Category Archives: Aviation

xpress has signed a non-binding MoU with Aramex India, to collaborate across multiple avenues, with the aim to offer reliable and service responsive international solutions to India-based B2B & B2C customers. Under this partnership, synergy benefits are set to accrue due to this global collaboration between the two parties, by focusing on joint product development, customised business solutions for specific regions and customer segments, leveraging physical infrastructure and Line-hauls, sharing transportation capacity and best practices. The partnership between DTDC Express and Aramex India will also explore business and operating synergies across several areas including Sales, Marketing, Technology, Network, Transportation and Customs Clearance. Both the entities believe that it will enable them to utilize each other’s physical operating infrastructure to promote and cross-sell their products, services and solutions. In addition to this, DTDC Express aims to cross-sell Aramex’s flagship product- Shop & Ship through the Company’s network of around 14,000 customer access points across India. Subhasish Chakraborty, Founder, Chairman and Managing Director of DTDC Express Ltd, said, “DTDC Express is delighted to partner with Aramex. Our agreement recognizes the strength of DTDC’s Network and Express Delivery capabilities. India has seen a substantial growth in bilateral trade with several countries including the US, the European Union and the GCC. The United States is our largest trading partner, and it continues to show strong growth. India’s bilateral trade with the EU has increased 43.5% in FY22, and with the GCC it has increased 78% as per Commerce Ministry Data. The India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement is set to further boost bi-lateral trade between the two countries from $60 billion to $100 billion in the next five years. Considering this growth ahead with major …

ANA Cargo has partnered with WebCargo to provide thousands of forwarders across the world with real-time rates, capacity, and eBookings. ANA Cargo will leverage WebCargo’s uniquely global network of 10,000 forwarding offices to complement their in-house booking portal, as an integral part of their omnichannel strategy to deliver access to products and services. With the launch, scheduled for the first quarter of 2023, forwarders will gain access ANA Cargo’s fleet of over 200 aircraft across many of ANA Cargo’s 130+ routes that span five continents. Airlines representing over 50% of global air cargo capacity are available for booking on WebCargo, the largest capacity availability on any platform. Bookings will also be available via WebCargo’s embeddable portal, used by top forwarders by both API and embedded user interface. This delivers reliable booking efficiency for forwarders within their existing software tools. “ANA Cargo continues to improve customer experience with the implementation of digital technology. The expansion of our ebooking network through Webcargo’s platform is a large step that moves us forward to this goal. This is an exciting opportunity to use innovation to make an extraordinary, positive impact for our customers and the industry as a whole,” said Kenichi Wakiya, Executive Vice President of ANA Cargo.

Air cargo traffic is predicted to drop by a further 4% next year, while yields and revenues are also expected to weaken compared with this year’s levels, said IATA. The airline association’s head of policy analysis Andrew Matters, at IATA’s global media day suggested that cargo volumes are expected to fall 4.3% year on year to 57.7m tonnes, following on from an 8.1% fall this year to 60.3m tonnes. “This reflects the challenging global economic backdrop in terms of global economic growth but also in terms of international trade,” Matters said. He added that as a result of load factors returning to pre-Covid levels, yields are expected to decline by around 22% next year, following on from a 7% increase this year, a 24% increase in 2021 and a 50% increase in 2020. Matters said that current yield levels were unsustainable. “It (22%) sounds like a big number and quite dramatic but it isn’t too unreasonable given the very strong increases we have seen in recent years,” he explained. Airline cargo revenues are expected to fall around 25% next year around be $149.4bn, although Matters pointed out this was still around 50% higher than pre-Covid levels. “The exceptional period that we have had looks like it is coming to an end. We started to come back to levels across a number of these variables that we are more accustomed to.”

Teleport has raised new growth capital of $50m to build its freighter fleet and expand logistics operations in Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia, said release. The funds will also be used to further invest in technology that supports its operations across southeast Asia, said Teleport, the logistics venture of Capital A (formerly AirAsia Group Berhad). In September, the company announced it would be increasing its freighter aircraft from one to four, with the addition of three Airbus A321 freighters leased from BBAM. Teleport further said the three A321Fs would be operated by AirAsia and will be delivered in stages starting in the first quarter of 2023. Pete Chareonwongsak, chief executive of Teleport, said, “Our mission from day one is to deliver consistently better than anybody else in Southeast Asia. We believe if we guarantee next-day speed at a cost anyone can afford, everyone will choose to ‘Teleport It’. “Today we are profitable, larger, and growing faster than pre-COVID. We are battle-tested and believe a challenging environment is the perfect opportunity to build the leading cross-border logistics company in Southeast Asia,” he added.

To address the requirements of the global semiconductor supply chains, Kuehne+Nagel Logistics has launched a new offering for air freight shipments. With a robust air freight capacity, security solutions and the new quality standard, ‘SemiconChain’ will enable industry stakeholders to establish reliable and agile supply chains, said an official release. The increasing need for semiconductors and growing pressure on manufacturing require resilient supply chain to support continuous operations, the release added. “An outcome of Kuehne+Nagel’s close collaboration with customers and in-depth air cargo and semicon industry expertise, the new air logistics service supports customers with improved visibility, security, reduced risks and automated processes.” The offering is based on the SemiconChain quality standard that guarantees process standardisation, continuous improvement, and service excellence across the dedicated Semicon network. “SemiconChain is built on a quality foundation tailored explicitly to the Semicon industry and integrates ISO 9001-2015 and IATF 16949, ensuring that shipments are always transported in a standardised, robust manner providing complete tracking visibility. SemiconChain locations are staffed with industry experts that regularly undergo a comprehensive and continuous training programme,” the release added.

With an intent to bridge the gap of unemployment and employ more logistics professionals in India, Awign has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Logistics Sector Skill Council (LSSC), an organization set up by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) through National Skill Development Corporation of India. The collaboration aims to fulfill the demand-supply gap in the logistics sector and create a conducive ecosystem which aids employment for jobseekers, said reports. As part of the MOU, Logistics Sector Skill Council will facilitate sourcing of skilled candidates pan-India through its existing database, by organizing job fairs with the support of District Skill Committees, ASEEM job portal of NSDC and placement portal of Logistics Sector Skill Council. Awign will share the requirement of workforce across locations with Logistics Sector Skill Council and fulfill the gig workforce requirement for the fast-growing logistics sector in India. According to a report by NITI Ayog, India’s gig economy might witness $250 billion in transactions by the end of the next decade, or 1.25 percent of the GDP. In the future, opportunities in the gig economy are most likely to arise in the following four industry sectors: construction, manufacturing, retail, and transportation & logistics.

IAG Cargo is now directly integrated with WiseTech Global’s logistics platform CargoWise to enable freight forwarders to efficiently choose, book, confirm and change shipments, in real time. Direct data connection with IAG Cargo’s operational data allows CargoWise customers direct access to schedules, dynamic rates, capacity and allotment bookings. The integration is designed to allow CargoWise users to easily change digital bookings without leaving the application, supporting IAG Cargo’s Destination Digital strategy. John Cheetham, chief commercial officer at IAG Cargo, said, “Connecting through CargoWise is another exciting partnership strengthening the digital development of IAG Cargo. This partnership is the latest step in our journey to transform the way we do business, making it easier than ever for CargoWise customers to book their freight directly with IAG Cargo.” Jorre Cobelens, vice president – logistics data and connectivity, WiseTech Global, said “We are pleased that IAG Cargo has joined the growing group of leading cargo carriers that integrate with CargoWise, supporting our industry digitalisation and integration strategy. “This direct digital data exchange helps increase data security, data quality and simplifies the eBooking process between parties. CargoWise customers, including ten of the top 25 global freight forwarders who have either completed, or are in progress of, global rollouts of the CargoWise platform, will have access to IAG’s dynamic rates, schedules and services for key routes between Europe, Asia Pacific, and North- and South-America fulfilling an important part of our global network needs.”

Celebi India announced its appointment as the official ground handling partner at Chennai airport. The company will provide complete ground handling support to scheduled and non-scheduled airlines at domestic and international terminals. Its appointment has been accepted by the Airport Director at the Airports Authority of India, Chennai. Murali Ramachandran, CEO of Celebi India, said, “We understand the needs of the airlines and the growing aviation industry in India and are well equipped to meet current and future airline and passenger traffic. We will provide the much awaited quality ground handling services at Chennai airport and develop a sustainable ecosystem to meet the larger goal of the aviation industry to become carbon neutral in the very near future.” Chennai is the 9th airport in India for Celebi after Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Cochin, Ahmedabad, Goa (Manohar International airport, Mopa), and Kannur. Recently, Celebi won the bridge-mounted equipment services contract for Bengaluru airport and introduced 100% electric, air-conditioned tarmac coaches for passenger transportation at the Delhi International Airport.

Lufthansa Cargo will begin using lightweight nets to secure cargo pallets to save weight on flights and reduce CO2 emissions from January onwards. The “Pallet Net Zero” nets made by AmSafe Bridport, which Lufthansa Cargo will be using through its subsidiary Jettainer, weigh between nine and eleven kilograms, which is less than half the weight of a conventional net made of polyester fibres. Pallet Net Zero is made out of a bio-based fibre – a pioneering material extracted from renewable bio-based raw materials. The weight reduction of the new nets is largely achieved by the high tensile strength of the special fibre. The reduced weight of the transport nets saves Lufthansa Cargo around 140 tons of fuel and therefore around 440 tons of CO2 per year, said the airline. Lufthansa Cargo will be Jettainer’s first customer to use the new, lighter Pallet Net Zero solution. The ULD expert will make around 2,000 nets available to the airline, which will be used for aluminum pallets. The net will be fixed to one side of the pallet to minimise the loss rate for these nets, said Jettainer.

Aimed at boosting air connectivity in the coastal Indian state of Goa, the newly-inaugurated Mopa International Airport, or Manohar International Airport, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is ready to start operations on January 5th next year. According to several reports, the new airport has the potential to serve as a significant logistics hub. It could directly connect several domestic and international destinations. Efficient multimodal connectivity is also planned for the airport. The first phase includes the construction of a single three-and-a-half kilometer runway (09/27) alongside integrated passenger terminal buildings and a cargo terminal. The airport may officially announce about the cargo carriers which will operate at the new airport and its dedicated cargo facility soon. “The New Goa International Airport shall be starting operations from January and will begin with domestic cargo operations by February followed by International Cargo operations by March. There is great potential for Air Cargo Agents in the coming months and would warrant having a Goa and Pune Region team,” said the minister. “This airport shall cater and increase the exports of perishable items and also the pharma products which had to be transported to Mumbai and other international airports,” the minister added.