India is in a position to become the global cargo hub in the coming years, with the kind of developments happening on the infrastructural and technological front and with government’s initiatives like Gati Shakti, National Logistics Policy, Manufacturing in India, the growth is certain, there are tremendous opportunities, said,” Piyush Srivastava – Senior Economic Advisor (Ministry of Commerce and Industry), while addressing ACFI Annual Conclave held on Wednesday in New Delhi. The theme of the event Cargo Udaan – Empowering and connecting Indian skies is very relevant he added stating, it reminds of long-haul flights with some turbulences like we have high Air Turbine Fuel (ATF) prices. “To bring down high ATF prices, we have to reduce VAT, he added. We have succeeded in 17 states, we have now 31 states on our side now, where we are working on reducing ATF like Delhi. It’s work in progress.” “I feel country of our size, dimension should have transshipment hubs. For creating a hub government can only provide a facilitating environment but the hub will be created on global economic scenario and how the industry sees the growth. Now Air India placed huge order of widebody aircraft, which will boost the creation of aviation hubs in the country. We are poised to achieve this target in the coming years.”

Air Cargo Forum India (ACFI) successfully held its Annual Conclave on 3rd May 2023 in New Delhi. The success of the event was the outcome of the hard work and collective efforts put in by the The theme “Cargo Udaan- Connecting and Empowering Indian Skies,” focussed on leveraging innovative technologies, integrating processes, adopting global best practices and preparing for the expected increase in demand for air cargo in the post-COVID world. The event was graced by senior Govt. Officials as Guests of Honour, including Ms. Jivisha Joshi, Deputy Secretary – DPIIT (Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry), Ms. Divya Satija, senior leader – DPIIT Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry) and Mr. Piyush Srivastava – Senior Economic Advisor (Ministry of Commerce and Industry). The conclave covered three business sessions that highlighted the various possibilities, opportunities, challenges and action items for the Indian skies to reach 10 million tons by 2030-31. The sessions emphasized on key topics – “AIR CARGO – The Business Galvanizer,” “INTERNATIONAL AIR CARGO – Opportunities and Challenges,” and “DOMESTIC AIR CARGO – Leveraging the Potential of Indian Domestic Cargo.” These were moderated by senior leaders like Mr. Satish Lakkaraju, Chairman – Event management Task Pillar and Global Head of Air Freight, WIZ Freight, Mr. Sanjiv Edward, Vice President ACFI & CEO – Cargo and Logistics, GMR Group along with Mr. Keku Bomi Gazder, ACFI Governing Board Member, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Aviapro Logistic Services Pvt. Ltd. ACFI Governing Board and Event Management Task Pillar members of the forum under the stellar leadership of Mr. Yashpal Sharma, ACFI President, along with the …

Sanjiv Edward, who was earlier working with Delhi International Airport Ltd. (DIAL), as its CCO is now taking over as the Chief Executive Officer – Cargo and Logistics for GMR Group w.e.f. April 2023. In his new role with GMR, he will be responsible for handling DIAL’s cargo business in Delhi, Hyderabad, Goa, and all upcoming airports, in addition to continue to drive strategic projects for DIAL. He has earlier served as Chief Commercial Officer for DIAL, where he led the Aeronautical and Aero-related business verticals of IGI Airport, and was responsible for developing and driving the strategy for these verticals by achieving sustained growth of Aeronautical revenues through various streams, such as Cargo, Land & Space, Concessions and Aeronautical services. His profile also included leading the Airlines marketing and Route development activities to enhance IGI Airports’Air connectivity network. Earlier to this role, Sanjeev was heading the Cargo business of DIAL, where he was responsible for successfully driving the Cargo Strategy and Development of the Cargo Master Plan, making IGIA as the number one cargo airport in the country. He has been actively engaged with stakeholders like the Government, the Regulators, and industry in general for policy formulation at various levels. Continuing his experience of over 20 years in the aviation industry, Mr. Edward is also working closely with organisations including WCO, ICAO, WTO, TSA, UNCTAD and has also served as the Chairman of The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA), Miami from May 2015 to October 2017. He is currently on the Board of ACFI, CELEBI, DAFFPL and DASPL.

Global air cargo chargeable weight flown in the first quarter of 2023 ended up -11 per cent compared to Q12022. “But a deep-dive into WorldACD’s data reveals that behind those figures there is a tremendous amount of variation globally, depending on factors such as origin point or region, product type, shipment weight, and whether cargo was flown via freighter or passenger belly capacity,” said release. The overall tonnage performance of the different main origin regions ranges from a +1 percent year-on-year (YoY) increase in volumes originating from Africa and from Central & South America (C&S America) to -18 percent from North America and -16 percent from Asia Pacific with Europe at -5 percent and Middle East & South Asia (MESA) closer to the average at -8 percent, the report said. Breaking down those origin figures further reveals that the 16 percent drop from Asia Pacific includes a 24 percent decline in intra-Asia traffic and a 21 percent fall in traffic to North America, and more-modest declines to Europe (-10 percent) and Africa (-9 percent) despite a capacity rise of +7 percent ex-Asia Pacific. The total also hides a 30 percent rise in traffic ex-Asia Pacific to C&S America and a nine percent rise to MESA.

Leasing of industrial and warehousing space rose 11 percent year-on-year (YoY) to 7.2 million square feet (msf) during the January-March period across five major cities, driven by higher demand from third-party logistics and e-commerce firms, according to Colliers India. The report stated that Delhi-NCR continued to lead in demand with a 29 percent share, followed by Mumbai. Third-party logistics (3PL) players accounted for 41 percent of the demand, followed by the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector at 12 percent. “The demand from the retail and FMCG sectors saw a three-fold rise YoY as they expanded their presence in larger markets such as Delhi-NCR and Mumbai. This increase in industrial warehousing space uptake aligns well with the growth in private consumption in the domestic economy,” the report added. Mumbai experienced a 37 percent YoY increase in leasing, primarily driven by 3PL operators who continued to expand in the city despite weaker economic and business sentiment.

Mangaluru International Airport (MIA), Bengaluru opened its Integrated Cargo Terminal (ICT) for public use on May 1. The ICT covers an area of 1,891 sq.m, with 1,200 sq.m allocated for international cargo and the remaining area for domestic cargo. The terminal is capable of handling 9,000 tonnes of international and domestic cargo per annum, said reports. The airport began operations at the ICT by managing domestic inbound and outbound cargo on the opening day, with international cargo expected to follow soon. The new ICT has ample parking space for all stakeholders and boasts several features to aid in effective handling of inbound and outbound cargo. Notably, the facility includes 10 truck bays, two dock levelers, and forklifts, the reports added. The ICT also includes separate office spaces for airlines and customs, and a centralized AC system. The facility has a strong room, cold storage, and dangerous goods storage area, which meet the norms prescribed by aviation cargo regulators. The entire facility is under CCTV surveillance, with separate space for training, documentation, conferences, and even a board room. A pass issuance and frisking booth are also available at the entrance gate, and the facility is under the watchful eyes of ASG personnel of CISF round the clock.

Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) is redeveloping its 19th Street Cargo facility to enhance its international e-commerce capabilities and increasing overall cargo capacity. Besides supporting the gateway’s ongoing growth in cargo operations, the 19th Street Cargo Redevelopment Project is intended to address labour shortages, airport congestion and sustainability while improving safety, efficiency and security – all through the application of state-of-the-art technology. It will add approximately 350,000 sq ft of new warehouse space and seven large cargo aircraft parking positions, with completion slated for late 2024. After searching for potential tenants that value innovation, automation and emerging technologies, DFW chose Menzies Aviation and dnata USA to create and operate new cargo warehouses at the redeveloped site, subject to final approval by the airport’s board of directors. DFW executive vice president, global strategy and development John Ackerman said: “We selected these tenants for their commitment to excellence in cargo handling and their long-term business strategy, which supports our business priorities in developing DFW as a transit hub in the global supply chain connecting Asia and Latin America. “This will also support our goal of being a hub for the fastest growing markets, including pharma and other perishables, as well as cross-border e-commerce.”

Northeast India’s second largest air cargo terminal at the Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport in Agartala was inaugurated recently by Tripura Transport Minister Sushanta Chowdhury. The largest such facility in the region exists at Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati. The new building was constructed at a cost of Rs 17 crore and cargo handling facility at the airport was restored after being shut since December 4 last year due to the absence of security vetting by regulatory body, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS). The suspension of services had caused inconvenience to traders as well as postal service. “The domestic air cargo terminal will play a pivotal role in flourishing the state’s economy. Tripura has witnessed massive growth in connectivity over the last few years. The airport has been upgraded keeping in view future needs,” the minister said.

Block your date for the India’s biggest virtual meet on the Need for world-class cold chain infrastructure to store and transport Pharma in India, with top industry veterans participating as panelists focusing on various crucial aspects such as Current Infrastructure for cold chain shipments handling and multimodal transportation, recent advancements, innovations and investments in improving cold chain infra, crucial Pain points and lot more. The panelists include Satish Lakkaraju, Senior VP, Global Head-Air Freight and Pharma, WIZ Freight, Radar Ventures, Tushar Jani, Group Chairman, Cargo Service Center, Rashmi Karnad Gurung, Manager Climate Control Product, Qatar Airways. The session will be moderated by Mr. SanJeet, CEO, DDP Group. Be ready to be a part of the virtual meet on 5th May, 2023 at 11.00 a.m. being organised by CargoTalk Digital Conclave in association with Cargo Service Center (CSC). Recently, CargoTalk has collaborated with Cargo Service Center for Pharma Talkathon – A series of knowledge-sharing sessions on everything about pharma. Register now! https://lnkd.in/dwHm_Cui

Merck Lifescience signed a strategic contract with LP Logiscience, the warehousing and contract logistic arm of the legendary Liladhar Passo group to avail the use the EV’s for distribution of finished goods from their Rasayani factory, to Merck Lifescience customers, across Mumbai. The contract is a part of Merck and LP Logiscience’s commitment to achieve the mutual sustainability goals, and to move towards carbon-neutral distribution services. With a range of up to 150 km per charge and a payload capacity of 700 kg per trip, the launch of the EV makes LP Logiscience, one of the leading Indian players to adopt green initiatives and innovative tech-enabled operations with a focus on building carbon-neutral/ sustainable warehouses in India.