Etihad Cargo, the cargo and logistics arm of Etihad Airways, has announced its complete readiness for the UAE Pre-Loading Advance Cargo Information (PLACI) regulations, ensuring that partners and customers will experience no disruptions in their shipments. This achievement underscores the carrier’s commitment to maintaining the highest standards of security and efficiency in operations. PLACI is an advanced security measure designed to enhance the monitoring and safety of air cargo. It mandates the submission of cargo data to regulatory authorities for risk assessment prior to loading, thereby enhancing the security of the supply chain. This protocol is crucial for addressing potential threats early and supporting the seamless flow of commerce by ensuring that all cargo is risk-assessed before it is loaded onto an aircraft. Since its introduction, the adoption of PLACI has gradually expanded. Initially implemented by the US Customs & Border Protection with the Air Cargo Advance Screening (ACAS) programme in 2019, it was later adopted by the European Union with the launch of the Import Control System 2 (ICS2) in 2023. Both ACAS and ICS2 are fully integrated into Etihad Cargo’s operational processes, and Etihad Cargo was one of the first carriers to start live filing to ACAS. The UAE’s National Advance Information Centre (NAIC), under the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security, is the first country outside of North America and Europe to implement a PLACI regime. Additional countries are planning to roll out PLACI, indicating a growing global commitment to bolstering the security of the air cargo supply chain against evolving threats.

Safexpress has unveiled its logistics park in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. As the largest logistics park in Tamil Nadu, this state-of-the-art facility is set to revolutionize the logistics industry, driving seamless trade operations and unlocking immense business potential in the region. Spanning across an expansive area of 3.5 lakh square feet, the logistics park offers unparalleled infrastructure and capabilities. Its key highlights include 130 feet wide U- Shape facility, strategically located on the Vanagaram – Ambattur Road. This prime location ensures convenient access and efficient transportation for businesses operating in and out of Tamil Nadu. Designed to withstand all weather conditions, the park features a 16 feet wide cantilever shed, guaranteeing 100% operational reliability. Additionally, an 80 feet concrete truck docking road has been constructed to facilitate smooth truck movement within the premises. With dedicated docking facilities for 75 trucks, the park ensures swift loading and unloading operations, streamlining logistics processes. As a gateway to South India, Chennai is among the most-visited Indian cities ranking 36th among the most-visited cities in the world in 2019. Chennai is a major centre for medical tourism and is termed “India’s health capital”. Chennai houses a major portion of India’s automobile industry and hence the name “Detroit of India”. It was the only South Asian city to be ranked among National Geographic’s “Top 10 food cities” in 2015 and ranked ninth on Lonely Planet’s best cosmopolitan cities of the world. In October 2017, Chennai was added to the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) list. Safexpress, with its extensive network and comprehensive logistics solutions, is uniquely positioned to cater to the growing needs of businesses in Tamil Nadu and beyond. As the largest and strongest logistics …

MSC Air Cargo has taken delivery of its newest MSC-branded aircraft (I-MSCA), operated by AlisCargo Airlines, says MSC Air Cargo’s official Linkedin Page. “The state-of-the-art widebody freighter completes a fleet of five Boeing 777-200Fs, strengthening MSC Air Cargo’s position as a global expert in freight operations, committed to innovation and sustainability,” the post adds. Jannie Davel, Senior Vice President of MSC Air Cargo, said, “The aircraft will enhance efficiency and capabilities to better service our customers and trade lanes” in a LinkedIn post. With this newest freighter addition, the total number of Boeing 777 freighters in MSC’s fleet now amounts to five, as per MSC Air Cargo website. The freighter will be operated by MSC-owned AlisCargo Airlines.

CargoAi’s CargoMART booking platform now offers up-to-date performance transparency alongside real-time price and capacity information. CargoQUALITY is a new feature that takes industry-established quality monitoring methods, applies a fair, common standard to all airlines, and provides CargoMART users with a clear performance overview as an additional booking consideration factor. In line with the CargoTech pledge to offer intelligent, easy-to-use, digital solutions for every air cargo business process, CargoAi’s latest online feature, CargoQUALITY, brings a unique, comprehensive overview to the international air cargo e-booking world. For the first time, freight forwarders using CargoMART are shown every airline’s quality performance on their selected flight route. All carriers are measured against the same industry-established method, namely their Notify for Delivery (NFD) performance. To ensure fair comparison, CargoAi applies a standard cut-off point of 6 hours. This quality overview offers an additional aspect alongside price, speed, and CO² emissions, and allows for a far more informed booking decision. CargoAi collaborates with around 100 airlines displaying their services on CargoMART, and has access to the data of the million of air waybills (AWBs) tracked during the last 12 months via CargoAi’s solutions. This enables CargoAi to calculate a Quality score per airline per route, reflecting the percentage of shipments that were ready to be delivered by the airline at 6 hours after flight arrival, according to a baseline roadmap derived from the booking information. The planned NFD (Notify for Delivery) is compared against the actual NFD milestone (or AWD, where necessary) to calculate the Quality score. The result flows into a historical CargoQUALITY score for the airline and route (origin and destination), as well as the historical CargoQUALITY score for all airlines on the route …

“With a diverse geography and large population it is crucial that the available belly capacity is used effectively to enhance trade within and to and from India,” says Glyn Hughes, Director General, TIACA. “This is certainly the situation today with cargo benefitting from and supporting extensive passenger operations. However belly capacity alone will not provide the full capacity needed to achieve India’s economic growth targets. So freighter networks are crucial for connecting to global high volume cargo hubs as well as to provide much needed cargo capacity on developing passenger routes. Narrow body passenger aircraft such as the B737 or A321 may offer between 1 and 4 tonnes of cargo capacity on the lower deck, depending on aircraft version, flight route, passenger load factor and the nature of cargo. With 1 to 1.5 t being the norm. Mid-sized passenger aircraft such as the B757 may offer between 2 and 8 tonnes of cargo capacity on the lower deck, depending on aircraft version, flight route, passenger load factor and the nature of cargo. Wide bodied passenger aircraft such as the A330, A350, B777, B787 also vary depending on passenger load factors, wind direction, route, flight duration and type of cargo carried. But a A330 could be between 10 and 12 tonnes, an A350 could be around 17 tonnes but up to 25 tonnes in the -1000 variant, a B787 could be around 14 tonnes and a B777 between 20 and 25 tonnes depending on variant.“

Ethiopian Cargo & Logistics Services is growing its network with two new freighter destinations in India. Hyderabad and Ahmedabad will be added to Ethiopian Cargo’s freighter network from May 11, said Ethiopian Cargo & Logistics Services in a LinkedIn post on May 10. “Starting May 11, 2024, we will offer twice-weekly air cargo service to and from Hyderabad and Ahmedabad, our fifth and sixth destinations in India, next to New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Bangalore,” said the airline. The last network expansion Ethiopian Cargo & Logistics Services reported was last year, when in November it began operating flights to Gatwick from its home hub, Addis Ababa. Gatwick was the third UK destination for Ethiopian, joining Heathrow and Manchester. In February last year, it had also begun freighter flights connecting Xiamen with São Paulo and Santiago via Addis Ababa, plus freighter flights between Shenzhen and Liège. Other investments last year include a new commitment to work towards achieving IATA’s Center of Excellence for Independent Validators (CEIV) Live Animals certification. Last summer, Ethiopian Cargo also placed its capacity on digital air cargo booking platform cargo.one.

Emiza, the provider of warehousing and last-mile services for over 150+ D2C and consumer brands across India, announced the opening of its 27th warehouse. Located in Mumbai, this state-of-the-art facility spans 125,000 square feet and is located in the industrial area of Bhiwandi in Thane, offering multiclient capabilities. The release reads, “This expansion underscores Emiza’s dedication to excellence in warehousing and fulfilment solutions, bolstering its logistical prowess. With this milestone, Emiza is on track to expand its network and increase managed square footage fivefold.” Ajay Rao, founder of Emiza, expressed his enthusiasm and said, “We’re incredibly proud of our team’s hard work. This new warehouse in Mumbai is a big step for us. It boasts state-of-the-art facilities, including long-span shelving for optimised storage and efficient picking processes. With versatile multiclient capabilities, it caters to various industries, such as fashion, beauty, and food products. This expansion not only enhances our logistical capabilities but also underscores our commitment to providing top-tier infrastructure and advanced technology to our clients. We believe that by offering comprehensive fulfilment solutions, we contribute not only to our clients’ business growth but also to India’s broader economic and infrastructure development.”

DP World announced the launch of operations at Integrated Chennai Business Park, the company’s free trade warehouse zone (FTWZ) at Manali, about 30 km north of Chennai. The Chennai facility is the company’s second FTWZ in India after the one in Mumbai, which is 18 months old, said Ranjit Ray, Vice President — Economic Zones, Middle East, North Africa, and Subcontinent. The third, inside the Kochi Port container terminal, which is operated by DP World, will be ready soon, he told mediapersons at the facility in Manali. Ray said that before Covid the company had announced an investment of about ₹1,700 crore to build three FTWZs in India in phases. Nearly 45 per cent of the capex has been spent, he said. Once the facilities are fully ready in 3-4 years, about 4 million sq ft of warehouse space would be available, he said. The unit in Chennai is the largest of the three, at 125 acres and 2 million sq ft of warehouse space; in Mumbai it is 85 acres (also 2 million sq ft) and in Kochi 10 acres (0.2 million sq ft), he said. The Chennai facility is located within a 40-km radius of key ports including Kattupalli (~15 km), Ennore (~11 km), and Chennai (~27 km). The current occupancy is around 10 per cent, and would increase to around 70 per cent by the fiscal end, he said. Tamil Nadu is one of the best states to have the FTWZ, he added. Value-added services like packing and labelling can be done at the facility, he said. The four warehouses at the Chennai facility can collectively accommodate 17,000 pallet positions, enabling the handling of specialised and uneven …

Global air freight prices edged a little higher again, according to the latest data from TAC Index. The overall Baltic Air Freight Index calculated by TAC was up 2.1 percent for the week to May 6, leaving it now close to flat at -2.2 percent over the last 12 months. “The ongoing strength of the market follows recent predictions of an uptick in global trade from the OECD, IMF and World Trade Organization – and some sources anticipating tight capacity for peak season later this year,” says the update. Rates on the big lanes out of China mostly maintained the positive momentum of recent weeks and months. The index of outbound routes from Hong Kong was up 0.6 percent WoW to leave it ahead by 11.2 percent YoY. Outbound Shanghai was up 1.6 percent WoW to put it ahead by 29.9 percent YoY. Other major lanes out of Asia were mixed after recent big gains with rates from both Vietnam and India higher again to the U.S. but lower on routes to Europe, the update added.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) aims to accelerate the introduction of enhanced ground support equipment (GSE) technologies into daily operations with a new programme. Presented at IATA’s Ground Handling Conference (IGHC) this week, the IATA Enhanced GSE Recognition Program recognises Ground Handling Service Providers (GHSPs) that are modernising their vehicle fleets. The programme encourages the installation of anti-collision systems on new and existing ground support equipment (GSE), to prevent expensive potential damage to aircraft on the ramp. The first ground handlers to obtain this recognition at various stations are HACTL and Menzies Aviation. GHSPs participating in the programme will have the opportunity for their fleets to be assessed. Those achieving a ratio of Enhanced GSE to non-Enhanced GSE that exceeds a predetermined threshold will receive a recognition stamp valid for two years. Participation in the programme will be voluntary and free of charge, as part of IATA’s commitment to achieving industry-wide safety improvements without imposing financial burdens on GHSPs.