Category Archives: Aviation

Qatar Airways Cargo and WiseTech Global launched a direct e-booking solution between their global operating systems. The e-booking connection between WiseTech’s flagship CargoWise platform and Qatar Airways Cargo management system, CROAMIS, enables freight forwarders using CargoWise to choose their flights and confirm a booking with Qatar Airways Cargo in real-time, without having to leave the platform. Similarly, existing bookings made via the solution can be modified. Guillaume Halleux, Chief Officer of Cargo at Qatar Airways Cargo commented, “Our continued collaboration with WiseTech Global is focused on providing our mutual customers with an enhanced experience, and supporting them with improved visibility, efficiency, and value. With our operational data exchange with CargoWise seeing positive results, this was a natural next step in the partnership. Our digitalisation strategy remains centred on moving to robust systems, automatic quotations, real-time integrations, and improved reporting. These have become critical in an industry that is moving rapidly towards digital solutions.”

After a gap of two years, the air cargo fraternity got a chance to gather and meet and greet at an event organised by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Delhi yesterday, focusing on the government’s visionary Gati Shakti Master Plan and the importance of air cargo sustainability for future growth. The event began with a welcome remark by Vipin Vohra, Chair, PHD Civil Aviation Committee, followed by highly visionary and impactful speeches by Sudhendu J Sinha, Adviser Infrastructure, Connectivity, Transport, and Electric Mobility, Niti Aayog; Pradeep Multani, President PHDCCI; and a special address by Guest of Honours Amrit Lal Meena, IAS, Special Secretary, Logistics Division, DPIIT; and Piyush Srivastava, Sr. Economic Advisor, MoCA. The event was a success as it saw great participation from industry leaders – freight forwarders, customs brokers, airlines, and airports from across the country – discussing extensively future growth, emerging trends, sustainability initiatives, growth strategies, innovation, and digitalisation. The event ended on a good note with an hour-long networking session and lunch. 

Ascent Concorde Air Cargo Services, a division of Group Concorde in the UAE, has signed a Strategic Co-ordination Agreement with Ras Al Khaimah International Airport to expand the vision for cargo development within the region. Ascent Concorde Air Cargo Services will act as the Strategic Partner and Commercial Arm of Ras Al Khaimah International Airport to promote cargo throughput to, from, and through RAK International Airport. Generating value proposition for airlines, shippers, and freight forwarders by making RAK Intl Airport the preferred logistics hub in the UAE. With this cooperation, Ascent Concorde Air Cargo Services will: Manage export sales and administrative activities for walk-in customers at RAK Intl Airport Cargo Terminal. Offer GSA and CSA services to operating airlines at RAK Airport. Sales and marketing activities for partner airlines. Promote outbound and inbound business from the UAE for operating carriers using RAK Airport as a gateway. End-to-end logistic solutions for shippers and consignees in the UAE Speaking on the partnership, Prithviraj Singh Chug, Director – Group Concorde, said, “We are pleased to form this partnership with Ras Al Khaimah International Airport. We will increase the potential of having outbound traffic from RAK Intl Airport, making it more viable for airline operators and customers to use RAK Intl Airport as an option and preferred gateway in the country and region. We aim to invest our resources for this operation to be a success, as we look forward to promoting this across our network. The new collaboration will bring added benefits to customers and industry partners in the UAE.”

Customers of Lufthansa Cargo will now benefit from an optimised booking process on the cargo.one platform: Shippers can now have the air waybill number required for booking assigned to them digitally and fully automatically. This eliminates the need for time-consuming manual management of air waybill inventories and numbers. Lufthansa Cargo is the exclusive launch partner for this new, digital and free feature at cargo.one, which is available for all Lufthansa Cargo capacities that can be booked there. The air cargo airline plans to offer automated air waybill number assignment for customer bookings on its own website in the second quarter as well. “We are pleased that we will be able to offer our customers a more efficient booking process and an improved customer experience in the future,” said Ashwin Bhat, Chief Commercial Officer at Lufthansa Cargo. “The fact that we are the first airfreight airline to jointly launch the process of automated air waybill number assignment with cargo.one shows once again that Lufthansa Cargo is playing a pioneering role in the digitalization of the entire industry. “Excellent customer orientation and modern digital distribution are our top priorities.” As of today, forwarders who use cargo.one to book shipments with Lufthansa Cargo can book immediately without having to enter a valid AWB number first. Using a “Book now” button, the customer selects any Lufthansa Cargo offer and is then assigned a valid AWB number with the booking confirmation. The advantages of automated AWB assignment are obvious: the booking process runs much faster, is less error-prone, and much more user-friendly. However, customers who still wish to enter an AWB number manually can continue to do so. In addition, Lufthansa Cargo is working on …

EV Cargo has acquired Netherlands-headquartered Fast Forward Freight in a move that will more than double the firm’s annual airfreight volumes, says the release. The company, owned by Hong Kong-based private equity firm EmergeVest, said that the acquisition is part of its previously announced corporate strategy to expand its worldwide footprint and grow its freight forwarding and supply chain services business. As part of the transaction, EV Cargo has become the sole shareholder of Fast Forward Freight (and its trading subsidiaries), with the current owners of Fast Forward Freight becoming shareholders of EV Cargo. The deal adds more than $170m of revenue to EV Cargo, resulting in pro forma combined revenue of approximately $1.7bn, and grows EV Cargo’s employees to more than 2,600 globally, tripling its European workforce to more than 400 people. In terms of airfreight, the move will more than double EV Cargo’s volumes to over 100,000 tonnes. In terms of locations, EV Cargo will “significantly” increase its presence in the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, and UK, as well as expand into Greece and Switzerland. Fast Forward Freight will be rebranded as EV Cargo and operations will merge. Heath Zarin, Founder and Chief Executive of EV Cargo, said in a statement, “Fast Forward Freight shares our commitment to providing innovative technology-enabled solutions and has a strong history of providing supply chain control towers to its customer base of world-leading brands. This transaction helps us grow the EV Cargo global network by adding excellent colleagues, capabilities, and customers.” Fast Forward Freight founder and chief executive, Marc Terpstra, added, “EV Cargo is focused on providing an innovative technology platform, blending proprietary and industry leading technology based on a deep understanding …

Alaska Air Cargo is all set to expand with the addition of two Boeing 737-800 aircraft to its dedicated freighter fleet serving the state of Alaska. These additions increase the freighter fleet from three to five aircraft. “Fleet expansion positions our growing cargo business to meet increased demand that we see from industry and consumers,” said Adam Drouhard, Managing Director for Alaska Air Cargo, in an official statement. Air Cargo’s total freighter lift capacity will be essentially doubled with the introduction of the -800 aircraft. “We look forward to getting these -800s into service to support Alaska’s supply chain and connect cargo to over 100 cities we serve across North America,” he added. The two 737-800 converted aircraft will come from Alaska Airlines’ existing passenger fleet. Beginning this year, the planes will be converted from their passenger configuration to all-freight aircraft. They’re projected to re-enter service as freighters in 2023. The -800 aircraft provides a 40% capacity increase per departure over the current -700 aircraft, with a payload of nearly 50,000 pounds. With a range of 2,800 nautical miles, the -800 will be the most fuel-efficient aircraft to serve intra-Alaska. “Alaskans have always relied on Alaska Air Cargo to provide time-sensitive services to their communities,” said Marilyn Romano, Regional Vice President, Alaska Airlines. “Whether it is vaccines, medicine, household supplies or fresh food, our freighters keep rural Alaska supplied and connected. “With service to 20 communities across Alaska and only three accessible by road, adding new aircraft to the current freighter fleet allows expansion of our vital services to all Alaskans. “The additional freighter capacity also allows us to quickly move seafood and other commodities from Alaska to points throughout …

FedEx Express today revealed the findings of its ‘Future is Now’ study among Gen Z (18–24 years old). As the fastest growing economy today, India is home to a fifth of the world’s youth, with half of its 1.3 billion population below the age of 25. The study offers valuable insights into the priorities of the younger generation in the country. With the future becoming more dynamic than ever, there is a substantial shift in the way generations are embracing ‘what’s next’, with new technologies and an interest in sustainability impacting both business and individual lifestyles. This is particularly true for Gen Z. According to the ‘Future is Now’ study, 38% of Gen Z respondents associated the phrase ‘Future is Now’ with technology advances in business, healthcare, education, and transportation, 33% to sustainable development; 13% to the rise in the use of robotics and artificial intelligence; 10% to living on Mars; and a mere 6% to expecting everything to be personalised for them. “The results of this study, particularly the responses of the younger population, reinforce our commitment to experimenting with sustainable technologies that benefit and align with our customers’ goals. As an industry leader, we have a responsibility towards the next generations and take bold actions by constantly innovating to meet future expectations,” said Mohamad Sayegh, Vice President of Operations for FedEx Express in India. “FedEx is a vocal advocate for modernising technologies that enhance the next generation of transportation vehicles and devices. Globally, we are testing Roxo, the autonomous FedEx SameDay Bot for last-mile deliveries, which is designed to reduce carbon emissions, traffic congestion, and noise pollution,” added Sayegh. The study also highlights what Gen Z considers when …

Blue Dart has introduced the ‘Ugadi Express’ offer to commemorate the New Year festivities. Ugadi Express enables customers to send their loved ones the warmth and joy of the New Year in the form of gifts, sweets, and much more. Offering a reach of over 220 countries and territories across the globe, Ugadi Express offers premium and reliable services at discounted rates. Leveraging this offer, customers can avail a 40% discount on international shipments weighing 5 kg and a 50% discount on international shipments weighing between 10 kg and 20 kg. The offer is valid in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana till April 02, 2022. Blue Dart’s focus on curating premium experiences for customers has always set its services apart in a highly competitive environment. The brand has successfully stayed ahead of the curve by understanding the pulse of its customers and introducing relevant services even before the need arises. Ketan Kulkarni, Chief Commercial Officer, Blue Dart, says, “World over, people are eager to address and accept the pandemic as an ‘endemic’; however, fear of contagion continues to linger. The festivities of the New Year necessitate being in the presence of loved ones, presenting and receiving the festive spirit in the form of gifts, sweets, and much more. Given the fear of contagion, our customers continue to remain wary. To provide a reliable, responsive, and resilient solution for them, we have launched ‘Ugadi Express’. Our customers deserve to experience the closeness of their loved ones and their support, no matter where they are in the world. Moreover, even as the pandemic increases distances, Blue Dart works hard to ensure that the world continues to remain a small …

At the inauguration of the 3rd edition of LOGIX India in Dubai, H.E. Dr. Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, UAE, said: “The India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CEPA) shall result in accelerated trade and investment and shall open a new world of opportunities.” Dr. Thani Al Zeyoudi said India is the UAE’s largest non-oil trade partner and the future is bright for India-UAE collaborations in global supply chain logistics. Thanking H.E. Dr. Thani Al Zeyoudi for inaugurating the event, Dr. A Sakthivel, President, FIEO, said, “India is committed to spending US $1 trillion on various infrastructure in the next 5 years, which will facilitate our logistics by bringing efficiency and reducing its cost.” “Logistics is an important component of the economy, and its role in manufacturing and exports can hardly be undermined. The logistics cost in India is about 14% of GDP, as against the international benchmark of 8-9%. However, the focus of the government on addressing the cost through various measures has already started yielding results. The government is implementing the dual Bharatmala (road network) and Sagarmala (waterways network) to improve the logistic backbone,” added Dr. A. Sakthivel. HE Ahmed Mahboob, Director General of Dubai Customs and the CEO of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation, said, “UAE has made significant progress in technology upgradation in customs and the logistics sector and looks forward to supporting India in its mission for logistics sector transformation.” Complementing FIEO on organising LOGIX India in the UAE, Sandeep Kumar Bayyapu, Deputy Chief of Mission, Indian Embassy, UAE, mentioned, “The Indian economy is on the upswing. We have become the fastest-growing major economy in the world. …

LATAM Airlines Group announced that it will compensate the CO2 emissions of the first nine routes in Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, and Colombia every Friday through its “Let’s Fly Neutral on Friday” programme. Through this initiative, which is part of the group’s sustainability strategy, LATAM will support conservation projects that prevent deforestation in strategic ecosystems in South America by offsetting CO2 emissions generated on routes, including passenger and cargo flights. Emblematic passenger routes will be offset at a regional level, including Santiago-Chiloé, Galapagos-Guayaquil, Arequipa-Cusco, and Rio de Janeiro-São Paulo. LATAM will also offset cargo flights on routes including Iquitos-Lima, Guayaquil-Baltra Island, Brasília-Belém and Bogotá-Miami routes. LATAM plans to gradually incorporate new routes and more conservation projects into each country in the coming months. “This initiative is another step that we have been implementing to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. Let’s Fly Neutral on Friday will allow us to turn one day of the week into an opportunity to support strategic ecosystem conservation projects in the region. These projects not only offset CO2 emissions, but they also contribute to protecting biodiversity and the economic development of communities,” said Juan José Tohá, Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability of LATAM. Each carbon dioxide (CO2) tonne emitted on these routes will be offset with a carbon credit, equivalent to one tonne of CO2 captured by a conservation project. The carbon offsetting of these routes will initially be managed through the CO2BIO flooded savanna conservation project, located in the Colombian Orinoquía, a strategic ecosystem that has iconic biodiversity. The initiative will conserve 200,000 hectares of floodable savannah, providing habitat for more than 2,000 species. Over the next few months, LATAM Airline Group hopes to …