Category Archives: International

Shannon Group has plans to upgrade its cargo facilities at Shannon Airport in Ireland. It’s development, currently awaiting planning permission, is a “2,705 sq m distribution facility”. This facility will be located on a three-acre development site and will incorporate an additional 335 sq m of office accommodation. This facility will provide direct landside/airside access, said a Shannon Group spokesperson. “The upgrade of our cargo facilities is part of our overall plans to enhance the facilities Shannon has to offer to cargo operators using the airport,” added the spokesperson. The distribution facility forms part of Shannon Group’s development strategy, which has seen the Group invest over €150m in property since 2014. Over €5.3m in airfield rehabilitation works were recently completed at Shannon Airport. The rehabilitation works involved three separate areas of the airfield: the resurfacing of the executive jet and light aircraft park; the extension of a section the apron (which facilitates aircraft for the loading and unloading of cargo, passengers and for refuelling), and the resurfacing of the long-term aircraft parking area.

GMR Hyderabad Air Cargo (GHAC) is stepping up its investments to cater to higher cargo volumes by launching a dedicated International Courier Terminal (ICT) for handling express cargo this year. A ‘Cool Container Yard’, set to be South Asia’s largest on-airport base for temperature-controlled air cargo containers to facilitate transport of high-value life-saving medications globally, is also scheduled for opening. These two are part of a terminal expansion programme of scaling up the infrastructure, technology, and service offerings with additions to capacity across both domestic and international cargo terminals to meet the expected demand in the future. The entire export processing zone was recently converted into a temperature-controlled area, becoming the only cargo terminal in the country with such an offering. All these developments are likely to make GHAC the largest air cargo hub for south and central India. “Our cargo terminal has registered a positive growth momentum in a difficult year. With the expected return to normalcy in international air connectivity during 2022, we are very bullish about the future prospects. We will be making major investments into expansion and upgrade of our cargo terminal facilities,” said CEO-GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd. (GHIAL), Pradeep Panicker.

ECS Group’s U.S. subsidiary, Miami-based Globe Air Cargo is now responsible for all cargo sales and administrative services connected to Azul’s entire U.S. business and will assist Azul with flight operations. Azul operates an A330 passenger and passenger-to-freighter fleet out of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and Orlando International Airport (MCO), to Viracopos-Campina International Airport (VCP), Brazil, nine times a week, and is licenced to carry all commodity types. In addition to steering and growing Azul’s cargo business out of its online gateways, the GSSA has clear plans to also develop the airline’s business from offline U.S. destinations with dedicated Azul sales representatives. “We are thrilled to represent Azul which is a fast growing and very dynamic Brazilian carrier with a lot of ambition. We have established a dedicated team here at Globe Air Cargo, to support and develop Azul Cargo’s U.S business to Brazil and look forward to creating synergies with our ECS Group colleagues representing Azul in Argentina and Europe,” Danny OLYNICK, Regional VP North America for Globe Air Cargo, comments. “We aim to maximise Azul’s revenues and support it in accessing new destinations across the United States, both online and offline. What is particularly attractive about Azul, is its focus on e-commerce cargo deliveries all the way through to the last mile across Brazil: a fascinating expanded network challenge that we are more than happy to participate in.”

Sea freight rates have increased up to 800% in some routes — a 100% increase than in October last year (700%) — due to reduced available capacity on shipping lines and container shortage, based on recent feedback received by the Malaysian National Shippers’ Council (MNSC). MNSC chairman Datuk Dr Andy Seo said as an open trading nation like Malaysia, over 90% of the international trade volume is being carried through international sea transportation. He stressed that the skyrocketing sea freight rates coupled with the increasing commodity prices and labour shortages in both the manufacturing and logistics services sectors as a result of the pandemic has caused prices of imported business inputs and export costs to soar. “Shippers face difficult decisions daily on whether to ship and incur high export costs or not to ship and lose their export markets. Major shippers in Malaysia are now exporting on ‘Free on Board’ basis as they are no longer able to cover the high freight costs and now must rely on the freight services determined by the overseas buyer.” said Seo.

John Menzies has approved a takeover proposal from Agility subsidiary National Aviation Services (NAS) Holding following its rejection of earlier offers. The board of Menzies has received a further revised “final” proposal from Agility subsidiary NAS regarding a possible all cash offer for Menzies of 608 pence per share. The deal has been valued at around £550m. This follows earlier approaches from NAS to the board regarding possible all cash offers for Menzies at 460 pence, 510 pence and 605 pence per Menzies share. Menzies ssid, “The Board has considered the Final Proposal and indicated to NAS that it would be willing unanimously to recommend an offer at the financial terms of the Final Proposal to Menzies shareholders subject to the satisfactory resolution of all the other terms of the offer, including the approach to the customary regulatory approvals required to complete any transaction.” The board of Menzies is now in talks with NAS regarding the terms and will be providing NAS with access to management and due diligence information.

Qatar Airways Cargo approves Envirotainer’s the Releye® RAP container. Able to accommodate 5 pallets, the Releye® RAP is the largest and most technically advanced product in Envirotainer’s new generation container series. Its unique features are now available to Qatar Airways Cargo customers wherever and whenever required, complementing the airline’s existing range of pharmaceutical transport solutions. Qatar Airways Cargo has offered its customers Envirotainer’s RAP and RKN active pharma containers since 2014, and was an early adopter of the first Releye® RLP, launched last summer. Envirotainer’s Releye® series is based on five pillars: Control, Monitoring, Autonomy, Value, and Sustainability. Similar to the smaller 3-pallet Releye® RLP, the Releye® RAP’s unique air flow technology controls and maintains maximum temperature stability in the cargo bay. Monitoring is carried out by the Envirotainer Control Tower – a unique, dedicated service team that monitors each Releye® shipment 24/7 and is immediately on hand in the case of any deviation. Extended battery life ensures greater container autonomy, whilst value is generated by the optimum use of cargo space within the container. The Releye® RAP has the largest internal volume on the market. Added to this, its low weight and efficient performance result in both, the best value operating costs, as well as the lowest CO2 footprint in the air cargo industry: up to 90% reduction in CO2 emissions can be achieved. Fredrik Linnér, Chief Business Development Officer at Envirotainer said, “Qatar Airways Cargo and Envirotainer share a strong focus on innovation, supreme quality, and sustainability. The Envirotainer Releye® RAP is part of the Releye® series, and the RAP solution for the future. It not only allows Qatar Airways Cargo to offer its customers the newest, fully …

Pacific International Lines (PIL) will impose a fine of US$30,000 per container for any misdeclaration of the cargo weight, a charge that is already effective from 15 February. Misdeclaration includes but is not limited to incorrect/partial declaration, late declaration, alteration, or omission of such declaration, according to the company’s notice. “A charge of US$30,000 per container globally will be imposed as part of PIL’s tariff upon the shipper and/or consignee making any misdeclaration of the cargo weight which in effect exceeds the maximum payload of the container used for the carriage,” said the Singapore-headquartered carrier in a statement. In addition to this charge, amongst others, the shipper and consignee will be held liable and responsible for all corrective measures, claims, fines, liabilities, losses, delays, damages or expenses arising in consequence of such misdeclaration, according to the notice. Failure to properly declare cargo weight constitutes a breach of contract which violates the applicable law, endangers lives and adversely affects the operations of the entire supply chain, according to PIL, which said, “we focus on making continual improvements to our safety practices to protect our crew, ships and cargo.”

SEKO Logistics has streamlined international cross-border e-commerce for more than 10m parcels worldwide each month. The supply chain specialist, which in January launched e-commerce business unit Seko ECommerce, is using Descartes’ solutions for air cargo and e-commerce security filings, speeding the customs clearance processing time. David Emerson, global VP, e-commerce solutions at SEKO Logistics, said: “Cross-border e-commerce is growing significantly and more customers are looking to us to simplify the complexity of filing security and customs entries as goods travel by air between countries. “Descartes’ high-level filing automation enabled SEKO to further manage the extraordinary volumes we’re shipping. As SEKO expands internationally and regulations change, such as Brexit, Descartes has the solutions we need to grow.” Descartes provides connectivity and air messaging services to customs authorities around the world, helping shippers and freight forwarders to comply with security and customs requirements by filing air waybill information electronically for shipment clearance.

APM Terminals Pipavav is delighted to cater to the largest container vessel ever to arrive at the port. MV Express Athens from Hapag Lloyd is deployed in the TP1 INDAMEX service that caters to the USEC trade. EXPRESS ATHENS has a length overall (LOA) 349 m, beam 49 m, gross tonnage of 113973 and deadweight of 122959 was built in 2011 and can carry appx 10114 TEU. The vessel came from Charleston terminal [US] and will go to the Port Muhammad Bin Qasim [Pakistan]. By handling such large ship at our port showcases our infrastructural capabilities to handle larger vessels safely and quickly. We are eager to welcome more such vessels to keep moving the wheels of the supply chain. The current annual cargo handling capacity includes 1.35 million TEU Containers, 250,000 Passenger cars, 2 million metric tons of Liquid bulk and 4 million metric tons of Dry bulk. APM Terminals Pipavav is India’s first public private partnership (PPP) port in India and is a part of the APM Terminals global terminal network.

Singapore Airlines (SIA) has firmed up an order for seven Airbus A350F freighters, with options for five more aircraft. The agreement was signed at the Singapore Airshow 2022 by Goh Choon Phong, Chief Executive Officer, Singapore Airlines, and Christian Scherer, Chief Commercial Officer and Head of International, Airbus. The A350Fs will replace SIA’s seven Boeing 747-400F freighters. The Airline will be the first carrier to operate this new generation widebody freighter aircraft when deliveries begin in the fourth quarter of 2025. The A350F burns up to 40% less fuel on similar missions to the 747-400F, reducing SIA’s carbon emissions by around 400,000 tonnes annually. This supports the SIA Group’s goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The A350F is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines. Please see Annexe A for more information on the aircraft. The range and payload of the A350F will provide SIA with greater flexibility in its freighter deployment, bolstering its cargo business and cementing its leading position in the sector. SIA has strengthened its cargo capabilities over the last few years in key segments including e-commerce, fresh produce, and pharmaceuticals. It has also rolled out several digital initiatives that provide greater value and options for customers. Please see Annexe B for more information on SIA’s cargo business. The A350F deal with Airbus includes a swap with 15 A320neo and two A350-900 passenger aircraft in the SIA Group order book. This allows SIA to manage its capital expenditure while continuing with its essential freighter renewal programme.