Category Archives: Aviation

A large size Beluga Airbus cargo plane landed at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International (SVPI) Airport in Ahmedabad for the first time. The impressive aircraft landed for fuel filling and took off later. Beluga aircraft is a version of the standard A300-600 wide-body airliner is modified to carry aircraft parts and outsized cargo. The Beluga which has received the sobriquet of ‘The Super Tranporter’ is because it resembles a giant whale.

To boost drone usage in the logistics industry, Aster DM Healthcare has partnered with drone delivery tech firm, Skye Air Mobility to deliver diagnostic samples and pharmaceuticals in Bengaluru. According to the official press statement, the project has been taken up on pilot basis for seven days, to ferry pharmaceuticals, and lab samples from Aster RV in JP Nagar to Aster clinics located within Bengaluru city. “In first four days of trials, the firm caried out 40 flights and is looking forward to finish 80 test flights by the end of the seven-day trial. Skye Air Mobility also recently partnered with Swiggy, the online food delivery set-up. The company is operating in seven cities with a fleet of six drones and is planning to have 100 drones in the next nine months,” said the release.

Softlink Global was conferred with Best Technology Service Provider-Cargo & Logistics Industry Award at the recently held India Cargo Awards, the country’s topmost supply chain awards, which helps create a platform to recognise those behind the success of the cargo and logistics industry. Amrit Lal Meena, Special Secretary (Logistics), Union Department of Commerce and Piyush Srivastava, Senior Economic Advisor, Union Ministry of Civil Aviation presented the award. Softlink Global is one of the leading software providers for Freight Forwarding, Logistics, and Supply Chain industry. The company’s portfolio includes superior technology solutions for the strategic and operational aspects of the logistics and freight forwarding business.

Tap Air Cargo has chosen Airbridge International Agencies (AIA) as its new GSSA, with services starting yesterday. In the new partnership, TAP Air Cargo will offer 93 weekly flights from London Gatwick, Heathrow, Manchester, and Dublin, with weekly air capacity at 160,000kg. Additionally, 30 countries will be served with high weekly capacity per week. “The AIA team is dedicated to serve their airline partners with a dedicated focus on their unique brands and strengths,” said an official release. “We are delighted to welcome TAP Air Cargo further into the AIA family,” said Mark Andrew, CEO, Airbridge International Agencies group. “Having worked with TAP recently in South America we are delighted to have the chance to prove ourselves within the UK and Ireland. TAP Cargo offers our forwarding clients important gateways via its Lisbon hub into Africa, North and South America plus strategic European hubs,” added Andrew.

To reconfigure a used 737-800 passenger plane for dedicated cargo service, EgyptAir is planning to add the first standard-size cargo jet to its fleet early next year after officially signing an agreement with Miami-based Aeronautical Engineers Inc. “The modification work will begin in October at authorized conversion center, commercial jet, also in Miami. “EgyptAir will own the plane and send it to Miami for installation of a wide cargo door, reinforced flooring and a cargo handling system, and other changes to enable container storage on the upper deck,” said an official release. Currently, EgyptAir owns and operates three Airbus A330-200 freighters, each with a payload capacity of 60 tonnes. Amr Abu El-Enein, Chairman and CEO, EgyptAir said, “This order is part of EgyptAir’s cargo and passenger fleet modernization plan. We will continue to increase the size of our fleet in the coming years to meet the growing needs of the local market in terms of exporting goods abroad, especially crops.”

dnata is planning to expand its operations at Erbil International Airport (EBL) in Iraq with the opening of new and advanced cool chain and a bus maintenance facility for its fleets. It has reportedly invested $3.5m in the projects. dnata will further invest an additional $14m and add a 16,000 m² cargo warehouse to its infrastructure in Iraq, says an official release. “The new cool chain facility is capable of processing 10,000 tons of perishables annually including meat, fresh fruits, and pharmaceuticals. The facility was built and designed keeping in mind efficient product handling requirements and flexibility. In addition, dnata’s new cargo warehouse, likely to open in 2023, will enhance the company’s cargo offering in Iraq, the company said. “It will be capable of processing 100,000 tonnes of cargo, with a special focus on pharma and other cool chain commodities, annually. The facility will be equipped with technologies including environmentally sustainable features such as water harvesting, low energy lighting and an all-electric forklift fleet,” added a release.

To strengthen air cargo offering, Air France-KLM Group and CMA CGM Group signed a 10-year long-term strategic agreement to combine their cargo networks, and full freighter capacity. Both the companies are committed to grow and invest sustainably in the air freight business in the coming years. “The agreement will have an initial duration of 10 years. Air France-KLM and CMA CGM will operate the full-freighter aircraft capacity of the respective airlines comprising a fleet of 10 full-freighter aircraft, and an additional combined 12 aircraft, which will be ordered later. The strategic commercial partnership is expected to generate significant revenue, and enhanced products and services,” read a company statement.

To double the airline’s freighter fleet, Saudi Arabian flag carrier, Saudia Cargo has selected start-up aviation engineering firm Mammoth Freighters to get seven passenger-to-freighter (P2F) conversions of the Boeing 777-300. “This development and investment is the latest example of industry confidence in air cargo’s growth potential during the next 20 years and its interest in a new long-haul product that can replace large 747 and MD-11 cargo jets,” confirms an official release. Initial P2F conversions will take place at Mammoth Freighter’s new overhaul facility in Texas. Jeddah based maintenance and repair organization, Saudia Aerospace Engineering Industries (SAEI), would use Mammoth’s design to convert additional aircraft under the deal, the release read.

The Colombian cargo airline, Avianca Cargo and Jettainer have signed a five-year agreement for carrier’s pallet management and maintenance services. As per the contract, the Bogota headquartered airline will receive different pallet types from Jettainer to cater to the needs of its growing fleet. “With 200 freighter flights per week, Avianca Cargo serves 65 destinations in the Americas and Europe. It specializes in transporting cut flowers from Latin America to North America. Jettainer will provide Avianca Cargo with all required pallets necessary for its fleet. The global ULD leader will completely manage, maintain, and repair all units with a dedicated team out of Dallas, Texas,” a company release said.

ECS Group’s subsidiary, Globe Air Cargo (GAC) Korea has been chosen as the Cargo General Sales Agency Agreement (GSA) to Korea’s hybrid carrier Air Premia, in its home market. In accordance with the signed GSA, GAC Korea fulfils daily operational duties for Air Premia, which include cargo sales, reservations, and ensuring the handling of regular and full charter flights, said an official release. H.E. Shin, CEO of Globe Air Cargo Korea, said in an official statement, “GAC Korea and Air Premia truly act as one team, since we have been there from the start of its inaugural passenger to cargo (P2C) flight out of Seoul to Singapore on 24 December 2021. We are proud to have the opportunity to support Air Premia at its homebase, as its first GSA since the airline was established in 2017 and we look forward to driving Air Premia’s success as it expands its network.”