Category Archives: Aviation

“Infrastructural gaps, regulatory hurdles, and fragmented networks hinder seamless coordination for enhanced multimodal transportation and overcoming these challenges requires holistic solutions like infrastructural upgrades, streamlined regulations, and enhanced technology for real-time tracking,” says Huned Gandhi, Managing Director Indian Subcontinent Air & Sea Logistics, Dachser India. “Public-private partnerships will play a pivotal role in bridging these gaps, ensuring a cohesive ecosystem for multimodal logistics to thrive. In this evolving scenario, multimodal transportation doesn’t just optimise supply chains; it reshapes them entirely, propelling India towards logistical supremacy on the global stage,” he adds and continues, “In the dynamic landscape of logistics, multimodal transportation emerges as the cornerstone reshaping supply chains. With initiatives like Bharatmala, Sagarmala, and the development of inland waterways, India envisions a seamless convergence of rail, road, air, and water networks, unlocking unprecedented opportunities. By seamlessly integrating these networks, logistics gain speed, reliability, and cost-effectiveness, facilitating the swift movement of goods across the nation and beyond. These transformative efforts are bolstered by flagship policies such as Gati Shakti and the National Logistics Policy, which underscore India’s commitment to modernising infrastructure and streamlining regulatory frameworks. Gati Shakti aims to enhance infrastructure connectivity across the country, while the National Logistics Policy focuses on optimising logistics efficiency and reducing costs. Nevertheless, significant challenges persist.”

Airbus reported a nine percent increase in consolidated revenues at €12.8 billion for the first quarter of 2024 on higher deliveries. A total of 142 commercial aircraft were delivered compared to 127 aircraft in Q1 2023, an increase of 12 percent, says an official release. The deliveries included 12 A220s, 116 A320 Family, seven A330s and seven A350s. Revenues generated by Airbus’ commercial aircraft activities increased 13 percent to €9.2 billion. Consolidated adjusted EBIT declined 25 percent to €577 million (Q12023: €773 million) “due to the increased Airbus Employee Share Ownership Plan, which saw record participation among employees and resulted in a year-on-year expense increase of slightly above €0.1 billion.” Net income was up 28 percent to €595 million. Gross commercial aircraft orders totalled 170 (Q12023: 156 aircraft) with the same number of net orders due to no cancellations (Q12023 net orders: 142 aircraft). The order backlog amounted to 8,626 commercial aircraft at the end of March 2024, the release added.

In a significant development in the Indian aviation industry, IndiGo, India’s largest airline by market share, has placed an order for 30 Airbus A350 wide-body aircraft. These aircraft are the Airbus A350-900 variant. IndiGo’s A350 fleet will be powered by the Rolls Royce Trent XWB engine, as the company has also made agreements with Rolls Royce for 60 Trent XWB engines. In addition to the 30 Firm A350-900 order, IndiGo has Purchase Rights for an additional 70 Airbus A350 Family aircraft, based on its choice, according to the official release by the airline. After placing the order for the A350 aircraft, IndiGo has now become the second operator of the Airbus A350 in the Indian market, following the national flag carrier Air India. Last year, Air India initially ordered 34 Airbus A350-1000 variants and 6 Airbus A350-900 variants. However, the airline later adjusted its order, evenly distributing the number of orders between the A350 variants. Consequently, the flag carrier now has 20 Airbus A350-900 and 20 Airbus A350-1000 aircraft on order. Out of the 20 Airbus A350-900 aircraft, 4 have already been delivered.

Exploring the potential of AEO benefits, to leverage technology and industrial collaboration, The Air Cargo Agents Association of India (ACAAI) President C K Govil and Vice President Samir J Shah participated in FIATA HQ meeting in Geneva. ACAAI will now host FIATA RAP Meeting in India in 2025, said its official LinkedIn Post. The FIATA HQ Meeting 2024 provided a platform for industry leaders to converge and chart the course for the future of air cargo. “Our deliberations delved into the intricacies of enhancing security measures while facilitating smoother trade processes, a balance crucial for the efficiency of global supply chains,” shared Shah. “Exploring the potential of AEO benefits and PLACI, we sought to leverage technology and collaboration to streamline customs procedures and mitigate risks in the air cargo ecosystem. These initiatives not only ensure compliance with regulatory requirements but also foster greater transparency and accountability across the supply chain. The insights gained from our discussions at FIATA HQ Meeting 2024 will undoubtedly shape the future of air cargo operations, paving the way for greater efficiency, security, and reliability in global trade.”

Qatar Airways Cargo has opened the world’s largest air cargo animal facility at its Doha hub to meet the rising volumes of animals being transported through the airport. The new facility measures 5,260 sq m compared with 4,000 sq m at the previous animal operation. It offers 140 dog kennels, 40 cat kennels, 24 horse stables in four separate zones and special areas for day-old chicks, birds, fish, reptiles and exotic animals. It differs from most airport animal facilities in that it mainly caters for transit shipments and therefore has dedicated rooms for transit and import/export shipments, which have different customs formalities to complete. The facility also has a large area to handle cattle with pens for vets to examine sheep if required. The cattle area is air conditioned so cattle charters can be transported during the day, rather than just in the evening as with the previous facility. There are also airside and landside docks for trucks and dollies, the capacity for the induction of 47 ULDs simultaneously, five ULD rooms for built pallets and one room for pallet build and break. The animal areas are temperature controlled and in certain rooms music is piped in to help calm the animals during their time in the facility. There are also rooms that can be used flexibly during times of high demand – for instance during the peak falcon season when more than 200 of the birds can be handled in a single day. Vets work at the facility 24 hours a day to help ensure the animals’ well being.

“Construction of several highways and expressways have facilitated a seamless movement of cargo from towns to the airports thereby trimming total time consumed in road transportation, says Sunil Kohli, MD, Rahat Cargo. He adds, “Upgradation of domestic airports and having them equipped with essential infra apart from in-house functional process needs to be considered to achieve the desired results. The government’s initiatives have initiated several moves to ensure improvisation of multimodal transportation and connectivity. India launched PMGS to herald a new chapter in governance. PMGS brings 16 ministries, including Railways and Roadways, together for integrated planning and coordinated implementation of infrastructure connectivity. It will incorporate the infrastructure schemes of various ministries and state governments such as Bharatmala, Sagarmala, inland waterways, dry/land ports, UDAN. Economic zones such as textile and pharma clusters, defence corridors, electronic parks, industrial corridors, fishing clusters, and agri zones will also be covered to improve connectivity and make Indian businesses competitive.”

Menzies Aviation has extended its deal with Kuala Lumpur-based Malaysia Airlines covering cargo, passenger and ramp handling for the carrier in the Australia/New Zealand region. The deal has been extended for a further five years and covers the Menzies stations at Sydney Airport (SYD), Melbourne Airport (MEL), Adelaide Airport (ADL), Perth Airport (PER) and Auckland Airport (AKL). London, UK-headquartered Menzies has supported Malaysia Airlines with a range of services at these locations since 2016. The handler has said that it expects to handle a total of 3,200 flights across the five locations each year until 2029, when the extended contract is due to expire. Menzies executive vice president – Oceania & South East Asia, Darren Masters, commented: “The renewal of this agreement is a reflection on the strong strategic partnership that has developed between Menzies and Malaysia Airlines over the course of eight years.” Aslina Ahmad Asiri, global head of operations at Malaysia Airlines, added: “The contract extension is a testament of a great partnership and the trust that MAB [Malaysia Airlines Berhad] has forged with Menzies over the last eight years. “Menzies has always been supportive of MAB operations throughout [the] ANZ [Australia and New Zealand] region despite the challenges post Covid-19. “Menzies has continuously engaged MAB to address these challenges and enforce their utmost commitment to support MAB’s plan to grow the ANZ operations. “It is comforting to work with a highly professional entity that understand the business needs and ever willing to listen to feedback from their customers.”

Global air freight rates were slightly changed in the week to April 22, according to the latest data from TAC Index, the leading price reporting agency on air freight markets. The overall Baltic Air Freight Index calculated by TAC was up a tad (+0.1 percent), leaving it at -8.2 percent over 12 months – a second successive week of little change after a series of rises over the previous six weeks. There was little evidence of any immediate impact on prices caused by severe rain in the Middle East and disruption in major hubs like Dubai, the update added. “Rates on the big lanes out of China continued to edge upwards, buoyed by the continuing rise of e-commerce. The index of outbound routes from Hong Kong gained another 1.4 percent WoW to put it ahead by 11.8 percent YoY. Outbound Shanghai gained 2.4 percent WoW to put it up 12 percent YoY. Rates out of Vietnam fell back a bit after recent strong gains, and rates out of India were fairly flat overall after an even stronger surge in recent months.” Out of Europe, the market continued to be weak, and the index of outbound routes from Frankfurt declined 3.7 percent WoW with declining rates on most major lanes pulling it down to -38.3 percent YoY. Outbound London dropped 7.9 percent WoW. From the Americas, rates from outbound Chicago were also softer, down 2.5 percent WoW to leave the index at -31.3 percent YoY. Overall rates from the U.S. were falling again to China but rising both to Europe and to South America, the update added.

DHL Group has taken a proactive step by expanding its GoHelp programme to the continent. The programme will utilise DHL’s logistical expertise and global network to aid disaster-affected communities. DHL has partnered with the United Nations since 2005 to volunteer its logistics proficiency and international network for global relief efforts. DHL is conducting its first training session for the Disaster Response Teams (DRTs) in Europe at Istanbul International Airport from April 19-21. Attended by 50 employees, this training marks a pivotal step in enhancing regional disaster preparedness and response efforts. “Europe has been facing an increasing number of climate-related crises, like the floods in Germany and Belgium in 2021. On top of this, we witnessed terrible earthquakes in Turkey and Morocco last year,” noted Christoph Selig, Vice President, Sustainability Communications and Programmes at DHL Group. “Recognising this, we’re extending GoHelp’s reach and impact to Europe after a successful implementation over the past 15 years in Latin America, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa region,” added Selig.

Air cargo software firm Nallian has integrated payment platform PayCargo into its cargo slot management system to help speed up the process of picking up cargo from airports. The partnership means that freight forwarders and trucking firms can book a pick-up slot from handlers using the Nallian Truck Visit Management System and the PayCargo system will manage all payments and transactions related to the import cargo. The companies said this means that upon arrival, drivers no longer have to wait to make payments and can immediately proceed to the dock door assigned to them. “This integrated approach enhances operational efficiency, enables faster cargo release, and reduces paperwork and administration,” the companies claimed. Eduardo Del Riego, chief executive of PayCargo, said: “We are thrilled to partner with Nallian to offer an integrated solution that addresses the evolving needs of the air cargo industry. By combining our expertise, we enable our customers to streamline truck visits, accelerate payments, and achieve greater success.” Nallian chief executive Jean Verheyen added: “We are committed to driving innovation and delivering value to our customers. Our collaboration with PayCargo represents a strategic alignment of our shared vision to raise the bar for efficient, paperless freight management. “It will allow our customers to better coordinate activities so they increase efficiency and reduce their environmental impact.” The use of slot booking systems has been on the rise in recent years as companies look to reduce waiting times by spreading cargo pick-ups more evenly throughout the week and by giving the handler more information to prepare cargo.