The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is all set to kick off the 11th edition of logistics show offering end to end solution in the logistics industry. Logistics 2021 is scheduled to be held virtually from February 25 – March 24, 2021. This will be a concurrent event along with the 24th International Engineering and Technology Fair (IETF 2021), a premier biannual event of CII since the year 1975. Logistics 2021 will be an ideal platform for companies involved in Logistics, Supply Chain, Transportation, Shipping & Port, Material Handling, Warehousing & Storage Equipment, Automation & Robotics, Consultancy and IT related business to showcase on their products & service, latest trends and technologies to the industry and to strengthen their brand awareness to the stakeholders. It is going to be a one month exhibition with more than 50 exhibitors, sector specific conferences and B2B Meetings through video/chat options. The event will have international participation which will give an opportunity to connect with stakeholders beyond boundaries.

SpiceJet has launched twice-weekly services between Singapore and three Indian cities – Bangalore, Chennai and Mumbai. Operated under SpiceJet’s cargo arm SpiceXpress using a B737F aircraft, the new services will provide additional airfreight capacity between Singapore and India. The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in a reduction in global air travel. To address the reduction in belly-hold cargo capacity due to the fall in passenger traffic at Changi Airport, Changi Airport Group (CAG) has been working closely with its airline partners who operate the Singapore-India route to ensure that supply chains are kept open. In 2020, India was Changi Airport’s sixth largest air cargo market, with cargo tonnage reaching 75,000 tonnes for the year. Between April and December 2020, SpiceJet operated over 230 chartered cargo flights, comprising freighter and cargo-only passenger flights, between India and Singapore. The air cargo capacity injected by SpiceJet has helped support air trade and the conveyance of humanitarian goods, including medical supplies and perishables, between the two countries. Lim Ching Kiat, Managing Director of Air Hub Development, CAG, said, “CAG has been engaging SpiceJet for several years to mount scheduled services to Singapore, hence we are pleased to welcome SpiceJet to Changi’s family of airlines. In these challenging times when air cargo capacity is constrained, the introduction of SpiceJet’s freighter service is much welcomed. The additional capacity helps support the transportation of essential goods such as medical and food supplies between the two countries.” Sanjiv Gupta, CEO, SpiceXpress, said, “This development would strengthen air trades between the two countries by providing faster and seamless logistics solutions. In addition, this strategic move would help SpiceXpress build its network in South East Asia. Singapore is also well-positioned as …

Piyush Goyal, Minister of Railways, Commerce & Industry and Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Government of India flagged off goods train on newly electrified Manigram-Nimtita Section. Babul Supriyo, Minister of State, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Government of India and other dignitaries were also present during the video conferencing. Speaking on the occasion Goyal said that as Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “Our efforts will be directed towards making the state of West Bengal a premier state in trading & business activity in the country. Railways can play an important role in development of West Bengal by expanding passenger connectivity, by expanding connectivity of freight trains, ensuring availability of raw materials & moving the products from West Bengal to all parts of the country.” The Minister also dedicated to the Nation newly electrified Manigram-Nimtita Section, Road Under Bridge (RUB) near Malda and at Manigram, five Foot Over Bridges at Khagraghat Road, Lalbagh Court Road, Tenya, Dahaparadham & Niyalishpara stations and two Foot Over Bridges at Sujnipara & Basudebpur stations, all under Eastern Railway’s Malda Division through video conferencing.

Deendayal Port, one of the 12 major ports in the country has crossed the 100 million tonne mark in cargo handling. Mansukh Mandaviya Ports, Union Minister of Shipping and Waterways termed it a significant indication that the economy is bouncing back to pre-COVID times. “Deendayal Port Trust, one of the 12 Major Ports of India, has crossed 100 MMT (Million Metric Tonne) in cargo handling. Deendayal Port, erstwhile known as Kandla Port, is situated in Kutch, Gujarat,” Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways said in a statement. The port handled 13.25 MMT of liquid cargo and 43.76 MMT of dry cargo & containers at Kandla. It also handled 43.30 MMT at Vadinar (which includes transhipment), the containerised cargo crossed 4.50 lakh TEU during this period, grossing a total of 100 MMT overall. Major commodities handled by the Deendayal Port are crude oil, petroleum products, coal, salt, edible oil, fertilizer, sugar, timber, soya bean and wheat. The achievement can be attributed to the user-friendly approach of port with the shipping fraternity / stakeholders and constant consultations with them to improve ease of doing business.

Cathay Pacific have flown the first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines to Hong Kong onboard Flight CX391 from Beijing as the airline continues to support the Hong Kong SAR Government’s vaccination programme. Augustus Tang, Chief Executive Officer, Cathay Pacific, said, “This is an important milestone in Hong Kong’s fight against COVID-19 and we are immensely proud to be doing our part in this fight. It is a successful effort, which involves close collaboration with the Airport Authority of Hong Kong, and many of our industry partners and business associates. We stand ready to undertake future shipments using our vaccine solution product and support the Government in its community-wide roll out programme.” The one million doses of Sinovac Covid-19 vaccines were loaded inside six temperature-controlled Envirotainer e2 RAP containers to maintain the vaccine temperature range of 2-8 Degrees Celsius. The shipments were loaded closest to the aircraft doors to allow for priority unloading and upon arrival the aircraft was parked at the South Apron closest to the Cathay Pacific Cargo Terminal at Hong Kong International Airport to reduce the towing time between the parking bay and the cargo terminal. Meticulous planning both within Cathay Pacific and with the shipper and forwarder in Beijing, as well as the consignee in Hong Kong, was critical to ensuring the utmost precision throughout the shipping process. As part of an airport-wide recertification of IATA’s CEIV Pharma accreditation (the internationally recognised quality-assurance scheme for pharmaceutical shipments) at Hong Kong International Airport, Cathay Pacific Cargo, Cathay Pacific Cargo Terminal and ground-handling subsidiary Hong Kong Airport Services (HAS) have all been re-certified. This offers a complete level of quality assurance at every stage of the import and transhipment journey.

UNICEF has launched the Humanitarian Airfreight Initiative; under this landmark initiative, over 10 leading airlines are signing agreements with UNICEF to support the prioritisation of delivery of COVID-19 vaccines, essential medicines, medical devices and other critical supplies to respond to the pandemic. The initiative will also act as a global logistics preparedness mechanism for other humanitarian and health crises over the longer term. “Delivery of these life-saving vaccines is a monumental and complex undertaking, considering the sheer volumes that need to be transported, the cold chain requirements, number of expected deliveries and the diversity of routes,” said Etleva Kadilli, Director of UNICEF Supply Division. “We are grateful to these airlines for joining forces with the UNICEF Humanitarian Airfreight Initiative to support the roll-out of COVID-19 vaccines.” The UNICEF Humanitarian Airfreight Initiative brings together the airlines covering routes to over 100 countries, in support of the COVAX Facility – the global effort aimed at equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines. Based on the COVAX Facility’s indicative distribution and first round allocation plan, 145 countries will receive doses to immunize around three per cent of their population, on average, starting in the first half of 2021, subject to all requirements being met and final allocation plans. In addition to prioritising shipments of these life-saving supplies, the airlines will take measures such as temperature control and security, while also adding freight capacity to routes where needed. Their commitments are critical to the timely and secure delivery of vaccines and critical supplies. Safe, timely and efficient transportation of life-saving supplies is critical to supporting access to essential services for children and families. COVAX deliveries and the subsequent vaccination of frontline workers will support health and …

DP World operated International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT) at Cochin has completed 10 glorious years as partner in India’s trade growth. This milestone comes with the terminal achieving its all-time highest monthly throughput of more than 70,000 TEUs in January 2021, registering a 36% Year-on-Year growth over January 2020. ICTT is India’s first transshipment hub strategically located in close proximity to major global east-west trade routes. Since inception, the terminal has handled 4.68 million TEUs and 5,661 vessel calls including 1,858 Mainline vessel calls. In 2020, despite major business disruptions, DP World Cochin handled 6.31 lakh TEUs, registering marginal decline of -0.35% over 2019 volumes while South India market collectively registered an average degrowth of -11.2%. ICTT has played a key role in making Cochin a strategic hub to enhance trade in the South India Region. The terminal provides fast and reliable connectivity to hinterland through multimodal transportation including rail and inland waterways. Cargoes from all industrial clusters in Kerala and the major ones in Tamil Nadu (like Coimbatore, Pollachi and other hubs) can reach the terminal within six hours. In 2020, DP World Cochin launched a direct weekly rail connection to Bangalore. This resulted in an impressive five-fold increase in rail volumes. DP World Cochin offers various direct connections to Europe, the Mediterranean, the Fareast, South East Asia and the Middle East. Thereby, providing reduced transit time, cost and reliable reach to global markets. In 2020, the terminal handled 42 per cent of EXIM cargo on mainline vessels positioning Cochin as port of choice for customers. The terminal continues to be highly efficient and productive with truck turnaround time at an average of 27 minutes, and an average Gross …

Antonov Airlines and Rhenus Projects Logistics USA completed the urgent transport from Ghana to India of a 54-tonne rotor used to generate power requiring immediate repairs. Fellow members of The Heavy Lift Group (THLG), Rhenus Project Logistics USA, chartered the flight to carry the 10.50 m long, 3.89 m wide, 4.13 m high rotor from Accra, Ghana, to Mumbai, India, and back. Antonov Airlines used loading equipment designed by its in-house engineering team, while the external cranes for loading and unloading at airport were arranged by Rhenus Project Logistics USA to ensure the highest levels of safety for the teams and cargo. Antonov Airlines developed technical instructions and Rhenus Project Logistics USA assisted the client in redesigning the skid to ensure the bladed rotor fitted inside the fuselage. “This transport operation required well-coordinated preparation and actions from both partners to fly such outsized and heavy cargo safely,” said Vladyslav Ishchuk, Commercial Executive, Antonov Airlines. “Antonov Airlines showcased its flexibility by providing the AN-124 aircraft on the required dates during an extremely busy period for the customer to minimise any disruption that could have been faced.” “Rhenus Project Logistics USA and Antonov Airlines have an association going back over 15 years, which has involved multiple charter performances for mutual clients and is a testimony to the strength and expertise members of THLG bring to their clients,” said Ritesh Nair, Global Sales Director at Rhenus Project Logistics USA.

According to ports’ apex body IPA, India’s top-12 ports witnessed a considerable decline in cargo traffic for the tenth straight month in January to 542.13 million tonnes (MT). Cargo traffic at 12 major ports that are under the control of the Centre dropped by 7.44 per cent to 542.13 million tonnes (MT) during April-January this fiscal, compared with 585.73 MT in the year-ago period. Mansukh Mandaviya, Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister said the cargo traffic at 12 major ports declined considerably March onwards due to the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. All ports, barring Paradip and Mormugao — which recorded 0.24 per cent and 28.12 per cent increase in cargo handling to 93.60 MT and 17.19 MT respectively, saw negative growth. Cargo handling at Kamrajar Port (Ennore) nosedived 25.94 per cent during April-January to 19.66 MT, while ports like Mumbai and Chennai saw their cargo volumes dropping by over 12 per cent during the said period. Cochin and V.O. Chidambaranar ports suffered a sharp decline of over 11 per cent. JNPT saw a decline of 9.76 per cent in cargo volumes, while Deendayal Port Trust, New Mangalore and Kolkata ports saw over 6 per cent drop in cargo volume. Cargo handling at Visakhapatnam slipped 4.36 per cent. India has 12 major ports under the control of the central government — Deendayal (erstwhile Kandla), Mumbai, JNPT, Mormugao, New Mangalore, Cochin, Chennai, Kamarajar (earlier Ennore), V. O. Chidambaranar, Visakhapatnam, Paradip and Kolkata (including Haldia). In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, sharp declines were witnessed in the handling of containers, coal and POL (petroleum, oil and lubricant), among other commodities. These ports handle about 61 per cent of the country’s total …

Cargo services has begun at Kannur International Airport with the inauguration of air cargo complex at the airport. Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Civil Aviation has inaugurated the air cargo complex at Kannur Airport along with Pinarayi Vijayan, Kerala Chief Minister and E.P. Jayarajan, Minister for Industry, Sports & Youth Affairs, Government of Kerala. The cargo complex at Kannur Airport has been developed in an area of 1200 sq mt and can handle upto 12000 metric tonne of cargo per annum. This is the fourth such airport in Kerala which has been set up in PPP model. An International Cargo Terminal will an area of about 6000 sq mts is also being developed at the airport. “The opening up of cargo complex will help open up new opportunities to our farmers and industries to find new markets and see that their products reach the customers in quick time,” Puri tweets.