Air India is gearing up to play a key role in boosting the freight and cargo ecosystem in India and globally. The belly capacity of the Air India fleet will grow significantly over the next few years, with the addition of new wide-body aircraft to its fleet this year and with most aircraft on firm order set to arrive from 2025, complementing India’s manufacturing and export growth. This will have a cascading effect in generating greater employment prospects and boosting various business sectors, while supporting the economy. The firm orders comprising wide-body aircraft of 34 A350-1000, six A350-900, 20 Boeing 787 Dreamliner, and 10 Boeing 777X wide-body aircraft will increase Air India’s annual cargo capacity by a staggering 300% to 2 million tonnes over the next five years with non-stop connection to key export markets globally. Air India CEO and MD, Campbell Wilson, said, “At Air India, we see a huge potential in the air cargo industry, which the Indian Government plans to grow to 10 million tonnes by 2030. Our cargo division is implementing a series of strategic measures aimed at fostering growth and strengthening our market presence. The large passenger belly capacity addition will be augmented with the launch of value-added products and services across the network.” The following significant all-round initiatives across various spectrum of the operational and logistics matrix that will see Air India play a significant role in the air cargo arena.

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is moving forward with a plan to develop cargo facilities that will help it improve ground handling capacity and efficiency. Airport authority, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) has selected a development team led by LAX Community Partners, LLC (LACP), and an environmental, technical and expert consultant team led by Ricondo & Associates, Inc. to deliver the work. “In addition to being the busiest passenger origination and destination airport, LAX also is a key transportation centre for global cargo and a critical hub for domestic and international commerce,” said Justin Erbacci, LAWA chief executive. “This project will provide more technically advanced and efficient cargo facilities and capabilities that will allow LAX to better power the economic vitality for the City of Los Angeles and greater Southern California region.”

Rajiv Bansal, Secretary, MoCA while addressing the gathering at PHDCCI Global Aviation and Air Cargo Summit 9th edition said, “India at this point of time cannot afford to have widebody 777 freighter aircraft. Firstly, it is a costly business, each freighter cost over 2000 crores, secondly, India doesn’t have that much capacity or volumes to use widebody freighters to move cargo from one destination to another. During COVID, Indian airlines operated freighters or P2Fs which is fantastic, IndiGo has its own freighter, SpiceJet operated a few during pandemic. Vistara did well too. Otherwise in India, only narrow body freighters can be used effectively. India needs to have great financial muscle to pull this off the ground.” He added, ” Also, a lot of developments are happening in terms of developing dedicated freight corridors, trucking speed as gone up like from Delhi to Bombay, Delhi to Lucknow, Delhi to Kolkata, therefore turnaround time has reduced. Also, I am looking forward to having more electric aircraft. Blending of SAF will power Indian aircraft.”

Under PM’s Gati Shakti initiative, a lot of stress has been laid on improving airports, ports, rail and road infrastructure and multimodal connectivity via rail, road, air and sea which will ultimately reduce dwell time and logistics cost, shares Sumita Dawra, Special Secretary Logistics, DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce. We have improved our position in the Logistics Performance Index, for LPI, EXIM Trade becomes extremely crucial. There’s need to integrate more technology, to track and trace air cargo, to create visibility and boost efficiency. India is poised to have an export target of USD 2 trillion by 2030, USD 1 trillan in merchandise exports alone. By 2030, if you look at logistics EXIM traffic, we will be handling USD 2 and half trillion of exports and imports for which we need more infrastructure, collaboration, connectivity, competition, technologies and expertise in handling more EXIM business. We are at the crossroads of unprecedented growth and we aim to be in the list of top 25 nations by 2030.”

Indian freight forwarders should be granted the ‘Industry Status’ to acknowledge their work and facilitate the ease of doing business, said Vipin Vohra, Chairman, Continental Carriers and Chair PHDCCI Civil Aviation Committee, at the 9th edition of PHDCCI Global Aviation and Air Cargo Summit in New Delhi. He added, “The Indian air cargo industry is witnessing great developments but the industry needs more Air Freight Stations to meet the ever increasing demand, Industry also needs more freighter aircraft to carry the load especially from the tier2 and tier3 locations, having more freighters will bring down cost as well.” Vohra suggested the government should also come up with a warehousing and logistics policy to establish warehouses closer to the airports. Lastly Vohra also emphasized on Free Trade Agreements under which Indian agents should get the 100 per cent equity and permit to work abroad like foreign agents do in India.

Remarkable infra developments happening under Gati Shakti, and NLP. New airports and cargo complexes coming up. Domestic air cargo trade is picking up. India has immese potential to become cargo hub, said Piyush Srivastava IES, Senior Economic Advisor, MoCA. He added, “Despite the ongoing developments, the challenges faced by the cargo industry are many, but It is heartening to witness the industry’s determination to adapt and innovate continually. Embracing cutting-edge technologies, implementing sustainable practices, and fostering collaboration are essential components of this transformation journey. I commend the recipients of the India Cargo Awards for their outstanding achievements and commitment to excellence. Your remarkable accomplishments inspire others to strive for greatness and fuel the spirit of healthy competition, which, in turn, drives progress and advancement within the industry.”

By implementing the Rupee currency in UAE trade, we aim to open vast trade opportunities while addressing the 5-6% costs incurred otherwise in currency conversion, impacting MSMEs significantly, said Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs & Food & Public Distribution and Textiles, Government of India.He added, India’s vibrant democracy has all the right ingredients for any country to capitalise off the global efforts to do trade with trusted partners and to further expand the synergies between industry and the government, at the event by CareEdge Ratings. Congratulating CareEdge for its 30 years of successful operations, the Union Minister said at the event, “We are thrilled to embark on an extraordinary journey of growth, fuelled by collaboration and international partnerships. Our recent trade agreements with Australia, and UAE and ongoing discussions on FTA with UK, EU, and Canada signify our commitment to empowering businesses, facilitating technology transfers, and fostering deeper geopolitical alliances.” Under the theme of ‘Collaboration for Growth’ the celebration focused on India’s trade partnerships over the last few years and the overall contribution of the trade sector to India’s growth. In the last two decades, the Indian Economy has grown at an average of nearly 6.4%. During this period exports (goods & services) contributed significantly, almost doubling its share to GDP from 13.7% in FY04 to 23.5% in FY23.

KSH Distriparks launches Pune’s first Domestic Container Storage Facility – the first-of-its-kind facility for ICD customers in the city. KSH Distriparks is Pune’s leading logistics service provider for best-in-class container logistics solutions for a seamless transportation network, buffer yard solutions, ocean imports, bonded warehouse facilities, and DPD transportation services. The new cargo storage facility is built at their SOC 40`HQ in Pune and has introduced a unique value-added service – Container Leasing Solution. This leasing solution will allow customers to store cargo on demand and eliminate the necessity to block warehouses on annual rates. The container leasing solution allows booking space for short and medium-term requirements, minimizing multiple handling of goods and ensuring the safety and security of the stored items. KSH Distriparks’ domestic container storage facility is a cost-effective alternative for businesses dealing with bulk cargo. It provides optimal space utilization and secure cargo transportation up to the point of customs clearance. Exporters and manufacturers can profit exponentially from this service, especially during month-end inventory spikes. One of the primary benefits of keeping cargo in these SOC (Shipper Owned Container) is a decrease in import cargo detention charges. Moving cargo from shipping lines containers to domestic boxes reduces the need for businesses to pay high detention costs, resulting in cost savings. The flexibility of domestic containers enables seamless movement and storage in any location, catering to customers’ specific requirements.

FedEx Express announced the enhancement of its International Priority® (IP) service in an effort to improve the efficiency of goods circulation and enable customers to seize global opportunities. FedEx has improved the transit time of FedEx International Priority® (IP) for exporters in India. With this enhancement, shipments can now be delivered to major markets and territories around the world within two to three business days. This represents at least a one-day improvement compared to previous transit times for major markets. By providing a day-definite delivery service that combines speed and reliability, FedEx offers customers the ability to ship urgent and critical shipments. Additionally, this enhancement includes FedEx door-to-door and customs-cleared services. • Shipments from India to the U.S. can now be delivered within two to three business days*. • Shipments to major markets in Europe can be delivered within two business days*. • Shipments to major markets in Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (AMEA) can be delivered within two to four business days*. “As the backbone of the Indian economy, small and medium enterprises deserve all the assistance we can offer. FedEx has been continually strengthening its operational capabilities and innovating its products and services to help SMEs navigate the complex supply chain landscape. This latest service improvement reaffirms the FedEx commitment to provide SMEs and local businesses with faster and more reliable access to global markets, fueling their growth and success,” said, Suvendu Choudhury, vice president India Operations.

Industry veteran Pukhraj Singh Chug, Chairman, Group Concorde was felicitated with Gold Award under the category, ‘Gallery of Legends’, at the recently held India Cargo Awards 2023, the country’s topmost awards which helps create a platform to recognise and honor heroes of logistics and air cargo industry. Chief Guest Piyush Srivastava, IES, Senior Economic Advisor, Union Ministry of Civil Aviation presented the award. Pukhraj Singh Chug is a Visionary and a True Leader and Veteran in the field of Aviation and Logistics thanks to his vast Experience and Expertise spanning nearly 40 years by spearheading his Freight focused Organization Group Concorde since its very inception in the Year 1985. As a First Generation Entrepreneur, it was his Concrete Vision which led to the Growth of this Successful Organization. Starting with Humble Beginnings he Founded Concorde Cargo, a Freight Forwarding Company as his First Business Endeavour. The Credit of Successfully Introducing and Establishing an Expert Airline Representation Business with GSSA being its Core goes to him. He has led Group Concorde from a Forwarding Industry Expert to a GSSA Specialist Organisation. He is also credited with Co-Founding Cargoflash, the Technology Vertical of the Organisation which caters to Solutions for the Air Cargo Industry.