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Challenge Group adds new US-Europe-India freighter operation

The Challenge Group is adding a new widebody freighter service connecting India, Belgium and the US. The service will utilise a Boeing 777 freighter and operate on a loop of Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMI), Liège Airport (LGG) and Chicago Rockford (RFD). The twice-weekly service will start on 4 November and follows the group's decision to temporarily suspend freighter operations at the Indian airport due to operational challenges. Challenge added that in Liege, it can offer a network of approximately 1,500 truck movements per month for onward access across Europe. The service will primarily cater for pharmaceuticals, oversized and out-of-gauge cargo, with plans to introduce live animal (AVI) transportation in the future. "Chicago is a strategically important market, serving a broad range of industries that depend on reliable international cargo connectivity," said Or Zak, group chief commercial officer, Challenge Group. "By introducing this service through Rockford, we are creating additional opportunities for customers moving specialised cargo between India, Europe and the US." The new service also supports RFD's ongoing efforts to expand its international freighter network and establish the airport as a gateway for specialised cargo entering the country, Challenge said. "This new service is a direct result of our continued efforts to attract international freighter operators to Rockford, particularly the work we have undertaken to establish the airport as a leading cold chain corridor into the United States," said Zack Oakley, executive director, RFD. "We see significant potential to grow this partnership beyond the initial twice-weekly service, including increasing flight frequencies and supporting AVI transport." The airport pointed out that RFD is located within approximately 40 miles of animal quarantine facilities, at a comparable distance to Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD), and is in the process of securing approval from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to support AVI shipments. "RFD is well positioned to support this service as it develops, with cargo-focused infrastructure and the capacity to accommodate specialised freight," said Rene Espinet, vice president - cargo business development, RFD. "Challenge will have access to the wider Chicago market, combined with the efficiency, flexibility, and reduced congestion of a dedicated freighter airport." RFD is also coordinating dedicated temperature-controlled trucking capacity, providing onward transportation to destinations in the Rockford area and warehousing facilities in Chicago. The announcement was made during the TIACA Air Cargo Forum.

Swiss WorldCargo offers capacity to southern India for the first time

Swiss WorldCargo has begun offering cargo capacity on flights to southern India for the first time following the addition of a new service to Bengaluru. The new service between Zurich and Kempegowda International Airport (BLR) will operate five times per week utilising Swiss' Airbus A330 aircraft. It was added as part of the carrier's winter timetable. Swiss WorldCargo said that Bengaluru is one of Asia's leading centres of technology and innovation. "Along with international tech corporations, numerous European companies operate in the Bengaluru region, which has developed in the past few years into a major high-tech and innovation hub," the airline said. Other target sectors include pharmaceuticals and healthcare, electronics and high-tech, automotive and industrial manufacturing, textiles and fashion, and some specific perishable goods. "These industries generate demand for reliable, time-sensitive air cargo connections to Europe and beyond," the airline added. The cargo business pointed out that BLR also offers good connectivity to other locations. The new service complements the airline's existing daily flights to both Mumbai and Delhi. "The launch of new nonstop services between Zurich and Bengaluru is an important step in strengthening our presence in India," said Alain Chisari, head of Swiss WorldCargo. "We are excited to provide our cargo customers with a new gateway for their high-value, care-intensive and temperature-sensitive cargo, and look forward to contributing to Swiss' success in Southern India." The airline added India as a whole is a strategically important destination because of its large and fast-growing economy, expanding international trade, strong manufacturing base, and rising demand for fast, reliable logistics. "Its role as both an import market and an export hub makes it particularly attractive for Swiss' airfreight division's operations," the company said.

Vessel operators need to prepare for compliance as UK ETS looms

Shipping operators face a new compliance burden under the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS) - a £100 ($133) penalty for every missing allowance, adding financial pressure to a regime that will bring offshore vessels into scope from January. The requirements were outlined in a webinar hosted by Normec, which detailed the monitoring, reporting and allowance-surrender obligations facing vessel operators under the scheme. Operators of ships above 5,000 gross tonnes must monitor emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, submit verified annual emissions reports, and surrender allowances to cover their liabilities. A key early hurdle is obtaining regulatory approval for an emissions-monitoring plan. Operators must apply within 42 days of their first maritime activity or port call in the UK, according to the webinar. Without an approved plan, operators risk complications with the verification process, with site visits and risk assessments among the requirements that must be addressed ahead of key deadlines. The first reporting period covers H2 26, before full calendar-year reporting begins in 2027. Annual emissions reports must be verified by 31 March 2027, while allowances covering the relevant reporting periods must be surrendered by 30 April 2028. Normec noted that the penalty for failing to surrender sufficient allowances was £100 per allowance, in addition to the outstanding obligation to surrender them. The scheme covers emissions generated while ships are at berth, as well as those produced during voyages, putting port activities firmly within operators' reporting calculations. Voyages between UK ports are covered in full, while different rules apply to international voyages, and services between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. For international voyages arriving at UK gateways, emissions from inbound port activities must be accounted for, even where the voyage itself is excluded from the scheme, according to the presentation. Offshore vessels are expected to join the regime in 1 January without a phase-in period, adding another segment of the maritime industry into the compliance framework. And the scheme's scope could widen further, with a proposal to include 50% of emissions from international voyages, although no outcome had been announced following a consultation at the time of the presentation. A registered shipowner is the default maritime operator responsible for compliance. An international safety management (ISM) company can assume that responsibility only if specified conditions are met, including a formal delegation. Delegations must be recorded for each ship, cannot be backdated, and changes in responsibility must be communicated through the reporting platform within 14 days. Operators must also keep fleet records current, and update monitoring plans when ships enter or leave their fleets. The webinar noted that, unlike the EU maritime emissions monitoring, reporting, and verification system, the UK scheme requires monitoring plans to be approved by the regulator rather than the verifier, creating an additional step for operators preparing for implementation.