Category Archives: International

Traffic figures for August released by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) showed decline in air cargo market demand for export orders. Demand in freight tonne kilometres (FTK), had a  1.8 per cent year-on-year fall in August as compared to the subdued volumes in August 2022. Subhas Menon, AAPA director general, said the airlines showed a “7.6 per cent decline in international air cargo demand, reflecting prevailing weakness in international trade flows. In addition, the normalisation of container shipping rates affected the demand for air shipments of non-time sensitive goods”. The international freight load factor recorded a 6.6 per cent point decline to average 58.8% for the month, and accounted for 9.2 per cent year-on-year expansion in offered freight capacity.

Geodis has expanded its network in Asia with strategic investments in its capabilities and digital and physical infrastructure in the region. The company has expanded its road network from Southeast Asia (SEA) to China – solidifying its position as a leader in providing secure day-definite, cost-efficient, and environmentally-friendly solutions connecting Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and China. The road network features advanced IoT technology and equipment for transporting goods securely for the High Tech, Semiconductor, Automotive, Engineering, Retail, and Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sectors. Investments have also been made to increase service frequency and to enhance its capabilities with dedicated customs brokerage and trade compliance teams at major border crossings to facilitate the seamless movement of goods. The Road Network integrates with major air and seaports to offer customers a variety of multimodal options to meet the challenges of today’s fast-moving environment and their need for agile and flexible supply chains. The road network to Shenzhen will be extended to Hong Kong, and in the near future to Indonesia, connected by an inter-modal road-sea service.

Gati Ltd. An Allcargo Group company has launched state-of-the-art and tech-enabled surface transhipment centres(STC) in Nagpur, Maharashtra and Guwahati, Assam. The launch of Nagpur and Guwahati STCs is in line with Gati’s plan to set up 12 modern, automated and environmentally friendly STC. The company has plans to launch more STCs in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, as it aims to further strengthen its supply chain and warehousing competencies and networks. Strategically located at Nagpur-Amravati Road, the Nagpur STC is spread over a 50,000 sq. ft. area and has the capacity to efficiently manage short-haul deliveries in west India and long-haul deliveries across the country. Equipped with advanced technologies, the STC offers its customers optimized supply chains, reduced dwell times and on-time deliveries. Designed in compliance with green norms, Nagpur STC is equipped with built-to-suit technology-enabled warehouses of global standards, shop floor automation, an advanced Warehouse Management System, world-class material handling facilities, integrated warehousing and distribution mechanisms and superior safety features. The facility has adequate docks to turn around over 100 trucks a day and has a throughput capacity of over 1800 tonnes per day. With customised solutions, the Nagpur STC will cater to multiple industries including automotive, electrical equipment, apparel, heavy engineering, pharmaceutical, etc. The Nagpur STC adheres to the highest levels of performance and precision for sorting and loading and unloading cargo. Centrally located with congestion-free access to Nagpur-Amravati Highway, other key arterial highways and seamless connectivity into the hinterlands, the Nagpur STC has establishments of major corporates located within the periphery of 10 km. Located at the geographical centre-point of the country, Nagpur has emerged as a busy logistics hub in India. The combined advantage of its geographic …

Ground handler Cathay Pacific Services Limited (CPSL) has added a new pharma handling facility at its Hong Kong hub.The facility, which has been built to IATA CEIV standards, is located at the Cathay Pacific Cargo Terminal and offers a fully temperature-controlled area of over 1,250 sq m for the handling of pharmaceutical products, said an official statement. The facility is capable of processing 235,000 tonnes of pharmaceuticals per year, doubling the Cathay Pacific Cargo Terminal’s existing cold storage area and capacity, and is the largest dedicated pharma handling centre of any Hong Kong-based air cargo terminal, the company said. The centre features real-time temperature monitoring, a temperature-controlled truck dock shelter, multiple container charging points, non-o-zone depleting HFC refrigerants, high thermal insulation panels and inflatable dock shelters, added release.

India’s e-logistics sector has become one of the largest and fastest growing logistics markets globally and is all set to reach the $9 billion industry, with a compound annual growth rate of 35 per cent, stated a recent report released by Bengaluru-based Redseer Strategy Consultants. “The number of e-commerce logistics shipments is expected to grow by four times in the next five years. Thanks to new-age tech-enabled players who have entered India’s logistics arena, it is now easier for small- and medium-sized businesses to transport goods, and there is a drastic increase in the speed and efficiency in which parcels are delivered. Among such players, Delhivery is well positioned at the cross-section of the various logistics sector growth drivers including infrastructure, offline commerce, digital consumption, and adoption of technology and data sciences. The e-commerce logistics sphere has contributed to the overall growth of India’s logistics sector and enabled the e-retail boom in India,” the report added.

DP World and National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) announce broadening of existing partnership, with NIIF Master Fund investing primary capital of US $300 million for a shareholding of approximately 22.5 per cent in Hindustan Ports Private Limited (HPPL), stated a release. HPPL is the wholly owned subsidiary of DP World. With this transaction, which is the Master Fund’s single largest investment, NIIF’s investment under this partnership will reach US$500 million. The transaction is subject to customary completion conditions and is likely to close by Q1 CY2023.

Lufthansa is reactivating the Airbus A380 in response to rise in consumer demand and delayed delivery of ordered aircraft. The carrier will relaunch some of its super jumbo jets such as the Boeing 787 and 777-9 from Summer 2023. The German flag carrier said it is likely to use the long-haul aircraft beginning in the 2023 summer travel season. The company is assessing how many A380s to get back into service and, which destinations the Airbus will fly to. Lufthansa (OTCUS: DKLAY) has 14 of the double-deck aircraft, which are currently parked in warehouses in Spain and France. Six of the aircraft have been sold and eight remain part of Lufthansa’s fleet.

According to the World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index, India’s logistics sector is valued at $160 billion and employs over 22 million people directly. It is expected to grow at a 10% CAGR to $215 billion by 2022.Rudimentary methods of fleet management in today’s scenario are heavily impacting business efficiency as well as the safety of vehicles and drivers. Adoption of technology, especially AI and IoT, will have a transformative impact on the Indian logistics industry. The shift has already begun, with many companies introducing smart solutions to help fleet owners and operators manage their business efficiently. LocoNav offers a bespoke and comprehensive full-stack SaaS-based fleet technology solution that benefits several fleet owners and drivers across India and the world. Here is a detailed look into its Fleet Management Solution. LocoNav’s Fleet Management Solutions help fleet owners and operators run and manage their fleet in a safe and efficient manner. It can be used for all kinds of on-road vehicles such as cars, taxis, bikes, buses, trucks, ambulances, police vans, and even construction vehicles, helping fleet owners from different industries to keep track of their vehicles and stay on top of their business. It integrates over 2200 devices around the world and shares real-time alerts, rich analytics, customised reports, and more in a super easy-to-use interface which is available in over 14 languages such as English, Hindi, Punjabi, Arabic, Spanish, etc. Here are the top 12 key features of the Fleet Management Solution offering: Vehicle tracking: With the help of a simple GPS tracker attached to the vehicle, fleet owners and operators can easily track the vehicle’s live location, speed, and distance covered on each and every trip. Fleet managers can …

Locus, a global B2B SaaS logistics planning and dispatch optimization platform for last-mile delivery enterprises, announced its recognition as a Representative Vendor in the 2022 Gartner Market Guide for Supply Chain Network Design Tools. Gartner delivers actionable, objective insight to executives and their teams. “High-impact disruptions have made the structural design of networks and product flows harder to hold steady. The frequency with which organisations review the design of their supply chain networks has increased from being measured in multiples of years to months or even weeks, due to shifts in markets and consumer behavior.” Gartner said in the report. “A well-planned network design is indispensable for running frictionless last-mile deliveries. Given the growing complexities of modern supply chains, more brands are now rethinking their distribution networks. With ‘what if’ simulations and supply chain digital twin representations, we help enterprises design flexible and optimal distribution networks for the smooth flow of merchandise. Being listed as a representative vendor in the latest Gartner Market Guide is an absolute honour for us as we strive to make last-mile logistics effortless for enterprises across the globe with our tech,” Nishith Rastogi, CEO & Founder of Locus, said. Locus uses machine learning and proprietary algorithms to offer solutions like route optimization, real-time tracking, vehicle allocation, fleet utilization, insights and analytics.

Last year, in March, LATAM officially received the second of ten 767 Boeing Converted to Freighter (BCF) cargo planes contemplated in its cargo fleet growth plan, announced in 2021. With this, it has increased its offer for this type of transport by nearly 10 percent, reduced the average age of its aircraft, and will finish Q1 with 13 B767 cargo planes. By 2023, the company plans to have a cargo fleet composed of up to 21 freighters and practically duplicate its offer.