TVS Industrial & Logistics Parks (TVS ILP), part of TVS Mobility Group, has strengthened its partnership with NIIF Infrastructure Finance Limited (NIIF IFL), bringing the total amount of facilities obtained to nearly USD 100 million. Both institutions are well-known for their ESG (environmental, social, and governance) focuses and their commitment to sustainable development. The continued partnership exemplifies the shared determination to drive sustainable infrastructure development, thereby fostering long-term economic growth in the warehouse and industrial park sector. Capitalizing on this partnership, TVS ILP aims to accelerate its growth trajectory, with plans to double its portfolio to 20 million sq ft in the coming years with an investment of approximately USD 400 million.

The newly built integrated cargo complex at Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport at Chandigarh has finally become operational. Spread across total area of 2,400 square metres, the air freight facility comprises five sheds, set up at a cost of ₹12.45 crore, says reports. The construction of the new facility began in 2021. “While the complex is designed to handle both domestic and international cargo, including perishable items, for now, it will handle domestic cargo only, as customs clearance is awaited, for international cargo,” said Rakesh Ranjan, CEO, Chandigarh International Airport Limited, in reports. Now, Chandigarh airport is the only airport in northern India, after Delhi, with a cargo facility capable of handling 2,500 MT of cargo, he added.

QAC has launched optimized, real-time pricing powered by PROS Smart Price Optimization and Management on all online booking channels across its network. The real-time pricing engine provides Qatar Cargo customers an enhanced digital buying experience that allows immediate online booking confirmation with accurate, personalised pricing. Part of The Next Generation initiative, Qatar’s Digital Lounge places an emphasis on user experience and ease of use, allowing customers to price and book cargo shipments without the need to call or email the sales team directly. With PROS Smart Price Optimization and Management solutions, Qatar Airways Cargo powers its online channels with real-time personalised dynamic pricing, accessing live capacity to offer accurate and bookable rates. The AI-powered optimisation solution models improve win rates by personalising the price offering and maximising sales.

Samvid Gupta, Joint Managing Director, Gateway Distriparks was felicitated with Youngest Business Leader of the year award the recently held India Cargo Awards 2023, held in New Delhi on July 24. Known as the “Oscars of the Cargo Industry,” the India Cargo Awards ceremony was hosted by Cargo Talk, serving 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, 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.

Amerijet International has selected Quantum-South to provide aircraft load optimisation technology to ensure aircraft are fully utilised. Quantum-South’s solution helps to optimize container placement to maximise transported weight, volume, priority mix, or revenue mix, with a focus on Center of Gravity (CoG) optimisation. Another module selects shipments for each flight to optimize the booked priority, with container assignment and instructions on how to build the container, such as the location and order of placement for each piece in the shipment. During a proof of concept project, Quantum-South said that it examined data from 451 flights and identified loading alternatives that increased payload by up to 30% and volume by up to 76%. Amerijet International chief commercial officer Eric Wilson said, “This substantial enhancement in cargo load factor can greatly enhance revenue per flight and increase opportunities for customers through more efficient use of capacity.” He added, “Optimising flight load plans and augmenting process efficiency helps us provide the best capacity offering to our customers while maximizing the load of every flight.” Quantum-South co-founder & president Rafael Sotelo added: “We are excited to continue working with Amerijet International and uncover more optimisation opportunities to further enhance operations.” Miami-based Amerijet currently operates a fleet of 23 aircraft – 17 B767Fs and six B757s.

A shift in consumer spending and higher prices led to air cargo demand decline amongst Asia Pacific airlines in June. Preliminary June 2023 traffic figures released by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) found air cargo demand, as measured in freight tonne kilometres (FTK), declined by 8.1% year on year. Capacity rose by 0.7%, leading to a 5.9 percentage point fall in the average international freight load factor to 60.7% for the month. Meanwhile, global trade activity was muted with the ongoing declines in new export orders, said the AAPA. The easing in container shipping rates relative to air freight rates further discouraged demand for air shipments. Subhas Menon, AAPA director general said, “In the first half of the year, the number of international passengers carried by Asian airlines quadrupled to a combined total of 120 million, boosted by the upsurge in leisure and business travel demand, as the region’s economies emerge strongly from the pandemic.” “During the same period, the region’s carriers posted a 10% decline in air cargo demand. A myriad of factors, including a post-pandemic shift in spending from goods to services and higher merchandise prices, weighed on global air cargo markets.”

Hawaiian Airlines has received the first of 10 freighters that it will operate for e-commerce giant Amazon. The airline’s president and chief executive, Peter Ingram said, the A330-300 converted aircraft is situated at its headquarters in Honolulu and is due to start operating in October. “Earlier this month, the first A330-300 freighter that we will operate for Amazon arrived in Honolulu,” said Ingram. “Over the next few months, we’ll use the aircraft for employee familiarization work. “This is the first of 10 freighter aircraft we will be inducting over the course of the next 1.5 years providing us a new and diversified stream of revenue that will begin to ramp more materially in 2024.”

GMR Hyderabad Air Cargo (GHAC) announced a new route for its road feeder services from Pune to Hyderabad. The road feeder service will boost the trade from the Pune region and is home to eight major industrial areas nearby. The road feeder service will benefit multiple industries in and around areas in Pune and Pune City Industrial to name a few. Initially, the service will cater to cargo from industries like automobiles, engineering, and pharmaceuticals among others. GMR Hyderabad Air Cargo has a Unique, integrated ‘Cargo Village’ featuring a cargo terminal, on-site regulators, and warehousing and cargo trade offices. It is supported by robost Road Feeder Service covering South-Central India. It is also one of the preferred gateway for pharmaceutical logistics across India and abroad. A major highlight of the Hyderabad Airport Cargo facility is the unique ‘Pharma Zone’ which includes a large multi-ULD Cool Dolly. With this addition, it makes the facility one of India’s largest centres for the handling of temperature- sensitive cargo up to -20 degrees centigrade. Furthermore, the terminal also offers one of India’s largest fleets of modern temp-controlled Cool Containers including Cool Dolly, Envirotainer and VaQtec among others.

IndoSpace recently leased 3 lakh sq. ft. of warehousing space to Kerry Indev Logistics. The facility, which occupies a space of 3 lakh sq. ft. is built exclusively for supporting Mitsubishi Electric India’s (air conditioning business) operations. The 3PL logistics provider has a well-established tenant portfolio including key OEMs from automotive and electronics manufacturing across India. The logistics park is situated within the industrial ecosystem provided by Sri City, renowned for its strategic location and world-class infrastructure. Rajesh Jaggi, Vice Chairman – Real Estate, Everstone Group, said, “We are deeply honoured to continue being the partner of choice for Kerry Indev Logistics. This renewed association is a testament to the trust they place in our capabilities, and we will continue to innovate and provide best-in-class solutions to all our partners and operate with the highest governance.” Xavier Britto, Chairman, Kerry Indev Logistics, said “We are excited to extend our partnership with IndoSpace offering Grade A assets and having a robust presence across India. The facility aligns with our mission to provide top-notch logistics and warehousing solutions to our clients. This facility, strategically located at Sri City, coupled with an ideal infrastructure, will enhance our operational efficiency, thereby enabling us to match customer expectations.”

V-Logis opens its state-of-the-art warehouse facility at Bhiwandi. Strategically located on the Mumbai Nashik highway and near the newly opened Nagpur Mumbai Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg, this facility provides the best-in-class storage solution to clients nationwide. Covering a vast area of 1,25,000 square feet with an impressive clear height of 45 feet, this warehouse is specifically designed to cater to the evolving needs of modern logistics and distribution. The location holds immense significance as it lies along the 701-km Nagpur Mumbai Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg, passing through Vadape in Bhiwandi. Additionally, the proposed Virar Alibaug Multimodal Corridor and Vadodara Mumbai Highway will soon offer a robust road network, further enhancing the connectivity of the region to various parts of the country. Key features of this facility include a pre-engineered building (PEB) shed structure, ensuring durability and flexibility, and FM-2 flooring with a load capacity of 8MT per sq meter. The warehouses are compliant with international standards, providing Grade A facilities that guarantee top-notch quality and reliability. Ensuring superior safety measures, the warehouse has received MMRDA approval and Fire NOC. This is equipped with essential safety features, including Water Hydrant, K-series sprinklers, and a 4 lakh-liter water tank.