Ground handler Cathay Pacific Services Limited (CPSL) has added a new pharma handling facility at its Hong Kong hub.The facility, which has been built to IATA CEIV standards, is located at the Cathay Pacific Cargo Terminal and offers a fully temperature-controlled area of over 1,250 sq m for the handling of pharmaceutical products, said an official statement. The facility is capable of processing 235,000 tonnes of pharmaceuticals per year, doubling the Cathay Pacific Cargo Terminal’s existing cold storage area and capacity, and is the largest dedicated pharma handling centre of any Hong Kong-based air cargo terminal, the company said. The centre features real-time temperature monitoring, a temperature-controlled truck dock shelter, multiple container charging points, non-o-zone depleting HFC refrigerants, high thermal insulation panels and inflatable dock shelters, added release.

Canadian cargo airline Cargojet has renewed and extended its Air Cargo Services Agreement with United Parcel Service (UPS) Canada for an additional five-year term. The current agreement was due to expire on July 1 2025 and the new agreement is extended to December 31 2030, said official release. Cargojet continues to provide a Canada-wide air cargo service for UPS, while Cargojet’s domestic overnight network provides additional capacity and long-term stability to UPS, said Cargojet. Ajay Virmani, chief executive of Cargojet, said, “Cargojet is extremely pleased to have successfully renewed the domestic Air Cargo Services Agreement with UPS Canada. Cargojet has been the exclusive provider of time-sensitive domestic overnight air cargo services to UPS Canada since 2003. We will continue to provide the most cost-effective, best on-time performance as well as a scalable solution to UPS.” The renewal of the agreement is a testament to the committed, hardworking, and dedicated team of professionals at Cargojet, said release. 

CABT Logistics has tied up with e-commerce major Meesho for first-mile and last-mile delivery solutions. Meesho, currently does millions of orders every day and is the single largest contributor to the country’s third-party logistics ecosystem. As a strategic partner, CABT Logistics will offer Meesho first-mile pick-up, last-mile deliveries, and warehousing solutions, besides facilitating same-day deliveries, said an official release. Sourabh Pandey, CXO – Fulfillment & Experience at Meesho, said, “Sound logistics solutions and technology are an integral part of running a large e-commerce business. To amplify our reach and cater to our consumers better, we are always looking to strengthen our fulfillment capabilities. With the expertise that CABT Logistics brings to the table, we are confident that this will be a fruitful collaboration.” Shailesh Kumar, Founder at CABT Logistics, said, “We are happy to collaborate with Meesho, India’s fastest growing e-commerce company, and offer them our suite of comprehensive logistics solutions. The combination of Meesho’s reach and CABT’s logistics expertise will accelerate the development of digital solutions and expand the logistics ecosystem.”

ColdStar Logistics has launched its new state-of-the- art temperature controlled distribution centers in Bengaluru, New Delhi, Pune & Mumbai. These facilities have been designed to offer the clients the best in class distribution services to cater to quick and seamless connectivity to consumers within these cities. “Our state-of-the-art infrastructure coupled with Industry leading technology enabled services ensures products in our care are delivered with the utmost security and safety. Our network now encompasses centers in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Surat, New Delhi, Jaipur, Kolkata, Kochi & Tuticorin,” said official company post on LinkedIn. “Our national network of cold storage facilities & deep transport network ensures our clients get that advantage their business needs. Covering over 57+ cities, 8.52 Mn Kms & 26,000+ Metric Tonnes of storage capacity, our Cold Chain network helps you reach every corner of our country,” the post added. 

N. Sivasailam, Former Special Secretary (Logistics), Department of Commerce, Government of India, said, “It is a well-known principle of International Trade and indeed a matter of common knowledge that Taxes cannot be exported.  Also, the GST exemption issue differs from the zero-rating of GST. We had an exemption regime for EXIM that lasted until recently ie up to 30-09-2022. Now, the Government of India has not extended the GST exemption regime for the EXIM Trade.  It appears that the government has on an appreciation of data over the years apparently come to the conclusion that the actual amount of exemption claims for exports is grossly disproportionate to the value of the exports of both goods and services. It appears to me that instead of pursuing a purely regulatory route of issuing notices and engaging in enquiries to recover the unpaid taxes, which is not ruled out, as well as the attendant consequences of vitiating the overall business atmosphere and affecting the fair business climate and image of the Country, the government has as a first step done away with the GST exemption regime to reform the terms of the Trade. The immediate consequence is that GST has to be paid and returns have to be filed by the suppliers to enable buyers to claim input tax credit (ITC) or the exporter to claim refund of GST with proof of Export. The issue of Free Riders and Moral Hazard collectively inherent in the grant of exemption without systemic checks and balances to prevent ineligible persons from availing the exemption and coercive action being the only effective remedy to plug the loopholes with attendant consequences of protracted litigation and vitiating of the …

Singapore Airlines (SIA) selects SITA OptiClimb, a digital inflight prescriptive analytics tool for fuel optimisation, to support the carrier’s goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. By deploying SITA OptiClimb, the airline is able to optimise fuel utilisation during the aircraft’s climb-out phase. The unique solution combines aircraft tail-specific machine-learning models with 4D weather forecasts to recommend customised climb speeds at different altitudes. It leverages historical flight data to predict fuel burn in different flight scenarios and recommends optimised climb profiles on a user-friendly interface for pilots, said reports.  According to official statement, “It is estimated that airlines can derive fuel savings of up to 5% during climb-out on each flight, with around 5.6 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions avoided annually if every airline worldwide uses SITA OptiClimb.”

Ethiopian Airlines Group has completed the first passenger-to-freighter conversion of one of its three B767 aircraft, said reports. Ethiopian partnered with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to launch a B767-300ER freighter conversion line at Ethiopian MRO facilities in Addis Ababa last year. The conversion of the aircraft, introduced into the airline’s fleet in 2004, will boost Ethiopian’s cargo shipment capacity. In partnership with IAI, Ethiopian started the full conversion of the B767 aircraft early this year. Meanwhile, the conversion of the second aircraft has reached an essential stage of door cutting and will be completed in few months. Ethiopian Airlines Group chief executive Mesfin Tasew said, “We are thrilled to collaborate with Israel Aerospace Industries and become the first African carrier to successfully complete the passenger-to-cargo conversion of B767 aircraft.” He added, “As a fast-growing airline, our partnership with IAI, one of the global technology leaders in the Aerospace industry, is crucial in technology and skill transfer in the field of maintenance, repair and overhaul.”

Boeing and Cargolux have signed an agreement to finalize an order of ten 777-8 Freighters with options for six additional airplanes, said an official release. Cargolux’s choice of the 777-8 Freighter underlines its commitment to establishing long-term sustainability.  “The agreement we signed will consolidate Cargolux’s position as a global leader of air freight services. Replacing our aging fleet of 747-400 Freighters with the latest technology and fuel-efficient 777-8 Freighter model will contribute to our long-term sustainability program while continuing to offer our customers the tailored service they expect,” said Richard Forson, Cargolux president & CEO. Boeing launched the new 777-8 Freighter in January 2022 and has now booked more than 50 orders for the model. The 777-8 Freighter has nearly identical payload and range capabilities as the 747-400 Freighter while providing 30% better fuel efficiency and emissions and 25% better operating costs per tonne. It is the ideal choice as operators replace aging freighters later this decade. “With its purchase of our newest freighter, Cargolux has invested in a sustainable future as the 777-8 Freighter will significantly reduce CO2 emissions compared to the airplanes it is replacing,” said Stan Deal, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

Sunil Arora, Board of Advisors, The Air Cargo Agents Association of India (ACAAI) says, “Export freight was exempted through a notification since 2017. The Ministry of Finance dwelled upon logical reasons behind and gave continous extension till September 2022. Levy of GST on export freight will be a big deterant for Indian global economic scenario. PM initiatives like Gati Shakti, Make in India and Ease of Doing Business will be taking a reverse step. GST on export freight will make our exports commodities anti-competitive in the world market. India has just revived in fact survived the COVID setback, instead of supporting industry’s cash flow issues, exporters and freight forwarding fraternity will suffer serious cash flow setback and other compliance repurcurssions attached with refund mechanism….First subjecting freight to GST and then acknowledging refunds is not a wise workable financial module. In fact, it will add on more working complications and tedious lengthier accounting and financial management. We appeal for immediate attention of MoF and Honorable PM, we seek permanent zero rating on international freight, thus giving us a level playing arena in the global trade. None of our major export and logistics competitor nations have GST or VAT on export Air and Sea freight.” 

India has grown tremendously and realised the importance of supply chains. Last two years have witnessed tremendous technological shifts taking take place across the world and one of the areas where these technological shifts have their profound impact has been supply chain, said Jyotiraditya Scindia, Minister of Civil Aviation and Steel, Govt of India at the ongoing event, Leads 2022 organised by FICCI in the capital. The minister said, there are three key words connected with supply chain – robustness, resilience, and reliability. This three ‘R’ approach signifies the context of a successful supply chain and India today is creating that ecosystem for supply chains. To achieve this, minister added that there have been landmark developments going on on the policy front. “With PM’s Gati Shakti initiative, which aims to enhance infrastructure and connectivity for seamless movement of cargo, multimodal projects to enhance transportation via air road sea and rail, enabling customers to track and trace their products and the latest National Logistics policy, the country is moving in the right direction. Logistics industry is set for a rapid growth,” said the minister.