Bengaluru-based Vahak, a transport platform enabled by AI, has expanded its operations and user base in Punjab. This digital community enables direct connections between all logistics players, fostering India’s largest ecosystem of transport SMEs and lorry owners. Speaking about this growth since the pandemic, Karan Shaha, CEO, and Co-founder at Vahak said, “Using the Vahak app, Punjab truckers were able to function even during the pandemic, making critical supplies available. Now, they are witnessing up to 25-26 days of inter and intrastate runs as compared to 15-17 days earlier. This has resulted in consistent growth in our user base over the last year with load postings showing a 100 percent increase and lorry posting going up by over 40 percent. We are seeing the highest demand coming in for containers, trucks, and LCVs.”

Wiz is all set to organise a conference on Cold Chain Unbroken 2022 (CCUB) on 15 – 16th September 2022 at the Novotel Hyderabad Airport, India. The key highlights will be Telangana emerging as the pharma hub, new airport infra, new routes and new initiatives bolstering Pharma & perishable trade for the country and cold chain industry of the future. The event will provide a platform for the industry stakeholders to meet and discuss the issues plaguing the industry. The event will provide an excellent knowledge-sharing and networking opportunity for the stakeholders.

All the players need to introduce innovation and technology to achieve the desired efficiency in the entire supply chain. They should step forward to help players fulfil the time-bound requirements. Improved service levels to be introduced and achieved, says Sushant Nigam, Executive Director, Air Cargo Agents’ Association of India (ACAAI). He adds, “All the key stakeholders should collaborate in an effective manner and empathize with each other’s requirements: give support-get support.” Speaking on being part of ACAAI, Nigam shares associations are the voice of their members and a channel of communication with other players. The associations play a crucial role everywhere and their existence should be optimally utilised.

Maersk India inaugurated its brand new warehouse in Bhiwandi on the outskirts of Mumbai. Present at the inauguration of the new facility were Ryan Best, Head of Logistics & Services, Maersk West & Central Asia, Darryl Judd, Head of Products, Maersk South Asia, Anuj Kathuria, President (India), JK Tyre & Industries Ltd., Rajesh Gupta, Head of Supply Chain, JK Tyre & Industries Ltd., along with leadership teams of both companies. As an integrator of logistics, Maersk is developing and providing solutions ranging from ocean transportation to landside and air transportation, contract logistics including warehousing & distribution (W&D) and depots, custom clearances, visibility solutions and so on. When supply chains were impacted due to the disruptions caused by the pandemic, Maersk’s resilient end-to-end solutions ensured customers’ cargo kept moving. The integrated solutions allow Maersk to have greater control over the movement of the cargo at multiple stages of its journey and thus bring resilience to the supply chains. With the expansion of W&D facilities, Maersk is strengthening its position further by providing a larger array of services through a single window to its customers.

Kale Info Solutions (Kale), the US subsidiary of Kale Logistics Solutions, has entered a partnership with Chicago Rockford International Airport (RFD), USA, to implement its Airport Cargo Community System (ACS), the pair announced at the 13th annual Air Cargo Handling & Logistics conference. Kale’s ACS implementation will reduce manual documentation and data entry time for cargo handlers at RFD, increasing process efficiency at the airport as well as reducing truck congestion and streamlining cargo flows. RFD has seen annual air cargo throughput triple over the last five years, with a 25% increase in volumes recorded in 2021, and the airport has increasingly become an important Midwest hub for e-commerce and international trade. “As the fastest growing cargo airport on the planet, we’ve partnered with Kale to provide the RFD cargo community with the most efficient, transparent cargo IT platform in the marketplace,” said Mike Dunn, Executive Director, RFD. “Kale will allow us to further streamline the digitisation and movement of cargo at RFD today and to keep up with the demands of our growing cargo operations in the future.”

LATAM Cargo has announced the arrival of another freighter aircraft as it continues its fleet expansion. The carrier said that it had taken delivery of its fifth B767-300 freighter this year, which brings its all-cargo fleet to a total of 16 B767Fs. “This aircraft will allow us to continue strengthening our value proposition through a broader and deeper network. The B767-300F’s blend of size and competitiveness enables us to offer our customers more and better routing options,” said Andrés Bianchi, chief executive, LATAM Cargo. The new aircraft will be utilised on transatlantic flights and benefit the transportation of general cargo, fresh flowers and fruits, among other products.

Bahrain Airport Company, the operator and managing body of Bahrain International Airport (BIA) has plans to open exclusive cargo facility – ‘Express Cargo Village’ at the airport, expected to be operational by 2023. Stretching over an area of 25,000 sqm, the Express Cargo Village at BIA is an advanced logistics hub, which includes buildings dedicated to serving each cargo operator in line with the highest international standards. It ensures that all operations are carried out quickly and smoothly in a single location, enabling the airport to handle larger quantities of cargo efficiently, better meet the requirements of cargo customers, and create new job opportunities. BAC earlier signed a 10-year agreement with global logistics giant, FedEx Express, allocating 9,000 sqm to it for the operation of a 5,000 sqm warehouse and a 4,000 sqm open area, which will be handed over in the third quarter of 2023. In November 2018, BAC signed an agreement with French engineering consultants Egis to supervise the design and construction of the Express Cargo Village, which consists of warehouses, aprons, and infrastructure capable of handling the expected growth in air freight and e-commerce.

Cathay Pacific Cargo has added cargo capacity and has been in close talks with suppliers as it prepares for what is expected to be a muted peak season. The Hong Kong-based airline said it has been adding extra passenger flights, cargo-only capacity and has ramped-up freighter operations ahead of the peak. Frosti Lau, GM, Cargo Service Delivery, said, “We have already increased frequency to the US, and we are now operating daily to London Heathrow. “Our freighters are operating a full schedule, supported by cargo-only passenger operations focused on regional destinations. This extra capacity will help us as we prepare for a busy peak, although we are anticipating it may not be as pronounced as last year,” he added.

UPS is expanding and modernizing its freighter fleet with the addition of eight B767 freighters. UPS and Boeing announced the new orders for eight more Boeing B767F are due for delivery from 2025. “The order increases UPS’s B767F fleet to 108 aircraft and builds on the company’s order for 19 767Fs in December 2021,” said a company statement. An additional 767-300 Boeing Converted Freighter (BCF) will enter service in late 2023. The statement added, “The additional 767s will help us continue to deliver what matters to UPS customers around the world. This is a versatile aircraft that we operate across every region of the globe. With these aircraft, our fleet will continue to be among the most modern in our industry.”

With an aim to develop employees’ skillset, Qatar Airways Cargo has launched a Next Generation project, a new business approach that will focus on the next generation of air cargo executives, said an official release. The project includes digital enhancements, new products, and a new website. Guillaume Halleux, Chief Officer, Cargo in a statement, “The future is in every decision we take—technology, sustainability, diversity—the new generation of employees joining our company, our products, and services, and how we approach our business in general. “We are shaping the air cargo industry of tomorrow, one that combines digital efficiencies with a professional human touch. NextGen has a vision to develop employees’ talents, to fully utilize digital potential, and to take an innovative approach toward air cargo.”