Ground handler, CKTS Company Limited opted to have Kale Logistics Solutions’ GALAXY system installed in its premises at Osaka, Japan’s Kansai International Airport, and is already reaping the benefits. The cloud-based cargo handling software has been used to automate its customs clearance operations in a first phase of deployment. GALAXY now handles the shipment triggering and document acceptance process, largely streamlining processes that were previously carried out manually. The move to digitalization does away with process complexity and removes the risk of errors or double work. The result is a faster, cleaner workflow at the popular airport where CKTS handles around 140,000 tons of cargo every year.

Kale’s GALAXY software covers a great deal more than just customs clearance, and the two companies have agreed on a stepwise integration of legacy systems. Carefully planning ensure that cargo operations remain undisrupted. In the next step, handheld terminals will be introduced to carry out key warehouse functions such as the recording and live reporting of shipment arrivals to customs.

Atsushi Kato, Management Advisor, CKTS Company Limited, reported: “Kale has consistently led progress in air cargo digitization and digitalization globally, and this launch is its strategic entry into the Japanese market. At CKTS, we are excited to use the capabilities of Kale’s flagship GALAXY system and look forward to benefiting from its advanced functionalities for many years.”

Vineet Malhotra, Co-founder and Director of Kale Logistics Solutions, said: “GALAXY has been a critical asset to a wide range of our partners, and it is now gaining more ground in the far east and transforming ground handling operations in Japan. Customizing proprietary messages is a major milestone for Kale as a digital trade facilitator – we look forward to further digitizing the CKTS operations in the deployment phases to come.”

24-26JUN25 will see The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA)’s Executive Summit 2025 take place at the Conrad Hotel in Hong Kong. It is being hosted by Cathay Cargo. Registration for the event has now opened on TIACA’s website and the association points out that early bird discounts are available for everyone signing up prior to 01MAY25. Around 350+ international senior executives are expected for the 2-day networking event and conference, and it is anticipated to be the largest TIACA Executive Summit held to date. Attendees can look forward to an exclusive invitation-only tour of the Cathay Cargo Terminal facilities, to begin with. This will be followed by a Welcome Reception. Though the final agenda is still pending, the organizers promise “insightful keynotes and inspiring leader sessions as well as vital information on regulations and events that impact our industry on a daily basis”. Certainly, the previous Executive Summit in 2023 which took place in Belgium offered a huge scope of topics from young talent through to innovation, digitalization, air cargo market outlook, and the established Sustainability Awards and the Hall of Fame. The latter is also still open for nominations until the end of this month.

Steven Polmans, TIACA Chair, announced: “We are excited to invite the entire industry to the Executive Summit in Hong Kong this year. This event is truly a global event that draws industry leaders from around the world to do business, and to discuss critical items that impact them daily and to strengthen their network.”

Glyn Hughes, TIACA Director General, added: “As a global hub for eCommerce as well as being the world’s leading air cargo airport, Hong Kong is a perfect place to bring executives to meet, network and celebrate the work that is being conducted across the industry. We look forward to seeing you all in Hong Kong this June.”

In 1979, while the world bought their first Sony Walkmans and listened to Michael Jackson’s ‘Rock with you’, or Pink Floyd’s ‘Another Brick in the Wall’, Lödige Industries was busy installing a material handling system over at Singapore Changi Airport. That 46-year-old system (installed for dnata two years after it began operating in Singapore), is now undergoing an upgrade in order for it to continue to run for a great many more years. Its performance to date has been very reliable and this particular system enjoys the status of being the first such system ever installed by Lödige in Asia. And such a long-standing relationship between two companies (which extends well beyond Singapore) speaks for the quality of Lödige’s products. The logistics systems provider is currently carrying out comprehensive maintenance services for dnata’s entire cargo handling systems (cargo handling, pallet handling, cool chain systems, etc.) at Singapore’s Changi Airport, in line with a cooperation agreement extension. Lödige Industries is also developing additional solutions to support dnata’s local cargo operations.

Sam Gould, Head of Cargo at dnata Singapore, commented: “Our partnership with Lödige Industries is the best we could have chosen, not only because they have extensive experience and knowledge in this field, but also because they understand our needs and have consistently proven themselves to have a high level of reliability. With this critical service, we will ensure that our cargo handling systems are ready for long-term operation, enabling us to handle growing cargo volumes and maintain the high-quality standards required by our customers. This partnership, which has grown over decades, is exceptional and fills us with both pride and ambition to uphold our high quality with every new project and to continue our collaboration in the long term.”

Ranga Jayaweera, General Manager for Singapore, for Lödige Industries, said: “Maintaining a fundamentally functioning system of good quality and adapting it to new challenges through upgrades can be the most effective solution in this case. We are very pleased to support dnata once again.”

Silk Way West Airlines is possibly the only airline in the world to have been honored with the Highest Taxpayer Award. The Republic of Azerbaijan recently recognized the airline with this award, which was presented by the State Tax Service under the Ministry of Economy. It announced that Silk Way West Airlines was the largest tax contributor outside of the oil sector, and spoke of the airline’s “significant role in Azerbaijan’s economic diversification and financial stability. […] As a leading global cargo carrier, Silk Way West Airlines has played an essential role in strengthening Azerbaijan’s aviation and logistics sectors. By consistently fulfilling its tax obligations at an exemplary level, the airline has contributed to the country’s fiscal revenues, enhancing state budget stability and supporting a range of national economic initiatives. The airline’s adherence to international financial and taxation standards reflects its strategic approach to long-term growth and sustainable economic impact,” the press release explains, going on to illustrate Silk Way West Airlines’ contributions not only to aviation, but also indirectly supporting Azerbaijan’s infrastructure expansion and employment ratio. Given that the airline has its headquarters in Baku, it has played a major role in establishing Azerbaijan as a global logistics hub, and attracting international business. The airline continues to follow a solid growth strategy and therefore will contribute even more to the country’s tax coffers as well as its economic development, financial stability and industrial growth.

Wolfgang Meier, President of Silk Way West Airlines, stated: “The reforms implemented to improve tax administration and promote transparency, have positively influenced the country’s economic environment, enabling sectors such as aviation and air freight to thrive. This achievement highlights our commitment to corporate responsibility, economic growth, and sustainable development. We take great pride in being recognized as the country’s leading non-oil sector taxpayer, and will continue to contribute to Azerbaijan’s prosperity.”

CargoTech member Aerios, has designed an app that is specifically tailored to the requirements of the air cargo charter market. Called ‘Carrier App’, it covers and industry niche that up until now as seen no comprehensive digital development. Carrier App offers comprehensive charter management and seamlessly integrates CRM and communication systems within a carrier’s flight operation, to create a single digital workflow. “Aerios’ product suite enables airlines of all sizes to efficiently distribute and advertise their capacity to brokers and charter professionals, maximizing revenue opportunities,” the press release says. The app has now found a launch customer in Cargojet, which went live with the air cargo charter software after extensive trials. The global air cargo charter provider had taken part in Aerios’ so-called alpha program, and through its industry insights and feedback, helped to shape the final result. “Designed to streamline processes, enhance efficiency, and accelerate response times for charter quotations, the platform centralizes operations into a single system. Early insights indicate significantly faster responses to charter requests, supporting seamless operations and reinforcing Cargojet’s commitment to reliable and responsive global air cargo solutions. Additionally, this integration is expected to improve quote conversion rates,” the release enthuses. Three business areas in particular benefit from the app’s CRM data and reporting capabilities:

• Identifying opportunities with new or existing clients
• Supporting business development with existing clients and
• Identifying the value and nature of lost opportunities

Simon Watson, Founder of Aerios, declared: “I am proud to announce Cargojet as our first partner carrier. Cargojet’s early adoption and feedback have been invaluable in shaping the Aerios Carrier App. The alpha program and partnership with the Cargojet team has been an incredible journey. Cargojet is the first of a long line of carriers to go live with the Carrier App, and I look forward to announcing more partner airlines in the near future.”

On 20JAN25, Royal Air Maroc resumed its Morocco-China scheduled connection between Casablanca (CMN -Morocco) – Beijing (Daxing International Airport -PKX -China). The pandemic had brought a halt to the airline’s successful Sino-Moroccan operations. Three direct flights per week (outbound on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays) between Casablanca, (CMN) and Beijing (PKX), are served with Boeing 787-9 aircraft. Thus 30 tons of weekly cargo uplift each way are now available. Return flights to Casablanca operate on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. Out of China, the flights will be loaded with commodities such as integrated circuits, electrical control panels and conductors, transistors, mineral and metallic products, copper products, zinc ore, copper-zinc alloy, copper anodes for electrolytic refining, silver ore, lead ore, copper scrap, aluminum alloy, and manganese ore, to textiles, accessories, leather goods, garments, fish oil, frozen fruits and vegetables, and agricultural products.

Inbound, also under the management of another ECS Group subsidiary, Globe Air Cargo China, Chinese goods such as: electricals, electronic equipment, furniture, lighting signs, prefabricated buildings, iron/steel goods, knitted or crocheted fabrics, manmade filaments, toys, games, and sports equipment among other commodities, will be loaded – some destined for Brazil, given RAM’s recently launched CMN-GRU flights.

Yassine Berrada, VP Cargo at Royal Air Maroc, explained: “For many centuries, Morocco’s geographical location has rendered it the perfect gateway for shipping trade to Africa and Europe. At Royal Air Maroc, we are proud to go even further, building Casablanca up as a true air bridge between Asia, Africa, and the Americas. […] Reinstating Chinese services was an obvious and natural decision as goods exchange is important. We chose China’s largest airport in Beijing as our starting point, since demand is strongest here both in terms of passenger and cargo. In the future, we plan to expand connections to other major Chinese cities such as Shanghai and Guangzhou.”

Adrien Thominet, Executive Chairman of ECS Group, commented: “We are incredibly proud to support Royal Air Maroc in establishing this vital link between China and Morocco. Our dedicated teams at Globe Air Cargo China are committed to ensuring the success of this route by optimizing cargo flows and leveraging our advanced digital solutions. By combining our expertise with Royal Air Maroc’s ambitious vision, we are helping to build efficient and sustainable air freight solutions that drive economic growth and connectivity across continents.”

The GSSA agreement between Thai Airways and the Belgian ECS Group subsidiary, Aero Cargo Belgium, came into effect on 01FEB25, already. The GSSA is tasked with filling the holds of Thai Airways’ flights out of Brussels (BRU) to Bangkok (BKK) and beyond. The airline offers seamless transit options to destinations in Australia, Korea, India, Japan, Manila, and Singapore, and operates daily flights. It deploys Boeing 787-800 aircraft on the route, which each have a payload capacity of 15 tons.

For ECS Group, the new contract between Thai Airways and Aero Cargo Belgium is highly attractive because it “marks a significant milestone in connecting Europe and Asia-Pacific with efficient and reliable cargo solutions,” according to the press release. The GSSA brings local expertise, as well as potential efficiency increases since it uses not only ECS Group’s in-house technology but also from the full deployment of CargoTech suite of digital tools. Through these digital support tools, the GSSA is able to spot potential business leads as well as maximize capacity use and therefore revenues per flight. “This collaboration caters to a diverse range of cargo, with a particular focus on pharmaceuticals, ensuring reliable and efficient transport solutions for time-sensitive and specialized shipments,” the release continues.

Jean Ceccaldi, CEO of ECS Group, commented: “ECS Group is proud to support this collaboration with Thai Airways, which reflects our commitment to building long-term, value-driven relationships with airlines. By enabling them to achieve operational excellence and deliver tailored solutions for their unique needs, we are setting a new standard for global connectivity and efficiency in the cargo industry.”

Bert Moortgat, Managing Director of Aero Cargo Belgium, added: “This agreement is a significant milestone for Aero Cargo Belgium “With daily flights and access to a network of vital destinations in Asia-Pacific, we are able to offer our customers unparalleled opportunities to connect their goods to global markets efficiently and reliably, particularly for high-value and sensitive commodities such as pharmaceuticals.”