Category Archives: Aviation

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 …

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.”

Drone tech startup TSAW has announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with DE Drone World Solutions to begin a new partnership between TSAW Drones and DE Drone World Solutions and outlines their commitment to working together to develop and promote innovative drone solutions for a range of industries. Under the terms of the agreement, TSAW Drones will provide DE Drone World Solutions with access to its cutting-edge drone technology, as well as its extensive expertise and experience in the field. DE Drone World Solutions, on the other hand, will contribute its in-depth knowledge of the industry, along with its established network of clients and partners, to help TSAW expand its market reach and improve overall capabilities. Kishan Tiwari, Founder & CEO, TSAW Drones said “We have built an impressive rapport with the team DE Drone at Aero India and are greatly impressed with their technical acumen and the robust client relationships that they’ve built. We are convinced that as we work together under the same framework, we will continue to discover great synergies in our respective platforms and bring novel breakthroughs to market for our potential consumers. Moreover, the MOU exemplifies our willingness to work for an Atmanirbhar Bharat as well as to promote best-in-class drones for surveillance, agriculture, logistics, and security.” “Drone utilities are one of the hottest booming technology segments, with the potential to add tremendous value to industries such as security, agriculture, manufacturing, retail, and logistics. The collaboration with TSAW Drones comes at the right time as we are gearing up to combine our extensive industry knowledge to advance drone-based solutions in India. I personally have a high regard for the business that …

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.

Skretting, the Norway-based global leader in aqua feed and nutrition, inaugurated its state-of-the-art production facility for shrimp and fish feed in Mangrol, Surat. The high-end facility allows Skretting to further enhance support for its customers and the Indian aquaculture sector. Spread over an area of 20,000 sq mt and built with an investment of EUR 18.5 million (Rs. 165 crore approximately), the facility will cater to both shrimp and fish cultures. The shrimp cultures will include white tiger and black tiger, while fish cultures will include Indian major carps, and high-value fish like snakehead, seabass, etc. The Mangrol facility has three production lines with a production capacity of 50,000 metric tonnes per annum. It will produce both extruded/floating and pelleted/sinking feed as per the requirement of the species and customers. There is also adequate land and infrastructure available to increase production capacity in the future. The facility was inaugurated by Dr. Sanjeev Balyan, Hon’ble Minister of State of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, and Michiel van Erkel, Agriculture Counsellor for India and Sri Lanka, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Focusing on various industry issues such as Customs, Taxes, CBLR, EDI, Port & Shipping, Costal/Inland Waterways, ICDS and airports, the Federation of Freight Forwarders’ Associations in India (FFFAI) held its 12th Executive Committee (EC) Meeting in Ahmedabad recently. The meet, hosted by Ahmedabad Customs Brokers Association, was attended by the Office Bearers of the Federation and representatives from 30 Member associations from across the country. Majority of Policy recommendations were made to highlight for Customs trade facilitation measures under ease of doing business, infrastructure development and Digital transaction. Also focus was given on the training and development in logistics sector, which initiatives shall be carried by the FFFAI – IIFF (Indian Institute of Freight Forwarders) with e-learning introduction and FIATA Diploma courses. Also presentation on ‘Business Continuity Planning’ focusing on Best Practices guidelines for the benefits of the members was made by Samir J Shah, Advisor FFFAI, which highlighted to cope with future challenges. Shankar Shinde, Chairman, FFFAI highlighted the initiatives of International Customs Day dedicated theme by World Customs Organization (WCO) in Brussels 2023 on “Nurturing the next generation: promoting a culture of knowledge-sharing and professional pride in Customs.” This is a theme close to the IFCBA and its members around the world, as Customs experts and Customs practitioners. “FFFAI will be happy to take this forward to benefit the trade members to professionalize the Logistics Industry.” said Shinde. He also pointed out that the recommendations made to the Ministries, Government departments and stakeholders will be helpful to the trade in reducing cost and dwell time.

Hermes Travel and Cargo Pvt Ltd has successfully achieved its GDP Certification IN23/00000103 through SGS. The company has been assessed and certified as meeting the requirements of World Health Organisation Goods and Distribution Practices. “As a company, we stand committed to delivering superior and compliant services to our pharmaceutical clientele in India and across the globe. This certificate will further enhance our already prominent market position in this vertical. We thank all our esteemed customers who have been part of our growth story, entrusting us with their shipments. Continual improvement is need of both – The Customer and Business,” the company announced the news on Linkedin.