Cargo Talk Feb2021 (2) - Flipbook - Page 23
EXPERT TALK
areas for both exports and imports and
customs officers are co-housed.
product launch
Due to the multiuser facilities and
increased flow of cargo at Indian
airports, higher than what it was
intended for, the lack of AFSs is
leading to several hindrances. These
include instances of truck congestion,
malfunctioning of x-ray machines,
workforce disruptions, shortage of
handling equipment, fewer number
of trained professionals to screen
the cargo, etc. Often, the storage
facilities of the cargo hold area are
sheds and not ideal warehouses in
the true sense. The turnaround time of
freight differs from airport to airport
and is unusually long during month
end and quarter end, and sometimes
even during weekends. This causes
greater idling time for trucks in the
airport thereby increasing the cost for
We believe it is our
responsibility to ensure
the safety and intactness
of the freight from
pick up of the cargo at the
seller’s facility till we hand
it over to the buyer
at destination
forwarders, all of which are wasteful
expenses that can be avoided.
What if this project
gets through in India
If the project gets through, DHL would
definitely look into setting up our own
facilities in phases. Our customers
will benefit from the improvement in
turnaround time, safety, elimination
of damages and pilferages. With DHL
Global Forwarding building airline ULD
for export cargo, our exporters will
benefit because their customers will
receive the freight with less damages
and pilferages. We can derive cost
competitiveness from these operations
over a period of time which would
benefit customers too.
We believe it is our responsibility to
ensure the safety and intactness of
the freight from pick up of the cargo
at the seller’s facility till we hand it
over to the buyer at destination. With
this mindset, we would be able to
provide the customer all that he needs;
visibility, smooth documentation with
monitoring all the way through and
managing exceptions with fast track
actions in case of deviations from the
initial plans. A robust Airfreight Station
network in India is the missing link,
breaking the supply chain, and we look
forward to it becoming a reality soon.
Narayanankutty Karayangal
Senior Director – Airfreight
DHL Global Forwarding
(The views expressed are solely of the author.
The publication may or may not
subscribe to the same.)
Cathay Pacific launches Skid FCB
athay
Pacific
Cargo
has launched ‘Skid Fire
Containment Bag’ (SFCB) in the
Indian market to ensure safe
and convenient transportation
of lithium-ion batteries with
an unlimited loadable weight
capacity. This innovative cargo
solution is developed to fulfil
the growing global demand for
lithium-ion battery shipments.
SFCB is an advanced and
C
enhanced version of the earlier
introduced ‘Fire Containment
Bag’ (FCB) which had a limited
loadable weight capacity of up
to 50 kg for lithium-ion batteries.
Currently, Skid FCB service has
been rolled out to three ports of
Cathay Pacific in India – Delhi,
Bengaluru and Chennai, and
is also available in other ports
across the network, namely –
Hong Kong, Shanghai, Xiamen,
Chongqing, Chengdu, Kansai,
London, Taipei, Penang, Dhaka
and will be progressively rolled
out across Cathay Pacific and
Air Hong Kong network in
months to come.
One of the key advantages
of Skid FCB is that it is
over five times larger and
can exclusively be used
for skid size shipments
like larger-sized batteries used
in e-vehicles. The Skid FCB is
designed to transport hazardous
cargo and is constructed of
innovative fire-retardant material
that can contain the fire within
the bag, in case of the battery
combusting. The bag limits the
supply of oxygen, while letting
the smoke escape triggering
the smoke detectors on board,
thus also safeguarding other
shipments on board.
Rajesh Menon, Regional Head
Cargo – South Asia, Middle
East and Africa, Cathay Pacific,
says, “The support we received
across our 50 ports for the Fire
Containment Bag has been
overwhelming. To further support
the movements of lithium battery
shipments we have introduced
‘Skid Fire Containment Bag’
(SFCB). This innovative solution is
also aimed to cater to the growing
technology and automobile
industries in India with the
requirement of bigger battery
sizes. To ensure the safety of the
products, we undertake many
initiatives to raise awareness
amongst our shippers, freight
forwarders, ground handlers
and staff.”
Benefits of Skid FCB
Skid FCB is over five times
larger and can exclusively be
used for skid size shipments.
It is constructed of
innovative fire-retardant
material that can contain the
fire within the bag in case of
the battery combusting.
FEBRUARY - 2021
CARGOTALK 23
