A.P. Moller – Maersk (Maersk), as a part of its integrated logistics solutions, has launched a fully digital solution for customers willing to purchase air freight solutions. The new online solution available on Maersk.com provides customers with an option to book their air cargo requirements through a simple online tool that will provide customers with instant prices for as many as 70,000 connections between virtually all relevant airports globally. With the launch of this new solution, Maersk takes further steps towards connecting and truly simplifying its customers’ supply chains. Maersk’s air freight cargo coverage extends to 70,000 airport pairings across more than 90 countries around the world. Being a fully online solution, the platform also allows the customer to book cargo movement for any of the 70,000 airport pairings from anywhere in the world.

Neutral Air Partner has recently started a partnership with Cargo iQ, “reflecting both organizations’ commitment to quality and efficiency in the air cargo sector.” Cargo iQ is an IATA interest group formed by stakeholders of the air cargo supply chain working together to set standards and improve quality and performance in the sector. With a focus on enhancing end-to-end supply chain transparency, Cargo iQ’s main projects involve the standardization of processes and the implementation of quality benchmarks. One of Cargo iQ’s main features is its advanced visibility functions, which provide real-time insight into the movement of shipments from its planning stage using a “route map”, which is shared by the airline and the freight forwarder at all times. Cargo iQ’s route map enables forwarders to monitor air cargo movement, receive real-time replanning information as well as exception handling alerts. Cargo iQ’s visibility function is also available to Small and Medium Enterprises (SME), a program tailored to meet the unique needs of smaller businesses. This program provides access to Cargo iQ’s route map at a tailored price for their scale and with simplified onboarding.

BBN Airlines Indonesia is hoping to put its third Boeing 737-400 freighter into action in the opening weeks of March. The recently launched ACMI carrier took delivery of the converted freighter in November last year and since then it has been undergoing a maintenance check process. BBN said the aircraft, which was delivered alongside three passenger 737-800s, will be used on domestic and regional flights. The carrier has plans to expand its fleet to 40 aircraft by the end of 2027, although at this stage it is not known how many of these will be freighter aircraft.

Turkish freighter operator MNG Airlines has grown its fleet with an Airbus A330-200F. The airline said in a LinkedIn post, “We’re thrilled to announce the newest addition to the MNG Airlines family, the A330-200F, registered as TC-MCU. This aircraft strengthens our presence in the aviation industry with its modern design, high performance, and environmentally friendly features. We are grateful to everyone who has joined us on this journey and look forward to the opportunity to provide a broader and more efficient service to our valued customers and business partners. We are proud and excited to welcome the TC-MCU to our fleet and look forward to many successful flights together.”

Indian aerospace manufacturing scales new heights as Airbus and Dynamatic Technologies Limited (DTL) join hands to manufacture all door variants in the next-gen Airbus A220 family of aircraft in India. “This is one of the single-largest export contracts for an Indian aerospace manufacturing company,” said official LinkedIn Post. The step will go a long way in bringing the complete aircraft door making technology to the Indian aerospace ecosystem. This is a stellar example of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi‘s Make In India vision translating into huge growth and employment dividends for the nation. For the first time, every Airbus commercial aircraft and every Airbus helicopter has critical technologies and systems designed, manufactured and maintained in India. With this & in the near future, Airbus will double its procurement from India from UD$750 million to UD$1.5 billion.

Kruti Jobanputra, Director, JW Ventures, says “Govt is fully focused on developing MMLPs across India to boost free flow of goods and improve connectivity. These initiatives are the ones that will bring all of our systems and procedures under one umbrella. Government should have control measures to help & support Industries to concentrate on uplifting India. This will bring forward a new phase in the sector allowing for more organization in the public sector and the private. More visibility between ministries and departments will allow for quicker actions. Make in India is going to boost our country’s ability to manufacture but to be able handle this growth and sustain it We need be able to create channels through which this growth in supply will go through. Therefore these three initiatives, if implemented correctly and consistently will play a pivotal role in the growth of India and I would say that progress is going pretty well. Just take the city of Mumbai for example, the amount of projects that are going on throughout the city, just goes to show that the future these initiatives are building is for the long run. Currently the discomfort we all feel, is due to a paradigm shift throughout the country because we are trying to raise ourselves and competitor head to head with the global industry. Government incentive to help create MMLP’s in tier 2 or tier 3 cities. For example, Tax breaks for setting up a project in rural areas, so that more jobs are created. These incentives would help drive more investments towards these large long term projects. It is common knowledge that the transportation aspect of our industry is governed by the …

Afcom, Chennai based air cargo operator is all set to operate its own aircraft as the company has got certification and possession of a freshly arrived B737-800(BCF) with another two scheduled to land before the year’s end. The identity of the aircraft has not been verified yet, said reports. “This aircraft will support Afcom’s current capacity with its airfreight partners, thus enabling a faster and more reliable delivery service,” Afcom chairman Deepak Parasuraman told Indian media last week. “The company plans to add two more freighter aircraft to its fleet by the end of the year. Air cargo is today a key enabler of flexibility and speed in global supply chains. We foresee good and rising demand for air cargo and we are fully geared up to infuse the required capacity in the market.” The company ships around 250 tonnes of cargo a month using airfreight partners but acquiring its own planes will allow Afcom to uplift around 1,250 tonnes a month. Via their partners, Afcom now serves Singapore, Indonesia, and Brunei but the cargo carrier intends to start flights to Hanoi Noi Bai International and Bangkok Suvarnabhumi once they are cleared to fly their own planes.

Chennai International Airport (MAA) and Chennai is home to one of the busiest airports in India. Within our network, Chennai ranked 6th for exports in 2023, with top exported products including electronics, engineered goods, auto parts, garments and mobile phones, said Etihad’s LinkedIn Post. In fact, in 2023, we handled 442 tonnes of iPhone shipments. Our key routes for Chennai connect the bustling airport to Milan, Frankfurt, Munich, Amsterdam, London, New York, Chicago and Johannesburg. We operate two dedicated freighters for Chennai, offering four flights per week to connect this India hub not only to Abu Dhabi but also to Shanghai, providing additional capacity into two key global markets. We also provide additional belly capacity via 21 passenger flights per week, it added.

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has urged the Telangana Government to consider building multimodal logistics parks in key trade and export hubs across the state and upskill youth. In anticipation of the Congress Government’s inaugural Budget for the fiscal year 2024-25, the CII has also called for the formulation of a detailed strategy and roadmap for transitioning to renewable and clean energy in the state. The CII, while presenting its wishlist to Finance Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, stressed on the importance of incorporating green building norms and eco-friendly measures into upcoming projects, including the Pharma City initiative. C Shekar Reddy, Chairman of CII (Telangana), highlighted the immediate need for timely access to incentives and subsidies for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to enhance their competitiveness, said official reports. Focusing on the need to upskill the youth, Reddy recommended the introduction of a mandatory internship program for students in the manufacturing sector. This program, spanning 1 or 2 semesters, aims to provide students with practical, real-world experience, bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical skills, added reports.

IKEA announced the launch of its e-commerce deliveries across 62 districts in the states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh. “The expansion comes into play as IKEA continues to see excitement, demand and visits from thousands of customers hailing from nearby cities and towns to shop from the IKEA stores. These new customer meeting points will offer a full range of over 7,500 well-designed, affordable, good quality, functional and sustainable home furnishing products, along with practical solutions for the home,” reads the release. Shoppers can now order home furnishing products through the website www.ikea.in, the IKEA shopping app and via its Shop By Phone assistance service, starting February 1, 2024. Susanne Pulverer, CEO & CSO (chief sustainability officer), IKEA India shares, “IKEA has received a lot of customer love and trust over the last five years from Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana. Expanding our reach further in these markets means making IKEA more accessible to our customers, more convenient, and truly omnichannel. We see great potential in ecommerce helping us inspire and make our solutions available to the many Indians. We will leverage the distribution capabilities of our existing physical stores in these states to fulfil the demand from online channels. These emerging cities are key hubs for online retail growth, and we are thrilled to bring the IKEA experience to the doorsteps of our many customers in India.”