Approval has been granted by Sri Lanka’s Defence Ministry to launch a cargo ferry service between Kankesanthurai (KKS) and Tamil Nadu. Fisheries Minister Douglas Devananda said in a statement that permission was granted for the commencement of a cargo ferry service between KKS and the Karaikal Port, and Port of Pondicherry in Tamil Nadu. He said a cargo boat service will commence thereafter. Devananda added the service will allow Sri Lankans access to fuel, fertilizer, milk power, and other essentials including medicines, at a low cost.

Considering wait times at India’s major ports as the major bottleneck, Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Shipping Minister has set ambitious target to reduce it. “Wait times are expected to reduce drastically if our targets are met. There should be zero waiting time for inbound and outbound cargo. This means there should be zero waiting of ships as well as for trucks carrying cargo,” he said at an event recently. This will entail reducing current wait time of around a day for berthing at major ports to zero.

The government is planning to focus on completion of port connectivity projects in 2022 with a record 50 Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) lined up for finalization in FY23. As part of the PM’s Gati Shakti plan, port projects have been accorded top priority given their importance in facilitating trade and augmenting support to multi-modal transport. An official of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said, the government has prioritised 65 road projects (2,041 km) to improve road link to ports. He said that out of these, nine projects with a total length of 161 km have been completed, five with a length of 105 km have been awarded under port connectivity component and four projects (992 km) are being developed under other components of Bharatmala.

To expand network in Asia, Indonesia headquartered MY Indo Airlines has added a Boeing B737-800F freighter to its fleet. The scheduled and charter cargo airline is based in Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta and focuses on the domestic and international cargo sector. MY Indo Airlines stated in a post, “MY Indo Airlines become the first freighter operator in Indonesia to operate the B737-800F series. It will provide more cargo capacity for our customer and at the same time offer the opportunity to expand our network within Asia.” Also the airline has B737-200F, B737-300F and B737-400F aircraft. The airline aims to expand its network beyond Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, and Brunei to other parts of Asia, including China and Japan, said the post.

Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL) has selected ICAD Holding Ltd. as Master System Integrator (MSI) consultant for the development of Noida International Airport (NIA). ICAD will support NIA with the systems integration design, integration program management and integration of ICT and Airport Systems. ICAD will also lead the core airport systems implementation and integration. NIA will set a new benchmark as a digital airport, with the implementation of latest technology to provide a seamless flow throughout the airport. This will be supported by integrated systems, services and use of technologies such as indoor navigation, passenger flow management, and data analytics. The digital environment to be set up at NIA includes paperless digital processing across all checkpoints in line with the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation’s DigiYatra Policy. Christoph Schnellmann, CEO, YIAPL, said, “We are pleased to partner with ICAD to bring alive our vision of a digital airport. NIA will be a modern, efficient, and customer-friendly airport, offering the highest levels of convenience and ease of making connections to the passengers and commercial benefits to its partners.”

SpiceXpress has transported 100 tonnes of lychee from Darbhanga in Bihar to various parts of the country this season, which is four times the quantity carried as compared to the last year, stated a release. Ajay Singh, CMD, SpiceJet, said, “We have transported 100 tonne of lychee from Darbhanga to various parts of the country till date. Timely transport of fresh produce is essential to minimise post-harvest loss and ensure availability in markets across the country. We are happy that through our cargo network, fresh produce is being transported timely and efficiently, helping the farming community maximise profits and access more markets across the country.” SpiceXpress has been transporting farm and agro products such as shrimps, fish seeds, fresh fruits, and vegetables to various domestic and international destinations to help farmers with timely access to markets and boost the export of agro products from the country.

IndoSpace has expanded its tenant portfolio by onboarding Lind Jensen Machinery (LJM). The hydraulic cylinder manufacturer will set up its first factory in India at Oragadam 2 in Chennai where it will produce hydraulic pitch, lock cylinders, and accumulators for the wind turbine industry. The project has received an investment of €2 million so far, stated a release. The facility, which occupies 50,000 sq. ft. space, may begin trial production by July-end This is LJM’s second facility in Asia, with the first one being operational in China. Rajesh Jaggi, Vice Chairman, Real Estate, Everstone Group said in a statement, “We are delighted to be able to provide an industrial ecosystem facility in Oragadam 2 for LJM to manufacture top of the line parts for the wind energy sector. This will go a long way in meeting India’s needs for sustainable energy, and we look forward to a lasting relationship with them.”

To offer cost-savings options and flexibility to customers, Turkish Cargo has launched three new shipment services namely TK SMART, developed for general cargo transportation and to offer cost-effective advantages for shipments without weight or size limitations, TK PREMIUM, designed for critical shipments requiring a short journey time, with short Latest acceptance time (LAT, and to provide minimum connections and fast delivery. Shipments within the scope of TK PREMIUM are transported as flown as booked (FAB) to save time. TK URGENT offers the fastest solution for urgent shipments and provides the opportunity to transport with capacity guarantee, minimum connection, and shortest possible journey time. Shipments with TK URGENT service will be carried as FAB and with a 100 per cent money-back guarantee under certain terms and conditions.

Qatar Airways Cargo announced its plans to achieve sustainability and profitability in the next few years by acquiring Boeing 777-8 freighters, equipped with superior and innovative features. “It will help increase our capacity and add new destinations, while giving us an edge on the charter business front,” said Guillaume Halleux, Chief Officer, Cargo. The carrier is also investing in a brand new Cargo Terminal 2 with a capacity of 3.4 million tonnes. This cargo facility will be a safe, smart, and green facility relying heavily on technology and automation for its material handling and offer faster storage and retrieval and cargo processing. “In line with our commitment to security of the cargo and crew, we will be replacing our fleet of more than 10,000 ULDs over the next five years with Safran Cabin’s Fire-Resistant Containers,” added Halleux.

Mahindra Logistics Ltd (MLL) launches warehousing facility in Luhari district of Haryana. The facility comprises three grade-A warehouses, totally 1.4 million sq. ft area to its warehousing capacity. The newly built to Suit (BTS), warehouse is an important part of MLL’s Pan-India network of multi-client facilities that manage the fulfilment and distribution of its clients’ services within the e-commerce and consumer industries. The facility is designed in line with MLLs sustainability standards, including liquid discharge management, renewable energy, waste management requirements and state-of-the-art automation.