Category Archives: Aviation

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for April 2023 global air cargo markets, showing capacity (measured in available cargo tonne-kilometers, ACTK) was up 13.4 per cent compared to April 2022 and 3.2 per cent compared to April 2019, marking the first time in three years that the capacity has surpassed pre-COVID levels. “The strong uptick is primarily driven by belly capacity as demand in the passenger business recovers. Adjusting for this, freighter capacity declined 2.3 per cent. Preighter operations ceased in March after 2.5 years of continuous activity,” states the release. Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General, said, “The air cargo industry is adjusting itself to the implications of the recovery in passenger demand that brings with it an expansion of belly capacity. Preighter operations stopped in March and freighter services were scaled back by 2.3 per cent in April.” In April 2023 global air cargo markets also showed a continued, but slower, decline against the previous year’s demand performance. Global demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTKs), fell 6.6 per cent compared to April 2022 (-7.0 per cent for international operations). This decline was an improvement over the previous month’s performance (-7.6 per cent).

Qatar Airways has signed a deal with Shell for 3,000 tonnes of neat (undiluted) Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) at air cargo hub Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. The deal falls under the airline’s existing jet fuel contract at the airport, but will now include at least 5% SAF over the contract period for the 2023-24 fiscal year. Qatar Airways’ bilateral agreement with Shell is part the Oneworld alliance’s wider target for SAF to form 10% of combined fuel volumes by 2030, said release. Qatar Airways says it will be the first carrier based in the Middle East and Africa to procure a significant amount of SAF in Europe, beyond government SAF mandates. The carrier expects to reduce its emissions on flights from Amsterdam by about 7,500 tonnes of CO2 during the fiscal year. Qatar Airways group chief executive, Akbar Al Baker, said, “We are strongly committed to supporting the industry’s effort to ramp-up the use of sustainable aviation fuel, as one of the key pillars to decarbonise the aviation industry.” “Last year, we signed our first offtake agreement in the US, and now we are placing a multi-million US dollar SAF deal in Amsterdam to illustrate our SAF commitment and reiterate our calls for a more robust SAF supply chain across our global network,” he added.

Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM) in Alabama has begun construction of its first dedicated terminal for general cargo, part of a new focus on attracting cargo business that already includes new chartered freighter flights from Germany. The the $27 million facility, has 48,500 square feet of warehouse space plus administrative offices, 17 dock doors for trucks and five airside bays. According to the Birmingham Airport Authority, the $27 million facility, will serve as the Southeast air hub for Kuehne+Nagel, logistics service provider. The airport in April launched twice weekly flights from Stuttgart, Germany, to support demand from companies in the automotive, aerospace and pharmaceutical industries, including Mercedes-Benz. It is temporarily operating out of an existing hangar under a temporary lease agreement with another airport tenant. Atlas Air and Cargolux are flying Boeing 747 cargo jets, which return via Chicago O’Hare airport, on Kuehne+Nagel’s behalf. Alliance Ground International is providing the ramp services and cargo processing.

Due to challenging business environment amid rising uncertainty in global economic conditions, air cargo freight tonne kilometres (FTK) fell by 5.5% year on year in April, according to preliminary figures released on May 30 by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA). With offered freight capacity continuing to increase by 10.4%, the average international freight load factor declined markedly by 10.1 percentage points to 59.8% for the month. AAPA director general, Subhas Menon, said: “Air cargo markets fell 11%, underlining the challenging business environment amid rising uncertainty in global economic conditions.” AAPA added that export activity remained relatively muted, held back by declines in new business orders and trade barriers due to geopolitical tensions. The easing of supply chain pressures also encouraged a shift to maritime shipping, it said. In contrast, the April figures showed continuing recovery in the passenger market. Collectively, Asia Pacific airlines recorded a 250% year-on-year increase in international travellers carried to a total of 20.3m.

IAG Cargo has launched a new cargo handling facility at London Heathrow Airport that enables it to more than double the amount of premium loose shipments it can handle daily. Measuring over 10,000 m2, the semi-automated New Premia facility will serve as IAG Cargo’s new home for handling premium loose shipments. To support the increase in cargo handling capacity, the facility features bespoke IT systems and systems integration to regulate freight movements and allocations. It has been designed to be as efficient as possible, with 11 new landside doors, meaning even faster engagement for drivers to collect or drop off cargo, said release. The temperature-controlled building includes a state-of-the-art Constant Climate Quality Centre (CCQC) for pharmaceuticals, with 29 dedicated cool cells and temperature facilities available from +2°C to +8°C (COL), +15°C to +25°C (CRT) and -20°C (FRO) ensuring sensitive shipments are held in a temperature-controlled environment at all times. Additionally, the +15°C to +25°C (CRT) chamber includes two dedicated break and build workstations. The new facility is certified under IAG Cargo’s Good Distribution Practice (GDP) WDA licence issued by the UK Medicines & Healthcare Regulatory Agency. Operationally, four large ‘transfer vehicles’ have been introduced which service the 20 new break and build workstations. These vehicles pass through the 11 rapid-rise delivery doors allowing cargo to be moved autonomously through the facility and into storage in advance of collection and delivery to the aircraft for exports and similarly the process works in reverse for imports. This process uses ground-breaking technology as the system is fully integrated with IAG Cargo’s existing Warehouse Management System – which is the first time globally that this integration has been delivered.

Cooling solutions company, Tan90 is all set to enter Tier-2 cities in India with the launch of a unique cold chain model, ‘Cooling as a Service’ (CaaS), where it offers cooling solutions on lease to businesses that do not own blast freezers required to freeze the panels, i.e., thermal batteries. The company has plans to cash in on the growing demand for cold chain solutions. It also has plans to expand overseas, particularly in Southeast Asia and has raised a Rs. 11.32 crore pre-Series A investment round co-led by Blue Ashva Capital and Capital A, with participation from 3i Partners and a clutch of angel investors based out of Singapore, the Middle East, and India. The main purpose of this round is to expand overseas with a particular focus on Southeast Asia.

Air India SATS Airport Services (AISATS) and Yamuna International Airport (YIAPL), have signed a concession agreement to build a state-of-the-art multi-modal cargo hub (MMCH) at Noida International Airport. Sanjay Gupta, CEO of AISATS, and Christoph Schnellmann, CEO of YIAPL, signed the agreement at a ceremony held on May 30, 2023, at Noida. The MMCH, spanning across 87 acres, will be a pioneering facility in India that comprises an Integrated Cargo Terminal (ICT) and an Integrated Warehousing & Logistics Zone (IWLZ). The strategic location of this first-of-its-kind cargo hub will seamlessly connect multiple modes of transportation with consolidated ancillary and value-added services, establishing a highly efficient route for cargo throughput across India and abroad. AISATS has been entrusted with the responsibility of designing, building, financing and operating the MMCH, further emphasizing its significance in transforming the logistics and cargo industry. Through this facility, AISATS aims to provide India’s logistics sector with a world-beating cargo processing and transportation grid that will help reduce logistics costs significantly, streamline processes for seamless coordination, and bring speed and transparency to the country’s supply chain. Nipun Aggarwal, Chairman of AISATS, said, “Air India sees tremendous growth opportunities in Uttar Pradesh and is keen to provide seamless cargo connectivity within the state to power this growth. The AISATS MMCH at Noida will play an integral part in providing just-in-time cargo facilities for the North India region and will support in levelling up the Indian logistics and air cargo sectors with state-of-the-art infrastructure, value-added services and improved cost efficiency. We have no doubt it will have a knock-on effect and help increase India’s trade, provide employment opportunities and ease the movement of goods across the country.” Sanjay Gupta, …

Global aviation services group, Air Partner, has joined forces with Worldwide GSA, a sister company of the Air Logistics Group, to enhance and expand its cargo offering in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, said release. The partnership will allow Air Partner to extend its cargo footprint in key APAC countries including Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Malaysia, Philippines, South Korea, Japan, New Zealand, Australia and Thailand. By collaborating with Worldwide GSA, Air Partner aims to leverage the regional expertise and established network of the Air Logistics Group, enabling seamless coordination and operational support for cargo charters throughout the APAC region. Worldwide GSA will act as Air Partner’s first representatives in the region, facilitating increased access to Air Partner’s comprehensive range of solutions. As the charter-desk for the Worldwide GSA group in APAC, Air Partner will leverage its expertise and industry-leading capabilities to deliver efficient and tailored cargo charter services to customers across various industries. The partnership aligns with Air Partner’s strategy to continue to grow its presence in the region, having recently expanded its office in Dubai as part of its plans to double its workforce in the Middle East. Commenting on the partnership, Pierre Van Der Stichele, Vice President of Air Partner’s Global Cargo division at Air Partner, said: “Our collaboration with Worldwide GSA will enable us to strengthen our presence in key markets and provide our customers with enhanced access to our solutions. With the support of Worldwide GSA, we are confident in delivering seamless logistics solutions to meet the growing demand for air cargo services in the region.” Maggie Goh, CEO of Worldwide GSA group, said: “At Worldwide GSA, we are committed to delivering exceptional air cargo solutions to …

The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) has strengthening economic ties with Republic of India to investment opportunities between the two trade nations. The trade’s first leg commenced with UAE-India Business Forum held in Mumbai which highlighted investment advantages of Sharjah and Mumbai while highlighting the vast array of promising opportunities available across various economic sectors. The UAE-India Business Forum, organised by the SCCI, brought together key business leaders, government officials, and industry experts from both Sharjah and Mumbai. Sharjah and Mumbai, recognised as leading industrial and commercial centers in their respective regions, were praised for their significant contributions to the economic growth of the UAE and India. Led by Abdullah Sultan Al Owais, Chairman of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), the mission, organised by the Sharjah Export Development Centre, aimed to build on the successes being achieved by the UAE-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, which came into force in May 2022. The agreement represents a new era of economic cooperation, based on mutual interests between the two friendly nations. The forum featured bilateral meetings between SCCI businessmen and their counterparts in Mumbai. The discussions revolved around investment opportunities and advantages available in both countries to foster partnerships that serve the private sector, increase trade exchange, and establish projects in various sectors.

RattanIndia Enterprises Ltd (REL) announced the launch of a new cargo drone, L-40, by its company TAS (Throttle Aerospace Systems) to double its cargo capacity to 40kg. “This quantum leap in the carrying capacity of our drones demonstrates the commitment of our company to the delivery drone’s category, which is likely to reach Rs 2,50,000 crore by 2031, as per the market estimates. We expect the delivery drone market to be on an upward trajectory, and we are not only going to seize this opportunity but also set new benchmarks in this segment,” Anjali Rattan, Business Chairperson of RattanIndia Enterprises Limited, said. Within the last quarter, the company launched the L-20 and L-15 and doubled its carrying capacity from 20kg to a staggering 40kg. In February, the L-Series platform was launched with four variants covering high and medium altitudes. Defence, e-commerce, healthcare, paramilitary, and the police are the prime customers of the L-series. These drones are very easy to deploy, can be made ready in a short period of time, come with many ‘fail safe’ features and can be operated by a two-member team.