Category Archives: Aviation

The latest figures from IATA show that in June air cargo demand decreased by 3.4% year on year, while capacity was up 9.7% and the average load factor was down 5.8 percentage points at 43.2%. The percentage fall in volumes was the lowest level since February 2022 and compares with a fall of 8.1% over the first six months of the year. The capacity increase for the month was also lower than the double-digit percentage increases recorded between March and May, reflecting strategic capacity adjustments airlines are making amid a weakened demand environment, IATA said. IATA director general Willie Walsh said: “We remain hopeful that the difficult trading conditions for air cargo will moderate as inflation eases in major economies. This, in turn, could encourage the central banks to loosen the money supply, which could stimulate greater economic activity.” Looking at performance indicators, IATA said that global cross-border trade decreased by 2.4% year on year in May, reflecting the “cooling demand environment and challenging macroeconomic conditions”. And June saw both the manufacturing output Purchasing Managers Index or PMI (49.2) and new export orders PMI (47.1) below the 50 mark, indicating a decline in global manufacturing production and exports. Looking at regional performance, Asia Pacific airlines’ cargo volumes decreased by 3.6% in June “mainly owing to weak demand on within-Asia markets”. IATA added that the Asia-North America trade lane saw improved performance.

MASKargo has begun tracking dollies as part of its efforts to improve operational efficiency and global customers. The carrier had fitted a digital tracking system on its 20ft dollies at the airport that has a geofencing alarm with 1.5 km coverage. The system increases dolly utilisation by automatically allocating dollies within the airport to prepare for peak hours. Abu Bakar Kassim, MASkargo’s ramp handling manager, said: “There are only 16 units of the 20ft dollies in our fleet and these are constantly in great demand due to their ability to take on more weight per trip. With a tracker on each dolly, we now have complete visibility of the dollies across the airport grounds.” He added that the trackers allowed the ground handling division to eliminate manual searches by monitoring in real-time for quick retrieval. The airline has been investing in its digital capabilities over the last few years, joining the online booking platforms, CargoAi, cargo.one.

National Airlines, a division of National Air Cargo Group, has entered an interline agreement with Middle East’s Etihad Cargo to successfully roll out the ICAIR23 programme for the United States Postal Service (USPS). This agreement initiates a unique partnership, as it combines National’s extensive experience in providing international freight transportation services with Etihad Cargo’s global commercial network. Under phase 1 of the ICAIR23 programme, National Airlines with P1 preferences will dispatch USPS civilian, military, and diplomatic mail using the scheduled services of Etihad Cargo across several awarded lanes for the period 2023 -2027. “We are looking forward to this association and hope to provide best-in-class mail delivery experiences to customers around the world through this programme”, commented Christopher Alf, Chairman, National Air Cargo Group in a release. Tim Isik, Vice President, Commercial at Etihad Cargo, said, “Etihad Cargo is committed to making the transportation of mail across the carrier’s network as seamless and efficient as possible. Etihad Cargo’s partnership with National Air Cargo Group will enable the two airlines to join forces to enhance international USPS mail deliveries, providing greater connectivity to destinations across Etihad Cargo’s global network, and provide customers with an efficient service.”

Asia Shipping International Transport Pvt Ltd wins Best Air Freight Forwarding Company award at the recently concluded India Cargo Awards in New Delhi. Piyush Srivastava, IES, Senior Economic Advisor graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. Known as the “Oscars of the Cargo Industry,” the India Cargo Awards 2023 hosted by Cargo Talk (DDP Group Publication) serves as an all-India platform created with a vision to recognise excellence in the Cargo-Freight-Logistics Industry across various domains, including Rail, Road, Air, Sea, Allied Services, Warehousing, Technology, 3rd Party Logistics, and more. Our world-class awards ceremonies are known for their formal Black-Tie affair, filled with glitz and glamour, attended by the most influential personalities in the Cargo Industry.

Japanese carrier ANA Cargo (the freight arm of All Nippon Airways) has begun offering its new PRIO FRESH service for international perishable airfreight transport on flights from Haneda, Narita, Kansai, Fukuoka, Nagoya and Chitose airports. PRIO FRESH is part of the airline’s PRIO portfolio of value-added services for international cargo. Customers could already opt for thermal blankets to protect cargo (excluding shipments travelling on Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 flights) from high ambient temperatures such as those that occur on a sunny ramp. Now, ANA customers can also book temperature-controlled trucks on domestic road feeder services. In addition, the option of traceability during transit on some routes (Haneda–Hong Kong and Singapore) is now available under the new PRIO FRESH banner, through the provision of timestamp information for each handover point on the route. In July this year, ANA became the first Japanese airline to receive IATA CEIV Fresh certification. The airline was awarded CEIV Pharma certification in 2017.

Continental Carriers Pvt Ltd (CCPL) observed the Aviation Security Culture week (31st July to 5th August 2023), in compliance with the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) guidelines. The event was organized at Continental Air Freight Station, newly established at Kapashera, Delhi, near IGI Airport, on 3rd August 2023. CCPL organized various activities to raise awareness among its officials about the security procedures concerning cargo and personnel movement, as well as the access control process. During the event, the CCPL staff had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the security equipment used at the Continental Air Freight Station. This awareness program aimed to enhance the employees’ understanding of the critical role security plays in the aviation and logistics industry. The event commenced with an inauguration by Shri Vaibhav Vohra, Managing Director – Continental Carriers Pvt Ltd. A solemn pledge-taking ceremony followed, affirming the commitment of all participants to prioritize and uphold aviation security. In his address, Shri Vaibhav Vohra emphasized the paramount importance of security in the current scenario, emphasizing its significance for both the Civil Aviation and Logistics sectors. By celebrating the Aviation Security Culture week, Continental Carriers Pvt Ltd demonstrated its unwavering dedication in maintaining the highest standards of security and safety in its operations, ensuring a trustworthy and reliable service for its clientele, thereby reinforcing its position as a responsible and reliable logistics company.

NICDC Logistics Data Services (NLDS) was honored with ‘Best Digital Initiative Logistics – ULIP’ award at the recently held India Cargo Awards in New Delhi. Piyush Srivastava, IES, Senior Economic Advisor, MOCA presented the award. Known as the “Oscars of the Cargo Industry,” the India Cargo Awards 2023 hosted by Cargo Talk (DDP Group Publication) serves as an all-India platform created with a vision to recognise excellence in the Cargo-Freight-Logistics Industry across various domains, including Rail, Road, Air, Sea, Allied Services, Warehousing, Technology, 3rd Party Logistics, and more. Our world-class awards ceremonies are known for their formal Black-Tie affair, filled with glitz and glamour, attended by the most influential personalities in the Cargo Industry.

MSC has acquired a majority stake in Milan-based airfreight carrier AlisCargo Airlines. The acquisition follows MSC’s confirmation last month that it was in talks with the cargo airline, as it continues to develop its air cargo operations. This deal initiates a 100% takeover set to take place at the beginning of 2024, when AlisCargo will restart operations with the delivery of a Boeing 777 freighter, says release. The carrier is the only Italian airline dedicated entirely to the intercontinental transport of goods; it received its AOC in July 2021 and its first commercial flight took place between Milan Malpensa and Jinan on August 18, utilising a B777-200 in a preighter configuration. Aliscargo took delivery of three further B777-200 preighter aircraft with the aim of expanding its operations – but preighter operations became less and less viable after the pandemic, and the airline’s operating licence was suspended earlier this year.

Vietnam Logistics Business Association delegation, currently on a four-day visit to India, has expressed interest in investing in the Multimodal Logistics Hub (MMLH) and Multimodal Transport Hub (MMTH) at IITGNL at Greater Noida in western Uttar Pradesh, said reports. The Integrated Industrial Township Project has a development area of 747.5 acres that has been envisaged to be sustainable, smart and safe. Encompassing a flagship project of Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC), the township has been designed with world-class standards and envisioned as a sustainable and smart community. The Integrated Industrial Township Project Greater Noida Limited (IITGNL) is the special purpose vehicle (SPV) for the project, reports further added.

Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru (also known as KIAB/BLR Airport), has witnessed growth in the export of perishable cargo, handling a record tonnage of 53,751 metric tonnes (MT) in financial year 2022-2023 (FY23). This represents a 3% increase compared to the previous year (FY22) when the Airport handled 52,366MT of perishable cargo. BLR Airport has maintained its dominant position in the export of perishable goods, with 27% share in total cargo volumes across the Indian air cargo market and 41% share within airports in southern India. Among perishable goods, BLR Airport led in the export of poultry and floriculture/flowers in India with a 9% increase compared to the previous year and a notable export of 39,865MT and 1,877MT respectively. Additionally, fresh vegetables and fresh fruits were among the top commodities exported by BLR Cargo. Fresh mangoes, during the same period, witnessed a 10% surge in export volume. Oman, Qatar, Singapore, Maldives, UAE, Kuwait, and the UK emerged as the top destinations for international exports, in FY23. The volume of perishable goods transported to Maldives and Kuwait rebounded to pre-COVID levels in FY23 and experienced a 50% growth compared to the previous year. The export of perishable goods to the United States has also tripled compared to FY22. Last year, the perishable cargo from BLR Airport was connected to more than 60 international destinations. Currently, BLR Cargo operates to 25 international destinations and 75 destinations in India, with a total of 13 cargo freighters. Satyaki Raghunath, Chief Strategy and Development Officer at Bangalore International Airport Ltd said, “BLR Airport has played a pivotal role as one of India’s leading air cargo EXIM contributors, through its exceptional volume shares across both Indian and …