Category Archives: International

SF Airlines has expanded its fleet to have 85 freighters. The latest freighter added to the fleet is a Boeing 767-300, which is the eighth new aircraft that has been unveiled by SF Airlines this year. The Boeing 767-300aircraft is expected to be used in the air-express delivery market, catering to the upcoming Double 11 shopping spree and other logistics peaks. The other freighters included in the SF Airlines fleet are Boeing 747-400ERFs, 767-300BCFs, 757-200Fs, and 737-300/400Fs. The airline has been adding an average of six freighters to its fleet each year since its launch in 2009, and their network now expands across Asia, Europe, and North America. 

The aviation market intelligence and consulting company, IBA has predicted a potential oversupply of the Boeing 737-800 passenger to freighter (P2F) aircraft with 60 conversions forecast for this year alone. IBA also mentioned that conversions for 737-800 have been faster than any of the other P2F programmes. The organisation said, “The total 737-800 P2F fleet is on course to surpass the 757-200 P2F fleet of 311 aircraft, which IBA believes suggests a risk of oversupply based on the rapid fleet growth. Indeed, the 737-800 continues to lead the narrowbody conversion market with conversions of the A321-200 remaining steady as expected with 20 planned for this year.” For the next 20 years, Boeing estimates a demand for approximately 2,800 production-plus-conversion deliveries.

Cathay Cargo joined hands with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) for the first time to offer ONE Record data protocols for intermodal sea-to-air shipments accepted at the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) Logistics Park in Dongguan for export from Hong Kong. IATA’s ONE Record initiative implements end-to-end transparency for consignments and logging progress as they pass through multiple links in the supply chain. Tom Owen, Director, Cathay Cargo, said, “This pilot also showed ONE Record’s flexibility, and being able to accept cargo from an upstream cargo terminal and then log its transit by boat was a world first. It also shows ONE Record’s value in enabling services such as Ultra Track and other use cases that we are continuing to explore.

Çelebi India announces partnership with Uganda Airlines to support ground handling services for the airlines at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai. The inauguration took place with the direct flight from Entebbe to Mumbai on 7 October. Çelebi India leads the sustainability movement within the Indian ground handling industry, and aims to help the Indian aviation industry attain carbon neutrality. Tauseef Khan, CEO, Çelebi Ground Handling India, said, “We are delighted to bring our ground handling expertise to Uganda Airlines in Mumbai. We anticipate a long-term partnership as Uganda Airlines expands its footprint in India. Our commitment remains steadfast in providing seamless services and contributing to the growth of aviation in India.”

Jeena Criticare Pvt. Ltd. has been awarded with the Good Distribution Practices (GDP) certification by the International Standards Organization Quality Assurance Registrar (ISOQAR). The certification is an internationally recognized standard for the distribution of pharmaceutical and healthcare products, and stands testimony to Jeena Criticare’s unwavering commitment to maintaining safety and quality standards for transportation and distribution of products in the healthcare industry. Anil Agarwal, Director, Jeena Criticare, said, “We have relentlessly worked towards preserving the integrity of pharmaceutical products throughout their intricate journey, ensuring they reach patients in an ideal and optimal state. We are taking a substantial stride towards a safer, more efficient, and globally interconnected pharmaceutical supply chain.”

According to WorldACD Market Data, September saw an increase in global air cargo tonnages and average rates, compared to August. Full-month tonnages rose t0 almost 3 per cent and there has been an increase of rates by around 5 per cent at the end of September, compared to the beginning of the month.  The report further stated, “The figures reflect a slight post-summer seasonal strengthening of the market, which appeared to have stabilised in recent months following a year and a half of persistent decline – or adjustment back towards pre-Covid patterns of supply and demand. Preliminary figures for September as a whole indicate that tonnages were down, year on year (YoY), by two percent, the smallest YoY monthly decline this year.”

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.