Category Archives: Aviation

Mahesh Trikha,Managing Director, Aargus Global Logistics Pvt Ltd said, “The mere announcement that budget is about to be presented saw Rupee improving vs Dollar, share market reporting upward trend shows the confidence of Industry. The budget seems inclusive with special emphasis to cater to the needs of not only farmers but also poors, infrastructure, Atamanirbhar bharat, roads, and railways are very well covered. The welcome move is on Literacy, libraries, teachers teaching and on research relating to pharmaceutical products. We already are 5th largest economy and am sure this budget will take us to the path of being no. 3 very soon and accomplish goal to be 5 trillion economies as well.”

C K Govil, Vice President, ACAAI shares, “As expected to promote local product of each district and to increase the buying power, and also provide skill training so that the youth of the country can get themselves skilled according to their choice giving opportunity for more skilled labour. All around Development offering more employment and promoting tourism are the key features of this budget. The proposed initiatives to boost the development of logistics and transport infra and new airports will give a boost to the overall sector.”

M Afzal Malbarwala, President, ACAAI says, “The 2023 Budget is as expected pro growth and we welcome the initiatives rolled out to MSME’s. The salaried class and the growing count of Senior citizens are also well considered in this Budget. From a Logistics and Freight industry perspective we expected a improvement in the GST implications post the expiry of the Oct 2022 sunset clause which is missing. This remains as a key missing critical point.

Union Budget 2023-2024 presents, path-breaking, budget of ‘Amrit Kaal,’ i.e., next 25 years. Government pushes for 50 additional airports, heliports, aerodromes in India, Rs. 75,000 crores for upgrading transportation infrastructure, Rs. 2.4 lakh crores for development of Indian Railways, a special package for MSME sector and start-ups and lot more.

Nirmala Sitharaman, Hon’ble Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs presented the path-breaking, budget of ‘Amrit Kaal,’ i.e., next 25 years. Key highlights for cargo and logistics sector include- 50 additional airports, heliports, aerodromes in India, Rs. 75,000 crores for upgrading transportation infrastructure. Nearly Rs. 2.4 lakh crores were earmarked for development of Indian Railways, a special package will be allotted for MSME sector and start-ups, three new centers for Artificial Intelligence (AI), and new pharmaceutical research and storage centres. Other focus areas include multimodal infrastructural development by creating more dedicated freight corridors, improving connectivity by road, rail, and sea, and enabling technology driven solutions for improved visibility across the supply chain to accelerate and sustain GDP growth.

Hong-Kong headquartered GSSA TAM Group has expanded business operations with the opening of three offices in southeast Asia. In response to growing demand in the region, TAM Group has embarked on joint ventures with Thailand’s GP Group and Vietnam’s TP Cargo Transport Services to launch offices in Bangkok, Thailand and Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi in Vietnam. TAM Group said: “The move signifies a return to normality for Asia-Pacific’s aviation industry as the world looks beyond the COVID-19 pandemic and into the future. While the global economy has been hampered by multiple headwinds, the region is set to continue along the path to recovery, thanks to burgeoning global and regional free trade agreements.” In Thailand, TAM Group has partnered with GP Group, a Thailand-based strategic investment group with companies in diverse sectors, from logistics and pharmaceuticals to aviation and technology. In Thailand, one of the first partners is Swan Hellenic, a British cruise line specialising in expedition tours of historical or cultural interest aimed at the higher end of the cruise market. Meanwhile in Vietnam, TAM Group’s partner is cargo GSA/GSSA operator TP Cargo Transport Services. Additionally, TAM Group was selected by China Cargo Airlines (CK) as the representative company for the carrier, effective early 2023. CK will operate four flights each week between Hanoi and Shanghai and one weekly flight between Ho Chi Minh City and Kunming.

We are getting a second Airbus aircraft in the first quarter of this year. We are looking forward to receive two more freighters at the end of the year,” says Vipul Bhalla, Chief Business Officer, Pradhan Air Express. “We want to offer holistic services to our customers. We might start cross border e-commerce service looking at the traffic. We also hope to work with like-minded agencies to see how this aircraft can assist in relief operations and in other sorts of contingencies where you have to at that time incorporate aircraft from outside. Certainly, having a narrow body single aisle aircraft based in India with an Indian flag can help in that aspect.”

Air France Martinair, part of the KLM Group, has placed a firm order with Airbus for four new A350F freighter aircraft. Martinair is the operating carrier for KLM Cargo. The four A350Fs emit over 40% less CO2 and make 50% less noise than their predecessors. The new aircraft will replace the current Boeing 747 freighters from the second half of 2026. The A350F is the freighter version of the A350. It is fitted with an extra-large cargo deck. Lighter materials have been used wherever possible to keep take-off weight to a minimum. Last April saw Air France-KLM make the announcement that it will finalize its order with Airbus for four new generation A350F freighters, following the earlier commitment announced in December 2021. In combination with the efficient Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines, this considerably improves performance in terms of CO2 emissions and noise pollution. This aircraft is suitable for carrying a range of cargo, including fresh produce, express shipments, pharmaceuticals, horses, and oversized cargo. The maximum payload of the chosen configuration is 108 tonnes.

IndoSpace has received an investment of US$205 million from Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments). The investment marks the first close for IndoSpace Logistics Parks IV (ILP IV), the company’s fourth development vehicle, targeting US$600 million of total equity commitments. This is the latest venture between CPP Investments and IndoSpace. The first joint venture, IndoSpace Core, was established in 2017 and now owns the largest portfolio of stabilized modern logistics assets in India. CPP Investments has also invested in ILP III. Following the investment in ILP IV, the partnership will exceed US$1 billion in assets. ILP IV will add an additional 25-30 million square feet to the IndoSpace portfolio, furthering IndoSpace’s leading position in the Indian market. ILP IV will focus on India’s largest logistics real estate markets: Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Pune. The establishment of ILP IV follows on from the first three development funds, which have a combined total of 56 million square feet of modern logistics real estate in India. Hari Krishna V, Managing Director, Head of Real Estate India, CPP Investments, said, “Over the past few years, we have made numerous investments in India’s industrial space, where we see strong demand as the manufacturing sector continues to grow and the e-commerce sector matures. We are pleased to be working with our longstanding partner IndoSpace to further capitalize on opportunities in this space and believe this investment will deliver strong risk adjusted returns for CPP contributors and beneficiaries.”

Air France-KLM ordered three Airbus SE A350-900 passenger aircraft for Air France and four A350F full freighter aircraft to be operated by Martinair on behalf of KLM Cargo as the Franco-Dutch airline group pushes to modernize its fleet and reduce carbon emission. The group said that the A350-900 passenger aircraft would be based at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, bringing Air France’s A350-900 fleet to 41. Deliveries for the A350s, which will replace previous-generation aircraft, are slated for 2024. The A350F full freighter aircraft will be based at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, with deliveries to Martinair expected as of the second half of 2026. Financial details weren’t disclosed.