The Air Cargo Agents Association of India (ACAAI) is all set to organise its 53rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Mumbai today. The new Managing Committee will assume office today, and will take over the complex and multifarious responsibilities of managing the affairs of ACAAI. This year ACAAI will be holding its 47th annual Convention at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 23rd to 26th November 2023. ACAAI has been the voice and representative Association of the airfreight industry for more than five decades now. During this period, our Association has dealt with numerous issues and challenges, often with great success.

Celebi India commenced its ground handling services at Chennai International Airport. Airlines have started entering into ground handling service contracts with Celebi. Recently, US Bangla Airlines and YTO Cargo signed a ground handling contract with Celebi to look after their ground handling requirements at Chennai airport. Celebi has gone the extra mile, installing state-of-the-art infrastructure to offer quality ground handling services. Over 750 dedicated employees will be engaged by the end of this year to ensure airlines and passengers receive seamless, on-time service. Now scheduled and non-scheduled airlines at domestic and international terminals can avail themselves of Celebi’s comprehensive ground handling services. Tauseef Khan, CEO of Ground Handling Celebi India, said, “We recognize the importance of Chennai Airport as a key gateway for travellers, and we are excited to contribute to its growth and efficiency. Long wait times for baggage on arrival and extended queues at check-in will now be a thing of the past once passengers experience the services provided by Celebi. Our commitment to building a sustainable ecosystem and expanding our capacity to handle the ever-growing number of passengers is unmatched. Our team of highly skilled professionals will ensure that passengers’ needs are met with the utmost care and attention. With state-of-the-art electrical equipment and facilities at our disposal, we will provide passengers with an experience that is smooth, hassle-free, and truly exceptional. This launch marks a significant milestone for Celebi India and Chennai Airport, strengthening our commitment to delivering world-class ground handling services in the aviation sector and providing a superior experience for all passengers traveling through this vibrant gateway.” Chennai International Airport is the ninth airport in India for Celebi after successful operations at major airports …

Asia Shipping International Transport India was felicitated with ‘Best Ocean Freight Forwarding Company’ award at recently concluded India Cargo Awards 2023 in New Delhi. Piyush Srivastava, IES, Senior Economic Advisor graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. Known as the “Oscars of the Cargo Industry,” the India Cargo Awards 2023 hosted by Cargo Talk (DDP Group Publication) serves as an all-India platform created with a vision to recognise excellence in the Cargo-Freight-Logistics Industry across various domains, including Rail, Road, Air, Sea, Allied Services, Warehousing, Technology, 3rd Party Logistics, and more. Our world-class awards ceremonies are known for their formal Black-Tie affair, filled with glitz and glamour, attended by the most influential personalities in the Cargo Industry.

The Managing Committee members of The Association of Multimodal Transport Association of India (AMTOI) recently held its meeting in Kolkata to discuss various trade related issues. The meeting was followed by a seminar on Eastern India Present and Future – Role of Kolkata Port. Rathendra Raman IRTS, Chairperson Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port (Kolkata Port) was invited as the Chief Guest. He informed the delegates that Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port will see a near 26 per cent ramp-up in capacity over the next seven to eight years, backed by ongoing projects undertaken by the port and others that are in the pipeline. The total capacity is expected to increase to around 110 million tonnes by 2030. Capt Suji Basu Mazumdar was invited as the Guest of Honour, he focused on resolving the problems of multimodal transport operators and helping the supply chain. Special Guest was Eshor Raj Poudel- Counsel General of Nepal, he informed the house that Nepal is going to double its imports of fertilizers and all imports shall be using ports at Kolkata / Haldia.

Cargo Talk is glad to announce its Exclusive Media Partnership with The Air Cargo Agents Association of India (ACAAI) for its upcoming 47th Annual Convention which will be held at Hotel Westin Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 23rd to 26th November 2023. The Theme of the Convention this year is ‘AI The Game Changer – Embracing the Intelligent Future.’ Throwing light on the same, C K Govil, CMD, Activair Airfreight says, “Efficient air cargo operations, optimised logistics and an improved customer experience are what AI can bring to our industry. It has the power to ease bottlenecks at airports, make data transparent and well organised, and optimise storage in warehouses and planning for flights. AI can facilitate information collection, processing, and flow, thus reducing disruptions in the supply chain. Besides tracking shipments in real time, AI can predict delays based on previous data. This can help the industry players save time and money and prevent interruptions in air cargo deliveries. We have seen AI-enabled chatbots strengthening customer support in many industries. It will bring about a similar change in the way we manage customer queries and make air cargo booking and reservations simpler.”

Manohar International Airport (MOPA), Goa commenced international cargo operations and accepted first cargo shipment in the presence of Navraj Goyal, IRS Commissioner of Customs, Custom House agents, and other officials and dignitaries. “I sincerely thanks & appreciate Air India, KAYBEE Exports, Indian Customs, ICEGATE Systems, DG Systems, CISF and all the Government & Air Cargo Stakeholders for their Contributions and Participation,”said Purushottam Singh Thakur, Business Head – Cargo, GMR MoPA.

Block your dates for India’s highly anticipated and power-packed show on cold chain storage and transportation. Being organized by WIZ, Cold Chain Unbroken (CCUB) 2023 will be held on 14-15 September at Taj Bengaluru. The key points of discussion will include cold chain storage, handling and transportation, adequate infrastructure and skilled manpower for ground handling and transportation of products such as pharma and perishables, tech integration, government policies to facilitate EoDB and a lot more. Several industry stalwarts and stakeholders, including airports, airlines, freight forwarders, shipping lines, trucking companies, custodians are expected to take part in the show. The two-day event will provide a platform to meet and exchange ideas and collaborate.

Pristine Logistics & Infraprojects (PLIL) has signed a memorandum of understanding with Summit Alliance Port (SAPL), to expand its operations in Bangladesh and develop rail-linked Inland Container Depots (ICDs), Container Freight Stations (CFSs), and Multi Modal Logistics Parks (MMLPs) at strategically vital locations in Bangladesh. The key focus of this alliance is to establish joint venture companies that will be responsible for handling a significant portion of Bangladesh’s containerised cargo, plays a pivotal role in the country’s trade.

Continental Carriers was honoured with ‘Best Logistics Service Provider’ award at recently concluded India Cargo Awards 2023 in New Delhi. Piyush Srivastava, IES, Senior Economic Advisor graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. Known as the “Oscars of the Cargo Industry,” the India Cargo Awards 2023 hosted by Cargo Talk (DDP Group Publication) serves as an all-India platform created with a vision to recognise excellence in the Cargo-Freight-Logistics Industry across various domains, including Rail, Road, Air, Sea, Allied Services, Warehousing, Technology, 3rd Party Logistics, and more. Our world-class awards ceremonies are known for their formal Black-Tie affair, filled with glitz and glamour, attended by the most influential personalities in the Cargo Industry.

The Federation of Freight Forwarders’ Associations in India (FFFAI) delegation met Sanjay Malhotra, Revenue Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Government of India recently to discuss about EXIM trade facilitation measures to enable speedy shipment clearance timelines and improvement of processes in customs clearance and logistics. FFFAI would be jointly working with Ministry of finance in framing research study which would be measured and monitored in achieving goals towards trade facilitation of International EXIM trade, this would not only result in transaction cost saving or reducing dwell time but would also benefit the country by saving forex reserves outflow which is being collected in form of detention charges by foreign shipping lines due to delay in clearances. The study would be reviewed from time to time across the country to recommend policy changes. The FFFAI Chairman, Shankar Shinde informed that the Federation would collaborate with the Ministry of Finance in initiating research studies to achieve EODB (Ease of Doing Business) and LPI (Logistics Performance Index) ranking. FFFAI also reiterated its full support to the CBIC, Ministry of Finance, Government of India in all its endeavours. “FFFAI is committed to extend its support and contribution to the government in achieving the $5 trillion economy by 2025. Logistics has a pivotal role to play in this regard and the Government of India collaborating with the logistics industry professionals will have to continue strengthening the trade facilitation measures through developing world standard infrastructure and formulating conducive policies for fast, smooth and end to end logistics operations. We have witnessed a significant jump (6 ranks) in the World Bank Logistics Performance Index-2023. We are confident that the collaborative approach would position the country on the top …