Mammoth Freighters expects to complete its first 777-200LR modification by year-end and to achieve an initial regulatory certification by April 2024. The company said it now holds orders to modify 35 777s from passenger to cargo configurations, including nine modified 777-200LRs due for delivery to DHL. Mammoth is also in “advanced stages” of negotiations to sell another 10 of the modified Boeing widebody jets, the Orlando-based company’s vice-president of marketing and sales Brian McCarthy said in reports. He added Mammoth is on track to complete its first modification – that of a 777-200LR due to Canadian hauler Cargojet – by the end of 2022. Orlando-based Mammoth previously aimed to have its “777-200LRMF” modification approved by the Federal Aviation Administration with a supplemental type certificate (STC) in 2023. But the modification’s expected end-year completion likely means the FAA will grant the STC in 2024 – probably by April, said McCarthy. Mammoth expects to receive an STC for its 777-300ERMF conversion about six months after that, he added. Mammoth’s corporate affiliate Aspire MRO is performing the conversion work in a former American Airlines 777 maintenance site at Fort Worth Alliance airport in Texas. Both Mammoth and Aspire are backed by Fortress Investment Group. Mammoth is initially setting up three modification lines at the site, and already working on conversions of two 777-200LRs (former Delta Air Lines aircraft due to Cargojet) and one 777-300ER (an aircraft owned by AviaAM Leasing).

CABT Logistics has partnered with Croma as their logistics partner to facilitate deliveries Pan-India. The partnership has been initiated from the West Region in Mumbai for Last-Mile Delivery orders for Large items. CABT Logistics is expected to go live in more than 10+ cities by next 6 months. To help Croma gain a stronghold in LMD for increased customer acquisition, CABT Logistics will facilitate seamless deliveries. For the same, CABT Logistics has deployed skilled labour in transportation dedicatedly for Croma. This will ensure that the customers have an excellent experience keeping brand equity on priority. CABT Logistics already has a strong presence Pan India. This places them at an advantage to help Croma achieve targets swiftly. CABT Logistics is investing heavily in delivery personnel including riders, sorters, and loaders exclusively for Croma to ensure operational optimization. Sujit Kumar Yadav from Lead Commercial and Contracting, Croma shared, “We are delighted to tie up with CABT Logistics. Knowing the expertise that CABT Logistics brings to the table we are confident that this will be a long and fruitful collaboration. Combining Croma’s reach and CABT’s logistics expertise this collaboration is set to accelerate the development of digital solutions to ensure a wholesome logistics eco-system for us.” Shailesh Kumar, Founder at CABT Logistics shared, “We are happy to collaborate with Croma, one of India’s pioneering platforms and help them strategize their D2C expansion. We will put our best foot forward and deliver according to their expectations. The investment we are rolling out is because we have faith in the brand and our expertise to ensure long-term growth strategies are realized.”

Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Balmer Lawrie & Co. Ltd for utilising storage and warehousing space of CWC for providing cold chain logistics, general warehousing and other ancillary services. This would be valid for a period of ten years from the date of signing MoU. As part of the association, Balmer Lawrie and CWC will collaborate to leverage each other’s capabilities and complement each other to provide services to customers in keeping with the growing demands of the segment. Both the organisations would work together to strengthen and expand their foothold not only in cold chain logistics but also general warehousing and distribution pan India, said a press statement issued by the company. The association with CWC will give a fillip to Balmer Lawrie’s cold chain business unit’s aspiration of achieving over ₹100 crore by 2027 and also setting up mini temperature controlled warehouses having a capacity of 1,500 to 2,000 pallet position in Tier-II and -III cities across the country. It would also help address the supply gap in the cold chain logistics segment and will significantly contribute to the country’s economy, Adika Ratna Sekhar, Chairman & Managing Director, Balmer Lawrie, said in the statement.

Air Canada Cargo has started freighter operations to Basel, Switzerland. With this the carrier has connected one of Europe’s premiere pharmaceutical hubs to its network through its Toronto global hub. “The flights will operate twice per week using Air Canada Cargo’s Boeing 767 freighters,” said an official release. “We are excited to be returning to Basel, this time with our freighters, to serve a key market in Europe for pharmaceuticals,” said Matthieu Casey, Managing Director, Commercial, Air Canada Cargo. “The capability of our freighters, combined with our temperature-controlled containers and cool chain facility at our Toronto global hub, position us to serve this critical market with reliable, year-round service, and ensure these important shipments can move safely and in a timely manner throughout our global network.” Air Canada Cargo’s Basel service is the latest addition to its worldwide freighter network, following the recently launched freighter services to Liege, Dallas, Atlanta and Bogota, the release added.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched the first of its kind heavy lift logistics drone, made by Odisha-based start-up ‘BonV Aero’, which has the capacity to transport 50kg over 10kms. The Chief Minister was at the opening day of ‘Odisha Skill Conclave 2023’, where he also took a trial of the drone. Satyabrata Satapathy, the co-founder and CEO of BonV Aero said during the event, “Start-up has successfully done a trial of this ‘RM001’ Electric Aerial Vehicle carrying 50-kilogram cargo at the altitude of 8000-10,000 feet in the Tawang of Eastern Command of the Indian Army forward post in Arunachal Pradesh. Next, a high altitude trial on 14,000-16,000 feet will be done”. “In its next phase, the startup aims to develop its flagship platform ‘RM002’ that can transport 200 kilograms of freight over 40 kilometres,” he added. He further said that these multi-utility air vehicles are very helpful in the disaster response and the movement of any kind of cargo or goods where surface logistics are either unfavourable or time-consuming.

The Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCC) commenced operations on the Rewari Gati Shakti Cargo Terminal (GCT) in public-private-partnership (PPP) mode. This becomes the first operational GCT with complete investment from a private player and zero revenue-sharing on account of the Indian Railways. The Rs 8-crore GCT in Haryana, built solely for container traffic, along the edge of Line 10 of the New Rewari station on Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC), will be operated by Pristine Mega Logistics Park, which got the project in a race against state-owned Container Corporation of India (Concor) and shipping major DP World, officials said. “It’s a revolutionary departure from the existing practice in Indian Railways where a part of the terminal access charge is shared by the GCT operator to railways. This measure will ensure that the development of the terminal is achieved with no investment by railways or DFCC,” the railway-owned firm said. The terminal has been made operational within 75 days of awarding of contract. Senior officials present at the inauguration said private sector interest was evident from the fact that all three companies had made bids for zero revenue sharing, which means railways would keep all the revenue from terminal usage fees. Typically, only a certain part of the terminal access charge (TAC) is shared with the railways by the operator, due to a policy on land management framed last October. The proportion of sharing between the private operator and the railways is a key bidding metric.

DHL Express has ordered nine Mammoth Freighters-converted Boeing 777-200LR freighters from lessor Jetran. The first cargo aircraft will be delivered in 2024, with the remaining aircraft to be supplied until early 2027. The 777-200LRs will replace DHL’s older Boeing 747 freighters as part of the sustainability-focused plan to modernise DHL Express’ long-haul intercontinental fleet. DHL Express said ordering converted freighters with a shorter useful life provides an efficient bridge between current and new airframe technologies, such as those used with the new generation 777-8F and Airbus A350F widebody freighters. “We are excited to welcome Mammoth-converted 777-200LRFs to the DHL Express family,” stated Robert Hyslop, executive vice president global aviation at DHL Express. “With the modernisation of our intercontinental fleet, we can simultaneously enhance our proven ability to meet growing demand, improve our environmental footprint and deliver best quality service to our customers. “We are pleased to continue demonstrating to partners and customers alike how these advancements elevate our service and bring us closer to our Sustainability Roadmap goals.” The Mammoth converted 777-200LR freighter has similar characteristics to the production freighter. With a payload capacity of 102 tons and a range of 9,200 km, the 777F has the largest capacity and range of all twin-engine freighter aircraft and is more reliable than older B747 planes, said DHL Express. It is also more fuel-efficient and reduces CO2 emissions by 18% compared to legacy airplanes. Between 2018 and 2022, DHL bought 28 new 777-200Fs from Boeing – 18 of those aircraft are currently in service. The remaining aircraft will be delivered from 2023 to 2025. The aircraft form a key part of DHL’s intercontinental air network, in which DHL Express operates more than …

Californian autonomous cargo aircraft developer Natilus has successfully completed multiple flights of the subscale prototype of its 3.8 ton payload unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The flight tests for the ‘Kona’ short-haul UAV mark a significant milestone for Natilus by validating wind tunnel tests conducted over three years, testing the aerodynamic performance of the Natilus blended-wing-body (BWB) aircraft design. The subscale prototype of the domestic feeder aircraft took off from a private runway in Southern California and reached speeds of 70 mph. Natilus said one the key challenges with the BWB design has been stability – and the test flights validated that the Natilus configuration can fly without the help of a complex autopilot system. “We are fully focused on completing the full-scale Kona prototype,” stated Aleksey Matyushev, Natilus co-founder and chief executive. “Our Kona remotely piloted aircraft will be capable of carrying over 9,000 pounds (4.3 metric tons) of freight and will open new markets worldwide. “The progress of Natilus developing autonomous cargo aircraft is a game-changer in the logistics industry, providing an efficient and cost-effective solution for shipping goods across oceans.” Natilus has also recently completed the full-scale prototypes of both vertical tails. The company will receive Hartzell propellers in May, gearing up for the manufacture of the engine test stand. The 85 ft full-scale Kona demonstrator, the smallest of the Natilus fleet, will be the largest commercial air cargo drone targeted to fly in 2024, said the company.

FIATA, the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations, and the Global Shippers Forum (GSF) have jointly issued an agreed Charter for Protection and Governance of Data in International Trade. The agreement sets out the arrangements for data security and confidentiality, which digital booking and trading platforms operators and users must adopt and incorporate in their End-User Agreements (EUAs). Recommendations in the Charter seek to enable a safe and trustworthy environment for conducting business based on a level playing field, said release. The Charter has been approved by members of both organizations and is believed to be the first declaration of rights for platform users in the trade and logistics sector. Dr. Stéphane Graber, Director General of FIATA notes that “FIATA is committed to enabling the shift of trade from analog to digital form to increase efficiency and resilience of global supply chains. In this journey, interoperability between platforms and their credibility amongst users is critical for success. This requires clear and fair rules on data exchange to protect the confidentiality and ensure trust between stakeholders. FIATA is happy to lead this effort with GSF on the crucial topic of data governance and protection.” James Hookham, Secretary General of GSF said, “Digitalisation of international trade and transport paperwork offers huge savings and benefits for all parties in the supply chain, but its storage and processing comes with risks of loss, leakage, and unauthorized use that could expose commercially sensitive patterns and trends.” Additionally, he commented, “Our Charter sets out reasonable expectations of the protections that should be in place to respect the ownership of the data, protect its confidentiality, and guard against unauthorized access and use”.

Ecom Express announced the launch of three new services, Same Day Delivery (SDD), Same Day Delivery+ (SDD+), and Next Day Delivery (NDD) to cater to the growing demands of e-commerce players in India. With the launch of these services, Ecom Express aims to improve the customer experience by offering faster and more reliable deliveries, thereby increasing their customer base. One of the major concerns of e-commerce players, especially D2C brands, is faster delivery. The solutions not only enhance the overall customer experience by offering better speed but also increase seller revenue through reduced returns. Ecom Express’s Same Day Delivery (SDD) service aims to address this concern with its key features such as cut-off time of 5 AM and 11 AM for receiving the orders, guaranteed same-day delivery in key cities, and customized cut-offs as per the requirements of customers. Ecom Express’ SDD+ is designed for high selling SKUs, which are kept and fulfilled through micro-fulfillment centers placed within cities. With a cut-off time as high as 2 PM, the service assures faster parcel deliveries to customers. The Next Day Delivery (NDD) service offered by Ecom Express aims to provide assured delivery for interacity with a cut-off time of 12 PM for the next day. This service highlights improved customer experience, reduced return of goods, and reduced customer acquisition cost, thereby benefitting both the customers and the e-commerce players.