Category Archives: Aviation

The unmatched expertise and a strong, global service network are what distinguish ECS Group. With Just Fly It, one of ten individually purchasable New Abilities, the Augmented GSA offers a pure and comprehensive, international charter service. What makes this particular product unique, is that it is designed to support two different customer groups: those seeking capacity, and those with capacity to offer. Freight forwarding clients requiring urgent, additional capacity, can opt to delegate the search to ECS Group. Just Fly It takes care of sourcing the right-sized charter and all the considerations listed above. Yet, Just Fly It is also a unique service offer to airlines with aircraft of all sizes available for charter. They can rely on ECS Group to put these to good use. One such example, Amelia International, which is venturing into the world of cargo, having taken delivery of its first ATR-72 freighter in January of this year. The Ljubljana-based freighter recently set off on its first commercial charter flight when ECS Group matched an urgent customer request. Within a matter of hours, ECS Group agreed the contractual terms and conditions with the customer and supervised the operational preparations for the flight. Matija Krajnc, Managing Director at Amelia International declared: “We successfully operated our first charter flight from Gyor, Hungary, to Bremen Germany. The flight, on behalf of a customer in the automotive industry, took place on 10 February 2022, carrying a full payload of around 7.5 tonnes of automotive components. We are delighted that our ATR-72 Freighter has finally embarked on its first mission to provide much-needed air cargo capacity within Europe. With ECS Group’s support, we look forward to many more, similar flights, soon.”

With around 40% of annual global air cargo typically transported in the belly hold of passenger aircraft, the grounding of planes during the pandemic, created a huge gap between demand and supply. Innovations such as loading the cabins with cargo also fell short to fill up the gap and cater to the needs adequately, creating a need and market for all cargo aeroplanes. Looking at the decline of international passenger traffic and scarcity of belly-hold space, India’s freight-forwarding specialist Jet Freight Logistics sees an opportunity and needs to establish its in-house cargo airline. In addition to this, the Incentivization of the aviation industry by the government of India with plans like GatiShakti, and the push towards agri exports has further supported the freight forwarding companies’ ambition of its all-cargo airline. Jet Freight is handling the highest volume of export Agri produced by air in the country today and expects a drastic increase in terms of cargo export volume by air especially Agri export, creating the market for cargo airlines in the coming future. With its Indian all-cargo airline Jet freight aims to help ramp up capacity in the Indian international freight market.

CMA CGM Air Cargo has applied for a US foreign air carrier permit from the US Department of Transportation as CMA CGM looks set to launch its own Air Operator Certificate (AOC) airline in the first half of this year. The application document, which is dated 22 February, said: “CMA CGM AIR CARGO (“CMA CGM”) hereby applies for a foreign air carrier permit to transport property and mail pursuant to the Air Transport Agreement between the United States and the European Union and its Member States.” The document noted that CMA CGM has applied for an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) and operations specifications from the French Civil Aviation Authority…and “expects the application to be approved soon”. A certificate from the French Civil Aviation Authority would allow the company’s rapidly expanding freighter fleet to serve additional routes out of Paris CDG. This could mean a phased switch of A330-200 freighter services from its Liege hub in Belgium to Paris CDG. The US application document confirms that CMA CGM Air Cargo plans to begin operations in Spring 2022 with service between Paris, France and Chicago in Illinois, New York and Atlanta in Georgia.

Shannon Group has plans to upgrade its cargo facilities at Shannon Airport in Ireland. It’s development, currently awaiting planning permission, is a “2,705 sq m distribution facility”. This facility will be located on a three-acre development site and will incorporate an additional 335 sq m of office accommodation. This facility will provide direct landside/airside access, said a Shannon Group spokesperson. “The upgrade of our cargo facilities is part of our overall plans to enhance the facilities Shannon has to offer to cargo operators using the airport,” added the spokesperson. The distribution facility forms part of Shannon Group’s development strategy, which has seen the Group invest over €150m in property since 2014. Over €5.3m in airfield rehabilitation works were recently completed at Shannon Airport. The rehabilitation works involved three separate areas of the airfield: the resurfacing of the executive jet and light aircraft park; the extension of a section the apron (which facilitates aircraft for the loading and unloading of cargo, passengers and for refuelling), and the resurfacing of the long-term aircraft parking area.

GMR Hyderabad Air Cargo (GHAC) is stepping up its investments to cater to higher cargo volumes by launching a dedicated International Courier Terminal (ICT) for handling express cargo this year. A ‘Cool Container Yard’, set to be South Asia’s largest on-airport base for temperature-controlled air cargo containers to facilitate transport of high-value life-saving medications globally, is also scheduled for opening. These two are part of a terminal expansion programme of scaling up the infrastructure, technology, and service offerings with additions to capacity across both domestic and international cargo terminals to meet the expected demand in the future. The entire export processing zone was recently converted into a temperature-controlled area, becoming the only cargo terminal in the country with such an offering. All these developments are likely to make GHAC the largest air cargo hub for south and central India. “Our cargo terminal has registered a positive growth momentum in a difficult year. With the expected return to normalcy in international air connectivity during 2022, we are very bullish about the future prospects. We will be making major investments into expansion and upgrade of our cargo terminal facilities,” said CEO-GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd. (GHIAL), Pradeep Panicker.

ECS Group’s U.S. subsidiary, Miami-based Globe Air Cargo is now responsible for all cargo sales and administrative services connected to Azul’s entire U.S. business and will assist Azul with flight operations. Azul operates an A330 passenger and passenger-to-freighter fleet out of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and Orlando International Airport (MCO), to Viracopos-Campina International Airport (VCP), Brazil, nine times a week, and is licenced to carry all commodity types. In addition to steering and growing Azul’s cargo business out of its online gateways, the GSSA has clear plans to also develop the airline’s business from offline U.S. destinations with dedicated Azul sales representatives. “We are thrilled to represent Azul which is a fast growing and very dynamic Brazilian carrier with a lot of ambition. We have established a dedicated team here at Globe Air Cargo, to support and develop Azul Cargo’s U.S business to Brazil and look forward to creating synergies with our ECS Group colleagues representing Azul in Argentina and Europe,” Danny OLYNICK, Regional VP North America for Globe Air Cargo, comments. “We aim to maximise Azul’s revenues and support it in accessing new destinations across the United States, both online and offline. What is particularly attractive about Azul, is its focus on e-commerce cargo deliveries all the way through to the last mile across Brazil: a fascinating expanded network challenge that we are more than happy to participate in.”

John Menzies has approved a takeover proposal from Agility subsidiary National Aviation Services (NAS) Holding following its rejection of earlier offers. The board of Menzies has received a further revised “final” proposal from Agility subsidiary NAS regarding a possible all cash offer for Menzies of 608 pence per share. The deal has been valued at around £550m. This follows earlier approaches from NAS to the board regarding possible all cash offers for Menzies at 460 pence, 510 pence and 605 pence per Menzies share. Menzies ssid, “The Board has considered the Final Proposal and indicated to NAS that it would be willing unanimously to recommend an offer at the financial terms of the Final Proposal to Menzies shareholders subject to the satisfactory resolution of all the other terms of the offer, including the approach to the customary regulatory approvals required to complete any transaction.” The board of Menzies is now in talks with NAS regarding the terms and will be providing NAS with access to management and due diligence information.

Qatar Airways Cargo approves Envirotainer’s the Releye® RAP container. Able to accommodate 5 pallets, the Releye® RAP is the largest and most technically advanced product in Envirotainer’s new generation container series. Its unique features are now available to Qatar Airways Cargo customers wherever and whenever required, complementing the airline’s existing range of pharmaceutical transport solutions. Qatar Airways Cargo has offered its customers Envirotainer’s RAP and RKN active pharma containers since 2014, and was an early adopter of the first Releye® RLP, launched last summer. Envirotainer’s Releye® series is based on five pillars: Control, Monitoring, Autonomy, Value, and Sustainability. Similar to the smaller 3-pallet Releye® RLP, the Releye® RAP’s unique air flow technology controls and maintains maximum temperature stability in the cargo bay. Monitoring is carried out by the Envirotainer Control Tower – a unique, dedicated service team that monitors each Releye® shipment 24/7 and is immediately on hand in the case of any deviation. Extended battery life ensures greater container autonomy, whilst value is generated by the optimum use of cargo space within the container. The Releye® RAP has the largest internal volume on the market. Added to this, its low weight and efficient performance result in both, the best value operating costs, as well as the lowest CO2 footprint in the air cargo industry: up to 90% reduction in CO2 emissions can be achieved. Fredrik Linnér, Chief Business Development Officer at Envirotainer said, “Qatar Airways Cargo and Envirotainer share a strong focus on innovation, supreme quality, and sustainability. The Envirotainer Releye® RAP is part of the Releye® series, and the RAP solution for the future. It not only allows Qatar Airways Cargo to offer its customers the newest, fully …

SEKO Logistics has streamlined international cross-border e-commerce for more than 10m parcels worldwide each month. The supply chain specialist, which in January launched e-commerce business unit Seko ECommerce, is using Descartes’ solutions for air cargo and e-commerce security filings, speeding the customs clearance processing time. David Emerson, global VP, e-commerce solutions at SEKO Logistics, said: “Cross-border e-commerce is growing significantly and more customers are looking to us to simplify the complexity of filing security and customs entries as goods travel by air between countries. “Descartes’ high-level filing automation enabled SEKO to further manage the extraordinary volumes we’re shipping. As SEKO expands internationally and regulations change, such as Brexit, Descartes has the solutions we need to grow.” Descartes provides connectivity and air messaging services to customs authorities around the world, helping shippers and freight forwarders to comply with security and customs requirements by filing air waybill information electronically for shipment clearance.

Skye Air, a drone delivery tech firm and the Department of Information Technology, Govt. of Himachal Pradesh are getting in to a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to announce their collaborative intent to enable and promote medical and agri-commodity deliveries within the state. As a part of the strategic partnership, Skye Air has initiated a 3-day long BVLOS trial in the Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh to connect over 6 PHC/CHCs and the Area Hospitals via multiple flights between points covering an aerial distance of 170 kms throughout the trial. The Drone delivery tech firm is using its most reliable UAV, Skye Ship One to facilitate real-time deliveries of vaccines and medicines within a specified temperature range of 2-8 degree Celsius. There will be several reverse logistic flights which shall also be done in order to help the adoption of drone technology to enable cost effective deliveries within the state. The flights, equipped with consignments of medical supplies flew beyond at an altitude of 400 feet above ground level in a designated Green Zone of Chamba district. The flights took place at 3 air corridors – Chaned, Tissa and Mehla demonstrating the diversity of Skye Ship One adopting different temperature zones, steep mountain range and air-pockets. On the occasion, Mr. Mukesh Repaswal, Director, Department of Information Technology, Govt. of Himachal Pradesh said, “The use of drones can be a critical intervention in improving the ease of access to services in mountainous and remote regions of Himachal Pradesh. The demonstration in Chamba will help in ascertaining the advantages of drone use in medicine delivery and benefits of drone enabled governance. We look forward to the successful conduct of the BVLOS trials in …