Category Archives: Aviation

Continental Carriers Group of Companies is set to open one of India’s first Greenfield air freight stations, where Customs Clearance, Cargo Consolidation, and Palletization will all take place at the AFS facility, and goods will be delivered in pallets ready to load on planes at Delhi International Airport, said Vipin Vohra, Chairman. Vohra, who is also the Advisor, Cargo Division, Union Ministry of Civil Aviation said they are constantly working to reduce costs through innovative solutions and provide the best possible service to customers. “We have strived for accurate and real-time visibility of forecasts, orders, shipments, inventory, and locations to improve business performance, and we have invested heavily in technology, digitization, and skilled workforce to that end.”

FedEx Express and ecommerce marketplace eBay have teamed up to enable sellers from the APAC region to sign up for a FedEx account and access all the services the delivery company has to offer. According to FedEx Express official statement, marketplace sales count for 67% of ecommerce globally, with APAC’s ecommerce market expected to reach USD 352.68 trillion by 2030. The partnership between the companies will help propel merchants, especially small business owners, amidst the booming of ecommerce in the region driven by consumers’ changing behaviours towards online shopping. Through the collaboration, eBay sellers will be able to provide its clients a premium delivery experience at competitive prices, as well as a full suite of custom-made shipping and logistics services provided by FedEx.

All Nippon Airways (ANA) has placed an order for two of Boeing’s recently launched B777-8 freighter aircraft. The airline has converted two of its previous commitments for 20 B777-9 passenger aircraft dating back to 2014 into the new freighter model. The aircraft are expected to enter service during or after ANA’s 2028 financial year. “The announcement reflects ANA Holding’s plan to further expand its cargo business through securing large freighters,” the company statement said. “The Boeing 777-8F is a world class freighter that has the largest cargo capacity of any twin-engine aircraft and has reduced CO2 emissions and operational costs that uses less fuel per ton,” the statement added.

GEODIS has acquired e-commerce specialist Keppel Logistics as the forwarder expands its presence in Asia, read a release. The deal was first announced in early 2022, but GEODIS has obtained all regulatory approvals allowing completion. The statement added that the acquisition would bolster the two firms’ respective e-commerce offerings by combining Keppel Logistics’ delivery service with its own controlled airfreight network and its seafreight and road transport connections across the region. “We are pleased to welcome Keppel Logistics’ customers, employees and management to the GEODIS Group,” said Marie-Christine Lombard, chief executive, GEODIS. “The acquisition of Keppel Logistics marks a key milestone in GEODIS’ Asia Pacific ambition, increasing our contract logistics footprint and e-commerce fulfillment services in Singapore and Asia-Pacific,” she added.

With focus on healthcare operation for customers, Kuehne+Nagel has launched its air logistics services from Liège (Belgium) to Americas, Asia and Africa with regular charters, multiple times per week. “The solution called MedConnex addresses constraints in terms of air freight capacity, especially for cargo that requires specialised handling and transportation,” a release stated. MedConnex combines the capabilities of Kuehne+Nagel Belgium’s two air logistics hubs. This includes an experienced team at Liège airport, Europe’s fifth largest European cargo airport with excellent capacity, landing slots and a building at Brussels Airport equipped with a GDP-compliant and temperature-controlled warehouse, direct tarmac access and a large stock of special packaging materials. Geert Torfs, Air Logistics Director, Kuehne+Nagel BeLux, said, “Europe is a major exporter of healthcare goods, and thus the charters that link Europe with major continents is in high demand. With this service, we support our entire European network of Kuehne+Nagel colleagues when they need to ship healthcare products for customers to the rest of the world.”

Airbus Beluga (A300-608ST) made a brief stopover at Chennai International Airport on Monday for refuelling. This is the first time the whale-like aircraft has touched down at the airport. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) tweeted that “The elegant whale is here and with such awesomeness. mighty #Beluga No.2 (A300-608ST) landed at Chennai airport first time today. The cargo transporter is a rare visitor in this part of the world and a marvel to behold.” The aircraft, which is not carrying cargo, is on its way to Thailand, said the AAI. Known as super transporter, the aircraft is a version of wide body A300-600 aircraft of the Airbus and is usually used to carry aircraft or machine parts and huge cargo. The plane will depart at 7pm.

Georgia-based CAMEX Airlines has taken delivery of its first Boeing B737-800 Boeing Converted Freighter (BCF) from San Francisco, California-headquartered lessor BBAM. The cargo charter airline, based at Tbilisi International Airport, stated that it operates B737-800F and 737-800BCF aircraft.According to CAMEX’s LinkedIn profile, CAMEX Airlines was established in 2020 by CAMEX International, which has been operating for over 12 years as a freight forwarder across CIS, Central Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Europe and the US. CAMEX Airlines will operate to destinations in Asia, the UK, the US and the EU. According to CAMEX’s LinkedIn profile, CAMEX Airlines was established in 2020 by CAMEX International, which has been operating for over 12 years as a freight forwarder across CIS, Central Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Europe and the US. CAMEX Airlines will operate to destinations in Asia, the UK, the US and the EU.

Korean Air Cargo resumed its thrice-weekly Boeing 777 freighter service from Delhi to Vienna and Milan. According to the official press release, flying from Delhi every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, the flight originates at Seoul-Incheon (ICN) and reaches Delhi via Hanoi before it continues to destinations in Europe. The carrier carries mobile parts, electrical equipment, industrial goods, and electronics to Delhi and mobile phones, readymade garments, leather goods, auto parts and carpets to Vienna and Milan which then mostly go to Italy, Austria, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Netherlands, said, Group Concorde, the general service agent (GSA) for Korean Air Cargo in India in the statement.  Group Concorde’s Prithviraj Singh Chug, CEO, Group Concorde said, “As the market starts to recover from Covid-19 challenges and the restrictions lifted, we are delighted to resume our freighter operations to Vienna and Milan and reaffirm our commitment to our Indian customers. Korean Air Cargo is one of the world’s biggest cargo brands. We have the outstanding serviceability to serve east and west with freighters into Europe and passenger flights into its hub in Incheon International Airport, thereby connecting to the Korean Air network.”

Tej Mayur Contractor and Nil Tunasar were elected as Chairman and Deputy Chair of Advisory Body Information Technology (ABIT) at the virtual Annual General Meeting organized by the Federation Of Freight Forwarders Association In India (FFFAI) and FIATA, the International Freight Forwarders Association on June 30. FIATA sources said that both bring recognised expertise in the field of digitalisation and will further leverage the digitalisation of trade documents at FIATA. Tej is an Executive Committee member of FFFAI and President of Indian Institute of Freight Forwarding (a training arm of FFFAI).  Federation Of Freight Forwarders Association In India (FFFAI)  is the National Member of FIATA representing India and recommends membership of Logistics Service Providers for FIATA membership.

Pradhaan Air Express, India’s brand new all-cargo airline, to be based in Delhi, will begin commercial operations later this year with the world’s first A320 converted freighter. The first converted freighter, likely to arrive in Delhi later this month, will offer charter capacity to Indian shippers and freight forwarders on domestic and international routes. The launch of Pradhaan Air Express endorses the Govt’s vision to achieve 10 million tonnes of annual cargo throughput by 2030 and pushes the Indian air cargo market in global ranking. The conversion was done by Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW), a JV of ST Engineering and Airbus, at its facility in Singapore. The aircraft has been leased from Vaayu Group/Astral Aviation.  Interestingly, Pradhaan Air Express will be India’s first airline to operate an Airbus narrow-body freighter. The aircraft offers a payload of 21 tonnes with a fully palletized main deck. “We aim to make a small contribution to the big dreams of the Indian cargo industry by offering tailor-made solutions with on-demand charters’ ‘ said Vipul Bhalla, CBO, Pradhaan Air Express.