Category Archives: Aviation

The Hirasar Airport, also known as Rajkot Greenfield International Airport, is likely to be operational from August this year, said an official. The airport, which is 30 km from Rajkot, an industrial city, is being constructed on an area spanning 1,032 h.a. in four phases. There will be a total of 14 parking spaces, and the passenger terminal will be 23,000 sq. metres in size. “The construction work is progressing quite well, and this airport should be operational by August or September. Even the runway’s construction is 85 per cent complete. The logistics of various enterprises in the Saurashtra region, Gujarat will benefit time and cost-related solutions provided by the airport on the Rajkot-Ahmedabad route. The foundation stone for this project, which cost Rs 1,405 crore was approved by the Modi administration in 2018, was laid in October 2017.

Taxiway ‘Bravo’ at Chennai International Airport finally opened on Friday to ease the congestion and promote the speed during the peak hours. The capacity of the current primary runway will be increased as a result of the operation of Bravo, the principal taxiway (B-TWY), Chennai airport officials said. B-TWY parallel the main runway, which handles 90 per cent of domestic, international, and cargo movements. According to the statement, “before, the B-TWY had a curve at the Guindy end that led in various constraints resulting to aircraft holding, therefore using extra time and fuel for departing flights taxiing from terminal to primary runway for take-off.” The straightened taxiway “will ease the situation and promote speedier passage of flights and cargo by eliminating delays while taxiing, specifically during peak hour traffic.”

The Deoghar airport, one of the most eagerly awaited projects in Jharkhand, was officially opened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Deoghar International Airport would be the second international airport in the mineral-rich state after Ranchi, which opened in 2014. The airport has been opened with the goal of fostering infrastructural development, improving connectivity, and fostering ease of life in the area. Development and construction of the Deoghar airport took four years and took Rs 400 crores to complete. On May 25, 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the cornerstone for this airport. The Airports Authority of India (AAI), in association with the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and the Jharkhand government, had constructed the Deoghar airport.

Virgin Atlantic Cargo is set to expand its all-cargo network with the addition of a new service to Billund Airport. The service will operate three times per week between the Danish Airport and Heathrow using an Airbus A321F operated by Titan Airways, offering 28 tonnes of capacity per flight. The new flights are due to launch on August 3 in response to strong cargo demand and will connect with Virgin Atlantic flights to the US and other destinations. The airline said the flights would cater for cargo currently being trucked from the Scandinavian region. “The partnership will see the Danish airfreight export industry receive more direct connections to the US, as Virgin Atlantic Cargo support’s the airport’s ambition to grow its air freight business and establish the cargo industry at Billund Airport,” the airline stated in a statement. Steve Buckerfield, Head, Cargo Sales, Virgin Atlantic Cargo, said “We are excited to bring this new dedicated all-cargo service, connecting our customers in Billund and the wider Scandinavian region with Virgin Atlantic’s route network via Heathrow. “We will be targeting pharmaceutical, automotive and perishables destined for the USA, Africa, Israel and the Indian subcontinent.”

Rainbow Aviation has signed up to represent Fly Baghdad, as their cargo General Sales Agent (GSA) in India. The carrier plans to transport pharmaceuticals, readymade garments, raw materials, consumer durables and electronic parts to Baghdad from India. Fly Baghdad started flying to India on 13 May 2022, and is operating two weekly passenger Boeing 737-700 flights to and from Mumbai every Tuesday and Friday, offering four to six tonnes of cargo capacity per flight. The Iraqi airline also wants to expand to other key Indian cities. The carrier in a statement, said, “The carrier focuses on passenger and cargo ops and having captured its presence in the Middle East and East Asia, Fly Baghdad has expanded its reach to India and Europe.” Rainbow Aviation noted the flights go to Baghdad and Najaf depending on the demand from passengers, while the Indian GSA group also intends to use the capacity and routes offered by Fly Baghdad to move these commodities to countries in GCC and Europe.

Air cargo movement in Coimbatore grew by 22 per cent in 2021-22, signaling revival of industrial activity in the state. As per reports, 8,062 tonnes of goods were moved in and out of Coimbatore by air to domestic and global destinations last year. Domestic cargo was 6,737 tonnes, of which 3,697 tonnes were outbound. Domestic cargo was 24.05 per cent higher than the previous year. In the case of global cargo, 1,180 tonnes were exports and 145 tonnes were imports, registering a total growth of 17.36 per cent. “This is an indication of recovery of industrial activity after COVID-19 and the potential for air cargo in this region,” an official said. With just two direct flights to global destinations from Coimbatore, most of the export products airlifted from here were perishables. In the case of domestic cargo, the products included automobile components, castings, textile machinery, samples, healthcare products, and food items. There were a few consignments that were moved through bonded trucking too.

Airbus, in its latest report, expects sustained demand for freighters over the next 20 years with nearly 70 per cent of the current fleet to be replaced. The air framer’s 2022 Global Market Forecast for the 2022-2041 shows that the world freighter fleet will reach 3,070 aircraft by 2041. The new report anticipates there will be demand for 2,440 new converted freighters over the next 20 years, with 900 new build freighters expected. Of this freighter demand over 2022-2041, 990 will be 10 to 40 tonne single-aisle aircraft, 890 will be 40 to 80 tonne mid-sized wide-bodied aircraft and 560 will be over 80 tonnes large wide-bodied aircraft. About 2,030 aircraft were in service at the beginning of 2020 and 31 per cent will stay in-service, including 2020 & 2021 deliveries, while 69 per cent will be replaced, the report suggest. Airbus expects world air cargo traffic growth of 3.2% CAGR from 2019-2041.

Continental Carriers Group of Companies is set to open one of India’s first Greenfield air freight stations, where Customs Clearance, Cargo Consolidation, and Palletization will all take place at the AFS facility, and goods will be delivered in pallets ready to load on planes at Delhi International Airport, said Vipin Vohra, Chairman. Vohra, who is also the Advisor, Cargo Division, Union Ministry of Civil Aviation said they are constantly working to reduce costs through innovative solutions and provide the best possible service to customers. “We have strived for accurate and real-time visibility of forecasts, orders, shipments, inventory, and locations to improve business performance, and we have invested heavily in technology, digitization, and skilled workforce to that end.”

FedEx Express and ecommerce marketplace eBay have teamed up to enable sellers from the APAC region to sign up for a FedEx account and access all the services the delivery company has to offer. According to FedEx Express official statement, marketplace sales count for 67% of ecommerce globally, with APAC’s ecommerce market expected to reach USD 352.68 trillion by 2030. The partnership between the companies will help propel merchants, especially small business owners, amidst the booming of ecommerce in the region driven by consumers’ changing behaviours towards online shopping. Through the collaboration, eBay sellers will be able to provide its clients a premium delivery experience at competitive prices, as well as a full suite of custom-made shipping and logistics services provided by FedEx.

All Nippon Airways (ANA) has placed an order for two of Boeing’s recently launched B777-8 freighter aircraft. The airline has converted two of its previous commitments for 20 B777-9 passenger aircraft dating back to 2014 into the new freighter model. The aircraft are expected to enter service during or after ANA’s 2028 financial year. “The announcement reflects ANA Holding’s plan to further expand its cargo business through securing large freighters,” the company statement said. “The Boeing 777-8F is a world class freighter that has the largest cargo capacity of any twin-engine aircraft and has reduced CO2 emissions and operational costs that uses less fuel per ton,” the statement added.