Kenya Airways is introducing a pair of Boeing 737-800 converted freighters in order to expand its cargo capacity. The flag-carrier says the freighters will contribute to its “diversification strategy” and address a “growing demand” for cargo carriage in the region. Kenya Airways currently operates a pair of older 737-300 freighters. It indicated that it was launching 737-800F operations during a logistics event in Nairobi this week, and said a second aircraft is due to enter service in February next year. “With the addition of this [new] freighter, Kenya Airways will now offer increased cargo capacity to existing routes as well as new cargo destinations,” said chief executive Allan Kilavuka. He said there is a need for African entities to invest in sustainable freight operations – including air cargo – to advance socio-economic development.

Blue Dart Express celebrated its 40 years of of excellence and nationwide expansion plans. Strategically positioned in key cities such as Kolkata, Asansol, Delhi, Agra, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Gandhinagar, Katni, Nainpur, Mumbai, Aurangabad, Bhiwandi, and Indore, this expansion indicates a significant step towards strengthening Blue Dart’s connectivity across the nation. With this expansion, the company has rapidly increased its footprint with over 100+ new stores this year, enabling customers to ship to more than 56,000 locations across the country. Collaborating with DHL, Blue Dart boasts a network of over 700+ retail stores throughout India, providing a reliable, resilient, and responsive service that ensures swift delivery and expanded direct access to all pin codes nationwide. Balfour Manuel, Managing Director, Blue Dart, states, “Blue Dart is strategically expanding its footprint by adding new stores. This move aims not only to enhance customer convenience but also to fortify last-mile logistics in remote corners of the country.” As Blue Dart celebrates 40 years of excellence, the company looks forward to continuing its legacy of ‘Connecting People, Improving Lives.’ This milestone underscores Blue Dart’s commitment to being the nation’s trade facilitator.

DTDC Express Ltd. joins ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce) to revolutionize e-commerce logistics in India and empower sellers on the network by leveraging emerging technologies. The move underlines DTDC’s commitment towards local businesses and small e-commerce sellers by ensuring access to the required tools and support in the largely evolving digital landscape. As DTDC Express Ltd. onboards the ONDC Network, it aims to further enhance its positioning as a leader in providing cutting-edge logistics services. In a first-of-its-kind ONDC ecosystem, DTDC plans to leverage its expertise in Express and standard B2C deliveries on the back of a stable and reliable network connecting different parts of the country. Through robust engagement with ONDC’s Network of 1.5 L sellers and small- entrepreneurs, DTDC Express Ltd., with its massive physical network of ~15,000 Channel Partners serving ~96% of the Indian population, aspires to achieve 1500 – 2000 shipments per day by the end of this year and continue to scale further.

Kale Logistics (Kale) and its partner, Dagang Net Technologies have been awarded the Malaysia Maritime Single Window (MMSW) contract by Port Klang Authority and its nine subsidiary ports in Malaysia. Under the contract, both parties will jointly develop and implement the MMSW platform, connecting Malaysia’s ports to create the largest network of tech-enabled ports in a single country. Malaysia is at the forefront of global efforts to implement the Maritime Single Window (MSW) ahead of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO)’s mandatory deadline of January 1, 2024. “Kale is helping Malaysia to set new standards of innovation in the Asia Pacific region and establish benchmarks for other countries to follow with the implementation of MMSW,” said Vineet Malhotra, Co-Founder and Director, Kale. “By interconnecting nine ports, set to support 40,000 vessel calls annually alongside Port Klang, the country is poised to optimise its maritime industry and enhance port efficiency to unprecedented levels.” MMSW is a national digital platform that streamlines trade and shipping services by creating a central database to facilitate end-to-end information flow, simplifying maritime regulatory and port service transactions through a single sign-on and submission. Kale’s ready-to-use MSW platform is compliant with IMO standards and enables information and documentation to be transferred electronically between maritime and port stakeholders, which will become a compulsory requirement from the start of 2024. According to The Dagang Net Group, the acceptance of the MMSW project will complement the existing National Single Window system of Dagang NeXchange Berhad (DNeX), the parent company of wholly-owned subsidiary Dagang Net, and positively impact the group’s earnings and net assets per share from the 2023 financial year onward. “Dagang Net’s strategic partnership with Kale strengthens its capability to …

The Air Cargo Agents Association of India (ACAAI) is all set to host its 47th Annual Convention in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia tonight. Get ready to be part of India’s biggest air cargo convention which will focus on Artificial Intelligence as the Game Changer and Embracing the Intelligent Future. The convention will provide an exclusive platform to the global industry stakeholders to meet, greet and discuss potential opportunities, trends and challenges. The key highlights include AI transforming air cargo, ensuring safety and security of air cargo, advanced technologies bringing in revolution in air cargo and logistics. “The industry needs to know the benefits of AI implementation in air cargo business. The concept is still not common in India, and we need to aware them,” says CK Govil, President, ACAAI.

Global airfreight rates continued to rise last week as weather conditions, volcanic activity and wars put capacity under pressure. The latest figures from TAC Index show that the overall Baltic Air Freight Index was up 4.6% in the week to November 20 compared with the previous seven days. The increases were led by China as prices out of Hong Kong increased by 11.5% compared with a week earlier and are now down by 2.2% compared with a year ago. Outbound Shanghai increased by 5.3% compared with a week earlier reducing its year-on-year decline to 1.3% “led by double-digit gains to Europe”. “Rates from both Hong Kong and Shanghai to the US are now comfortably above where they were a year ago”, TAC said in its weekly round-up. “The overall rise was driven largely by some big moves out of China, with capacity seemingly impacted by various events including heavy snowfall in Anchorage, disrupting TransPacific traffic, plus volcanoes and earthquakes elsewhere in addition to the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.” There have been 1000s of earthquakes in Iceland over recent weeks as a volcano on the island is on the verge of eruption.

Calcutta’s Industrial & Logistics sector to record a 5-year high supply at 5.2 million square feet in 2023 and the city is witnessing an inflow of institutional funding from corporates looking to set up their facilities, CBRE South Asia, the international realty consultancy firm said in a report. The Industrial and Logistics (I&L) sector in Calcutta will record a 5-year high supply in 2023 as a result of the completion of pent-up projects across the city and its peripheries. Total I&L supply in 2023 is likely to touch 5.2 million square feet. Anshuman Magazine, Chairman & CEO – India, South-East Asia, Middle East & Africa, CBRE, said, “the current real estate landscape in the state, particularly in Calcutta, is witnessing a transformative phase where the infusion of quality supply is fueling absorption, propelling the growth trajectory of the state’s real estate sector. Our observation of the Industrial & Logistics sector in Calcutta recording a 5-year high supply in 2023 with a notable absorption underscores the sector’s resilience and dynamism. The anticipated absorption of 3.5 million sq. ft. in CY 2023 indicates a positive outlook for leasing activities, suggesting a potential surge in demand for commercial spaces.

Freight Systems proudly announces the grand opening of new edge certified Green Intelligent warehouse and fulfilment center in Gurugram, India. The Fulfilment centre adopts the latest technologies in warehouse design and optimized workflows for efficient and fulfilment of On-Time-in-Full Fulfilment of orders. With 20,000 pallet locations and storage area of approx. 550,000 square feet, center is strategically located in close proximity to National Highway-48, IMT Manesar, MET Jhajjar, ICD Garhi Harsaru, ICD Patli, Western Peripheral Highway, and Rewari Link Road. The State of the Art Oracle Based Warehouse Management system fully integrated with our Purchase order Management System – FRESCON provides real time visibility to all stake holders across global supply chains. “This warehouse will serve a wide array of industries, including automotive, FMCG, white goods, apparel, retail, pre-packed foods, electronics & hi-tech products, home appliances, and healthcare. Our latest facility is a testament to our commitment to meeting customer needs efficiently and a symbol of our unwavering commitment to a sustainable future. With this new center, we’re poised to deliver an even more responsive and seamless customer service experience,” says officials.

Qatar Airways Cargo announced its latest product, Drive, designed to transport various types of automobiles by air, Drive caters to the unique requirements of each vehicle – be it regular cars, vintage cars, premium or luxury models, new cars and sports cars. It underscores the carrier’s commitment to delivering meticulous solutions for both personal and commercial vehicles. Miguel Rodriguez Moreno, Head of Cargo Products said, “Drive exemplifies our unwavering commitment to precision and customer centricity. With this product, we combine technical proficiency, experienced teams and charter solutions to offer a tailored experience for the transportation of automobiles. We take pride in our expert and dedicated teams who have been involved in transporting vehicles for several years including vehicles for many global racing events. Our rigorous and meticulously designed training ensures that our dedicated staff follow handling protocols diligently at every stage of the journey.” Drive offers customers the ability to move different types of high value vehicles with engine and wheels in a safe and efficient manner, on the airline’s freighters and passenger flights to more than 160 belly-hold and over 70 freighter destinations as well as to those destinations that are not part of its scheduled services. The Drive product is equipped to offer full or part-charters catering to the airline customers’ requests, and ensuring that even the most unique and exclusive automobiles are transported with the utmost care. The airline’s specialist teams from Special Loads, Dangerous Goods, Operations, Charters and its Loadmasters collaborate to offer the optimal loadability and cost-effective solutions for all vehicles being transported. Safety is paramount and the teams take extreme caution ensuring all safety measures are followed, and vehicles are tied down and secured …

Mumbai Port Chairman Rajiv Jalota recently unveiled the highly anticipated Logi-Sys Arena, coined as The Crucible of Innovation. This initiative by Softlink Global marks a turning point in the logistics industry, emphasizing collaboration, innovation, and elevation. Logi-Sys Arena, envisioned by Amit Maheshwari of Softlink Global, emerges not just as a physical space but as a beacon of transformative ideas and innovations. Maheshwari’s vision of a collaborative platform takes physical form in this state-of-the-art facility. While dedicating the innovation center here in Mumbai, Chairman of Mumbai Port, Rajiv Jalota, said, “This visionary step of Logi Sys Arena promises to elevate not just logistics but the entire business landscape.” Dignitaries from many leading associations, veterans from the trade and new generation logisticians witness this historic launch, expressing optimism about the positive impact Logi-Sys Arena will have on India’s logistics and trade ecosystem. “The center will serve as a crucible for innovation, providing specialized training sessions, webinars, brainstorming forums, workshops, and mentorship programs. These initiatives are designed to empower professionals to forge solutions that will positively impact the global supply chain.” remarks Amit Maheshwari, founder & CEO of Softlink Global.