Cargo

Delhi, 27th February 2023: Cathay is excited to announce the launch of Cathay Cargo, a rebrand of its cargo business, and a change of name from Cathay Pacific Cargo. The change aligns with the airline’s overarching brand redesign, and reinforces the existing strong brand association and perceptions held by its customers. Cathay Cargo aligns with the same purpose, vision and values of our master brand Cathay and all of its subsidiary brands, including Cathay Pacific, the passenger airline, and Cathay, the everyday lifestyle offering. Cathay Cargo is united behind Cathay’s vision to become one of the world’s greatest service brands, and plays an integral role in helping to fulfil that aspiration through its world-class air cargo network, which transports products that facilitate trade across the entire Cathay network and beyond. Shipping directly to more than 70 destinations worldwide, Cathay Cargo is committed to advancing the development of all destination countries served by Cathay’s more than 200 aircraft. Group Chief Executive Officer Ronald Lam said: “Cathay’s cargo business has played a vital role in the success of the Cathay Group since 1946, when we carried our first shipment between China and Australia. Our cargo services operate out of our home base of Hong Kong, which is also the world’s busiest international air cargo hub. “This is an opportune moment to align our cargo business with the master brand as we continue our cargo investments in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area for a promising future. This rebrand reflects our Cargo business’ commitment to the same ‘Move Beyond’ ambition as the Group, while building on a strength that the Cathay brand has long been known for – offering leading-edge services to our customers.” Reflecting this commitment to invest, Cathay Cargo has recently introduced a number of exciting refreshed solutions, including Cathay Priority and Cathay Pharma. Cathay Mail is scheduled for a refresh in March. These services cater to the respective burgeoning demands by customers for effective temperature-sensitive solutions, and efficient and reliable delivery solutions with new digital technology that better meets the requirements for shipment visibility, reliability and speed. Director Cargo Tom Owen said: “Cathay Cargo continues to innovate new solutions, services and technology for customers as we build towards being one of the world’s greatest service brands. Continued investment in technology and logistics will solidify our position as a leading player in the industry.” Cathay Cargo has invested in technology in recent years. This includes Ultra Track, a multi-dimensional track-and-trace service that gives customers near-real-time information on the airport-to-airport leg of the shipment journey using low-energy Bluetooth data-loggers; and, Click & Ship, an intuitive online booking service available 24/7 with instant processing and confirmation. As part of its rebranding campaign, Cathay Cargo’s website has been revamped to reflect the brand ethos, and enable users to easily access popular features such as booking, track and trace, and flight availability, whilst also providing a clear showcase of recent campaign offers and featured solutions. The rebrand will connect Cathay Cargo to the master Cathay brand – a premium travel lifestyle brand offering a range of products and services that create more value for customers and partners. Cathay Cargo will have more exciting initiatives in the coming months as the company works toward a complete rebrand.

6th October 2022,New Delhi: IAG Cargo, the cargo division of International Airlines Group (IAG) hosted a roundtable at the JW Marriott Hotel in New Delhi to discuss key air cargo trends and business updates. Speakers included John Cheetham, Chief Commercial Officer at IAG Cargo, Yashpal Sharma, President of Air Cargo Forum India (ACFI) & Managing Director at Skyways Group, along with Pratul Shekhar, Senior Director Airfreight at DSV. IAG Cargo recently conducted a global survey of freight forwarders and logistics industry professionals to get their thoughts on the future of the industry. This served as a focal point of discussion, highlighting trends in digitalisation and sustainability. The results showed that the Indian market has heavily adopted online booking as a way of booking air-cargo with 76% of respondents declaring it as their primary booking method, compared to only 46% globally. In sharp contrast, the global market still relies on email as their primary channel for booking freight (53%). The roundtable addressed these statistics in line with the digital advancements taking place and how the speakers are preparing their businesses to adapt to the fast-paced technological changes, which they believe will take place at an even quicker rate compared to pre-pandemic. Indian freight forwarders and logistics professionals appear to place greater importance on sustainability than their global counterparts. 78% of those surveyed in India responded that their business has a sustainability strategy (the global response was 67%) and 68% said they considered sustainability to be “extremely important” compared to 38% in the global audience. The speakers talked about how sustainability is informing their business decisions and how they see the industry progressing with SAF goals. The number one concern of those surveyed was talent attraction and retention. This was particularly pronounced with respondents in India with 46% naming it as their number one business challenge. John Cheetham, Chief Commercial Officer at IAG Cargo said, “I am delighted to have had the opportunity to engage with thought leaders of the industry in India, a region in which IAG Cargo has long since had a strong presence. We have gained some valuable insights which will be hugely beneficial and applicable to our operations around the world.” Yashpal Sharma, President of ACFI & Managing Director at Skyways Group added “It was an insightful and thought-provoking round table session with some of the most inspiring folks from the industry. We came together to deliberate and discuss how both sustainability & digitization are taking the front seats for making informed business decisions by organizations across the trade in the air cargo industry. The outcomes of the remarkable global survey on cargo trends conducted by IAG Cargo prior to the roundtable are really interesting. The findings indicate how people are supporting increased automation and digitization worldwide. It is heartening to see that Indian representatives actively participated in the survey and mentioned about the high benchmarks of digital automation being achieved, along with future expectations set in enterprises. Additionally, the need to attract the right talent and retain them has also taken prominence for enterprises, globally. It is our responsibility to come forward and help build greener and more sustainable means of operations as well as transactions. Coupled with digitization, innovation and the need to move away from legacy systems, each one of us can contribute to reducing the carbon footprints in our own way, for the air cargo industry”. Pratul Shekhar, Senior Director Airfreight at DSV commented, “Thank you IAG cargo for taking this initiative to bring in the industry leaders of logistics and supply chain to address the future of Air Logistics in terms of automation, digitalisation and sustainability. Like IAG cargo, DSV is also working towards making the world more transparent, automated and sustainable”. IAG Cargo also announced that its winter 2022 schedule is offering more weekly services in India than pre-pandemic, with 112 weekly flights servicing 5 Indian airports.

Abu Dhabi, 22nd Sept. 2022: Etihad Cargo, the cargo and logistics arm of Etihad Aviation Group, has advanced its sustainability journey by becoming the first Middle Eastern carrier to participate in The International Air Cargo Association’s (TIACA) BlueSky programme. Following the March 2022 launch announcement of the air cargo industry’s first multi-sector sustainability verification programme and successful pilot programme, Etihad Cargo is one of the first participants to join the programme’s live operations. Other participants include organisations from airline, airport, ground handler, and general sales and service agents sectors. The first phase of the programme comprises an evidence-based desktop verification process in which participants can assess their progress against eight critical sustainability criteria, including decarbonisation, waste elimination, biodiversity protection, support for local economies and communities, impact on society improvement, efficiency and profitability, employee engagement, retention and development, and partnership building. Upon completion of the tailored assessment process, Etihad Cargo will receive a personalised dashboard which displays the carrier’s performance against the criteria. Later phases of the programme will include the option for a full onsite audit with an in-depth report that highlights areas for improvement. “Sustainability remains a key pillar of Etihad Cargo’s agenda,” said Martin Drew, Senior Vice President Global Sales & Cargo. “Although the air cargo industry has historically been considered less sustainable than other methods of transportation, the sector is making great strides in developing more sustainable solutions and is investing in fleet modernisation, fuel efficiency, sustainable aviation fuel and carbon compensation initiatives. “Participating in TIACA’s BlueSky programme is just the latest step Etihad Cargo has taken to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The assessment process will enable Etihad Cargo to more effectively measure the carrier’s performance and track its sustainability progress as it continues on its sustainability journey, which will benefit Etihad Cargo’s customers and the wider air cargo industry.” Over the past year, Etihad Cargo has embarked on several green initiatives, which include replacing 3,000 containers from its original aluminium unit load device (ULD) fleet with environmentally friendly lightweight versions. On the average wide-bodied flight, utilisation of these lighter ULDs can provide a weight-saving of over 200 kilogrammes, which has lowered fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. The carrier has also entered into a memorandum of understanding with B Medical Systems to develop and launch the world’s first airline-specific passive temperature-controlled solution for the transportation of life-saving drugs, vaccines and high-value pharmaceuticals. As these temperature-controlled container units utilise passive cooling technology, they do not require an external power source. They can retain temperatures from -80 to 25 degrees Celsius for five days while still significantly reducing carbon emissions.

National,19th July,2022: UPS announced an expansion of its global smart logistics network with a new airport gateway facility in India at Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (BLR). With this added capacity, a new Boeing 747-8 flight will now be able to further connect our customers in India with more international trade opportunities in Asia, Europe and the Americas. “Customers are at the core of our strategy and we’re on a mission to deliver what matters for them,” said Deepak Shrivastava, UPS Managing Director for Indian Subcontinent. “According to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, for the first time, in financial year 2022, exports have surpassed $400 billion, demonstrating the strength of India’s supply chains and the resilience of its small businesses. We’re here to support that growth.” This is UPS’s second dedicated airport gateway facility in India after opening its Delhi airport gateway in 2020 and another example of how UPS is empowering local businesses to grow, expand to new markets and compete globally. The Bengaluru facility will provide in-house customs clearance and serve as a cross-border trade link for southern India, giving customers an extended pick-up time of up to two hours, while strengthening supply chains for cross-border trade. The new flight and airport gateway follow the launch earlier this year of a new logistics brand for the Indian market, MOVIN, which is a joint venture between UPS and InterGlobe Enterprises to serve the needs and demands of the fast-paced Indian market. “We look forward to welcoming UPS’s 747-8 aircraft, further connecting Bengaluru to the world,” said Satyaki Raghunath, Chief Strategy & Development Officer at Bangalore International Airport Ltd. “Our airport is on track to become a world-class cargo hub powered by leading global logistics provider like UPS, who are meeting the exponential growth of e-commerce and boosting trade for businesses in southern India.” With the new flight scheduled to pass through BLR five times a week, and with six weekly flights coming into Delhi, the opening of the Bengaluru gateway almost doubles the number of flight rotations for UPS in India. The 747-8 is the largest aircraft in the UPS fleet, which means more capacity with a payload of 307,000 pounds, translating to lower emissions with fewer flights needed. By using owned aircraft, UPS also gives businesses the peace of mind they need when dealing with supply chain complexity. The UPS air network features a fleet of almost 600 aircraft delivering to over 220 countries and territories around the world. This is the third year in a row that UPS has introduced new flights into its network, after services to and from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in 2020, and to and from Osaka Kansai, to and from New Delhi and Cologne and Naples/Milan and Cologne in 2021.

New Delhi, 29th June, 2022: Air Cargo Forum India (ACFI) formulates a new board for a term of 2 consecutive years 2022-2024 at the Annual General Meeting held on 29th June 2022. Yashpal Sharma, MD – Skyways Group has been appointed as the President of ACFI for this period. Cyrus Katgara, the past President handed over the mantle to new board. Katgara will be part of the current board as Ex Officio. He will continue supporting ACFI to achieve its goals and help boost the Indian economy. The “Air Cargo Forum India” – ACFI is an association of all key stakeholders of Air Cargo Logistics Supply Chain Industry consisting of Airlines, Airport Operators, Cargo Terminal Operators, Freight Forwarders, Customs Brokers, Express Industry, Bonded Truckers, etc. Its objective is to steer and promote the development of air cargo logistics industry in India and make it at par with the best Air Cargo ecosystems of the world. It is one of a kind and the only nationwide association that has representation in the Governing Board from all stakeholders of the industry. ACFI has been working very closely with the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) on its vision to achieve the goal of taking Indian air space to 10 million MT by 2030-31 from the current 3.1 million MT. During the 10th ACFI Annual Event held in May 2022, the Minister of Civil Aviation, Jyotiraditya M. Scindia himself stated that Air Cargo had started as an underdog during pandemic. However, it has now emerged as a game changer and has ably adopted to the changing environment. It is now time for the entire cargo community to push the pedals harder and ensure they succeed in achieving the vision 2030-31. He also appreciated the efforts of ACFI towards the growth of Indian Air Cargo industry. Yashpal Sharma, the newly elected President said, “I would like to thank my co-founding Members, Past Presidents, the ACFI secretariat and all board members of the past, for their invaluable and passionate contribution to ACFI and the air cargo community. It would be my utmost endeavour to work with the new board members and focus to achieve the Vision and Objectives of ACFI. While we have aligned ourselves to MoCA’s target of 10 MMT by 2030-31 but it would need a determined effort from all of us to galvanize process improvements, sync all stakeholders including Government agencies and set short-term, mid-term and long-term goals and more importantly execute them to perfection within the set timelines. “There is a huge shift in people’s mindset in the logistics sector and they want to move towards ease of doing business. The industry will be strengthened by improved infrastructure and become more effective by adopting digitization and with our PM’s Gati Shakti the government of India is focusing immensely on the logistics and air cargo industry. Our aim is to position Air Cargo as the choicest mode of transportation in India and make it globally admired for its efficiency,” said Sanjiv Edward, the newly elected ACFI Vice President.

6th June 2022; India : IAG Cargo, the cargo division of International Airlines Group (IAG), touched down in Dallas and Washington DC on 1st June 2022 from Madrid Barajas airport, marking the inaugural routes with the welcoming of a water cannon salute to commemorate the significance of both new routes. The new routes will be utilising the belly capacity of an Iberia Airbus A332 aircraft, four times a week from Madrid Barajas airport, with the capacity to hold c. 20 tonnes of cargo. These two new routes add to over 120 weekly connections between Spain and the USA, with flights already departing twice a day to New York and Miami from Madrid. The additional routes act as a gateway to other American destinations by truck. Pravin Singh, Vice President Commercial, Americas at IAG Cargo commented: “It is always exciting to see IAG Cargo launch a new route, so two new routes between Madrid and the USA is even better and provides our customers with further opportunities to move their cargo between the regions. The launch of the new routes between Madrid and Dallas and Madrid and Washington DC highlights IAG Cargo’s commitment to offering our customers accessibility into new markets and expanding our wide-body network across the globe.” IAG Cargo continues to strengthen its presence in the West now offering 8 destinations into the USA from Madrid including New York, Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston, Washington DC, Dallas and San Francisco. Popular commodities transported between the regions include electronic parts and textiles, as well as industrial goods and machinery.

India, August3, 2021: DHL Express and Eviation, the Seattle-area based global manufacturer of all-electric aircraft, announced the first order of 12 fully electric Alice eCargo planes from Eviation. With this engagement DHL aims to setup an unparalleled electric Express network and make a pioneering step into a sustainable aviation future. Eviation’s Alice is the world’sleading fully electric aircraft, which enables airlines – both cargo and passenger – to operate a zero-emission fleet.Eviation expects to deliver the Alice electric aircraft to DHL Express in 2024. “We firmly believe in a future with zero-emission logistics,” says John Pearson, CEO of DHL Express. “Therefore, our investments always follow the objective of improving our carbon footprint. On our way to clean logistics operations, the electrification of every transport mode plays a crucial role and will significantly contribute to our overall sustainability goal of zero emissions. Founded in 1969, DHL Express has been known as a pioneer in the aviation industry for decades. Wehave found the perfect partner with Eviation as theyshare our purpose, and together we will takeoff into a new era of sustainable aviation.” “From day one, we set an audacious goal to transform the aviation industry and create a new era with electric aircraft,” said Eviation CEO Omer Bar-Yohay. “Partnering with companies like DHL who are the leaders in sustainable e-cargo transportation is a testament that the electric era is upon us. This announcement is a significant milestone on our quest to transform the future of flight across the globe.” The aircraft is ideal for feeder routes and requires less investment in station infrastructure. The Alice can be charged while loading and unloading operations occur, ensuring quick turnaround times that maintain DHL Express’ tight schedules.

July 5, 2021- Israel Aerospace Industries’ (IAI)Aviation Group has agreed to establish a passenger to freighter conversion site to convert the Boeing 737-700/800 with Atitech company, at Atitech’s leading MRO center in Naples, Italy; this, following the rise in demand for cargo aircraft of this model. The cargo conversion site in Italy will join two existing cargo conversion sites in China. Atitech MRO is a global company with extensive experience in aviation and is certified by the Federal Administration Agency (FAA Part 145) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA Part 145). The MRO center will supply solutions in maintenance and aircraft renovation, converting passenger aircraft to cargo configuration. In addition, it will provide training and support in licensing and registration. The establishment of the center is a testament to IAI’s growing impact around the world. President of Atitech, Gianni Lettieri said, “By signing this contract with IAI we will restart the high-tech activity done when the North Capodichino Plant, today Atitech, belonged to Aeronavali Venice and specialized in conversion of DC8-DC10-MD10-MD1. I am personally glad to see Atitech expanding its services portfolio with this new very high-tech product, in line with the strategy of the company targeting to make the Italian National MRO (Polo delleManutenzioni). Freighter conversions require huge investment, advanced technology, and skilled personnel, with high barriers to entry in the sector.Atitech, possessing all the above and the know-how to retrofit Boeing’s passenger aircraft, looks forward to building support and cooperation with IAI.Based on its world-class MRO infrastructure, Atitech will convert in parallel, two aircraft, in a nose to tail lines contributing to strengthening the competitiveness of the Italian aviation industry.” Executive VP of IAI and General Manager of Aviation Group, Yossi Melamed, said: “Establishing the first cargo conversion site in Europe is a historical step for IAI. The company started its path almost 70 years ago as a maintenance house for airplanes, since then IAI has become a world-leading name in converting passenger aircraft to freighters. Today, IAI’sconverted freighter aircraft serve the world’s largest cargo companies, and most of the e-commerce market. Atitech MRO was selected as a business partner to provide a solution to the European market among other markets as well. I feel confident the collaboration between these companies will mutually contribute toIAI and Atitech business.” ( News Based on Press Release shared by IAI).