Category Archives: Aviation

The newly developed domestic cargo terminal commenced operations at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport. The 600 square feet facility has the capacity to handle over 3,500 MT per year. The 24×7 terminal is poised to boost cargo trade from Thiruvananthapuram. The facility provides end-to-end cargo services encompassing cityside handling, security functions, storage and airside handling under close monitoring to ensure safety of the cargo. Besides adding incremental cargo handling capacity to the airport’s cargo infra, the facility will provide an additional choice of services for the trade at the airport. The infrastructure of the new cargo facility is likely to improve the service levels of cargo handling at the domestic terminal. The new facility is equipped to handle perishable goods, with temperature control from 15°C to 25°C. The facility will handle machinery parts, readymade garments, fabrics, dyes, chemicals, valuable cargo, and other commodities.

According to General Vijay Kumar Singh, Minister of State in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and Ministry of Civil Aviation, there are no norms prescribed by DGCA to specify the shelf life of an aircraft in the country. He said aircraft in India could fly till their certificate for their type is valid and are under production or maintenance support by their manufacturer. “The aircraft are considered airworthy provided the maintenance is as per the approved schedule laid down by the manufacturer. Aircraft registered in India may operate if the type certificate is valid for the type of aircraft and it is under production/maintenance support provided by the manufacturer for the continuous operation of the aircraft,” Singh said. He added the aviation regulator has laid down age criteria for importing aircraft to India. “Aircraft to be used for air cargo ops are restricted to 25-years or 75 per cent of its designed economic life in terms of pressurization cycles, whichever is earlier,” the ministry said.

Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Minister of Civil Aviation said, a broader ecosystem of civil aviation needs to be set up in the country, including cargo, drones, flight training schools and MRO facilities. “With India’s airport infra and airlines well in place, it is time to lay a wider focus on the sector,” he said, during his virtual address recently. He said it is important to look at the sector in entirety in addition to the focus areas of airports and airlines. Focusing on cargo, drones, flying training organizations, ground handling of the ecosystem, he said, “Too much preponderance has traditionally been on airlines and airports because they are the lynchpins of the ecosystem of civil aviation. But now that these lynchpins have come into place in a formidable manner in our country, it is important to set up in place the ecosystem of civil aviation and that ecosystem comprises multiple myriad areas within civil aviation.”

Etihad Airways has firmed up its order with Airbus for seven new generation A350F freighters, following its earlier commitment announced at the Singapore Airshow. The freighters will upgrade Etihad’s freight capacity by deploying the most efficient cargo aircraft available in the market. This order of the A350F sees the national carrier of the UAE expanding its relationship with Airbus and adding to its existing order of the largest passenger version of A350-1000s, five of which have been delivered. Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said, “In building one of the world’s youngest and most sustainable fleets, we are delighted to extend our long-term partnership with Airbus to add the A350 Freighter to our fleet. This additional cargo capacity will support the unprecedented growth we are experiencing in the Etihad Cargo division. Airbus has developed a remarkable fuel-efficient aircraft that, in tandem with the A350-1000 in our passenger fleet, supports our commitment to reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.”

Federation of Indian Export Organizations (FIEO) and Shypmax have partnered to support Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) exporters in India showcasing their products on the latter’s Indian Business Portal (IBP). Under this pact the provider of comprehensive logistics and transportation solutions will offer a flat 15 per cent discount on routing service tariffs for express cross-border shipments to FIEO members and SMEs registered on the IBP. Dr. Ajay Sahai, Director General and CEO, FIEO, said the progress of e-commerce requires seamless supply chains that act as the building blocks for digital selling. There is a shift in focus toward technology-enabled tools and warehousing to ensure faster LMDs. Our aim is to handhold artisans, women entrepreneurs, start-ups and MSMEs to develop their orientation towards exports, he said. Dr. Sahai invited exporters to showcase their products on Indian Business Portal and avail the benefits of the association with Shypmax to ship effectively and efficiently.

“After COVID-19 hit, we began cargo-only charters, initially using just the belly of our passenger aircraft, then expanding into ‘cargo-on-seat’ operations, after we received the necessary approvals, and later added a ‘cargo-on-floor’ A321. Hence, we have initiated a proper freighter program and are in the process of sourcing 4 A321CEO aircraft for conversion. The A321P2F—passenger-to-freighter conversion—is the narrow-bodied all-cargo aircraft available, offering 24 ULD positions and supporting a payload of up to 27 tonnes. We expect our first delivery in this month, coming from the conversion shop at Singapore Technologies. The aircraft is capable for IndiGo and able to service markets between China in the east and the Gulf in the west, not forgetting the CIS countries to the north,” said Mahesh Malik, Chief Commercial Officer, CarGo, IndiGo.

The rising cost of fuel has been an issue of concern for the aviation industry throughout 2022, but air cargo carriers have tackled the challenge successfully. Expensive fuel is not a new phenomenon, however, a perfect storm of economic and political issues has seen prices continue to rise this year until they flattened out in early July, as per S&P Global data shared by IATA. In February, against a backdrop of strong demand for still limited capacity due to the pandemic, the Ukraine-Russia war forced airlines to fly longer routes to avoid Russia-Ukraine airspace and increase their fuel usage, and now inflation is rising around the world. The latest data from the joint Platts – IATA Jet Fuel Price Monitor shows the jet fuel price for the week ending July 15 was up 85.7 per cent compared with a year ago at $146.4/bbl. The jet fuel price average for 2022 at the time of writing (year to date) is US$ 143.6/bbl. The impact of jet fuel price developments on 2022’s industry total fuel bill is US$ 134.3 billion.

As per a recent Airforwarders’ Association survey, while the air cargo business is decelerating after one of the industry’s strongest years ever, volumes remain robust, while many forecast the first half of 2023 to be relatively positive. Forecasts indicate airfreight will account for 25 per cent of airline revenue, especially after passenger revenue has been impacted during the ongoing pandemic. The positive outlook is tempered by existing global and macroeconomic challenges that could change the current prosperity wave, but freight forwarders remain prepared for what may lie ahead, stated the survey. They expect an early peak season as companies rush to deliver shipments trapped by the COVID-19-related lockdowns in China. Some freight forwarders anticipate this concern to result in an upsurge of air cargo shipments from Asia to the US as customers seek to avoid potential maritime bottlenecks. Main concern is the availability of capacity since most passenger flights from Asia, including their belly capacity, remain grounded.

Lufthansa Cargo is now offering Envirotainer’s Releye RAP temperature-controlled container to firms transporting pharmaceuticals. Envirotainer launched the RAP version of its Releye container in February, and the first commercial shipment using the said container was in March. The RAP version of the Releye container is the largest model of the container and can hold five pallets, compared with the existing 2021 model’s three pallets. “With the integration of this container, the carrier is committed to provide its customers with first-class products and services and to drive innovation,” said a statement from Lufthansa Cargo. “We would like to thank Envirotainer for their long-standing cooperation, which enabled us to expand and improve our offering for the pharma industry and temperature-sensitive goods.”

Board of Airline Representatives in Germany (BARIG) continues to strengthen its commitment to air cargo industry and supports the development of cargo and logistics, with the re-election of Michael Hoppe, BARIG chairman and executive director of the ‘airlines’ segment. He represents the interests of 100 national and global – passenger and cargo – airlines operating in Germany. Hoppe is a founding team member of the ACCF and has been engaged in the community since 2014. The re-election was done during the recent general assembly, ACCF. Cooperation and exchange among the different stakeholders have never been more important, especially with regards to the current bottlenecks in airport ops and handling services. Air cargo and logistics have demonstrated their central, system-critical significance for the economy in the society and needs to be improved. Only through good collaboration, the challenges can be overcome, said a BARIG statement. “Within the cargo community, we need to work to address effectively the contemporary lack of resources and disruptions in logistics processes and supply chains,” Hoppe said. “Our BARIG member airlines aim to drive forward important cargo-related topics and, as part of the executive board, we need to advance and stabilize ops in Frankfurt, Germany, and the world.”