LAL BAHADUR SHASTRI INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT

AND TECHNOLOGY, BAREILLY

Summer Training Project

On
“Working of GSA (General Sales Agent) of an Airline”

UNDER GUIDANCE OF

Mr Ajay Dutta
(Country Head)

Submitted to: Submitted by:

Dr.SubhoChattopadhyayShobhit Kapoor
Assistant ProfessorPGDM (2018-2020)
LBSIMT
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to take this opportunity to express my profound gratitude and deep
regard to Mr Ajay Dutta under his supervision I was able to do my project work and
completed it as a partial fulfilment of my course. Andalso, to our Director of
“LalBahadurShastri Institute of Management and Technology Education,
Bareilly”. My special regards to Institute Director for all his support and special
thanks to my Mentor Dr SubhoChattopadhyayfor his exemplary guidance, valuable
feedback and constant encouragement throughout the duration of the project. His
valuable suggestions were of immense help throughout my project work. Working
under him was an extremely knowledgeable experience for me. I would also like to
give my sincere gratitude to all the friends and colleagues who supported me during
my project work, without which this project could not be completed.

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 Contents

1. Acknowledgement 2

2. Preface 4

3. Executive Summary 5

4. Introduction 6

5. Project Objectives 9

6. Company profile 10

7. Products & Services 12

8. India and Air Cargo Industry 15

9. Roles of Hercules Aviation Pvt. Ltd. 18

10. Work of GSA 21

11. ULD 25

12. Types of goods 27

13. Aircrafts used by company 29

14. Findings 31

15. Recommendations 32

16. Conclusion 33

17. Limitations 34

18. Bibliography 35

PREFACE

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Summer training is an integral part of the curriculum. It gives the student a feel and
insight into the working of the real corporate world. The students are able to get
practical knowledge of working of the organizations. The main objective of the
summer project is to experience various concepts practically. One crucial thing that
the student experience is that learning the concept is very different from
experiencing them at concrete level. The time spent in the training help them to be
more confident and the main aim of the summer training is to get in touch with the
organizational realities. I have expressed my experience in my own simple way. I
hope who goes through it will find it interesting and worth reading . The project report
is about “Working of GSA (General Sales Agent) of an Airline”

EXCECUTIVE SUMMARY

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Aviation is one of the greatest wonders of modern science. Aviation industry (also
aviation sector) refers to the industries and organizations, engaged in the various
aspects of aviation, such as airline manufacturing, airlines flying, operating,
maintenance, ground-handling, training centres, airports and regulatory bodies.
Aviation industry is one among the most important industries of any country because
of its economic and social viability. Air Cargo is the 2 ndlargest contributor of Gross
Revenue across Indian aviation sub-sectors with a significant 20.9% contribution. Air
cargo represents approximately 10% the Indian airline industry’s revenues. Also 36%
of the total direct employment in the aviation sector comes from Cargo industry. The
aviation industry not only contributes to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the
country and improves employment statistics, but also aids in domestic and
international trade, and facilitates many other businesses.
One such business is of becoming the GSA of any international airline who want to
conduct their operations and services in India. This project visualises the procedure
of becoming the GSA of an airline, role of a GSA, products & services of the GSA
and many different terms related to the shipment of air cargo.
I started my project on 6th May till 6th July, where I was given training about how GSA
works, what are its roles, how the shipments are executed, and how they are
planned. They also briefed me about what should be done in this two months. Even I
was allowed to create Airway Bills for the shipments, verify the flight files and
arranging the Airway Bills of past two years.

Introduction
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Definition of Cargo
All articles, goods, materials, merchandise, or wares carries on board an aircraft,
ship, train, or truck, and for which and air waybill, or bill of lading, or other receipt is
issued by the carrier. It includes livestock, accompanying baggage, vessel or
vehicle’s equipment and spare parts, mail, and stores.

 Export cargo: Shipments that moves out from India.

 Import cargo: Shipments that moves to India from other parts of the world.

Air Waybill
Air Waybill is the document made out by or on behalf of the shipper that evidences
the contract between the shipper and carrier for carriage of goods over routes of the
carrier. An AWB is by far the most essential transport document and was established
at the Warsaw convention in 1929. An AWB legally stipulates liabilities of carrier and
limits on compensation, rights and obligations of the sipper, consignee, and carrier
and is non-negotiable.

 MAWB – Masters Air Waybill: Is for consolidated shipments – But airlines

see this as a single shipment bill of lading.
 HAWB – House Air Waybill: Air Freight Forwarders may issue their own Air
Waybills for each shipments which are similar in layout to IATA’s air waybills.
Each customer receives one to identify his/her consignment.
 NAWB – Neutral Air Waybill: Are exclusively printed and obtained through
IATA verification and clearance. These are approved for computer printers
and have the same validity as a MAWB or HAWB with the assigned air waybill
number being provided by the airline.
IATA
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is a trade association of the
world’s airlines. Consisting of 290 airlines, primarily major carriers, representing 117
countries, the IATA's member airlines account for carrying approximately 82% of
total available seat miles air traffic. IATA supports airline activity and helps formulate
industry policy and standards. It is headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada with
Executive Offices in Geneva, Switzerland.
ICAO
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is a specialized agency of
the United Nations. It codifies the principles and techniques of international air
navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to
ensure safe and orderly growth. Its headquarters is located in the Quartier
International of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
The ICAO Council adopts standards and recommended practices concerning air
navigation, its infrastructure, flight inspection, prevention of unlawful interference,
and facilitation of border-crossing procedures for international civil aviation.

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DGCA
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation is the principal regulatory body in the field
of civil aviation. It is not only responsible for regulation of air transport services to/
from/ within India, for formulation and enforcement of civil air regulations, air safety
and airworthiness standards but also co-ordinates all regulatory functions with
International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
ULD
A unit load device (ULD) is a pallet or container used to load luggage, freight, and
mail on wide-body aircraft and specific narrow-body aircraft. It allows a large quantity
of cargo to be bundled into a single unit. Since this leads to fewer units to load, it
saves ground crews time and effort and helps prevent delayed flights. Each ULD has
its own packing list (or manifest) so that its contents can be tracked.
NSO
Non Schedule Operation are the flights which are used on the demand basis.
These are used in any urgency or war zone areas. When any odd size cargo needs
to be shipped the shipper prefers non schedule flights. These operations are not on
regular basis and only operates when there is availability of cargo or the passenger.
Freighter
A Freighter (also known as freight aircraft,cargo aircraft, airlifter or cargo jet) is
a fixed-wing aircraft that is designed or converted for the carriage of cargo rather
than passengers. Such aircraft usually do not incorporate passenger amenities and
generally feature one or more large doors for loading cargo. Freighters may be
operated by civil passenger or cargo airlines, by private individuals or by the armed
forces of individual countries.
DCSC
Delhi Cargo Services Center Private Limited is the joint venture company of CSC
with Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL). The company is active in providing
cargo related services at the airport. They offer their services in export as well as in
import, they prepare the documents required for the import and export of cargo apart
from this they provide facility for warehouse, screening of cargo, loading and
unloading of cargo, etc.

CELEBI
CELEBI is a Turkish company which offers ground handling services at different
airports worldwide. It is present at Delhi airport and offers services like aircraft

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marshalling, warehouse for cargo, passenger assist, cargo handling, import and
export of shipments, screening of cargo, etc.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The objectives of the report are:

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 To understand the working culture of GSA of an Airlines.
 To understand different ULDs & cargo freighter.
 To understand current scenario of industry.
 To know the procedures followed under Import, Export, and Transhipment.
 To maximize the communication skills and to develop knowledge in the
relevant area.

COMPANY PROFILE

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  Established in 2006 had been the forerunner in the Air Cargo Consolidation &
Management Business.
 Air cargo carter broker since 2007.
 Since inception, Hercules Aviation as demonstrated an enviable growth rate
of 8% year on year.
 A leading Air Cargo Transport Management company with cargo
GSAs/PCSAs representation of major international carriers.
 Annual revenue in excess of INR1100 million.
 Hercules Aviation benefits from strong brand recognition and a first class
reputation among worldwide carter community for extensive programs to:
o War Zones
o Politically instable regions.
o Oil fields
o Natural disaster zones
o Remote locations with inadequate infrastructure.

Hercules Aviation Pvt. Ltd. is a small set up fuelled by an unmatched entrepreneurial

zeal that has now set standards for the Indian market. The company offers an
extensive range of comprehensive, effective and need based services. Today, the
Hercules aviation Group is the undisputed leader in the country in providing end-to-
end air cargo charter services in heavy lift operations, Passenger Charter Operation,
Long-Team Aircraft Operations, Flight operations &Ground Support, Multi Modal
Transport, Warehousing and Specialty Air Services at a Scale that add Power! Every
Passing year!

Hercules Aviation is the trendsetter in air cargo charter operations in our country. It
has its credit, the critical and delicate cargo handling successes in the most difficult
political and geographical areas. The company operates these worldwide charter
flights to carry civilian cargo with Specialty in transportation of the outside heavy
equipment.

The company is equipped to handle the arrangement of permission from the civil
aviation authorities for overflying and landing in the territory of India. It also offers
professional and efficient handling services of any flight to and from any airport in the
country.

Company offices

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Products & Services

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 1. Airline Representation
Book commercial Cargo for all major schedule airlines.

2. Over Flying Permission

Arranging permission from the civil aviation authorities.

3. Flight Handling Services

Professional handling of special flights to/from any airport in India or UAE.

4. Scheduled Flights

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Liaison with Airport for operation of flight at other airports in India.

5. Aircraft Leasing
Leasing /Sales of PAX & Cargo Aircrafts Owns Flying Club for Pilot Training.

6. Warehousing

Storing facility for shipping cargo.

Company is specialised in the following;

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 Reaching at remote locations.
 War Zones
  Regions of political instability
  Oil fields
  Natural disaster zones
  Countries hit by strikes
  Locations with inadequate infrastructure

 Shipping heavy & oversize cargo.

 Oil industry assemblies, including large pipes and drilling equipment
  Power station parts
  Marine diesel engines engineering constructions
  Aircraft parts including engines for grounded air craft
  Satellites for space missions
  Vehicle transportation, such as jeeps and communications trailers
  Film & music stage sets

 Shipping of hazardous goods.

 Expert in providing humanitarian& relief.

 Government organisations
  Relief organisations
  NGO's (Non-Government Organisations)
 Medicines and medical equipment
  Food and water
  Shelter and clothing
  Vital machinery

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 India and Air cargo industry
In India the air transport industry contributed about US$ 30 billion annually to India's
GDP, and directly employed more than 390,000 people while supporting another
570,000 in the supply chain as per the July 2016 study carried out by Air Transport
Action Group (ATAG).
Air cargo transportation drives economic and social growth and supports and
accelerates global trade, with an estimated 35% of value of global trade carried by
air, though it accounts for less than 1% by volume. More recently it has been
supporting e-commerce with global majors like Amazon and Uber now taking up own
air freight operations while initiating plans to use the next-gen Vertical Take-Off and
Landing (VTOL) aircraft for their aggregation and door-to-door distribution
operations. The role of air cargo is enormous in time-sensitive products such as
agriperishables, horticulture and floriculture, marine products, pharmaceuticals,
electronics, fashion garments, etc. and even greater for trade in advanced industrial,
high value goods, and other sectors that rely on rapid, reliable and secure transport.
Growth in air cargo is also critical for the financial sustainability of airlines given the
importance of revenues realized from it. In 2017 as per IATA, globally airlines
transported 59.9 million metric tonnes (MMT) of goods valued at US$ 5.6 trillion.
Air cargo handled at Indian airports grew by more than 20 times from 0.08 MMT in
1972-73 to 2.5 MMT in 2014-15. During the period 2013-14 to 2017-18 it accelerated
sharply and grew with a CAGR of 10.0%. International cargo comprises of 60% of
total air cargo tonnes handled in India and grew at 15.6% in 2017-18. Domestic
cargo grew by over 8%, which reflects the skewed modal mix in which roads account
for over 60% of cargo transportation as compared to the global average of around
30%. Indian express industry is one of the fastest growing market globally, but with a
small share of about 2% of the global market. This industry grew at 17% CAGR over
the past 5 years and was estimated to be INR 22,000 crore in 2016-17. Domestic
express industry a key constituent of the Indian express industry is estimated to be
worth INR 17,000 crore. International express is estimated to contribute INR 5,000
crore (23% by value) to the Indian express industry. Transhipment cargo which
constitutes about 60% to 70% of total volumes handled by some of the leading
global airports is quite low in India.
The Government has taken several initiatives to cope with the burgeoning traffic of
cargo and to bring the country's logistics on a par with global standards. The Ministry
of Civil Aviation undertook a Dwell-Time study, conducted at six major airports in to
identify the reasons for higher dwell time in Indian Airports and corrective action
required, and acting upon its recommendations it has progressively worked to
reduce import air cargo dwell time from 72 hours to about 52 hours by December
2017. Estimates by IATA for the 11 major airports on the average time taken for
delivery of cargo and documents from the arrival of the airline to the customer

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suggests that by December 2018, the dwell time had further reduced to about 39
hours for imports.
The Indian air cargo industry is poised for significant growth on the back of both the
strength of India's economic growth and many other drivers of growth in India's
commerce, trade, investment and consumption, which include significant demand
from small and medium B2B segments. However, the magnifier impact of lower air
freight costs is as yet not adequately seen. Logistics costs in India comprise about
13-14% of GDP as compared to 7-8% in developed countries which has also
hampered the growth of air cargo logistics industry. A strong impetus has been
provided through the holistic National Civil Aviation Policy 2016, which has included
a number of initiatives for achieving growth of cargo volumes to 10 million tonnes by
2027. Open Sky Policy for air cargo and improved international connectivity coupled
with expanding cargo-handling infrastructure, both physical and digital have
sustained the high growth of air cargo in India in the last few years. As per the
Boeing 20-Year Forecast, while global air cargo would reach 509 billion Revenue
Tonne Kilometres (RTKs) by 2035 i.e. twice that seen in 2015, at an annual average
rate of 4.2%, Asia will lead the growth, with domestic China, intra-Asia, and Indian
market expanding at the highest rates of 6.2%, 5.5% and 6.7% p.a. respectively
Going forward, it is felt that the focus on improvement in the Ease of Doing Business
in India coupled with landmark Government of India initiatives like 'Make in India',
and 'Digital India', coupled with suitable policy, logistics, regulatory, and skills regime
will all contribute to facilitating accelerated growth in air cargo. Simplification,
modernization and harmonization of export and import processes as well as of the
end-to-end domestic supply chains are an important issue. The WTO's Trade
Facilitation Agreement (TFA) encompasses several provisions for ensuring
expedited movement, release and clearance of goods and sets out measures for
effective cooperation between customs, related authorities on trade facilitation and
customs compliances. India has adopted a WTO-Plus plan of action to implement
the commitments arising from the TFA.
Globally, air transport is a highly dynamic industry and in this regard, the industry in
India is no different. As markets evolve and customer demands change, air cargo
operators must constantly review and update their operations and product offering to
ensure that they continue to meet the market need. Accordingly, the Ministry of Civil
Aviation has now articulated its vision for the comprehensive National Air Cargo
Policy in the sections below which support the sustainable acceleration of the air
cargo industry in India and ensuring global competitiveness with performance
benchmarking and monitoring.

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 New air cargo policy
 The domestic and international air cargo network will be joined with the postal
network through a common user platform to provide first and last mile connectivity for
air cargo.
 The aim is to leverage India's geographical location as a transit hub between Europe
and Southeast Asia and a gateway to the South Asian region.
 The government aims to do away with paper correspondence and implement digital
transactions where ever possible, which it hopes will reduce the time cargo is held up
at airports, while also eliminating revenue leakage in the logistics chain. Use of new
technology like internet of things, artificial intelligence and block chain will also be
encouraged.
 The agri export policy aims to drive India's exports to $100 billion and air cargo and
logistics will play a big role.

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 Roles of Hercules Aviation Pvt. Ltd
The company majorly plays two roles in the market of aviation, one being the GSA of
an airline and another being the IATA agent for providing space for the shipments in
different airlines.
What is GSA?
GSA stands for General Sales Agency, it is a sales representative of an airline in a
specific region or country. It is responsible for selling cargo space i.e., it works
towards providing space to the shippers for their goods.
A GSA will typically sell products from multiple airlines i.e., single organization can
be a GSA for different airlines. (Hercules Aviation is GSA of Silkways West Airlines
as well as Qatar Airlines)
Airlines normally sign up GSAs in those areas where it does not operate to or from,
allowing them to have a sales presence in a country at lower cost than opening their
own offices in short term. It may also use their services because the GSA has
historical ties with travel and cargo agents which will be too time-consuming for the
airline to build itself.
The GSA receives a commission of around 3–5% on all tickets and unit of cargo
space sold in the region that it represents.
All costs related to running the GSA's business are the responsibility of the GSA
including insurance, rent, general office expenses and any travel within the country
or region needed to promote and sell the product.

What is an IATA agent?

IATA is a voluntary body of the airlines to assist in transportation and carriage of
goods safely, securely for the benefit of the people. IATA agent helps the shippers in
proving space for their cargo in different airlines. It assists the shippers and on behalf
of them negotiates and arranges the cost of transporting their shipment from point A
to point B.
IATA agents are linked with various airlines in the market, which provides them an
upper hand over providing space for the cargo over the shipper who is dealing with
the airlines directly.
IATA agent is the qualified member of International Air Transportation Association
and have certain advantages over others like authorisation to sell international
and/or domestic tickets on behalf of the airlines,access to IATAs Billing and
Settlement Plan (BSP), and BSPlink that together provide a single standard interface
for invoicing and payment between the agent and multiple airlines and transport
providers.

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Have standardized all airline documents which are
1. Passenger ticket and baggage check.
2. Excess baggage ticket
3. Miscellaneous charges order/ multiple purpose documents.
4. Airway Bill
The biggest benefit of the airlines to be the member of IATA is that the documents of
one airline can be accepted by another IATA member airline as money will be trough
IATA clearing house based in Montreal.

Becoming the GSA of an airline

There is no standard procedure for becoming the GSA of an airline, it totally depends
on the market conditions and the requirements of an airline.
 One can approach the airlines which are not conducting any operations in
India.
 One can approach airlines which are operating in India but have some other
company as their GSA in India by providing some extra perks and benefits to
the airline which the current company may not be able to provide.
 One can showcase certain business opportunities in India like, projecting
India as a tourist place or as an export country.
 One can showcase the benefits of operating in India by sowing low cost
labour in the country, improving infrastructure, favourable government
policies, etc

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Hercules Aviation is the GSA of the following

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 Work of GSA

GSA is majorly responsible for the following work;

GSA’s responsibility is to provide or hire the international standards office, and pay
towards its maintenance, skilled employees and pay their salaries, and also pay
local and other taxes.
GSA is responsible for promoting sales and developing market strategies to achieve
the goals set by the airlines.
To provide assistance to the customer in providing the services and products offered
by airlines.
The GSA has to cater to both sides with the right services: the clients of the airlines
on one side and the airlines themselves on the other.

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 GSA Responsibilities in Different Areas –
Customer service – 
 Call centre – telephone sales activities.

 AWB – automated / manual.

 Change dates / upgrades / lost bill handling.

 Monthly sales statistics.

 Handling inquiries from final consumers.

 Internet / WEB service desk.

 Client claims – including delays and wrong customer remedies.

 Delayed / lost / damaged cargo claims.

Sales & marketing – 

 Marketing planning.

 Field sales and telephone sales.

 Regular direct mailings.

 Media advertising.

 Market & competitor research.

 Personal contacts with corporate accounts and different agents

 Direct sales to IATA agents for improving product awareness.

 Participation in special programs in cooperation with government/associations/airports etc.

 Special seminars/workshops and get-together events.

 Family trips / educational travel.

 Corporate web design and management.

 Local sales promotion activities.

Financial services – 
 Revenue control.

 Regular financial reporting and settlement.

 Co-ordination, organization & execution of all authorized payment transactions with electronic
banking.

 Flexible revenue settlement for variousmanner (monthly / fortnightly / weekly / daily).

 Local tax and legal consulting facilities.

How a GSA earns profit

For every shipment or pax the GSA gets rates from the airlines and further the GSA
adds certain amount to these rates. The addition amount added to the rates are than

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charged from the customers against their booking for cargo or pax, for instance;
airline provided the rate of Rs. 80/kg and the GSA charged Rs 86/kg from the
shipper, here additional amount of Rs 6/kg is the profit for the GSA. In some cases
GSA and Airline signs the contract where there can be certain percentage mentioned
as the profit for the GSA against the total booking of cargo or pax done by the GSA,
for instance; airline got the cargo of 80 tonne @ Rs 80/kg for its flight, as per the
GSA and Airline contract, GSA will get 2% of the total booking amount i.e. Rs
1,28,000 as its profit.

Process of booking the shipment

For the booking of the shipment, following steps are performed;
1. General description about the shipment is asked from the shipper
 Type of goods (Dangerous good, normal good, odd size cargo, etc)
 Number of pieces
 Gross weight of the shipment
 Dimensions of the shipment
 Date of operation
 Origin (Point of lift)
 Destination (Point of delivery)

2. Availability of space in aircraft is checked.

3. Rates for the shipment are quoted.

4. AWB number is allotted.

Process of operating the freighter

Following are the steps involved in operating the freighter by the GSA;

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1. Permission from the DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation)
This is the most important step for operating a freighter, for the permission
from the DGCA you have to be its registered member and should not have
involved in any sort of criminal cases.
For taking the permission, purpose (i.e. overflying, landing or technical) have
to be defined to the DGCA and following documents should be submitted to
the DGCA;
 Application form
 AOC (Air Operator Certificate) i.e. License
 Certificate of in incorporation/ registration
 Insurance
 Air worthiness certificate
 Noise certificate
2. Slot is booked for the landing/flying of the aircraft.
3. Parking stand number/ Bay number are allotted
4. Ground handling agency i.e.Celebiis informed about the flight. (after aircraft is
choked now all operations are carried out by this agency)

ULD (Unit Load Device)

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ULDs are the most important hardware required for the completion of any air
shipment. Movement of cargo through air crafts is very crucial it requires high level of
accuracy in maintaining the balance in the aircraft in mid-air and total weight of the
cargo.
ULDs come in two forms: pallets and containers. ULD pallets are rugged sheets
of aluminium with rims designed to lock onto net lugs. ULD containers, also known
as cans and pods, are closed containers made of aluminium or combination of
aluminium (frame) and Lexan (walls), which, depending on the nature of the goods to
be transported, may have built-in refrigeration units.
ULDs are used for placing the cargo in the aircraft body, there are various types of
ULDs used in the shipments depending on the type of goods to be transported or
type of aircraft used for the transportation. Goods are first loaded in then these ULDs
and then these ULDs are placed inside the aircraft.

Different ULD types

Name IATA code Suitable for Aircrafts Maximum Gross
Weight
LD-1 AKC B747, B767, B777, MD-11 1588KG
LD-2 DPE B767 1225KG
LD-3 AKE A300, A310, A330, A340, 1588KG
B747, B767, B777, DC-10,
MD-11
LD-4 ALP B767, B777 2449KG
LD-6 ALF A300, A310, A330, A340, 3175KG
B747, B777, MD-11
LD-7 XAW Wide body- all aircrafts 5000KG
LD-8 DQF B767 2450KG
LD-9 AAP A300, A310, A330, A340, LD – 4624KG
B747, B767, DC-10 MD – 6000KG
LD-11 ALP A300, A310, A330, A340, 3176KG
B747, B777, DC-10
A-2 DAA B747, B747F, DC8, DC10, 6033KG
A300/F
88” PALLET P1P B747, B767, B777, DC10 6033KG
96” PALLET P6P A300, A310, A330, A340, 6804KG
B747, B767, B777
HALF PLA LD: B747, B727F, B737F 3175KG
PALLET
16FT PALLET PRA B747, B747F 11300KG
M-6 AMA B747F, B747 6804KG

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 LD-1 LD-6

LD-11 88” PALLET

LD-7 M-6 TWIN CAR RACK

Types of Goods

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Dangerous goods
Commonly termed as DG, Dangerous goods are items or substances that when
transported by aircraft are a risk to health, safety, property or the environment.
These include obvious things, such as: explosives, radioactive materials, flammable
liquids, dangerous or volatile chemicals, strong acids, compressed gases, poisons
and aerosols.
Everyday items that can cause problems include toiletries, aerosols, tools and lithium
batteries.Safety is everyone's responsibility and failing to declare dangerous goods
can result in fines or imprisonment on the shipper.

Valuable goods

Valuable cargo is defined by IATA as goods valued at over $1,000USD per kilo.This
commonly includes jewels, cash, medical equipment, bank documentation, high
couture fashion, but mostly precious artwork.

Livestocks

Livestock air cargo means that transportation of animals like sheep, cow, horse etc
by air cargo with the help of a flight or helicopter. It is little high expensive than
normal tickets. The separate flights or helicopters are used to transport livestock
cargo even there are specially designed ULDs for the same. It’s not possible to carry
animals in normal cargo flights.Transporting live animals requires special attention to
the operation of the airplane’s environmental control system (ECS). The air charter
companies provide services for transporting livestock

Perishable goods

Perishable goods (such as fruits, flowers, and vegetables) were among the first
commodities carried by air. However, such goods deteriorate over
time and under extreme temperatures and humidity, and must thus be handled
with particular care.
With years of operating experience, airlines have developed effective handling
techniques for chilled and frozen products, providing shippers with optimum, cost-
efficient packaging methods. 

Human remains

The body of a deceased person, in whole or in parts, regardless of its stage of

decomposition is also transported by air cargo. While transportation of such
shipments death certificate becomes an essential document for the fulfilment of tis
shipment.

Live organs

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Organ transportation services, also known as air ambulance flying ICU facility is
used for the purpose of transporting patient’s organs from one location to another
with utmost care. Organ transport is conducted through a specialized fleet and
medical crew who is certified at delivering the precious cargo of life saving organs,
tissues and expert organ procurement transplant personnel around the world.

General cargo

Cargo without hazardous or dangerous properties and not requiring extra precaution
s for air transport are general cargo. This type of cargo includes goods like textile,
petrochemicals, machinery parts, electronics (without battery), tobacco, etc.

Aircrafts used by company

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 Aircraft Capacity
(in tonnes)
Airbus A333 45.9
Boeing 747- 400F 110
Boeing 767 55
Boeing 737 16
Boeing 777 100
Airbus A310-300 40.5
Boeing 787-8 41.44
Boeing 747-800 140
Antonov 124 120
Ilushin 76 45
Lockheed Hercules 21
Boeing 757 39
Antonov 12 18
Lockheed Electra 15
Ilusin 96 90
Lockheed Tristar 55
Douglas DC10 65
Antonov 225 250

Boeing 747 Ilushin 76

Airbus A330 Antonov 124

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 Boeing 737 Antonov12

Boeing 747-8F Antonov 225

Findings& Learnings
1. GSAs are responsible for operations of an airline in different regions.
2. Operating cargo internationally is more profitable for the company than
operating domestically.

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3. Individuals are shifting from transportation trough seas to transportation
through air due to its short and quick operating time.
4. Aviation fuel charges plays and important role in determining the cost of
operating an aircraft.
5. Not all airlines are comfortable in flying over or visiting the warzones.
6. ULD management is one of the major issue with the aviation industry.
7. Closure of any neighbouring country’s airspace hampers the cost of operating
an aircraft and airline’s profitability.
8. Cargo industry have lots of potential growth in future due to establishment of
new manufacturing units in the country.

Recommendations
1. The company can focus on growing in passenger sector because the
standard of living in India is increasing and new airports are been set up in

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 different small cities, which might beneficial for the company if they target
these cities in early stage.
2. Company should focus on bringing professionalism in the organisation.
3. Initiative to curb the usage of paper can be taken to eliminate wastage of
papers and storing space.
4. Work done by employees should be acknowledged timely and certain rewards
can be incorporated to keep the employee’s morale up.

Conclusion

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The project was undertaken to showcase my learning from the 8 weeks training at
Hercules Aviation Pvt. Ltd. Aviation as an industry is very vast in its operation and
every element related to the industry is itself a whole subject to study, be it about the
IATA, ULDs, Ground handling, Aircrafts, Terminals, Cargo, Passenger, etc.
Aviation industry offers lot to the world, it makes the people of world close to one
another and eliminates the boundaries of different countries. It plays an important
role today in the supply chain of any product and make the Business reach at
different parts of the world.
Being the GSA of an airline is a great opportunity for a company to enter into aviation
sector and those who are already GSA can plan to approach other airlines to
represent them in the region, the profitability is good if the operations are carried out
smartly and with right intentions.
Government of India is working and trying to build better infrastructure for aviation
sector so that the contribution of Aviation sector to country’s GDP could increase.
The industry still possesses lots of growth potential for future but also have certain
challenges to overcome with time, but still the ups for the sector are more than the
downs.

Limitation

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 The time is the main limitation for the project as the industry is very wide and
has lot to offer for learning.
 No permission for visiting the airport and witness the loading of cargo in te
freighter.

Bibliography

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 https://www.iata.org/Pages/default.aspx
 http://herculesaviation.com/
 https://www.uldcare.com/uld-explained/uld-basics/
 Google images
 Organisation’s internal resources

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