Air Cargo veteran, Ashwin Bhat, who has been associated with Lufthansa Cargo since long, as the carrier’s CCO, has now taken over as the CEO of Lufthansa Cargo, effective from 15 April, following Dorothea von Boxberg’s departure for Brussels Airlines. Bhat has been steadily working his way through the Lufthansa Group’s cargo division, joining Swiss World Cargo under former boss Oliver Evans, before taking over in Zurich in 2015 and joining the executive board of Lufthansa Cargo as CCO in 2021.

To achieve US$2 trillion exports by 2030, the Union government launched Foreign Trade Policy 2023, effective April 1. Unveiling the new policy, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said the highly dynamic nature of global markets requires quick policy response. “The policy will continue to adopt consultative approach to resolve issues of trade and industry with wider participation of states and districts in promoting exports from the grassroots.” It will promote trade settlements in Indian Rupee and adhere to the global principle that duties should not be exported. The current FTP 2015-20, which expired on 31 March 2023 after having been extended many times on the industry’s demands. The new trade policy would take forward the government’s ongoing efforts to boost exports, Goyal said.

To boost exports amid slowing global trade, Foreign Trade Policy has been announced by the government. Nisschal Jaain, Founder and CEO, Shypmax, expresses his opinion on the same, “Amid the interim slowdown in the otherwise booming global trade especially with regards to the Indian Exim landscape, the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2023 provides the right impetus to EXIM, e-commerce, as well as logistics stakeholders to boost exports. The new policy entails the roadmap to take India’s goods and services exports to $2 trillion by 2030. The move to focus on emerging areas like e-commerce and export hubs while promoting ease of doing business through collaboration with exporters, states, districts, and Indian Missions, is commendable. The decision to increase the value limit for exports through courier services from INR 5 lakh to INR 10 lakh per consignment, provides the much needed boost to the logistics sector. With this, the e-commerce exports are expected to grow to USD 200-300 billion by 2030.” He adds, “By minimising the export license fees from around 100,000 to 5,000, MSMEs have been given their due share of relief. This will also expand the horizons of the export market in India and make India’s a far more competitive ecosystem. Another factor which strengthens India’s footing in the global market is the internationalization of rupee which comes off as very beneficial for exporters. Their dependency on dollar pricing will start to decline. Additionally, 4 new towns of excellence along with 39 existing towns will focus on exports of handicrafts, handlooms supporting the small-scale artisans. All in all, when these orders come into effect, logistics stakeholders including logistics players will witness a competitive environment in terms of export orders, …

Incheon International Airport expects to benefit from a large-scale global distribution centre (GDC) for e-commerce that is due to be built in the Incheon Airport Free Economic Zone in August. When the GDC is completed, it is expected to generate approximately 8,000 tons of cargo and about 240 new jobs. The airport is also focusing on investing in cargo terminals to support cargo airlines, and building up pharma and cold chain business. The project will cost approximately $28m. Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC) said that the Incheon Free Economic Zone, which includes the Incheon Airport Logistics Complex and cargo terminal areas, provides customers with a more competitive environment through convenient customs procedures, tariff benefits, and various incentives. In April 2005, 2,093,000 sq m were designated as a free trade zone, followed by the expansion of the first airport logistics complex by 922,000 sq m in December 2007, and the designation of a new second airport logistics complex of 326,000 sq m in April 2020. There are 40 logistics companies and two manufacturing companies in the airport logistics complex, and those tenants are guaranteed free manufacturing, logistics, and trade activities, as well as receiving low rent and tariff deferral benefits.

AviaAM Leasing has delivered another 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighter (BCF) to Icelandic ACMI leasing and cargo airline Bluebird Nordic, for global operations. This is the fourth aircraft in the Passenger-to-Freighter (P2F) conversion programme for sister company and lessee Bluebird, and was originally due to be delivered in January. AviaAM said in a LinkedIn post: “AviaAM Leasing is pleased to have completed the delivery of a 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighter to Bluebird Nordic. This is the fourth aircraft in the Passenger-to-Freighter conversion program.” The B737-800, bearing serial number 29790, underwent the P2F conversion works provided by Boeing at Taikoo (Shandong) Aircraft Engineering Company Limited (STAECO) facility in Jinan (TNA), China. Bluebird Nordic and AviaAM Leasing are a part of Avia Solutions Group and are working together to enable Bluebird to achieve its fleet expansion goals.

Continental Carriers is all set to launch India’s FIRST RA3 accredited Greenfield Air Freight Station, an off-airport common user facility offering services for processing and storage of export goods, among other things. Thanks to the cooperation and assistance of the authorities viz., MoCA, CBIC, BCAS, DIAL etc, the late Shri T.N Vohra’s vision became a reality.

Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) has secured an Airbus contract to manufacture cargo and bulk cargo doors of the A320neo aircraft family, says release. TASL will produce these doors at a new facility in Hyderabad using cutting-edge robotics and automation technology and each shipset will include two cargo doors and one bulk cargo door, adds release. Airbus Senior Vice president (Aerostructure Procurement) Olivier Cauquil and TASL Vice president (Aerostructure and Aero-Engines) Masood Hussainy signed the contract. Airbus presently procures components and services worth US $735 million annually from more than 100 Indian suppliers. Every Airbus commercial aircraft and Airbus helicopter has critical technologies and systems designed, manufactured and maintained in India. Airbus India and South Asia president and Managing Director Remi Maillard said, “When it comes to supporting the development of India’s industrial capacities, Airbus is walking the talk. The latest contract underlines our continued commitment to ‘Make-in-India’ for an AatmaNirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India).” “In TASL, we have a most trusted and able partner that will support the ramp-up of our A320neo family aircraft that has been the poster child of democratisation and transformation of India’s aviation sector. We will continue to grow our industrial footprint and the aviation and aerospace ecosystem at a fast pace in India,” Maillard said.

Mahindra Logistics Ltd. (MLL), an integrated logistics solutions provider, and Ascendas-Firstspace, an industrial real estate developer, announced the setting up of a one million sq ft multi-client warehouse park in Talegaon, near Pune, in Maharashtra. The development will be spread over three phases, with the first phase of 0.5 million sq ft operational by the end of 2023-24, the company said in a statement on March 27. This is the second project in the Ascendas-Firstspace Pune Talegaon-II Logistics Park, spread over 40 acres, in the Ascendas-Firstspace micro-market. Talegaon-II is part of the Chakan Talegaon Industrial Corridor (CTIC), one of the most important manufacturing clusters in India. The area has been a traditional manufacturing base for large auto, engineering, and electronics companies. The CTIC corridor is currently witnessing significant growth on account of the success of the Make in India programme, said the company in a statement. This is an important part of MLL’s pan-India network of multi-user facilities in strategic industrial clusters. In addition to A-grade warehouses totalling one million square feet, the facility will also host MLL’s first Automation Technology Centre that focuses on the development and deployment of automation technologies using artificial intelligence, Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, augmented reality & virtual reality (ARVR), automated guided vehicles (AGV), and block chain, the company said.

Transpacific airfreight rates picked up in March, although there were further declines from Hong Kong to Europe and across the Atlantic. The latest statistics from the Baltic Exchange Airfreight Index (BAI) show that prices from Hong Kong to North America in March increased by 9% compared with February to $5.38 per kg. Prices from China to the US were also up, increasing by 7.8% in March compared with February. “Sources cited an ‘end-of-quarter rush’ particularly in e-commerce and garments ahead of Easter – though [they are] also expecting prices to soften again,” stated data provider TAC Index in its weekly market round-up. Forwarder Flexport, meanwhile, reported that airlines have begun retiring freighters and some charters have been canceled, leading to capacity being nearly on par with pre-Covid numbers. And data firm WorldACD last week reported that its figures show a clear stabilisation in both worldwide tonnages as well as the global average rate, compared with the previous week, following several weeks of relative stability. However, while March saw improvements in prices to North America, there were further declines on services to Europe. The BAI Index for Hong Kong to Europe showed a decline of 5.7% in March compared with February to $4.15 per kg. Meanwhile, rates from China to Europe declined by 2.2% month on month in March to $3.96 per kg. Over the last few years, rates from Asia to both Europe and North America have tended to be fairly consistent between the two months – sometimes registering a slight increase and sometimes a slight decrease as prices stabilise during the quieter spring/early summer period.

Dachser will offer a Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) booking option to customers as part of its emission reduction efforts. The German company said that shipments transported using SAF generate 30% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than those transported with traditional fuels. Customers will be able to select SAF on all flights offered by the forwarder, which secured a large contingent of SAF ahead of the launch of the new offering, says release. The company said that the SAF option would be within an affordable range. “The current price per liter for SAF is several times that of conventional kerosene and is likely to remain so for years to come due to the limited supply,” Dachser explained. To prove that the fuel was purchased and that the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions can be offset in the climate balance, every customer can request an emissions report and, in the following year, a certificate stating the emissions saved, the number of liters of SAF used, the year of consumption and the exact SAF raw material basis.