Category Archives: Aviation

Apollo Supply Chain, launched ‘alfa’, a comprehensive e-commerce fulfilment and shipping service for D2C brands. With strategically locating fulfilment centers across cities including Delhi NCR, Kolkata, Guwahati, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad, alfa aims to cut logistics cost, improve delivery speed and has plans to expand its network for even swifter and efficient logistics service. Highlights of alfa’s services • In-house operations expertise • Plug and Play Infrastructure • Pay-per-use fee structure • Same Day Delivery • PAN India coverage • Custom packaging • Return to Origin (RTO) reduction tools • Reverse pick-up quality control • Performance dashboard and analytics • Multi-carrier shipping support • Value-added services tailored to client needs In response to the prevailing issues encountered by Direct-to-Consumer brands in the e-commerce fulfilment space, alfa identifies and tackles key pain points to ensure a seamless experience for e-commerce customers. alfa addresses a major industry challenge related to limited control in fulfilment centres. These centres are often outsourced to third-party providers, leading to frequent breaches of order processing service level agreements (SLAs). alfa’s strategic solution involves in-house operations, providing superior control and ensuring adherence to industry standards.

Kami Viswanathan, President – MEISA, FedEx Express shares his expectations from the upcoming budget, “FedEx advocates for a strategic allocation towards infrastructure development for more efficient multimodal logistics. Additionally, we emphasize a focus on digitization in the logistics sector to accelerate speed and ease of doing business. Recognizing the impact of the National Logistics Policy and PM Gati Shakti National Master plan, alongside prioritizing road, sea, and rail cargo infrastructure, we see the expansion of airports as exciting avenues for growth. We urge a consistent budgetary emphasis on expanding airport infrastructure for cargo, strengthening regional airports and developing dedicated transhipment hubs to optimize belly and freight capacities. We underscore the importance of digitally advancing customs clearance processes through cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchain, and big data. This approach promises improved risk management, compliance, efficiency, and analytics.” As India targets lowering of logistics costs and a top 25 global rank by 2030, we anticipate budget initiatives that will sustainably boost manufacturing and trade, particularly benefiting and incentivizing SMEs. We also anticipate initiatives towards greater trade facilitation and further fostering a business-friendly environment aligning with the USD 5 trillion economy goal.”

Kamesh Peri, CEO, Celebi Delhi Cargo Terminal Management India, says, “Achieving 10 Million MT any 2030 requires meticulous assessment of demand, capacity and infrastructure issues. Outside of traditional international and domestic traffic, focus on transhipment volumes is a must. Developing cargo hubs would be another significant enabler. Tier 2 and 3 cities will have to emerge as crucial players, housing dedicated cargo terminals. Further, developing a robust road feeder network to supplement air capacity gaps in certain regions needs to be considered. This intricate air-ground expressway will seamlessly connect Tier 2 and 3 with key cargo hubs. Admittedly challenges exist, Policy inertia sometimes stifles progress, so all the government bodies along with trade need to come together as one unit, indicating a cargo movement, streamlined participation and decision making.”

Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) announced the news of its latest expansion, with the addition of Silk Way West Airlines, operated by Hercules Aviation (GSA). The carrier will be using B777 aircraft, boosting its capacity by 100 MMT on the DEL-GYD route. “This expansion not only signifies our commitment to excellence but also accelerates more efficient cargo movement between India and Azerbaijan,” DIAL’s LinkedIn post said.

With an aim to maximize its freighter operations in 2024, IndiGo is tailoring its services to cater to the specific cargo needs, such as e-commerce, perishables, and time-sensitive items. The company is also focusing on enhancing the cargo terminal infrastructure in Tier-1 and Tier-2 cities, as well as evaluating the addition of more routes for China and Southeast Asia, to create air cargo-friendly routes, ensuring efficient and seamless transportation. IndiGo leverages its unique advantage by strategically deploying freighters on high-demand routes that complement its extensive domestic network. It provides belly cargo space in its fleet of 300+ aircraft along with three dedicated A321F freighters are key to achieving a target 10 million MT by 2030.

Mahendra Shah, Chairman and Managing Director, V-Trans (India) shares, “Attention of the current Government has been substantial on enhancing logistic and supply chain efficiency. We expect policymakers to support the same further and also take steps to reduce supply chain costs. Many measures taken to boost manufacturing have started showing results and an efficient supply chain will boost the cause further. In the forthcoming budget, we look forward to improved outlay for logistics Infrastructure. Regulatory and budgetary support for Fast-tracking multimodal logistics infrastructure projects is needed. In the last year, ULIP has already been operational, but the need of the hour is its faster adoption across the stakeholders. In the forthcoming budget, steps for easy usage of ULIP will help in waste reduction and improve interoperability in logistics. It is a sector that has a significant contribution to carbon emissions. We look ahead towards the initiatives for faster adoption of green logistics. Incentives and easier access to funds for the adoption of sustainable logistics can be a good option to move forward. Being a major player in road transportation, we would like to draw the attention of the Government towards issues related to drivers. The government needs to introduce some schemes in the logistics industry for drivers. Last but not least will be bringing petroleum products under the purview of GST. Fuel is the largest component of our expenses. Once the industry gets input credit benefit on fuel, it will be a major boost.”

“With ongoing enhancements to our online booking capabilities, we will continue to invest in our digital platforms, shares ” Camilo Garcia Cervera, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at IAG Cargo. He adds, “Embracing a cloud-first approach, we’re migrating all applications to cloud environments for scalability, flexibility, and improved data accessibility. The airfreight industry is rapidly embracing a digital future, marking a transformation shift in approach. At IAG Cargo we have recently made substantial technological investments in our operation, notably in our cargo handling capabilities, opening a semi-automated state-of-the-art Premium facility at London Heathrow, and at our Madrid hub we have implemented a new Material Handling System– which enhances efficiency and automation of cargo handling processes.””

Vipin Vohra, Chairman, Continental Carriers, says, “In the forthcoming budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman faces the challenge of charting India’s economic trajectory in an election year. Acknowledging the nation’s aspirations to become the third-largest economy by 2030, this interim budget serves as a pivotal guide for the road ahead. With favorable conditions of low inflation and robust GDP growth, the government’s focus on the ‘Make in India,’ ‘Digital India,’ and ‘Start-Up India’ initiatives has attracted multinational corporations, propelling economic expansion. The logistics industry, a crucial driver of economic efficiency, anticipates key policy measures to streamline operations. Expectations include simplified regulations, a ‘single window’ for approvals, and a reconsideration of permanent GST exemptions for international transportation services. The budget strategy must align with the PLI schemes and infrastructure investments to mitigate domestic logistics costs and enhance India’s supply chain efficiency, addressing current disparities in global Logistics Performance Index rankings. Additionally, the implementation of the National Logistics Policy and ‘Make in India’ schemes necessitates the alleviation of congestion at international airports. The budget should incentivize off-airport cargo handling locations to ease this strain. Furthermore, a growing call for increased budgetary allocations towards upskilling and vocational training highlights the need to bridge the skill gap and empower the workforce for effective utilization of emerging technologies in the logistics sector. Rationalizing and simplifying cargo movement costs, fostering an ‘Open Sky Policy,’ and tapping into the commercial potential of Tier II and Tier III cities are essential components for India to achieve its ambitious 10 MMT annual cargo throughput target by 2030.”

Tushar Jani, Group Chairman, Cargo Service Center (CSC) said, “The current trouble in the Red Sea will increase some air cargo volume however if the airline increases freight rate, then it will become counterproductive. The industry must work towards keeping a reasonable rate to achieve good growth and allow the supply chain to remain more productive and stable with air cargo compared to increased sea freight cost, provided air cargo remains affordable. We must learn the lesson of Covid where the air cargo rates became so exorbitant that some commodities moved their supply chain through maritime shipping. This is a golden opportunity for air cargo to convert those lost tonnages from maritime shipping back to air cargo, provided we keep the stability of the air freight rates keeping in mind the long-term advantage of growth. This will help in achieving the 10MMT target set up by the Government and Industry mutually.

Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru (BLR Airport) has seen a notable growth processing a total of 422,644 MT of cargo during CY 2023, indicating a 2% increase from previous year. BLR Airport continues to maintain its standing as a reliable hub for handling Perishable (PER) cargo in India for the third consecutive year, emphasizing its commitment to seamless cargo operations. The domestic sector soared with an impressive 11% growth, highlighting BLR’s strengthening position as a rapidly growing cargo hub in India. Perishables continued to be a key focus, with coriander exports surging by 67%. The export of mangoes reached a three-year tonnage record, achieving a 124% year-on-year growth. 684 MT of mangoes were exported, facilitated by an 86% increase in the number of pieces shipped. This accomplishment highlights BLR Cargo’s robust cold chain capabilities and dedication to efficient perishable handling. BLR Cargo’s strategic infrastructure developments in May 2023 welcomed two new Cargo terminal operators: Menzies Aviation Bangalore Pvt Ltd (MABPL) and WFS Bangalore Pvt Ltd (WFSBPL). MABPL provides dedicated facilities for domestic cargo and international cargo processing, while WFSBPL offers specialized cold chain capabilities in addition to international cargo processing. These partnerships are anticipated to enhance efficiency, expand capacity, and sustain cargo growth for the Airport in the coming years. The developments aim to elevate BLR Cargo’s cargo capacities to approximately ~1 million MT by the end of this decade. July 2023 also marked a significant milestone for BLR Cargo, handling the highest monthly domestic tonnage since the Airport’s opening, totaling 16,507 MT. Additionally, Oman Airlines commenced freighter operations last year, further diversifying and strengthening BLR Cargo’s global connectivity. As we reflect on 2023 as a year of resilience and milestone …