Goa will be made logistics hub of India, says Suresh Prabhu

Panaji: Union Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu said here today that the government plans to turn Goa into a logistics hub of the country. “We are going to make Goa the logistics hub of the country. There are four coastal states on the Western coast-Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and Goa. After Mumbai, the biggest airport that is going to come up is in Goa (in Mopa),” he said. The minister was addressing a gathering at the ‘Goa Start Up and Innovation Day’ organised by the state Information and Technology Department.

He said the existence of two airports in Goa, including the second facility at Mopa, which will be commissioned in 2020, would help position Goa as a logistics hub. According to him, once the Mopa airport is commissioned, it will have the capacity to handle 30 million tourists annually. “We want to make sure that while it handles the passenger traffic, it also handles the cargo. The government of India is making a cargo policy, wherein the cargo will also drive the country’s economy,” he said.

“Total 40 per cent of the GDP will come from global trading like import and export. We want to make cargo as a major driver (of the economy),” he said. The minister said that he has asked the special secretary in-charge of Union Environment Ministry to visit Goa in the next few days to prepare a concrete plan for the logistics hub. The Centre and the Goa government must work in tandem to leverage the advantages that the state offers, he said. The existing airport at Dabolim is also getting upgraded with the investment of Rs 500-600 crore, the minister added.
28/04/18 PTI/Financial Express

Read More

Hyderabad Airport cargo gets WHO-GSDP certification

GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd. (GHIAL) on Tuesday announced that its cargo terminal has been certified with the World Health Organisation's Good Storage and Distribution Practices (WHO-GSDP), awarded by SGS India, a leader in certifications in pharmaceutical sector.

The WHO-GSDP certificate underscores Hyderabad Airport's commitment to and compliance with quality management standards and international requirements throughout the pharma supply chain, GHIAL said in a statement.

The Hyderabad Airport Cargo Terminal received this certification following a six-month long rigorous evaluation process, during which a team of SGS India auditors analyzed its transportation, handling and storage processes, quality policies, facility management, equipment maintenance and security and assessed them against the guidelines outlined by the WHO's GSDP framework.

"Our rigorous quality standards, specialty logistics expertise and meticulous execution, enable us to meet the demands of the Pharma City and optimize the supply chain for our customers globally," said GHIAL CEO S.G.K. Kishore.
17/04/18 IANS/Business Standard

Read More

Amazon, Flipkart to drive growth in cargo segment: Report

New Delhi: The e-retail industry led by the likes of Amazon and Flipkart has brought about a major disruption in the domestic cargo sector with an expected contribution of about Rs 5,000 crore this fiscal, of which the air cargo segment would garner around Rs 1,000 crore, a report said.
The Express Industry Report 2018 released last week said the e-commerce players have challenged the traditional express operations and unlocked many opportunities by providing newer avenues for value addition.
The Rs 17,000 crore domestic express industry, comprising shipments transported and delivered within the country by road and air, is currently growing at 15 per cent, with the e-retailers being a key driver of growth, the report said.
Air cargo express, which contributes Rs 5,000 crore to the domestic industry, will continue to reap dividends from the healthy growth of e-commerce players even as the e-retailer players are increasingly looking at surface transport for delivery of goods and products, the report said.
The e-retail industry is estimated to contribute close to Rs 4,000 crore to domestic surface express and close to Rs 1,000 crore to domestic air express during this fiscal, the report said.
Talking to , COO of Express Industry Council of India, Vijay Kumar favoured re-evaluation of the government policy to allow the domestic cargo airlines to offer international operations, thus wooing more players into the air cargo business. At present, the notable player in the domestic air cargo airlines is Blue Dart Express.
16/04/18 Gadgets Now

Read More

Aviation minister pitches Mopa airport as India’s cargo hub

Mapusa: After his maiden visit to the Mopa airport site, civil aviation minister Suresh Prabhu, who is also the Union minister of commerce and industry, said the Centre is framing a policy to expand air cargo handling in the country that would create more employment and revenue.
The airport at Mopa is going to be the cargo hub of India and would be operational in 2.5 years, Prabhu said, adding that cargo movement will be easy in Goa as it has good road connectivity and navigational facilities.
“Cargo is one of the great revenue earners and also contributes to the growth of trade and economy. We will make sure that cargo movement will be another thrust area for development. In India, there are not many passenger flights at night and hence, airspace is available which can be used by cargo planes,” Prabhu said.
Prabhu, who has been asked by PM Narendra Modi to look into logistics as a subject earmarked for the commerce ministry, said the speed and cost of movement of air cargo are key in global and domestic trade.
“Air cargo will play a key role, particularly for perishable products. We are also trying to tie up with some countries for export of fruits and vegetables,” Prabhu said, adding, “India produces 380 million tonnes of agricultural produce and 400 tonnes of horticulture produce and despite being the second largest producer of fruits and vegetables, India loses 30% of it before it reaches the market. Part of that which is being lost can be exported and this will lead to a significant rise in farmers’ income.”
15/04/18 Keshav Naik/Times of India

Read More

Policy to give thrust to air cargo to be drafted soon: Prabhu

Panaji: A policy to provide thrust to air cargo would be drafted soon as it will fuel the growth of the aviation sector and boost the country's economy, Union Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu said today.

He was in Goa to review the progress of the work on the greenfield international airport in Mopa in north Goa being constructed by GMR Goa International Airport Limited, a special purpose vehicle formed by GMR Airports Limited.

The first phase of the airport is expected to be completed by 2020, officials said.

"We are trying to make a policy for air cargo so that the aviation market can grow, which in turn will boost the trade and economy of the country," Prabhu told today.

He said that the success of the aviation sector in the country was completely propelled by the participation of private players, adding that infrastructure for the movement of air cargo could be created in the same way.

He said that night hours, when air passenger traffic was negligible, could be used to airlift cargo.

Prabhu added that logistic cost, speed of movement of cargo and the cost of moving them was critical for the country to succeed in the global market as well as for domestic competitiveness.
14/04/18 Times of India

Read More

Good news for animal lovers! Jet Airways to soon restart pets transfer service

There's good news for pet lovers. They will now be able to use the facility to transfer their pets in flights of Jet Airways. The airline had stopped this service in June 2017 but will resume it citing rising demand, according to a report in Hindustan Times.

The airline will become the third Indian carrier to provide animal transportation as air cargo. Currently, Air India and SpiceJet offer this service.

Although the airline is restarting the facility, it has made certain modifications. Unlike previous acceptance, it has only allowed the movement of pets if it does not involve transshipment. It means passengers who want to relocate their pets will however be able to book them only on direct flights.

The cost of transporting pets from flights varies and it depends on several factors including the size of the animal, the space they occupy in the flight, the cost of crate which is purchased by the owner and the travel distance. It costs around Rs 5,000 to transfer a small-sized animal, while it ranges between Rs 12,000 and Rs 14,000 for a large pet. These pet transfer charges exclude the cost of a crate, which is priced around Rs 12,000 for a large-sized animal.
It is to be learnt that special arrangement is to be made by carriers for travelling of animals. Carriage for them to be arranged at origin airports. There is special training for the staffs at the source station to ensure that the crate which is used, documentation and general condition of the animal are in accordance with the rules and regulations stipulated in the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Live Animal Regulations Manual.

The staffs are further trained to take care of movement of crate from cargo warehouse to aircraft bay prior to loading into aircraft and arrival formalities.
04/04/18 Moneycontrol

Read More