Ethiopian Cargo & Logistics Services is adding Casablanca, Morocco to its freighter services. The carrier said in a LinkedIn post on January 4 that it “has finalized preparations to launch freighter services to Casablanca, Morocco”. Ethiopian Cargo added that it will begin operations to Casablanca on January 9. The airline has not specified what aircraft will be used, or the frequency and schedule of the route. Ethiopian Cargo & Logistics Services, operates to more than 60 destinations in Africa. The company carries out the transportation of special cargo like medical products, live animals and perishable products.

Etihad Cargo witnessed growth due to rising e-commerce and electronics demand and the airline is hoping its new relationships covering the sector will help boost performance this year, said Leonard Rodrigues, acting manager director, head of revenue management & network planning, adding that much of the rise in demand from e-commerce and electronics companies was driven by increased volumes of new smartphone models. The airline was able to meet this demand with dedicated freighter charters. “Etihad Cargo reserves freighter availability for these projects so that we have the capability to fully meet demand,” he said in reports. “This combined with our express and e-commerce capabilities, our efficiency in handling this type of cargo and Abu Dhabi’s strategic geographical location makes Abu Dhabi International Airport an ideal hub location for the transit of these charters.” Rodrigues also pointed to Etihad’s recent reciprocal blockspace agreement with Chinese express carrier SF Airlines as an example of how it had partnered with firms to meet demand for e-commerce. The partnership saw Etihad add flights to SF Airlines’ Ezhou hub and therefore improve connectivity with China’s five national-level city clusters and 25 domestic destinations via the airport’s transportation infrastructure, including railway, waterway, expressway and air links.

The Air Cargo Agents Association of India (ACAAI) and Air Cargo Forum India (ACFI) held a meeting with Shri General V K Singh, MoS, Shri Vumlunmang Vualnam, Secretary MoCA and Shri Piyush Srivastava, Senior Economic Advisor at Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) to focus on the issues regarding the eKYC and digital invoice issue. “With uniform eKYC in place, exporters or importers do not need to register at every individual port. Also when the exporter is uploading the invoice for GST, the data should be captured and used by customs so as to reduce the carbon footprint and not using paper, ACAAI and ACFI members raised the concern. The meeting was attended by ACAAI and ACFI members including President, CK Govil, Secretary Vikram Kumar, K S Kunwar, Secretary General, ACFI, Arun Kumar ACFI and Rajiv Khanna ACFI.

Kuehne+Nagel announced the launch of its Book & Claim insetting solution for electric vehicles, making Kuehne+Nagel the first logistics service provider to launch the solution, which previously was limited to low-emission fuels. “Implementing decarbonisation solutions and helping customers achieve their sustainability goals is a key component of Kuehne+Nagel’s Roadmap 2026 Living ESG cornerstone,” says an official release. Kuehne+Nagel launched an insetting solution for hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) last October, which is now followed by electric vehicles, the release added. “The first-of-its-kind solution has been tested and validated in cooperation with leading external stakeholders.” Hansjörg Rodi, Member of Management Board responsible for road logistics, Kuehne+Nagel says: “We see battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) as the future to reduce emissions in road freight. Carbon insetting supports the scale-up of low-emission solutions like BEVs and helps to reduce the premium that customers pay for these solutions, thereby supporting the decarbonisation of road transport.”

The peak season surge in air freight rates of the past three months appears to have come to an end according to the latest data from TAC Index, the price reporting agency (PRA) for air freight markets. The overall Baltic Air Freight Index suddenly fell by -20 percent over the two weeks to 1 January, putting it down by -31 percent over the past 12 months. “Like the previous rise in rates, the sudden drop was heavily skewed by falling rates out of China, with every lane tracked from Hong Kong and Shanghai heading lower,” reads the report. The index for outbound Hong Kong routes was down -23 percent over two weeks putting it back in negative territory YoY by -15 percent. Outbound Shanghai fell even more steeply, pushing to a fall YoY of -30 percent. Sources suggested the sudden drop probably reflected a drop in spot market volumes – leaving a higher proportion of business conducted at previously agreed (lower) contract levels. Rates from elsewhere in Asia were not falling so much WoW – and indeed higher on lanes to Europe from Vietnam, Bangkok and India.

Geopolitical uncertainty and unpredictability could fuel demand for air cargo as shippers move to benefit from the stability of services. Figures from data provider Xeneta show that air cargo demand increased by 9% year on year in December – although this is partly a reflection of a weak end to 2022 – while spot rates reached their highest level in nine months of $2.60 per kg and the dynamic load factor increased by 3% to reach 59%. And Xeneta chief airfreight officer Niall van de Wouw said this could mark the start of a new cycle for air cargo, with shippers likely to appreciate stability returning to the market allowing them to “more accurately predict the transportation costs for the products they are selling”. He pointed out the ocean freight market is facing disruption due to attacks in the Red Sea. Van de Wouw said: “There’s still a lot of friction in the global supply chain market and that means there will be opportunities for some sectors. If big ocean carriers are not going through the Red Sea, it might delay a million or more containers, with all the knock-on effects. “And the fact that you don’t know how long this situation will continue means some shippers will pay for the predictability of air cargo to lessen the impact of the current ocean freight disruption.

Kartik Sharma, AI Expert shares, “In 2024, the air cargo industry is poised for a transformative leap with AI at its helm. AI-driven innovations streamline logistics, optimizing routes, and enhancing operational efficiency. Predictive analytics minimize delays, maximizing on-time deliveries. Smart warehouses leverage AI for automated sorting and handling, reducing errors. This synergy of AI and air cargo signifies a promising era of faster, cost-effective, and eco-friendly transport. Embracing this evolution, I am optimistic about AI’s role in propelling the industry forward, revolutionizing global trade and connectivity while fostering a sustainable future for air cargo in 2024 and beyond.”

Yashpal Sharma, President, Air Cargo Forum India (ACFI) shares, “2024 will see India take a key position in South Asia as a hub. We are confident that the Government is going to very soon bring regulatory changes to the processes to facilitate this. We do expect a higher level of digital penetration across all stakeholders to bring better speed and efficiency for air cargo. The year gone by was a re-set year post pandemic for most economies of the world. ACFI has also played an active role in bringing all stakeholders together and also addressing key industry issues to the Government and other regulators.”

Korean Air said it expects to complete the acquisition of Asiana Airlines this year, as it acknowledged that the process had “taken much longer than expected”. In a message to employees on New Year’s Day, airline chief Walter Cho said he is “confident” the merger – first announced in November 2020 amid the Covid-19 pandemic – will finalise this year. The integrated airline will “be a tremendous growth engine for us in the long run”, Cho added, urging employees to “work together” in its launch. “Korean Air will be poised to stand shoulder to shoulder with global leading airlines. The merger will optimise our network and allow us to operate to new destinations, so that we may offer customers more choices.” Last month, European Union competition regulators set a February deadline to review Korean Air’s proposed acquisition of Asiana Airlines. The two airlines last year gained board approval to sell the cargo business of Asiana Airlines to offset concerns about the market share the combined entity would have on the Korea-Europe trade lane. While the acquisition has gained approvals from several regulators, including in Singapore, the UK and China, it has faltered in major jurisdictions such as the EU, USA and Japan.

IG Drones has won a contract to survey Uttarakhand Metro Rail Project to build a PRT corridor, under the Neo Metro System, the country’s first such Project. The Neo Metro Project is aimed to construct state-of-the-art rapid transit systems in Dehradun, Haridwar, and Rishikesh within the next four years to ease traffic congestion. The Personalized Rapid Transit Corridor or PRT is being developed under the Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) that will link three cities– Haridwar, Rishikesh, and Dehradun. An initiative by the Government of Uttarakhand, the PRT Corridor project is anticipated to be completed by 2024 and seeks to offer world-class and state-of-the-art commuting. IG Drones will help prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) by surveying the project through high-tech drones. The company will employ domestically developed drones to conduct regular overview of the ongoing work progress on the ground. The drones are equipped with advanced sensors capable of capturing high-resolution images, videos, and additional data from the ground. This collected data is then processed through IG One, their proprietary software, which offers in-depth technical insights and analytics. These analytics enable real-time tracking of the project’s progress. Drones are increasingly prevalent in infrastructure projects, valued for their efficiency, precision, and cost-effectiveness. They not only diminish the reliance on manual labor but also result in significant time and cost savings. Their applications extend to surveying construction progress, assessing work quality, and identifying potential issues during the construction phase.