In the collective wage dispute between the German trade union Verdi and the employers of the public sector, strikes were held at seven German commercial airports, bringing air traffic at these locations almost to a complete standstill. Not only several hundred thousand national and international passengers, but also the global transport of freight and goods—including parts of humanitarian aid logistics—are directly affected by these strikes. Michael Hoppe, Chairman and Executive Director of BARIG—the airline association of national and international airlines in Germany—explains accordingly: “These warning strikes at seven German commercial airports are having a significant impact on the movement of cargo and goods, not only in Germany but worldwide. At Frankfurt Airport, which is by far one of the most important air freight locations in Europe and worldwide, hardly any goods can currently be handled. In order to maintain supply chains, considerable volumes of freight must alternatively be transported by trucks to airports abroad such as Brussels or Liège, where they are finally loaded onto aircraft. The situation is particularly challenging in terms of sensitive products and goods for which, for example, fast, temperature-controlled transport is essential. Furthermore, the strikes are also having a significant impact on the logistics of humanitarian aid deliveries, as in the immediate case with aid transports to Turkey and Syria. Here, we have logistics chains that are especially complex and highly sensitive. Despite special permissions for transport and alternative airports, there is hardly any chance that disruptions, which are inevitably caused by such strikes, can be completely mitigated. Therefore, we urgently demand to consider the measures taken in the current wage dispute with sound judgement and to take into account the effects on the interaction …

CargoAi, airfreight’s fastest-growing digital enabler, is proud to announce the launch of CargoWALLET, a modern payment solution for air cargo with supply chain financing capabilities, allowing freight forwarders to make payments for their air cargo shipments directly within the CargoMART booking flow. CargoWALLET’s key USPs for freight forwarders are summed up as follows: 1. Streamlined Booking & Payment: Search and book shipments instantly – no IATA Cass Number, AWB stock, or bank guarantees required. 2. Flexible Finance: Manage cash flow effectively with extended payment terms (PayLater). 3. Global Reach: Book air cargo from anywhere in the world, with local payment in more than 30+ currencies. Started as a project 2 years ago and accelerated with the CargoTech partnership, this groundbreaking payment solution is revolutionizing the way the air cargo is booked and is now finally released to all freight forwarders, following months of successful testing. CargoWALLET enables shipments to be booked and paid for without an IATA Cass Number, without an AWB stock, AND without any bank guarantee, specifically tailored to empower small to medium-sized freight forwarders. CargoWALLET also addresses the needs of medium to large freight forwarders who have an IATA Cass number, but may not have AWB stock with all the carriers due to expensive bank guarantees, or certain airlines still requiring such forwarders to produce bank guarantees. All of these scenarios require additional steps for freight forwarders to fulfil their daily business demands, adding up to more costs and time required. “We are excited about the exponential capabilities CargoWALLET brings to the industry. Not only does air cargo booking become more seamless, but the entire procurement from search, quote, booking, and now payment can be done within …

Saudia Cargo has extended its partnership with Worldwide Flight Service (WFS) via a multi-station contract that will see the ground handler manage 160,000 tonnes of cargo annually for the carrier at major airports across Europe and the US. The contract builds on the multi-station contract the companies signed in 2019 and covers services at airports including Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Paris, London, Manchester, Brussels, New York, and Washington. WFS will also provide ramp handling services for air cargo shipments onboard over 5,000 passenger and freighter flights per year. The work outlined in the contract began on February 1. Saudia Cargo chief executive Teddy Zebitz said: “WFS is a global leader in providing cargo handling services and by awarding this contract to them, we are certain that our operations in pivotal stations on the European and American continent that are part of WFS’ network, will considerably benefit from their highly reliable expertise.”

While addressing the ongoing CII Logistics Summit 2023 at Pragati Maidan, Sumita Dawra, Special Secretary Logistics, DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India said, “We have our vision 2047 for the country wherein we are expecting to become a $30 trillion economy. Our present plans are supported by our continuous reform to become the manufacturing hub. As we characterize the service sector, all of this gets facilitated and enabled to greater logistics efficiency and a lower logistic cost. As we attract more investments under PLI scheme, logistics cost becomes such an important determinant of attracting investment, while the whole industry has been working on improving the logistics efficiency by improving the overall logistics infrastructure. Both private players and service providers need to invest in infrastructure to ensure seamless movement of cargo.” She added, “We need to address the first mile and last mile connectivity issues as well. So, building multimodal infrastructure to ensure logistics efficiency is important.”

Menzies Aviation, the ground handling agent has eliminated wait times, maximized capacity and is using its resources better with Nallian’s Truck Visit Management Solution, which was up and running in 8 weeks, consists of a digital front desk and slot booking system. It ensures a smooth flow of freight pick ups and drop offs at the GHA’s warehouses. Petr Cizek, General Manager, explains: “We used to have no visibility on who would be coming when to pick up or drop off goods. Trucks would show up unannounced, which created waiting times. Today, trucking companies and freight forwarders book a slot according to our availability. This eliminates wait times and it enables us to offer a better and faster service at the dock door, since we can plan staff and prepare freight for the scheduled pick ups and drop offs. As a result, we are delivering a better service to our customers. It is my most important indicator for success: our customers no longer complain.”

Enhancing its reputation as the most preferred airport of choice for perishables, BLR Airport cargo witnessed a near two-fold increase in rose shipments in the run-up to Valentine’s Day this year. The season of roses at BLR Airport brought cheer once again with a 14% increase in rose shipments processed compared to last year. Valentine’s week kept BLR Cargo busy as 17.4 Million rose stems (589,296 kg) were processed. Top international destinations to receive these Indian roses were Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Kuwait, Manila, Auckland, New York, Lebanon, Maldives, Jordan and Dubai. BLR Cargo sent roses to a total of 15 global destinations. On the domestic front 6.6 million rose stems (178,200 kg) were processed which is a 31% increase compared to last year. Top Indian cities to receive the Valentine’s week consignment were Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Guwahati, Bagdogra, Ahmedabad, Kochi, Darbhanga, Chandigarh and Patna which are among 34 domestic destinations.

Skretting, the Norway-based global leader in aqua feed and nutrition, inaugurated its state-of-the-art production facility for shrimp and fish feed in Mangrol, Surat. The high-end facility allows Skretting to further enhance support for its customers and the Indian aquaculture sector. Spread over an area of 20,000 sq mt and built with an investment of EUR 18.5 million (Rs. 165 crore approximately), the facility will cater to both shrimp and fish cultures. The shrimp cultures will include white tiger and black tiger, while fish cultures will include Indian major carps, and high-value fish like snakehead, seabass, etc. The Mangrol facility has three production lines with a production capacity of 50,000 metric tonnes per annum. It will produce both extruded/floating and pelleted/sinking feed as per the requirement of the species and customers. There is also adequate land and infrastructure available to increase production capacity in the future. The facility was inaugurated by Dr. Sanjeev Balyan, Hon’ble Minister of State of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, and Michiel van Erkel, Agriculture Counsellor for India and Sri Lanka, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Focusing on various industry issues such as Customs, Taxes, CBLR, EDI, Port & Shipping, Costal/Inland Waterways, ICDS and airports, the Federation of Freight Forwarders’ Associations in India (FFFAI) held its 12th Executive Committee (EC) Meeting in Ahmedabad recently. The meet, hosted by Ahmedabad Customs Brokers Association, was attended by the Office Bearers of the Federation and representatives from 30 Member associations from across the country. Majority of Policy recommendations were made to highlight for Customs trade facilitation measures under ease of doing business, infrastructure development and Digital transaction. Also focus was given on the training and development in logistics sector, which initiatives shall be carried by the FFFAI – IIFF (Indian Institute of Freight Forwarders) with e-learning introduction and FIATA Diploma courses. Also presentation on ‘Business Continuity Planning’ focusing on Best Practices guidelines for the benefits of the members was made by Samir J Shah, Advisor FFFAI, which highlighted to cope with future challenges. Shankar Shinde, Chairman, FFFAI highlighted the initiatives of International Customs Day dedicated theme by World Customs Organization (WCO) in Brussels 2023 on “Nurturing the next generation: promoting a culture of knowledge-sharing and professional pride in Customs.” This is a theme close to the IFCBA and its members around the world, as Customs experts and Customs practitioners. “FFFAI will be happy to take this forward to benefit the trade members to professionalize the Logistics Industry.” said Shinde. He also pointed out that the recommendations made to the Ministries, Government departments and stakeholders will be helpful to the trade in reducing cost and dwell time.

Hermes Travel and Cargo Pvt Ltd has successfully achieved its GDP Certification IN23/00000103 through SGS. The company has been assessed and certified as meeting the requirements of World Health Organisation Goods and Distribution Practices. “As a company, we stand committed to delivering superior and compliant services to our pharmaceutical clientele in India and across the globe. This certificate will further enhance our already prominent market position in this vertical. We thank all our esteemed customers who have been part of our growth story, entrusting us with their shipments. Continual improvement is need of both – The Customer and Business,” the company announced the news on Linkedin.

Air Canada Cargo has become a member of the Pharma.Aero cross-industry collaboration platform to further develop its pharmaceutical shipments handling knowledge. Founded in 2016, the Pharma.Aero platform includes over 50 Life Science and MedTech manufacturers, cargo pharma-certified communities and other logistics stakeholders. “As we continue to expand our freighter fleet and with the continued enhancements to our cold chain handling capabilities, this participation in a new avenue for critical insight into pharmaceutical shipments is an important step forward,” said Matthieu Casey, managing director – commercial at Air Canada Cargo. “Pharma.Aero will increase our ability to collaborate with an ever-growing list of industry experts to share ideas and gather knowledge on ways to further strengthen our expertise in shipping this vital cargo.”