The Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) has plans to increase its revenue from international cargo movement, with the construction of the dedicated international cargo terminal. According to reports, the new terminal will feature modern facilities and technologies for storage and warehousing of variety of cargo. The airport aims to provide faster cargo movement and management. “The plan is to transform CIAL into a major cargo hub in the long run anticipating increase in the cargo passing through Kochi in the coming years. The terminal’s structural work is completed and the terminal is expected to be launched this year,” said an airport official in a statement.  

During a discussion at US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) recently, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Minister of Civil Aviation, said that ramping up regional connectivity is the government’s new focus area. “To facilitate the same, plans are afoot to promote regional airlines, the helicopter industry and, simplify the procedures. A small aircraft scheme has also been rolled out to provide air connectivity to remote regions,” the minister said. Scindia added that the air cargo industry’s growth would be further supported by developments in other segments such as flight training organisations (FTOs), cargo and drones. 

Aircraft leasing company Nordic Aviation Capital (NAC) has signed a MoU with Kenya-based cargo airline Astral Aviation to place the first two Embraer E190F passenger-to-freighter (P2F) conversions. In May 2022, NAC and Embraer reached an agreement in principle to take up to 10 conversion slots for E190F/E195F, with first deliveries starting in 2024. The aircraft for conversion will come from NAC’s existing E190/E195 fleet. Sanjeev Gadhia, founder and chief executive at Astral Aviation, said: “We are honoured to be the launch operator of the Embraer 190F, which will be based in Astral’s Nairobi hub. It will operate on a combination of scheduled and charter flights on our intra-African network. The e-jets are well known for their efficiency, flexibility and sustainability. We are confident that the e-jet freighter platform will be a game-changing addition to our growing fleet.”

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday laid the foundation stone for the Ramayapatnam Port in Nellore district, marking the beginning of construction work at Rs 3,736.14 crore. He said there are only six ports in the state since Independence and the ruling government is bringing four more ports, including Ramayapatnam, to boost economic activity, job opportunities, and overall development in the state. The Chief Minister added Ramayapatnam Port is being taken up at an investment of Rs 3,740 crore for four berths with a handling capacity of 25 MT, where six more berths can be added in the future at a cost of Rs 200 crore for each for handling 50 MT. With the construction of four ports, 100 MT of cargo handling can be added to the existing capacity of 228 MT, he added.

Shiprocket has recently announced acquisition of Arvind’s omnichannel technology business, Omuni. The transaction will be carried out as a combination of stock and cash for total consideration of Rs 200 crores. Combination of both entities will facilitate quick, efficient deliveries of shipments from the nearest store or warehouse thus reducing delivery timelines and enhancing customer experience. Focusing on leveraging cutting-edge technology to build data-driven solutions and integrated product offerings, the Shiprocket and Omuni deal is expected to ensure better inventory utilization, faster-localized fulfillment, optimize operational costs, and deliver delightful multichannel experiences. With seamless inventory synchronisation between online and offline channels, order volumes and order fulfilment rates will increase for retailers.

There is a push for creation of new world-class warehouses with fresh texture and infrastructure in the country. Hopefully, with the right policy framework, involvement of the stakeholders, and the central government’s support, we should be able to have advanced and robust warehousing system in the country,” said Amril Lal Meena, Special Secretary (Logistics), Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) at National Conference on Warehousing Leasing, Investment & Development organised by The Associated Chambers of Commerce And Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) in New Delhi. The conference also focused on automation in warehousing and other key factors, which have fuelled the demand for warehousing spaces across the country, especially in tier II and tier III cities. 

The first professional cargo hub airport in China began officially operating on Sunday morning when a Boeing 767-300 cargo jet took off from the Ezhou Huahu Airport in the Hubei Province in Central China. It is the first dedicated freight hub airport in Asia and the fourth worldwide, and it is situated in the city of Ezhou. The new airport, which has a 23,000 square metre cargo terminal, a freight transit centre that is more than 700,000 square metres, 124 parking spaces, and two runways, is anticipated to increase the efficiency of air freight transport and advance the nation’s opening up. Su Xiaoyan, senior head of the airport’s planning and development department, claimed that the way in which Ezhou Huahu Airport operates complies with China’s development requirements.

The pre-delivery payment commitment was obtained by Vertical Aerospace and American Airlines, securing delivery slots for 50 VX4 electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. This statement is significant for Vertical Aerospace since it gives the firm legitimacy for its project, which had promises from a number of corporations instead of actual purchases, including American Airlines, AirAsia, Air Greenland, GOL, and Virgin Atlantic. American Airlines has confirmed the delivery slots and the commitment of corresponding pre-delivery payments for 50 VX4 eVTOL aircraft, as per an announcement from Vertical Aerospace. According to a release, both parties will now expand on their current joint working group to work together on a framework to investigate the future of advanced air mobility and get ready for the VX4’s introduction into service. This pre-delivery payment commitment and slot reservation confirmation is the first of its kind for a significant airline in the eVTOL sector. Several eVTOL firms have reported 4,500 alleged orders from customers worldwide in the last couple of years. But rather than being clear rules, these directives are better accurately described as pledges. After Vertical Aerospace and American Airlines made their announcement, Stephen Fitzpatrick, the founder and CEO of the eVTOL company, commented, “We are thrilled to have accomplished this significant feat in our eVTOL relationship with American Airlines. Together, we are enabling emissions-free flight for tourists visiting from all over the world.

The Lufthansa Group, including Lufthansa Cargo, has established challenging goals for climate protection: by 2030, net CO2 emissions should be cut in half as compared to 2019, and by 2050 it hopes to be carbon neutral. It has already joined the so-called “Science Based Target Initiative” (SBTi) in 2021 in order to further detail these net targets and broaden the target system to include pure reduction targets in order to put its CO2 reduction trajectory in line with the United Nations’ Paris Climate Agreement. Dorothea von Boxberg, Chairperson of the executive board and CEO, Lufthansa Cargo said, “Our CO2 footprint per tonne kilometer has already been reduced by 52 per cent in the past 25 years. But even so, it is hardly sufficient. We should therefore set ourselves challenging goals for the future. We have discovered a reliable, scientific foundation for this with the “Science Based Targets Initiative.” 

India’s newest all-cargo airline, Pradhaan Air Express, the world’s first A320 converted freighter known as “Pehalwan,” which landed in Delhi from Singapore on Saturday night, said Nipun Anand, CEO and Founder of Pradhaan Air Express. “It moves us one step closer to receiving our Air Operator Permit, which will allow us to launch the commercial operations very soon. Moving closer to the goal of establishing India’s first airline using an Airbus narrow-body freighter feels very special. The arrival of our aircraft in Delhi has left us completely speechless.” The aircraft’s main deck is completely palletized and has a cargo capacity of 21 tonnes. Commenting after the plane landed at IGIA. He said the aircraft will provide charter capacity to Indian shippers and freight forwarders on both local and foreign routes.