NEW DAWN FOR ASIAN AIR CARGO CONTENTS VOL. XXXI | ISSUE 5 | JULY 2016 RNI No. 43778/86 EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief COVER STORY R.K. Patra [email protected] New Dawn for Asian Air Cargo While the world air cargo faces turbulent times, Associate Editor 02 Ananda Padmanabhan prospects for Asia’s air cargo market remain bright. [email protected] There is a need to assess what the road ahead holds for the industry in Asia and the key trends that are Assistant Editor Reji John shaping its future. [email protected] Correspondents Lionel Alva [email protected] Twinkle Sahita [email protected] EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTOR Michael Sales AD-SALES Marketing Manager Diana Cardozo [email protected] Marketing & Communications 16 Executive Sukhada Dhopeshwarkar [email protected] CREATIVE Art Director Suhas Patki [email protected] 20 Sr. Graphic Designer Prasad Mohite FEATURES NEWS [email protected] Graphic Designers Geeta Kamble 10 Focus 22 Air Cargo [email protected] Though the demand for air cargo remains soft, major Asian airport, Rajesh Natrajan Singapore Changi Airport and its cargo community is investing 28 Aviation [email protected] to enhance current facilities for specific cargo segments such as Circulation in-charge Pratibha Gholap pharmaceuticals, perishables and e-Commerce to meet the spike 35 Executive in Focus [email protected] in demand expected in the coming years. 36 Events Calendar A PUBLICATION FROM 12 Leaders Speak Dirk Reich, President and CEO of Cargolux Airlines International, in an exclusive interview speaks about turning Cargolux into a global all- BILLION $ NEWS CAPSULE cargo carrier, launching Cargolux China and maintaining consistency in growth numbers quarter after quarter and year over year. 26 Air Cargo EDITORIAL & ADMIN. OFFICE The STAT Trade Times 16 Special Report 30 Aviation (Post Bag -10), 712, Vindhya Comm. Complex, Finally Britain has decided to leave European Union. How will this Sector - 11, Central Business District, impact global supply chains in the short and long term. 32 Shipping New Mumbai - 400 614 (INDIA) Tel.: +91 - 22 - 27570550 33 Fax: +91 - 22 - 27572382 Transport E-mail: [email protected] 20 Spotlight [email protected] At number three on IATA’s international FTK ranking, Qatar Airways 34 Tourism www.stattimes.com Cargo demonstrates an impressive track record of ‘delivering to the world’. The Doha-based international cargo carrier has big ambitions to move up the ranking and be a global leader in air ALSO ON cargo, across markets. coverstory NEW DAWN FOR ASIAN AIR CARGO Lionel While the world air cargo faces Alva turbulent times, prospects for Asia’s air cargo market remain bright. There is a need to assess what the road ahead holds for the industry in Asia and the key trends that are shaping its future. 2 | JULY 2016 www.stattimes.com he world air cargo industry is lighting a slower pace of growth than the rate is still far higher than most countries seemingly on a precipice and 5 percent growth recorded in 2014. in the world. Furthermore, India’s liberal is staring into the abyss. With foreign direct investment policy in civil sluggish growth and a fall in The silver lining aviation has provided further impetus to Trevenues, the year 2015 was a tough year Despite the bleak outlook presented, its already rapidly growing air cargo sector for the air cargo industry. International the long term picture for many emerging with implications on both the domestic Air Transport Association (IATA) statistics markets remained bright given how the and the international front. The govern- highlight that the current state of the air economic systems there are evolving. Es- ment in India too has brought about fa- cargo industry is a far cry from what it was pecially for those in Asia, considering the vourable policies for civil aviation. Overall, in 2011 when air cargo revenue peaked rising economic growth levels there and the market fundamentals for air cargo in at $67 billion. It is expected that in 2016, growing intra-Asia trade. The growth of the Asia Pacific region remain strong. revenues shall not exceed $51 billion. A Asia’s air cargo industry is in stark contrast “We are optimistic that the confluence of factors such as the UK’s to the overall flat-lining of global air cargo market fundamentals will recent exit from the European Union (EU) growth. remain buoyant, in and the consequent weakening of the EU Ergo, with per capita income rising in tandem with the has only added to global woes. Asia, the region is at the forefront of inter- positive GDP This weakness reflects the trade growth national air cargo growth. And while the growth of slump in Europe and Asia-Pacific. This was growth in China has slowed, its growth most Asian also depicted in the IATA released figures for global air freight markets showing cargo volumes measured in freight tonne kilometers (FTKs) expanding by a mere 2.2 percent in 2015 compared to 2014; high- www.stattimes.com | JULY 2016 3 coverstory A number of countries such as Myanmar, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand are at various stages of industrialisation, which is initially fuelling increased imports of machinery and materials required in the construction of plants. Mark Whitehead, Hactl nations. This will spur the consistent de- mand for airfreight commodities. Carriers will need to dig deep into their pockets to contain costs and look for potential ) partners to collaborate and increase ef- NAA ficiency,” asserts Amiroel Shazrie Yussof, head of sales and marketing, MAB Kargo. As per the statistics provided by Boeing orporation ( C for the year 2014-2015, Asia is expected irport to play a prominent role in leading the A world average in annual air cargo growth. So much so that the domestic market in nternational China and intra-Asia markets are expected I to expand by 6.7 percent year-on-year. arita The statistics forecast a need for 38,050 N airplanes valued at more than $5.6 trillion. To enhance the connectivity in the air Provided by cargo industry, new and more efficient Cargo facility at Narita International Airport wide-bodies have entered the market and enabled airlines to efficiently open new from North America to destinations in of the world. For instance, Qatar Airways routes. Aviation is becoming more diverse, Northeast Asia, compared with 20 to 30 Cargo, has launched three new freighter with approximately 40 percent of all new years ago. In the 1980s, the 747 was the routes to Budapest, Prague and Ho Chi airplanes being delivered to airlines based airplane of choice for this market, but the Minh in March 2016. For Qatar Airways, the in the Asia Pacific region. The 777 and 787 majority of flights had to make a connec- new Doha – Budapest – Prague service have made a drastic change in flights tion through the West Coast of North will provide a major new gateway into America, primarily through Anchorage. Eastern Europe from Asia for electronics Recognising this potential, top and automotive parts, as well as textiles, airlines around the world pharmaceuticals and biotech products. have launched freight- Singapore Airlines has announced they are ers on routes increasing their services to California from connecting October, with a new non-stop service to to the rest San Francisco on their brand new A350s, and a second daily flight to Los Angeles. 4 | JULY 2016 www.stattimes.com cargo sales and marketing division, China Preparing for an Airlines, observes, “Overall, the demand evolutionary leap for air cargo is expected to remain flat and will still be behind the relatively The outlook for air cargo markets in robust growth on the passenger side of 2016 will depend on a number of factors, the business in the near future. How- including the way in which the global ever, we believe that in the long run economy adjusts to slower rates of growth the growing domestic consumption in in key emerging markets, and the effects Asia’s emerging markets (e.g., Vietnam, of ongoing currency volatility on patterns Cambodia, and India) and the position as of international trade. However, airlines a key manufacturing hub for commodi- from the Asia-Pacific region to the rest of China zone remains ties will enhance the growth potential of the world have benefitted greatly from the air freight in Asia.” booming trade in that region. To cite an to be key market driver for Narita International Airport. Fumio Gunji Narita Airport Corporation The carrier shall also commence daily non-stop flights between Singapore and San Francisco. Mark Whitehead, chief execu- tive of Hactl, points out, “Asia is a large and diverse market; each country has its own dynamics and economic factors. A number of countries such as Myanmar, Indo- nesia, Vietnam and Thailand are at various stages of industrialisation, which is initially fuelling increased imports of machinery and materi- als required in the construction of plants. Once these are completed and industrial output develops, this will lead to economic growth, increased consumer wealth and increased disposable income. This will drive imports of discretionary, When it comes to shipping cargo, we think outside the belly. non-essential goods - and this is all Introducing our new dedicated freighter service operating with a Boeing good news for airfreight.” 767-300ER and 52 tonnes of capacity. Direct, year-round freighter Low oil prices and increased service to and from South America, Mexico, the US and Canada, with seamless booking and easy connections to our global network. consumer confidence will be key near-term drivers, while pent-up aircanadacargo.com demand and available produc- tion capacity provide longer-term potential. However, economic and social reform toward sustainable growth in developing, emerging, and advanced economies alike will be needed to realise long-term economic growth.