Category Archives: Aviation

“Freight forwarders, especially the Indian IATA agents, must understand their own importance as domain experts who could make a lot of difference to the trading community, rather than just focusing on rates and credits,” says Samir J Shah, Director, JBS Jeena Logistics. “Since the Indian freight forwarders don’t project themselves as domain experts, it has resulted in other international stakeholders looking down upon us. To avoid this situation and to be able to perform better, I feel it’s high time we start supporting each other rather than being competitors because unless we go out and tell the world about our capabilities, their view of us is not going to change,” Shah adds. Today, international custodians, they take us for granted. Customs officials at the top levels are trying their best to bring in changes, but there’s so much resistance at the lower level, which unfortunately is supported by us because we as normal IATA agents are not in a position, because of so many market forces, and the way international exporters behave with us, we are not in a position to stand up and say, no, it’s not possible. So I think we might still have to undergo a little bit more trouble before we all start realizing that we are indispensable and we can show the rest of the stakeholders our usefulness, our utility and the fact that they need to understand that without us, their cargoes are not going to move,” he adds.

Logistics technology provider Pidge has joined the government-run Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) to accelerate e-commerce growth, specifically hyperlocal and same-city deliveries across India, says reports. By utilizing Pidge’s extensive network, which includes over 200 regional and national partners, the initiative seeks to increase e-commerce penetration beyond the current 5% level in the country.

Lufthansa Cargo is all set to expand its regional freighter network in July with the additional flights from Munich Airport for the first time, says release. The German cargo carrier said the flights will start on July 6, utilising its Airbus A321 freighters to connect Munich with Istanbul twice a week. Customers can already start booking flights on the service which will operate on Saturdays and Sundays with the flight numbers LH8350/LH8351 and LH8346/LH8347. Ashwin Baht, Chief Executive, Lufthansa Cargo said, “For our southern German customers in particular, Munich Airport offers ideal conditions for the fast and reliable transportation of airfreight, which ultimately also enables global business from another important European airport. With the launch of our cargo operations out of Munich, we are laying the foundation for aligning our network even more closely with the needs of our customers in the future and continuing to manage it flexibly.”

“In the next three years, we have got significant capacity coming in. IndiGo will be going into wide-body space with the A350, which presents a greater opportunity for cargo,” says Mark Sutch, CCO- Cargo, IndiGo. He adds, “The challenge I see in the short term is the imbalance between trade flows in India. For example, from the east, from China and North Asia, there’s a lot of import into India, and less export. To the west, there’s a lot of export out of India, particularly perishables and pharma into the west but on the import side, it’s slightly lighter. I think in the medium to long term, this will change significantly. Indian manufacturing is going to go up the value chain. Let’s take high-value goods such as mobile phones or tablets. China has been the center of manufacturing for those. But you now see quite a lot of China plus one strategy where organizations are moving their manufacturing to India. A lot of that is now for Indian domestic consumption. But in the next few years, that will also be for export purposes.”

Prediman Koul, Executive Director & Chief Operating Officer, Jeena & Company says, “Air cargo is much faster than sea cargo. While sea shipments can take weeks or even months to reach their destinations, air cargo can typically arrive within a matter of days, sometimes even hours. Air cargo is generally more reliable in terms of adhering to schedules. Sea cargo can be significantly impacted by weather conditions, port congestions, and other logistical challenges, leading to delays. For high-value or time-sensitive goods, such as pharmaceuticals or urgent automotive parts, air cargo is a more secure and expedited option.”

Vipin Vohra, Chairman, Continental Carriers says, “The disruptions in sea freight due to the ‘Red Sea’ issue will significantly affect the air cargo market by increasing volumes and placing strain on capacity. This will result in higher transportation costs and logistical challenges. Shippers and carriers will need to adapt to these changes by adjusting their logistics strategies, possibly increasing their reliance on air freight in the short term while navigating the associated challenges and costs.

Kunal Maheshwari, Chief Growth Officer, Soflink Global says, “Strong demand for air cargo is outpacing available capacity, creating a squeeze. This imbalance leads to difficulties in securing space, simultaneously raising freight rates. While overall volumes are high, some specific routes might face temporary limitations due to logistical constraints.”

Huned Gandhi, MD Air and Sea Logistics, Indian Subcontinent, Dachser India says, “The delays in sea freight have affected productions lines and the industry has no choice but to bridge the gap with airfreight. This has also caused a capacity crunch and increased costs for airfreight. Much of the overflow seen into airfreight is Sea LCL shipments which are getting diverted by air freight, and occasionally, some bigger shipments (FCLs) are also being converted to air freight mode.”

AerCap has signed lease agreements for four 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighter (BCF) aircraft with JD Airlines, the cargo airline of JD Logistics, says press release. Scheduled for delivery in 2024, the aircraft will be operated on behalf of JD Logistics, the subsidiary of JD.com, a major supply chain-based technology and service provider in China. The aircraft will be based in Nantong Xingdong International Airport and will operate routes between the major economic hubs of Nantong, Beijing, Shenzhen, Wuxi, as well as across Asia. Dublin-headquartered AerCap currently has three 737-800BCF aircraft on lease to JD Airlines.

Amit Maheshwari, Founder and CEO, Softlink Global says, “The future of air cargo governance is taking flight with IATA ONE Record replacing Cargo-IMP and XML. This shift brings both complexity and opportunity. Expect stricter regulations: ONE Record ushers in a more rigid framework for managing carbon emissions and potentially autonomic operations. Agility is key: Businesses of all sizes must adapt to comply with evolving local and international environmental guidelines. Embrace flexibility: Solutions like Logi-Sys can help navigate this complexity, ensuring seamless integration and compliance with upcoming regulations.”