Category Archives: Aviation

Air Cargo Forum India (ACFI) successfully held its Annual Conclave on 3rd May 2023 in New Delhi. The success of the event was the outcome of the hard work and collective efforts put in by the The theme “Cargo Udaan- Connecting and Empowering Indian Skies,” focussed on leveraging innovative technologies, integrating processes, adopting global best practices and preparing for the expected increase in demand for air cargo in the post-COVID world. The event was graced by senior Govt. Officials as Guests of Honour, including Ms. Jivisha Joshi, Deputy Secretary – DPIIT (Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry), Ms. Divya Satija, senior leader – DPIIT Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry) and Mr. Piyush Srivastava – Senior Economic Advisor (Ministry of Commerce and Industry). The conclave covered three business sessions that highlighted the various possibilities, opportunities, challenges and action items for the Indian skies to reach 10 million tons by 2030-31. The sessions emphasized on key topics – “AIR CARGO – The Business Galvanizer,” “INTERNATIONAL AIR CARGO – Opportunities and Challenges,” and “DOMESTIC AIR CARGO – Leveraging the Potential of Indian Domestic Cargo.” These were moderated by senior leaders like Mr. Satish Lakkaraju, Chairman – Event management Task Pillar and Global Head of Air Freight, WIZ Freight, Mr. Sanjiv Edward, Vice President ACFI & CEO – Cargo and Logistics, GMR Group along with Mr. Keku Bomi Gazder, ACFI Governing Board Member, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Aviapro Logistic Services Pvt. Ltd. ACFI Governing Board and Event Management Task Pillar members of the forum under the stellar leadership of Mr. Yashpal Sharma, ACFI President, along with the …

Sanjiv Edward, who was earlier working with Delhi International Airport Ltd. (DIAL), as its CCO is now taking over as the Chief Executive Officer – Cargo and Logistics for GMR Group w.e.f. April 2023. In his new role with GMR, he will be responsible for handling DIAL’s cargo business in Delhi, Hyderabad, Goa, and all upcoming airports, in addition to continue to drive strategic projects for DIAL. He has earlier served as Chief Commercial Officer for DIAL, where he led the Aeronautical and Aero-related business verticals of IGI Airport, and was responsible for developing and driving the strategy for these verticals by achieving sustained growth of Aeronautical revenues through various streams, such as Cargo, Land & Space, Concessions and Aeronautical services. His profile also included leading the Airlines marketing and Route development activities to enhance IGI Airports’Air connectivity network. Earlier to this role, Sanjeev was heading the Cargo business of DIAL, where he was responsible for successfully driving the Cargo Strategy and Development of the Cargo Master Plan, making IGIA as the number one cargo airport in the country. He has been actively engaged with stakeholders like the Government, the Regulators, and industry in general for policy formulation at various levels. Continuing his experience of over 20 years in the aviation industry, Mr. Edward is also working closely with organisations including WCO, ICAO, WTO, TSA, UNCTAD and has also served as the Chairman of The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA), Miami from May 2015 to October 2017. He is currently on the Board of ACFI, CELEBI, DAFFPL and DASPL.

Global air cargo chargeable weight flown in the first quarter of 2023 ended up -11 per cent compared to Q12022. “But a deep-dive into WorldACD’s data reveals that behind those figures there is a tremendous amount of variation globally, depending on factors such as origin point or region, product type, shipment weight, and whether cargo was flown via freighter or passenger belly capacity,” said release. The overall tonnage performance of the different main origin regions ranges from a +1 percent year-on-year (YoY) increase in volumes originating from Africa and from Central & South America (C&S America) to -18 percent from North America and -16 percent from Asia Pacific with Europe at -5 percent and Middle East & South Asia (MESA) closer to the average at -8 percent, the report said. Breaking down those origin figures further reveals that the 16 percent drop from Asia Pacific includes a 24 percent decline in intra-Asia traffic and a 21 percent fall in traffic to North America, and more-modest declines to Europe (-10 percent) and Africa (-9 percent) despite a capacity rise of +7 percent ex-Asia Pacific. The total also hides a 30 percent rise in traffic ex-Asia Pacific to C&S America and a nine percent rise to MESA.

Mangaluru International Airport (MIA), Bengaluru opened its Integrated Cargo Terminal (ICT) for public use on May 1. The ICT covers an area of 1,891 sq.m, with 1,200 sq.m allocated for international cargo and the remaining area for domestic cargo. The terminal is capable of handling 9,000 tonnes of international and domestic cargo per annum, said reports. The airport began operations at the ICT by managing domestic inbound and outbound cargo on the opening day, with international cargo expected to follow soon. The new ICT has ample parking space for all stakeholders and boasts several features to aid in effective handling of inbound and outbound cargo. Notably, the facility includes 10 truck bays, two dock levelers, and forklifts, the reports added. The ICT also includes separate office spaces for airlines and customs, and a centralized AC system. The facility has a strong room, cold storage, and dangerous goods storage area, which meet the norms prescribed by aviation cargo regulators. The entire facility is under CCTV surveillance, with separate space for training, documentation, conferences, and even a board room. A pass issuance and frisking booth are also available at the entrance gate, and the facility is under the watchful eyes of ASG personnel of CISF round the clock.

Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) is redeveloping its 19th Street Cargo facility to enhance its international e-commerce capabilities and increasing overall cargo capacity. Besides supporting the gateway’s ongoing growth in cargo operations, the 19th Street Cargo Redevelopment Project is intended to address labour shortages, airport congestion and sustainability while improving safety, efficiency and security – all through the application of state-of-the-art technology. It will add approximately 350,000 sq ft of new warehouse space and seven large cargo aircraft parking positions, with completion slated for late 2024. After searching for potential tenants that value innovation, automation and emerging technologies, DFW chose Menzies Aviation and dnata USA to create and operate new cargo warehouses at the redeveloped site, subject to final approval by the airport’s board of directors. DFW executive vice president, global strategy and development John Ackerman said: “We selected these tenants for their commitment to excellence in cargo handling and their long-term business strategy, which supports our business priorities in developing DFW as a transit hub in the global supply chain connecting Asia and Latin America. “This will also support our goal of being a hub for the fastest growing markets, including pharma and other perishables, as well as cross-border e-commerce.”

Northeast India’s second largest air cargo terminal at the Maharaja Bir Bikram Airport in Agartala was inaugurated recently by Tripura Transport Minister Sushanta Chowdhury. The largest such facility in the region exists at Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati. The new building was constructed at a cost of Rs 17 crore and cargo handling facility at the airport was restored after being shut since December 4 last year due to the absence of security vetting by regulatory body, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS). The suspension of services had caused inconvenience to traders as well as postal service. “The domestic air cargo terminal will play a pivotal role in flourishing the state’s economy. Tripura has witnessed massive growth in connectivity over the last few years. The airport has been upgraded keeping in view future needs,” the minister said.

Block your date for the India’s biggest virtual meet on the Need for world-class cold chain infrastructure to store and transport Pharma in India, with top industry veterans participating as panelists focusing on various crucial aspects such as Current Infrastructure for cold chain shipments handling and multimodal transportation, recent advancements, innovations and investments in improving cold chain infra, crucial Pain points and lot more. The panelists include Satish Lakkaraju, Senior VP, Global Head-Air Freight and Pharma, WIZ Freight, Radar Ventures, Tushar Jani, Group Chairman, Cargo Service Center, Rashmi Karnad Gurung, Manager Climate Control Product, Qatar Airways. The session will be moderated by Mr. SanJeet, CEO, DDP Group. Be ready to be a part of the virtual meet on 5th May, 2023 at 11.00 a.m. being organised by CargoTalk Digital Conclave in association with Cargo Service Center (CSC). Recently, CargoTalk has collaborated with Cargo Service Center for Pharma Talkathon – A series of knowledge-sharing sessions on everything about pharma. Register now! https://lnkd.in/dwHm_Cui

DHL Global Forwarding will leverage SMARTIST, Turkish Cargo’s mega cargo facility at Istanbul Airport, as one of its global hubs. The two companies signed an MoU at the World Cargo Symposium to strengthen their cooperation, which will increase significantly the air cargo traffic handled via Istanbul, enhancing the airport’s potential to become a leading global logistics hub. Thomas Mack, Global Head of Air Freight, DHL Global Forwarding said, “Spanning the European and Asian continents, Türkiye is geographically well-positioned to act as a logistics hub for Europe, Asia as well as the MEA region and the US. We are happy to intensify our long-lasting partnership with Turkish Cargo, that not only provides us with reliable air cargo capacity, but also state-of-the-art logistics infrastructure to handling air freight.” Turkish Airlines Chief Cargo Officer Turhan Özen said, “Integration of SMARTIST, our mega cargo hub, with the global network of DHL Global Forwarding will enhance our service quality and strengthen the hub position of Istanbul further. This cooperation will also enable us to offer more effective, productive and uninterrupted air cargo service to our customers and add value to the industry upon the establishment of a powerful partnership by and between Turkish Cargo and DHL. We hereby wish that this MoU, which stands out as a great source of pride and excitement to us, be beneficial to both parties thereto.”

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) highlighted three priorities – Sustainability, Digitalization, and Safety to enable the air cargo industry to maintain momentum against the backdrop of a challenging operating environment. The priorities were outlined at the 16th World Cargo Symposium (WCS). Brendan Sullivan, IATA’s Global Head of Cargo said, “Air cargo is a different industry than the one that entered the pandemic. Revenues are greater than they were pre-pandemic. Yields are higher. The world learned how critical supply chains are. And the contribution of air cargo to the bottom line of airlines is more evident than ever. Yet, we are still linked to the business cycle and global events. So, the war in Ukraine, uncertainty over where critical economic factors like interest rates, exchange rates and jobs growth are concerns that are real to the industry today. As we navigate the current situation, air cargo’s priorities have not changed, we need to continue to focus on sustainability, digitalization, and safety.”

The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) announced that Kenya Airports will host the “TIACA Event – Africa”. The event will be held in June 19-21, 2023 in Nairobi, Kenya. TIACA is very pleased to work with Kenya Airports Authority to organize a first-class event, which will bring together members, partners and those that want to do business or those that are already doing business in Africa. The aim of this event is to bring the air cargo community together to identify and discuss specific issues that affect the industry at the regional level. “We are excited to organize the TIACA Event – Africa in Nairobi. The support we will receive from Kenya Airports Authority as host will be invaluable to the attendees, the association and the industry.” Steven Polmans, TIACA Chair. Kenya Airports Authority will welcome international delegates along with their local air cargo community to Emara Hotel Ole Sereni, June 19th for an evening of networking at the Welcome Reception. The next two days, TIACA will organize a conference program that will be focused on all of Africa and will include keynote addresses, panel sessions and presentations that will cover topical issues that affect air cargo operations into, out of and within Africa. “We are honored to host the first “TIACA Event” in Africa, a testament to our commitment to developing and enhancing the air cargo industry on the continent.” KAA MD Alex Gitari said. “At Kenya Airports Authority, we recognize the importance of collaboration and knowledge-sharing in driving innovation and growth in the air cargo industry. This TIACA event will provide a valuable platform for industry stakeholders to come together and address the challenges and opportunities facing the …