Designed for freight forwarders and anyone involved in shipment planning, Cargo Flights is an easy-to-use system that gives instant access to more than 700,000 direct and connecting flights worldwide – including international, domestic and non-stop schedules – and enables the planning of complex routings.

Release 2.0, with its added functionality, offers a number of new features, including options to build a flight plan and save for future reference, store ‘favourite’ routes and manage flight plans by adding additional flight segments complete with special shipment notes. Additional benefits include new filters to minimise search times, a multi-airport city search facility and icon identification of any change of aircraft en route. Comprehensive user support for Cargo Flights is provided through a dedicated microsite.
Anthony Bayliss, Cargo Product Director, commented: “We’re very excited about this new release of Cargo Flights. With the exciting new features we’ve added, we’ve been able to reduce significantly the time it takes to plan and manage even the most complex route plans.”

Cathay Pacific Director Cargo Nick Rhodes said: “India is an increasingly important market for our cargo business. Hyderabad is one of the major hubs for the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals in India, accounting for around one-third of the country’s drug production, so we expect a strong demand for our specialized Pharma LIFT products and services. For Bengaluru, we have been seeing increasing demand since we launched our freighter service last August and we believe the time is right for an additional flight each week.”

General Manager South Asia, Middle East & Africa, Tom Wright said, “Hyderabad is an emerging market in terms of both imports and exports. We believe in the potential of India and with the launch of our new Hyderabad freighter and the additional service to Bengaluru we look forward to strengthening our position in the country.”
The Hyderabad service will operate on a Hong Kong-Delhi-Bengaluru-Hyderabad-Hong Kong routing every Thursday and a Hong Kong-Chennai-Hyderabad-Hong Kong routing on Sundays. The third weekly flight to Bengaluru will operate via Mumbai on Saturdays, in addition to the current flights every Monday and Thursday.
“The launch of these new flights will reinforce Cathay Pacific’s position as one of the biggest airfreight operators in India. The latest schedule enhancements mean that Cathay Pacific will operate 19 cargo flights a week to five major commercial cities: Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad,” added Mr Rhodes.

Saudi Airlines Cargo Co. has announced that it is to introduce a third weekly freighter from Dhaka, Bangladesh, commencing 14 April 2012. The decision follows the success of its two weekly freighters from Dhaka to the Kingdom and beyond. This additional B747 flight will be routed DAC – RUH – BRU and beyond and is expected to fulfill current market demand.

Saudia Cargo is the leading carrier in the DAC market. With a capacity of 10 passenger flights on B777/B747 aircraft and 3 B747 freighters, the airline will now offer a combined capacity of 450 tons per week to the market. The freighter will operate on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

“We see strong demand continuing for our freighter product in Dhaka and, by adding our third frequency, we expect this current demand to be fulfilled. Our third freighter is a commitment to our business partners and associates that they can count on Saudia to deliver on its promise,” commented Keku Gazder, Director Indian Sub Continent at Saudi Airlines Cargo.

Extension of an efficient contract – The present contract prolongs the existing cooperation between the two groups in the components sphere. The services delivered by AFI KLM E&M fully satisfied Atlas Air on both quality and price. Atlas Air, a unit of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc. A global provider of outsourced aircraft and aviation operating services, has decided to modify its approach to maintenance by taking greater control over it via insourcing. Nevertheless, it will continue its trust-based relationship with AFI KLM E&M, which will again have a significant role in this new contract, that demonstrated once again AFIKLM E&M Adaptiveness. The two organizations have agreed to modify the scope of the component support services provided for a closer match to their mutual requirements.

Rob Pruim, AFI KLM E&M Vice President Sales International said: “for many years now, we have a very strong partnership with Atlas Air on several maintenance activities. We are pleased to earn its trust again for the coming years on 747-400 components support and to contribute to the operational integrity of Atlas Air fleet.”

Larry Gibbons, Atlas Air Vice President, Procurement said: “We have enjoyed a strong working relationship with KLM since our aircraft began global flying in 1993. KLM has been supportive of the continuing growth of our industry-leading operations, and we look forward to KLM’s ongoing assistance as we capitalize on the scale and scope of our modern, efficient fleet to drive performance and value for our customers and investors.”

Airbus signs agreement for second Indian pilot training centre

Airbus has signed an agreement with CAE Simulator Training on the opening day of India Aviation inHyderabad, to set up a second Indian pilot and maintenance crew training centre. The centre will be located in Noida nearNew Delhi. CAE Simulator Training is a joint venture between InterGlobe andCanada’s flight simulator company CAE.

The agreement follows a ground breaking ceremony held in Noida in November 2011. The centre will be fully operational by 2013, and will have a capacity to train up to 5,000 crews annually, making it one of the biggest training facilities of its type in the region.

Noida is Airbus’ second Indian pilot training facility in addition to the Airbus Training India centre (ATI) which was opened inBangalorein 2007. The new facility will be spread over a 3.5 acre site and initially house up to six full-flight simulators with a capability to expand to eight simulator bays. Advanced training technology will be used such as CAE Simfinity multimedia classrooms, computer-based training and brief/debrief facilities.

The focus of the new Delhi training centre will be to provide “wet” and “dry” type-rating, recurrent, conversion and jet indoctrination training for commercial aircraft pilots. Programs will also be offered for maintenance technicians

Dr. Kiran Rao, Airbus Executive vice President sales and President Airbus India, said, “India remains one of the fastest-growing aviation markets in the world and in the long terms requires more aircraft and additional pilots and maintenance crews to fly them.Indiais a strategically important market and we strategic partnership like the new training centre will helpIndia’s aviation sector to grow and to prosper.”

Rahul Bhatia, Group Managing Director, InterGlobe, said, “Airbus and CAE’s participation in this initiative will give the much needed impetus to meet the talent needs of the civil aviation community.  We are confident that in due course this facility will emerge as a centre of excellence for not justIndiabutSouth Asiaoffering access to world-class training technology and solutions in to commercial aviation industry.”

Jeff Roberts, CAE Group President, Civil Simulation Products, Training and Services said, “The additional training capacity CAE is establishing with InterGlobe and Airbus in anticipation of further growth in India and neighboring regions will enable our airline customers to stay one step ahead of demand for aviation professionals trained using the most advanced technology available.”

While passenger traffic at Changi has been growing strongly over the past two years, the air cargo sector has been facing strong headwinds due to the ongoing economic slowdown in theUSandEurope, coupled with persistently high jet fuel prices. The International Air Transport Association has reported that the global air cargo market contracted 0.7% in 2011. Asia Pacific, the largest international air cargo market with 40% market share, declined the most by 4.8%. Although airfreight movements atChangiAirportrose by 2.8% to 1.87 million tonnes last year, it has only recovered to 2008 levels.

Under the CAGi scheme, CAG will also extend a 5% across-the-board rebate on landing fees for all passenger airlines atChangiAirportin the new financial year. Other CAGi incentives remain in place to support existing airlines’ traffic growth atChangiAirportand the launch of services to new destinations, as well as to attract new airlines. These rebates and incentives moderate operating costs for airlines atChangiAirportwhich together operate more than 6,100 flights each week.

Said Mr Lee Seow Hiang, CAG’s Chief Executive Officer, “ChangiAirportcould not have achieved its leading position as a key international air hub without the support of our valued airline and cargo partners through the years. We are hence fully committed to strengthening our relationship with them through win-win partnerships and support programmes that will enable our partners and us to overcome the challenges ahead together and sustain our mutual growth for the long-term.”

Bertrand Schmoll, CEO of ECS Group, said: “This new project is a very important step for ECS and our airline partners toAfrica. Firstly, we are offering an innovative cargo solution intoNigerto support its growing market. We will also offer unique logistics solutions in the region with our cargo aircraft which will be important with regard to intra-African business opportunities, especially withNigeriaandMali, as well as the domestic market. The registration of Niger Air Cargo will allow ECS to seal special pro-rate agreements with other carriers interested in this reliable link intoAfricaand intra-Africa.”

ECS Group expects a wide range of cargoes to be generated for the route, including communications equipment, apparel, healthcare products, fresh food and other perishables and relief goods.

Niger Air Cargo will operate its own warehouse inNiameywith a dedicated team of personnel. Working with ECS Group, it aims to establishNiameyas a hub for distribution to major cities inWest Africa. This will be supported by the location of a freighter aircraft inNiameyin the near future.

The IATA Cargo Committee confirmed its commitment to pursuing an agenda for improvements across the cargo industry supply chain, by deepening cooperative industry and regulatory relations, encouraging a quality standard benchmark, increasing safety vigilance, driving a paperless cargo future, and promoting the value of air cargo. In line with this, the Cargo Committee agreed to the following:

• Inviting the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA) to future Committee meetings to discuss issues of mutual concern
• Endorsement of the Cargo Agency modernization project recognizing the key role played by freight forwarders
• Making the Cargo 2000 Master Operating Plan an open-source global quality benchmark
• Investigate a data exchange programme for members to record dangerous goods incidents, to encourage greater safety vigilance
• Achieving the 100% e-Air Waybill (e-AWB) adoption target by 2014
• Urge civil aviation authorities to establish stakeholder programs similar to those established in Singapore, Hong Kong and Amsterdam, to accelerate e-freight adoption
• Pursue with regulators a harmonized security framework that is mutually recognized across all states.

“The theme of our Symposium was ‘partnership at work’ and we are committed to acting together not only as a united air cargo sector, but across the supply chain with our Freight Forwarder and Shipper partners. This week has seen the firm establishment of the Global Air Cargo Advisory Group (GACAG) as the single voice of industry on regulatory and sustainability issues. We have also established even stronger links with key regulators such as the US Transportation Security Administration and Customs and Border Protection, the European Union, World Customs Organization and ICAO,” said Des Vertannes, IATA’s Global Head of Cargo.

It was also announced that Ram Menen (Divisional SVP Emirates Cargo) has completed his term as Chairman of the Cargo Committee. The new chairman is Steve Gunning, managing director of  IAG Cargo. Gunning has served on the Cargo Committee since 2007 and brings 14 years of industry experience to this important role.