Bikar Aerospace GmbH is set to build an advanced Aerospace Service Centre (ASC) to boost storage and customized processing of semi-finished products made of aluminum, titanium, super alloys and other aerospace metals. The center will be build in collaboration with Belagavi Aerospace Cluster (BAC), operated by Aequs Infrastructure. To further expand Bikar’s market presence and strengthen its position as a premier international supplier of aerospace materials, the company has opted for a strategic presence at Aequs SEZ in Belagavi, North Karnataka. In future, Bikar will provide storage and customized processing of semi-finished products made of aluminum, titanium, super alloys and other aerospace metals.

WestJet Cargo and Wiremind have embarked on a new initiative centred on improving capacity forecasting. With WestJet Cargo’s recent renewal of its SKYPALLET contract with Wiremind, the decision to take the digital collaboration further and explore capacity forecasting improvements was made. A Proof of Concept (PoC) was initiated in April 2023 and will run for the next few months with a final enhancement expected in the second half of this year. An Artificial Intelligence-driven capacity forecasting mechanism is already part of Wiremind’s optimization solution, CARGOSTACK Optimiser. Through a combination of advanced Machine Learning models and algorithms, Wiremind’s solution provides a more accurate estimate of the remaining cargo capacity for sale, after factoring in non-cargo items such as passenger baggage, fuel and other capacity consuming items. It can provide this capacity estimate in payload, volume and positional terms depending on the profile of the flight or the aircraft type operated.

FM Logistic inaugurated its first Control Tower (CT) facility to enhance its 4PL and LLP offering. The aim is to optimise company’s supply chain operations and reduce logistics cost and dwell time. The facility is launched to enhance trace and trace visibility, end-to-end transparency and efficiency. The occasion was graced by Jean-Christophe Machet, CEO of FM Logistic, Stéphane Descarpentries, Managing Director, Asia and Strategic Projects, Alexandre Amine Soufiani, Managing Director, FM Logistic Singapore and Ajit Jangle, Managing Director, FM Logistic India. Jean-Christophe Machet said, “At FM Logistic, we are always willing to adapt to the current market demands. The COVID-19 pandemic has confirmed that it is critical for supply chains to cater to the ever-changing needs of the business. Our new control tower solution in India reaffirms our commitment to helping our customers meet their growing business needs efficiently, by offering mutualised solutions enabling more sustainable and economical supply chains” FM Logistic India’s newly appointed Managing Director, Ajit Jangle, added, “It gives me immense pleasure to inaugurate our new Control Tower facility. We continue to strengthen our leading position in India through this sophisticated digital solution. This new offering provides consolidation, optimisation and efficiency – all the prerequisites for a robust supply chain. In today’s volatile business environment, it is imperative to build and maintain robust and resilient supply chains. Through this new service, we are certain that we ensure the future readiness of our customers’ supply chains and in turn, delight them. By means of this technology-driven solution, we will efficiently enable our customers to expand their business horizons.”

LogiNext introduced Fleet Tracking to offer real-time alerts for any anomalies or deviations and share visibility on transport fleet performance through multiple indicators tracked in real-time. Through such features, LogiNext aims to minimize risks involved in the logistics industry, while helping enterprises to optimize their delivery operations. LogiNext Fleet Tracking is built with data mapping and data analytics services, bridging the gap between technology and trucking. This makes it possible to track end-to-end long-haul movement via a single platform. Enterprises can now track vehicle data tracking points like GPS location, fuel consumption, updates on truck movement, the temperature of holds and much more. LogiNext offers a set of proactive alerts that promises enhanced visibility and proactive risk mitigation for long-haul fleet operations via one control panel.

Gati Ltd., an Allcargo Group company has added 1000 Pin codes to its direct delivery coverage network, increasing its direct coverage by 25 percent. With Gati’s unmatched transportation, warehousing and service delivery capabilities, businesses now can scale up their operations effectively and sustainably across the country. Leveraging Gati’s direct connectivity to the Pin codes, businesses can bolster their supply efficiency with faster, safer, and cost-effective movements. With the expansion of direct delivery to 5140 PIN codes, customers can now benefit from better transit time, reliability and can scale their businesses to a much wider network. Commenting on the development, Pirojshaw Sarkari, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Gati Ltd. said, “With 1000 more direct delivery Pin codes, we have further enhanced the reach of our direct delivery network across the country. This shall be a continuous endeavour at Gati to give fast and direct access to its customers. By building a robust network, we are not only driving efficiencies for large enterprises but also strengthening small and medium-sized businesses, thus contributing to economic growth.”

IG International announced the successful import of the first trial shipment of Australian avocados to the port of discharge in Mumbai. This landmark achievement, comprising 176 cartons of premium avocados, marks a significant step in IG International’s commitment to bringing the finest-quality fresh fruits to the Indian market. Shubha Rawal, Director, Sourcing and Marketing, IG International, stated, “We are thrilled to have successfully imported the first trial shipment of Australian avocados. This collaboration with Avolution reinforces our commitment to offering the finest produce to our valued customers. We believe that the introduction of Australian avocados will greatly enhance the culinary experiences of Indian consumers and contribute to the growth of the fresh produce industry in India.”

The absence of an open skies policy or imposing GST on export freight can slow air cargo industry growth, says Chandra Kant Govil, Vice President, ACAAI and Managing Director at Activair Airfreight. “Apart from this, the industry faces many challenges with transshipment cargo. It was easier and quicker earlier, but it takes many days now due to various reasons. It is difficult for the Indian cargo industry to compete with the airports in Hong Kong, Singapore, and the Middle East or strive to achieve the 2030 target under these circumstances. Even perishable goods from tier-two cities face challenges and delays connecting to international flights.”

An integrated domestic air cargo terminal building and the centre for perishable cargo was officially inaugurated at Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport in Indore. The new terminal was developed at the cost Rs 13 cr. With the inauguration of both the facilities, now the city airport has enhanced its capacity to handle 73,000 MT annually. The area of new domestic cargo terminal is approx. 1700 square metre and the perishable cargo terminal is approx 300 square metre. With this total area of 2000 square metre for both the new terminals, it is projected that the city airport would be handling approx 25,253 MT of cargo in FY 2029-30, says reports. Looking at the increasing demand for cargo in the city, the foundation stone of the new cargo terminal was laid down at the city airport on April 2022. Indigo, Air India and Vistara airlines are carrying out movement of cargo from the city airport. At present, 40 tonnes of goods are transported daily from the city airport. Staffs of about 100 people are put on the duty in the new cargo terminal.

In its India Warehousing Market Report-2023, Knight Frank India stated that Vijayawada recorded warehousing transaction volume of 1 million square feet in financial year 2023-24 with a year-on-year growth of 22%. The city saw a significant growth from prominent Third Party Logistics (3PL) firms like Delhivery and ProConnect as well as traction from major e-commerce players like Ajio and Flipkart. Knight Frank said Vijayawada was home to several businesses such as oil and chemicals, packaged food, automotive, and spare parts, and that e-Commerce made the largest contribution accounting for 62% of the total demand. At 22% of the market, the 3PL industry had the second highest share followed by the manufacturing sector’s 10%. The rents for Vijayawada warehousing facilities range between ₹194 and ₹258 per square metre per month (₹18-24/sq ft/month) in prominent locations. Rents of Grade-A warehousing facilities such as those taken up by Flipkart and Reliance range from ₹226 to ₹258/sq m/month (₹21-24/sq ft/month) while rents for Grade-B warehouses stood in the range of ₹194 to ₹226/sq m/month (₹18-21/sq ft/month). Due to potential rise in demand from online vendors, and 3PL providers in Vijayawada market, the need for warehouse facilities is expected to rise further in near future, the report said.

As air cargo continues to outpace global growth, Boeing is expecting deliveries of 925 freighters between 2023-2042. North America will see the highest deliveries (420) during the period followed by China (190) and Eurasia (150), according to Boeing’s 2023 Commercial Market Outlook released. The freighter fleet is seen increasing from 2,270 in 2022 to 3,745 by 2042. Cargo traffic (RTKs) is likely to be 630 billion in 2042, up from 260 billion in 2022 (+3.5 percent annually). With a resurgence in international traffic and domestic air travel back to pre-pandemic levels, Boeing projected global demand for 42,595 new commercial jets by 2042 valued at $8 trillion. “The aviation industry has demonstrated resilience and adaptability after unprecedented disruption, with airlines responding to challenges, simplifying their fleets, improving efficiency and capitalising on resurgent demand,” says Brad McMullen, Senior Vice President of Commercial Sales and Marketing, Boeing. “Looking to the future of air travel, our 2023 CMO reflects further evolution of passenger traffic tied to global growth of the middle class, investments in sustainability, continued growth for low-cost carriers, and air cargo demand to serve evolving supply chains and express cargo delivery.”