Category Archives: Aviation

Saudi Arabian Airlines is hoping to add a new freighter service between Europe and the US but has met some resistance from US carriers over the plans. In late December, the carrier applied to the US Department of Transportation for a limited exemption for seventh freedom rights to operate all-cargo flights between Liege, New York JFK and Chicago O’Hare. However, US carriers responded that they do not have seventh freedom rights to operate flights to Saudi Arabia and also questioned whether the flights are in the public interest. In response, Saudi Arabian said it would consult with the country’s government about the possibility of providing reciprocal seventh-freedom rights to US all-cargo carriers. The carrier also argued that the flights would be in the public’s interest. Saudi Arabian Airlines believes that this limited exemption is requested in order to serve the public interest by helping to alleviate the supply chain delays caused by the increased volume of air cargo between Europe and the US due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

In view of the rising COVID concerns, Messe Muenchen India, the organizers of air cargo INDIA have announced the postponement of the biennial trade show and conference for the air cargo fraternity. The new dates for the much-awaited industry event are May 31 – June 2, 2022 and will be held at the Grand Hyatt, Mumbai. This decision was taken by Messe Muenchen India owing to the current COVID restrictions and was made in close consultation with all the exhibitors, sponsors, industry associations and partners. “We would like to thank all partners for their continued support & cooperation in making this difficult and time sensitive decision. We are pleased that together we could have a general consensus and arrive at the new dates without affecting the plans of all involved and intended outcomes.” said Bhupinder Singh, CEO, Messe Muenchen India Pvt. Ltd. “TIACA supports the decision of Air Cargo India to postpone until May considering the current situation in India and we look forward to participating fully at that time with many international delegates. We also look forward to welcoming delegates to the joint TIACA / Messe München event in San Francisco, scheduled for the end of March.” said Glyn Hughes, Director General, TIACA With the 2022 edition of air cargo INDIA, the focus is on future trends, sustainability, latest innovations in the air cargo industry.

Ethiopian Cargo & Logistics Services, has launched a new feature that enables customers to make online reservations for their cargo. The platform enables customers check flight schedules, space availability, loadability of freight and make real-time booking of their shipment in single and convenient way on cargobooking.ethiopianairlines.com. Ethiopian Cargo & Logistics Services is rolling out the online booking subsequent to its introduction of the mobile application to heighten its customer’s experience. The Mobile App which is available for Android and IOS, brings convenience to customers with a real-time update through a range of self-service features. On the Mobile App, customers can check flight schedule, submit enquiry, receive notifications when the shipment is ready, book charter flights and track shipments. Ethiopian Airlines GCEO, Tewolde GebreMariam, said “We are pleased to offer our customers with convenience in their experience of air cargo booking. We are committed to start walking the long walk of taking out paper from entire air cargo process by digitalizing the logistics value chain. Taking out paper from logistics value chain is not only convenient and hassle free service for customers but also it delivers more efficient operational excellence and achieves long term sustainability goals. Our online booking platform will be crucial in empowering direct cargo customers and forwarders with reliable access to our cargo capacity inventory. Besides, our cargo division has proved to the world that it is a genuine partner in times of dire need by delivering lifesaving PPE’s (personal Protective Equipment) and hundreds of millions various vaccines to all major continents of the world.” Ethiopian provides its customers with fully automated cargo service using the latest technologies for data, information and market intelligence with 100% e-AWB from …

IT hardware firm Lenovo has signed up to use the “carbon neutral” freighter service offered by DB Schenker and Lufthansa Cargo. The tie up will see the computer company transport cargo, including include laptops, notebooks, and PCs, on Lufthansa Cargo’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) powered B777 freighter flight between Shanghai and Frankfurt. The partners have calculated that by using the flights, Lenovo will save around 20 tons of conventional kerosene per flight and, thus, 62 tons of greenhouse gases weekly. In addition, the around 16 tons CO2 resulting from the production and transport of the SAF are offset by compensatory measures. Ashwin Bhat, chief commercial officer, Lufthansa Cargo, said: “Our joint effort with DB Schenker to avoid CO2 emissions is continuously growing stronger. An increasing number of customers realise that we need to work together across industries to achieve our shared goal.” Gareth Davies, head of global logistics at Lenovo, added: “Sustainability is critical to our business and mission of delivering smarter technology for all. We are proud that we are further enhancing our solutions through this collaboration with DB Schenker and Lufthansa Cargo.”

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for global air cargo markets showing slower growth in November 2021. Supply chain disruptions and capacity constraints impacted demand, despite economic conditions remaining favorable for the sector. As comparisons between 2021 and 2020 monthly results are distorted by the extraordinary impact of COVID-19, unless otherwise noted, all comparisons below are to November 2019 which followed a normal demand pattern. • Global demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometres (CTKs*), was up 3.7% compared to November 2019 (4.2% for international operations). This was significantly lower than the 8.2% growth seen in October 2021 (9.2% for international operations) and in previous months. * Capacity was 7.6% below November 2019 (-7.9% for international operations). This was relatively unchanged from October. Capacity remains constrained with bottlenecks at key hubs. • Economic conditions continue to support air cargo growth, however supply chain disruptions are slowing growth. “Air cargo growth was halved in November compared to October because of supply chain disruptions. All economic indicators pointed towards continued strong demand, but the pressures of labor shortages and constraints across the logistics system unexpectedly resulted in lost growth opportunities. Manufacturers, for example, were unable to get vital goods to where they were needed, including PPE. Governments must act quickly to relieve pressure on global supply chains before it permanently dents the shape of the economic recovery from COVID-19,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.

Envirotainer, the global market leader in secure cold chain solutions for air transportation of pharmaceuticals, announced that Delta Cargo has approved the Envirotainer Releye® RLP for usage on their fleet of aircrafts. With this approval, Delta Cargo can now transport the Releye® RLP on their wide-reaching global network, increasing the capacity to meet the ever-growing need for temperature-controlled, high-quality, connected ULD solutions. The Releye provides outstanding environmental performance, delivering up to 90% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to available passive solutions, based on life-cycle analysis. The Releye® RLP uses rechargeable batteries to power its electric heating and compressor cooling system and can power its system for over 170 hours on a single charge. With its unique feature set, the Releye® RLP sets a new standard for secure cold chain solutions bringing a temperature-controlled air freight container to market with a new footprint, industry-leading autonomy and fully integrated live monitoring. “The introduction of the Releye® RLP, in combination with our CEIV certified pharma network, provides our customers with more choice when looking for reliable container options to support the growing demand for pharma and vaccine shipments” said Jannie Davel, Managing Director Cargo Commercial at Delta Cargo.

The bureau of civil aviation security (BCAS) has granted Kolhapur airport permission to carry out belly cargo transportation. In the case of the belly cargo system, passenger flights can also carry goods. The demand for transportation of light goods was being made from the associations of commerce and industries from Kolhapur and nearby districts. “We have around 916-meter airstrip, which will be expanded in coming months. In a few months, night landing will also be allowed at the Airport. The approval for belly cargo is just a start. The airport will now connect with more destinations where the cargo shipment will take place. Grapes from Sangli, industrial goods from Kolhapur, fruits from Konkan will be taken to long-distance places.” said Guardian minister Satej Patil.

DB Schenker extended its one-of-a-kind Flight Operations in the Indian logistics industry, providing a direct flight connecting Bengaluru to Munich and Chicago Rockford (wheels up-wheels down in less than 24 hours). The weekly flight operations initiative is a part of the Global Flight Operations Program which further marks the company’s leadership in Air Freight services in India. Along with providing a world class land transport network to EU and US, DB Schenker also specialises in handling of temperature-controlled shipments within ‘thermal blankets’ and ULD movement. DB Schenker has efficiently deployed weekly flight operations for both Imports & Exports between India & United States & Europe. The new B777 “flight operations” initiative is aimed at simplifying the logistics services of the fast-growing industries in India, offering seamless capacity to support customers’ requirements. The cargo will be secured from departure to arrival with no extra handling requirement during the transit. The temperature sensitive cargo in the ULD’s will be covered with protective material to maintain temperature in transit from Bengaluru (BLR). Door to Door transit time via DB Schenker in India flight operations would remain 5 days approximately for Europe & US bound shipments.

Qatar Airways Cargo has long been committed to ensuring that all animals entrusted to the airline for transportation, receive the best care both on the ground and in the air. Now, following six months of intense process and product audits, Qatar Airways Cargo is proud to announce that its strict adherence to the highest standards and relevant regulations has been accredited CEIV Live Animals certification by IATA. “We are the fourth airline worldwide to become CEIV Live Animals certified, and the first in the Middle East. This certification is testament to the dedication and detail that we put into transporting the many different live animals that are placed in our custody. Whether they are horses, household pets, livestock, or exotic animals transported on our scheduled and charter flights or wild animals being flown under our WeQare Rewild the Planet initiative, we go beyond the required regulatory standards, to ensure that the animals are given the utmost care and comfort for the entire duration of the journey.” Miguel Rodriguez Moreno, Senior Manager Cargo Climate Control Products, explains. “The CEIV Live Animals certification depicts that our handling, infrastructure, quality management, and training framework are in line with industry standards. It highlights our compliance with the IATA Live Animal Regulations alongside the Transportation of Wildlife and Animal Welfare (TWAW) Group Policy, and it shows that we have a robust supplier management system in place, allowing our principles to be implemented globally. Further, it illustrates our commitment to continuously improving industry standards when it comes to the transportation of live animals, and we thank the IATA auditors for their constructive contribution in this regard.”

The Hong Kong Government will tighten the quarantine measures for air cargo crew as part of its efforts to minimise the spread of Covid-19. Air cargo crew members will be required to undergo compulsory quarantine at a quarantine hotel for three days upon arrival in Hong Kong. This move is in view of the rising trend of imported Covid-19 cases with the Omicron variant. On December 28, Centre for Health Protection Controller Dr Edwin Tsui told a press briefing that the number of Covid-19 infections involving Omicron accounted for 35% of the imported cases two weeks ago and that figure rose to 95% from December 26-28. Given that Omicron is highly transmissable, Dr Tsui warned that the risk of a community outbreak is very high. He said, “We have to balance between the risk of an infectious disease outbreak and the cargo operation. At present, we try our best to work with the airlines and also the Transport & Housing Bureau. And, we implement this measure of the three-day quarantine at a hotel, trying to intercept the cases once (airlines’ cargo crew) arrive (in) Hong Kong in the first three days”.