Category Archives: Aviation

“India has positioned itself as a global hub for manufacturing, which is largely due to the country’s fast- growing economy and various government initiatives,” says Camilo Garcia Cervera, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, IAG Cargo. He adds, “The country has become a global powerhouse producer of products such as pharma, perishables, healthcare, high tech, automotive, and aerospace. While there were disruptions during the pandemic, the industry is adapting and has been increasing capacity to support Indian businesses.”

  The Pune Airport will soon be launching its new terminal building, starting July 14, according to officials from the Airports Authority of India (AAI). Currently, eight airlines operate from the Pune Airport. Air India and Air India Express will be the first to shift operations to the new building on July 14, said reports. The inaugural flight from the new terminal will be Air India’s AI – 858, heading to Delhi. Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Murlidhar Mohol, will personally hand over the first boarding pass to mark this milestone, reports added.

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) is set to win the rights to run a 5.7 million tonne(mt) capacity terminal for handling clean cargo including containers at Deendayal Port for 30 years by placing the highest royalty of Rs200 per ton when the price bids were opened last week. “The contract win will help APSEZ strengthen its presence in Deendayal Port (formerly Kandla Port) – India’s second biggest state-owned port by volumes handled – where it runs a dry bulk cargo terminal at Tuna Tekra, a satellite facility, says release.

The global air cargo market is heading towards a ‘hot Q4’ of rate increases after a sixth straight month of double-digit demand growth in June, with a warning that shippers and forwarders ill-prepared for this year’s peak season may find themselves ‘at the mercy of the market,’ according to the latest analysis by Xeneta. Demand in June, measured in chargeable weight, was +13% year-on-year, continuing the upward trend seen throughout the first half of 2024. In contrast, cargo supply grew at its slowest pace in 2024, edging up only +3% year-on-year. As a result, the global air cargo dynamic load factor – Xeneta’s measurement of capacity utilisation based on volume and weight of cargo flown alongside available capacity – increased by +4% pts year-on-year.

Mangaluru International Airport has commenced international cargo operations from its integrated cargo terminal with flight IX 815 ferrying 2,522 kg of fruits and vegetables to Abu Dhabi. The inauguration was done in the presence of the AAHL Cargo team, the leadership team of MIA, and representatives from Customs, Airline – IndiGo and Air India Express – and Airport Security Group of CISF, said reports. The airport officials said in a statement that international cargo operations will enable exporters from coastal Karnataka and Kerala and the hinterland to export perishables items, including fresh fruits and vegetables, food, tropical fish, frozen and dry fish, etc. in the form of belly cargo. IndiGo and Air India Express, with their connectivity, will enable exporters to send cargo to Dubai, Doha, Dammam, Kuwait, Muscat, Abu Dhabi, and Bahrain.    

  Airbus has reportedly received potential orders from customers in Asia and the US and the aircraft manufacturer is geared up for growth with A350F this year. Both Asia and the US hold promise for new orders of the A350 freighter, according to the aircraft manufacturer. Airbus has witnessed a steady stream of A350F orders, now totalling 55 from 10 customers, many of them combination carriers that already have the A350 passenger model in their fleet.

C K Govil, CMD, Activair Airfreight shares, “Rainproofing cargo during the monsoon season is crucial for several reasons like rain can cause significant damage to cargo, especially to goods sensitive to moisture. Ensuring proper rainproofing can prevent financial losses and preserve the quality and integrity of the products. Moist environments can lead to the growth of mold and mildew, which can ruin goods and make them unsafe for use or consumption. Proper rainproofing helps mitigate this risk. In summary, rainproofing cargo during the monsoon season is an essential practice to protect goods, maintain supply chain efficiency, comply with regulations, and ensure customer satisfaction.

Sushant Nigam, Executive Director, ACAAI shares, “Monsoon may have its adverse effects on the EXIM shipments, so industry should be prepared for it well-in-advance. All the key stakeholders, like shippers, agents, airlines and the cargo terminal operators must ensure safe & secure handling by appropriate packaging, protected transportation and covered storage. Proper handing or taking over of the shipments between the stakeholders at any stage during carriage should be discrepancy-free otherwise liability to be ascertained and fixed.”

Dipen Lalsodagar, Deputy Director, Cargo Sales Global Aviation Services shares, “During monsoon, water logging at warehouses is a major problem, due to heavy rains. We need infrastructure upgradation like quick water drainage system. Airports should implement a minimum standard for cargo packing material for better handling and to avoid cargo claims. Customs should allow Built Up Units (BUPs) to avoid multiple handling during supply chain.”

Kamal Jain, Director, Cargomen Logistics shares, “Technology is the key to all. When we handle large volumes of cargo or large infrastructure, to maintain that we need to have a technology. The recent accident at the Delhi airport could have been avoided if we have a preventive maintenance with the help of AI, ML or the prevailing technologies. Same applies to the cargo warehouses. If we are equipped with better surveillance equipment, better reporting analytical software, we can have a better decision-making power. As a forwarder, when we handle cargo in a volatile market, with the predictive analysis, with the help of data analytics, we can predict the market of the future and can suggest the shipper to act accordingly. Disruptions in the cargo industry are always going to be there, as a service provider, we should always gear up with the alternate solution to the shipper and the consignee with the best possible solution.”