Category Archives: Aviation

Mammoth Freighters expects to complete its first 777-200LR modification by year-end and to achieve an initial regulatory certification by April 2024. The company said it now holds orders to modify 35 777s from passenger to cargo configurations, including nine modified 777-200LRs due for delivery to DHL. Mammoth is also in “advanced stages” of negotiations to sell another 10 of the modified Boeing widebody jets, the Orlando-based company’s vice-president of marketing and sales Brian McCarthy said in reports. He added Mammoth is on track to complete its first modification – that of a 777-200LR due to Canadian hauler Cargojet – by the end of 2022. Orlando-based Mammoth previously aimed to have its “777-200LRMF” modification approved by the Federal Aviation Administration with a supplemental type certificate (STC) in 2023. But the modification’s expected end-year completion likely means the FAA will grant the STC in 2024 – probably by April, said McCarthy. Mammoth expects to receive an STC for its 777-300ERMF conversion about six months after that, he added. Mammoth’s corporate affiliate Aspire MRO is performing the conversion work in a former American Airlines 777 maintenance site at Fort Worth Alliance airport in Texas. Both Mammoth and Aspire are backed by Fortress Investment Group. Mammoth is initially setting up three modification lines at the site, and already working on conversions of two 777-200LRs (former Delta Air Lines aircraft due to Cargojet) and one 777-300ER (an aircraft owned by AviaAM Leasing).

Air Canada Cargo has started freighter operations to Basel, Switzerland. With this the carrier has connected one of Europe’s premiere pharmaceutical hubs to its network through its Toronto global hub. “The flights will operate twice per week using Air Canada Cargo’s Boeing 767 freighters,” said an official release. “We are excited to be returning to Basel, this time with our freighters, to serve a key market in Europe for pharmaceuticals,” said Matthieu Casey, Managing Director, Commercial, Air Canada Cargo. “The capability of our freighters, combined with our temperature-controlled containers and cool chain facility at our Toronto global hub, position us to serve this critical market with reliable, year-round service, and ensure these important shipments can move safely and in a timely manner throughout our global network.” Air Canada Cargo’s Basel service is the latest addition to its worldwide freighter network, following the recently launched freighter services to Liege, Dallas, Atlanta and Bogota, the release added.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched the first of its kind heavy lift logistics drone, made by Odisha-based start-up ‘BonV Aero’, which has the capacity to transport 50kg over 10kms. The Chief Minister was at the opening day of ‘Odisha Skill Conclave 2023’, where he also took a trial of the drone. Satyabrata Satapathy, the co-founder and CEO of BonV Aero said during the event, “Start-up has successfully done a trial of this ‘RM001’ Electric Aerial Vehicle carrying 50-kilogram cargo at the altitude of 8000-10,000 feet in the Tawang of Eastern Command of the Indian Army forward post in Arunachal Pradesh. Next, a high altitude trial on 14,000-16,000 feet will be done”. “In its next phase, the startup aims to develop its flagship platform ‘RM002’ that can transport 200 kilograms of freight over 40 kilometres,” he added. He further said that these multi-utility air vehicles are very helpful in the disaster response and the movement of any kind of cargo or goods where surface logistics are either unfavourable or time-consuming.

DHL Express has ordered nine Mammoth Freighters-converted Boeing 777-200LR freighters from lessor Jetran. The first cargo aircraft will be delivered in 2024, with the remaining aircraft to be supplied until early 2027. The 777-200LRs will replace DHL’s older Boeing 747 freighters as part of the sustainability-focused plan to modernise DHL Express’ long-haul intercontinental fleet. DHL Express said ordering converted freighters with a shorter useful life provides an efficient bridge between current and new airframe technologies, such as those used with the new generation 777-8F and Airbus A350F widebody freighters. “We are excited to welcome Mammoth-converted 777-200LRFs to the DHL Express family,” stated Robert Hyslop, executive vice president global aviation at DHL Express. “With the modernisation of our intercontinental fleet, we can simultaneously enhance our proven ability to meet growing demand, improve our environmental footprint and deliver best quality service to our customers. “We are pleased to continue demonstrating to partners and customers alike how these advancements elevate our service and bring us closer to our Sustainability Roadmap goals.” The Mammoth converted 777-200LR freighter has similar characteristics to the production freighter. With a payload capacity of 102 tons and a range of 9,200 km, the 777F has the largest capacity and range of all twin-engine freighter aircraft and is more reliable than older B747 planes, said DHL Express. It is also more fuel-efficient and reduces CO2 emissions by 18% compared to legacy airplanes. Between 2018 and 2022, DHL bought 28 new 777-200Fs from Boeing – 18 of those aircraft are currently in service. The remaining aircraft will be delivered from 2023 to 2025. The aircraft form a key part of DHL’s intercontinental air network, in which DHL Express operates more than …

Californian autonomous cargo aircraft developer Natilus has successfully completed multiple flights of the subscale prototype of its 3.8 ton payload unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The flight tests for the ‘Kona’ short-haul UAV mark a significant milestone for Natilus by validating wind tunnel tests conducted over three years, testing the aerodynamic performance of the Natilus blended-wing-body (BWB) aircraft design. The subscale prototype of the domestic feeder aircraft took off from a private runway in Southern California and reached speeds of 70 mph. Natilus said one the key challenges with the BWB design has been stability – and the test flights validated that the Natilus configuration can fly without the help of a complex autopilot system. “We are fully focused on completing the full-scale Kona prototype,” stated Aleksey Matyushev, Natilus co-founder and chief executive. “Our Kona remotely piloted aircraft will be capable of carrying over 9,000 pounds (4.3 metric tons) of freight and will open new markets worldwide. “The progress of Natilus developing autonomous cargo aircraft is a game-changer in the logistics industry, providing an efficient and cost-effective solution for shipping goods across oceans.” Natilus has also recently completed the full-scale prototypes of both vertical tails. The company will receive Hartzell propellers in May, gearing up for the manufacture of the engine test stand. The 85 ft full-scale Kona demonstrator, the smallest of the Natilus fleet, will be the largest commercial air cargo drone targeted to fly in 2024, said the company.

FIATA, the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations, and the Global Shippers Forum (GSF) have jointly issued an agreed Charter for Protection and Governance of Data in International Trade. The agreement sets out the arrangements for data security and confidentiality, which digital booking and trading platforms operators and users must adopt and incorporate in their End-User Agreements (EUAs). Recommendations in the Charter seek to enable a safe and trustworthy environment for conducting business based on a level playing field, said release. The Charter has been approved by members of both organizations and is believed to be the first declaration of rights for platform users in the trade and logistics sector. Dr. Stéphane Graber, Director General of FIATA notes that “FIATA is committed to enabling the shift of trade from analog to digital form to increase efficiency and resilience of global supply chains. In this journey, interoperability between platforms and their credibility amongst users is critical for success. This requires clear and fair rules on data exchange to protect the confidentiality and ensure trust between stakeholders. FIATA is happy to lead this effort with GSF on the crucial topic of data governance and protection.” James Hookham, Secretary General of GSF said, “Digitalisation of international trade and transport paperwork offers huge savings and benefits for all parties in the supply chain, but its storage and processing comes with risks of loss, leakage, and unauthorized use that could expose commercially sensitive patterns and trends.” Additionally, he commented, “Our Charter sets out reasonable expectations of the protections that should be in place to respect the ownership of the data, protect its confidentiality, and guard against unauthorized access and use”.

Saudia Cargo has signed a new global rental agreement with Tower Cold Chain. The carrier added the agreement to its approved providers of temperature-controlled containers for shipping pharmaceutical, biotech and life science products, said release. “The deal reinforces Saudia Cargo’s commitment to having the broadest possible selection of cold chain products (both in terms of cargo size and temperature requirements) to serve the growing requirements of pharmaceutical customers from around the world,” the release added. Adel Elshazly global product manager at Saudia Cargo said, “A key benefit of Tower Cold Chain’s technology is its reliability in maintaining product integrity without the need of electricity even in extreme heat, meaning that a solution is required to prevent temperature excursions. Given these conditions, we have an extra duty of care to customers to ensure due diligence in choosing our pharmaceutical cold chain partners. Tower’s passive solutions are proven to maintain temperatures up to 120 hours, without any need for intervention or external power.”

Drone tech startup TSAW Drones has announced a strategic partnership with Kanhaiya Life Care Medicine to initiate a first-of-its-kind B2C medicine drone delivery service in Kolkata. The vision behind the collaboration is to provide swift and efficient delivery of medicines to patients at their doorsteps while also cutting down on the delays caused by road traffic. The Hind Motor warehouse of Kanhaiya Medical shall avail of the innovative service of drone-assisted parcel pickup to ensure a smooth and uninterrupted transportation process for their vital medical supplies to a diverse range of recipients, including local residents, law enforcement personnel, and loyal patrons. The said parcels shall be conveyed to the Howrah drone hub of TSAW Drones, whereupon the final leg of the journey shall be undertaken by TSAW’s skilled bikers, who shall ensure the seamless delivery of the parcels to their respective destinations. Arpit Sharma, AVP of TSAW Drones, said “TSAW Drones is honored to join hands with Kanhaiya Life Care Medicine in introducing cutting-edge drone technology to the healthcare sector in Kolkata. Our pioneering business-to-consumer (B2C) medicine drone delivery service will herald a paradigm shift in the way medical supplies are transported to those requiring them, guaranteeing swifter, more streamlined, and more secure transportation. We are excited to be at the forefront of this innovative approach to healthcare delivery and look forward to improving the lives of many in the Kolkata community.”

Antonov Airlines has transported a power supply skid on board one of its AN-124 aircraft – the largest single piece of cargo transported by the airline. The power supply skid was flown from Tekirdag, Turkey to Hamburg, Germany on board of one of the airline’s AN-124-100-150 aircraft in conjunction with project management firm Rolf Riedl. The prefabricated Siemens Energy sub-station used as a power distribution centre was required for Germany’s first LNG terminal to provide energy to German homes. The “E-house” was transported in the container measuring 19 m in length, 4.2 m in width and 4 m in height. To load the oversized container a loading ramp developed by the in-house Antonov team was used in conjunction with external cranes. Andrii Nazarenko, flight manager, Antonov Airlines, said: “The major task was a precise installation of low-profile loading ramp required especially for this mission. Thanks to a professional approach, the Antonov team ensured safe loading and unloading at airports under the supervision of a Siemens Energy representative.” The floating LNG terminal is scheduled to go into operation in Elbe port.

UPS sees immense opportunity in intra-Asia trade and aims to help small businesses in the region with its supply chain services. A recent study published on intra-Asia trade provides insights into the needs of regional businesses which it can use to help its customers plan better. “As the world’s largest package delivery company, it’s our job to help simplify the move into international trade for small business so they can capitalise on this opportunity while also staying focused on building a healthy, profitable business,” said UPS. “By helping more businesses succeed in international trade, we hope to create an ecosystem of opportunity, profitability and growth in the long term.” Released last year, UPS’ ‘Clearing the Runway for Intra-Asia Trade’ study found the value of Singapore’s trade with 11 other major Asian markets could grow by over 50% to $13.5trn by 2030, and small business play a significant part in this. Across the 12 markets, the four segments driving the surge in intra-Asia trade are retail, industrial manufacturing and automotive (IM&A), high-tech, and healthcare, found the study. These segments accounted for 76% of Singapore’s trade with the rest of Asia, and 75% of total intra-Asia trade in 2020. However, UPS said multi-stakeholder action is required to tackle the impact of geopolitical tensions and restrictive trade policies across Asia – including tariffs and other punitive measures – that could impact its long-term trade prospects. UPS said three key actions that can be taken include digitalising completely, diversifying supply chains and promoting the integration of MSMEs (micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises) into regional supply chains. The findings of the study also support UPS’ efforts to work with government on facilitating trade, the company …