Aeroterm, an owner and developer of on-airport cargo facilities, has announced the completion of a new Class A, 50,400 square-foot, airside cargo facility at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG). The building can accommodate cargo, ground support equipment and other terminal support users, such as flight kitchens and commissaries. The LEED certified facility at CVG is designed to meet the additional capacity needs at the airport as the demand for shipping grows. Tenants of the new facility will benefit from the expansion, as will the CVG airport. The newly enlarged facility offers flexibility to expand by 120,000 square feet in future phases, 6,000 square feet of available space, 24′-0″ clear height, insulated precast walls with structural steel framing, interior and exterior LED light fixtures, direct access to aircraft apron and ground support equipment-rated (GSE) concrete tie-in for GSE storage and freight staging and itegrated airport security system. “There has been a strong increase in cargo volumes and GSE support needs at CVG Airport in recent years and this expansion project is a direct response to that increasing demand,” said Alexi Lachambre, Vice President of Investments & Development, Aeroterm, in adding, “It was a privilege to work on this project and we look forward to our continued partnership with CVG to support their growing needs.” The new Aeroterm facility is among other large supply chain facilities at CVG including a DHL global hub and Amazon’s new Prime Air cargo hub which will be completed in 2025. In addition to this project at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, Aeroterm is currently working on air cargo development at John F. Kennedy International Airport, Miami International Airport, Manchester-Boston Regional Airport and the latest phase of an …

Antonov Airlines has safely moved 370 tonnes of new machinery parts on three AN-124 flights to a mine in Brazil from Australia in time to keep work at the plant going. Antonov’s load planning engineers designed tailored frames to carry two of the pieces of equipment. The cargo was loaded and unloaded using Antonov’s in-house engineering solutions for the oversized project cargoes. The flights, chartered by Chapman Freeborn, made a number of technical stops because of the total weight of the cargo, as well as COVID-19 restrictions for crew rest at the airports on the route. “The timeline was challenging – initially our flight plan was six days in total, however we needed to change this to nine days after assessing the load,” said Chapman Freeborn cargo broker, Ana Bocchini, in adding, “In the end it came together with some meticulous planning and by changing some legs of the journey to avoid delays and closed runways.” Volodymyr Goncharov, Commercial Executive at Antonov Airlines added, “This was a challenging project, which we had to complete to a tight deadline. Using three AN-124 aircraft to airlift these special project cargoes allowed us to perform the programme of round-the-world flights successfully. The flights were a success because of well-coordinated efforts and good communication between the teams at Antonov Airlines and Chapman Freeborn.” Rapid COVID-19 tests were conducted during each 14-hour rest window prior to the next leg of the flight being cleared. Cargo included a giant drill shaft and a transport cradle, which was required for upgrading machinery at the final destination with minimal down-time affecting operations.

CargoAi has announced to launch new features to allow freight forwarder to assess and reduce the CO2 emissions generated by their business activities. With the new features offered from CargoAi, freight forwarders can now choose routes and airlines based on their carbon impact and calculate the CO2 emitted from each shipment. Monthly CO2 emissions reports are also available to allow clients to analyse their own impact and monitor improvements. As powerful decision-making and CO2 emission calculation tools, these features are highly sought after by clients at a time when sustainability is playing an increasingly significant role in air cargo. Also, the free universal Track and Trace system enable any freight forwarder to track their shipment instead of checking with each airline and calculate at the same time the CO2 emission of the shipment. Finally, the monthly emissions report means forwarders can analyse their carbon impact and monitor improvements. “Cargo stakeholders have really become aware of sustainability, and carbon impact is a recurring topic in discussions with our clients. Through these new features, we wanted to highlight the efforts that airlines are making to reduce their emissions by allowing forwarders to choose their carriers on that basis. It was essential for us to take a position on this issue and to innovate, because it’s also another way of thinking about air cargo differently,” said Matthieu Petot, CEO of CargoAi. Several months of development work went into building this complex calculation system, with impartiality the primary goal. As a result, CO2 emissions calculations for all airlines are based on the IATA RP1678 methodology, which is approved by the Global Logistics Emissions Council (GLEC). The European standard DIN EN 16258 can also be …

With supply chains becoming more dependent on mobile workers to meet productivity goals, Honeywell has partnered with FarEye, a low-code SaaS platform, to provide its intelligent delivery management platform to Honeywell mobile computer users. FarEye allows mobile workers with devices to manage, visually track and monitor delivery logistics operations. The company works with major retailers, carriers and consumers around the world to provide higher control on their delivery operations and provide a superior experience to end customers. Kushal Nahata, CEO & Co-Founder, FarEye said, “Indeed a milestone for both the teams who are on a journey to empower shippers and carriers to deliver better. As customers transform their businesses to keep pace with today’s ever-changing business climate, FarEye enables the customers to scale their delivery operations & create value. Together, we have been able to make a positive impact on businesses with the disruptive power of Honeywell technologies and FarEye’s intelligent delivery management platform which is built to solve the complex challenges that cost the supply chain and logistics industry trillions of dollars.” With the combined capabilities, Honeywell and FarEye aim to provide greater visibility of logistics operations through centralizing data that is usually scattered throughout the organization. This will help customers to achieve greater transparency enabling them to move from reacting to situations to real-time problem solving with end-to-end operational visibility. Honeywell also recently recognised FarEye as its ISV Partner of the year.

The Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) is acquiring the 58.1% stake held by DVS Raju and family in Gangavaram Port (GPL). The acquisition is valued at Rs. 3,604 crore and subject to regulatory approvals. APSEZ had announced acquisition of Warburg Pincus’s 31.5 per cent stake in GPL on March 3, 2021 and together with this acquisition, APSEZ would have 89.6 per cent stake in GPL. GPL is located in the northern part of Andhra Pradesh next to Vizag Port. It is the second largest non-major port in Andhra Pradesh with a 64 MMT capacity established under concession from Government of Andhra Pradesh (GoAP) that extends till 2059. It is an all-weather, deep water, multipurpose port capable of handling fully laden super cape size vessels of up to 200,000 DWT. Currently, GPL operates 9 berths and has free hold land of ~1,800 acres. With a master plan capacity for 250 MMTPA with 31 berths, GPL has sufficient headroom to support future growth. The Port handles a diverse mix of dry and bulk commodities including Coal, Iron Ore, Fertilizer, Limestone, Bauxite, Sugar, Alumina, and Steel. GPL is the gateway port for a hinterland spread over 8 states across eastern, southern and central India. GPL will benefit from APSEZ’s pan-India footprint, logistics integration, customer centric philosophy, operational efficiencies and strong balance sheet to deliver a combination of high growth by enhancing market share and add additional cargo types and improved margins and returns. In FY20, GPL had a cargo volume of 34.5 MMT, revenue of Rs. 1,082 crore, EBITDA of Rs. 634 crore (59% margin) and PAT of Rs. 516 crore GPL is debt free with a cash balance of over …

Mentioning the commissioning of a dedicated freight corridor, India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra), reports that India’s logistics sector looks stable in financial year 2021-22 as a recovering economy builds demand. Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone was among ports that reported resilient volumes in FY21. Ind-Ra estimates an 8 per cent year-on-year improvement in volumes for Indian ports in FY22, compared to an estimated 4 per cent year-on-year decline in FY21. The 8 per cent year-on-year rise will be led by private ports, which in five years have displayed a median multiplier (vs real GDP growth rate) of 1.4x, thus outperforming growth from major ports. India’s ports volumes closely follow the country’s GDP growth, with container growth coming in 2x of overall cargo volumes. For inland container depot/container freight station operators, Ind-Ra forecasts a healthy pickup in volumes though competition remains intense and realisations remain soft. The reduced dwell time after the commissioning of Dedicated Freight Corridor and increased double stacking volume will support higher operating efficiencies, which is likely to support EBITDA margins in FY22-FY23. For warehouses, Goods and Services Tax led consolidation and rationalisation of occupancy rates could continue in FY22.

APM Terminal (APMT) has launched two additional APIs and increased the number of terminals providing real-time data at its hubs. The company believes that if other supply chain partners followed its lead, it could significantly improve the competitiveness of the catchment areas supported by its terminals. APMT has already offered APIs to monitor vessel schedules and plan and monitor import and export containers since last year. With the launch of an Empty Container Returns API earlier in March 2021, containers passing through APMT facilities can be followed in real-time throughout the complete terminal cycle. APM Terminals Maasvlakte II in Rotterdam and SFCT in Miami have also started feeding the company’s APIs with real-time data this month, bringing the total number of terminals to 13, and plans to add further terminals throughout this year. APIs enable customers’ own logistics or transport management tools to be fed with data from APM Terminals Terminal Operating System (TOS). David Francis, Head of Digital Products, APM Terminals, said, “Local economies could benefit significantly more if this type of technology was available for all supply chain modalities across a region or beyond. This would involve aggregating data not only from APM Terminals APIs, but from all transport modalities, into a single regional system, to provide complete end-to-end visibility. With APIs based on common industry-wide standards, they provide the perfect platform for this. Whilst this could potentially take decades to achieve at national or even international level, starting with the regional industrial area supported by a container terminal would be more manageable, as local governance or trade bodies can normally react more quickly.”

Nippon Express Co (Mitsuru Saito, President), has obtained IATA CEIV Pharma pharmaceutical transport quality certification for its Narita Temperature Controlled Hub (NTCH) and for transport operations between NTCH and Narita Airport, effective March 15. This is the second pharmaceutical-related quality certification awarded to NTCH, the first being the Good Distribution Practice (GDP) certification it received in March 2020. In October 2019, Nippon Express began seeking certification as a member of the community hosted by Narita International Airport Corporation (NIAC), and with NIAC’s assistance has now obtained certification as a forwarder in this community. The ‘Nippon Express Group Business Plan 2023 – Dynamic Growth’ regards the pharmaceutical industry as a priority industry, and this fiscal year Nippon Express completed construction of four GDP-compliant dedicated pharmaceutical warehouses in Japan (East Japan, West Japan, Kyushu and Toyama) that have begun providing services to customers. The Company is also engaged overseas in obtaining GDP certification and otherwise reinforcing its business infrastructure. NTCH is an important node connecting Japan with the rest of the world, and this certification incorporating GDP standards from countries around the world will enable it to provide more secure and better-quality pharmaceutical transport services end-to-end.

Deutsche Post DHL Group has announced that the company is investing a total of EUR 7 billion over the next 10 years in measures to reduce its CO2 emissions. The funds will be made available towards alternative aviation fuels, the expansion of the zero-emission e-vehicle fleet and climate-neutral buildings. Along the way towards its zero emissions target by 2050, which has already been in force for four years, the company is committing to new, ambitious interim targets. The climate targets are part of Deutsche Post DHL Group’s new sustainability roadmap, in which the company sets out its ESG goals for the next years. In addition to its commitment to the environment, the Group also defines clear targets and measures in the areas of social responsibility and governance. “As the world’s largest logistics company, it is our responsibility to lead the way and guide the logistics industry into a sustainable future. We are turning our yellow Group into a green company and making an important contribution to our planet and society,” says Frank Appel, CEO of Deutsche Post DHL Group. “I am convinced that by focusing even more on our ESG goals, we will remain the first choice for customers, employees and investors – and thus lay the foundations for long-term economic success.” Appel adds, “Covid-19 has once again reinforced the major megatrends of our time: globalization, digitalization, e-commerce and sustainability – the four drivers of our ‘Strategy 2025’. Of these topics, sustainability is the most pressing challenge. With our sustainability roadmap, we are stepping up our efforts and explicitly promoting the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations.”

In a bid to increase its local warehousing capacity at the airport by nearly 50 per cent, Swissport has signed a seven-year lease agreement for the new facilities. The adjacent 8,000 sq m warehouses are part of the Deutsche Logistik Holding‘s ‘SkyLog park Vienna’ in the Fischamend region. The completion of construction work is scheduled for the fourth quarter of this year, when operations will move from the existing Cargo Nord Object 10 facility. “The brand-new building will offer ample warehouse and office space right in the center of the industrial zone and increase the warehousing capacity by nearly 50 per cent, allowing Swissport to grow its share in forwarder handling,” the company said in a press release. It is the second major investment in Vienna, following the opening of a warehouse with direct tarmac access in mid-2019. “Despite persisting challenges to global aviation, air cargo volumes have rebounded and again reached 2019 levels. Our business in Vienna has also been developing favorably. We are proud of our committed team there and pleased to announce our new warehouse,” said Henning Dieter, head of Swissport Cargo Services Germany and Austria. “It will support our expansion into forwarder handling and greatly benefit our customers and staff.”