Category Archives: Aviation

Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) announced winners of the ‘BIAL Genie Hackathon’ in collaboration with Microsoft. Over 11,500 teams comprising developers and data scientists from across India participated in this challenge to design innovative solutions using Microsoft Azure services. The hackathon sought to unearth new innovations and solutions that will improve the end-to-end passenger experience at BLR Airport. Team Reboot Rebels emerged as the grand winner of the hackathon with their innovative application ‘Fly Ezy’ winning INR 1.5 lacs as cash reward.

The Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations in India (FFFAI) has announced its 24th Biennial Convention of the Federation to be held from August 12 to 14, 2022 at ITC Grand Chola in Chennai with the theme ‘Logistics – Reshape, Embrace and Surge in The Digital Era.’ The announcement was made during 4th Executive Meeting of FFFAI held on March 23, 2022 in Dubai. Elaborating on the 24th Biennial Convention, FFFAI Chairma, Shankar Shinde informed that the Convention would focus on innovative logistics embracing the digital era for surging ahead. FFFAI Convention is an opportunity for members to participate and network on one common platform with more than 450 delegates.

Air France-KLM announced its decision to convert into a firm order the Letter of Intent it signed in December 2021 for the acquisition of four Airbus A350F full freighter aircraft – with purchase rights for an additional four aircraft. These aircraft will be operated by Air France and be based at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport, the airline’s global hub, equipped with a state-of-art 14,000 square meters cargo terminal. These aircraft will increase Air France’s cargo capacity, which currently consists of two Boeing 777F, supplementing the belly capacity of the airline’s 100+ wide-body passenger aircraft.

Turkish Cargo has released a promotional film with comprehensive content related to the industry. The movie features Turkish Cargo’s services including its wide flight network, expertise in special cargo shipments and the Mega Cargo Facility, SMARTIST, the carrier’s brand-new hub at Istanbul Airport. Each section being meticulously prepared, the film also focuses on the logistics sector and air cargo transportation processes. Inspired by the cargo boxes, the film displays information on the air cargo activities and infrastructure of Turkish Cargo around the world.

Frankfurt Cargo Services (FCS) has implemented Dakosy’s FAIR@Link digital ramp control system to reduce truck waiting times for cargo collections and deliveries. The slot booking tool allows FCS, an affiliate of Worldwide Flight Services (WFS), to optimise the allocation of truck ramps by allowing freight forwarders delivering and collecting cargoes for FCS’ airline customers to digitally reserve ramps for loading and unloading, speeding up the handling process. “This standardised approach allows FCS to use its facility infrastructure more efficiently, counteracts peak times, and increases the ability for all parties to plan and utilise their resources efficiently,” said an official statement.

Swissport joins Pharma.Aero as new full time member. Jeremy Mitchell, Director of Pharma.Aero said, “We are delighted to welcome this major air cargo ground handler embracing collaboration and innovation. We look forward to working closely together with Swissport in creating more content and achieving excellence in end-to-end air transportation of pharmaceuticals. Pharma.Aero is continuing to enlarge by onboarding this important global player.” Dirk Goovaerts, Global Cargo Chair, Swissport said, “Joining Pharma.Aero provides a great platform to collaborate with experts and companies from several industries involved in the pharma supply chain.”

The war in Ukraine, sanctions on Russia and stepped-up COVID lockdowns in China caused the air cargo market to contract in March and macroeconomic clouds could further dampen a sector that has performed well during a chaotic pandemic. The impact is being felt in freight rates, which are quickly climbing as capacity disappears faster than demand. Clive Data Services reported that shipment volumes declined 6.5 percent last month compared to the pre-COVID level in 2019 and were 4.5 percent lower than a year ago. Meanwhile, available cargo space on aircraft shrank four percent year-over-year and is now 14 percent less than before the pandemic.

Australia’s national airline Qantas will fly non-stop from Bengaluru to Sydney and is finalising a codeshare partnership with IndiGo to make travel between India and Australia easier. From 14 September 2022, Qantas will operate four weekly return flights between Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru and Sydney’s Kingsford Smith International Airport with its widebody Airbus A330 aircraft. These are the first direct flights between Australia and southern India by any airline, cutting almost three hours off the current fastest trip between Bengaluru and Sydney.

IAG Cargo is working with various charities including the Red Cross, Project Hope and SEPLA Ayuda and its sister airlines Iberia, British Airways and Vueling to transport aid for Ukraine. Till dat, the carrier has donated capacity to transport 125 tonnes of aid, including blankets, kitchen equipment and medical supplies. IAG Cargo will continue to support relief efforts into the region. The first aid shipment took place on 4 March from Barcelona to Warsaw, carrying donations from colleagues at its sister airline Vueling.

As a part of its global expansion strategy, UPS Healthcare has recently completed several significant investments in Hungary to offer customers faster shipping times and greater flexibility as they look to grow their businesses in existing and new markets. These investments include the addition of 13,000m2 of state-of-the-art warehousing space to its hub near Budapest. Housing multiple validated temperature-controlled environments for a variety of temperature-sensitive medicines and biologics, this expansion means that UPS Healthcare’s campus has 37,000m2 of dedicated Healthcare space in the country.