DB Schenker and Cargolux announced a new full charter cargo connection between Luxembourg and Indianapolis, USA, starting in January 2021. With this new agreement both partners expand their well-established 15 year-long partnership. Cargolux’s initial service between its home base in Luxembourg and the Indiana capital was inaugurated in 2005 to support DB Schenker’s business in the region. The successful collaboration has grown over the years and is now cemented through this charter solution. With weekly departures on a Boeing 747 freighter DB Schenker makes Cargolux’s extensive experience in the handling of pharmaceutical and healthcare goods available for its customers in Europe and Northern America. By partnering with the leading provider of transportation services for pharmaceutical and healthcare products and the airline that was, in 2014, the first to be GDP certified, DB Schenker reaches a milestone in setting up its new healthcare service portfolio DB SCHENKERlife+. Veronique Dameme, Head of Global Vertical Market Healthcare at DB Schenker, says, “Our new product portfolio DB SCHENKERlife+ offers exceptional quality, unconditional security and fully reliable logistics services. The cooperation with Cargolux expands the foundation for our robust global GDP program and customized services as Air Track, 24/7 monitoring, packaging supplies or telemetric devices. In such volatile times DB SCHENKERlife+ thus provides urgently needed transparency and predictability.” “Cargolux is pleased to launch this new weekly charter service in collaboration with DB Schenker. Both companies have enjoyed a fruitful and mutually beneficial partnership on this lane over the past 15 years and we are happy to expand on this success”, says Domenico Ceci, Executive Vice- President Sales & Marketing, Cargolux. With pharma handling expertise throughout its network and a dedicated Healthcare Center in Luxembourg, Cargolux is the …

Leveraging state-of-the-art technology, NebulARC has developed computer vision and 3D tracking solutions that help shippers to monitor and track shipments in real-time, thereby eliminating human errors and achieving operational excellence in yard management. Slow decision making can hinder business operations and ultimately the bottom line for businesses. Having identified key challenges in the shipping industry, the company is providing actionable insights into day-to-day operations to shippers and yard managers to optimise yard utilisation and help with capacity planning. NebulARC’s technology is expected to reduce man hours, eliminate risks and accidents in man-to-machine interactions, and increase overall efficiency by over 25%. Commenting on the same, Alok Sharma, CEO & Co-founder, says, “We have designed a one-stop solution that is tailored to meet the needs of our customers. Besides unlocking the challenges in ecommerce, retail and B2B logistics, we have always been focused on solving the complexities in the shipping industry. Today, NebulARC is one of the few SaaS companies in India that is bringing the power of technology and predictive visibility to the shipping and port logistics operations.  We strongly believe that the current challenging time has acted as an accelerator for digitizing the industry. By offering a comprehensive suite of solutions for shipment tracking, we have not only created 360-degree visibility for the businesses but also have laid a foundation for customers to manage their logistics anytime and anywhere.” The shipping industry has been one of the most affected industries amid the outbreak. Owing to port delays, shipments have been stalled across the globe with exporters and importers struggling to track their shipments. However, NebulARC unlocks the power of AI and analytics to fill in major gaps in the shipping …

Hyderabad-based Seaways Shipping and Logistics has entered into a pact with the MOL Logistics (India) for providing end-to-end supply chain and turnkey logistics services to customers across the country. The partnership will also enable the two companies to associate in prospective bids and project proposals with various clients in India and abroad. Seaway Group offers a complete range of logistics services across the globe while MOL Logistics (India) is a part of the Japan-based MOL logistics. “Both MOL Logistics and Seaways are well-established large players in this industry, and we are uniquely placed to leverage our individual strengths,” said P Vivek Anand, Director (Marketing), Seaways. Anand continues, “While Seaways has a strong understanding of the Indian business environment and enjoys the confidence of a large client base, MOL Logistics brings to the table its global network, long-standing clients and an enviable track record. We will now be able to offer our customers a wide range of shipping and logistics solutions that are more efficient and cost-effective across any part of the world.” The areas of collaboration cover all turnkey logistics activities including warehousing, customs clearance, container line (NVOCC), vessel agency, transportation/trucking, bulk cargo handling and supply chain management, among others, said the release. “India has tremendous potential for growth, and we are looking forward to this collaboration with Seaways Shipping. The MOL Logistics Group will meet a wide variety of customer needs by making full use of its global network and logistics know-how such as air and ocean transport, cross-border transport with neighbouring countries, domestic transportation, warehousing, customs clearance, moving services, and plant and project cargo transportation,” said Ryoji Yamamoto, Director of MOL Logistics (India).

SpiceJet has announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Pluss Advanced Technologies (PLUSS) for the supply of indigenously developed precise temperature control boxes required for maintaining the effectiveness of the vaccine during transport. According to the MoU, PLUSS will supply its patented product – Celsure®, developed using its proprietary Phase Change Material technology, for transportation of the Covid-19 vaccines from the manufacturer to different parts of the country. The product will be co-branded especially for SpiceJet’s cargo division Spice Xpress and will be made available at various locations across the country. While transporting pharmaceutical products, biological products or vaccines in particular, the need to maintain precise temperature ranges is very important and the efficacy of vaccines can be impacted if the temperature goes above or below the specified range. PLUSS, an India based material solutions company has designed and manufactured a precise temperature-control delivery solution that is required for vaccine delivery to the last mile. “At PLUSS, we have been continuously working towards playing our role in getting India ready to effectively combat the COVID-19 pandemic, once the vaccine is approved for use. We are particularly happy to join forces with SpiceJet to ensure the delivery of the vaccine using the safest and fastest mode. SpiceJet flies to many non-metro locations and that will help the vaccine reach to the rural hinterlands of India,” says Samit Jain, MD, PLUSS. “Pluss has been a pioneer in ‘Phase Change Material’ based temperature control solutions in India and will be the appropriate partner as we plan on moving the temperature sensitive Covid-19 vaccines across the country. Spice Xpress has the biggest cargo fleet with more than 17 flights. We can cover …

SpiceJet has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with GMR Hyderabad Air Cargo (GHAC) to provide a seamless service to all vaccine manufacturers in the region. As part of this association, SpiceXpress – the cargo arm of SpiceJet – envisions to provide efficient, speedy and reliable solution for vaccine delivery, while also creating a sustainable cold chain network. SpiceXpress aims to provide the first mile pick up and last mile delivery to carry COVID–19 vaccines across the domestic and international markets in a temperature-controlled environment. Under the MoU, GHAC shall provide available required space on priority for SpiceJet’s vaccine shipments besides training its personnel along with the airline for specific customer requirement. SpiceJet on its part will keep a dedicated fleet of freighters including wide-body aircraft at Hyderabad airport to handle all domestic and international consignments. Hyderabad, which is already at the centre stage of India’s Covid-19 vaccine development programme, is expected to be a key hub in the manufacturing and distribution of the vaccine both domestically as well as globally. The association between SpiceJet and GHAC will aid the manufacturers in the region by ensuring seamless delivery of the vaccine. Ajay Singh, Chairman & Managing Director, SpiceJet said, “We are delighted to have GMR Hyderabad Air Cargo as a partner in our fight against the pandemic. Delivering Covid-19 vaccines safely not just within India but across the globe is a task we are fully committed to. With strong partners and our capability to transport extremely sensitive drugs and vaccines in controlled temperatures of up to -40°c, we feel that we are fully prepared to assist in the biggest vaccination drive in the history of mankind.” As part of its …

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will virtually inaugurate the ‘New Bhaupur- New Khurja section’ of Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC) on December 29, 2020. Prime Minister will also inaugurate EDFC’s Operation Control Centre (OCC) at Prayagraj. The 351 km New Bhaupur- New Khurja section of EDFC is situated in Uttar pradesh and is built at a cost of Rs 5,750 crores. The section will open new vistas of opportunity for the local industries such as aluminium industry (Pukhrayan region of Kanpur Dehat district), dairy sector (Auraiya district), textile production/block printing (Etawah district), glassware industry (Firozabad district), pottery products (Khurja of Bulandshahr district), asafoetida or ‘hing’ production (Hathras district) and locks and hardware (Aligarh district). The section will also decongest the existing Kanpur-Delhi main line and will enable Indian Railways to run faster trains. A state-of-the-art Operation Control Centre (OCC) at Prayagraj will act as the command centre for the entire route length of the EDFC. The OCC is one of the largest structures of its type globally, with modern interiors, ergonomic design and best-in-class acoustics. The building is environment-friendly with a Green Building rating of GRIHA4 and is built as per norms of the ‘Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan’. Governor of Uttar Pradesh Shrimati Anandiben Patel, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Shri Yogi Adityanath and Union Minister Shri Piyush Goyal will also be present on the occasion.

Emirates SkyCargo has flown COVID-19 vaccines, manufactured by Pfizer-BioNTech, to the UAE for the first time for the Dubai Health Authority (DHA). On arrival at DXB, the containers with the vaccines were unloaded on priority from the aircraft and then taken to Emirates SkyCargo’s dedicated pharma facility Emirates SkyPharma to await clearance for delivery. Nabil Sultan, Emirates Divisional Senior, Vice President, Cargo says, “At Emirates SkyCargo we are doing our part to join Dubai’s efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to the effective management of the pandemic by Dubai’s visionary leadership, the city has retained its position as a global logistical hub for connecting vital cargo including PPE, medical supplies, vaccines, food and other essential items. Emirates SkyCargo has set up the world’s largest airside hub dedicated to distributing COVID-19 vaccines and we stand ready to support not just Dubai, but countries around the world, including markets with limited cool chain infrastructure with our advanced capabilities. By transporting COVID-19 vaccines across our extensive network, we look forward to helping people around the world get back on their feet after the devastating impact of the pandemic.” Emirates SkyCargo is no stranger to transporting vaccines and other temperature sensitive pharmaceutical cargo. The carrier has more than two decades experience in transporting pharmaceuticals on its aircraft and has set up state of the art EU GDP certified facilities dedicated for storing and handling pharma cargo in Dubai. Emirates SkyCargo has also established a global Pharma Corridors programme working with ground handlers and local airports at major pharma origin and destination stations for enhanced cool chain protection. The current pharma network covers over 30 cities across the world including Brussels.

In view of the approvals of various COVID-19 vaccines in many countries, Lufthansa Cargo has announced that the cargo carrier is well prepared for their global distribution in the coming months. Air freight is indispensable for the fast and reliable intercontinental distribution of highly sensitive pharmaceuticals. Therefore, a dedicated task force has prepared a variety of possible transport scenarios since spring. “The distribution of temperature- and time-sensitive pharmaceuticals is extremely demanding. We were one of the first airlines to specialise in the transport of medical goods and pharmaceuticals and can therefore draw on many years of experience. Thanks to the recent expansion of our ground infrastructure, we can also handle larger volumes and transport them worldwide while supporting our customers to maintain the cold chain,” explained Peter Gerber, CEO, Lufthansa Cargo. “In 2019, we transported around 100,000 tonnes of pharmaceuticals. We are ready to make another important contribution to overcoming the pandemic by distributing the vaccines worldwide.” While the transport of COVID-19 vaccines is already available with Lufthansa Cargo the company now announced a premium product to its customers that was specifically developed for the transport of COVID-19 vaccines. The product called COVID-19 Temp Premium will be bookable as of January 11, 2021 and will provide a high level of comprehensive and personalized customer service along the travel chain, including seamless monitoring of vaccine shipments throughout the entire process and a 24/7 after sales support. Additionally, COVID-19 Temp Premium includes high priority capacity access, Lufthansa Cargo’s fastest speed option in combination with temperature focus and a comprehensive security concept as well as bookability throughout the entire Lufthansa Cargo network. For the transport of pharmaceuticals, three temperature ranges (based on the …

In a bid to transport COVID-19 vaccine across the country, SpiceJet and Skyways Air Services have announced a joint initiative. While SpiceJet will provide connectivity across its pan India network with full temperature mapping controls, Skyways Air Services will provide cold chain transportation and storage along with the dedicated last-mile connectivity. In addition, Skyways Air Services will provide custom brokering services, wherever required in India, Germany and USA. The MoU was signed by Sanjiv Gupta, CEO, SpiceJet and Yashpal Sharma, Managing Director Skyways Air Services.

According to WheelsEye Technology research, “Indian trucking sector is suffering from losses of ₹2-3 crore per day in faulty toll transactions. The Gurugram based logistics tech startup has revealed this figure in a research conducted on over five lakh FASTag users. WheelsEye claimed that one out of every 60 FASTag transactions is faulty, as a result of which truck owners lose hard-earned money every day. This survey prompted the startup to develop an auto-detection and refund feature for wrong or double toll deductions from FASTag accounts. In an industry-first move, the company has launched an auto-detection & refund system for faulty FASTag transactions. “E-toll collection systems are a symbol of developing economies. They enable a faster transit, check leakage, and create an efficient flow of money. While countries like Norway, Italy, Japan, USA, Germany have their e-toll collection systems since as early as 1969, India has just begun. It got a massive push due to the government making it mandatory and COVID-19 forcing contactless toll transactions. While we have reached a massive scale on adoption, we are still way behind in providing a glitch-free and smooth experience” says Sonesh Jain, Spokesperson, WheelsEye Technology.