Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer has signed a Letter of Agreement (LoA) with China’s Lanzhou Aviation Industry Development Group for 20 E190F and E195F E-Jet Passenger to Freighter Conversions (P2F), said reports. Embraer and Lanzhou intend to cooperate on establishing E190F and E195F conversion capability in Lanzhou, China, in a bid to appeal to the Chinese market. With the signing of this LoA at the 54th Paris Airshow, Lanzhou Group, becomes the launch customer and base for Embraer’s P2F conversions in China. Arjan Meijer, president and chief executive, Embraer Commercial Aviation, said: “The opportunity in China had a significant influence during the decision-making process of the launch of our P2F programme. “It is a market with increasing demand for cargo aircraft to accommodate the tremendous growth of E-commerce trade and the consequent evolution of the logistics industry. We’re confident in this booming market and always willing to support the sector’s further progress in cooperation with our Chinese partners.

Algerian flag carrier Air Algérie has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for two 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighters (BCF) to meet increasing cargo demand. The 737-800BCF carries more payload (up to 23.9 tonnes) and offers more range (2,025 nautical miles) than previous standard body freighter. Global Boeing customers have placed more than 250 orders and commitments for the 737-800BCF. Stan Deal, president and chief executive of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said that “the highly reliable and capable 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighters will enable Air Algerie to capture growing cargo opportunities, expanding beyond its passenger business”. Government-owned Air Algérie is based at Houari Boumediene Airport (Algiers International Airport) and operates scheduled international services to nearly 40 destinations in 28 countries. According to the airline’s website, it has 56 aircraft in its fleet. These include a Hercules L 100-30.

Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) has signed a contract with Air India SATS Airport Services (AISATS) to design, build, finance, operate and maintain a greenfield Logistics Park at the Airport for a period of 15 years, shares Satyaki Raghunath, Chief Strategy and Development Officer, Bangalore International Airport (BIAL). The upcoming logistics park will be developed across ~ 8.0 acres of land. It will be a world-class warehousing facility comprising of a general warehouse, bonded warehouse, consolidation centre, cold-storage facility, office spaces and other amenities such as a Bank / ATM facility, a business centre, a cafeteria etc. AISATS will also provide value-added services including manpower and equipment rentals on an hourly or pay-per-use basis for loading/offloading, labelling, packaging, bulk-breaking. The development of the Logistics Park will support the exporters, importers, and freight forwarders by creating an efficient warehousing centre with value-added services for the air cargo community. In line with the Gati Shakti Plan, BLR Cargo will also be enhancing its cargo capacity from 715,000 MTPA to 1 Million MTPA by the end of this decade.

Bikar Aerospace GmbH is set to build an advanced Aerospace Service Centre (ASC) to boost storage and customized processing of semi-finished products made of aluminum, titanium, super alloys and other aerospace metals. The center will be build in collaboration with Belagavi Aerospace Cluster (BAC), operated by Aequs Infrastructure. To further expand Bikar’s market presence and strengthen its position as a premier international supplier of aerospace materials, the company has opted for a strategic presence at Aequs SEZ in Belagavi, North Karnataka. In future, Bikar will provide storage and customized processing of semi-finished products made of aluminum, titanium, super alloys and other aerospace metals.

WestJet Cargo and Wiremind have embarked on a new initiative centred on improving capacity forecasting. With WestJet Cargo’s recent renewal of its SKYPALLET contract with Wiremind, the decision to take the digital collaboration further and explore capacity forecasting improvements was made. A Proof of Concept (PoC) was initiated in April 2023 and will run for the next few months with a final enhancement expected in the second half of this year. An Artificial Intelligence-driven capacity forecasting mechanism is already part of Wiremind’s optimization solution, CARGOSTACK Optimiser. Through a combination of advanced Machine Learning models and algorithms, Wiremind’s solution provides a more accurate estimate of the remaining cargo capacity for sale, after factoring in non-cargo items such as passenger baggage, fuel and other capacity consuming items. It can provide this capacity estimate in payload, volume and positional terms depending on the profile of the flight or the aircraft type operated.

FM Logistic inaugurated its first Control Tower (CT) facility to enhance its 4PL and LLP offering. The aim is to optimise company’s supply chain operations and reduce logistics cost and dwell time. The facility is launched to enhance trace and trace visibility, end-to-end transparency and efficiency. The occasion was graced by Jean-Christophe Machet, CEO of FM Logistic, Stéphane Descarpentries, Managing Director, Asia and Strategic Projects, Alexandre Amine Soufiani, Managing Director, FM Logistic Singapore and Ajit Jangle, Managing Director, FM Logistic India. Jean-Christophe Machet said, “At FM Logistic, we are always willing to adapt to the current market demands. The COVID-19 pandemic has confirmed that it is critical for supply chains to cater to the ever-changing needs of the business. Our new control tower solution in India reaffirms our commitment to helping our customers meet their growing business needs efficiently, by offering mutualised solutions enabling more sustainable and economical supply chains” FM Logistic India’s newly appointed Managing Director, Ajit Jangle, added, “It gives me immense pleasure to inaugurate our new Control Tower facility. We continue to strengthen our leading position in India through this sophisticated digital solution. This new offering provides consolidation, optimisation and efficiency – all the prerequisites for a robust supply chain. In today’s volatile business environment, it is imperative to build and maintain robust and resilient supply chains. Through this new service, we are certain that we ensure the future readiness of our customers’ supply chains and in turn, delight them. By means of this technology-driven solution, we will efficiently enable our customers to expand their business horizons.”

LogiNext introduced Fleet Tracking to offer real-time alerts for any anomalies or deviations and share visibility on transport fleet performance through multiple indicators tracked in real-time. Through such features, LogiNext aims to minimize risks involved in the logistics industry, while helping enterprises to optimize their delivery operations. LogiNext Fleet Tracking is built with data mapping and data analytics services, bridging the gap between technology and trucking. This makes it possible to track end-to-end long-haul movement via a single platform. Enterprises can now track vehicle data tracking points like GPS location, fuel consumption, updates on truck movement, the temperature of holds and much more. LogiNext offers a set of proactive alerts that promises enhanced visibility and proactive risk mitigation for long-haul fleet operations via one control panel.

Gati Ltd., an Allcargo Group company has added 1000 Pin codes to its direct delivery coverage network, increasing its direct coverage by 25 percent. With Gati’s unmatched transportation, warehousing and service delivery capabilities, businesses now can scale up their operations effectively and sustainably across the country. Leveraging Gati’s direct connectivity to the Pin codes, businesses can bolster their supply efficiency with faster, safer, and cost-effective movements. With the expansion of direct delivery to 5140 PIN codes, customers can now benefit from better transit time, reliability and can scale their businesses to a much wider network. Commenting on the development, Pirojshaw Sarkari, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Gati Ltd. said, “With 1000 more direct delivery Pin codes, we have further enhanced the reach of our direct delivery network across the country. This shall be a continuous endeavour at Gati to give fast and direct access to its customers. By building a robust network, we are not only driving efficiencies for large enterprises but also strengthening small and medium-sized businesses, thus contributing to economic growth.”

IG International announced the successful import of the first trial shipment of Australian avocados to the port of discharge in Mumbai. This landmark achievement, comprising 176 cartons of premium avocados, marks a significant step in IG International’s commitment to bringing the finest-quality fresh fruits to the Indian market. Shubha Rawal, Director, Sourcing and Marketing, IG International, stated, “We are thrilled to have successfully imported the first trial shipment of Australian avocados. This collaboration with Avolution reinforces our commitment to offering the finest produce to our valued customers. We believe that the introduction of Australian avocados will greatly enhance the culinary experiences of Indian consumers and contribute to the growth of the fresh produce industry in India.”

The absence of an open skies policy or imposing GST on export freight can slow air cargo industry growth, says Chandra Kant Govil, Vice President, ACAAI and Managing Director at Activair Airfreight. “Apart from this, the industry faces many challenges with transshipment cargo. It was easier and quicker earlier, but it takes many days now due to various reasons. It is difficult for the Indian cargo industry to compete with the airports in Hong Kong, Singapore, and the Middle East or strive to achieve the 2030 target under these circumstances. Even perishable goods from tier-two cities face challenges and delays connecting to international flights.”