Category Archives: Aviation

A new cargo airline in Bangladesh is due to commence operations next year. NXT Air has released a statement to local media confirming it has received a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB). Cox’s Bazar Airport in the south of Bangladesh will be the main operation base for the cargo carrier. The airline’s plans to initially use an ATR 72 to carry cargo. A second ATR 72 and a Boeing 738 are due to be introduced later in the year to enable the airline to operate on international routes. Cargo airlines in Bangladesh include Bismillah Airlines, Easy Fly Express, Hello Airlines and SkyAir.

Etihad Airways and Henan Province Airport Group, the parent company of the Zhengzhou Xinzheng Airport (CGO) — an important domestic aviation hub and the gateway to the central region of China — aim to establish a strategic partnership to strengthen aviation ties between the UAE and China. This follows the signing of a virtual Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) during the virtual “Zhengzhou Week” event hosted by Expo 2020 Dubai China Pavilion starting from 27 December 2021. The MOU contains plans for Etihad’s potential operation of regular cargo services between Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) and Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport (CGO) to create the “Air Silk Road” between Henan Province and the emirate of Abu Dhabi. The MOU also covers scope of cooperation between the two parties to build the CGO airport into an air freight hub in the region, and to diversify product sales and cargo distribution channels at Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport.

Air New Zealand aims to deploy zero-emissions aircraft in the next five years. The airline has released a Zero Emissions Aircraft Product Requirements Document that details Air New Zealand’s specifications and requirements for a new generation of aircraft. Air New Zealand said it “is seeking long term partnerships with aircraft developers looking to develop zero emissions aircraft. From the PRD process Air New Zealand is seeking to gain an understanding from the aircraft developers of the realistic implementation timeline and technology feasibility to enable long term fleet strategy evaluation”. The overall goal is for zero-emissions aircraft to be deployed in the next five years, with battery electric propulsion, hybrid electric propulsion and green hydrogen propulsion being considered. Air New Zealand’s decarbonisation roadmap identifies four main levers needed to reach net zero by 2050. These are the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF); the operation of zero emissions aircraft; continued investment in the modern fleet replacement programme; and improvements in operational efficiencies (such as through optimised flight planning).

DHL Global Forwarding announces a collaboration with Mumbai International Airport Ltd. (MIAL) and Kale Logistics for the pilot rollout of D-Cube for paperless and contactless import operations. Soon MIAL will not require hard copies of MAWBs (Master airway bill) and HAWBs (House airway bill) to be submitted by DHL Global Forwarding, said Niki Frank, CEO South Asia and India, DHL Global Forwarding in a Linkedin post. This digital initiative facilitates ease of business to support all forwarders, customs brokers, transporters and customers, on the air import businesswith a ‘contactless’ and ‘paperless’ process, fast-tracking the deliverables factoring safety and security. The post read that queues at the Air Cargo Terminal will become a thing of the past with Digitalized Gate Passes to shortly be introduced. Being a major air cargo player at the Mumbai Terminal, DHL Global Forwarding volunteered to support this progressive initiative and played a significant role in its implementation. A well-aligned move to DPDHL’s own digitalization mission.

FedEx is predicting that next year air cargo capacity will once again be hard to secure with space remaining scarce and supply chain issues supporting strong demand. Karen Reddington, president of FedEx Express Europe, explained that passenger networks – and therefore bellyhold services – were taking time to resume and this would put cargo capacity under pressure. She said, “The pandemic has undoubtedly brought supply chain resilience to the fore. With a new, highly contagious Covid-19 variant, reduced port and air cargo capacity and heightened consumer demand, it will continue to impact global trade well into 2022. As passenger travel remains depleted, air cargo capacity will be constrained through 2022 all while the demand for goods is likely to grow, with 2021 trading volumes overtaking pre-pandemic levels and achieving their fastest year of growth in over a decade.”

Ethiopian Airlines has received IATA’s Center of Excellence for Independent Validators in Pharmaceutical Logistics (CEIV Pharma) certification as an airline and for ground handling. The airline said it is the first airline in Africa to receive the CEIV pharma certification. The milestone is anticipated to aid it in providing efficient & effective transportation of pharmaceuticals throughout its global pharma network. Ethiopian, in recent years, has invested heavily in infrastructure, equipment, people, system and processes to enhance its pharmaceutical core handling capabilities throughout its pharma network. Cold storage areas in these freight facilities are dedicated to the handling of pharmaceuticals & healthcare products and equipped with dedicated climate control ranging between -30OC to +25OC. These facilities are monitored through a smart web-based system that allows real-time management of all zones and is capable of triggering SMS, phone call & email actions in case of an emergency.

With the leasing of four A321ceo freighter aircraft with a capacity to handle 27 tonnes of cargo, Indigo’s Chief Commercial Officer (CCO)William Boulter assured the arrival of A321ceo freighter plane during the first half of 2022, showing the airline’s seriousness about growing its cargo business. He said, “Our cargo business has been one of the successes during the pandemic. We have operated close to 8,000 cargo-in-cabin charter flights.” Currently operating in 71 domestic cities, the carrier has the capability of Cargo operations in each of those pointed. On the topic of the aforementioned four cargo aircraft, he said, “The first aircraft has just gone to Singapore Technologies Engineering Limited as it’s being converted (from passenger aircraft to freighter aircraft) as we speak. It will be out sometime in the first half of next year.” Further, he added, “This will be a statement to everybody that IndiGo is very serious about cargo and that cargo is going to become a significant part of our business,”

SAL Saudi Logistics Services, a member of Saudi Arabian Airlines Corporation, launched the extension of its new Jeddah Station. The Jeddah station extension is expected to increase SAL’s annual cargo capacity to over 800K tons in 2030 while providing retailers and companies new premium cargo services at KAIA in Jeddah. Fawaz AlFawaz, chairman, SAL Board said, “The launch of the new extension comes in parallel with the National Industrial Development Program (NIDLP) – one of Vision 2030’s most prominent programs – aiming at transforming the Kingdom into a global logistics hub, contributing to a robust and diversified economy, sustaining the growth of the sector, and creating highly competitive investment opportunities.” AlFawaz also highlighted that this launch realizes the true ground handling potential of SAL where the company utilizes its logistics expertise to provide more developed services and solutions in and out of airports and expertly serve the international markets to strengthen the connectivity of KSA ports with those of the entire globe.

SF Airlines is rapidly expandin it’s freighter fleet with an additional B767 aircraft. The China-based express carrier last week added a B767-300 widebody freighter (B-221D), bringing its total fleet to 68 aircraft. Since the start of the year, the carrier has added a total of seven freighters: three B757-200s and four B767-300s. “The continuous expansion of aircraft capacity is one of the footholds for SF Airlines to continuously strengthen its aviation logistics capabilities, improve the quality of supply chain services, and promote the high-quality development of civil aviation,” said airlines spokesperson. “The further expansion of the fleet can provide stronger support for the development and operation of international routes, and at the same time, it will provide more adequate transportation capacity guarantee for the approaching Spring Festival logistics peak period.”

UPS has ordered 19 767 Freighters with Boeing. The new order highlights the 767 Freighter’s operational efficiency and payload capability to serve customers at a time of robust air cargo demand. Based on the 767-300ER (Extended Range) passenger jet, the 767 Freighter carries up to 52.4 tons of revenue cargo with intercontinental range, serving as a flexible platform for long-haul, regional and feeder markets. UPS currently operates 236 Boeing freighters including the 747, 757, 767 and MD-11. “The Boeing 767 is the most versatile aircraft we operate. Our plan to purchase 19 aircraft and take delivery between 2023 and 2025 aligns with the strategy and capital expenditure forecast shared during our June 2021 Investor and Analyst Day. It also supports our sustainability efforts by making our fleet more efficient and improving reliability,” said Nando Cesarone, U.S. Operations President, UPS. The deal adds to a record-breaking year for Boeing freighter sales, including 80 firm orders for new widebody freighters and more than 80 orders for Boeing Converted Freighters, says the official release.