Air Cargo

Ethiopian Airlines has begun a four-fold expansion of its air cargo terminal in Addis Ababa as Africa’s largest carrier improves the freight-handling ability of its hub to support a growing global reach.

The carriage of lithium batteries by air is continuing to tax the minds and patience of airlines, several of which have simply banned bulk shipments outright on all passenger planes and freighters until they are safer to carry.

Etihad Airways’ cargo revenue topped $1 billion for the first time in 2014 as freight traffic grew four times faster than the global market to reach an all-time high.

U.S. shippers’ expectations for freight growth has dropped to its lowest levels in nearly five years, according to a recent survey.

The positive air cargo indicators continued to line up through April with Asia’s airlines reporting a steady a rise in volumes, aided by the lingering effects of U.S.port congestion.

The air cargo industry is riding a tailwind right now. And while growth hasn’t been spectacular by any means, industry insiders say it’s been sustained and healthy — a vast improvement from where it was just a year ago.

Regulators in the U.S. and Europe are putting the final touches to new advance data rules with air cargo airlines and forwarders hopeful that industry concerns will have been addressed by the time mandatory filing becomes law in the U.S. later this year.

Alitalia’s announcement that it will not renew its partnership and joint venture accords with Air France-KLM paves the way for Etihad Airways, the carrier’s dominant 49 percent shareholder, to expand its European freight footprint.

Asia’s top airlines in aggregate operated at close to break even in 2014, compared to net earnings of $2.2 billion the previous year as fierce competition eroded profitability, according to data from the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA).

Europe’s top air cargo hubs are feeling the impact of a slowing Chinese economy and a fragile recovery in the eurozone with traffic declining, stalling or growing at a snail’s pace in recent months.

Products being shipped as air cargo spend up to 90 percent of the transport time on the ground waiting to be processed, according to IATA director general and CEO TonyTyler.

Salmon season has begun in the Pacific Northwest and it was marked by the arrival of tens of thousands of pounds of the Copper River fish carried on two Alaska Airlines flights that arrived in Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

The U.S. West Coast labor dispute that choked California’s ports for months may have been resolved but the effects continue to lift volumes at the world’s largest air cargo carrier, Cathay Pacific.

Plans to construct an international air cargo gateway in St. Louis took another step forward this week after the city’s airport commission approved the project in a unanimous vote.

Freighter operator Cargolux has launched a new twice-weekly air service between Chicago and Zhengzhou, China.

Global air freight traffic rose 1.6 percent in March from year ago, down from a 12.2 percent surge in February that was skewed by the timing of the Chinese New Year and congestion at U.S. West Coast ports, the International Air Transportation Association reported.

Lufthansa Cargo more than doubled its first quarter operating profit, setting up a sixth consecutive year in the black in the face of a weak global air freight market that has pulverised the finances of its European rivals.

ANA Holdings and Japan Airlines posted mixed earnings results in the fiscal year ended March 31, even as the two biggest Japanese air carriers saw their international cargo revenues soar.

Air France-KLM Cargo remains mired in the red with the first-quarter operating loss almost doubling to 63 million euros ($70.6 million) from 34 million euros a year ago as the carrier rushes to downsize its unprofitable freighter operations.

IAG Cargo posted lower revenue and reduced volumes in the first quarter as the carrier continued to feel the impact of its exit from freighter operations.

Cargolux’s net profit was squeezed to $3 million in 2014 from $8.4 million in 2013 by a $40 million impairment on its 747-400 freighter fleet and a provision for potential anti-trust fines.

Lufthansa Cargo says it is delaying the construction of a new freight center at its Frankfurt hub “by at least two years.”

As the U.S. economy came screeching to a halt in the first quarter — at least those parts that contribute to gross domestic product growth — UPS improved revenue, shipment volumes and profit, a sign that things may not be as bad as the economic indicators seem to say.

The bull run enjoyed by Asian air cargo since the last quarter of 2014 could not last forever, and after a robust first two months of the year, sharply slowing demand in March brought the business back to Earth with a bump.

Frankfurt airport handled 6.4 percent less freight in March than a year ago as strikes by Lufthansa pilots resulted in the cancellation of intercontinental flights.

Regulators must continue to work closely with all members of the air cargo supply chain to ensure impending advance data regulations enhance security without impeding cargo flows, according to a new position paper from The International Air Cargo Association (Tiaca).

China’s slowing exports put the brakes on runaway volumes at the world’s largest air cargo carrier in March as throughput on Cathay Pacific-Dragonair tumbled into the single digits after a robust start to the year.

Cathay Pacific today became the latest airline to suspend the carriage of all lithium batteries in bulk on both passenger and freighter aircraft until improved packing and shipping requirements can be developed.

A sharp increase in first quarter imports helped Shanghai’s largest air freight terminal to yet another record and follows on from its best ever annual performance in 2014.

Russia’s AirBridgeCargo Airlines boosted freight tonnage by 20 percent in the first quarter as its rapidly expanding international network offset the impact of sanctions and an economic downturn in its domestic market.

TNT Express said it will open talks shortly with potential buyers of its cargo airlines following FedEx’s agreed 4.4 billion-euro ($4.8 billion) takeover.

Air cargo shippers using Chicago O’Hare International Airport are experiencing delays because of major road construction around the hub and inconsistent service from third-party handlers. A surge of cargo from shippers unwilling to brave West Coast port congestion isn’t helping.

AirBridge Cargo, the only Russian carrier in the Hong Kong market, will be the main beneficiary of fifth freedom traffic rights out of the city that were granted to Russian air freight carriers following a new round of bilateral talks that concluded last month.

Global air cargo traffic soared by 11.7 percent in February, driven largely by the timing of the Chinese lunar New Year and the congestion at U.S. West Coast ports, the International Air Transport Association reported.

Thai Airways exited the freighter business this week, unable to benefit from the robust volumes on U.S. routes being generated by its Asian peers and without the scale of capacity required to drive a profitable air cargo network.

Air freight carried by Asian carriers grew by a solid 12.8 percent in the first two months of the year compared to the same period in 2014, according to data from the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA).

Kerry Logistics plans to build a regional express delivery platform in China and across the Asean region to capitalise on a rapidly growing segment of the logistics business, but it will be a cautious entry into a difficult market.

Qatar Airways Cargo is launching a freighter service between its Doha hub and Los Angeles International Airport, its fourth all-cargo service to the U.S.

Martinair, Air France-KLM’s all-cargo unit, announced it is laying off 330 employees, including 110 pilots, as it downsizes its freighter fleet in a bid to return to profitability.

Cathay Pacific reported a 20 percent increase in net profit for 2014 as a strong second half recovery in the cargo market helped drive up earnings to $403 million.