Category Archives: Aviation

Cargo volumes at the Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (KIAB/ BLR Airport/ www.bengaluruairport.com) continued to see impressive growth, achieving its highest monthly throughput since commencement of operations. Under challenging circumstances due to the pandemic, BLR Airport has processed 37,319 Metric Tonnes (MT) of cargo in August —the highest ever since the Airport commenced operations in 2008. International cargo (both imports and exports) continued to be growth drivers, accounting for 24,304 MT, also the highest ever. Of the total international cargo, exports also achieved a significant record, an all-time high throughput of 15,224 MT. BLR Airport is the third busiest airport in India and has the highest cargo processing capacity. This has resulted in a 41% market share (industry estimates) in South India, making BLR Airport the preferred gateway for air cargo for shippers from the southern states of India. Key factors that have led to this transformation include, a conducive geographic location with easy access to manufacturing hubs in South India, adequate airline capacities to service key sectors across the globe and world-class cargo infrastructure, operated by Air India SATS and Menzies Aviation Bobba, Bangalore.

FedEx Express launches FedEx International Connect Plus (FICP), a new FedEx Express International, day-definite, e-commerce shipping service. This is said to combine competitive speed with attractive prices, in the Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (AMEA) region. FICP further enhances FedEx e-commerce capabilities as businesses are increasingly looking for more diversified, cost-effective solutions to meet consumers’ ever-changing needs. Shipping costs and delivery options are two of the most significant drivers of cart abandonment – about 40 percent of consumers won’t complete checkout if the delivery costs are too high. Another 10 percent will abandon their cart if a package cannot be delivered on time or flexible delivery options are not available. With FICP, e-tailers across ten markets including Australia, Hong Kong, India, Japan, mainland China, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand are now empowered to provide their customers with an international shipping solution with prices that offer value-for-money, while ensuring shipments will be delivered within 1 to 5 business days within AMEA.

BlueBoxSystems GmbH announces the launch of BlueBoxAir with an aim for worldwide unique system to retrieve up-to-the-minute data from over 130 airlines and more than 1,600 airports. This allows not only the answer to the question where a specific shipment is exactly at this moment, but also if it is delayed, why and where the delay has occurred. BlueBoxAir offers much more information: ATA/ETA, Chargeable weight, Delay, Airline, Aircraft type, Henning Flaspöler BlueBox: Paket#2-Content Osnabrück, 02.04.2021 Transshipment Port, Split Shipment are just a few examples of information you get per shipment. Additionally, one can create detailed reports based on all data: Get an up-to-the-minute overview of chargeable weight, performance of the respective airlines and/or tradelanes, best in class. The perfect basis to not only optimize your supply chains, but to establish the best supply chains.

Developer Yamuna International Airport Private Limited (YIAPL), a 100 per cent subsidiary of Zurich International Airport AG, announced securing approvals from all agencies of the central as well as Uttar Pradesh state government to go ahead with the greenfield project in Jewar near Delhi. The Noida International Airport, according to its developer will have key features like Multi-modal connectivity, integrated cargo hub and facilities for maintenance, repair and overhaul of aircraft. “The master plan reflects the goals and objectives set by providing solutions that are financially prudent, cost-effective, and commercially sound; at the heart of it remains passenger convenience. We are delighted that we have been able to complete the master planning activity within the agreed timelines despite limitations due to COVID-19. We are looking forward to developing a world-class airport for the people of India that truly combines Indian hospitality with Swiss efficiency.” said YIAPL CEO Christoph Schnellmann

Making use of technological advancements to bring in higher efficiency, and as a testimony of the Company’s commitment to the India market, Çelebi Delhi Cargo Terminal Management, the joint venture between DIAL and Çelebi Ground Handling today announced that it has been accredited with IATA CEIV Pharma certification for its cargo and warehouse operations. Given the current scenario, the air cargo industry is calling for higher standards when transporting temperature sensitive pharmaceuticals. To cope with the growing expectation for standardization, the certification ensures international and national compliance to safeguard product integrity to its destination. Commenting on this, Mr. Kamesh Peri, CEO, Çelebi Delhi Cargo Terminal Management said, “This is a prestigious certification to have, especially in present times with the highest standards expected in handling temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals. We have achieved it after a thorough audit process performed by IATA who assessed and found our quality systems, infrastructure, procedures, and policies to be in absolute compliance. This was made possible by our committed team and I am very proud of their tireless & brilliant efforts.”

Making use of technological advancements to bring in higher efficiency, and as a testimony of the Company’s commitment to the India market, Çelebi Delhi Cargo Terminal Management, the joint venture between DIAL and Çelebi Ground Handling today announced that it has been accredited with IATA CEIV Pharma certification for its cargo and warehouse operations. Given the current scenario, the air cargo industry is calling for higher standards when transporting temperature sensitive pharmaceuticals. To cope with the growing expectation for standardization, the certification ensures international and national compliance to safeguard product integrity to its destination. Commenting on this, Mr. Kamesh Peri, CEO, Çelebi Delhi Cargo Terminal Management said, “This is a prestigious certification to have, especially in present times with the highest standards expected in handling temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals. We have achieved it after a thorough audit process performed by IATA who assessed and found our quality systems, infrastructure, procedures, and policies to be in absolute compliance. This was made possible by our committed team and I am very proud of their tireless & brilliant efforts.”

Air Transport Services Group, Inc. subsidiary PEMCO Conversions, global leader in narrow-body passenger-to-freighter aircraft conversions, has delivered a second Passenger-to-FlexCombi converted aircraft to Bahrain-based Chisholm Enterprises, an internationally recognized provider of tailored aviation and business solutions in the Middle East. Chisholm subsidiary Texel Air, a non-scheduled cargo airline, will operate the Boeing 737-700FC (FlexCombi) from Bahrain International Airport. “We have shared a very successful history with PEMCO Conversions,” said John Chisholm, chairman and owner of Chisholm Enterprises, “having received and deployed the first B737-700 FlexCombi in August 2020, as well as four previous B737-300 converted freighters.” The PEMCO B737-700FC currently offers three configurations: a 24-seat cabin plus a 2,640-cubic-foot cargo hold for up to 30,000 pounds of payload in six pallet positions; a 12-seat cabin plus a 3,005-cubic-foot cargo hold for up to 35,000 pounds of payload in seven pallet positions; or full-freighter mode consisting of a 3,370-cubic-foot cargo hold for up to 40,000 pounds of payload in eight pallet positions. The available positions will accommodate 88-inch by 125-inch or 88-inch by 108-inch pallets, with the eighth position accommodating a slightly reduced height pallet in full cargo mode.

France based GEODIS, a worldwide logistics company, upgrades its AirDirect services between Europe, the United States and Asia with its own leased A330-300 full freighter aircraft. Operating between Amsterdam, London, Chicago and Hong Kong, and proudly flying under the GEODIS brand, the aircraft will also serve the China – Europe route for the peak season. The first flight will take off in September. Marie-Christine Lombard, GEODIS’ CEO, commented, “With the continued strain on airfreight capacity, we wish to ensure a more sustainable supply of air cargo space for our clients and are therefore investing in this, our own, first dedicated freighter. Our aim is to constantly find dependable solutions to secure our clients’ supply chains, which are critical to their business growth.” The Freighter, which GEODIS is leasing for several years, will be integrated into the GEODIS AirDirect global schedule. Initially, it will fly three times per week between Amsterdam/London and Chicago (AMS/ STN–ORD) and will additionally be deployed on weekly rotations connecting Amsterdam and Hong Kong (AMS–HKG).

DoKaSch Temperature Solutions has opened a new service station in India. It is located at GMR Hyderabad Air Cargo terminal. Strategically, the Hyderabad Airport location is a very important network station for the global supply of lifesaving medicines given Hyderabad’s status as a major pharma production and export hub. With the new location in India, DoKaSch strengthens its network in the region and globally. In turn, the solution provider contributes to a reliable cool chain for highly sensitive pharmaceutical products, especially during the pandemic. Hyderabad was chosen because of its outstanding importance for the global pharmaceutical industry. The city’s Genome Valley business district is a hub for research and development as well as manufacturing for pharma and lifesaving medicines. Several key pharmaceutical companies are located here and export their products to the USA, EU, Japan and other major countries across the globe. The upcoming Pharma City, an extensive industrial park for pharmaceuticals, will further increase the city’s importance.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released July 2021 data for global air cargo markets showing that demand continued its strong growth trend. As comparisons between 2021 and 2020 monthly results are distorted by the extraordinary impact of COVID-19, unless otherwise noted, all comparisons to follow are to June 2019 which followed a normal demand pattern. • Global demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTKs*), was up 8.6% compared to July 2019. Overall growth remains strong compared to the long-term average growth trend of around 4.7%. • The pace of growth slowed slightly compared to June which saw demand increase 9.2% (against pre-COVID-19 levels). • Capacity continues to recover but is still 10.3% down compared to July 2019. • Economic conditions continue to support air cargo growth: The July export orders component of the manufacturing Purchasing Managers Indices (PMIs) was 52.7%, indicating a short-term boost to demand if those orders are shipped by air. The inventory-to-sales ratio remains low ahead of the peak year-end retail season. “July was another solid month for global air cargo demand. Economic conditions indicate that the strong growth trend will continue into the peak year-end demand period. The Delta variant of COVID-19 could bring some risks. If supply chains and production lines are disrupted, there is potential for a knock-on effect for air cargo shipments,” said Wille Walsh, IATA’s Director General.