at Softlink as a SwaS provider offers ongoing support in effectively integrating and utilising the software into your business, added Maheshwari. With global offices in the US, UAE, Singapore, and in the Philippines Softlink is serving over 4,500 clients in over 45 countries with its flagship software Logi-Sys, powered …

WestJet Cargo will expand its cargo services with its Winter schedule. Calgary, Canada-based airline Westjet is introducing Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic; Bridgetown, Barbados; and Kingston, Jamaica to its passenger network, which is set to boost the reach of the airline’s cargo business. WestJet Cargo’s service to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic will be officially re-launched on October 29. Cargo services will be offered to and from Puerto Plata, on multiple weekly passenger flights. Each flight will offer two tonnes of cargo capacity. The rotation for this route is Toronto – Puerto Plata – Toronto. In the Dominican Republic, WestJet Cargo currently provides cargo capacity on its passenger services to Punta Cana from Calgary and Toronto. Additionally, services to Bridgetown, Barbados, will start on November 8. Like Puerto Plata, cargo services will be re-launched to this destination after they were suspended in early 2020.

Allcargo Group has released its Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) 2022-2023 report with the theme ‘Navigating the Green Horizon.’ The report highlights the Group’s commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040 through its green and renewable ways. It has also spelt out in detail the Group’s ESG goals which include energy and emissions, occupational health and safety, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), community development, labour practices and human rights, cybersecurity, and corporate governance. Commenting on the launch of the ESG report, Shashi Kiran Shetty, Founder & Chairman, Allcargo Group said, “I am pleased to present our 2022-2023 Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) report. I firmly believe that true progress is never about profit alone. It’s about what good it can do for people and the planet. This is why integrating Environmental, Social, and Governance aspects into business practices is so important, now more than ever. The report signals our transformative journey towards sustainability viz Environment (Energy, Emissions, Biodiversity), Social (Occupational Health and Safety, Community Development, Labour Practice and Human Rights, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) and Governance (Sustainable Supply Chain, Customer Satisfaction, Corporate Governance, and Cybersecurity). Being a global logistics conglomerate reaching out to over 180 countries, 530 destinations with more than 2400 direct trade lanes and our robust multimodal capacity in India which reaches out to over 19,800 pin codes, we have a bigger responsibility and commitment to drive sustainability at a larger scale. In line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we’ll continue with our concerted efforts to bring in positive changes and achieve the ESG goals. Allcargo Group provides integrated logistics services and solutions for a range of Indian and Multinational businesses, small and medium-sized enterprises …

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd. is poised to exceed the handling of 400 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of cargo in the fiscal year 2024, in line with its ambitious target of reaching 500 MTPA by 2025, as revealed by Adani Ports Chief Executive Officer, Subrata Tripathi during Global Maritime Summit. He Affirmed that the company has already achieved a remarkable 200 MTPA during the first and second quarters of fiscal year 2024. Furthermore, he expressed confidence in the company’s capability to reach the 400 MTPA milestone in FY24, aligning seamlessly with the overarching goal of attaining 500 MTPA by 2025. In the previous year, Adani Ports handled 350 MTPA of cargo, leveraging its substantial capacity of nearly 600 MTPA, says reports. Tripathi emphasized that, given Adani Ports’ role in routing 25% of cargo in India, there is a strong belief that the target can be attained without significant hindrances.

UPS has entered into an agreement to acquire US-based software and reverse logistics company Happy Returns from PayPal. According to UPS, Happy Returns aims to enable “frictionless, no-box, no-label returns for merchants and consumers” and reduce “the cost of e-commerce for all players and creating a more efficient, sustainable supply chain”. The acquisition of Happy Returns is expected to close in the fourth quarter of this year. “We know that returns have long frustrated shoppers and retailers looking for quick and easy solutions,” UPS chief executive Carol Tomé said. “By combining Happy Returns’ easy digital experience and established drop-off points with UPS’s small package network and footprint of close to 5,200 The UPS Store locations, box-free, label-free returns will soon be available at more than 12,000 convenient locations in the U.S.” “Joining the UPS team is a win for both our employees and our customers,” said Happy Returns chief executive and co-founder David Sobie, who will continue to lead the business for UPS after the deal closes. “In recent years, the growth of Happy Returns has accelerated, and we’ve built an enterprise-grade solution. This new chapter is a natural next step for Happy Returns and allows us to harness the power of the UPS network to transform the returns industry.”

Industrial & Logistics (I&L) sector is likely to touch a 5-year high absorption mark and touch 36 to 38 mn. sq. ft. in 2023 across top 8 cities in India, says CBRE South Asia in its latest report – India Market Monitor Q3 2023. Supply addition, too, is expected to outperform, touching 35 – 37 mn. sq. ft. by the year-end, driven by the completion of pent-up projects. The leasing in the I&L sector grew by 13% Y-o-Y in the Jan-Sep’23 period. The total absorption across the top 8 Indian cities stood at 27.3 mn. sq. ft, compared to 24.2 mn. sq. ft. in Jan-Sep’22. Mumbai, Chennai, and Delhi-NCR collectively accounted for a share of 56% in the leasing activity during the Jan-Sep’23 period, the report adds.