Category Archives: Aviation

Minister of Civil Aviation, Jyotiraditya Scindia met the Cargo Advisory Group today to discuss key issues in further boosting the Air cargo services. Members present during the meeting were Vipin Vohra, Cyrus N Katgara, Keku Bomi Gazder, Sanjiv Edward and others. The presentation was given by the Cargo Advisory Group, led by Cyrus Katgara, President ACFI. The discussion involved making an effective Air Cargo Eco-System with strong International Airline network, robust domestic air connectivity, Multi Modal connectivity and Hinterland Connectivity through AFS Spokes. Members from FFFAI also shared some key issues required to be addressed such as: * TDS on Freight Commissions charged by Airlines/Shippers – Double Deduction, * TDS Lower Deduction/ Nil Deduction Certificate issued u/s 197 of the Income Tax Act to the Airlines. * “Foreign Exchange Earner” recognition to the Freight Forwarders (FF’s) and Custom Brokers (CB’s) under service exports. * Clarity Sought by Freight Forwarders on certain points regarding SEIS scheme.

Air freight rates were 86 percent higher in August 2021 compared to the 2019 baseline and 20 percent more than the 2020 level. Rates will remain high on huge demand growth against the limited capacity increase, according to the DHL report on the Airfreight state of the industry. Volume growth was strong at +21 percent year-on-year in August 2021. The airfreight market is set to see strong demand due to the upcoming ecommerce events like Black Friday and Singles Day. Another key reason for the high demand is the conversion of ocean freight to air due to port congestion in the U.S. Rates continued to remain high in August as manufacturers were replenishing stocks using air freight, the report said.

DB Schenker and Lufthansa Cargo became news when a cargo flight flew on rotation between Europe and Asia, whose fuel requirements are completely covered by Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). To continue their contribution towards a greener future, DB Schenker and Lufthansa Cargo extend their weekly CO2-free freighter flights between Frankfurt and Shanghai. The joint mission will be continued throughout the entire winter flight schedule until March 2022. Now Nokia has signed up for the initiative. Every week, the global telecommunication network provider will avoid greenhouse gas emissions by using the world’s only freighter flight 100 percent covered by Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), produced from renewable waste, such as used cooking oils. The fuel requirement for the flight rotation from Frankfurt (FRA) to Shanghai (PVG) and back is covered entirely by SAF. This saves around 174 tons of conventional kerosene every week. During the summer flight schedule 2021, the initiative successfully achieved a net reduction of 20,250 tons of greenhouse gases (CO2e). In the upcoming winter flight schedule, from the end of October 2021 to the end of March 2022, another 14,175 tons are expected.

Cargolux introduced sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) program in the airline’s services and takes Cargolux’s sustainability engagement one step further, cementing the company’s commitment to decarbonizing its operations. The airline aims to being carbon neutral by 2050 and has acted to be fully compliant with upcoming proposed European regulations and offsetting schemes. This new milestone is an additional step in the company’s endeavor to reduce CO2 emissions and lays the foundation for a customer sustainability program, that will offer more sustainable options for their transportation requirements. “Our commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility is intrinsic to our business model and the introduction of SAF in our operation is a significant step forward for Cargolux. We are pleased to be part of an industry-wide initiative to make our business, our industry and our world more sustainable”, says Richard Forson, President and CEO, Cargolux.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) adds a new ‘quote and book’ function to IATA Net rates and IAG Cargo, the cargo division of International Airlines Group (IAG), becomes the first carrier to integrate the feature. This will enable airlines to offer freight forwarders dynamic pricing for booking their shipments. “The pandemic has accelerated the appetite for digitalization across the air cargo industry. IATA Net Rates new ‘quote and book’ function simplifies and accelerates the rate distribution and booking process between airlines and freight forwarders, saving valuable time by eliminating manual, labour-intensive processes. We are pleased to expand our Net Rates partnership with IAG Cargo to support their efficient cargo rates distribution and booking capabilities, across the different airlines of the group,” said Frederic Leger, Interim Senior Vice President for Commercial Products and Services, IATA, & President, CNS. The Net Rates platform can be accessed through Net Rates online or integrated with customer systems, accelerating the distribution of rates to market while simplifying and reducing the cost of rate handling procedures.

Turkish Cargo, one of the strongest cargo flight networks, contributes its strength to Turkey’s medical exports. Flag carrier air cargo brand has been carrying Turkey’s medicine and medical products to over 50 countries in five continents for over 25 years. In the nuclear medicine sector, Turkish Cargo plays an important role for cancer patients transporting high quality diagnosis and treatment products in Turkey and abroad. Flag carrier air cargo brand carries radioactive cancer diagnosis medicine used in the treatment of cancer and tumors to Germany, Colombia, India, Algeria, Taiwan and all around the world. With 8 percent market share in medical transportation, national brand gives hope to cancer patients by providing fast and safe transportation for radioactive medicine with half-life, which are produced at night by Eczacibasi-Monrol.

Freighter operator Pacific Air Cargo has introduced a new airfreight tracking and notification service, PACTRAK. The tracking service is integrated into the company’s website and allows customers to know the status of their shipment at any point in its journey. The system offers shipment update notifications through SMS text messages, emails, or both. Notifications can also be tailored for different milestones during the journey, such as flight departure or arrival. “We are pleased to offer this innovative and state-of-the-art tracking service to our partners,” said Tanja Janfruechte, Chief Executive of Pacific Air Cargo. “We believe that PACTRAK will make shipping with Pacific Air Cargo even more convenient, and we look forward to introducing other enhancements and useful tools in the future.”

In a joint effort to provide care and support to children hailing from COVID-affected families, Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited, Kempegowda International Airport Foundation (KIAF) and Sparsha Trust have come together to launch Chinnara Dhama, an initiative to provide shelter and education to 300 girl children. ‘Chinnara Dhama’, in Kannada translates to “A Sanctuary for young children” and will be a residential and learning facility within the campus ‘Makkala Dhama’. While KIAF is the CSR arm of Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), Sparsha Trust is a Bengaluru-based NGO that is working towards creating a safe space for vulnerable children by providing them with care, protection, and education. Chinnara Dhama will be managed under KIAF’s flagship programme Namma Shikshana (Our Education). The initiative will provide safe and secure lodging facilities, as well as social and psychological support to girl children. It will provide access to quality education by enrolling the children at one of the BIAL-adopted schools. The children will also be provided with basic and vocational skills that are required to develop their social competencies.

DHL Express launched the construction of a new stand alone, logistics hub, at the Abu Dhabi International Airport (ADIA). The 15,000sqm facility, on a 30,000sqm airside/landside plot, located in ADIA’s Future Cargo Area, is being developed in partnership with Abu Dhabi Airports Free Zone Authority (ADAFZ) – a wholly owned subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Airports – and Middle East General Enterprises (MGE). DHL’s new airport facility constitutes the company’s latest investment in strengthening the global trade links of the UAE’s capital and acts as a consolidated hub inclusive of an Import & Export Gateway, Service Center, Logistics Center & Road Network, with an initial head count of 210 employees. The new facility features a 10,800sqm built-up area, with future expansion potential to increase capacity by an additional 50%. The facility will be well equipped to handle up to 3,600 inbound and outbound/ transit shipments per hour, amounting to 86,400 shipments a day, with the ability to service customers in the Emirates of Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, as well as supporting other countries of DHL network and providing solutions that will improve their efficiency. It will additionally follow the most up to date TAPA security regulations, employing the latest technologies across all of the operation.

Brussels Airport Company and skeyes signed an agreement where Brussels Airport will become a 50 percent shareholder in SkeyDrone, a subsidiary of skeyes. SkeyDrone offers a range of services that enable safe and efficient drone operations. With this acquisition, Brussels Airport intends to play an active role in the drone technology developments and in the provision of drone services to various industries in Belgium and abroad. Over the past year, Brussels Airport has worked closely with skeyes and SkeyDrone on various drone projects in fields such as intrusion detection, aerodrome safety, operational efficiency, etc. “Brussels Airport’s investment in SkeyDrone is strategic and goes beyond investing in drone know-how and technology. It is an investment in co-creating the future of unmanned air traffic together with 2 key players in this field, skeyes and SkeyDrone. With SkeyDrone, we can fully explore, develop and commercialise drone management systems and drone services that can be used on a daily basis by clients in various industries,” says Arnaud Feist, CEO of Brussels Airport Company.