Category Archives: International

FedEx Express, announced that Kawal Preet, President of FedEx Express, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (AMEA) region, has signed the CEO statement of support for the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) – Equality Means Business. Established by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women and the United Nations Global Compact, the WEPs are a set of seven actions that companies choose to adopt to advance gender equality and empower women in the workplace and community. Preet endorsed the statement of support in the presence of regional leadership and team members in Hong Kong. Across the AMEA region, women are underrepresented in the establishment and growth of small business and cross-border trade. According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic has raised new barriers to building inclusive and prosperous economies and societies, resulting in an increase in closing the global gender gap by a generation from 99.5 years to 135.6 years.

Global cargo demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTKs), was up 7.7 percent in August 2021 compared to August 2019 (8.6 percent for international operations). Cargo markets are reflecting a strong growth trend but pressure on capacity is rising, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) August 2021 data analysis. “Air cargo demand had another strong month in August, up 7.7 percent compared to pre-Covid levels. Many of the economic indicators point to a strong year-end peak season. With international travel still severely depressed, there are fewer passenger planes offering belly capacity for cargo. And supply chain bottlenecks could intensify as businesses continue to ramp up production,” said Willie Walsh, Director General, IATA.

After a much challenging time, Indian exports are finally making a significant recovery. As per reports, exports in the nation are likely to close the first half of the present financial year at around $195 billion, which is a significant achievement. Union Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal believes that exports are on course to reach the $400-billion target this year and a series of measures announced in recent months will pave the way for stronger growth. In 2020, with the outbreak of the pandemic, several logistical challenges surfaced, putting businesses in a tough spot. With the onset of COVID restrictions, shortage of containers and higher shipping rates, the exporters of our country seemed to be in murky waters, as they sought for some immediate aid from the government.

The Kingdom of Bahrain launched the fastest regional multi-modal logistics hub in the Gulf with only two hours of turnaround time for all containers. This essentially means that shipments can now be delivered to their destination in half the time and at 40% of the cost. With the launch of “Bahrain Global Sea-Air Hub,” Bahrain capitalizes both on its strategic position midway between European and Asian markets as well as on its proximity to regional target markets by establishing the most efficient multimodal sea-air transhipment hub in the region with a global reach. The newly launched hub relies on streamlined clearance procedures, optimized logistics, and full digitization to achieve an end-to-end lead time of just under two hours for goods transiting from Bahrain International Airport to Khalifa bin Salman Port, and vice versa.

Tata Sons, the holding company of Indian multinational conglomerate Tata Group, has reportedly won the bid for the national carrier Air India, media reports said. The acquisition marks the return of Air India to Tata fold after 67 years. A panel of ministers has accepted a proposal from officials recommending the conglomerate ahead of an offer from Ajay Singh, the promoter of India’s airline operator Spicejet, according to reports by Bloomberg and Moneycontrol. The Committee of Ministers on the national carrier disinvestment, headed by Home Minister Amit Shah, approved the winning bid for the national airline. An official announcement is expected in the coming days. Air India was founded in 1932 as Tata Airlines, and the government nationalised the airline in 1953. The government is selling 100 per cent of its stake in the state-owned national airline, including Air India’s 100 per cent shareholding in AI Express and 50 per cent in Air India SATS Airport Services Private Ltd.

Blue Dart Express Limited, announced its General Price Increase (GPI), effective from January 1st 2022. The average shipment price increase will be 9.6% as compared to 2021, dependant on the shipping profile. Blue Dart prides itself on its future-ready solutions and has ensured that all its customers are provided with exceptional service quality despite the pandemic; an attribute that is benchmarked by the express logistics provider in the industry. In order to continue providing a resilient, reliable and efficient solution to customers, Blue Dart adjusts its prices annually, taking into account inflation, currency dynamics, fuel cost fluctuations, rising regulatory costs and other mandatory costs, such as expenses related to compliance for the workforce with enhanced security regulations across 35,000+ locations it services. Commenting on the announcement, Balfour Manuel, MD, Blue Dart said, “Over the last year and a half, innovation, adoption of technology, agility of our systems and our workforce, have all showcased the resiliency of the Blue Dart brand. Our persistent need to consistently update our systems and processes, has ensured that we remain one step ahead of the curve even during unprecedented times. We need to always trouble-shoot for potential challenges today in order to guarantee a satisfied customer at all times. Annual increase is more inflation related and enables us to sustain service quality and cost increases. At the same time, we also try to make a significant contribution to improving our environmental footprint and remain a Sustainable Provider of Choice.”

Etihad Airways, has received four honours at the Airline Economics Aviation 100 Deals of the Year Awards 2021 at a ceremony in Dubai. Etihad Group CEO Tony Douglas and Chief Financial Officer Adam Boukadida accepted the following awards on behalf of the airline: * Middle East & Africa CEO/Industry Leader of the Year 2021 – Tony Douglas, Group CEO, Etihad Airways * Middle East & Africa CFO of the Year 2021 – Adam Boukadida, CFO, Etihad Airways * Middle East & Africa Capital Markets Deal of the Year – Etihad USD $600M Sustainability-Linked Transition Sukuk and Liability Management of 2021 maturity * Middle East & Africa Sustainability Financing Deal of the Year – Sustainability Development Goal (SDG) Loan for Etihad Airways The annual accolades, now in its tenth year, pay tribute to the past year’s most outstanding companies, individuals and finance transactions in the commercial aviation industry; recognitions that are even more significant in the last year following a prolonged period of hardship resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, Etihad was ahead of transformation targets set in 2017, having registered a 55% cumulative improvement in core results by end-of-year 2019. Despite operating losses resulting from COVID-19, the airline has continued to serve as an industry leader, targeting a complete turnaround by 2023 by optimising core business fundamentals, developing an industry-leading health and hygiene programme, Etihad Wellness, and engaging a holistic approach to sustainability by applying it to every aspect of its operations.

Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) has acquired IAS Logistics DFW, LLC (also known as Pinnacle Logistics), a leading provider of cargo handling services in the United States. The companies have not disclosed the financial details yet. Pinnacle Logistics is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas,US, strengthening WFS’s cargo handling platform in the States. The company is focussed on specialist express cargo handling for e-commerce customers. WFS is also handling cargo in London, Liege, Amsterdam, France, Japan, Spain and more. Michael Simpson, WFS’s EVP Americas, commented, “The acquisition of Pinnacle Logistics enhances our core cargo and express cargo handling value proposition to customers, and Pinnacle’s established trucking logistics business further expands our service offering. Pinnacle’s people bring renowned experience and expertise, great service quality, and long-standing customer relationships with them to WFS. This acquisition is a strong strategic and cultural fit for WFS and we are delighted to welcome the Pinnacle team to WFS.”

The German container shipping company Hapag-Lloyd has announced the acquisition of a 30% stake in Container Terminal Wilhelmshaven (CTW) and 50% of the shares of Rail Terminal Wilhelmshaven (RTW) at the German container port JadeWeserPort. The Bremen-based terminal operator Eurogate continues to hold the remaining shares, while the parties have agreed to not disclose the purchase price. The contract closing is expected within a few months, while it is subject to approval by the antitrust authorities.

CargoBooking, also known as CargoBooking.aero is a global digital air cargo booking platform providing real time capacities and rates for airlines. Launched in August 2020, it also looks after the airlines’ General Sales Agents (GSAs) to deliver instant air cargo quoting and booking with Application Programming Interface (API) integration to freight forwarders. The solution, powered by global IT service provider and software development company Awery Aviation Software, gives a consolidated view of all connected airlines and GSA prices on possible flight and truck routing options. “The digital transformation of the air cargo industry is gaining momentum, enhancing efficiency and cost effectiveness across the supply chain,” said Tristan Koch, Awery’s new Chief Commercial Officer. Our in-house team has been working together for over 12 years to develop aviation software solutions to support the digitisation of the industry, and with CargoBooking, we are delivering a streamlined user experience connecting capacity and demand.”