Category Archives: Aviation

Ground handler Swissport International has opened a new temperature-controlled facility at Dublin Airport to cater to Ireland’s position as a major pharma hub. The new dedicated pharma facility, which was built in partnership with Celtic Cooling, measures 400 sq m, can hold up to 200 palettes and is the first of its size at Dublin Airport. The warehouse is operated at a temperature of between 15-25 degrees Celsius but also offers a unit that can be operated from two to eight degrees Celsius. Swissport UK and Ireland chief executive Karen Cox said: “We are delighted to open this brand-new facility which will play a vital role in the supply chain of pharmaceutical goods in Ireland. “Our customers from the pharmaceutical industry can now also rely on our professional services for temperature-controlled freight at Dublin Airport, supporting them with high-quality handling services along the cool chain.” Swissport said the facility “significantly adds handling capacity for major pharmaceutical suppliers in the region and supports Ireland’s position as one of the largest net exporters of medicinal and pharmaceutical products within the European Union”.

Etihad Cargo reviews the reciprocal block space agreement with SF Airlines announced earlier this year to explore opportunities and expand it further based on Abu Dhabi’s strategic location. Etihad Airways and SF Airlines entered into an expanded Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to cement their commitment to strengthening ties and further cooperating to increase cargo capacity between China and the rest of the world via Etihad Cargo’s hub in Abu Dhabi. In April 2023, Etihad Cargo and SF Airlines signed a reciprocal capacity agreement to connect their respective networks. The new partnership saw the launch of two weekly freighter services between Abu Dhabi Airport and Wuhan Tianhe International Airport in the Hubei Province of China and added a fourth Chinese gateway destination to Etihad Cargo’s expanding global network. The new flights have given Etihad Cargo’s partners and customers greater accessibility to 25 domestic Chinese destinations, including Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Chengdu and Nanjing. SF Airlines, via the agreement, has expanded its Middle Eastern footprint and benefits from Etihad Cargo’s global network for its express product, supporting the airline’s vision of growing its parcel delivery capabilities around the world. The new MoU, signed on 16 June 2023, expands the cooperation between the two airlines and strengthens their commitment to exploring additional opportunities to achieve mutual growth and expand their respective networks via the Abu Dhabi and Wuhan mega-hubs. Future plans include expanding cooperated flights to Ezhou Huahu Airport, China’s first cargo-focused airport. This move would make Etihad Airways the first international airline other than SF Airlines to operate flights to the airport.

Boeing announced the launch of SAF Dashboard, a tool that tracks expected sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) capacity over the next decade. “Based on data collected by BloombergNEF, the Dashboard aggregates total SAF capacity announcements by suppliers on a global scale and can filter anticipated supply by production pathway, location and other metrics. The tool is accessible on Boeing’s new Sustainable Aerospace Together hub,” says an official release. Boeing released the tool at the 2023 Paris Air Show to support discussion and action among industry stakeholders regarding the existing SAF footprint as well as future production levels required to meet the commercial aviation industry’s goal of net-zero emissions by 2050, the release said.

Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer has signed a Letter of Agreement (LoA) with China’s Lanzhou Aviation Industry Development Group for 20 E190F and E195F E-Jet Passenger to Freighter Conversions (P2F), said reports. Embraer and Lanzhou intend to cooperate on establishing E190F and E195F conversion capability in Lanzhou, China, in a bid to appeal to the Chinese market. With the signing of this LoA at the 54th Paris Airshow, Lanzhou Group, becomes the launch customer and base for Embraer’s P2F conversions in China. Arjan Meijer, president and chief executive, Embraer Commercial Aviation, said: “The opportunity in China had a significant influence during the decision-making process of the launch of our P2F programme. “It is a market with increasing demand for cargo aircraft to accommodate the tremendous growth of E-commerce trade and the consequent evolution of the logistics industry. We’re confident in this booming market and always willing to support the sector’s further progress in cooperation with our Chinese partners.

Algerian flag carrier Air Algérie has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for two 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighters (BCF) to meet increasing cargo demand. The 737-800BCF carries more payload (up to 23.9 tonnes) and offers more range (2,025 nautical miles) than previous standard body freighter. Global Boeing customers have placed more than 250 orders and commitments for the 737-800BCF. Stan Deal, president and chief executive of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said that “the highly reliable and capable 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighters will enable Air Algerie to capture growing cargo opportunities, expanding beyond its passenger business”. Government-owned Air Algérie is based at Houari Boumediene Airport (Algiers International Airport) and operates scheduled international services to nearly 40 destinations in 28 countries. According to the airline’s website, it has 56 aircraft in its fleet. These include a Hercules L 100-30.

Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL) has signed a contract with Air India SATS Airport Services (AISATS) to design, build, finance, operate and maintain a greenfield Logistics Park at the Airport for a period of 15 years, shares Satyaki Raghunath, Chief Strategy and Development Officer, Bangalore International Airport (BIAL). The upcoming logistics park will be developed across ~ 8.0 acres of land. It will be a world-class warehousing facility comprising of a general warehouse, bonded warehouse, consolidation centre, cold-storage facility, office spaces and other amenities such as a Bank / ATM facility, a business centre, a cafeteria etc. AISATS will also provide value-added services including manpower and equipment rentals on an hourly or pay-per-use basis for loading/offloading, labelling, packaging, bulk-breaking. The development of the Logistics Park will support the exporters, importers, and freight forwarders by creating an efficient warehousing centre with value-added services for the air cargo community. In line with the Gati Shakti Plan, BLR Cargo will also be enhancing its cargo capacity from 715,000 MTPA to 1 Million MTPA by the end of this decade.

Bikar Aerospace GmbH is set to build an advanced Aerospace Service Centre (ASC) to boost storage and customized processing of semi-finished products made of aluminum, titanium, super alloys and other aerospace metals. The center will be build in collaboration with Belagavi Aerospace Cluster (BAC), operated by Aequs Infrastructure. To further expand Bikar’s market presence and strengthen its position as a premier international supplier of aerospace materials, the company has opted for a strategic presence at Aequs SEZ in Belagavi, North Karnataka. In future, Bikar will provide storage and customized processing of semi-finished products made of aluminum, titanium, super alloys and other aerospace metals.

WestJet Cargo and Wiremind have embarked on a new initiative centred on improving capacity forecasting. With WestJet Cargo’s recent renewal of its SKYPALLET contract with Wiremind, the decision to take the digital collaboration further and explore capacity forecasting improvements was made. A Proof of Concept (PoC) was initiated in April 2023 and will run for the next few months with a final enhancement expected in the second half of this year. An Artificial Intelligence-driven capacity forecasting mechanism is already part of Wiremind’s optimization solution, CARGOSTACK Optimiser. Through a combination of advanced Machine Learning models and algorithms, Wiremind’s solution provides a more accurate estimate of the remaining cargo capacity for sale, after factoring in non-cargo items such as passenger baggage, fuel and other capacity consuming items. It can provide this capacity estimate in payload, volume and positional terms depending on the profile of the flight or the aircraft type operated.

IG International announced the successful import of the first trial shipment of Australian avocados to the port of discharge in Mumbai. This landmark achievement, comprising 176 cartons of premium avocados, marks a significant step in IG International’s commitment to bringing the finest-quality fresh fruits to the Indian market. Shubha Rawal, Director, Sourcing and Marketing, IG International, stated, “We are thrilled to have successfully imported the first trial shipment of Australian avocados. This collaboration with Avolution reinforces our commitment to offering the finest produce to our valued customers. We believe that the introduction of Australian avocados will greatly enhance the culinary experiences of Indian consumers and contribute to the growth of the fresh produce industry in India.”

The absence of an open skies policy or imposing GST on export freight can slow air cargo industry growth, says Chandra Kant Govil, Vice President, ACAAI and Managing Director at Activair Airfreight. “Apart from this, the industry faces many challenges with transshipment cargo. It was easier and quicker earlier, but it takes many days now due to various reasons. It is difficult for the Indian cargo industry to compete with the airports in Hong Kong, Singapore, and the Middle East or strive to achieve the 2030 target under these circumstances. Even perishable goods from tier-two cities face challenges and delays connecting to international flights.”