Category Archives: International

Atlas Air will expand its charter partnership with freight forwarder Flexport to add a third Boeing 747-400 freighter from September. This long-term charter agreement will broaden Flexport’s network of dedicated freighters to include service from Asia to Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA) and soon, Chicago (ORD). The additional freighter will increase Flexport’s dedicated airfreight capacity from Atlas Air by 50% and allow for “enhanced schedule flexibility” as new origins and destinations are added in 2022 and beyond. “We look forward to enhancing our long-term relationship with Flexport as we continue to support the growth and expansion of its network with dedicated freighters,” said Michael Steen, executive vice president and chief commercial officer, Atlas Air Worldwide. “Atlas Air is strategically positioned to serve Flexport with an unparalleled fleet of widebody freighters and our vast global footprint. Our team is pleased to deliver even more value to Flexport and its customers through the world-class service they can depend on from Atlas Air.” “We’re thrilled to expand our partnership with Atlas Air Worldwide to bring additional capacity to Flexport clients amid a turbulent time in airfreight,” said Neel Jones Shah, executive vice president and global head of airfreight at Flexport.

Lufthansa Cargo’s handling operation at its Frankfurt hub has been “significantly” affected by Omicron infections amongst staff. “Loose freight via the Frankfurt hub from US & Canada and Europe (incl. Germany) that has not yet been delivered can unfortunately no longer be accepted by us and transported in a timely manner,” Lufthansa Cargo said. Around 15% of volumes handled at its Frankfurt facility will be affected by the embargo. However, direct deliveries as well as outbound deliveries in Frankfurt are still possible. Certain product groups may also continue to fly, this includes urgent freight (same day shipments), valuable freight, animals, organ donations, mail and temperature-controlled shipments. “Cargo that has already been accepted by us will be handled as soon as feasible,” Lufthansa Cargo added. The carrier also stressed that all shipments routed through its hubs in Munich, Vienna and Brussels are not affected and these facilities are operating normally. “Due to its high transmissibility, the Omicron variant of the Coronavirus continues to keep us on our toes and the infection figures have reached new record levels,” Lufthansa Cargo said.

Blue Dart Express Limited, declared its financial results for the quarter ended December 31st, 2021. The company posted ₹1,222 million profit after tax for the quarter ended December 31st, 2021 (previous year, profit after tax for the corresponding quarter was ₹938 million). Revenue from operations for the quarter ended December 31st, 2021 stood at ₹12,548 million with a growth of 21% over the same quarter from the previous year. EBITDA for the quarter is ₹ 2,117 million, a growth of 15% over the same quarter last year. EBITDA margin stood at 16.8%, Moreover, Blue Dart’s strong financial performance over the preceding quarters have paved the way for the Express Logistics Provider’s credit rating to be reviewed by the ICRA as well as India Ratings and Research to AA+. True to its promise of being an Investment of Choice, the company has also proposed to reward shareholders with an interim dividend of ₹25/- (Rupees Twenty Five) per share, which will be paid in February 2022.

The first ever virtual India-Central Asia Summit was held to strengthen the ties between the participant countries. The focal point of the agenda was to cement the trade links and connectivity through the Chabahar Port in Iran. The Port is being developed by India and will be crucial in providing sea-land access to the landlocked Central Asian countries along with the INSTC. The plan is to develop Joint Working Groups (JWGs) at the Port for free movement of goods and services between India and the Central Asian countries. India also proposed to include the Turkmenbashi Port within the framework of the INSTC. Addressing the summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “The Summit revolved around three main objectives. First, to make it clear that cooperation between India and Central Asia is essential for regional security and prosperity. From the Indian point of view, I would like to emphasise that Central Asia is central to India’s vision of an integrated and stable extended neighbourhood. The second objective is to give an effective structure to our cooperation. This will establish a framework of regular interactions at different levels and among various stakeholders. And the third objective is to create an ambitious roadmap for our cooperation.”

The A300 served as the foundation for the Beluga ST jets, which were followed by the Beluga XL, which was built using six A330s. According to sources, the aircraft which was originally used only for the movement of oversized Airbus components like wings, will now be available as five Beluga ST freighters which can be leased by companies to transport their own capacious cargo. Airbus is reviewing plans to contribute all five of its Beluga STs into chartering outsize freight operations by the mid 2020s. This will eventually result in establishing a new Airbus business to manage this part of Beluga’s operation. Multi-purpose pallet system, portable onboard freight loader and newer outboard platforms are just a trailer of the new ideas being implemented by Airbus to support the new role of Beluga STs. The new multi-purpose pallet system requires minimum modifications regardless of the cargo it holds, and is made up of 2 meter modules with 20cm tie-down points. Similarly, the portable onboard freight loader will be used for less than 12 meters long & 20 tonnes in weight payload.

The Federation of Freight Forwarders’ Associations in India (FFFAI) has decided to extend the date for Nomination to ‘FFFAI YIFF Awards’ to February 2, 202. The Award has launched with an objective to promote young Entrepreneurs/Forwarders/Logistics Professionals. FFFAI is inviting applications from the Members of FFFAI Association Members (within the age group between 18 and 32 years as on January 1, 2021) to participate in the ‘FIATA Young International Freight Forwarder of The Year Award’ The award demonstrates recognition by FFFAI, FIATA and its participating sponsors of the need to develop quality in the forwarding industry and to reward young talent with valuable training opportunities. To participate in the nomination process pertaining to the awards, the candidates should have two years full time experience in Freight Forwarding, should submit the dissertation on the topic stipulated by FIATA, and should fulfil the condition stipulated in the registration form. The dissertation is an opportunity for the candidate to demonstrate a range of skills and qualities that are needed to pursue a successful career in international forwarding and supply chain logistics. It would demonstrate the knowledge base of the contestants concerning the following aspects: Identifying a problem or business opportunity; gathering relevant information on a specific situation; identifying possible changes or enhancements for the benefit of the forwarder or the client; evaluating the information and drawing one’s own conclusions; deciding what action should be taken; making reasoned and costed recommendations; quality of innovation and initiative; description and valuation of the situation, discussion of problems, opportunities, faults, relevant issues, benefits, costs, etc. For more details on YOUNG INTERNATIONAL FREIGHT FORWARDER OF THE YEAR AWARD, Please visit https://fiata.org/what-we-do/training/yiffy-award.html The last date for filing nomination of …

Shipping lines repositioned a record 1.85 million containers in the country in 2021 as demand for exports surged and exporters continued to be hurt by an acute shortage of containers, according to lobbying body Container Shipping Lines Association (CSLA). Repositioning of containers is getting an empty container from a port of surplus to one where they are scarce. Shipping lines had to resort to this strategy as container shortage soared across the world as several container ships got stuck in ports amid the pandemic and various restrictions even as merchandise exports from India grew 105% year-on-year to $354 billion in 2021. “Several new services were introduced between India and various trades like the US, Europe, far East, West Africa and Latin America by carriers like MSC, Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd, CMA CGM, HMM, ZIM, Feedertech and others,” said CSLA official. “These helped in increasing the weekly capacity from Indian origins to these destinations by about 35,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent unit, or a 20-foot container) a week,” it said. “Annualised, this works out to an increase in the vessel capacity by about 1.80 million TEUs.”

In response to surging demand for air cargo capacity in the region, GEODIS, a global leading transport and logistics services provider, has significantly expanded its AirDirect own operated network with three more intra-Asia Pacific (APAC) flight routes. With a newly established hub in Kuala Lumpur, the logistics operator will dovetail the air services with its Road Network linking destinations throughout Southeast Asia. The multi-modal expansion builds on its strong momentum in creating diverse transportation options for customizing supply chain solutions for its customers. The expanded flight network, which bridges Hong Kong, Chennai, Sydney, and Shanghai to Kuala Lumpur, can carry an additional 320 tons of cargo weekly. This will significantly ease the strain on the supply chains, which saw load factors and yields reach historic highs in 2021 when cargo capacity struggled to meet the surge in e-commerce transactions. With demand for airfreight forecast to increase, particularly amidst ongoing delays and flight cancellations across Southeast Asia following the impact of the Omicron variant, GEODIS believes its extended AirDirect schedules will become a pivotal component in ensuring seamless, reliable, and efficient air transport services in the region.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for global air freight markets showing that full-year demand for air cargo increased by 6.9% in 2021, compared to 2019 (pre-covid levels) and 18.7% compared to 2020 following a strong performance in December 2021. This was the second biggest improvement in year-on-year demand since IATA started to monitor cargo performance in 1990 (behind 2010’s 20.6% gain), outpacing the 9.8% rise in global goods trade by 8.9 percentage points. “Air cargo had a stellar year in 2021. For many airlines, it provided a vital source of revenue as passenger demand remained in the doldrums due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. Growth opportunities, however, were lost due to the pressures of labor shortages and constraints across the logistics system. Overall, economic conditions do point towards a strong 2022,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General. December saw a relief in supply chain issues that enabled an acceleration of cargo growth. “Some relief on supply chain constraints occurred naturally in December as volumes decreased after peak shipping activity ended in advance of the Christmas holiday. This freed capacity to accommodate front-loading of some Lunar New Year shipments to avoid potential disruptions to flight schedules during the Winter Olympic games. And overall December cargo performance was assisted by additional belly-hold capacity as airlines accommodated an expected year-end boost to travel. As shortages of labor and storage capacity remain, governments must keep a sharp focus on supply chain constraints to protect the economic recovery,” said Walsh.

Deputy Head of Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) Jalil Eslami has said direct container shipping lines have been established between Iran’s southeastern port of Chabahar and two Western Indian ports of Nhava Sheva, and Kandla. According to Eslami, regular container service with a traffic schedule of 10 to 15 days is performed by the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) through these lines, the PMO portal reported. The official noted that PMO is going to offer the necessary tariff incentives and facilities on tolls and transportation costs to support the traders that use the lines. He pointed out that according to the schedule, the first container service through the mentioned route will enter Iran’s Shahid Beheshti port on February 16. Iran and India had previously launched shipping lines between Chabahar and the Indian ports of Mumbai, and Mundra. The first shipping route between the two countries was put into operation in 2017 between Iran’s Chabahar port and Mumbai.