Category Archives: Aviation

The only word that can be used to describe the current state of the air cargo industry is turbulent, says Glyn Hughes, Director General, TIACA. “Cargo volumes and capacity is fluctuating as consumerism and manufacturing is fluctuating. The rising cost of energy, food prices and raw materials are having an impact on household finances and production costs. This reinforces the view that the short-term outlook is challenging,” he added. The air cargo industry has shown its resilience and flexibility these past two years. “I think that innovative spirit will facilitate maximum benefit when market conditions improve. Preparations for the next wave of growth are already well underway with companies continuing to invest in technology and main deck cargo capacity across the spectrum with production and conversion orders remaining strong,” Hughes added.

Caribbean Airlines Cargo has teamed up with the air cargo digital solution platform, CargoAi to offer the capacity to and from the Caribbean. “CargoAi is delighted to announce that Caribbean Airlines Cargo successfully went live on the www.cargoai.co platform on 08 June 2022,” said a release. Caribbean Airlines has placed a strong focus on improved customer service both on the passenger as well as on the cargo side, and user experience is what CargoAi excels in,” said Matthieu Petot, CEO of CargoAi, in a statement. Marklan Moseley, General Manager, Cargo, and New Business, Caribbean Airlines also said in the release, “We see three major benefits in offering our capacity on CargoAi. First and foremost, our customers have access to a customized, easy-to-use e-booking system, allowing them to streamline their shipping processes more efficiently. Secondly, our capacity offers now reach a great many more potential and new customers around the world, and thirdly, these increased sales activities will ultimately boost our commercial cargo operations, enabling us to further enhance our service offers. A win-win all around.”

Air Canada Cargo freighters are being given a fresh look and the first newly painted Boeing 767F freighter has now rolled out of the paint shop. The 767F features a black, white, and red livery design first introduced in 2017. The aircraft, registration C-GXHM, is one of two factory-built freighters delivered to Air Canada earlier this summer that will enter service in 2023, said Air Canada in a statement. These are in addition to the eight converted 767 freighters that Air Canada Cargo will have in its fleet, two of which are already in service between North American, Europe and Latin America. Air Canada also recently announced the acquisition of two factory-built Boeing 777 freighters, which will enter service in 2024.

Airbus collaborated with IonQ, an industry leader in quantum computing to explore the potential application and benefits of quantum computing for aerospace services and passenger experiences. The Quantum Aircraft Loading Optimization & Quantum Machine Learning project will be a 12-month project that culminates in the development of a prototype aircraft-loading quantum application, hands-on collaboration and coaching sessions for Airbus developers and engineers, and an exploration of future integrations of quantum computers for Airbus and its customers. In response to the ongoing supply chain crisis, aerospace companies are investing in the latest technologies to understand areas for improved efficiencies – cargo loading being one of them. Airbus’ partnership with IonQ is the first step toward developing smarter algorithms based on quantum computers that can potentially lead to cost savings due to more optimized distribution of cargo on flights.

After observing a 30 per cent growth in volumes in the last year, Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) has increased its facility footprint at London’s Heathrow Airport. WFS has signed a five-year lease on Building 578 in the airport’s cargo area, boosting its warehouse and office space by a further 27,000 sq. ft, said an official statement. The additional building, due to commence operations in October, features eight landside doors for cargo deliveries and collections, and a 20-foot truck dock. As well as caster deck storage for loaded pallets and containers, WFS also plans to install a 7,000 sq. ft. area for ambient shipments and dedicated storage for temperature-controlled cargoes requiring a 2-8°C environment, the statement added.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is all set to focus on building resilience to further strengthen air cargo’s post-pandemic prospects in its forthcoming annual event, World Cargo Symposium (WCS) taking place in London from September 27-29. The WCS will address many topics related to resilience building, including digitalization, sustainability, air cargo safety, attracting and retaining talent, e-commerce, air cargo market dynamics, digital distribution and booking, plus Digital Cargo and ONE Record. Three streams of content will be divided into the themes of digitalization, sustainability and safety and security. The event will also feature plenary sessions, specialized streams, workshops, and executive summits. Also scheduled is a first-time workshop focused on improving the efficiency of billing settlements between airlines and freight forwarders. The session will incorporate IATA’s new internet-based data processing and customer management system CASSLINK (the Cargo Accounts Settlement System).

To facilitate the movement of dangerous goods worldwide, the International Chemical Transport Association (ICTA) has collaborated with several global trade organisations namely International Cargo Handling Coordination Association (ICHCA), International Vessel Owners Dangerous Goods Association (IVODGA), National Cargo Bureau (NCB) and World Shipping Council (WSC). Now, they can jointly work on the White Paper entitled, ‘Safety Guidance for Dangerous Goods Storage and Handling Facilities’ issued in December last year. Richard Steele, CEO of ICHCA welcomed the additional support, “To make a real difference to the standards of safety in supply chains that feature hazardous materials, it is vital to reach all involved and create a critical mass of like-minded partners. The endorsement of our work by such an authoritative voice as ICTA is therefore decidedly welcome.”

Delta Air Lines and Aviation Partners Boeing (APB) have partnered to reduce aircraft carbon emissions. APB has also announced the carrier’s (Delta’s) recent agreements to purchase Split Scimitar Winglets for its 737-800 fleet and for several recently acquired 737-900ER aircraft, says an official release. The carrier also gave a green nod for Scimitar Blended Winglets for up to 70 of Delta’s 757-200 aircraft. Both the Split Scimitar Winglets and Scimitar Blended Winglets are upgrades to APB’s ubiquitous Blended Winglets. Delta has previously purchased and installed APB winglet products on its 737-800, 737-900ER, 757-200, 757-300, and 767-300ER fleets. “APB is proud that Delta has, once again, turned to APB’s winglet products across its fleets to deliver savings in jet fuel consumption and gains in fuel efficiency,” adds the release.

Ethiopian Cargo & Logistics Services has announced a new domestic cargo service to Dire Dawa and Jigjiga that will operate thrice a week from August 30. As per reports, its fleet includes B777-200F and B737-800SF aircraft. In March, Ethiopian Airlines partnered with International Djibouti Industrial Park Operation (IDIPO) and Air Djibouti as it looks to develop sea-air operations between China and Africa. Addis Ababa-hubbed Ethiopian operates in major trade lanes between Africa and Europe and the Middle East and Asia, serving 70 global freighter destinations. Currently, Ethiopian Cargo & Logistics Services operates a warehouse with annual capacity of 250,000 tonnes, equipped with modern cooling facilities. Currently, the company is building a new transhipment terminal anticipated to have a capacity of 1.2 million tonnes per year.

Skye Air Mobility has allied with Flipkart Health, a medical branch of Flipkart Internet, to deliver pharma products up to 5 kg by drone. Each flight can fly up to 16 km. The partnership began with the launch of BVLOS flights from Flipkart Health warehouse in Baruipur of West Bengal, to several Health Buddy OTC sites in Kolkata and suburbs. Flights numbering 20 will take medication each day from Warehouse to Health Buddy OTC locations in the region.