Voice of Indian Air Cargo Industry
Vo l 6 - I ssue 4 | OCT - DEC 2015
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As airlines and airports try to tap this segment there is a need to focus on ground realities
Pharma Logistics
19 26 Manoj Singh speaks about the cargo division of Mumbai International Airport Limited
airPort Focus
30 Indian airports depict enormous potential to be among the top airports in the world
sPeciaL rePort
Make in IndiaLocal is now global
ANNUAL CONVENTIONANNUAL CONVENTION
Ho Chi Minh City, VietnamDec 201516-19
Cover StoryIndIa and VIetnam to deepen tIes through ‘make In IndIa’
IntervIewWe look forWard to expand In asIa, at least In 10 countrIes
‘Make in India’ aimed at making India a global manufacturing hub, has garnered a lot of attention globally. Proving to be the most trending initiative since its inception a year ago and considering its impact on the air cargo industry, the 42nd ACAAI convention to be held in Vietnam will be based on the theme "Make in India - Local is now global".
During a recent visit to India Bertrand Schmoll, Chairman and CEO of ECS Group, speaks about ECS Group’s network expansion and adding more clients from around the world, particularly from Asian countries. Schmoll is accompanied by the group’s India managing director Rajendra Dubey as it looks to expand in Asia.
pharma transport by aIr: groWth WIth hIccupsAirlines and airports have been coming up in a big way to tap this segment, however, there is still a need to focus on the ground realities when it comes to the adoption of right knowledge, training and handling of such critical products which demand quality and safety.
SpeCIal Feature
maxImum cIty aIms for maxImum cargo
from aIrports to cargo hubs: an untapped potentIal
Manoj Singh, Vice President & Head of Cargo & Express at GVK MIAL, speaks about the cargo division of Mumbai International Airport Limited providing insight into the buzzing cargo complex that is implementing the master plan step by step to make it the top gateway port for India’s export and import cargo.
Presently, Indian airports boast of cargo hubs that meet world standards but cannot match top airports in Hong Kong and Dubai. However, their enormous potential cannot be ignored.
FoCuS: CSIa MuMbaI
SpeCIal report
30 aIr IndIa launches Its maIden delhI-san francIsco flIght
32 gVk csIa WIth csc organIses Iata ceIV In mumbaI
Air India commenced its first ever nonstop flight operations between Delhi and Silicon Valley hub, San Francisco.
GVK CSIA Mumbai in association with its concessionaire Cargo Service Centre (CSC) recently organised the “IATA Center of Excellence for Independent Validators (CEIV)” workshop in Mumbai.
newS
THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OFAIR CARGO AGENTS ASSOCIATION OF INDIA
(ACAAI)
ACAAI OFFICE BEARERS
PRESIDENTHemant Bhatia
VICE PRESIDENTT A Varghese
SECRETaRy gENERalSunil Arora
TREaSURERPraveen Menon
EDITORReji John
SPECIal CORRESPONDENTSJasleen Kaur
Lionel Alva [email protected]
MaRKETINgVikas Khadtale
[email protected] Mobile: +91 9820397514
DESIgN CONSUlTaNTPrasad Mohite
gRaPHIC DESIgNERRajesh Natrajan
DISCLAIMERViews expressed in the magazine
are not of aCaaI
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ContentsVOL 6 - ISSUE 4 • OCT - DEC 2015
aCaaI aGMhemant bhatIa elected acaaI presIdent unopposed14
19
22
26
Hemant Bhatia, the current vice president of Air Cargo Agents Association (ACAAI), has been elected unopposed as the new president of ACAAI at the annual general meeting held at Mumbai in September.
FroM the PresIdent's desk
and its potential for global scale & size
‘Make in India’
OCT - DEC 2015 | www.acaainews.com2
It is customary for The Air Cargo
Agents Association of India (ACAAI)
to hold its annual convention at the
end of each calendar year. ACAAI has
maintained this tradition during the
last 41 years. During the initial period,
the conventions were held at various
destinations in India. Since the beginning
of the new millennium, ACAAI has
changed the earlier practice of hosting
its annual conventions exclusively at
Indian destinations. From the year 2002,
a number of conventions have been
held at overseas destinations, beginning
with the Colombo convention in 2002.
This has been a notable development,
as, although ACAAI is an Association of
Indian air cargo agents, its members
have global exposure, experience, and
business dealings. Hence, holding a
convention at overseas venues enables
the participants to gain meaningful
insights into the culture, lifestyle, sights
and sounds of the host city, and, of
course, understand its business practices
and perspectives. It also provides the
host country an opportunity to learn
about ACAAI and its various activities,
as well as about the logistics industry in
India.
In 2015, the 42nd annual convention
of ACAAI will be held at Ho Chi
Minh City, Vietnam, from 16 to 19
December 2015.
Each convention has a theme, which
becomes the focus of the deliberations
during the event. Accordingly, the theme
of this year’s convention is “Make in
India – Local is now global”.
This theme is most appropriate in the
context of the “Make in India” initiative
of the Honourable Prime Minister
Shri Narendra Modi and the Union
Government of India. This path-breaking
initiative has the potential to transform
business and industry in India to global
scale and size. The government is
rapidly finalizing the modalities and
processes which are required to upscale
this initiative to the take-off stage.
Prime Minister Modi has identified this
programme as one of the potential
drivers for the growth of Indian industry
and its economy. Although the Indian
economy is projected as one of the
fastest growing economies globally by
international agencies and organizations,
much of this growth has centered
around the services industry, particularly
IT services till now. The “Make in India”
concept will give a huge boost to the
manufacturing sector, thereby providing
tremendous scope for investment,
growth and employment opportunities.
Hence, the importance of this initiative
cannot be overstated.
It must be borne in mind that the services
industry has already become a successful
“Make in India” story. During the last
few years, the Indian services sector,
particularly the IT services segment,
has developed a formidable reputation
globally on account of its capability
and quality. Our vast pool of young
manpower with technical qualifications,
English language skills and problem
solving abilities have been the key factors
behind this success story. We can expect
similar success in the implementation
of “Make in India” in the manufacturing
industries.
However, there are numerous challenges
which have to be tackled on a war footing
for the expeditious implementation of this
programme. The elimination of regulatory
impediments, simplification of rules,
regulations and procedures, abolition
of obsolete practices, simplification of
the tax system and upgradation and
expansion of the existing infrastructure,
are a few of the measures which will
be essential in this regard. Nevertheless,
with the serious intent and purposeful
functioning of the central government
under the dynamic leadership of Prime
Minister Modi, there is a growing
confidence and positive sentiment in the
business community that this initiative
will become a reality in the near future,
and that it will change the face of Indian
industry, and transform it to a higher
growth trajectory in the next few years.
The central government is in the process
of simplifying rules to make them
contemporary and in tune with the
requirements of global trade. Outdated
regulations are being abolished from the
statute books in tune with the mantra
of "Ease of Doing Business” in India.
Rules, regulations, procedures pertaining
to financial transactions, banking
regulations, labour laws, land acquisition,
amongst others, are being reviewed and
amended to make them suitable to the
needs of the new order. Comprehensive
new regulations, such as Goods and
Services Tax (GST), which will align our
tax regime with global practices, are
expected to be introduced in the next
year or two.
ACAAI convention this year will focus
on the Indian scenario, and examine
the huge opportunity that will become
available due to “Make in India”. There
will be six interactive sessions, which
will be addressed by eminent speakers
from various business segments.
The participants will have adequate
opportunity to interact with the speakers
during these sessions.
The choice of Ho Chi Minh City in
Vietnam as the convention venue is quite
appropriate, considering the standing
of Vietnam as a strong emerging
economy in the Asia Pacific Region, and
one of India’s important trade partners.
Vietnam, which is one of the biggest
exporters of garments globally, has
experienced strong growth during the
past few years, particularly in the first half
of 2015, driven by private consumption
and foreign direct investment. The ADB
forecast for economic development in
Vietnam is 6.6 percent in 2016. The trade
between Vietnam and India is expected
to grow substantially in the next few
years. Representatives from Civil Aviation
Authority of Vietnam, airlines and
Vietnam Logistics Business Association
are expected to attend the convention,
thereby providing opportunity to
network with the local regulators, airlines
and freight forwarders association.
I am sure that the ACAAI Convention 2015
will be a resounding success, and all the
participants will benefit immensely from
this experience.
Hemant Bhatia President
Air Cargo Agents Association of India
(ACAAI)
OCT - DEC 2015| www.acaainews.com 3
OCT - DEC 2015 | www.acaainews.com4
JAsLeen KAur
India and Vietnam to deepen ties through
‘Make in India’
With an aim to
explore trade
opportunities,
the 42nd annual
convention organised by the
Air Cargo Agents Association
of India (ACAAI) this year will
take place in Ho Chi Minh City,
Vietnam from 16 -19 December.
Vietnam, known for its beaches,
rivers, Buddhist pagodas and
bustling cities is attracting
worldwide trade and invest-
ment by steady economic
growth. With Ho Chi Minh
City as a commercial centre,
Vietnam has traditionally been
home to the country’s manu-
facturing and trade
activities. Pinched
by the surging cost
of labour in China,
many companies
are looking for
low-cost alternatives thereby
making Vietnam a rising
manufacturing powerhouse.
Considering the bilateral trade
growth over the past few
years between Vietnam and
India, Vietnam seems to be the
perfect place to host this year’s
convention.
The International Air
Transport Association (IATA)
expects the country to be
the world’s fastest-growing
air cargo market over the next
three years, expanding at 6.6
percent a year, since a quarter
of Vietnam’s trade by value is
shipped by air. The Vietnamese
government last year an-
nounced an ambitious aviation
master plan to have 26 airports
operating by 2020. Expansion
programmes are underway at
Noi Bai International Airport
‘Make in India’ aimed at turning India into a global manufacturing hub, has garnered a lot of global attention. This is proving to be the most trending initiative since its inception a year ago. Considering its impact on the air cargo industry, the 42nd annual convention of the Air Cargo Agents Association of India (ACAAI), to be held in Vietnam in December, is around the theme of "Make in India - Local is now global".
CoVer storY | ACAAI ConventIon
OCT - DEC 2015| www.acaainews.com 5
in Hanoi and at Ho Chi Minh
International Airport.
Indo-Vietnam relations
have been on the upswing in
recent times thanks to the cur-
rent political shifts and policy
developments. According to
United Nations’ Asia-Pacific
Trade and Investment Report
2015, exports from India and
Vietnam are expected to rela-
tively do well in 2016 as their
shipments are largely directed
to advanced economies in
Europe and North America that
are expected to expand in the
coming year. Seeking coopera-
tion and investments in sectors
like textiles, agriculture, pharma
and energy, Vietnam has ex-
pressed confidence in achiev-
ing the bilateral trade target of
$15 billion by 2020 with India.
Vietnam’s combined imports
and exports with India surged
to $5.6 billion in 2014 from just
$1 billion in 2006. Of all ASEAN
(Association of Southeast Asian
Nations) countries, Vietnam
was by far the star performer in
quarter three of 2015, according
to Dun & Bradstreet’s ASEAN
Business Optimism Index. As
such, India’s recent warming
to Vietnam both politically and
economically is a promising
sign for foreign investors alike
both in Asia and worldwide.
Last year, India and Vietnam
signed many crucial agree-
ments during the visit of the
latter country's Prime Minister
Nguyen Tan Dung. Indian Prime
Minister Narendra Modi invited
the Vietnamese companies to
join the accelerated economic
growth programme 'Make in
India' for reaping the benefits
of this new initiative.
Modi’s pet programme
‘Make in India’ witnessed sev-
eral measures being launched.
A year after he first pitched the
‘Make in India’ idea to foreign
investors, the prime minister
met with the big names of
different continents –America,
Europe and Middle East to reas-
sure investors about the steps
taken to make the operating
environment in India more
favourable. Under the ‘Make
in India’ campaign, 25 sectors
were identified for focused in-
terventions, and FDI policy was
liberalised to promote invest-
ments, including 49 percent
FDI in defence; 100 percent FDI
in rail infra; 100 percent FDI in
medical equipment; 49 per cent
FDI in insurance and pension.
Almost every industry stands
to benefit from the ‘Make in
India’ campaign’s success.
However, with the improve-
ment in infrastructure, roads
and railways, the logistics sector
will benefit the most. With the
announcement made by the
government to build the Delhi-
Mumbai Industrial Corridor,
which is the largest infrastruc-
ture project India has ever
undertaken cutting
across the country,
linking the country’s
capital city Delhi with
“While technology, product development and skilled labour are the pillars for the 'Make in India' initiative, ancillary businesses such as logistics, packaging, vendor and inventory management, need to be evolved in order to support growth.”
Samir J Shah JBS Group of Companies
OCT - DEC 2015 | www.acaainews.com6
the financial capital Mumbai;
one can only imagine what
opportunities this project alone
can do for the logistics sector
in India. “While its promise of
‘world-class infrastructure’ may
seem some way off in a country
that has previously been slow
to develop, the campaign,
supported by the government,
envisages 24 manufactur-
ing cities with opportunities
for investment, in particular
in the hi-tech, automotive,
engineering, food processing,
pharmaceutical, biotech and
services industries,” said Prahlad
Tanwar, Director Transport and
Logistics, KPMG, an audit and
consulting firm.
The business outlook for the
Indian manufacturing sector
improved in Q2 FY 2014–15 due
to greater optimism on the
overall business situation, pro-
duction, order books, capacity
utilisation, imports, and exports.
This is complimentary to the
growth of Indian air cargo in-
dustry too. Samir J Shah, owner
of JBS Group of Companies,
said, “Manufacturing in India
accounts for around 16 percent
of GDP, which is relatively low
compared to more than 20
percent in other emerging
economies such as Brazil, China,
Indonesia and Malaysia. While
technology, product develop-
ment and skilled labour are the
pillars for the 'Make in India' ini-
tiative, ancillary businesses such
as logistics, packaging, vendor
and inventory management,
as well as fulfillment solutions,
need to be evolved in order to
support growth.
Aman More, Senior Vice
President, Kale Logistics, said,
“Make in India campaign has
seen active participation from
all the major sectors including
aviation, retail and other indus-
tries; however this needs to
be matched with efficient and
reliable technology, e-freight
and infrastructure develop-
ments at airport and airlines’
CoVer storY | ACAAI ConventIon
“Make in India campaign will certainly lead to an increase in manufacturing in India which will create a great opportunity for the air cargo sector.”
PradeeP Panicker DIAL
expansions.” Pradeep Panicker,
chief commercial officer (aero),
Delhi International Airport
Limited (DIAL), said, “Make in
India campaign will certainly
lead to an increase in manufac-
turing in India which will create
a great opportunity for the air
cargo sector. It will also create
a demand for domestic and
international cargo movement
through different airlines.”
The “Make in India” initiative
seems to display a happy future
for many; however when re-
lated to the current scenario of
the air cargo industry in India,
the moot question is will the
investment bring efficiency to
infrastructural and technologi-
cal developments taking place
at airports and some flourishing
sectors like pharma?
Panicker said, “The major
investments required are to
be in airport infrastructure.
Though the government is
taking initiatives for air freight
stations, there is a need for the
OCT - DEC 2015 | www.acaainews.com8
“PM Modi is making efforts to increase and improve trade relations with many nations. His propaganda is clear - Come to India and make in India.”
Shankar iyer Swiss WorldCargo
development of cargo hubs
and cargo villages, which are
critical for operations to run
smoothly. One still has to deal
with multiple layers of agency
which not only increases cost
of operations but also acts as
a barrier to efficiency. Logistics
industry is set to play a major
role, and is capable of support-
ing growth which is anticipat-
ed with major investment been
done in infrastructure of which
we hear from the government
now.”
Tanwar stated, “There are
few things to be considered.
One, we will get to see polarisa-
tion of services and service
providers. Air cargo companies
which have expertise and
skills will be in a position to
win more business. Second, it
will bring standardisation and
streamline some processes.
Third, it will bring focus on
industry sector performance,
among others, have helped
improve sentiment and expec-
tations.”
Tanwar said, “If Prime Min-
ister Modi’s Sagar Mala project
goes according to plan, India
will witness a holistic develop-
ment of ports for the first time.
This will lead to development
of mega ports. It will also create
focus on hinterland connectiv-
ity and setting up of industrial
hubs which are connected to
ports and have good logistics
network. Therefore, overall
we are quite optimistic.” Sagar
Mala project is a strategic and
customer-oriented initiative
of the Government of India to
modernise India's ports so that
port-led development can be
augmented and coastlines can
be developed to contribute in
India's growth.
The IATA Airline Industry
Forecast 2014-2018 shows that
international freight volumes
are expected to increase at
a rate of 4.1 percent over the
next five years. As per the Air
Cargo Agents Association of
India (ACAAI), the current cargo
growth is extremely encour-
aging for the Indian air cargo
industry, which has grown by
12.2 percent as compared to
the last financial year.
Seeing the potential, the
Ministry of Civil Aviation is also
strengthening the air cargo
infrastructure in the country.
The air cargo industry is picking
‘Make in India’ trend that is
bound to boost growth in trade
and commerce. “Prime Minister
Modi is making efforts to
increase and improve trade
relations with many nations. His
propaganda is clear, come to
India and make in India. If
speedy and timely clearance for
business setup, long term ease
of operations are assured, then
the Indian air cargo industry will
get a huge benefit,” says
Shankar Iyer, Director – Cargo,
South East Asia & Middle East,
Swiss WorldCargo.
CoVer storY | ACAAI ConventIon
multi-modal operations in logis-
tics. Only then, global compa-
nies will bring global practices.”
The entire air cargo fraternity
is optimistic about the ‘Make in
India’ campaign. “It is certainly a
major step and this will benefit
the air cargo sector tremen-
dously. Logistics in India has
immense potential to grow and
I am confident that such initia-
tives can have a huge impact
resulting into massive growth
for the Indian economy and the
logistics industry,” said Samir J
Shah.
Commenting on the escala-
tion of this initiative, More
stated, “We see ‘Make in India’
driving growth in the logis-
tics segment and along with
e-commerce this is a segment
that is set to grow quite well.
The various policy initiatives by
the new government to attract
investments and to improve
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10 countries
We look forward to
at least inexpand in Asia,
How has been the growth of eCs this year?
Give us a sense of last year’s revenue and
what is your target for this year?
sCHMoLL The growth has been tremendous. Last
year, the revenue was almost Rs 100 crore. In this
financial year (2015-16), we have set a target for
twice that figure. A target of Rs 300 crore has been
set.
Could you elaborate on your operations in
India?
DuBey We have 19 offices. In the North we have
Delhi, Chandigarh and Jaipur. In the West we have
Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Pune. In South, we have
Kochi, Bangalore, Chennai and Vishakapatnam
and in the East we have Guwahati.
What about your subsidiaries?
sCHMoLL Well, we have a very good network
in 36 countries, with main part in the Eastern
Europe, moving on to Western Europe, then
the US and now we are moving to Asia. We
have started with India and we have been quite
successful. Now we are into a partnership with
the Middle East too. In India, we are covering 19
cities. India is quite big, however, 19 as a number
is not bad for us. We are very happy with the
development of our India operations. And we
hope to develop the group in other parts of Asia
in the same way.
What are your further expansion plans in
India?
sCHMoLL In India, we have many plans for
development. First of all, India is extraordinary
because people fly more and more. Therefore,
there is a strong future as there is a development
of change, people, technology and of course,
cargo. We are satisfied with our portfolio in
the Indian market because we have created a
company, rather than buying a company. The
development has been great. So, for me, India is
one of the top countries on the top list to work
because right now you cannot expect growth in
Europe due to recession. However, this is not the
case with India where there is a huge population
and huge scope for development.
DuBey We foresee very strong contribution
of India operations in comparison to global
presence in ECS. And we are satisfied with the
growth. Today, it is about 5-6 percent of the total
(global) business. Interestingly, foreign airlines
generally outsource their cargo operations and it
is becoming a trend in India as well.
europe has been under stress for quite
some time; add to this China, the world’s
second-largest economy, has seen growth
rate declining. What is your assessment
and how do they impact your business?
sCHMoLL It has in fact helped the business
in Europe due to a decline in the Euro. But the
business in India has not declined. We are one of
the fastest growing companies. We have taken
the representation of an airline also recently.
What are your recent client additions?
sCHMoLL We have been with Saudi Arabia.
InterVIeW | BertrAnd SChmoll & rAjendrA duBey
Witnessing a strong growth in India with the recent addition of AirAsia to manage its cargo operations, ECS Group is working hard and aiming high with a greater focus on expansion in Asia. During a recent visit to India Bertrand schmoll, Chairman and CEO of ECS Group, speaks to Jasleen Kaur about ECS Group’s network expansion and adding more clients from around the world, particularly from Asian countries. Schmoll is accompanied by the group’s India managing director rajendra Dubey.
OCT - DEC 2015 | www.acaainews.com10
OCT - DEC 2015 | www.acaainews.com12
In domestic, we have entered into
representation with AirAsia. We are
targeting many more economy airlines.
DuBey For AirAsia, it is a project from
scratch. We are their cargo GSA from day
one. They have five aircrafts. We are going
to add three more aircrafts this year.
What prompted you to choose
AirAsia, a new airline in India as
against many already established
domestic airlines?
DuBey This is not only AirAsia. We have
been in talks with other airlines too. I can’t
disclose it here now. We are focusing on
both domestic and international airlines and
we grab the opportunity that suits us better.
so what is your strategy when you
acquire a GsA in a country?
sCHMoLL First, we always look for a
new country when we enter into any GSA
because it is a new implementation and
then we propose that the airline will expand
along with its network. When we choose
an airline for GSA, of course, portfolio of an
airline is important. And then management
is important because we are giving services
to the airline and management is the key.
And we see that airline brings new contacts
for us. So there is twice as much synergy
when we make the acquisition.
What are specific demands from your
partner airlines whey they appoint
you as their GsA?
sCHMoLL Many airlines want dedicated
staff, services and organisation. Which we
can provide. If the volume is sufficient, we
will have a dedicated organisation. Airlines
demand commitments and we take them
into our economic budgets. The cargo
management has become more and
more professionalised. And they want
ideas also and we bring to them. So, the
business is changing. We can’t only do
representation from point A to B. From us
they expect ideas that generate revenue.
When you say that you provide total
cargo management, what does that
mean?
sCHMoLL By total cargo management
we mean that we are managing total cargo
operations of AirAsia as the airline has no cargo
department. We are their cargo department.
So it is a good model but not for all the airlines
which are very much focused on cargo;
Bertrand Schmoll ECS Group
"Acquisitions bring growth. It is not only about buying company which is quite complicated; the main point is to integrate the company and thus, bring value to the company."
raJendra duBey ECS Group
"We foresee very strong contribution of India op-erations in comparison to global presence in ECS. And we are satisfied with the growth."
whereas low-cost carriers are very much
focused on passengers and cargo is their
additional revenue. This concept doesn’t exist
in Europe but yes in Asia, it is very much there.
We have seen consistent growth
for eCs year after year both for your
India operations and for your global
business; so what is the main reason
behind such a good growth?
sCHMoLL First of course, acquisitions
bring growth. It is not only about buying
company which is quite complicated; the
main point is to integrate the company
and thus, bring value to the company.
Bring new contacts, new airlines is the main
point. I think, our strategy of building one
group under which people work together
and trying to bring value to one to the
other, is the good model. And the growth
comes from here.
And how do you see competition in
the Indian market?
DuBey One is local Indian GSAs with
whom we are competing and the others
are multinational GSAs with whom we have
to compete. And this is the way of doing
business. One has to be better organised
than the others. We have a very strong,
young and dynamic team and they not
only come from cargo background but
from various other segments. These factors
keep us competitive in the market.
What is your marketing strategy for
eCs group?
sCHMoLL Advertising and exhibitions
are the two ways we communicate.
We have also a dedicated department
for communication. Even in the
GSA contracts, we focus on better
communication and coordination with
the airlines.
Where do you see eCs in the next five
years? What is your vision?
sCHMoLL I want to see ECS growing
completely in India. We look forward to
expand in Asia, at least in 10 countries
in Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, etc.
I hope we will be successful in this. We
have reached $1.1 billion of turnover
this year and we are hoping to achieve
tremendous growth in the years to come.
And the growth will come from Asia.
How do you look at the opportunity
in Africa and what is your plan for the
continent?
sCHMoLL In Africa, we are only present
in Nigeria. I think freight export is quite
limited at this moment, except some
countries like Kenya or in South Africa. It
is mainly perishable.
InterVIeW | BertrAnd SChmoll & rAjendrA duBey
OCT - DEC 2015 | www.acaainews.com14
Hemant Bhatia
Hemant Bhatia, the current vice president of Air Cargo Agents
Association (ACAAI), has been elected unopposed as the new
president of ACAAI at the annual general meeting held in Mumbai
on September 4. Bhatia replaces S L Sharma who served the post
for the last two years. T A Varghese, the current treasurer, has also
been elected unopposed to ACAAI’s vice president post.
The AGM also passed the audited account of the organization
for the financial year 2014-2015. The AGM also saw the release of
the ACAAI members directory, which according to Sharma, the
outgoing president of ACAAI, was a long standing demand of the
members.
At the AGM, Sunil Arora, secretary general of ACAAI, announced
the decision taken at the ACAAI managing committee meeting
held in Chennai about the 42nd annual convention of ACAAI to
be held later this year. Arora also briefed the gathering about the
annual convention and updated them about the programme and
the travel plans.
elected ACAAI president unopposed
ACAAI | AGm
Having GPS facility to all trucks
www.stattimes.com/aci2016/
[email protected] / [email protected]
@AirCargoIndia
Organised by
P Delivering the ‘Make in India’ vision to world the air cargo way
India as world’s pharma export hub: global perspectives
India, a global air cargo force: potentials and pitfalls
Freight forwarding: evolving paradigms and embracing global best practices
Air cargo: adding value to the global economy
E-commerce: delivering the future
Indo-Africa trade lane: value waiting to be unlocked
P
P
P
P
P
P
‘Make in India’air cargo makes it happen
International Biennial Networking Conference & Exhibition
GRAND HYATT - MUMBAI
2016
Leadership roundtables on subjects that matter to the air cargo industry
AD TER SUOY KCOL BIntroducing air cargo's high profile speakers
& Expect More...
Member of the Executive Board Products & Sales
Lufthansa Cargo AG
GLYN HUGHESGlobal Head of Cargo, International
Air Transport Association (IATA)
ATHINA KAPENIVP, Global Marketing & Sales
Celebi Aviation
DR.ALEXIS VON HOENSBROECHActing Vice President-Commercial
Saudia Cargo
RAINER MULLERPETER SCHOLTENCEO, Fast Logistic Solutions
(FLS) Group
RUSSI BATLIWALAChief Executive Officer
Chapman Freeborn Group
ERIC HARTMANNVP, Cargo Alliance
SkyTeam Cargo
MICHAEL T. STEENExecutive VP &
Chief Commercial Officer
Atlas Air Worldwide
ULRICH OGIERMANNChief Officer Cargo
Qatar Airways
Founder & CEO
Astral Aviation Ltd
SANJEEV S.GADHIA MARKUS MUECKEGlobal Head Air Freight
Tradelane Management and
Procurement, Panalpina
HUNED GANDHIManaging Director
Dachser India Private Ltd.
SANJIV EDWARDChairman
The International Air Cargo
Association (TIACA)
MANOJ SINGHVice President & Head - Cargo
Mumbai International
Airport Pvt Ltd
DICK MURIANKIGeneral Manager
Kenya Airways Cargo
EXHIBITORS LIST
Emirates Airlines
Etihad Airways
Skyteam Cargo
Sharjah International Airport
Saudia Cargo
Brussels Airport
Air Charter Service
Oman Air
Fast Logistics Solutions
Sovika Aviation Services
Airline Services International
Global Aviation Services
Boeing
MGH Group
Frankfurt Airport
Cargolux Airlines
ECS Group
ATC Aviation
SACO Airport Equipment / Colson Europe
Godrej Efacec Automation & Robotics Ltd.
Airport Authority of India
Air India Cargo
MASkargo
Miami Internatioanl Airport
Air Cargo Week
Air Cargo News
CAAS
Consignments
IATA
WCA
Kale Logistics
Lufthansa Cargo
Cologne Boon Cargo
Turkish Cargo
Celebi Delhi Cargo terminal
Management
Group Concorde
Indigo Cargo
Chapman Freeborn
Balmer Lawrie & Co.Ltd.
Ethiopian Airlines
TIACA
Aramex
Kenya Airways
Hyderabad Menzies Air Cargo
Pvt.Ltd.
GMR Hyderabad International
Airport
Air Cargo Update
Air Logistics Group & Expect More...
HEMANTH DPChief Operating Officer-aero Commercial,
Cargo & Asia Pacific Flying School
GMR Airports
www.stattimes.com/aci2016/
[email protected] / [email protected]
@AirCargoIndia
Organised by
P Delivering the ‘Make in India’ vision to world the air cargo way
India as world’s pharma export hub: global perspectives
India, a global air cargo force: potentials and pitfalls
Freight forwarding: evolving paradigms and embracing global best practices
Air cargo: adding value to the global economy
E-commerce: delivering the future
Indo-Africa trade lane: value waiting to be unlocked
P
P
P
P
P
P
‘Make in India’air cargo makes it happen
International Biennial Networking Conference & Exhibition
GRAND HYATT - MUMBAI
2016
Leadership roundtables on subjects that matter to the air cargo industry
AD TER SUOY KCOL B
Introducing air cargo's high profile speakers
& Expect More...
Member of the Executive Board Products & Sales
Lufthansa Cargo AG
GLYN HUGHESGlobal Head of Cargo, International
Air Transport Association (IATA)
ATHINA KAPENIVP, Global Marketing & Sales
Celebi Aviation
DR.ALEXIS VON HOENSBROECHActing Vice President-Commercial
Saudia Cargo
RAINER MULLERPETER SCHOLTENCEO, Fast Logistic Solutions
(FLS) Group
RUSSI BATLIWALAChief Executive Officer
Chapman Freeborn Group
ERIC HARTMANNVP, Cargo Alliance
SkyTeam Cargo
MICHAEL T. STEENExecutive VP &
Chief Commercial Officer
Atlas Air Worldwide
ULRICH OGIERMANNChief Officer Cargo
Qatar Airways
Founder & CEO
Astral Aviation Ltd
SANJEEV S.GADHIA MARKUS MUECKEGlobal Head Air Freight
Tradelane Management and
Procurement, Panalpina
HUNED GANDHIManaging Director
Dachser India Private Ltd.
SANJIV EDWARDChairman
The International Air Cargo
Association (TIACA)
MANOJ SINGHVice President & Head - Cargo
Mumbai International
Airport Pvt Ltd
DICK MURIANKIGeneral Manager
Kenya Airways Cargo
EXHIBITORS LIST
Emirates Airlines
Etihad Airways
Skyteam Cargo
Sharjah International Airport
Saudia Cargo
Brussels Airport
Air Charter Service
Oman Air
Fast Logistics Solutions
Sovika Aviation Services
Airline Services International
Global Aviation Services
Boeing
MGH Group
Frankfurt Airport
Cargolux Airlines
ECS Group
ATC Aviation
SACO Airport Equipment / Colson Europe
Godrej Efacec Automation & Robotics Ltd.
Airport Authority of India
Air India Cargo
MASkargo
Miami Internatioanl Airport
Air Cargo Week
Air Cargo News
CAAS
Consignments
IATA
WCA
Kale Logistics
Lufthansa Cargo
Cologne Boon Cargo
Turkish Cargo
Celebi Delhi Cargo terminal
Management
Group Concorde
Indigo Cargo
Chapman Freeborn
Balmer Lawrie & Co.Ltd.
Ethiopian Airlines
TIACA
Aramex
Kenya Airways
Hyderabad Menzies Air Cargo
Pvt.Ltd.
GMR Hyderabad International
Airport
Air Cargo Update
Air Logistics Group & Expect More...
HEMANTH DPChief Operating Officer-aero Commercial,
Cargo & Asia Pacific Flying School
GMR Airports
EX
IT
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Diamond Partner
Supported By
AIR CARGO AGENTS ASSN OF INDIA
Prime Minister
Pharma Air Shippers Forum Partner
Other Partners
Gold Partners
Silver Partners
Air Shippers Forum
Principal Media Partners
Media Partners
Platinum Partner
According to Financial
Express, an Indian
English-language
business newspaper,
India is the largest exporter of
generic formulations in volume
globally. It exports vaccines to
150 countries and produces
40-70 per cent of the WHO
demand for DPT (Diptheria,
Tetanus) and BCG (tuberculosis)
and 90 per cent of measles
vaccines. India is home to more
than 20,000 manufacturing
units and over 6,000 pharma
companies. India exports all
forms of pharmaceuticals from
APIs (Active Pharmaceutical
Ingredients) to formulations,
both in modern medicine and
traditional Indian medicines.
Over the last 30 years, India’s
pharma industry has evolved
from almost non-existent to a
world leader in the production
of high quality generic drugs.
India has garnered a worldwide
reputation for producing high
quality, low cost generic drugs.
Pharmaceutical air freight is
set to grow far faster than even
the most popular air cargo,
Growth with hiccups
JAsLeen KAur
Pharma transport by air
For the last few years, pharma sector in the Indian air cargo industry has been on the path of growth. Airlines and airports have been coming up in a big way to tap this segment, however, there is still a need to focus on the ground realities when it comes to the adoption of right knowledge, training and handling of such critical products which demand quality and safety.
FeAture | PhArmA loGIStICS
OCT - DEC 2015| www.acaainews.com 19
OCT - DEC 2015 | www.acaainews.com20
FeAture | PhArmA loGIStICS
Indian airports are waking
up to the growing share of
cargo in shoring up their
bottom lines. Hence, they
are stepping up their cargo
activities to focus on different
segments and one such area
is perishable goods. Delhi
airport is aimed at becoming
a cargo hub. Celebi, a cargo
handling company, has majorly
contributed in enhancing cargo
operations at Delhi airport.
It runs a perishable centre in
the terminal. This was the old
centre which was created by
the Airports Authority of India
and then it came to Celebi
to lead the operations. The
company decided to run the
same perishable centre for
some time before renovating
it two years back. Then after
a year, Celebi divided the
perishable business in two
parts – one is for stuff like
vegetables and the other one is
for pharma.
Ramesh Mamidala, CEO,
Celebi Delhi Cargo Terminal
Management, shares, “Celebi
has invested $2 million dollars
in setting up this facility,
which caters to about 200
tonnes a day to the pharma
business. It is world-class
facility with different chambers
subject to temperature zones.
Temperature ranges from 15
“The temperature controlled cargo handling facility is assisting to the pharma companies based in South India in enhancing their business and meeting the stringent requirements of global regulatory authorities.”
Venkata reddyMenzies Aviation Bobba
degrees to minus 20 degrees.
Not only this, but to complete
the entire cool chain up to
the aircraft, we have invested
in the product called ‘cool
dolly’, where a dolly has been
converted into a cool chamber
where two containers or a
palette can be transferred from
our facility up to the aircraft
by maintaining the same
temperature as required.”
Similarly, Hyderabad airport
which boasts of a world-class
cargo terminal is beefing up
cargo throughput, especially
pharmaceuticals, and aims to
generate more than 20 percent
of its revenues from cargo.
Hemanth D P, Chief Operating
Officer- GMR Hyderabad
International Airport, said,
“To support the growing
local industry which now has
strong global footprints, we
as business enablers need to
extend efficient temperature
controlled care while handling
pharmaceutical products.
This first-of-its-kind facility
was commissioned with truck
dock to airside temperature
controlled facility to maintain
cool chain integrity at global
standards.”
Sanjiv Edward, Head
of Cargo Business, Delhi
International Airport Limited
(DIAL), shares, “We have an
consumer electronics. Over the
next five years, pharmaceutical
shipments will rise by as much
as 12 per cent, leading the
likes of carriers Air France and
Lufthansa to open new facilities
aimed at catering for this
growing revenue source.
“The transport by air of
perishables such as fruit,
vegetables, fish and even
pharmaceuticals increases
on a yearly basis in line with
consumers' expectations and
demand. India is an important
emerging market. IATA sees a
shift in consumer markets that
will drive that future growth,
and shift the epicenter of air
cargo. The emergence and
expansion of Brazil, Russia,
India, China and South Africa
as major consumer markets
will shift demand and lead to
more balanced trade flows in
the air cargo industry. We are
already seeing this in China
and to an extent in India.
The growing middle classes
in emerging economies are
discerning high-end consumers
who will continue to sustain air
freight growth in the years to
come,” says Tony Tyler, Director
General and CEO, IATA.
The pharmaceutical industry
is becoming increasingly
diverse fuelled by ageing
populations, emerging markets
with their growing middle
classes, along with innovative
technological platforms. It is
estimated that by 2016 more
than half of the top 50 best-
selling drugs will require cold
chain transportation, according
to the Bio-pharma Cold Chain
Sourcebook 2013.
21
However, to reap the
benefits of the mushrooming
industry, transporting
healthcare products by air
needs the establishment of
complex logistical methods to
maintain shipment’s integrity.
It requires specific equipment,
storage facilities, harmonized
handling procedures and,
above all, strong cooperation
among the cold chain partners.
The picking and packing is
done by 3PL at the warehouse
and then it is handed over
to transport service provider,
generally through air-courier.
Manoj Soni, a veteran from
the pharma sector who has
worked with Jubilant Life
Sciences also, says “Service
providers should understand
the product well i.e. the
knowledge of pharmaceutical
product’s efficacy relationship
with time and temperature.
They must have good
connectivity through air
carriers. They should handle
our product at the airport or
at their hubs only in requisite
temperature zones.”
Lack of accurate logistical
knowledge of the study sites
and poor knowledge of the
medical sites, can be a
hurdle in the logistics of
pharma. Therefore, there
is a need to concentrate
on specialised team.
Training is required at
the ground level to make
sure that the handling of
pharmaceutical goods is
as per quality norms.
Though the pharma
sector has been gaining
momentum and many
airlines and airports have
been coming up in a big
way to tap the market
for pharma
transportation, there is a
dire need to first put
focus on the ground
realities of right training,
knowledge of the products,
to acquire the right benefits.
added advantage of having
two pharma zones in Delhi.
Both operators – Celebi and
DCSC (Delhi Cargo Service
Center) – have pharma zones,
providing specialized facilities.
Pharma is one of the sectors
which we are focusing on. We
have seen growth in perishable
business. Fruits and vegetables
business is growing pretty well.
In the transhipment business,
new lanes have been opened.
Our pharmaceutical business
is growing at about 17 percent.”
Last year, Menzies Aviation
Bobba opened a pharma
cold zone for the handling of
pharma products at Bangalore
airport. “The temperature
controlled cargo handling
facility is assisting to the
pharma companies based
in South India in enhancing
their business and meeting
the stringent requirements of
global regulatory authorities.
The key objective to set up
a dedicated facility is that
the city is emerging as an
important pharmaceutical hub
in South India. This facility has
strengthened our leadership
and capability in handling
and transportation of pharma
cargo between Bangalore
and rest of the world. We look
forward to such
more initiatives especially in
the pharma sector, where the
entire air cargo fraternity is
trying their hands. It is the prime
focus of each and everyone in
the industry,” explains Venkata
Reddy, CEO, Menzies Aviation
Bobba.
Seeing the potential, many
other airlines have also shown
interest in the pharma sector.
Air France-KLM Cargo has
reinforced its commitment
to the pharmaceuticals
and healthcare industry by
introducing a new scheduled
belly cargo service to Brazil and
increasing freighter capacity
out of Mumbai. Even the
national carrier Air India is in
the race to tap the pharma
market. “Air India has been in
forefront in promoting specific
commodity movement and
pharma is one of the focus
areas. We are in touch with
leading pharma companies
to offer our services in a cost
effective manner. We are also
planning to offer specific
incentive to the end-user and
shortly we will announce our
schemes,” Sanjiv Kumar, former
executive director (cargo) for
Air India told ACAAI News just
before he retired.
“To support the growing local industry which now has strong global footprints, we as business enablers need to extend efficient temperature controlled care while handling pharmaceutical products.”
hemanth d PGMR Hyderabad International Airport
OCT - DEC 2015| www.acaainews.com
OCT - DEC 2015 | www.acaainews.com22
Maximum citymaximum cargo
aims for
How has the year 2015
been for the cargo divi-
sion of CsIA? What are the
critical factors impacting
volumes for air freight
market in international and
domestic segments?
Indian exports remain un-
certain due to weak global
demand and particularly due
to slowness in intra-Asia trade.
However pharmaceutical
exports and imports at the
Chhatrapati Shivaji International
Airport (CSIA) continue to rise
despite market turbulence.
The growth of pharma cargo
has been massive in the last
five years. As per independent
reports, the export of merchan-
dise from India registered its
ninth straight month of decline
in October 2015. We do not see
this as a long-term trend and
anticipate the volumes to pick
up from the next fiscal year. Im-
port volumes at CSIA have been
impressive compared to the
previous year. We are currently
almost five percent up on last
year in terms of international
cargo volumes.
Strong competition from road
and rail transport has been
impacting domestic air freight.
Road and rail services have
demonstrated significant im-
provement in turnaround times
over the years and have been
highly successful in attracting a
portion of air freight. We would
say that the growth of e-com-
merce in the last two years has
sustained domestic air freight
volumes. We anticipate more
growth from this segment in
the coming years.
How has the rapidly grow-
ing e-commerce sector
impacted freight volumes
for domestic air cargo?
At CSIA, domestic volumes
have seen a robust 15 percent
growth year-on-year in FY 2014-
15 and the volumes continue
to perform well in the current
financial year. This is largely
due to rising e-commerce
business. The domestic air
freight is moving positive due
to this segment despite heavy
competition from road and rail
transport.
What is the progress of the
MIAL’s cargo master plan
and by when do you think
you will be able to com-
plete a major portion of
this master plan?
The implementation is in line
with our planning. We are near
50 percent of what is set for the
cargo master plan. The master
plan encompasses completed
projects like the Export Perish-
able Terminal, the Import
Cold Zone, the Export Unitisa-
tion Terminal and upcoming
projects like the Export Heavy
and Bonded Cargo Terminal,
the Domestic Common User
Terminal as well as future proj-
ects like the expansion of the
Export Perishable Terminal and
the relocation of Air India to a
new facility. We are thankful to
the stakeholders and regula-
tors for the support they have
extended in this regard.
Give us a sense of the plans
you have to modernise the
Mumbai air cargo terminal
and what is the status of
the Domestic Common user
Terminal under construc-
tion?
FoCus AIrPort | CSIA mumBAI
As you walk through the cargo complex of the GVK Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) the only expression you would have is one of absolute wonder. For the record, in the year 2014-15, CSIA handled 694,261 tonnes of cargo and for the month of October, the airport handled 60,336 tonnes of cargo. What you see may be chaotic but apparently there is order; to some extent perfect. The buzzing cargo complex, a combination of make-shift sheds to highly sophisticated warehouses, is indeed a true representation of the peculiar characteristics of the city that Mumbai is. Amidst the cacophony, we meet the man in charge of the cargo division of the airport. Manoj singh, Vice President & Head of Cargo & express at GVK MIAL in a conversation with Lionel Alva and reji John. Excerpts from an exclusive interview.
OCT - DEC 2015| www.acaainews.com 23
OCT - DEC 2015 | www.acaainews.com24
GVK Mumbai International
Airport (MIAL) is creating a
state-of-the-art domestic com-
mon user terminal through its
concessionaire M/s Concor Air
Limited on a ‘Build, Operate
and Transfer model’ to cater to
the growing domestic air cargo
business at CSIA. The facility is
in the final stage of completion
and will be operational by end
of January 2016. It will comprise
of high-tech infrastructure like
truck docks with dock levelers,
a dedicated cargo manage-
ment system, special handling
facilities for perishable, danger-
ous and vulnerable goods, as
well as comprehensive security
infrastructure including 24X7
CCTV surveillance and facilities
for domestic stakeholders.
What is the update on the
export heavy and bonded
cargo terminal that is under
construction for some time?
Export Heavy and Bonded Cargo
Terminal is a state-of the-art
facility by MIAL for handling
of export heavy and odd size
cargo along with bonded cargo
received from the hinterlands.
The facility is under final stage
of construction and is expected
to be commissioned by end of
January 2016. The facility com-
prises of high-tech infrastructure
like truck docks with dock level-
ers, X-Ray machines, dedicated
material handling equipment,
24x7 CCTV surveillance, a pal-
letisation area and office space
for customs functions. It will
complement the offshore cargo
facilities planned by us near po-
tential manufacturing locations.
Could you tell us something
about your recent techno-
logical initiatives that you
have undertaken at the
airport?
GVK MIAL launched the coun-
try’s first air cargo community
portal, GMAX, in the year 2013.
We are currently working on
extending this robust plat-
form to regulators, exporters
and importers with complete
transparency into air freight
operations and with tracking
up to destination. GVK is in the
process of creating a mobile
app for real-time cargo status
and automated token system
for vehicle management.
We have added X-Ray ma-
chines including dual view,
CCTV cameras and explosive
trace detectors to our security
infrastructure. We upgraded our
cargo management system to
‘Ground Handling Application’,
which made CSIA a c2k-compli-
ant cargo station.
Being the leading air cargo
hub in the country, could
you highlight some of the
best practices that your
airport has undertaken?
GVK Mumbai International
Airport (MIAL) has always
focused on optimum capacity
and asset utilisation along with
a premium product offering
for our stakeholders. We have
increased the capabilities of
our cargo management system
over the years and we set the
benchmark for Indian airports in
terms of e-freight initiatives.
MIAL is first airport operator in
the country to introduce an
air cargo community portal –
GMAX (GVK MIAL Air Exchange)
to bring efficiency and reduce
dwell time in the air cargo
supply chain. When we say air
cargo supply chain, we mean to
say that GMAX is a web-based
community portal with a wide
product range and applications
designed to provide electronic
interface to the air cargo com-
munity beyond cargo terminal
functions. We continue to pro-
vide the right level of IT services
to our customers.
MIAL continues to be the best
in India in terms of import flight
checking with consistent per-
formance of ATA+5.30 hrs. for
freighters and ATA+3.30 hrs. for
passenger aircrafts. The service
is being performed with very
minimal document requirement.
What is your view on the
e-freight initiatives? What
targets have you set in
terms of e-airway bill imple-
mentation?
GVK MIAL is now rated e-freight
compliant by IATA. In its first
phase, the GMAX web portal
with a wide range of facilities
has been successfully intro-
duced and integrated with
the MIAL cargo management
system. The capability of our
cargo management system has
been enhanced to receive/trig-
ger electronic messages from all
the stakeholders.
MIAL has been taking a lead in
India to initiate various e-freight
initiatives. This has led to pro-
cess rationalisation, customer
“Import volumes at CSIA have been impressive compared to the previous year. We are currently al-most five percent up on last year in terms of international cargo volumes.”
“We have increased the capabilities of our cargo manage-ment system over the years and we set the benchmark for Indian airports in terms of e-freight initiatives.”
FoCus AIrPort | CSIA mumBAI
OCT - DEC 2015| www.acaainews.com 25
facilitation and ease of doing
business. We introduced e-
reception of export cargo in
the year 2009, followed by
elimination of hard copies of
Master Airway Bills at export
cargo acceptance and import
flight checking in the year 2012.
We did away with the MAWB/
HAWB/House manifest copies
in the year 2014 by facilitating
electronic FWB & FHL messages
from airlines, which were also
successfully integrated with
the Customs EDI platform. We
were the first airport in India to
do away with the hard copy of
the delivery order at the time
of generation of the import
consignment delivery permit.
The above initiatives have
significantly minimised the op-
erational dwell times of export
cargo processing, import cargo
segregation and delivery. We
received exceptional support
and active participation from
airlines and stakeholders in this
remarkable achievement.
In the next phase, electronic
cargo security declaration (e-
csd) and digitisation of regula-
tory requirements is under trial.
Besides being a comprehensive
e-freight solution, GMAX is a
potential air cargo tool that can
help MIAL to bring efficiency,
reduce dwell times, facilitate
real-time updates and reduce
transaction cost.
We are doing everything possi-
ble to support the ‘Digital India’
initiative of the Government
of India. I strongly believe that
any good initiative by airport
operators will be accepted by
the trade fraternity so as to take
the Indian air cargo industry
forward to match and comply
with global standards.
With the IATA CeIV work-
shop held in Mumbai in
partnership with Cargo
service Center (CsC), how
aggressive are you to have
MIAL as the first IATA CeIV
certified pharmaceutical
freight hub in India and the
third airport in the world?
Pharmaceutical cargo has
been our core commodity
both in exports and imports.
We have enhanced our cold
chain capacity over the last
four years to cater to this po-
tential product. We think this
is an area of our business that
will continue to grow. MIAL
has announced formation of a
“Pharmaceutical Core Commit-
tee” during the CEIV workshop.
We are in the process of
forming the core group. The
objective of this group is to
improve the standards of the
pharmaceutical air cargo sup-
ply chain. CEIV certification will
definitely be one of the key
action points.
How do you envisage the
future of the air cargo mar-
ket in India?
It is possible that we may see
growth of 5-6 percent over
the coming years with pharma
“It is possible that we may see growth of 5-6 percent over the coming years with pharma cargo as the key driver.”
“Space has been a major challenge for Mumbai airport but we have surmounted this disadvantage through process ef-ficiency and strategic planning.”
cargo as the key driver.
As the head of cargo at
MIAL what is your vision for
the cargo division of the
airport?
There are several: 100 percent
e-freight compliance through-
out the airport cargo transac-
tions; India’s biggest air cargo
hub with robust EDI and mul-
timodal connectivity; Mumbai
as Asia’s biggest trade lane for
pharmaceutical export-import
business; Potential transship-
ment hub on the global map;
Industry-leading operational
excellence; Customer-driven
product handling.
Given that you are pitched
against other airports in
the country that have an in-
herent advantage of huge
space and other infrastruc-
ture, how do you keep the
competition tough and do
you think you are ahead in
the race?
We would say our objective is
to strengthen our airport in all
aspects. In this endeavour we
aim to be first in the country for
any new initiative or innovation.
Space has been a major
challenge for Mumbai airport
but we have surmounted this
disadvantage through process
efficiency and strategic
planning. MIAL has been at the
forefront in supporting the 24x7
e-trade and skill-development
initiatives of the Ministry of Civil
Aviation (MOCA) and the
Central Board of Excise and
Customs (CBEC). MIAL has
actively participated in the
skill-development initiative by
developing the ‘Basic Cargo
Awareness Programme’, which
was formally approved by
MOCA. We are in the process of
launching this training pro-
gramme in Mumbai for the
benefit of the cargo trade. In
this regard, we request all the
air cargo stakeholders to adopt
these initiatives so as to help
airport operators handle air
cargo more effectively.
OCT - DEC 2015 | www.acaainews.com26
sPeCIAL rePort | AIr CArGo huBS
India seemingly has all the
ingredients to be one of
the world’s great air cargo
centers. Rapid growth of
international trade, a huge
manufacturing engine and
a population of more than
1.2 billion all bode well for
the industry. However, for a
variety of reasons, India has not
realized this great potential to
a broader extent. The historical
challenges facing India are
well documented; inadequate
infrastructure in particular has
proved a major stumbling
block in further developing the
country’s air cargo sector.
Few months ago, Air Cargo
Forum of India organized a
seminar on ‘Transforming
India airports into international
cargo hubs’ in New Delhi
where Union Minister of Civil
Aviation P Ashok Gajapathi
Raju said, “Infrastructure and
airlines have great role to play
for developing cargo hubs.
Now it is the right time to
translate ideas into actions.
We (the government) are
eagerly looking for ideas from
the industry players to work
together. Let’s work together to
turn our dreams into a reality.”
Elaborating the elements
required to create a resourceful
cargo hub, Indana Prabhakar
Rao, CEO, Delhi International
Airport Limited (DIAL), said,
“Sound infrastructure till the
end point, rationalized policies
and networking are three
factors to make an efficient
cargo hub. There is a need
to make an end to end value
chain. We need some sort of
efficiency and reduction in cost
in order to make it successful.”
“Here the question is how
and what can be done to
convert Indian airports into
international sky cargo hub. An
integrated multi-modal hub
should include connectivity as
well as accommodation and
other services. It is essential that
related sectors such as access
to manufacture, business, and
tourism and pilgrim centres are
From airports to cargo hubs:
An untapped potentialInfrastructure developments have been rapid in India’s air cargo industry; however, when we look at Indian airports that could boast of being cargo hubs of international standards, they still aren't any close to the top ones at airports in Hong Kong and Dubai. But the potential is huge.
JAsLeen KAur
OCT - DEC 2015| www.acaainews.com 27
also developed,” Rao added.
Sam Katgara, owner of a
freight forwarding firm Jeena
and Company, said, “The
government’s ongoing effort
to develop infrastructure, the
easing of regulations for foreign
investment in aviation and the
introduction of cargo hubs
and Special Economic Zones
figure to provide momentum
for the growth of air cargo in
the coming years. Air cargo is
not recognized as an industry
by the Indian government,
which has not shown a strong
commitment to making it
efficient and viable.”
He woefully added, “Cargo
is generally the last part to be
thought of and is relegated
to that part of the airport,
considered not important
otherwise. This leaves the
entire logistics of cargo –
infrastructure and facility – in
woefully inadequate and
poorly-managed area of the
airport. Cargo infrastructure
is much more than the cargo
terminal, but also includes
special facilities for express
freight, temperature-controlled
goods, airmail and hazardous
goods. Therefore, development
of cargo hubs is essential for
India’s major airports.”
Offering a different point of
view, Tushar Jani, Chairman,
Delhi Cargo Service Centre
(DCSC), said, “It’s a myth that
India has lack of infrastructure,
the need is to use the available
infrastructure efficiently.
‘Make in India’ would never
be successful if cargo is
sitting outside. Thus, customs
should play a role only when
cargo is moving out of the
terminal, thereby reducing the
turnaround time.”
Considering its geographical
location, India, especially Delhi,
has the potential to become
a global hub for air cargo.
Not only its geographical
location but also the amount
of international trade that the
country is engaged in now
makes India a good location
for such a hub. Even a place
like Dubai, where there is any
manufacturing, has made
itself a good cargo hub
destination. There is no reason
why India with all its growth
in manufacturing sector and
exports and imports could not
become another global hub.
Similarly, with a vision
to create Rajiv Gandhi
International Airport (RGIA)
Airport as the cargo hub of
India, Hemanth DP, COO, Hub
Development, Free Trade
Zone and Logistics Business
at Hyderabad airport, said,
“My aim is to make the Rajiv
Gandhi International Airport
(RGIA) the logistical hub of
India and South-Asia. To realize
this vision, we have leveraged
the strategic central location
of Hyderabad, built excellent
infrastructure and unique air
logistics centric businesses such
as India’s first airport-based
Free Trade Zone (FTZ). When
something is imported, the
inventory has to be stored for a
period in the importing country
because components have
to be stocked and assembled
and this doesn’t happen
overnight. Moreover, the
minute something enters India,
you need to pay duties and
taxes on it. The assembling,
the packaging of goods inside
a free-trade zone, as the name
suggests, doesn’t attract duties
and taxes and you save all
these upfront costs till later. The
same applies to the goods you
export. It is the unique offerings
such as free-trade zones, other
than excellent infrastructure,
and strategic locations that
have made the airport of
Singapore and Dubai the best
and largest in the world.”
Multimodal cargo hubs are
a need of the hour especially
in India. Due to severe
infrastructure constraints at
existing airports , the shipments
have to spend a lot of time
in transit from the shipper's
location to the gateway airports
and vice versa. The potential
is huge as airports and airlines
along with the government are
considering this seriously and
coming to forefront in a big
way.
With the vision-2020
provided by the civil aviation
ministry, India is expected to
touch nine million metric
tonnes by 2020. The year 2020
would witness India in top ten
ranking of the largest
international freight market
with supplies pouring in from
US and China. Enabling the
entry of private participants by
eased governmental policies,
India forecasts growth of the
Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities for
building air cargo hubs to offer
better connectivity by
effectively channelising the
chaos of the metro cities.
“Sound infrastructure till the end point, rationalized policies and networking are three factors to make an efficient cargo hub.”
i PraBhakar raoDIAL
“It’s a myth that India has lack of infrastructure, the need is to use the available infrastructure efficiently.”
tuShar JaniDelhi Cargo Service Centre
FACe to FACe | rAmeSh mAmIdAlA
Celebi believes in ‘Make in India’
To begin with, how has 2015 been for Celebi in the Indian air
cargo industry? What were the targets and did you face any
challenges in achieving them? And what are the further plans?
We have talked about this in many forums in the recent past. We have
done reasonably well as compared to the budget. We have targeted
7-8 percent of the budget and so far we have achieved 6-7 per cent,
which is in line with the budget. It is better than what other countries
have experienced; most of the countries have experienced negative
growth. Apparently, things might change in the next six months. But
we have same reasonable growth.
In terms of clients, we are looking at expanding domestic terminal
where we see huge growth. Some airline operators are also interested
in expanding domestic capacity. We have a very small terminal,
spanning over 2,500 sq m, which is used by Jet Airways, AirAsia,
etc. The capacity has gone up in the last one year. For instance, Jet
Airways has increased capacity by 10 per cent in the last couple of
months. Now they are planning to increase international capacity with
Etihad.
While they are operating from the existing terminal, we are planning
to construct another domestic terminal. We are in talks with DIAL
(Delhi International Airport Limited) for extra land. So that will happen
during the next year. This is one opportunity of growth for Celebi,
second opportunity lies in the fully automation and consolidation
of storage systems which is expected to happen in the next 1.5-2
years. This requires investment and we are evaluating all the options
we have. There is a support internally from our investors and from
DIAL’s investors. When this will happen, we will have space of close
to 10,000 sq m of warehouse. We are talking to domestic operators
and e-commerce companies and will use this opportunity to retain
our customers. Celebi has plans to expand beyond Delhi. We have
Celebi has been in India for the past five years. Making a bold presence at Delhi airport with its effective ground handling services and cargo handling operations, the Turkish company is planning huge investments in the country and thus, contributing considerably to the air cargo industry. ramesh Mamidala, Ceo, Celebi Delhi Cargo Terminal Management India, in an interview with Jasleen Kaur, talks about Celebi’s India expansion plans, investments, pharma business, competition and much more.
OCT - DEC 2015| www.acaainews.com 29
expanded in Ahmedabad, Goa and
now we are looking at more cities in
the country. So we are quite active to
expand our cargo operations in India. We
are seeing very interesting opportunities
coming our way in the next 1-2 years.
What is the exact amount of cargo
operations on the domestic front and
internationally too?
Currently in terms of market share,
internationally we have 80 per cent of
the market share and domestic is 20 per
cent. We would definitely like to protect
the share of international operations. The
domestic market is growing, which is
enough for us for the moment. And as the
market grows, we look forward to increase
market share. I don’t have numbers right
now but we will increase share of domestic
market 10 per cent more.
Is it the right time to invest
considering the current scenario of
the air cargo market?
Domestic market is increasing; we would
not invest in international. We really
believe in ‘Make in India’ story and rupee
depreciation is definitely helping us and
that is expected to stay for the next two
years. And exports will be on the rise. We
are looking at companies such as Samsung,
HP and other domestic manufacturers. So
any increase in exports from the country
will definitely help airlines and air cargo
sector. In addition, e-commerce is booming,
so we see opportunities. I think domestic
investment is very wise at this stage.
Are you targeting tier 2 and tier 3
cities as part of your expansion plans?
Yes, in fact we are limited to what we will
get in the market because we don’t have
direct access to those airports. We are very
keen to handle tier 1 and tier 2 airports.
In case we get contracts for handling, we
are happy to invest. There are some active
discussions going on in tier 1 and 2. We
can’t disclose at the moment but we are
very keen to get into these airports.
Moving to competitive scenario,
how do you see the role of Celebi
in the growing environment of
infrastructure and technology and
coming up of new segments like
pharma, perishables, etc.?
Celebi globally is known for international
quality equipment, most of our equipments
also looking at investing in an automated
system for temperature logging across
all the milestones we are responsible for
on the export side. That will be again
first-of-its-kind in the country. In addition,
we have committed to have GDP (good
distribution practice) certification in place
in the next one and a half years. That will
again be first-of-its-kind. So this requires lot
of commitment, investment, and training of
the people. So we have taken the initiative
and this keeps us ahead of the competition.
And finally, how do you see Celebi
business in India 2-3 years down the
line? What is your outlook?
The outlook is very positive. Celebi has
identified India as a large market. We
would definitely like to expand our
footprints here. This is one of the
strategic markets where we would like
to invest money in the next five years
with Delhi as a showcase. And definitely
what we have done here, would like to
take it forward, may be to 4-5 airports in
the next 3-4 years.
rameSh mamidala Celebi
"We would definitely like to protect the share of international operations. The domestic market is growing, which is enough for us for the moment."
are imported. We do spend a lot of money
on buying international quality equipment.
Most of the forklifts are imported. We have
invested money in automation. Although
another investment we are looking at is
completely changing our systems that are
expected to happen in the next one and
a half years. However, we have a system
which is running well but we believe to
take the operations to the next level.
For pharma, I would say that we have a
world-class facility. We are first to have
cool dollies in the country and are looking
at investing more in cool dollies. We are
OCT - DEC 2015 | www.acaainews.com30
NEWS
Air India launches its maiden Delhi-San Francisco flight
Changi Airport to manage Ahmedabad, Jaipur airports
AIr InDIA commenced its first ever non-
stop flight operations between Delhi and
Silicon Valley hub, San Francisco. With the
commencement of this flight, Air India
became the first airline to offer direct
connections from India to the west coast of
the United States.
Flight AI 173, a B777-200LR aircraft took off
from Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi
with 230 passengers at 0235 hours.
Starting its journey from Bengaluru, the
flight will travel non-stop from Delhi to
San Francisco and passengers travelling to
San Francisco will undergo customs and
immigration formalities at Bengaluru airport
for their onward journey. Flight AI-173 from
Bengaluru to Delhi will depart on Tuesdays,
Thursdays and Saturdays from Bengaluru at
2115 hours with A321 aircraft.
sInGAPore's CHAnGI
AIrPorT will soon start
managing the terminal
operations and parking at
Indian Airports with the state-
run Airports Authority of India
signing an initial agreement
with it to hand over the
contracts for Ahmedabad and
Jaipur.
Changi, which operates the
Singapore Airport, is one of
the world's leading airport
operators. A decision to allow
Changi Airport to manage
Ahmedabad and Jaipur airports
came during Prime Minister
Narendra Modi's recent visit to
Singapore. The tie-up shows
increasing global interest in
Indian airports, considering
India outpaced all others in
domestic air traffic growth
in October, recently released
International Air Transport
Association data showed,
signaling the return of
momentum to a market that
was in doldrums during 2012
and 2013.
Sources said that Changi would
take care of terminal operations
and parking at the two airports.
Changi would be paid a fee for
the management but the AAI
would not be setting up any
special purpose vehicle in this
regard as no revenue sharing
is contemplated. A team from
Changi Airport is expected to
visit India and hold discussions
with AAI officials by end of this
month, they added.
In 2014-15, Ahmedabad
airport handled 5.05 million
passengers, out of which 1.22
million were international
travellers. During the same
time, Jaipur airport saw 2.20
million passengers and out
of them, 0.33 million were
international travellers. By
2023-24, Ahmedabad is
expected to see a total of
6.77 million passengers while
Jaipur is anticipated to be 3.75
million.
Ahmedabad, which sees large
traffic of corporate executives,
and Jaipur, a city attracting
foreign and domestic tourists
alike, could become key hubs
to bring this change. There are
476 airports, operational as well
as non-operational, in India.
Many of these are in need of
modernisation.
Qatar Airways starts direct flights to Nagpur
THe sTATe of QATAr’s
nATIonAL CArrIer
QATAr AIrWAys has
started non-stop flights to
Nagpur from Doha, taking
the airline’s total weekly
passenger flights from 95
to 102 across 13 key cities
in India. Nagpur is third largest
city in the Indian state of Maharashtra and is a major trade and business center. The city has been identi-fied as one of the flagship smart metropolises by the government of India, with a special economic zone, multi-modal international cargo hub and a new airport in the pipeline.
Qatar Airways will oper-ate an A320 daily between Doha and Nagpur with an average flight time of just over four hours. The air-craft will feature 144 seats in a two-class configura-tion of 12 seats in Business Class and 132 seats in Economy.
Akbar Al Baker, group chief executive of Qatar Airways, said, “We are delighted to add Nagpur as Qatar Airways thirteenth destination in India. The additional service is evi-dence of the growing de-mand in the Indian market and further strengthens our commitment and focus in the region. Qatar Airways is proud of the fact that we serve more destinations in India than any other coun-try in our network. We look forward to welcoming new passengers on-board our award-winning product, and to connect Nagpur to the rest of our rapidly expanding network.”
OCT - DEC 2015| www.acaainews.com 31
Ethiopian Cargo’s inaugural flight touches down in KIABeTHIoPIAn (eT) CArGo’s
inaugural flight arrived in Kem-
pegowda International Airport,
Bengaluru (KIAB) on December
2, 2015 .They will operate to KIAB
twice a week. The formal inau-
guration ceremony took place in
front of the aircraft involving ET’s
crew Menzies Aviation Bobba
Bangalore Pvt. Ltd. (MABB), the
cargo partner for Ethiopian Cargo
at KIAB and Globe Ground India
which is the airline’s ground
handling partner along with
team BIAL.
Cargo has become a critical
component in the regional
supply chain across pharmaceu-
ticals, perishables, electronics,
machinery, automotive, and tex-
tiles for KIAB. The present design
capacity of cargo terminals stand
is 350,000 MT catering to both
the international and domestic
air cargo traffic with the option
to scale up infrastructure and
support systems as required. The
airport has seen a phenomenal
growth where cargo is con-
cerned.
Ethiopian Airlines (Ethiopian) is
the fastest growing and most
profitable airline in Africa. In 2014,
IATA ranked Ethiopian as the
largest airline in Africa in revenue
and profit. Ethiopian is the first
airline in Africa to own and oper-
ate these air crafts.
Airbus expert advocates ‘Made in India' civilian planes
NEWS
DPDHL, UNDP strengthen Guwahati Airport’s disaster managementDeuTsCHe PosT DHL Group with the
United Nations Development Programme
will impart a five day workshop for disaster
preparedness at the Guwahati airport, Assam
till December 11, 2015. In the following
months, there may be a similar programme at
the Patna airport, said Carl Schelfhaut, chief of
staff, DHL e-commerce, Asia Pacific.
Deutsche Post DHL, one of the world’s
leading logistics providers, and its subsidiary
DHL have developed the 'Get Airports Ready
for Disaster' (GARD) programme together
with UNDP. Its aim is to prepare both airports
and people for disaster situations, gauging
an airport’s surge capacity for disaster relief
operations post calamity and providing
lifesaving recommendations for those in charge.
Assam, located in northeastern India,
is one of the world's most disaster-prone
areas. It is among the most seismically active
regions and is considered the sixth most
earthquake prone belt in the world. Though
unrelated, the programme assumes relevance
in light of the catastrophic floods that the
south Indian town of Chennai faced recently,
leading among other things to a shutdown
of the airport with hundreds of passengers
stranded inside. The other part of the
challenge is handling the massive amounts of
relief and supply material.
"During disasters, airports frequently become
the logistical hub where relief and emergency
supplies are distributed. However, airports
are not often equipped to handle the huge
volumes of goods and surge traffic that follows
in the immediate aftermath of any disaster.
Therefore, enhancing the preparedness of
airports is vital to ensure business continuity and
smooth rescue and relief operations," said Jaco
Cilliers, director, UNDP India.
During the GARD workshop, participants
will brainstorm and develop action plans on
how to better prepare airport personnel for
emergencies caused by natural disasters. This
includes being able to address the often high
volumes of emergency relief aid, incoming
goods and passengers in the immediate
aftermath of a disaster. Participants include
a mix of staff from the airport's terminal
management team, including cargo handling,
operations, communications, navigation
services, civil and electric engineering, fire
and security services, immigration, customs
and district officials. Organisations involved
in disaster relief such as the National Disaster
Management Authority, Assam State Disaster
Management Authority, the Indian Air
Force and the International Organisation
for Migration are also participating in the
workshop.
The UNDP has an overall partnership
project with the ministry of home affairs on
strengthening institutional and community
resilience to disasters and climate change.
The $6.24 million project is on between
January 2013 and December 2017. The
project locations are ten states including
Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh,
Jharkhand and Kerala.
An exPerT has noted that
the Indian civil aviation
industry is set to be the third
largest market by 2026, and
has called for a multi-pronged
approach to develop the
sector.
Addressing delegates at the
Prestige Austin Lecture hosted
by UK-based Institution of
Engineering and Technology,
Research Team Leader at
Airbus Group, Pablo Bermell-
Garcia, said, “Civil aviation
in India has been growing
for at least ten years now. In
India, there is abundance of
young engineers, and hence
the need for constructive
engagement between the
government and industry that
will help establish policies
focusing on developing
a ‘Made in India’ civilian
plane industry. This will
help meet both the local
and global demand for new
technologies.
OCT - DEC 2015 | www.acaainews.com32
NEWSNEWS
Oman Air to increase frequencies to key Indian sectors
GVK CSIA with CSC organises IATA CEIV in Mumbai
GVK MIAL becomes India’s first airport to launch cargo app
In a major move, Oman Air is set to
increase frequencies to four of its destina-
tions to India. The number of flights from
Muscat to Goa will increase from six per
week to one a day. Furthermore, daily
flights from Muscat to Bangalore, Kochi
and Trivandrum will increase from daily
to double-daily.
The additional flights will offer a total
of 5,131 more seats to the four named
destinations, and will be operated using
Boeing 737-800 and 737-900 aircraft.
Once the uplift in frequencies has been
introduced, Oman Air will operate a total
of 126 frequencies per week between
Muscat and its destinations in India.
Oman Air flies to 19 destinations in
the Indian subcontinent that include the
core lands of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh,
Nepal, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives, out of
which 11 destinations are in India.
GVK CHHATrAPATI sHIVAJI
InTernATIonAL AIrPorT
(CsIA) in association with its
Concessionaire “Cargo Service
Centre (CSC)” on October 29, 2015
organised the “IATA Center of Ex-
cellence for Independent Valida-
tors (CEIV)” workshop at Mumbai.
The event was a platform for
Pharmaceuticals exporters and
importers with participation from
various Airlines, Freight Forward-
ers, Bonded Trucking Companies,
IATA, ACAAI, BCHAA, OPPI & cargo
media fraternity to collaborate.
IATA CEIV is a global and
consistent certification that
aims at ensuring the integrity
of the pharmaceutical product
throughout the supply chain by
improving handling of pharma-
ceutical products and compli-
ance with existing regulations
& standards. The programme
also elevates staff competency
through efficient and robust
training programmes.
Key highlights included the
workshop agenda that was
divided into two sessions.
Manoj Singh, vice president &
head, Cargo, Mumbai Interna-
tional Airport Limited highlighted
the current status of the Pharma-
ceutical industry while providing
insight into the challenges in
its supply chain and Mumbai
airport’s initiatives to effectively
handle pharmaceuticals in accor-
dance to logistic requirements.
The day long workshop
came to a decisive close with the
CSIA announcing the forma-
tion of a “Pharmaceutical Core
Committee” with an objective of
creating an uninterrupted cold
chain and ensuring the delivery
of quality drugs to end users. The
core committee will comprise of
the Airport Operator (CSIA), Con-
cessionaire (CSC), Airlines, Freight
Forwarders, OPPI, ACAAI, BCHAA,
FFFAI & Bonded Trucking Compa-
nies as its active members.
MuMBAI InTernATIonAL AIrPorT
PrIVATe LIMITeD (MIAL) has launched a
mobile app for cargo operations at the Chha-
trapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA). The
app will include several features in addition
to all the important functionalities of GVK’s
air cargo community portal GMAX , which
has been operational since December 2013.
The app will offer different levels of
authorised access to the cargo terminal op-
erators , customs , custom brokers , airlines
, freight forwarders , shippers/consignees
and other statutory bodies , thereby afford-
ing greater visibility into cargo operations
and tangible cost and resource benefits.
The mobile app will enable end-to-end
tracking of shipment for end users and help
all the members of the logistics chain in
planning their resources. In addition, it will
provide complete visibility of shipment/
vehicles within cargo terminal.
The app also enables Export general
manifest (EGM) tracking, which can expe-
dite the export incentive realisation process.
The app launch comes at a time when the
Government of India has been advocating
the need for a ‘Digital India’.
GVK MIAL is the largest air cargo airport
in India contributing around 33 percent of
international cargo volume.
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