august2021 - 32

CARGO MATTERS
outbreak of COVID-19. Delhi airport developed
temperature-controlled facilities with
150,000 metric tonnes of handling capacity
comprising multiple temperature range
chambers.
The airport has also acquired modern
ground handling equipment, including cool
dollies to carry cargo to maintain the cool
chain from the terminals to the aircraft.
The International Air Transport Association
(IATA) has given Delhi airport an AWB360
certification, the first for an Indian airport,
for paperless cargo processing.
GMR Hyderabad International Airport
Limited (GHIAL) is also working to transform
itself to a major cargo hub given the concentration
of pharmaceutical companies in its
surrounding region.
S.G.K. Kishore, executive director - south
and chief innovation officer, GMR Airports,
has said that India's air cargo business has
been witnessing an annual growth of 11 percent
in the pre-pandemic years.
He spoke of " strong indicators " suggesting
" robust market growth " in India. He cited the
new National Air Cargo Policy supporting
industry policies such as National Integrated
Logistic Policy (NILP), EXIM Policy, Free
Trade Agreements and Air Service Agreements
for paving the way for the progress of
air cargo business in India. Air trade is seen as
an important driver in India's trade.
According to Kishore, GHIAL is trying to
build the necessary infrastructure facilities.
GHIAL's expansion plans for the existing
facilities have been vindicated by the strong
double-digit growth in cargo traffic.
It has been adding new infrastructure,
transshipment facilities, integrated express
terminal, dedicated perishable facilities, pack
houses and dense network of international
and domestic - air and road - multimodal
connectivity.
Hyderabad airport, which is currently handling
annual cargo volume of about 100,000
metric tonnes, illustrates how it can evolve to
become a transit cargo hub. Lufthansa Cargo
has already identified Hyderabad airport as
its pharma hub, with Cathay Pacific recently
adding twice weekly Boeing 747 freighter service
to the airport. In addition, Thai Airways
and Blue Dart are offering main-deck through
their Boeing 747-400F MD-11F and Boeing
757F freighters.
Also, about 18 scheduled airlines, including
13 international, have cargo bases at Hyderabad
airport, with belly capacity space ranging
from 2 to 3 tonnes in a 737 type aircraft, and
20-25 tonnes in the larger 747-type aircraft.
Hyderabad airport, keen on promoting
exports of coronavirus vaccine doses to other
countries, has entered an agreement with Dubai
airport to build an exclusive vaccine freight
corridor called " HYDXB-VAXCOR, " or the
Hyderabad to Dubai Global Vaccine Corridor.
According to the memorandum of understanding
(MoU), the two airports will handle
temperature sensitive vaccine shipments " for
further connections to various continents. "
India also needs large quantities of vaccines.
To meet India's heavy demand for vaccines
and life-saving medical supplies and equipment
amid the second pandemic wave, several
carriers have been flying these supplies
to India. These include Air Logistics Group,
FedEx Express, IAG Cargo, Air Canada Cargo,
Antonov Airlines, Oman Air, SpiceXpress,
Volga-Dnepr Airlines and Emirates SkyCargo,
among others.
Dubai-based Emirates SkyCargo flew 100
tonnes of relief materials free of charge from
Dubai to India during a three-week period in
May 2021 in support of the Indian community's
efforts to battle the second pandemic
wave. Under the Emirates India Humanitarian
Airbridge, Emirates donated cargo capacity
to transport essential supplies, such as relief
tents and thousands of oxygen cylinders, free
of charge on flights to Indian destinations.
Nabil Sultan, Emirates divisional senior vice
president, cargo underscored in recent statements
that Emirates was " deeply connected and
committed " to India.
Digitalization's Role in a
Bigger Success Story
Many experts believe that digitalization could
be a game-changer for India's air cargo traffic.
Counting on the prospects of the National Air
32 GROUND SUPPORT WORLDWIDE AUGUST 2021
Cargo Policy, Ram Menen, former Independent
Director, Expofreight, believes that digitalization
could raise the efficacy of Indian airports.
In his view, it is very important that all airports
and related authorities work with one
common system enabling all stakeholders to
access and interact with.
The growing importance of India in the
international supply chains for products such
as pharmaceuticals, including COVID-19 vaccines,
was also underlined by Alexander Konnen,
the managing director of time:matters, an
associate of Lufthansa Cargo.
" We work with Lufthansa-Cargo and organize
flights to India. Most shipments are destined
for Delhi airport. The delivery clearance
at Delhi Airport runs smoothly, " Konnen says.
But Konnen also points out that India could
be an " even bigger success story " if Indian airports
enhanced their level of digitalization.
time:matters operates airmates global
platform digitizing the market for On-Board
Courier services. Airmates is a software-based
platform for On-Board Courier services.
International cargo operators, generally,
feel that Indian airports still use unnecessary
paperwork. Many experts say that red tape
causes delays and this needs to be cut down
to a bare minimum.
" Indian airport infrastructure, particularly
at major airports, is good and facilitates our
smooth operation, " Konnen says, adding that
since time:matters sends belly-hold cargo, it
does not need special cargo flights.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Manik Mehta is a New York-based
journalist, who specializes in all the
aspects
of
including airlines,
aviation and logistics,
aircraft
leasing,
airports, infrastructure, cargo and
ground-handling, as well as global
markets, trade and business.
Photo courtesy of time:matters
august2021

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