Jeena & Company has expanded business operations in Australia, and have further plans to grow business in New Zealand and US. The company has also invested in warehouse space at Bhiwandi. Ayesha Katgara, Head – Corporate Strategy, Jeena & Company shared, “We hope to contribute to the larger goal of the interim Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) signed between India and Australia and make a significant difference to the Indo-Australian trade. Furthermore, we have invested in a state-of-the-art warehouse space at Bhiwandi which has a built- up area of 1.10 lakhs sq. ft. As far as future expansion plans are concerned, pharma logistics is one of our primary focus areas. We also have plans to increase our warehousing footprint across India and make ourselves accessible to our customers. We are planning to amplify our presence in Australia and then venture into New Zealand and the US in days to come.” She added, “In an endeavour to make our systems and processes more efficient and streamlined, Jeena & Company has adopted the best-in-class technology and has cut down on the usage of paper within the organization. We have channelized our customers and people towards adopting digital options by leveraging which, we are aiming to make our business more sustainable.”

Passenger airline Oman Air has announced plans to invest in its first freighter. The Muscat International Airport-based carrier said in a press release that it would introduce its “first freighter by the end of 2023”, though it did not specify what type of aircraft it would invest in or whether the cargo plane would be brought or leased. Oman Air chief executive Abdulaziz Al Raisi said the airline will also launch new cargo destinations this year. Speaking at the airline’s annual cargo workshop, he said: “In 2023, we are keeping up the momentum. In the coming months, we look forward to introducing our first ever freighter and we will also be launching several new markets. This will offer exciting new opportunities for our guests and cargo alike, while continuing to unlock Oman’s potential as a global logistics hub in line with Oman’s 2040 Vision.” Last year, the cargo business of Oman Air increased cargo volumes by 36% and revenue by 44% compared to 2021. Additionally in 2022, Oman Air Cargo added several new destinations and introduced its ‘Cargo-in-Cabin’ service to Europe, the Far East and Indian Subcontinent. It also modified its A330-300 passenger aircraft by removing the seats, allowing it to raise capacity to 40 tonnes per aircraft.

Middle-mile drone firm Dronamics has raised $40m in funding that will in part go towards adding a presence in the Middle East. The pre-Series A funding came from venture capital funds and angel investors from 12 countries, including Founders Factory, Speedinvest, Eleven Capital, and most recently the Strategic Development Fund (SDF), the investment arm of the Tawazun Council, Abu Dhabi, UAE. Dronamics said the SDF venture capital division’s investment is a step towards the creation of a UAE-based joint venture that will expand Dronamics capacity and support the future establishment of operations in the UAE as one of the main hubs for the Middle East and North Africa region. SDF shall, through the establishment of a manufacturing and operations JV, become a main partner in the UAE. Svilen Rangelov, co-Founder and chief executive at Dronamics, said: “The investment from SDF, Founders Factory, Speedinvest, and Eleven Capital is a strong validation of our goal to bring our cargo drone solution to more people and businesses around the world. “Their confidence in Dronamics confirms the strength of our business model and we are excited to continue growing and achieving success with the support of our investment partners.”

Virgin Atlantic Cargo has rolled out software firm Accelya’s FLX Cargo Platform ahead of a push towards online booking services. FLX will power the airline’s enterprise-wide cargo management platform, Voyager, as it looks to offer a “multi-distribution strategy, which includes its own website, third-party marketplaces, and direct forwarder integration”. “Accelya’s FLX Cargo solution digitizes every aspect of the cargo booking process – from offer to settlement – providing the carrier with greater commercial and operational control, including command over its distribution channels,” the carrier said in a statement. Phil Wardlaw, Managing Director at Virgin Atlantic Cargo, said: “The capability that the new system delivers means we also have further exciting developments to come, including the introduction of our own online booking capability.” He added, “It gives us so many more options, it allows us to move into the world of dynamic pricing, it allows us to offer a truly online platform,” says Wardlaw. It will also allow us to place capacity on digital marketplaces and that is something we were very keen to move into as well.”

In the collective wage dispute between the German trade union Verdi and the employers of the public sector, strikes were held at seven German commercial airports, bringing air traffic at these locations almost to a complete standstill. Not only several hundred thousand national and international passengers, but also the global transport of freight and goods—including parts of humanitarian aid logistics—are directly affected by these strikes. Michael Hoppe, Chairman and Executive Director of BARIG—the airline association of national and international airlines in Germany—explains accordingly: “These warning strikes at seven German commercial airports are having a significant impact on the movement of cargo and goods, not only in Germany but worldwide. At Frankfurt Airport, which is by far one of the most important air freight locations in Europe and worldwide, hardly any goods can currently be handled. In order to maintain supply chains, considerable volumes of freight must alternatively be transported by trucks to airports abroad such as Brussels or Liège, where they are finally loaded onto aircraft. The situation is particularly challenging in terms of sensitive products and goods for which, for example, fast, temperature-controlled transport is essential. Furthermore, the strikes are also having a significant impact on the logistics of humanitarian aid deliveries, as in the immediate case with aid transports to Turkey and Syria. Here, we have logistics chains that are especially complex and highly sensitive. Despite special permissions for transport and alternative airports, there is hardly any chance that disruptions, which are inevitably caused by such strikes, can be completely mitigated. Therefore, we urgently demand to consider the measures taken in the current wage dispute with sound judgement and to take into account the effects on the interaction …

CargoAi, airfreight’s fastest-growing digital enabler, is proud to announce the launch of CargoWALLET, a modern payment solution for air cargo with supply chain financing capabilities, allowing freight forwarders to make payments for their air cargo shipments directly within the CargoMART booking flow. CargoWALLET’s key USPs for freight forwarders are summed up as follows: 1. Streamlined Booking & Payment: Search and book shipments instantly – no IATA Cass Number, AWB stock, or bank guarantees required. 2. Flexible Finance: Manage cash flow effectively with extended payment terms (PayLater). 3. Global Reach: Book air cargo from anywhere in the world, with local payment in more than 30+ currencies. Started as a project 2 years ago and accelerated with the CargoTech partnership, this groundbreaking payment solution is revolutionizing the way the air cargo is booked and is now finally released to all freight forwarders, following months of successful testing. CargoWALLET enables shipments to be booked and paid for without an IATA Cass Number, without an AWB stock, AND without any bank guarantee, specifically tailored to empower small to medium-sized freight forwarders. CargoWALLET also addresses the needs of medium to large freight forwarders who have an IATA Cass number, but may not have AWB stock with all the carriers due to expensive bank guarantees, or certain airlines still requiring such forwarders to produce bank guarantees. All of these scenarios require additional steps for freight forwarders to fulfil their daily business demands, adding up to more costs and time required. “We are excited about the exponential capabilities CargoWALLET brings to the industry. Not only does air cargo booking become more seamless, but the entire procurement from search, quote, booking, and now payment can be done within …

Saudia Cargo has extended its partnership with Worldwide Flight Service (WFS) via a multi-station contract that will see the ground handler manage 160,000 tonnes of cargo annually for the carrier at major airports across Europe and the US. The contract builds on the multi-station contract the companies signed in 2019 and covers services at airports including Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Paris, London, Manchester, Brussels, New York, and Washington. WFS will also provide ramp handling services for air cargo shipments onboard over 5,000 passenger and freighter flights per year. The work outlined in the contract began on February 1. Saudia Cargo chief executive Teddy Zebitz said: “WFS is a global leader in providing cargo handling services and by awarding this contract to them, we are certain that our operations in pivotal stations on the European and American continent that are part of WFS’ network, will considerably benefit from their highly reliable expertise.”

While addressing the ongoing CII Logistics Summit 2023 at Pragati Maidan, Sumita Dawra, Special Secretary Logistics, DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India said, “We have our vision 2047 for the country wherein we are expecting to become a $30 trillion economy. Our present plans are supported by our continuous reform to become the manufacturing hub. As we characterize the service sector, all of this gets facilitated and enabled to greater logistics efficiency and a lower logistic cost. As we attract more investments under PLI scheme, logistics cost becomes such an important determinant of attracting investment, while the whole industry has been working on improving the logistics efficiency by improving the overall logistics infrastructure. Both private players and service providers need to invest in infrastructure to ensure seamless movement of cargo.” She added, “We need to address the first mile and last mile connectivity issues as well. So, building multimodal infrastructure to ensure logistics efficiency is important.”

Menzies Aviation, the ground handling agent has eliminated wait times, maximized capacity and is using its resources better with Nallian’s Truck Visit Management Solution, which was up and running in 8 weeks, consists of a digital front desk and slot booking system. It ensures a smooth flow of freight pick ups and drop offs at the GHA’s warehouses. Petr Cizek, General Manager, explains: “We used to have no visibility on who would be coming when to pick up or drop off goods. Trucks would show up unannounced, which created waiting times. Today, trucking companies and freight forwarders book a slot according to our availability. This eliminates wait times and it enables us to offer a better and faster service at the dock door, since we can plan staff and prepare freight for the scheduled pick ups and drop offs. As a result, we are delivering a better service to our customers. It is my most important indicator for success: our customers no longer complain.”

Enhancing its reputation as the most preferred airport of choice for perishables, BLR Airport cargo witnessed a near two-fold increase in rose shipments in the run-up to Valentine’s Day this year. The season of roses at BLR Airport brought cheer once again with a 14% increase in rose shipments processed compared to last year. Valentine’s week kept BLR Cargo busy as 17.4 Million rose stems (589,296 kg) were processed. Top international destinations to receive these Indian roses were Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Kuwait, Manila, Auckland, New York, Lebanon, Maldives, Jordan and Dubai. BLR Cargo sent roses to a total of 15 global destinations. On the domestic front 6.6 million rose stems (178,200 kg) were processed which is a 31% increase compared to last year. Top Indian cities to receive the Valentine’s week consignment were Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Guwahati, Bagdogra, Ahmedabad, Kochi, Darbhanga, Chandigarh and Patna which are among 34 domestic destinations.