Category Archives: Aviation

Japan Airlines (JAL) is all set to launch dedicated freighter operations in February as it announced its first Boeing 767-300ER freighter converted from its passenger fleet. Tokyo-headquartered JAL said the freighter will operate from Tokyo Narita and Nagoya to Taipei, Seoul Incheon, as well as Shanghai Pudong. Operations are scheduled to begin on February 19. The airline is set to add a further two 767-300 freighter conversions, according to plans it announced in May this year. “The operation of the freighters will enhance stable and flexible air transportation capabilities, ensuring a steady supply. Furthermore, the development of a network strategy based on growing demand will ensure the satisfaction of customer needs and contribute to the sustainable development of the logistics infrastructure,” said JAL. The service marks a return to the freighter market after an absence of 13 years as the airline aim to grow in the cargo and mail business.

The India International Cargo Show (IICS), country’s biggest cargo & logistics exhibition is all set to take place in Mumbai from December 12-15 at Jio Convention Center. The three-day exhibition will have insightful panel discussions on multimodal logistics enabling supply chain efficiency, pharma logistics, airports infrastructure, tech driven growth, embracing next-gen air cargo operations and lot more. The inaugural session will host distinguished ministers and leaders from the logistics industry, sharing their visionary perspectives and insights to pave the way for a future of innovation and collaboration in the dynamic world of logistics. IICS will be the only platform in the country to bring the entire cargo and logistics fraternity including air, ocean, road, logistics, warehousing, ground handling, supply chain, technology, etc. under one roof. With over 200 brands showcasing their products and services, the IICS Show is the perfect platform for logisticians to network with key players in the industry.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) effectively managed its inaugural consignment of frozen ready-to-serve food products. On November 9, 2023, CSMIA successfully coordinated the seamless transportation of highly perishable South Indian delicacies, such as Idli and Vada, from Mumbai to Amsterdam through KLM Flight 878. This remarkable feat exemplifies the capabilities and dedication demonstrated by CSMIA. The seamless execution of this operation underscores the airport’s efficiency in handling delicate, perishable cargo hence strengthening its position in industry. The secure and effective transportation of perishable food items is critical and becomes a formidable challenge, particularly those requiring sub-zero temperatures. To address this challenge directly, specialized va-Q-tec containers were employed. These containers are engineered to uphold a specific temperature range consistently throughout the entire transportation process, without any deviations. These units provide required temperature control (2 to 8°C) ensuring uninterrupted cold chain throughout the supply chain. The consignment, consisting of 264 packages/3540 kilograms was equipped with coolants and was meticulously loaded into two pre-cooled refrigerated va-Q-tec containers. Upon reaching the Cargo Service Centre terminal, the consignment was promptly transferred to the pre-cooled va-Q-tec units, seamlessly processed, and handed over to the carrier within 3.30 hours. The entire cityside cold chain logistics support for this shipment was provided by BRRING 2.0 Perishable Distribution Solutions Private Limited. CSMIA anticipates that this novel venture into the transportation of frozen delicacies will emerge as a promising segment in the air cargo industry in the upcoming months. Furthermore, this venture has immense potential to rapidly extend the market access of local farmers and producers to distant markets. To facilitate highly temperature sensitive perishables, CSMIA has made substantial investments in state-of-the-art cold chain infrastructure. This ensures that frozen …

Boeing is accelerating its global efforts to scale-up sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), which serves as the aviation industry’s most significant lever in reducing emissions today and into the future. Focus areas include Boeing’s efforts to catalyze collaboration, research and policy development around SAF, which can reduce lifecycle CO2 up to 85%. “We’re deepening our collaborative work across the globe in pursuit of a world with more SAF,” said Chris Raymond, Boeing Chief Sustainability Officer. “SAF holds the greatest potential to reduce aviation’s emissions, and we are focused on continuing to innovate and collaborate to unlock the production of sustainable aviation fuel around the world.” The key challenges to greater use of SAF are the limited supply and high cost. Current use of SAF represents 0.1% of global jet fuel demand. In the lead up to COP28, Boeing worked together to: • Bring energy producers and aviation leaders in the UAE together to form a consortium called Air-CRAFT to accelerate the research, scaling and production of renewable and advanced aviation fuels in the country and beyond. • Launch an initiative with the United States to catalyze the development and use of SAF among Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member countries. • Announce a collaboration with Zero Petroleum for testing and analyzing the next generation of technologies to accelerate the supply of SAF. • Support discussions at ICAO’s Third Conference on Aviation Alternative Fuels, where governments from over 100 countries set a goal that aviation fuel in 2030 should be 5% less carbon intensive than conventional jet fuel. • Join the Corporate Coalition for Innovation & Technology toward Net Zero (CCITNZ), a cross-sector business alliance dedicated to helping countries meet decarbonization and climate …

Worldwide air cargo demand patterns have continued to broadly follow last year’s seasonal trend into the final full week of November including a significant dip in outbound tonnages from North America linked to last week’s Thanksgiving celebrations, according to the latest weekly figures from WorldACD Market Data. “Overall global tonnages have held up better than this time last year, and outbound yields from Asia Pacific have continued to rise, week on week (WoW), whereas they were flat or declining in the equivalent period in 2022.” Preliminary figures for week 47 (November 20-26) show a three percent decrease in tonnages and a two percent increase in global average rates compared with the previous week based on more than 400,000 weekly transactions covered by WorldACD’s data. Tonnages have followed a similar pattern as they did this time last year although the week-over-week decrease in week 47 last year was significantly stronger (down eight percent).

UPS and the Hong Kong Airport Authority have entered into an agreement that aims to improve UPS services and enhances the company’s operations in Asia with a new hub at the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) and near the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge. “The new hub will serve as UPS Hong Kong’s main facility for processing and sorting imports, exports and transshipments to and from Europe, the U.S., and other parts of Asia,” says a release from UPS. The hub is expected to be completed by 2028 and will be built on a land parcel of 20,000 square metre with direct access to aircraft, the release added. “The facility is being designed to handle close to one million tonne of annual capacity, giving UPS and its customers around the world better and more reliable connectivity to Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area, and the growing Asia Pacific consumer market,” the release added.

The Air Cargo Agents Association of India – an association of Cargo Agents and Freight Forwarders has been instrumental in conducting training and ensuring that the shipments tendered by the Members are safe and secure to be loaded on the aircraft and ensuring safety of the passengers. ACAAI is proud to be associated with DGM India and jointly the 100th DGR Refresher Training Course shall be conducted from Monday in Ahmedabad. With more pharmaceutical being shipped out of India it is imperative to have training imparted to the staff And comply with the regulation.

Atlas Air has taken delivery of the latest Boeing 777 freighter that it will operate on behalf of MSC Air Cargo. The new aircraft will be operated for MSC under a previously announced ACMI deal and is the third of a four-aircraft partnership. The aircraft will be used on existing routes but will also be used to add an additional service from Hong Kong to Dallas Fort Worth. Atlas said that the fourth aircraft is due to be delivered in December. Jannie Davel, senior vice president, Air Cargo, MSC, said: “This latest 777 freighter delivery accounts for a strategic addition to our MSC Air Cargo fleet, enabling us to address the market’s constantly changing demands and reinforcing our commitment to enhancing trade connections for our clients.” MSC has been busy expanding its air cargo network over recent months. In October the carrier added Milan Malpensa and Tokyo Narita to its service operating between Europe, Asia and North America. Then in November, the airline added a connection from Quito (UIO) to Liege twice per week, in addition to Zaragoza to Mexico City on a weekly basis, to its service covering Europe, Asia and Latin America. Meanwhile, Atlas has been continuing to expand its 777 freighter fleet this week, after it announced the order of two of the model from Boeing.

Shankar Iyer, Director South Asia, Sales & Handling, Lufthansa Cargo AG says, “The carrier is planning to expand fleet to 18 freighters during the winter flight schedule. It currently offers its customers 83 weekly connections with 16 Boeing 777 freighters to intercontinental destinations in this year’s winter flight schedule and markets the belly capacities of more than 6,000 flights operated by Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Discover Airlines and SunExpress. The fleet is expected to grow to 18 freighters during the winter flight schedule. Final decisions on further destinations will be confirmed to ensure we offer a network that best meets our operational requirements and customer demand. Since November, the fourth A321 freighter has been operating in Lufthansa Cargo’s network, making a significant contribution to the cargo carrier’s expansion plans. We are continually evaluating their performance to ensure it’s in line with our operational standards and market requirements. When it comes to network changes for our A321 Freighter, adapting is routine to continue to respond to market needs.

Kuehne+Nagel secured the available cargo space on the world’s first 100 percent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) powered transatlantic flight by Virgin Atlantic that successfully landed at New York after its departure from London Heathrow. “Kuehne+Nagel, a leader in sustainable logistics, actively engages in projects that encourage and promote the use of sustainable fuels within the logistics sector. As part of its efforts, Kuehne+Nagel secured the available cargo space on this SAF-powered flight and utilised the corresponding amount of SAF for the transported goods,” says an official release. Yngve Ruud, Member of the Management Board responsible for Air Logistics, Kuehne+Nagel says: “This is a historic moment in our collective journey towards sustainable aviation and we are very proud to represent the air cargo industry on the world’s first 100 percent SAF transatlantic flight by a commercial airline. It is an honour to support this Virgin Atlantic-led consortium, pushing the boundaries of decarbonisation in aviation.” The SAF used to power the two Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner is produced by hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) and synthetic aromatic kerosene (SAK) at an 88 percent SAF and 12 percent SAK blend ratio, the release added. The Virgin Atlantic led consortium, jointly funded by the U.K. Department for Transport, includes Rolls Royce, Boeing, University of Sheffield, Imperial College London and Rocky Mountain Institute.