Category Archives: Aviation

Oman Air has taken delivery of its first cargo aircraft, a 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighter (BCF). The order is the first dedicated cargo aircraft for the Muscat-based carrier, said Boeing in a press release. Traditionally a passenger airline, Oman Air in February announced it would add its first freighter by the end of the year, though it did not specify the type of aircraft. With the ability to carry up to 23.9 tonnes of freight at a range of 3,750 km, the 737-800BCF will contribute to continued capacity growth at the airline. “The 737-800BCF brings the right payload and range to complement Oman Air’s passenger fleet with dedicated cargo capacity,” said Kate Schaefer, vice president of Boeing Commercial Modifications. “We are honoured to partner with Oman Air Cargo to support their operation with a proven and reliable freighter.”

Airlines in India are strategically investing in dedicated freighter aircraft to enhance efficiency and reduce costs for shippers, says Kamesh Peri, CEO, Celebi Delhi Terminal Management. He adds, “The expansion of air cargo terminals by the Airports Authority of India aims to meet the escalating demand, enhancing the overall cargo handling infrastructure. New trade routes with Asian, Middle Eastern, and African countries are also on the horizon, paving the way for increased demand in air cargo services. Additionally, the adoption of cutting-edge technologies like blockchain and artificial intelligence is poised to further augment efficiency and decrease costs, contributing to the sector’s overall expansion. In conclusion, the Indian air cargo sector stands on solid ground for robust growth in the coming years. The convergence of escalating demand, capacity augmentation, government support, and technological advancements paints a positive trajectory for the industry.”

WestJet Cargo announced a new agreement with Flexport, the global leader in supply chain technology, to offer new airfreight solutions for Canadian exports into Asia. Under the unique agreement, WestJet Cargo will deliver Canadian cargo to O’Hare International Airport (ORD), where Flexport operates dedicated freighters from the U.S. to key air freight hubs in Asia, including Incheon International Airport (ICN), Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) and Hong Kong International Airport (HKG), effectively expanding the global reach for WestJet Cargo and their customers. Given the surge in demand for Canadian products in key Asian markets, particularly perishables like seafood, WestJet Cargo and Flexport’s comprehensive solution meets the needs of customers in Halifax and the surrounding regions at a pivotal time. “We’re thrilled to collaborate with WestJet Cargo to provide a creative, dependable air freight solution for Canadian exporters looking for greater access to Asian markets,” said Neel Jones Shah, EVP of Global Key Accounts and Chief Customer Officer. “Our collaboration with WestJet Cargo is the latest example in Flexport’s mission to make global commerce so easy there’ll be more of it; by creating a fast lane for Canadian exporters to move their goods, we can break down global trade barriers and boost export volumes for these producers.” “This partnership with Flexport opens new doors for WestJet Cargo, and reinforces our commitment to our customers and Canadian economic growth. Together, we offer cutting-edge logistics solutions to meet the growing demand from Canadian exporters to Asia, particularly with regards to our valuable perishable cargo. Using ORD as a connection point, we are seamlessly able to transfer cargo within a matter of hours, further ensuring the freshness and integrity of key Canadian perishable exports,” …

Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) faculty members, students and alumni have designed and developed a mobile application, OptRoute to enable easier and efficient transportation of goods within cities. This mobile app connects a driver with the consumer with no intermediaries. The key points of differences between OptRoute and existing services include zero commission per transaction and nominal subscription-based service model and direct payment from consumer to driver. The OptRoute app is available for Android devices and can be downloaded from Google Play Store. It is currently available for operational use in multiple cities across India, including Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Coimbatore, Delhi, Faridabad, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, Noida, Panchkula, Pune, Mohali, Surat and Zirakpur.

Awery Aviation Software (Awery) has launched an onboard courier (OBC) quoting, booking, and tracking platform, supported by a mobile app for couriers, to bridge an industry communication gap flagged by the software developer. Awery OBC, the latest addition to the developer’s suite of enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions, gives OBC providers a centralised system to automate quotes, book couriers, track shipments, and send invoices by digitalising the entire shipment journey. “Onboard couriers are called in when goods need to get to the final destination quickly and securely, but a lack of visibility and real-time updates on such shipments are causing unnecessary delays and uncertainty for freight forwarders, charter brokers, and shippers,” said Vitaly Smilianets, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Awery. “Our OBC platform helps close this communication gap by automating tracking with customisable milestones – stakeholders receive shipment location updates by email following each completed milestone, which are signed off by couriers through a mobile app. “The app also enables couriers to instantly update their availability and pinpoints their live location to the closest airport, all of this information is accessible on the OBC interface, allowing users to track shipments in real-time.”

Tata-owned Air India has appointed TAM Group as its general sales agent (GSA) in Hong Kong. TAM Group will facilitate reservations, ticketing and marketing efforts, and provide comprehensive cargo sales support on behalf of the airline, says a release from Air India. “The appointment of TAM Group will help to further widen Air India’s presence in Hong Kong while supporting the airline’s continuing global expansion.” Wing Kun Tam, Founder and Chairman, TAM Group says: “We are honoured that TAM Group has been selected as the GSA for Air India. As the chosen partner, we are dedicated to leveraging Air India’s extensive network, our industry expertise and customer-centric approach to promote Air India’s offerings and expand its reach in the Hong Kong market. We firmly believe that this collaboration will not only facilitate seamless travel experiences for passengers but also promote cultural and economic exchanges between the two regions. With our shared vision and determination, we are confident in our ability to drive growth, unlock new opportunities, and strengthen the bonds between India and Hong Kong.”

Airbus reported a 12 percent increase in consolidated revenue at €42.6 billion for the first nine months of 2023 (nine months 2022: €38.1 billion) on higher revenue from commercial aircraft business. A total of 488 commercial aircraft were delivered (9m 2022: 437 aircraft) including 41 A220s, 391 A320 family, 20 A330s and 36 A350s, says an official release. “Revenues generated by Airbus’ commercial aircraft activities increased 18 percent (€31.5 billion), mainly reflecting the higher number of deliveries.” Net income dropped nine percent to €2.3 billion from €2.6 billion from the same period in 2022 on a 10 percent increase in R&D expenses to €2.2 billion. Gross commercial aircraft orders totalled 1,280 (9m 2022: 856 aircraft) with net orders of 1,241 aircraft after cancellations (9m 2022: 647 aircraft). The order backlog amounted to 7,992 commercial aircraft at the end of September 2023.

Emirates registered a double-digit percentage improvement in its cargo volumes in the first half of its financial year as it continued to re-introduce belly capacity following the Covid pandemic. Between April and September, Emirates SkyCargo saw its cargo volumes increase by 11% year on year to 1m tonnes of cargo “despite an overall softening in the global cargo market”. The increase reflects a 25% increase in available tonne km as the carrier ramped up passenger services following the pandemic. Emirates added: “This volume increase reflects the cargo division’s ability to meet customer demand with specialised products, and the excellent network options on offer with its freighter and bellyhold cargo operations.” The cargo volume performance mirrors that of other carriers with passenger operations – IAG and Lufthansa also saw their cargo volumes increase in the first nine months. However, declining rates resulted in lower cargo revenues at both of these European airlines despite the volume improvements. Overall revenues at Emirates – both passenger and cargo – were up 19% to $16.2bn and profits improved by 136% on last year to a record $2.6bn. “The airline’s record performance is attributable to the strong passenger demand for international travel across markets and Emirates’ ability to activate capacity to match demand,” the carrier said.

Ethiopian Airlines has taken delivery of a 10th Boeing 777 freighter to grow its air cargo capacity. The twin-engine commercial cargo plane, due to be operated by Ethiopian Cargo, has a payload of more than 100 tons. We are delighted to announce that we took delivery of our 10th Boeing 777-200LR Freighter aircraft,” said Ethiopian Airlines in a LinkedIn post on November 8. In September last year, Ethiopian Airlines signed up to lease three Boeing 767-300ER converted freighters from Titan Aviation. And in 2021, Ethiopian partnered with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to launch a B767-300ER freighter conversion line at Ethiopian MRO facilities in Addis Ababa.

The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA), Air Cargo Belgium and Brussels Airport formally announced the first TIACA BlueSky community program. The TIACA BlueSky program, launched in 2022, is the air cargo and logistics industry’s only program designed to provide individual companies with a verified independent assessment of their sustainability credentials. Air Cargo Belgium and Brussels Airport Company have established a sponsorship fund which will support 15 members with their BlueSky assessment by co-sharing their fees into the globally first TIACA BlueSky community program. Not only will this deliver the individual assessment to the members, more importantly this initiative will also provide a community report outlining Air Cargo Belgium’s shared sustainability objectives. The BlueSky assessment covers 8 crucial areas of a company’s sustainability activity; Decarbonization Elimination of waste Protection of biodiversity Support for local economies and communities Improvement of lives and social well-being Efficiencies and profitability Attraction, retention, and development of employees Building and nurturing of partnerships The program which will run until Q2 2024 will provide additional support for participating organizations and the collective results will also provide Brussels airport and Air Cargo Belgium clear guidance as to where their community could benefit from additional sustainability project initiatives.