Category Archives: Aviation

According to the latest weekly figures from WorldACD Market Data, global air cargo tonnages and rates appear to have stabilised after recovering from China’s National Day Golden Week in early October. There are no clear signs yet of any significant fourth quarter (Q4) peak season despite anecdotal reports from some freight forwarders of a slight seasonal tightening of the market, the update added. Preliminary figures for week 42 (October 16-22) show a one percent increase in tonnage and in global average rates compared with the previous week, based on the more than 400,000 weekly transactions covered by WorldACD’s data. “That follows a four percent week-on-week (WoW) increase the previous week following a six percent drop during the first full week of October, corresponding with China’s Golden Week holiday break.” Comparing weeks 41 and 42 this year with the preceding two weeks (2Wo2W), overall tonnages, worldwide rates and also capacity increased by one percent versus their combined total in weeks 39 and 40, the update added. The biggest percentage increases in tonnages were found on flows to Asia Pacific from Europe (11 percent) and Middle East & South Asia (eight percent). Declines in tonnages (2Wo2W) were recorded most strongly on flows outbound from Europe to, respectively, Africa (eight percent), Central & South America (eight percent) and Middle East & South Asia (seven percent).

IAG Cargo will benefit from increased capacity on bellyhold flights this winter with the addition of extra frequencies and new routes for the season, from the end of October to March 2024. The cargo division of International Airlines Group (IAG) will have belly space on 14 flights a week between London and Miami, 14 weekly flights between London and Doha, and 17 services linking the UK capital with Cape Town. From the carrier’s Madrid hub, meanwhile, there will be extra space on routes to Bogota, Santiago, Quito and Santa Domingo. A statement said the winter schedule includes restarting Boeing 777-200 services from London Gatwick to Cape Town and Costa Rica. An extra daily service to Doha has been introduced from London Heathrow, while services to Miami have resumed from Dublin. Capacity will also be available between Rio De Janeiro and Buenos Aires, IAG Cargo said, adding that there will be three more weekly services between Barcelona and Buenos Aires in a further expansion of its Latin American coverage.

Finnair Cargo is making a move towards fully self-sustainable energy production in November, just in time to celebrate Finnair’s 100th birthday. Throughout the summer and autumn months, Finnair Cargo has installed an additional 1790 solar panels to the roof of its COOL Nordic Cargo Hub at Helsinki Airport in Finland. These join 1200 panels installed when the terminal was originally constructed and provide enough energy on sunny days to sustain the cargo space in full and feed surplus energy to other Finnair facilities. “With this addition, the COOL Nordic Cargo Hub will be the third largest solar panel energy production unit in Finland. At the maximum level, the solar power station can produce over 1,1 MW peaks, more than tripling our production”, says SVP Finnair Cargo Gabriela Hiitola. After the COOL solar park upgrade, solar panels produce the equivalent of 37% of annual COOL electricity consumption. On a sunny day, the COOL terminal is completely self-sufficient in terms of electricity production and the excess production will be fed to other Finnair facilities.

Softlink Global plans to continue expanding its global presence through strategic partnership and new market entry while driving a transformation agenda for the entire company in parallel. In this regard, the company recently has taken a significant step towards strengthening its foothold in South East Asia through a collaboration with e-Konek Filipinas Inc., a renowned service provider specialising in e-Governance in the Philippines. Partnering with e-Konek will improve data transfer and productivity. Amit Maheshwari, Founder and CEO of Softlink Global Pvt. Ltd., outlined the company’s strategy, stating, “Our aim is to collaborate with global players to furnish essential capabilities that ensure the success of SaaS customers on both a global and local scale. Furthermore, our global collaborations will empower customers in adopting new business processes and technologies while guiding them towards becoming intelligent enterprises.” Having already established partnerships with numerous companies in various countries, Softlink Global continues to grow its global network. Maheshwari emphasized that SaaS adoption represents a natural progression to support customers on their transformation journeys. “The value and benefits of business and technology adoption align closely with the goals of an intelligent enterprise. Our services empower customers to make impactful changes, enhancing resilience, performance, and sustainability.” Softlink Global, India’s only SwaS-based enterprise logistics technology provider offers a combined solution of human support with the software. With a SaaS provider you are given software to “set and forget,” we, at Softlink as a SwaS provider offers ongoing support in effectively integrating and utilising the software into your business, added Maheshwari. With global offices in the US, UAE, Singapore, and in the Philippines Softlink is serving over 4,500 clients in over 45 countries with its flagship software Logi-Sys, powered …

WestJet Cargo will expand its cargo services with its Winter schedule. Calgary, Canada-based airline Westjet is introducing Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic; Bridgetown, Barbados; and Kingston, Jamaica to its passenger network, which is set to boost the reach of the airline’s cargo business. WestJet Cargo’s service to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic will be officially re-launched on October 29. Cargo services will be offered to and from Puerto Plata, on multiple weekly passenger flights. Each flight will offer two tonnes of cargo capacity. The rotation for this route is Toronto – Puerto Plata – Toronto. In the Dominican Republic, WestJet Cargo currently provides cargo capacity on its passenger services to Punta Cana from Calgary and Toronto. Additionally, services to Bridgetown, Barbados, will start on November 8. Like Puerto Plata, cargo services will be re-launched to this destination after they were suspended in early 2020.

Organized by Cargo Talk Middle East, the first edition of Arabian Cargo Awards 2023, held on October 24, at Sofitel Dubai Downtown was a huge success. The awards night honored and appreciated the hard work of the ‘unsung heroes’ of the Middle East’s Air Cargo and Logistics industry. The event which is set to become the industry’s most prestigious accolade, brought together leading names and key players in the region’s cargo and logistics sector for an evening of celebration and recognition. It served as platform created with a vision to recognize excellence in the Cargo-Freight-Logistics Industry across various domains, including Road, Air, Allied Services, Warehousing and Technology,

MSC Air Cargo has joined The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA). Jannie Davel, senior vice president air cargo at MSC Air Cargo, said in a LinkedIn post on October 19 that the move is a “significant milestone in our journey towards excellence in the air cargo industry.” Davel added, “At MSC Air Cargo, we are committed to delivering innovative solutions and world-class service to our clients. Joining TIACA aligns perfectly with our mission to continually improve and stay at the forefront of industry developments. “TIACA’s global network and expertise will empower us to connect, collaborate, and contribute to the growth and innovation of air cargo on a global scale. We look forward to engaging with fellow members, sharing insights, and collectively shaping the future of air cargo.” TIACA represents the global air cargo community: shippers, freight forwarders, ground handlers, airports, airlines, manufacturers, solution providers as well as cargo media, universities and academia.

India has better presence of international airlines, operating to & from a large number of origins and destinations, high aircraft movements happening, says Sushant Nigam, Executive Director at ACAAI. He adds, Cargo Terminals and better transshipment facilities should be utilized optimally by the neighboring countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Kathmandu, etc. After the initiatives taken by the cargo industry of India, cargo originating from Bangladesh is being carried by road via Petropole / Benapole border to Indian gateway airports like Kolkata and Delhi, to start with, for upliftment to final foreign destination. It will benefit everyone in the entire supply chain.

Jeena & Company has partnered with Uniserve Group, to focus on providing first-class customer service. It embodies the idea that when two industry leaders collaborate, they can achieve more than the sum of their parts. Together, Jeena and Uniserve aim to redefine the logistics landscape in India, offering customers an unparalleled experience in international freight management and movement. Clients can expect nothing less than the utmost integrity, seamless services, and exceptional customer care. The synergy between these two powerhouses will set a new standard for logistics services in both countries. Gary Cobbing, Group Chief Commercial and Operating Officer at Uniserve, expressed his enthusiasm about the partnership, saying, “Our shared vision for excellence and commitment to first-class customer service make this partnership a perfect fit. Starting from the 1st of October 2023, we look forward to a long and successful collaborative partnership together.” Jeena & Company’s rich history spanning more than 12 decades of operations in India and a presence in 27 locations across the country, has rightfully earned its status as the go-to international logistics partner in India. Over the years, they have set the gold standard for logistics services and have built an unshakable foundation of trust and reliability with their clients. Uniserve, a renowned provider of logistics solutions in the UK for many years, has carved a niche for itself with an unwavering commitment to delivering top-tier logistics services. Their dedication to precision and efficiency has earned them a strong reputation in the country, making them a trusted partner for businesses across various industries. Excited about the collaboration, Sam Katgara, Partner at Jeena & Company said, “This partnership signifies a remarkable step forward for both Jeena and Uniserve …

Artificial Intelligence, and how it can help the air cargo industry improve operational efficiency and speed will be the key focus area shares, CK Govil, President ACAAI. “We will hear from companies employing AI in multiple functions and learn from them.” ACAAI is all set to organize 47th convention in Malaysia from Nov 23-26 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. “We chose Malaysia because it is a business-friendly country with a rich history of bilateral ties with India for over two and a half decades. Another significant reason is good flight connections from various Indian cities, thus making it easier for all participants to travel to the convention. India has had a bilateral relationship with Malaysia for 66 years, and the trade has only grown. It is an important trade partner for our nation, and I see much more growth in the times ahead. Over the past two and a half decades, our exports to Malaysia have grown at an annual rate of 10.4%, and imports have shot up by 10.3%,” he adds.