Air Cargo Forwarder News

The movement of people and goods in and around Brussels ground to a halt Tuesday after a series of terror attacks rocked the Belgian capital. Brussels Airport has been shut down, all flights in and out cancelled, and public transportation throughout the city has been put on lockdown, sparking wide reports of gridlock.

As e-commerce demands push delivery limits, UPS is expanding its US and global early delivery guarantees for package shippers and customers.

The year-over-year distortions of the U.S. West Coast port dispute early in 2015 that pushed shippers to the skies were keenly felt in February cargo volumes at Hong Kong International Airport that recorded a drop of 15 percent compared to the same month last year.

The ground package arm of FedEx will lease a CenterPoint-owned distribution and sorting facility in Auburn, Washington, six miles from Amazon's Kent fulfillment center and close to the ports of Seattle and Tacoma.

E-commerce opportunities on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border are helping TransForce compensate for loss of energy, less-than-truckload volumes.

A Feb. 1 change in dimensional weight pricing will benefit Forward Air Corp., the CEO of the ground-air expedited transportation company told Wall Street analysts this week.

Hong Kong’s largest air cargo terminal has teamed up with a Pearl River Delta ocean shipping and logistics heavyweight to increase its regional reach and drive up air freight business through the airport.

Manchester Airports Group posted a 4.3 percent year-over-year increase in 2015 cargo traffic at its four U.K. airports, driven by new freighter services and growing express deliveries.

Frankfurt airport, Europe’s largest air cargo hub, saw traffic decrease 2.6 percent year-over-year in 2015, mirroring declines at third- and fourth-ranked Amsterdam Schiphol and London Heathrow.

Amsterdam Schiphol airport retained its ranking as Europe’s third-largest air freight hub in 2015 despite posting a larger decline in traffic than fourth-ranked London Heathrow.

The International Air Transport Association will urge member airlines to prepare for a possible surge in air freight volumes caused by possible disruptions when the new container weighing requirements are implemented globally from July.

ASL Aviation Group has signed two loans for $110 million, refueling speculation the Ireland-based group is preparing a bid for TNT Express’ freighter airlines ahead of FedEx’s takeover of its small Dutch rival.

The U.K. logistics industry slammed the government for deferring a decision on whether to expand London Heathrow airport, Europe’s fourth-largest air cargo hub, until next summer at the earliest.

One way to get rid of unwanted aircraft is for an operator to park them on the tarmac at a big airfield and then disappear, something that is causing consternation at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia.

The logistics arm of Hong Kong air cargo terminal, Hactl, has opened a depot in the Pearl River Delta city of Nansha that will target China’s fast growing e-commerce business.

As it gets closer to a $1.35 billion acquisition by DSV, logistics company UTi Worldwide opens new multimodal facilities in Southeast Asia to speed freight to Europe and the U.S.

Japan Airlines Corp.’s net profit surged 28.7 percent year-over-year in the April-September period to 103.4 billion yen ($854 million), as lower fuel prices and cost-reduction efforts more than made up for a decline in cargo operations revenue.

Union pilots at UPS authorized a strike if their leaders fail to wrest concessions in contract talks, but any labor action would face major obstacles and delays.

Nittsu Research Institute and Consulting Inc. a subsidiary of Nippon Express Co., Japan’s largest international freight forwarder, predicts that Japan’s international air cargo trade will contract for the first time in two years.

The world's second-largest transport operator is adding more than 41,000 postal codes to its international guaranteed package service, expanding its delivery footprint in Asia and other regions.

TNT Express said its third-quarter operating profit will be “materially lower” than last year due to economic volatility in China, Brazil and Australia.

The U.S. arm of the global package express carrier is buying 45 electric cargo vans as part of a broader initiative to run more "clean" vehicles. Overall, corporate sustainability targets are powering interest in electrics.

TNT Express has launched a road service connecting Georgia to Moscow in a bid to cut up to 48 hours of transit time for shippers using the company’s European road transit service to reach the Russian capital.

The express parcels industry is coming under pressure “as never before” as e-retailing, technological disruption and macro-economic upheaval drive fundamental changes in the market, according to a leading logistics consultancy.

Nippon Express Co., Japan’s largest international freight forwarder, is investing heavily in Southeast Asia, particularly Vietnam, to position itself favorably ahead of the inauguration of the ASEAN Economic Community at the end of the year.

Nippon Express Co., Japan’s largest international freight forwarder, has reached a key milestone in its Asia strategy with the launch of a time-saving truck service between Kunming, the capital city of Yunnan province in southern China, and Bangkok, Thailand’s capital.

London Heathrow’s cargo traffic decreased by 5.4 percent in July from a year ago but the airport urged the government to approve an expansion of the airport to keep pace with growing trade with emerging markets.

Nippon Express Co., Japan’s largest international freight forwarder, said that it has bought the remaining 5 percent of Nippon Express (China) still held by a Chinese partner to speed up the decision-making process. Those decisions center on adjusting to China's rapidly changing logistics business environment, wherein manufacturers are shifting their operations further inland, necessitating greater inland penetration by international logistics firms.

Frankfurt airport, Europe’s largest air freight hub, posted another monthly decline in traffic in June, tracking slowing growth at its largest customer, Lufthansa Cargo.

Nippon Express Co., Japan’s largest international freight forwarder, saw its group net profit soar in the first quarter of fiscal 2015 on the back of robust international revenue growth driven by the weak yen and increased air cargo traffic.

China’s HNA group is in a bid battle for Avolon, one of the world’s largest aircraft lessors, just days after agreeing the $2.8 billion acquisition of Swissport, the world’s largest airport cargo handler.

Blue Dart Express, India’s leading air express and logistics service provider, posted a big jump in net earnings in the first fiscal quarter, as income from operations increased significantly, driven by new business strategies.

TNT Express posted a 6.2 percent increase in second-quarter revenue, driven by a stronger dollar and growing business from small and medium-sized customers.

UPS expanded the insurance and logistics services it offers shippers of high-value cargo such as jewelry by acquiring Insured Parcel Services from G4S, a global integrated security company.

UPS added eight origin and five destination countries to its expedited Worldwide Express Freight service, which now serves 58 countries. The service focuses on urgent, heavy-weight palletized freight.

The air freight momentum generated by a solid first quarter has been well and truly lost with the world’s market leader reporting flat growth in June and falling load factors.

One of the world’s largest air cargo handler Worldwide Flight Services has announced plans to acquire a majority stake in the German Fraport Cargo Services, further expanding its reach into the European market.

Global air cargo traffic grew 2.1 percent in May from a year ago, the lowest monthly increase in 2015, as volume contracted in North and South America and Europe, according to the International Air Transport Association.

Freight forwarders and logistics providers today hailed a government-appointed commission’s call for a third runway to be built at London Heathrow airport, Europe’s fourth largest air cargo hub.

The UK’s air freight shippers are nervously awaiting the publication of a long-delayed report that will recommend either London Heathrow or nearby Gatwick as the best site for a new runway in the crowded southeast of the country.