Category Archives: Aviation

Etihad Cargo has achieved the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Centre of Excellence for Independent Validators Lithium Batteries (CEIV Li-batt) certification. The carrier is the third Middle Eastern airline to attain this certification and has become only the fifth airline globally to achieve CEIV Pharma, Fresh, Live Animals and Li-batt certifications. CEIV Li-batt certification represents an airline’s capability to handle and transport lithium batteries in accordance with the highest safety and efficiency standards. Certification involves assessing an airline’s operational processes, staff training programmes, and compliance with global safety regulations, including an extensive audit by independent validators. Thomas Schürmann, head of cargo operations & delivery at Etihad Cargo, said: “According to IATA, lithium batteries represent one-third of the dangerous goods transported by air and have become the preferred energy source for a wide variety of consumer goods, including mobile phones, cars, e-bikes and children’s toys. “Achieving CEIV Li-batt certification highlights Etihad Cargo’s dedication to maintaining the highest safety and operational excellence standards. This achievement positions the carrier among an elite group of global airlines that are committed to meeting the safety obligations of the lithium battery supply chain through the competent handling and transport of these products. “Rounding out the carrier’s suite of CEIV certifications, CEIV Li-batt underscores Etihad Cargo’s commitment to specialised and quality-driven cargo services.”

Airfreight rates in January climbed as the month progressed due to the approaching Lunar New Year holiday and anecdotal reports of a move from sea to air due to the Red Sea crisis. The latest figures from the Baltic Exchange Airfreight Index (BAI) show that in the last full week of January rates from Hong Kong to North America climbed 8.4% on a week earlier to $5.15 per kg. From Hong Kong to Europe prices last week were up 4.5% week on week to $4.16 per kg. Airfreight rate data provider TAC Index said the increase was expected. “The increase is in line with expectations that rates may spike following disruption to ocean shipping in the Red Sea, though sources also point out that rates often rise in the runup to Chinese New Year,” TAC said in a weekly market round-up. This year the Lunar New Year holiday falls on February 10 compared with January 22 last year. Forwarders have been reporting increased interest in sea-air services and airfreight as a result of the Red Sea disruption. While rates increased this week, for the month overall prices were down on a year ago. BAI figures show that January rates from Hong Kong to North America decreased 15% year on year to $5.22 per kg, while rates from Hong Kong to Europe were down 16.9% to $4.12 per kg. Rates on the routes have been trending downwards since the third quarter of 2022 as the aviation market began its slow recovery from the Covid pandemic.

Turkish Cargo has launched three new pharma products to cater to global market needs. Its products namely, TK Pharma Standard, TK Pharma Extra and TK Pharma Advanced, will meet the expectations of the customers at the highest level by developing flexible solutions for the pharmaceutical and medical consignments in various categories. Ali Türk, Chief Cargo Officer of Turkish Airlines, said; “We are proud to be a trusted solution partner, which has helped us achieve a market share of 7 percent in the global air transportation of pharmaceuticals and medical products. We, as Turkish Cargo, are making innovative investments for the purpose of not only solidifying such trust but also adapting to the dynamics of the ever-growing healthcare industry. With the new offers, Turkish Cargo is committed to providing its business partners with more assurance, transparency, and better visibility for an enhanced quality and widened range of services.” 1. Industry standard temperature-controlled solutions TK Pharma Standard enables temperature-sensitive cargo to be shipped in compliance with the industry requirements. Thanks to TK Pharma Standard, shipments are being carried by benefiting from expert handling, high priority for loading, dedicated temperature-controlled storage, trained dedicated operations team and 24/7 customer services, available throughout the entire TK Pharma Network under the assurance of Turkish Cargo. 2. Enhanced temperature-controlled solutions For pharmaceuticals and medical products with a higher sensitivity to temperature and time, which are shipped by making use of passive packaging methods and require extra protection during apron transportation, are carried above and beyond the expectations of the industry thanks to TK Pharma Extra. While they are on the apron, the consignments, covered by such product, are carried by *temperature-controlled dollies and monitored from the point …

JB Singh, Director, MOVIN Express shares his expectations from the upcoming budget, “It is imperative for the industry to adopt changes backed by robust technology to thrive in the fast-paced environment. Looking ahead, effective budgetary strategies, coupled with financial and regulatory incentives like Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes, and strategic investments in infrastructure, will be instrumental in reducing domestic logistics costs. The logistics industry stands at the forefront of transformative change, and the government has undertaken various initiatives to implement forward-looking measures in advancing multimodal projects and fortifying infrastructure. The future relies on the efficiency, resilience, and resource optimization of supply chains. The government’s commitment to substantial infrastructure projects, such as PM Gati Shakti and the National Logistics Policy, positions India as a pivotal hub for manufacturing. The budget should emphasize connectivity projects in various economic zones, thereby helping to reduce logistics costs and time, improving productivity and the economy.”

Worldwide air cargo demand in January so far remains significantly up compared with this time last year, according to the latest figures from WorldACD Market Data, with tonnages from all the main global regions ahead of last year’s figures with the exception of ex-North America traffic. Freight forwarders continue to report anecdotally that certain cargo owners are switching some Asia-Europe cargo from sea to air or to sea-air because of longer ocean voyages caused by the disruptions in the Red Sea, although from a data perspective it is difficult to separate this traffic from the normal seasonal mid-January uplift following the New Year slowdown, and from the effects of Lunar New Year (LNY), with LNY in 2024 coming later (10 February) than last year (22 January). Reflecting the serious disruptions to international container shipping, ocean freight spot rates from Asia to Europe are now around three times their level prior to the Red Sea disruptions, although air cargo rates remain relatively stable globally, and ex-Asia Pacific, compared with before the Red Sea crisis – although ex-Asia Pacific air cargo rates had already risen in the final quarter of last year due to seasonal and product-related demand factors. Some forwarders say that in anticipation of ocean to air conversions, they are blocking additional air capacity on core trade lanes to help customers keep their freight moving. Others note that the window for booking air freight ahead of Lunar New Year (10 February) is closing and the next two to three weeks could be challenging, with the expectation of “bunched” container ships arriving en masse at the main European ports, potentially triggering port delays, driver shortages and cargo build-ups at warehouses, driving …

A non-binding MoU was signed between Container Corporation of India (CONCOR) and Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL) at to facilitate discussions and cooperation between Indian Oil and CONCOR in various areas such as for using LNG as a fuel and addressing petrochemical and other container logistics requirements. Additionally, the agreement aims to establish competitive and stable pricing for contracts at existing and upcoming LNG Auto stations across India. Furthermore, the MOU entails potential collaborations such as creating virtual storage units in CONCOR’s warehouses to store Indian Oil’s petrochemical products at different CONCOR terminals. Indian Oil and CONCOR will also explore new business prospects like supplying LNG through ISO containers via Railways and Multi-Modal Logistics. Moreover, the agreement includes utilizing CONCOR’s Multi-Modal Logistics Park (MMLP) at Paradip for Indian Oil’s Pet-chem rail dispatches and potential logistics handling by CONCOR for a centralized Pet-Chem warehouse of Indian Oil, expected to be established in the near future.

CSafe has partnered with WFS in Bengaluru to provide active temperature-controlled containers locally for pharmaceutical shipments at the WFS Coolport. CSafe, the largest active and passive temperature-controlled shipping solutions provider for the biopharmaceutical industry, has opened a new station in Bangaluru to provide active temperature-controlled containers locally. This latest CSafe station in India follows the opening the company’s Hyderabad location in late 2022. With a second CSafe station operational in India, customers have more options for shipping temperature-controlled pharmaceuticals into and out of the country. CSafe partnered with WFS in Bangaluru to make active air cargo units available at their Kempegowda International Airport facility. WFS, a member of the SATS Group, operates two cargo terminals at Bengaluru including the WFS Coolport which is the exclusive gateway for all temperature-controlled cargo moving via Bengaluru Airport. The CSafe station at Bengaluru Airport is located inside the WFS Coolport premises, allowing containers to move in and out of the country much faster. CSafe RKN and RAP containers will be available for pick-up and return through the new facility.

Vikram Mansukhani, National Operations Head, Blue Dart says, “In the upcoming union budget, a sustained commitment to enhancing rail infrastructure, especially for cargo, bulk, and express shipments, is strongly encouraged. Modernizing regional railway freight corridors and establishing advanced logistics hubs with cutting-edge technologies like AI and machine learning are essential for enhancing efficiency and global competitiveness. The government’s initiatives to cultivate skilled talent through logistics skill-building councils are commendable and should continue to ensure workforce readiness. Creating an environment conducive to innovation and collaboration is crucial for unlocking the full potential of the logistics sector. In FY 2024, the focus should be on building both physical and digital infrastructure, incentivizing multimodal logistics to reduce carbon emissions in the sector. With this targeted approach, India can propel its logistics sector towards resilience and sustainability, thereby driving economic prosperity in the process.”

Ravi Jakhar, Chief Strategy Officer, Allcargo Group shares his expectations from the budget 2024-25 in the logistics sector, “We expect the budget to support persistent efforts of the logistics industry to develop last-mile connectivity to facilitate the transformative growth of the SMEs through effective local and global value chain integrations, as they are the key growth drivers of the economy. As India is emerging as a viable alternative for the global multinational companies for diversifying their manufacturing base, the accelerated development of logistics infrastructure and favorable policy formulations will play an enabling role in helping the country garner a larger share in the global manufacturing value chain. Therefore, we expect the upcoming budget to propose a continued capex push for transportation, port and digital infrastructure development to boost logistics efficiency and competitiveness in line with the vision and goals of National Logistics Policy. In addition, we expect the budget to propose incentives to drive large-scale green or renewable energy adoption so that the industry can play a pivotal role in achieving the country’s net zero target.”

WebCargo by Freightos has partnered with Japan Airlines Cargo (JALCARGO)- cargo division of Japan Airlines to enable freight forwarders using WebCargo to have option to book air cargo capacity on Japan Airlines for shipments to Japan and other Asian Countries. “Digital transformation is key for JALCARGO’s growth. Offering capacity on WebCargo’s platform will help generate new business and enable us to provide all our clients with real-time rates on a platform that makes it easy to book and pay for cargo online,” says Yuichiro Kito, Executive Officer, of Cargo and Mail at Japan Airlines. Through this collaboration, forwarders can now utilise JALCARGO’s large fleet to book cargo on select routes among JAL’s 66 international destinations and 133 domestic destinations. “With a network that spans hundreds of airports, JALCARGO is a wonderful addition to the cadre of leading world carriers offering air cargo capacity on WebCargo’s platform,” says Manel Galindo, CRO of Freightos. “Asia has been and always will be an integral market for WebCargo and our customers. With JALCARGO onboard, WebCargo can provide European and Japanese forwarders with access to 60% of global air cargo capacity online, efficient booking and quoting in just minutes, and wider trade lane coverage to key Asian markets. This partnership helps us continue to build Freightos’ vision of creating a truly vendor-neutral global freight booking platform that makes international shipping faster, more cost-effective, and reliable, and one that expands trade between the people of the world.”