Category Archives: Aviation

Air France KLM Martinair Cargo (AFKLMP) has added a new service level to sit between its express and general cargo options. The Franco-Dutch group’s new PLUS service will give customers priority when booking shipments and preferential treatment during loading and unloading. PLUS will bridge the gap between express, which is targetted at shipments requiring late delivery, early pick up or shorter connection times, and general cargo. “The PLUS service level perfectly completes our product portfolio, offering an intermediate option between our general cargo and express products. This extra option has long been on our customers’ wish list,” said Mathieu Fleisch, vice president products and verticals at AFKLMP. GertJan Roelands, senior vice president commercial, added: “The introduction of our new PLUS service level is a new step in our commercial transformation, which is intended to deliver a best-in-class customer experience. “Last month, we achieved a record 78% online bookings. This new service offers an extra alternative and enhances our online customer journey, making it even easier for customers to do business with us.”

FedEx Express is enhancing the online shipping experience for its customers with new automated e-commerce capability in FedEx Ship Manager™ (FSM) which supports small businesses and e-commerce merchants in India, helping them efficiently manage their shipments online. In addition to India, this service is available across 44 countries and territories in Middle East, Indian subcontinent and Africa This enhancement to FSM allows businesses to create shipments and paperwork from their online orders in a few simple steps, saving considerable time compared to manually entering information to create shipping labels. Customers will now be able to synchronise their Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, and PrestaShop store with FSM at fedex.com. More e-commerce platforms and marketplaces will be added over time.

Airfreight rates finally showed signs of improvement in September and the increase in rates have been recorded in the first week of October. The latest figures from the Baltic Exchange Airfreight Index (BAI) show that average rates – spot and contract – paid by forwarders from Hong Kong to Europe and North America increased last month for the second month in a row. From Hong Kong to North America rates in September increased to $4.90 per kg from $4.85 per kg a month earlier, with improvements picking up as the month progressed. From Hong Kong to Europe, prices improved to $3.72 per kg from $3.65 per kg in August. Rate increases at this time of year aren’t too much of a surprise as the industry enters the busier peak season. Perhaps more notably, the gap on last year’s performance continued to narrow last month. In August rates from Hong Kong to North America were down 41.8% year on year but this narrowed to 38.3% in September – the first time since March that the difference has been below 40%. To Europe, the difference narrowed to 38.9% in September from 42.4% in August, which is the first time since April the gap has been below 40%. In recent weeks, market reports have suggested a rise in demand and a tightening of capacity. E-commerce demand out of Hong Kong had been particularly strong, the reports said. Meanwhile, it appears rates are continuing to increase in October.

Modern Logistics has taken delivery of its first 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighter (BCF). The 737-800BCF, leased through Babcock & Brown Aircraft Management (BBAM), is the first of two freighters to be added to Modern Logistics’ fleet over the next few months. São Paulo-based Modern Logistics said the acquisition also marks the “first ever 737-800 within Brazil’s logistics industry”. The newly acquired freighter is currently undergoing certification by PCA Airworthiness in advance of final approval by ANAC, Brazil’s aviation regulator. Modern Logistics’ chief executive Cristiano Koga said: “I am very pleased with the collaboration and expertise of BBAM and PCA and anxiously look forward to the addition of the new aircraft. “The additional capacity and efficiency of the new aircraft will assure the future success of the company by better responding to the needs and requirements of our clients.” Modern Logistics said it currently has three classic 737s in its fleet – two 737-300Fs, and one 737-400F. The introduction of the new 737-800s is part of a fleet renewal plan to enhance operational efficiency.

Qatar Airways Cargo has re-launched its Mail productwhich offers a comprehensive suite of customisable services designed for both traditional and hybrid postal modes – Express Mail, Priority Mail, Standard Mail and Empty Mail Receptacles. The Mail product meets the stringent regulatory standards set by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Universal Postal Union (UPU). One of the enhancements for the product includes 100% EDI (electronic data interchange) that is rolled out at over 110 stations, with all stations equipped with handheld android scanners. Traditionally serving one customer per origin based on their unique post office identification (IMPC) code, the carrier’s Mail product can now cater to the requirements of targeted agents across the network. This allows Qatar Airways Cargo to accept mail shipments from multiple customers from the same origin, regardless of the IMPC code used. The award-winning cargo carrier also has specialised support teams in place with experience in mail allocations, pricing policies, sales and account management who ensure privacy, efficiency, safety, and security of all mail shipments. The carrier’s customers are also able to perform real-time tracking of their consignments right from the start until the end. Miguel Rodriguez Moreno, Head of Cargo Products at Qatar Airways said, “Our unwavering commitment to innovation and excellence in airfreight services is at the heart of this new Mail product. With our extensive global network spanning over 160 destinations including more than 70 freighter destinations, our aim is to provide a comprehensive solution. We are also fully prepared to facilitate paper-free initiatives for Postal Authorities when electronic CN/CP documents are available. Combined with hassle-free billing and reconciliation through IATA PASS and PARIS, as well as swift ramp transfers in …

According to WorldACD Market Data, September saw an increase in global air cargo tonnages and average rates, compared to August. Full-month tonnages rose t0 almost 3 per cent and there has been an increase of rates by around 5 per cent at the end of September, compared to the beginning of the month.  The report further stated, “The figures reflect a slight post-summer seasonal strengthening of the market, which appeared to have stabilised in recent months following a year and a half of persistent decline – or adjustment back towards pre-Covid patterns of supply and demand. Preliminary figures for September as a whole indicate that tonnages were down, year on year (YoY), by two percent, the smallest YoY monthly decline this year.”

Traffic figures for August released by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) showed decline in air cargo market demand for export orders. Demand in freight tonne kilometres (FTK), had a  1.8 per cent year-on-year fall in August as compared to the subdued volumes in August 2022. Subhas Menon, AAPA director general, said the airlines showed a “7.6 per cent decline in international air cargo demand, reflecting prevailing weakness in international trade flows. In addition, the normalisation of container shipping rates affected the demand for air shipments of non-time sensitive goods”. The international freight load factor recorded a 6.6 per cent point decline to average 58.8% for the month, and accounted for 9.2 per cent year-on-year expansion in offered freight capacity.

Air India has commissioned a mega warehouse facility at Delhi to facilitate storage of over 1,000,000 engineering spares that are integral to maintenance, checks and repairs of its aircraft and ground support equipment, says official reports. This will further enhance Air India’s fleet and operational efficiency and strengthen India’s expanding aviation ecosystem. The first-of-its-kind facility for any airline in India, the integrated warehouse will serve as the cornerstone of Air India’s engineering function, offering a one-stop solution for storing aircraft spares, tools and ground support equipment ranging from hardware to sophisticated and complex avionics, hydraulics, structural, pneumatic, and mechanical components. Located in proximity of Terminal 3, at the Cargo complex of Delhi Airport’s Air Cargo Logistics division, the centralized warehouse sprawling 54,000 sq. ft. (approx.), will significantly improve quick turnaround of the airline’s flights operating out of Delhi, adds reports.

Qatar Airways Cargo commenced freighter operations to Warsaw, Poland, w.e.f October 1, 2023. Operating once a week to the capital of Poland, Qatar Airways Cargo offers 100 tonnes of weekly cargo capacity on its dedicated freighter, each way, says an official release. “Warsaw is currently the only station served by the airline in Poland with ten weekly passenger services. The addition of a dedicated freighter service from Warsaw will increase the total weekly cargo capacity to more than 200 tonnes. With the launch of freighters, businesses in Poland benefit from direct main deck freighter capacity for their imports and exports. The majority of the imports and exports consist of general cargo and perishables.” Elisabeth Oudkerk, SVP, Cargo Sales and Network Planning, Qatar Airways Cargo says, “Qatar Airways Cargo has been serving Eastern Europe for many years, and is very pleased to announce freighters to Warsaw which will complement the passenger flights to this important city. The launch of this service will provide consistent and reliable freighter operations between Poland and Qatar.” In addition to Warsaw, Qatar Airways Cargo provides structural cargo capacity to and from Budapest, Prague, Bucharest, Zagreb, Belgrade and Sofia, the release added.

Wiremind is developing product enhancements that will bring artificial intelligence (AI) to cargo products along with direct contact with the user. Two use cases have been under scrutiny since this summer with a view to incorporate the capabilities of large language models into CARGOSTACK in 2024, says an official release. “The first use case will streamline the quotation management process for airline sales teams by directly populating key criteria from a forwarder’s written quotation request into CARGOSTACK’s quotation module. “The second use case will enhance CARGOSTACK’s recently released rules engine, which enables cargo teams to define custom rules for managing flights at scale across a range of parameters and conditions. While this currently requires users to write a short script within the application to define their custom rule, Wiremind is exploring the use of AI to assist users further by allowing them to describe their desired rule in written text, which AI will translate into the relevant script, for the user to subsequently validate, test and activate.”