Category Archives: Aviation

In an event held at Mumbai Airport, Lufthansa Cargo Boeing 777F has been officially named as ‘Namaste India.’ The freighter, with the registration D-ALFH, has been part of Lufthansa Cargo’s fleet since August 2020. The christening ceremony was held in the presence of Ashwin Bhat, CCO, Lufthansa Cargo, and in the presence of J. Florian Pfaff, Vice President, Asia Pacific, Lufthansa Cargo, among others. Currently, Mumbai alone is served four times a week, and Bengaluru, and Chennai twice weekly from Frankfurt with B777F freighters. “For decades, it has been an important and reliable partner in and for India,” said Bhat in a statement. “I am pleased to mark this partnership and success story in the context of this freighter naming ceremony in my home city. It is our goal to continue connecting India with other markets, around the world and to support the strong development of the Indian economy,” he added.

For Chapman Freeborn Germany, Antonov Airlines has successfully completed three AN-124-100 flights to transport a new mobile gas power plant generator from Europe to Africa. The cargo, transported from Ljubljana in Slovenia to Kano, Nigeria included turbine, generator, and additional equipment. It weighed about 200 tonnes. Eugene Kiva, Commercial Executive at Antonov Airlines said, “The entire Antonov team, from commercial to operational, route planning, and load planning, worked closely with our client and agents to ensure the safe delivery of this important cargo, which will support energy needs in Nigeria.” Antonov Airlines has been adversely affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine but continues to fly worldwide, prioritising flights for the Ukrainian government, the Strategic Airlift International Solution (SALIS), and humanitarian missions using its five AN-124-100s, said the statement.

To meet the increasing demand for e-commerce and perishables, IAG Cargo is planning to restart its cargo-only services between Heathrow-Hong Kong and Heathrow-Bangkok. While four-time weekly flights between Heathrow and Bangkok resumed on May 24 using a B7, daily flights from Heathrow to Hong Kong will begin from June 1. Daniel Byrne, Regional Commercial Manager, UK and Ireland, IAG Cargo, said in a statement, “Hong Kong and Bangkok are an important part of our network. Goods manufactured in the Far East are quite popular with consumers across the world. With summer shaping up to be a busy period for IAG Cargo and our customers, this air bridge is vital for the movement of e-commerce and perishable products.” Since the beginning of the ongoing pandemic, the business has completed 250 cargo-only flights between Heathrow and Hong Kong.

To revamp its cargo zone and meet the increasing demand for storage and handling space, Brussels Airport is reportedly planning to invest EUR 70 million over the next three years. The construction work in this regard is likely to begin later this week. By 2025, three new modern and sustainable buildings, including parking areas, will be opened at Brussels Airport cargo zone, called Brucargo Central. Arnaud Feist, CEO, Brussels Airport Company said, “The redevelopment of the central area of the cargo zone and of new cargo buildings and offices at the airport site will allow the airport to welcome new partners and offer new and current partners’ warehouses and offices that are larger, more efficient, modern, and sustainable. Accelerating the development of the cargo zone is one of the priorities within the new strategy of Brussels Airport.”

To transform the airport’s air cargo processes, Kale Logistics Solutions has signed an agreement with at GMR Cargo Hyderabad International Airport (GHIAL). Kale plans to transform air cargo processes at GHIAL with a unique air cargo solution that is a combination of its flagship Cargo Community System and Cargo Management System, GALAXY. The solution encompasses courier, international, and domestic cargo operations for the airport. “We are proud to have been associated with 100 air cargo stations globally,” said Amar More, Co-Founder and CEO, Kale Logistics Solutions. “With our portfolio, we look forward to helping the industry thrive in an increasingly digital-first world. These solutions connect over 3,000 cargo agents, more than 125 airlines, processing over three million annual payments and exchanging more than 10 million EDI messages globally,” added More.

Digital logistics start-up, Fre8wise has launched Quasi-Blockchain and Robotic Process Automation (RPA) solutions for the logistics industry. The advanced tech-solutions will help the industry deal with issues like lack of integration between customer’s ERP and government portals such as FOIS, FMS, PMS, i3MS, e-way Bill among others. It will also help eliminate manual and paper-based systems that cause delays and errors. It will also help improve visibility, and control pilferage and theft.

With an aim to expand its network, CargoAi has teamed up with North American airfreight trucking firm, Air Cargo Inc (ACI). According to the reports, the partnership will provide ACI’s customers access to CargoAi’s freight forwarding booking solution, while the portal’s user will be able to access ACI’s transport services. “The CargoAi platform will allow existing and ACI’s customers to access air and ground services and get up-to-date and accurate information on their shipments through a single platform,” said a statement. “This collaboration is designed to grow both companies’ ability to deliver to their customers the most innovative and advanced way of managing their shipments through CargoAi’ freight forwarding solution,” the statement added.

To meet the fast-growing demand for perishables in Brisbane, DHL Global Forwarding has opened a new 4,880 sq. mt. facility at Brisbane Airport, which houses the largest international cold chain services. The new facility will support the growth of general cargo in Queensland, Australia and is set to be ready by early 2023. George Lawson, Managing Director, DHL Global Forwarding Australia said in an official statement, “We are also planning to invest AUD 17 million (EUR 11 million) over a period of 10 years. The expansion of our facilities at Brisbane airport reflect the growth in exports, especially perishable exports. Brisbane’s economy is forecast to surge by 2031 and with this new facility, we are ready to support our customers’ growth.”

Emirates SkyCargo’s brand new cargo freighter, Boeing 777F departed Boeing’s facilities at Everett in Washington recently. According to the reports, this is Emirates SkyCargo’s 11th B777F aircraft with registration number A6-EFT, while also having MSN 67462 and line number 1713. Prior to its delivery flight, the aircraft had conducted five test flights, which took seven hours. The freighter first headed over the Pacific Ocean on a nearly 13-hour flight to Hong Kong on May 28 and spent about two hours on the ground before departing for Dubai World Central (DWC).

To reserve a stake in Italian airline, ITA Airways, Lufthansa Cargo has submitted a joint bid with Mediterranean Shipping Co. (MSC). “The MSC Group aims to create a partnership with the Italian Government and Lufthansa as the project’s industrial partner. Lufthansa has already expressed its interest in taking part in the initiative. MSC Group’s interest derives from the possibility of activating positive synergies for both companies in the cargo and passenger sectors where the MSC Group is a global leader,” said a statement. According to media reports, Lufthansa is looking forward to take a 20 per cent stake in ITA while MSC will hold a 60 per cent stake under the joint offer and the remaining 20 per cent would be held by the Italian state. Though nothing has officially been confirmed as of now.