Category Archives: Aviation

Qatar Airways Cargo has transported over 3 million tonne of air freight globally, accounting for 7.99 per cent share in the global market in fiscal 2021/22. The national airline said in its annual report for 2021/22, “This represents a tonnage growth of 272,975 tonnes in chargeable weight, up 10% on the same period in the previous year.” Serving over 65 dedicated freighter destinations and more than 140 belly-hold passenger destinations worldwide, the carrier mirrored its strong performance from 2020/2021, operating a maximum of 155 flights per day at its peak in June 2021, said report. The report noted Qatar Airways Cargo maintained its position as the world’s leading air cargo carrier throughout the financial year, forging ahead with a strategic focus on growth, sustainability and digitalisation, and supporting the continuity of global trade, despite the ongoing market challenges.

Akasa Air, backed by billionaire investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, took delivery of the first 737 Max aircraft from Boeing. “Congratulations #AkasaAir on the delivery of your first 737-8. We are excited for you and your passengers,” Boeing India tweeted. The airline had released the photographs of its first Boeing 737 Max plane from the production facility in Portland, US, last month, as it got ready for delivery. A statement issued by the airline read, “The Max aircraft will be powered by the fuel-efficient CFM LEAP B engine. Providing the lowest seat-mile costs for a single-aisle airplane as well as high dispatch reliability and an enhanced passenger experience, the 737 Max is one of the strategic factors that will give Akasa Air a competitive edge in its dynamic home market.”

To develop and grow its cargo operations in the Asia-Pacific, Vietnamese leisure airline, Bamboo Airways, has selected integrated GSSA, Globe Air Cargo by ECS Group. Jilin Chiam, Country Manager, Singapore, Globe Air Cargo by ECS Group, said in a statement, “We are excited to represent Bamboo Airways, which is expanding its services in the APAC region. With cargo services to destinations such as Saigon, Narita, and Melbourne, the partnership with the carrier helps bridge the network across APAC and offer more solutions to our customers.” Bamboo Airways is currently focusing on cargo operations within its network and appointed Globe Air Cargo as its GSA representative in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

Etihad Cargo has signed a MoU with B Medical Systems to develop and launch temperature-controlled solutions for the transportation of vaccines, life-saving drugs, and high-value pharmaceuticals says release. The MoU was announced during the BIO International Convention held in USA recently. “Etihad Cargo will collaborate with B Medical Systems to develop more sustainable temperature-controlled container units that work utilising passive cooling technology for global pharma distribution. The units will retain temperatures from -80 to 25 degrees Celsius for up to five days without requiring an external power source, with load capabilities ranging from two to 1,500 litres,” said a statement.

To develop e-commerce cargo routes between Asia and the US, Global Crossing Airlines (GlobalX) has signed an MoU with FreightCloud. The joint service using GlobalX Airbus A321 freighters may begin early 2023, moving to GlobalX-owned A330 freighters later that year, stated a release. FreightCloud’s financial partner Hudson Highland Partners will provide financing for the collaboration. The partnership will help FreightCloud in developing its Asia to US services by distributing shipments from hubs in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York to destinations across the Americas. Ed Wegel, Chair and Chief Executive at GlobalX. “The partnership will enable our cargo division, XCargo, to participate in the lucrative Asia to US cargo market, first with our narrowbody freighter fleet and eventually with our A330F fleet currently being planned,” the statement read.

The Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (DMICDC) and NEC have collaborated to provide logistics visualization services that would help to streamline India’s complex logistics supply chains and reduce logistics costs. An official statement said, “India’s rapid economic growth has been causing trouble for the country’s aging logistics infrastructure. Transporting goods around the country takes a long time and there are frequent delays. It is difficult to know exactly where shipments are at any given moment. Wishing to avoid the risk of running out of stock, consignors in the manufacturing industry have tended to overstock their inventories. The added costs of navigating complex logistics supply routes and overstocking have created barriers to attracting foreign investment and enhancing international competitiveness.” Piyush Sinha, CEO of DMICDC Logistics Data Services (DLDS), a joint venture company between DMICDC and NEC also stated, “The logistics cost is probably 13 to 14 per cent of total GDP. This must reduce to 7 to 8 per cent to make our exports more competitive.”

The construction work of new Greenfield airport in Dholera, Gujarat has started construction at a cost of Rs. 1,305 crore. Dholera International Airport Company Limited (DIACL) is a JV venture comprising the AAI, the Government of Gujarat, and the National Industrial Corridor Development and Implementation Trust. Dholera airport will serve the Dholera Special Investment Zone (DSIR) with passenger and cargo traffic and is intended to become a freight hub for the industrial region. This airport will service the surrounding region as well as Ahmedabad as a secondary airport. Dholera’s New Greenfield airport is located 80 km from Ahmedabad International Airport. The airport is scheduled to open in 2025-26, with the yearly cargo flow likely to be 20,000 tonnes in 2025-26, rising to 2,73,000 tonnes in 20 years.

FedEx Express has launched a new route between Asia and Europe, connecting Beijing to the FedEx Charles de Gaulle (CDG) Airport in Paris, France for the first time with 10 connections per week via Osaka, Japan, said a release. This new route will benefit businesses as the cut-off time for same day outbound shipments from Beijing to Europe will be extended, offering more time for customers to arrange their shipments, the company stated. This new route will also provide a one day a week direct connection between Fedex’s CDG Hub and Singapore, offering customers enhanced weekly inbound capacity of almost 50 tonnes.

To capture the boom in air cargo demand driven mainly by the pandemic, IndiGo will receive its first freighter plane. The dedicated cargo jet, registered as 9H-AMQ, is an Airbus SE A321 that has previously been used by carriers, including Aeroflot PJSC, Lithuanian Group Avion Express UAB and Thomas Cook Airlines. An IndiGo representative said delivery to India was likely to be in August, although a precise date has yet to be finalised. During the airline’s FQ results call, IndiGo CEO Ronojoy Dutta said that freight increased by 31 per cent y-o-y. “Cargo is strong, and as per indications, cargo will remain strong in the future,” Dutta said.

IndiGo successfully transported a live organ – a donated heart – from Vadodara to Mumbai on flight 6E 6734. IndiGo also supported the Global Hospitals’ heart transplant team in arranging logistic support to transport the live organ in Vadodara and Mumbai. IndiGo team safely transferred the live heart from the operation theatre (OT) in Vadodara to the Global Hospitals OT in Mumbai in 2hrs 22mins, says an official statement. This was well within the stipulated (ischemic time) limit of 3 hrs for the live organ transfer. The team from Global Hospitals, Parel, operated in a hospital in Vadodara to harvest the heart, which was then transferred to the hospital in Mumbai for a successful transplant, saving a life. Ronojoy Dutta, Chief Executive Officer and Wholetime Director, IndiGo said, “We are honoured to support the team of Global Hospitals in transferring the live organ (heart), on time to the recipient through safe and efficient logistics. Every life is precious, and IndiGo appreciates the opportunity to have contributed to saving one. I would also like to congratulate our airport staff at Vadodara and Mumbai and crew members who contributed to this effort.”