Category Archives: Aviation

Air cargo is having growth in a slow pace which will continue. Even today major shipping lines are investing heavily in aircraft which is a proof that the Air cargo industry is progressing, said M Afzal Malbarwala, President, ACAAI. “As in every developing economy, we run the risk of losing the story while building up the plot. Our fast paced growth needs equal focus on the nuances of growth to ensure we build it on well laid foundation pillars of strength, long term sustainment and a forward progressive focus. Growth checklists should mandatorily include development at all stages and not just on the cosmetic buildup. Our forward march should also ensure we do not leave anyone behind. We have been addressing the requirements in a mix of immediate focus as well as long term focus. Some points need to be resolved as early as tomorrow morning while some need discussions and probably include more stakeholders. We are happy with progresses being achieved and are looking to speed up without compromising on the integrity of the issue and the required solution. The issues in question involve our legacy approach, being receptive to change as well as accepting modern methods of technology,” he added.

  “The lifeline during the Pandemic was the Air cargo sector. This sector showed it’s resilience; adaptability and strength throughout the crisis. Many new routes and commodities were added to the existing network. With passage of time, the initiatives and lessons learnt may get diluted and forgotten. The theme shall be a continuous reminder to all stakeholders,” says Samir J Shah, Honorary Secretary, ACAAI, while justifying the theme. He adds, “Many airports are expected to become functional in the near future. This coupled with new airlines will increase the penetration of this across the length and breadth of the country. Many exporters; traders; commodities will have the added option of using Air as a mode of transport. Newer entrepreneurs and new commodities will get added. The time is ripe for the sector to take a leadership role here. The issue is not only cost effective – it is also available; usable. As more users use these facilities the other benefits will fall in place.” Talking about the crucial areas of concern which will be addressed at the convention, he highlights, “Private sector partnership with the Government; removal of many redundant regulations and an all round trust regime, will be the core focus areas. The industry needs to attract a large number of young persons for all levels and a new thinking which will emerge from engaging all stake holders.”

While addressing the gathering at the ongoing 46th edition of ACAAI convention, C K Govil, Vice President, ACAAI applauded the industry for surpassing all the obstacles during the COVID and the ongoing Ukraine-Russia crises and achieving growth. He applauded the industry stakeholders for adopting efficient strategies to move forward for growth. He also remembered the late veteran, Bharat Thakkar who was the co-founder and managing director Zeus Air Services and former president ACCAI, who passed away in May this year. “The 46th ACAAI Convention being held in Bangkok Thailand has been a great success with an overwhelming attendance / response where people from all parts of India have converged at Marriott Marquis Queens Park. Resilient Air Cargo – post Pandemic the theme of this year’s convention has seen a growth of cargo in e-commerce, time sensitive cargo – high value and pharmaceutical shipments has seen tremendous leap. To make the event more attentive and interactive, mind reader and magician showed tricks and enthralled the delegates. Also there were tickets and iPhone given out as lucky dip.”

The biggest gathering of the air cargo industry, the 46th edition of the ACAAI Annual Convention which started yesterday will continue till 27th Nov 2022 in Bangkok, Thailand.. With the gathering of senior leaders of the industry, the lightening of the lamp ceremony took place in the presence of ACAAI President Mr Afzal Malbarwala, ACAAI Vice President Mr CK Govil, Hony. Secretary General Mr Samir Shah, Hony. Treasurer Mr Praveen Menon, ACAAI Convention 2022 Chairman Mr Anil Vazirani along with the Chief Guest Mr S Burak Omeroglu, VP – Cargo Sales (Middle East and South Asia), Turkish Cargo, Dubai and Keynote address by Mr Sudipta Ghosh, Partner, PriceWaterhouse Coopers (PWC). It was followed by live music, dance and dinner.

After a gap of two years, the Air Cargo Agents Association of India (ACAAI) is back with its 46th edition of Convention, to be held at Hotel Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park, Thailand, opening today till 27th November 2022. The theme of the Convention this year is “Resilient Air Cargo Industry – Post Pandemic”. The convention will provide a perfect platform to discuss, deliberate, interact and learn as a professional community how the air cargo experts can continue to be resilient in this post pandemic era. This will be the fourth ACAAI Convention to be held in Thailand, the previous ones being held in Bangkok (2005), Chiang Mai (2006) and Phuket (2019). The key focus points will be: 1. Resilient Air Cargo in New Normal 2. Air Cargo Stakeholders: The New Warriors 3. Air Cargo: Leveraging the Power of the Seas 4. Women Power in Logistics 5.Benefitting from Advanced Technologies Bangkok, Thailand’s capital, is a large city known for ornate shrines and vibrant street life. It is famous for its revered nightlife scene and carefree atmosphere. ACAAI Convention 2022 offers an astounding opportunity for all delegates to engage in business in the midst of the culturally rich and tourist delights of Bangkok.

Talking about the 46th edition of ACAAI convention, which is all set to start today in Bangkok, Thailand, Anil Vazirani, Convention Chairman, ACAAI shares, “The air cargo industry has learned a great deal from the Covid-19 pandemic. The industry learned the need to be resilient, agile and be ready with the efficient contingency plans to deal with any future crisis. The industry adopted 100 per cent digitalisation as the only survival tool and came up with the quick and efficient solutions in the shortest possible time to deal with the situations at that time. The convention has a very relevant theme, Resilient Air Cargo, Post Pandemic, that’s what we are striving for in the new normal scenario. The convention will provdie a great platform for the air cargo industry experts – freight forwarders, airlines, airports, custom brokers, transporters, ground handlers etc to meet and discuss the struggles faced during the pandemic, existing bottlenecks and solutions to resolve the same.”

Highlighting ACAAI’s theme, C K Govil, Vice President says, “We have a long road ahead towards making India a supply chain superpower. Building a robust infrastructure, reducing the freight, and warehousing costs, and bridging the demand-supply gap are some challenges that need attention.” He adds, “In the new normal post pandemic scenario, logistical growth can happen only with combined efforts of the Indian government and the industry comrades. Our joint endeavour brought the Gati Shakti and the National Logistics Policy to fruition. But that is just the beginning. During the convention, we expect to resolve the issues through united efforts with the government and hope to receive due support in that regard. “The global centre for trade is rapidly shifting to Asia, and Indian air cargo is becoming the hero of the post-pandemic world. With strong inventory levels and manufacturing output, the industry has grown steadily this year, leaving behind the turmoil faced during the pandemic. Despite the demand fluctuation due to rising fuel costs, air cargo revenues are expected to rise to $169 billion this year, 13 per cent more than the pre-COVID levels. India has also added to the freighter capacity this year, although largely due to imports. As a result, air cargo is set to become the new normal in the Indian logistics and supply chain industry. And then, the multimodal logistics park that Reliance Industries is building in Chennai is the talk of the town currently. We strive to reduce freight and warehousing costs and reduce carbon footprints and congestion.”

“The lifeline during the Pandemic was the Air cargo sector. This sector showed it’s resilience; adaptability and strength throughout the crisis. Many new routes and commodities were added to the existing network. With passage of time, the initiatives and lessons learnt may get diluted and forgotten. The theme shall be a continuous reminder to all stakeholders,” says Samir J Shah, Honorary Secretary, ACAAI, while justifying the theme. He adds, “Many airports are expected to become functional in the near future. This coupled with new airlines will increase the penetration of this across the length and breadth of the country. Many exporters; traders; commodities will have the added option of using Air as a mode of transport. Newer entrepreneurs and new commodities will get added. The time is ripe for the sector to take a leadership role here. The issue is not only cost effective – it is also available; usable. As more users use these facilities the other benefits will fall in place.” Talking about the crucial areas of concern which will be addressed at the convention, he highlights, “Private sector partnership with the Government; removal of many redundant regulations and an all round trust regime, will be the core focus areas. The industry needs to attract a large number of young persons for all levels and a new thinking which will emerge from engaging all stake holders.”

“The pandemic and its aftermath has had a major impact on the air cargo industry. The sector managed to perform and deliver good results in spite of the severe challenges,” says, M Afzal Malbarwala, President while justifying the theme, ‘Resilient Air Cargo – Post Pandemic.’ “Learning from challenges faced, the Air Cargo industry is focussed on enhancing the infrastructure at all major cargo points, ensuring our airports are aligned to modern day cargo handling requirements and developing long due connecting links from the manufacturing zone to the airports etc,” he adds. “With volumes growing and India becoming a favoured manufacturing hub – We need to ensure moving shipments is hassle free and customers having a pleasant experience from India. To this extent – introducing and use of modern day technologies will be a key factor.” He adds, “The theme is very apt. We will be extensively discussing on the challenges faced in the pandemic, the increased freight rate and scarcity of space, issues being faced with the airlines in this post COVID scenario, and lastly the GST waiver on freight charges which every year we have been discussing with GOI,” says Malbarwala.

According to a new research conducted by FedEx Express states that small and medium-enterprises (SMEs) which embraced e-commerce during the COVID pandemic are underestimating the importance consumers now place on sustainability in their purchase decision-making. Around 85 per cent of Indian SMEs surveyed said their customers are more interested in receiving their goods as quickly as possible rather than in sustainable shopping, said report. A similar number, 80 per cent, thought that receiving goods as cheaply as possible is more important to customers. Insights from consumers show the reality is very different. “The What’s Next in eCommerce survey polled SMEs and consumers in India, and 10 other markets in the Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa region (AMEA) in July 2022. The poll explored the continuing evolution of eCommerce in the region and identified trends that could fuel their future growth. Key Findings: Consumers want both sustainability and speed The accelerated growth of eCommerce during the COVID-19 pandemic occurred as consumer concerns over the environment continued to grow. For a significant number of consumers, the future of the planet is top of mind, and they do not want to compromise – they want both sustainability and speedy delivery. In India, 70% of those surveyed expressed as much interest in receiving their goods quickly as they did in the sustainability of the online shopping process,” said reports.