Bad tariffs
Trade tiffs and tariffs not good for air cargo business according to IATA, “We still expect demand to grow, but those expectations are dampened with each new tariff introduced,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s director general and CEO. “Experience tells us that trade wars, in the long run, only produce losers.” This is validated partially by the May cargo figures showing the fourth month in a row that airfreight capacity growth exceeded demand growth,
Delta-Korean deal
Delta Air Lines Cargo and Korean Air Cargo are launching new cargo cooperation to offer world-class cargo services across one of the most comprehensive route networks in the trans-Pacific market. This comes after the recent implementation of the trans-Pacific Joint Venture partnership between the two airlines.
Vegan cargo
American Airlines Cargo team has moved nearly 5,500 tons of fresh asparagus around the world in the first six months of 2018. Growers in Mexico and Peru supply the majority of the early season asparagus for Europe and Asia. American then forwards the veggies on its widebody aircraft from a number of key US hubs.
Luft cargo expanded
Lufthansa is expanding its cargo facility at JFK airport. According to Thomas Rohmeier, the facility will be upgraded and this will result in faster and better service for the customer. Lufthansa Cargo has also released plans to offer digital freight capacity booking in a new partnership with the software-as-a-service (SaaS) company, cargo.one.
Uber — for Cargo
Uber, the rideshare car service has made a move to establish a foothold in the last-mile freight market by partnering with a Bay Area startup called Cargo, which enables passengers to order small packages while in transit to their destinations as well letting riders purchase items while they’re on the go.
Alaska freighters
Alaska Air Cargo has recently introduced three next-generation 737-700 freighters and began integration of the Airbus belly capacity on the former Virgin America fleet, which the cargo arm’s parent company acquired in 2016.
DHL goes 777
DHL has announced an order and commitment for 14 Boeing 777 Freighters, with purchase rights for seven additional freighters.
The $4.7 billion order agreement, at current list prices, was unveiled at the opening of the Farnborough International Airshow 2018. DHL was the first express operator to introduce the 777 to perform long-haul time critical services in 2009. The new order will double the size of DHL’s global 777 fleet, allowing the carrier to serve more markets and customers.
Antonov grows
Antonov Airlines has had a great two years of growth. an 81 percent revenue increase in 2017 compared to the previous year, while January to May figures in 2018 were up 42 per cent, with aerospace being one of the key sectors for the Ukrainian airline. Being now based in England, and partnering with Dreamlifts are two reasons for this significant growth.
Boeing deal
Russian airline conglomerate Volga-Dnepr Group and U.K.-based affiliate Cargo Logic Holding signed a massive agreement with Boeing, which included a letter of intent to order twenty-nine 777Fs and firm-ordered five 747-8 Fs. The deal is valued at approximately US$2 billion.
Alexey Isaykin, president of Volga-Dnepr Group and chairman of Cargo Logic Holding said the move will “open new market opportunities” with the 777F and stated that the company also plans to partner with Boeing to develop new freighter solutions, such as the production 767F, or converted cargo jets like the 737-800 Boeing-converted freighter, according to a statement from Boeing.
Swiss is CEIV cert
Zurich-based carrier Swiss WorldCargo, the air cargo division of Swiss International Airlines, has gained its CEIV-Pharma certification assuring that all segments of its supply chain network, operating in more than 84 countries, meet the strict temperature-control standards set by IATA.
Silk skies
Azerbaijan-based Silk Way West and Japan Airlines subsidiary JAL Cargo have released news of a new cooperation to allow JAL Cargo’s use of Silk Way West’s airfreight capacity on flights between Azerbaijan and Japan.
Southern Air union
Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc. (AAWW), has reached an agreement between Union 1224 of the IBT representing pilots who fly for subsidiary carrier, Southern Air, over “interim enhancements” to the pilots’ collective bargaining agreement.
According to AAWW, the interim agreement would “increase pay rates for Southern Air pilots to the same wage scales as provided to pilots of Atlas Air, Inc.” It also stipulates a ratification bonus and other terms and conditions that are comparable to those provided to their fellow pilots at Atlas Air.
