Category Archives: Aviation

International air cargo handled in India during October was 90 per cent of its year-ago level, tweets, Hardeep Singh Puri, Civil Aviation Minister. He says, “With our skies and airports busy facilitating more than 1.81 crore domestic passengers since May 25, 2020, another area which witnessed robust activity and growth is air cargo.” The air cargo data across the country shows multiple green shoots. Air cargo at Indian airports has increases from 1.55 MMT in 2006-07 to 3.56 MMT in 2018-19 as a result of global downturn due to COVID.” “Chandigarh Airport saw a growth of 16 per cent in October 20202 over October 2019 while Srinagar handleld staggering 853 MT air cargo in October 2020 showing a huge jump of 135 per cent over October 2019. Madurai, Kochi and Chennai also registered double digit growth in October 2020 over October 2019,” the Minister informs. Registering exemplary growth in air cargo movement, Amritsar Airport handled 211MT of total air cargo in October 2020; an increase of 48 per cent over October 2019 while with 14.4 MT of domestic air cargo in October 2020 Amritsar Airport has registered a growth of 149 per cent over 2019.

American Airlines Cargo has continued the modernisation of its business with the completion of digital Air Mail Handling and Mail Revenue Accounting modules from IBS Software’s iCargo system. This deployment, which was completed in late August, was the final transition necessary to complete the multi-year modernisation effort that replaces the cargo business’s technology platform. iCargo has helped American simplify its cargo business’s IT landscape by reducing the number of systems from 90 to 10, eliminating redundancies and inefficiencies in systems and processes that will drive improvements for its 8000+ cargo team and 30,000 customers. The enhanced technology enabled teams to better communicate with customers and offer new solutions in a time where keeping cargo moving was especially critical. “Completing the transition to iCargo is a critical step in digitalising our global air cargo business. Air cargo has played a vital role during the pandemic, and it is important that we continue to innovate and press ahead with our digital strategy as we look toward the future,” said, Angela Hudson, Head of Transformation for American Airlines Cargo. She added, “Our entire team owned this transition and have been working side-by-side to leverage our new tools with customers in mind.” “The successful go-live of the iCargo platform at American Airlines Cargo is a testament to the commitment that iCargo and IBS Software brings to the global air cargo business. American has an incredible team running an intensive air cargo schedule, especially now with their cargo-only flight schedule, and we’re delighted that iCargo will be playing a critical role in helping them achieve that,” said Ashok Rajan, Senior Vice President & Head of Cargo and Logistics, IBS Software.

Drone Delivery Canada Corp has executed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with CSC Drone Aviation – a CSC Group Company, effective November 12th, 2020. The company has signed the LOI with the assistance of its sales agent Air Canada. Under the terms of the LOI, the parties shall cooperate and work jointly with the local regulator (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) and shall work together to identify and analyse market opportunities in India for DDC’s Condor drone delivery solution with the intent to work towards a definitive agreement for that market. “We are pleased to be working with CSC Group towards an agreement for DDC’s Condor drone logistics solution in India. With a population of 1.4 billion people, and the world’s third largest GDP at US$ 8.7 trillion, India is a massive logistics market, so there are numerous potential applications for the Condor, from first-mile/last-mile cargo delivery, to oil & gas, mining, government, military, healthcare, humanitarian aid and infrastructure inspection services. We are very encouraged by the strong Canadian and international interest in the Condor as we work towards its commercialisation and the finalisation of testing,” said Michael Zahra, President & CEO of DDC. “Diwali symbolizes victory, goodness, knowledge and prosperity, so during the auspicious period of Diwali, we are honoured to announce joining forces with Drone Delivery Canada to work towards bringing their advanced drone delivery solution to the enormous Indian market. Their solution, especially with the capabilities of the Condor, addresses many commercially viable use cases from commercial/industrial delivery applications to social benefit applications like healthcare,” said Tushar Jani, Chairman, CSC Group.

To speed up the process for customers, Lufthansa Cargo has launched the online booking portal namely eBooking. The carriers has simplified the process into three steps to booking; all that is now required to make a booking is to define the shipment, choose the product and confirm the route. The system guides customers through the booking process with automatic suggestions and suitable options. The booking system then calculates a price that can be booked directly. Changes can also be made afterwards with just a few clicks. This makes the booking even faster and easier for all customers and also allows them to confirm the booking immediately. The new booking portal also demonstrates Lufthansa Cargo’s responsibility towards the climate and environment: with the integrated carbon calculator, all customers have the opportunity to check the CO2 emissions caused by their transportation and having them offset in the future. “Most of our customers already book online. With the new eBooking we are improving the usability for our customers. Access to our capacity with bookable prices is now even easier for our customers 24/7. Our sales department will continue to focus on the individual needs of our customers,” explains Dorothea von Boxberg, Lufthansa Cargo Chief Commercial Officer. Following the expansion of the digital interfaces, the introduction of the dynamic pricing ‘RapidRateResponse’ and digital PreCheck of shipments, Lufthansa Cargo has reached another milestone in its digitalization strategy with the new eBooking. At the same time, the cargo airline has taken a decisive step forward in digitally mapping the entire supply chain and separating the data flow from physical freight traffic.

Responding to market demand for additional cargo capacity, Emirates SkyCargo has started utilising its Airbus A380 aircraft on select cargo charter operations to transport urgently required cargo across its network. The first dedicated Emirates A380 ‘mini-freighter’ has successfully transported medical supplies between Seoul and Amsterdam via Dubai. Working collaboratively with the Engineering and Flight Operations teams within Emirates, the air cargo carrier has optimised the cargo capacity of the Airbus A380 to safely transport around 50 tonnes of cargo per flight in the bellyhold of the aircraft. The cargo carrier is working on further optimising the capacity of its Airbus A380 aircraft through measures such as seat loading of cargo and has planned more dedicated cargo flights on aircraft for the month of November. The freight division of Emirates offers a variety of options for cargo capacity and connectivity to best match its customers’ requirements. Emirates SkyCargo operates dedicated cargo flights on its Boeing 777-F and its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft including 14 modified Boeing 777-300ER passenger aircraft with seats removed from Economy Class for additional cargo volume. Through its responsiveness and agility, the air cargo carrier has been able to maintain the flow of essential goods and trade across international markets during the pandemic, often providing a much required helpline to communities around the world.

In anticipation of the marketing of 15 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines, Bolloré Logistics has taken the initiative to create a task force composed of experts from its network with a view to designing logistics solutions ensuring the seamless distribution of the vaccines as soon as they are marketed. Bolloré Logistics has for many years invested in infrastructures, human resources and technologies to boost its capacities in the health sector. The company brings its customers complete solutions, both internationally and locally, in compliance with the best distribution practices in the pharmaceutical industry. The controlled-temperature transport of Covid-19 vaccines is a major challenge, as some of them will need to be kept at a temperature of between +2°C and +8°C and others at a very low temperature of around -70°C. As such, Bolloré Logistics is planning ahead and preparing for all possible scenarios, including active and passive packaging solutions. The company, which has obtained CEIV Pharma certification, will rely on its own resources as well as those of its existing subcontractors to transport vaccines by air in respect of the cold chain. Supplementing these solutions, Bolloré Logistics’ collaborative platform will provide complete visibility of the supply chain and, via the Healthcare control tower available 24-7, address any potential issues (including delays, temperature differences and damage). “Ahead of the marketing of COVID-19 vaccines, we have rallied all our skills and resources to meet the logistics challenges to come. We are ready to fully play our role in the global distribution of the future vaccines alongside all the concerned players, particularly pharmaceutical laboratories and international organisations,” said Olivier Boccara, Global Chief Commercial Officer, Bolloré Logistics.

The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) has announced that Glyn Hughes will take the newly created role of Director General of the association. He will manage the team, work with the Board of Directors, the members and the industry partners to establish and implement TIACA’s vision and strategic objectives and advance the overall cargo agenda. Hughes is set to start his tenure at TIACA in February 2021. “Over the past year TIACA has fundamentally transformed itself which will enable the association to serve its current members better with greater relevance and attract new ones. I fully support TIACA’s new direction and its unique position to unite and represent the entire airfreight industry. I will be honoured to work with such an engaged Board of Directors, the team and the members to implement TIACA’s new vision and mission,” states Glyn Hughes. “Our industry is and will be facing challenging times ahead and I am determined and excited to contribute to making it stronger and to work with all to lead this industry towards a more efficient and sustainable future.” Hughes brings over 36 years of industry experience including leadership roles in air cargo, passenger, financial, training and industry affairs. Before joining TIACA, Hughes led a team of cargo experts at IATA, as its Global Head of Cargo. “Although the COVID-19 crisis has brought a spotlight on air cargo working hard to deliver essential medicine and supplies fast and safely, despite the global lockdown, the global pandemic has also highlighted the urgent need for air cargo to accelerate its digital and sustainable transformation, to develop collaborative business models and speak with a united voice to come out of this unprecedented crisis more …

Express expects unprecedented online shopping and shipping volumes during the upcoming peak season of 2020. With continued globalisation and the Covid-19 pandemic driving consumers to shop online like never before, especially during upcoming mega shopping days such as ‘Black Friday’ and ‘Singles Day’, DHL Express is expecting an all-time high in e-commerce trade around the globe. Having already experienced around 35% e-commerce shipment volume growth in 2020, the upcoming peak season will further accelerate this and result in more than 50% higher shipment quantities compared to last year’s peak season. “The pandemic has resulted in an exponential rise in online shopping. With most physical stores closed altogether during the lockdown, and those that are open hindering people’s ability to social distance, many consumers have switched to e-commerce. While our economy is opening up and people are cautiously venturing out, the online purchasing trend will continue this festive season,” said R.S Subramanian, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, DHL Express India. He adds, “DHL Express is a key enabler of trade globally, and our mission of Connecting People and Improving Lives has been so apt in the current circumstance. Beyond the immediate response to the pandemic, logistics will be key to supporting long-term economic recovery for the nation.” “Over the years, we have seen consumers and even businesses shift their purchases online, but the pandemic has truly pushed the trend to leapfrog a few years ahead,” said Ken Lee, CEO, DHL Express Asia Pacific. “At DHL Express, it is our mission to enable global trade and support our customers during the most important days of their business. The upcoming peak season will be challenging to the logistics industry, but we stand …

IAG Cargo has launched a preighter service with carrier Iberia Airlines utilising A330 wide-body aircraft. The aircraft has been modified by IAG Cargo’s sister company Iberia, and comes ahead of the peak season for air cargo and as demand for cargo services grows. The A330 ‘preighter’ service – an Iberia wide-body passenger aircraft with all the seats removed – will be serviced by IAG Cargo, providing extra capacity to deliver the logistics programs for its customers across the world. The new service will commence four times a week between Los Angeles and Madrid and provides much needed capacity ahead of the peak season. It took the team just a week to remove the seats on the plane and just a few weeks to fully convert the aircraft. The operation has seen all Economy, Premium Economy seats and crew rest removed along with separation panels. Carpeting was reinstalled with lights indicating the 33 cargo positions. Cargo will be held in place with netting fastened to floor rails where the seats were anchored. The aircraft now has the capacity to carry over 200 cubic metres of cargo. “It’s been exciting to work with Iberia to provide this service, which will enable our customers to keep operating at optimum speed and efficiency. We are seeing increasing demand from customers and shippers for a more tailored service, which is increasingly important as we approach peak season. For distant markets, air freight makes a global logistics program possible,” said Fernando Terol Armas, Director of Spanish Hub and Operations at IAG Cargo.

With an aim to meet customer demands, Delta Cargo has launched cargo-only flights between the United State, Europe and India. There are daily cargo-only flights between New York-JFK and Madrid that operate using a Boeing 767-400 aircraft providing customers with capacity to ship fashion goods to the United States ahead of the holiday season. In addition, there is a three times weekly cargo-only flight between New York-JFK and Dublin that is operated by an Airbus A330-300, as well as cargo-only flights operating between New York-JFK and Atlanta to Mumbai, via Frankfurt, using Airbus A330-200/300 aircraft. These aircraft are used to carry essential pharmaceuticals, vaccines, medical supplies and general cargo. “Given the travel constraints within Europe, we are strategically adding cargo capacity in Spain, Ireland and Germany to support overall passenger and cargo growth,” said Shawn Cole, Vice President – Cargo, Delta, in adding, “There is high demand for pharmaceutical shipments from India because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and this cargo solution ensures we can keep vital supply chains moving to the United States.” Delta Cargo launched a cargo charter operation in March to provide safe and reliable transportation of goods around the globe by working primarily with Delta’s established world-leading logistics partners. Delta dispatched idled aircraft on cargo runs to transport millions of pounds of supplies quickly and safely. Delta has operated over 1,600 cargo charter flights since February and is now averaging more than 20 cargo-only flights globally each week, carrying medical and PPE equipment, pharmaceuticals, U.S. mail, home office supplies and food.