Category Archives: International

Proffering twice-a-week service, China-based cargo airline SF Airlines has added second cargo service to India as it commenced services on the Shenzhen-Delhi route on October 17, 2019. The service is operated with the carrier’s B747-400 aircraft, that offers a maximum payload of 110 tonnes. Cargoes exported are mainly consumer electronics and industrial equipment, and cargoes imported are mainly e-commerce parcels and general cargoes. Reports suggest that the Indian e-commerce market has taken a leap forward since the development in 2005. By 2018, the transactions have amounted to over USD19.5 billion, with mobile phone products as one of the main drivers, said the airline through a statement. As the e-commerce industry booms and the trade flows are on the rise, the demands for cross-border aviation logistics between the two places are emerging.

Due to the trade diversion effects of Washington’s tariff war with China, India gained about $755 million in additional exports, mainly of chemicals, metals and ore, to the US, in the first half of 2019 , says a study called ‘Trade and trade diversion effects of United States tariffs on China’ by UNCTAD, the UN trade and investment body. It shows that the ongoing US-China trade war has resulted in a sharp decline in bilateral trade, higher prices for consumers and trade diversion effects and increased imports from countries not directly involved in the trade war. The US tariffs on China resulted in India gaining $ 755 million in additional exports to the US by selling more chemicals (US$ 243 million), metals and ore (US$181 million), electrical machinery (US$ 83 million) and various machinery (US$ 68 million), as well as increased exports in areas such as agri-food, furniture, office machinery, precision instruments, textiles and apparel, and transport equipment, UNCTAD said.

DP World announced the two new weekly services that have been introduced at its terminals to connect with African and European market. The new services are jointly operated by global shipping line – Hapag Llyod, Ocean Network Express (ONE), Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL), YANG MING Line (YML) and COSCO, it said. DP World welcomes two new services at its terminals in Nhava Sheva, Chennai and cochin. The new weekly services, Middle East-India-Africa Express (MIAX), will connect DP World operated Nhava Sheva International Container Terminal (NSICT) with West and South Africa while the South India Europe Express (IEX) will connect Chennai Container Terminal (CCT) and India Gateway Terminal (IGT) with European markets. Rizwan Soomar, CEO & MD, DP World Subcontinent, said, ” We are delighted to welcome two new services at three of our terminals in India. The launch of IEX and MIAX- will create stronger opportunities for EXIM cargo and for Indian manufacturers to cater to the global market.

UPS has announced the routing of its latest freighter aircrafts to India, from its fleet of Boeing 747-400/-8 and Boeing 767 at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), Delhi. Businesses in North India will gain faster access to markets in the West, with extended pick up time, later commercial clearance and shorter time in transit to capitalise on growth opportunities in Europe and United States. This plane is part of UPS’s investment of adding 10 million pounds of new lift capacity globally – the largest current expansion by any carrier. UPS has already taken delivery of 18 of 49 new aircraft previously announced and will receive the remainder by 2022.

Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) set sail the first container cargo from Haldia Dock Complex to Pandu in Guwahati via India Bangladesh Protocol (IBP) route, in line with the Centre’s focus on improving connectivity to Northeast. Gopal Krishna, Shipping Secretary, Government of India flagged off the vessel, MV Maheshwari, carrying 53 containers of petrochemicals, edible oil and beverage. The 12-15 days voyage will be an integrated IWT movement via National Waterway-1 (river Ganga), NW-97 (Sunderbans), Indo-Bangladesh Protocol (IBP) route and NW-2 (river Brahmaputra). This is the first ever containerised cargo movement on this Inland Water Transport (IWT) route. The 1425 km long movement is expected to establish the technical and commercial viability of IWT mode using these multiple waterways even as a series of pilot movements are planned on the stretch. The latest IWT movement is aimed at providing a fillip to North East Region’s industrial development by opening up an alternate route for transportation of raw material and finished goods.

China Airlines Cargo is set to launch a freighter service from Mumbai. Group Concorde, which has been the airline’s general cargo sales agent in India, will look after the sales in Mumbai. The airline will operate four flights a week, two per week coming from Taipei to Mumbai and going forward to Amsterdam, and two per week coming from Amsterdam and going to Taipei. The operations will focus on active and passive pharma. For pharmaceuticals, the airline offers services for products requiring the strictest temperature control, products that need to be kept in a certain range of temperature, and products that need to be stored in temperature-controlled facilities or room temperature. The first flight is scheduled to operate on November 16 (subject to all government approvals) westbound, and November 17 eastbound. Pukhraj Singh Chug, Chairman, Group Concorde, said, “China Airlines Cargo is a premium carrier and well-known brand in Delhi. It’s time we showcase its strength to customers in Mumbai. It is a service-oriented carrier and have always satisfied its customers. We are positive that the Mumbai market will be elated to have the services of CI to enhance the customer experience.”

GreyOrange has announced the deployment of its 12,000 picks per hour Sorter. The new sorter is a first-of-its kind automated solution by GreyOrange for QuadX, Philippines. The GreyOrange Flexible Automation system has been deployed to provide an enhanced and seamless shopping experience for customers, along with the ease of payment and delivery. The 12,000 per hour Sorter, is a combination of two 6,000 per hour sorters, each having 11 arms and capable of sorting up to 480 and 240 unique destinations with and without pre-sorting respectively. It can sort up to 150,000 packages within 12 hours of operation. Speaking about the partnership, Vivekanand, Country Manager, India & APAC, Grey Orange said, “GreyOrange technology will help QuadX realize their vision of re-inventing the shopping experience for customers by optimizing operations and throughput. By effectively sorting packages for the company’s hubs across Manila and Philippines, this solution will help QuadX meet customers’ order delivery timelines more efficiently and complete orders with less manpower than before.”

CEVA Logistics has announced the launch of a specialist installation service for large-scale medical equipment using its own dedicated team of engineers and technicians in India. In a further expansion of its global healthcare capabilities, CEVA’s expert team will be responsible for unpacking, installing and setting up equipment such as MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) Scanners, Cath Labs, Digital Radiography machines and CT (Computerised Tomography) Scanners on behalf of several global manufacturers. Akash Agarwal, Director Business Development India and Head of Freight Management Sales, India, Middle East, Africa & Turkey, CEVA Logistics, says, “Cutting-edge medical machinery requires specialist handling and installation, a complex and technical process. As our clients are increasingly relying on our know-how in this regard, CEVA Logistics decided to bring its healthcare logistics expertise to the next level by setting up a dedicated team of medical equipment installation specialists.” Initially based in Mumbai, India, the team will work on installations there as well as in Pune, Nagpur, Ahmedabad and Belgaum, before being gradually expanded across CEVA Logistics’ network.

Chinese cargo carrier, SF Airlines, started its first cargo service to Delhi from Shenzhen, China (SZX-DEL). Earlier in September 2019, the cargo carrier completed its first intercontinental flight from Wuxi to Frankfurt-Hahn Airport, via Chongqing. SF Airlines started its India service in August 2018. Since then the airline has four flight routes to Chennai as Shenzhen-Chennai, Shanghai-Shenzhen-Chennai, Chongqing-Shenzhen-Chennai and HongKong-Shenzhen-Chennai.

FreightBro became the first Indian startup to join the Digital Hub Logistics Hamburg in an exclusive event titled ‘Digital Hub Logistics Hamburg Roadshow – An Indo-German Logistics Startups Connect.’ Johannes Berg, Managing Director, Digital Hub Logistics Hamburg, believed, “There is immense potential for partnership and expansion opportunities for Indian startups in Germany. We have collaborated with an Indian startup for the first time and introduced FreightBro to one of our hub partners, DAKOSY who are keen on working on Indo-German synergies. We eagerly look forward to further connect Indian startups to hub partners in Germany and connect German startups with the Indian market. We are grateful to FreightBro for organizing a unique event for us in India and enable us to connect with startups which has been immensely satisfying.” Mohammed Zakkiria A, Co-Founder, FreightBro, said, “Joining hands with Digital Hub is a strategically sound decision for us and is the perfect platform for us to connect with the right partners in Germany and plan future expansion in the European market.”