Category Archives: Aviation

Preparing for a progressive transformation near Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru (BLR Airport), Bengaluru Airport City Limited (BACL) unveils investment plans for a two million square feet Business Park and 775 keys Hotel. In a positive stride towards sustainability and technological innovation, the biophilic-inspired Business Park by BACL promises smart workspaces within a vibrant public realm. Seamlessly blending work and play, the development aims to cater to the diverse needs of businesses and employees, offering a dynamic environment for growth and collaboration. The project’s most exceptional and breathtaking attribute lies in the Urban Forest, a lush oasis in the centre of the development. This green space will serve as a focal point, seamlessly blending indoor and outdoor spaces throughout the area. The upcoming Metro station in Airport City will provide seamless connectivity to the Business Park from the northern side, ensuring convenient accessibility. Rao Munukutla, CEO of BACL – a wholly owned subsidiary of Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), spoke about the investment in the development of the business park. “This investment by BACL will propel our vision of transforming the Airport City into a bustling hub for businesses, knowledge-intensive zones, R&D centres and Global Capability Centres. With world-class infrastructure and a focus on sustainability, our goal is to create a thriving environment that nurtures growth, brings in job opportunities and makes a positive socio-economic impact on the region.” The transformative journey continues with the expansion of the hospitality and entertainment offerings within the Airport City – the Business Park will be accompanied by a Combo Hotel and a Concert Arena. Combo Hotel The Combo Hotel is poised to become one of the largest hospitality establishments in India. Comprising a total …

Nikhil Agarwal, President, CJ Darcl Logistics highlights, “Fluctuations in global trade policy is a challenge for global supply chains. The implementation of trade barriers, such as tariffs and quotas, disrupts the flow of goods, leading to delays, increased costs, and uncertainty in sourcing essential materials. Businesses must navigate this dynamic landscape by employing responses, such as diversifying supplier base or reshoring production, to mitigate these disruptions. India’s integration with export control exemplifies the complex interplay between national policies and the global trade environment. We, at CJ Darcl, believe that these policy changes can exert a broader influence on market dynamics, impacting factors such as industry competitiveness, consumer behavior, and the configuration of global value chains. To successfully navigate this evolving environment, businesses require a commitment to continuous monitoring of policy developments, proactive adaptation of strategies, driving resilience in the face of change.”

Vipin Vohra, Chairman, Continental Carriers shares, “One of the foremost challenges is infrastructure inadequacy, including outdated facilities and limited capacity at airports and terminals, leading to congestion and delays. This directly affects our ability to efficiently handle and transport goods. Despite the advancement of customs processing into fully online systems, the persistence of physical scrutiny of documents remains a notable bottleneck. The reliance on manual verification prolongs the clearance timeline, increases the risk of errors, and adds unnecessary costs for both businesses and customers. Furthermore, the lack of standardization and digitalization in processes across the industry creates inefficiencies and hampers interoperability among different stakeholders. This results in manual errors, communication gaps, and difficulties in tracking shipments, leading to customer dissatisfaction and operational challenges. Lastly, talent shortage and skill gaps in the workforce present ongoing challenges in maintaining high-quality service standards and innovation in our operations. Addressing these pain points requires collaborative efforts from industry stakeholders, and regulatory authorities to invest in infrastructure upgrades, streamline regulatory processes, and invest in talent development initiatives to drive growth and competitiveness in the Indian air cargo and logistics industry. Only through such concerted efforts can we unlock the full potential of the Indian air cargo and logistics industry, driving growth and competitiveness in the global market.”

Chaitaly Mehta, Director, EKF Global Logistics says, “There are many significant challenges faced by the Indian air cargo industry such as inadequate airport infrastructure and facilities, labour management, cargo capacity issues, compliances and regulatory requirements and their complexities, growing competition from other modes of transportation. This apart, Electronic Data Exchange (EDI) and Indian Customs EDI Gateway issues with frequent breakdowns, space issues, majorly fluctuating freight rates for air shipments, decreased margins and increasing competition for every industry stakeholder, geopolitical issues, route planning problems, which continue to affect the air cargo industry.”

Sanjay Gupta, CEO AISATS says, “To enable efficient cargo handling, storage and processing, crucial pain points such as limited transparency and lack of infrastructure need to be addressed. The AISATS Multi-Modal Cargo Hub (MMCH) and the AISATS BLR Logistics Park have been designed to address the pain points such as and The Integrated Cargo Terminal (ICT) at the MMCH will provide comprehensive cargo handling services under one roof and serve as a single point of contact for our customers while the MMCH’s Integrated Warehousing & Logistics Zone (IWLZ) will offer improved logistics and warehousing efficiencies through access to consolidation centers, a bonded warehouse, a dedicated trucking zone, light manufacturing and assembly facilities. With direct connectivity between the ICT and IWLZ, we can serve our clients with faster response times, greater operational efficiencies, lower transportation costs and reduced administrative overheads. The AISATS BLR Logistics Park will cater to the diverse needs required at Kempegowda International Airport and help the EXIM community, freight forwarders, supply chain companies etc. transport cargo from key catchment regions to domestic and international markets. Our MMCH and Logistics Park aim to make air cargo handling more transparent through enhanced visibility of cargo movements while offering greater cargo handling speed and flexibility to our customers through our state-of-the-art infrastructure.”

“We see that there is a greater demand for perishables from southern Indian points to Europe and North America. However, capacity for the mentioned points are constrained,” says Chaminda Perera, Head of Cargo, SriLankan Cargo “The carrier operates daily to India, with over 50 weekly flights. We serve nine points including main destinations such as Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai covering both the North and South regions. We contribute to the Indian air freight market by carrying pharma, courier and general cargo out of India and e-commerce freight into India for the northern and central Indian markets whilst uplifting perishable produce out of the southern region. We have been a strong connector of Indian and Japanese markets supporting both directions,” he adds.

Multinational retail company, Lulu Group International is planning to open a logistics and food processing centre in Amritsar, Punjab. “Our group is intending to have a logistics and food processing centre in Amritsar for the storage, processing, grading and packing of various local agriculture and other produce,” said Salim M A, director of Lulu Group, in a press release. “Amritsar is known for its vibrant business environment and especially for its thriving small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The city will now be a part of our sourcing of local products which will greatly help SMEs, local farmers, agricultural cooperatives and farmers producer organisations,” he added. Lulu Group officials will be soon visiting Amritsar to discuss with SMEs and other suppliers to finalise this collaboration at the earliest, the release added. In India, Lulu has its logistics and procurement centres in different states from where it annually exports Rs 10,000 crores worth of more than 45,000 megatonne of agriculture and other products for its 270 retail stores spread across the Middle East, Far East and Africa.

From 2025, Virgin Atlantic Cargo will have 42.1M kg of space available on routes to and from India increasing capacity by +336.4% vs 2019. The addition of the recently launched Bengaluru flights will boost 2025 space available by +38.7% compared to 2023 capacity, with 20 tonnes available on each flight. This presents new opportunities for companies looking to export and import goods such as fresh produce, pharmaceuticals, and textiles between prime markets in the UK, the US, and India.

To promote Nashik’s agricultural business, air cargo services have commenced from Ojhar Airport, says reports. The inaugural shipment, comprised 100 kg of roses bound for Delhi. “The initiation of air cargo operations fulfills a longstanding request from Nashik’s populace, especially those involved in industrial and agricultural endeavors. Local businesses are anticipated to reap substantial advantages from this development, as it offers a dependable and streamlined method for transporting goods,” reports add. According to reports, IndiGo Airlines is spearheading the initiative, operating around six flights to various destinations including Delhi, Indore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Nagpur, and Goa. In addition to these passenger flights, special cargo flights are regularly departing from Ojhar Airport.

The Andhra Pradesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry Federation (AP Chambers) has announced plans to set up international air cargo and cold storage facilities, following the announcement of Air India of launching a direct flight between Vijayawada and Mumbai, says reports. AP Chambers president Potluri Bhaskara Rao said in reports that the AP Chambers has been relentlessly giving suggestions to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the Vijayawada airport authorities for the development of the airport and for the improvement in flight connectivity between Vijayawada and other major destinations.