Air Cargo Carriers News

Air freight markets in April experienced “modest growth” of 1.4 percent compared with April 2012, helping to offset the 2.6 percent year-over-year decline in March and continuing an 18-month trend of flatness in the cargo markets...

Cargolux is resisting union demands that it repays $12.5 million of planned labor cost savings to employees if it returns to profit in 2014.

Turkish Cargo will launch freighter services to Entebbe, Uganda, and Kigali, Rwanda, effective June 3, and one weekly flight to Karachi, Pakistan, and Singapore, starting June 5.

European Union regulators approved a trans-Atlantic joint venture between Lufthansa, United Airlines and Air Canada after the carriers agreed to give up landing and take-off slots at Frankfurt and New York.

Polar Air Cargo plans to upgrade its 767 intra-Asia services and 747 trans-Pacific services, starting in early June.

Finnair Cargo will add more air freight capacity to and from Brussels, starting June 6.

Cathay Pacific Airways reported that Cathay Pacific and Dragonair combined carried 123,805 metric tons of cargo and mail in April, falling 0.6 percent compared with April 2012.

The leading air carriers in the Middle East such as Qatar Airways, Emirates and Saudi Airlines have been investing heavily in their fleets and networks and winning market share, both in the passenger and freight markets. Etihad Airways is following much the same path, and managing to remain in the black.

Etihad Cargo has unveiled its new loyalty program for freight forwarders called CargoConnect, a free mileage earning program that rewards companies for every booking made with the United Arab Emirates cargo operator.

Etihad Cargo, part of Etihad Airways, has updated its summer schedule to reflect investments in capacity, flight frequency increases and new freighter routings and destinations.

International Airlines Group, the merged British Airways-Iberia carrier, saw cargo revenue decline 7.2 percent in the first quarter from a year ago, largely due to a collapse in traffic at its troubled Spanish unit.

EmiratesSkyCargo’s revenue rose 8 percent to $2.8 billion in fiscal 2012/13 from a year ago as the fast-growing Middle East carrier expanded its network and added four Boeing 777 freighters to its fleet.

Air Transport Services Group reported net income in the first quarter of 2013 was $8.5 million, increasing 32.2 percent from $6.4 million in the first quarter of 2012.

The parent of American Airlines, AMR Corporation, reported April cargo figures for its principal subsidiary, showing a slump to 146,990 million ton miles, down 3.2 percent from 151,878 million ton miles reported in April 2012.

United Airlines reported cargo figures in April were 187,949 million revenue ton miles, falling 9 percent from 206,486 million ton miles in April 2012.

Etihad Airways is expanding its fleet with a Boeing 747-8 Freighter.

IAG Cargo will be expanding its per-plane capacity when it adds at least 18 Airbus A350-1000s to its fleet beginning in 2018.

Lufthansa Cargo boosted operating profit by 35 percent in the traditionally weak first quarter and said it expects full year earnings to better its 2012 result as it continues to cull capacity in line with weak global demand.

Air freight markets weakened in March, and the improvement in air cargo growth rates that began towards the end of 2012 has stalled, according to figures released by the International Air Transport Association.

Japan’s ANA Holdings Inc., the parent firm of All Nippon Airways Co. (ANA), said on Tuesday that its group net profit surged 53.1 percent in fiscal 2012, which ended on March 31, from a year earlier to 43.140 billion yen ($440.20 million) despite a slump in cargo operations.

Japan Airlines Corp. said on Tuesday that its group net profit tumbled 8.0 percent in fiscal 2012, which ended on March 31, from a year earlier to 171.672 billion yen ($1.75 billion), despite revenue growth.

A National Airlines B747-400 cargo plane crashed on takeoff yesterday at Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan.

One of the Middle East’s most senior airline executives has dismissed claims that the three major Mideast airlines are growing more than other carriers operating in the region because of unfair advantages.

Japan’s All Nippon Airways Co. said that its international cargo volume rose for the first time in two months in March on a year-on-year basis, increasing 3.7 percent to 51,455 tons.

U.S. Congress has passed a bill that will halt air traffic controllers from being furloughed as part of budget cuts related to sequestration.

Southwest Airlines reported net income in the first quarter of 2013 was $59 million, including $6 million of special items, compared with $98 million in the first quarter of 2012, which included $116 million of special items.

Cargolux’s losses almost doubled in 2012 to $35.1 million from $18.3 million a year earlier, as Europe’s largest all-cargo airline struggled to cut costs amid depressed demand and continued overcapacity across the global air freight industry.

The International Air Transport Association has presented an agenda for aviation in the U.S. to be a strategic catalyst for economic growth and development during President Obama’s second term.

Southwest Airlines has started shipping cargo on AirTran Airways under the Southwest Airlines Cargo brand.

The International Civil Aviation Organization and the International Air Cargo Association have signed a declaration of intent to strengthen their cooperation on technical matters.

AMR Corp., the parent company of American Airlines, today reported a net loss of $341 million for the first quarter of 2013, an improvement of 79.4 percent from a net loss of $1.7 billion in the first quarter of 2012.

IAG Cargo will offer additional freight capacity on three new passenger flights between London and Seattle, beginning Oct. 27, 2013.

Finnair Cargo has launched a freighter flight service from New York to Brussels.

Etihad Cargo has added Washington, D.C., to its global cargo network, in addition to boosting frequency to Hong Kong courtesy of partner Air Seychelles.

Japan’s All Nippon Airways Co. (ANA) said that its international cargo volume declined for the first time in 13 months in February on a year-on-year basis, tumbling 6.3 percent to 39,787 tons.

The parent of American Airlines, AMR Corporation, reported March cargo figures for their principal subsidiary, showing a slump to 161,063 million ton miles, down 4.6 percent from the 168,775 million ton miles...

International Airlines Group, the merged British Airways-Iberia carrier, reported cargo traffic of 499 million-metric-ton kilometers in March, down 7.9 percent from 542 million-metric-ton kilometers of cargo in March 2012.

Emirates SkyCargo, the freight division of the Emirates airline, is set to increase its cargo capacity to Tokyo when Emirates launches a non-stop daily flight between Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and Haneda Airport in Japan.