Category Archives: Aviation

Mahindra Logistics Ltd. (MLL), an integrated logistics solutions provider, and Ascendas-Firstspace, an industrial real estate developer, announced the setting up of a one million sq ft multi-client warehouse park in Talegaon, near Pune, in Maharashtra. The development will be spread over three phases, with the first phase of 0.5 million sq ft operational by the end of 2023-24, the company said in a statement on March 27. This is the second project in the Ascendas-Firstspace Pune Talegaon-II Logistics Park, spread over 40 acres, in the Ascendas-Firstspace micro-market. Talegaon-II is part of the Chakan Talegaon Industrial Corridor (CTIC), one of the most important manufacturing clusters in India. The area has been a traditional manufacturing base for large auto, engineering, and electronics companies. The CTIC corridor is currently witnessing significant growth on account of the success of the Make in India programme, said the company in a statement. This is an important part of MLL’s pan-India network of multi-user facilities in strategic industrial clusters. In addition to A-grade warehouses totalling one million square feet, the facility will also host MLL’s first Automation Technology Centre that focuses on the development and deployment of automation technologies using artificial intelligence, Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, augmented reality & virtual reality (ARVR), automated guided vehicles (AGV), and block chain, the company said.

Transpacific airfreight rates picked up in March, although there were further declines from Hong Kong to Europe and across the Atlantic. The latest statistics from the Baltic Exchange Airfreight Index (BAI) show that prices from Hong Kong to North America in March increased by 9% compared with February to $5.38 per kg. Prices from China to the US were also up, increasing by 7.8% in March compared with February. “Sources cited an ‘end-of-quarter rush’ particularly in e-commerce and garments ahead of Easter – though [they are] also expecting prices to soften again,” stated data provider TAC Index in its weekly market round-up. Forwarder Flexport, meanwhile, reported that airlines have begun retiring freighters and some charters have been canceled, leading to capacity being nearly on par with pre-Covid numbers. And data firm WorldACD last week reported that its figures show a clear stabilisation in both worldwide tonnages as well as the global average rate, compared with the previous week, following several weeks of relative stability. However, while March saw improvements in prices to North America, there were further declines on services to Europe. The BAI Index for Hong Kong to Europe showed a decline of 5.7% in March compared with February to $4.15 per kg. Meanwhile, rates from China to Europe declined by 2.2% month on month in March to $3.96 per kg. Over the last few years, rates from Asia to both Europe and North America have tended to be fairly consistent between the two months – sometimes registering a slight increase and sometimes a slight decrease as prices stabilise during the quieter spring/early summer period.

Dachser will offer a Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) booking option to customers as part of its emission reduction efforts. The German company said that shipments transported using SAF generate 30% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than those transported with traditional fuels. Customers will be able to select SAF on all flights offered by the forwarder, which secured a large contingent of SAF ahead of the launch of the new offering, says release. The company said that the SAF option would be within an affordable range. “The current price per liter for SAF is several times that of conventional kerosene and is likely to remain so for years to come due to the limited supply,” Dachser explained. To prove that the fuel was purchased and that the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions can be offset in the climate balance, every customer can request an emissions report and, in the following year, a certificate stating the emissions saved, the number of liters of SAF used, the year of consumption and the exact SAF raw material basis.

The day 3 of the recently concluded TIACA Regional Summit in New Delhi focused on ongoing developments at the airports in terms of infrastructure and technology for cargo movement. Experts also discussed upon the growing e-commerce segment focusing on the last mile delivery challenges and air cargo reaching out to tier 2 and tier 3 cities. Cross border e-commerce from India was also highlighted. There were discussions on growing perishables market and opportunities in India, evolution of GSSAs – how today’s GSSAs are much more than just a sales agent, and how they can help India achieve its air cargo objectives. Issues related to ground handling were also discussed extensively and emphasis were laid on sustainable cargo operations. A panel of airport experts also discussed the recipe for success and what is needed for even greater collaboration going forward.

Alaska Airlines has partnered with Shell Aviation with the aim of expanding the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) market beyond a standard fuel supply agreement. As well as procurement and use of SAF, the companies will work together to define and tackle what it will take to advance SAF technology, development, infrastructure and investment. The agreement includes commitments to deepen understanding of the technology, infrastructure, carbon accounting systems and public policy support needed to bring SAF to more markets, in greater quantities and at a more sustainable long-term cost. The companies will put particular focus on enabling supply to the West Coast and alleviating fuelling infrastructure challenges in the Pacific Northwest. Shell Aviation will also supply up to 10m gallons of neat SAF to Alaska Airlines at their hub in Los Angeles. Alaska Airlines said it shares an ambition with Shell Aviation to help scale the SAF market by concurrently addressing cost and volume through multiple strategies to grow availability and commercial viability of SAF. “Alaska Airlines has set our course to net zero by 2040 and sustainable aviation fuels represent the greatest near-term opportunity to make a step-level change on that journey,” said Diana Birkett Rakow, senior vice president for public affairs and sustainability at Alaska. “That’s why we’ve pioneered SAF technologies for more than a decade. But we can’t scale the market alone. We’re excited to take this next step in the journey with Shell, to leverage their deep knowledge of the energy industry, its infrastructure requirements and supply chain to make lower lifecycle carbon SAF more widely available for the future.” Jan Toschka, president of Shell Aviation, commented: “We’re excited to expand our strong relationship with Alaska and …

Yusen Logistics Hong Kong will establish and start operating its own container freight station (CFS) for air export cargo in the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA)-operated Dongguan Humen Bonded Logistics Park (BLP), known as the “Airport City” project. The company said it is the only logistics solution provider to operate its own CFS in the Airport City project, which was developed to promote economic development. Yusen Logistics has been involved in the project since its inception. In October last year, it began providing a new solution that transports cargo directly from the BLP in China to the island-based HKIA directly by feeder vessel and loading it on aircraft. Promoted by the Hong Kong Airport Authority (AAHK), the BLP is positioned as a logistics base station for air cargo in the Greater Bay Area, and is expected to play a role as a base of intersection connecting the Greater Bay Area to all of the world, making it easy to access not only from Guangdong Province but also from inside and outside China. “By opening our own CFS in Dongguan Humen BLP, we will manage our customers’ important cargo safely, securely, and provide optimal supply chain logistics services connecting the Greater Bay Area with the world, said Yusen Logistics. Last month, Cathay Pacific Cargo and the Cathay Pacific Cargo Terminal become the first carrier and first cargo terminal operator to have cargo shipments accepted in Dongguan and transported to HKIA by ship for outbound airfreight, enabling full upstream sea-air intermodal export cargo handling between the Greater Bay Area and Hong Kong.

Logistics is a sunrise industry, I urge the stakeholders to invest in the logistics sector. It is growing tremendously, but yes, there’s lot that needs to be done, we need people, infrastructure, processes, and investments,” says Tushar Jani, Group Chairman, Cargo Service Center India at the ongoing TIACA Regional Summit in New Delhi. “I would also like to focus upon the e-commerce sector which is growing exponentially and driving air cargo growth. India has 7,89,000 villages, out of which 200,000 villages have more than 10,000 population, so for even delivery for 10 people per village you would need 20 billion people to serve the trade. We need to work on manpower, multimodal connectivity, first mile and last mile logistics, production capacity and transportation capabilities. We need to merge our domestic and international processes to bring the cost down. And doing that with the help of technology will be beneficial. The future is fantastic. He also adds that, Multimodal transportation is going to be a game changer for Indian logistics. The government is improving inland waterways, coastal shipping, roadways, and rail. There is this new freight corridor, which will link the northeast to Myanmar to Thailand to Cambodia to Vietnam and up to Philippines and down south we are going to be cooperating with Sri Lanka in the times to come so we are on the threshold of a new journey. If you have money put in logistics, it is time to invest in the supply chain. It is a sunrise industry,” he adds.

At the ongoing TIACA Regional Symposium in New Delhi, Vipul Bhalla, Chief Business Officer, Pradhaan Air Express informed, “We are very very bullish on the air cargo market. We are also looking forward to adding our second A320 shortly. We will be launching Four A320s and A321s in 2024. By the end of 2023 or by the Q1 2024, we will add more A321s to our fleet.. We will also look forward to adding four A330s over 2024-2025. When people were talking about freighters, we invested in freighters, we invested in growth and we are very positive about the growth in the coming years.” In an exclusive interview, previously Bhalla told, “We are very proud of the fact that this is the first conversion of the A320 into a freighter aircraft which has made its world debut on an Indian AOP. Currently it is the World’s only A320 Freighter. We are grateful for the support that the regulators and Authorities have provided in making this dream come true. The A320 offers an available payload of nearly 21 tons and has a better range than other aircrafts in its category, including the A321. The A-320 is a tried and tested aircraft with fly by wire technology that is currently ruling the Indian Skies. We have got the approvals to carry all kinds of cargo, be it pharmaceuticals, Mobile phones, Lithium batteries, AVI etc., Point to point services at the appropriate time helps shipments to arrive with the fastest possible transit. The main deck can accept cargo up to a height of 80 on all 11 PAJ (125”x88”) pallets. The aircraft is also flexible enough to carry 10 PMC’s (125”x96”) in an …

The air cargo industry is seeing increasing pressure to up its environmental performance, according to air cargo group TIACA’s latest sustainability report. The association’s third annual survey found that 64% of respondents believe that sustainability pressure has increased compared to last year, mainly driven by customers and regulators. The report also highlights a clear link between environmental, social and governance (ESG) action and reputation, as reported by 85% of respondents. Meanwhile, the report also found that sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) commitments are making slow progress and are led by large companies. “Sustainability is clearly on the minds of our industry colleagues and while ‘Sustainability’ is a broad concept, through our work we are able to bring awareness to the industry that it is more than just the environment. Sustainability is doing good for the planet, people and business and at TIACA we like to do this through partnerships and innovation,” said Glyn Hughes, TIACA director general. The association recently called on the industry to make sure that Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) decarbonisation targets are met. The report also found that 75% of respondents felt that sustainability is more important than last year, and 76% of companies confirmed they have a sustainability strategy in place. More companies have dedicated teams and budgets to drive sustainability, with 52% of companies producing sustainability reports. Additionally, 9% of companies indicated a reduction in energy consumption in their operations, while 50% of companies have upgraded their fleets to cleaner aerial and ground vehicles. Compared to the first assessment in 2020, this year’s survey saw a 28% increase in respondents. TIACA said that the report’s findings will continue to drive its sustainability positions and strategy and …

Cathay Cargo has launched a new mail service that integrates mail handling data with its cargo systems to improve visibility. The new Cathay Mail service integrates mail-handling data with air cargo systems using the the postal air waybill (PAWB) through electronic data interchange (EDI) technology. This removes much of the previous shipment paperwork and improves “visibility of shipments down to mailbag (or receptacle) level, allowing them to offer package-level track-and-trace visibility to e-commerce shippers”. Cathay Cargo said the information also allows it to manage capacity against actual mail volumes on flights, so it can make allowances for surges in ad hoc demand, or make unused space available for other cargo. European mail shipments will also be compliant with the European Union’s new ICS2 customs requirements, which are being introduced this year. Director cargo Tom Owen said: “Cathay Mail highlights how we have adapted technology and digitalisation to offer real benefits to our customers. “By fully integrating mail-handling functions with our cargo operations and expertise, our innovative new mail solution provides a sophisticated suite of tools and facilities to support our postal partners. “This new investment in our mail-handling capability increases the attractiveness of Hong Kong as a global mail hub, giving post offices the confidence to move mail more seamlessly to, from and through Hong Kong,” The system will also help with performance monitoring through the EzyPost platform. Indices such as on-time delivery and visibility performance will be accessible and updated from live data. “Cathay Cargo will aim to outperform the 95% industry ‘visibility performance’ standard, and will set its own stretch targets to ensure it exceeds contractual standards,” the carrier said. “The EzyPost platform will also produce monthly reports …