Air Cargo

The Journal of Commerce’s air cargo news covers the movement of air cargo, including air cargo shipping, air cargo carriers, air freight forwarders, air freight, air shipments, cargo airports and cargo news. It also tracks air cargo trends, air freight news, shifting of cargo between air and ocean, airports and airfreight delays and congestion.

The latest Air Cargo News & Analysis

Russia exit proves complex, costly for some transport providers

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
Winding down operations in Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine has come with a hefty price tag, but transport providers are mostly playing down the impact.
Air Cargo Forwarder News

Carriers using digital tools to broaden shipper reach: Freightos

Eric Johnson, Senior Technology Editor |
New research from Freightos finds ocean carriers improved their electronic tools over the past three years and want to move rate and booking activity through their own online channels.
Logistics Technology NewsContainer linesAir Cargo

US importers take to the air to beat East Coast port congestion

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
Shippers of time-sensitive goods on the North Europe-North America trade are increasingly being forced into the air as rising congestion on the US East Coast extends vessel delays.
Air Cargo Carriers News

Shanghai airport effectively closed as freight backlog builds amid COVID lockdown

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
Bonded trucking services in and out of Shanghai’s Pudong have been suspended and most flights have been canceled, bringing operations at China’s busiest cargo airport to a standstill.
Air Cargo Forwarder NewsAirport NewsAir Cargo Carriers News

Ocean, air shipments face weeks of disruption on Shanghai COVID lockdown

Keith Wallis, Special Correspondent |
Carriers said while Shanghai’s main container terminals at Yangshan and Waigaoqiao remain open, many depots and warehouses are shut, and trucking is severely curtailed.
International portsAirport News

Air cargo vets get funding for freight consolidation startup

Eric Johnson, Senior Technology Editor |
Aircon, a technology provider aiming to bring a software-based co-loader approach to the air freight industry, has been backed by early-stage investors to drive planned aggregation of air cargo.
Logistics Technology NewsAir Cargo

Air cargo rates take off on Russia sanctions, China lockdowns

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
The ever-widening effects of Russia’s war on Ukraine and China’s COVID-19 lockdowns are placing mounting pressure on an already stressed air cargo sector.
Air Cargo Carriers NewsAirport NewsAir Cargo Forwarder News

Loss of AN-225 in Russian attack a blow to Ukraine's Antonov Airlines

Keith Wallis, Special Correspondent |
While Antonov's smaller AN-124s continue to operate, restoring the behemoth AN-225 will take five years and cost more than $3 billion, according to the Ukrainian government's news outlet.
Breakbulk carriersAirport News

Chartered air cargo capacity floods into trans-Pacific trade

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
Growing demand for e-commerce is behind forwarder moves to lock in controlled air freight capacity on Asia-US routes, with a particular focus on Vietnam.
Air Cargo Forwarder NewsAirport NewsAir Cargo Carriers News

K+N, Cainiao ink long-term charters for last B747 freighters

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
Sustained demand on the trans-Pacific and limited capacity is pushing forwarders such as Kuehne + Nagel to lock in long-term air cargo charter commitments.
Air Cargo

Flexport lands two trans-Pacific freighters in Eastern Air charter deal

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
Strong demand and constrained air freight capacity on the Asia-US trade lane has prompted Flexport to secure a strategic agreement to increase access to space on the trans-Pacific.
Air Cargo

Forwarders add Asia air, rail services as Omicron spreads

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
The creativity of service providers is being tested as COVID-19 infections continue to spread around Asia and disrupt regional supply lines.
Air Cargo Forwarder NewsInternational railAirport News

Rate platform Xeneta acquires air freight data specialist CLIVE

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
A strategic takeover by Xeneta will give shippers active in the volatile air freight market access to dynamic load factors, capacity, and rate information.
Air Cargo

Cross-border platform channels pandemic-led growth into venture investment

Eric Johnson, Senior Technology Editor |
San Francisco-based Passport said it will use $39 million in new funding to expand its outbound parcel platform for US e-commerce sellers looking to manage logistics and trade compliance on international orders.
Logistics Technology NewsAir Cargo Forwarder News

Freightos acquisition expands US digital air cargo footprint

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
The air cargo digitalization momentum that built up through the last two years of the pandemic has accelerated, with a third of global air freight capacity now available through Freightos’ online booking platform.
Air Cargo

Air forwarders expand charter operations to combat lack of belly space

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
Initially considered a temporary measure, some forwarders believe the shift from relying on fixed-price block space agreements with airlines to full charter operations has become permanent.
Air Cargo

GPA to store import containers at Statesboro Airport

Ari Ashe, Senior Editor |
The Georgia Ports Authority this week began moving import containers belonging to a US retailer to the spare runway at Statesboro Airport, which has been used to store empty boxes and loaded exports since December.
North American portsAirport News

Outlook 2022: Air cargo recovery hinges on easing of Asian border restrictions

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to hang over the air cargo business, and until regular international travel resumes, shippers will find space in tight supply and rates at elevated levels.
Air CargoAirport News

Cathay halts long-haul cargo flights after Hong Kong quarantine extension

Keith Wallis, Special Correspondent |
An update to new COVID-19 quarantine rules in Hong Kong has prompted Cathay Pacific to halted long-haul freight flights, potentially exacerbating a supply crunch ahead of the Lunar New Year peak.
Air Cargo Carriers News

Hong Kong imposes mandatory quarantine on air cargo pilots

Keith Wallis, Special Correspondent |
Toughening Hong Kong’s quarantine requirement for air cargo pilots would severely disrupt airfreight operations during peak air cargo season and ahead of China’s Lunar New Year holiday.
Airport NewsAir Cargo Carriers NewsAir Cargo Forwarder News

Trans-Pac shippers forced out of ocean transport dig deep for air option

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
The growth in air freight on the trans-Pacific to move auto parts, footwear, and apparel has been significant this year as US shippers try to circumvent the ocean congestion that is delaying imports from Asia.
Air Cargo

Singapore Airlines links to CargoWise for e-bookings

Eric Johnson, Senior Technology Editor |
An electronic connection between CargoWise and Singapore Airlines is another sign that digital management of bookings and shipment modifications is gaining momentum in the air cargo market.
Logistics Technology NewsAir CargoAir Cargo Carriers News

No return of air cargo capacity to pre-pandemic levels: Maersk

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
A structural change in the way airlines serve the international travel market in the future could see smaller planes deployed with reduced belly cargo capacity.
Air Cargo

Congested US airports push trans-Pacific air cargo rate to record high

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
The bottlenecks that have frustrated ocean shippers all year have spread to air cargo, pushing up rates to stratospheric levels and delaying shipments.
Airport NewsAir Cargo Carriers NewsAir Cargo Forwarder News

Global air cargo volumes surging on US demand

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
A strong third quarter for US airlines is expected to spill over into the last three months as demand continues to fill all available space.
Air Cargo

CMA CGM orders four new A350 freighters to boost air cargo group

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
CMA CGM is making a significant investment in its air cargo division, placing its second direct order for new freighter aircraft.
Air Cargo

Trans-Pacific air cargo rates soar to record levels

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
No let-up in US demand, and no easing at congested trans-Pacific ocean gateways, is keeping pressure on the capacity challenged air cargo market and pushing rates to levels never seen before.
Air Cargo

Maersk grows global air cargo network with $644 million Senator takeover

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
Maersk’s acquisition of Senator and its securing of new and leased aircraft allows the carrier to add controlled air freight capacity for customers, in line with its expanded integrated logistics strategy.
Air Cargo

Increase in EU-US flights not expected to ease air cargo capacity crunch

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
The lifting of a trans-Atlantic travel ban on non-US citizens from Nov. 8 comes at a time of peak demand, but is unlikely to address severe space constraints on the busy trade lane.
Air Cargo

JOC Rankings: COVID-19 drove revenue gains for air freight, final-mile providers in 2020

Michael Angell, Associate Editor |
International air freight and last-mile delivery saw the fastest revenue growth in the transportation sector last year, while industrial transportation suffered.
ForwardingContainer linesTrucking NewsInternational railNorth-American railAir Cargo Carriers NewsLast Mile News

CEVA lands new air cargo lithium battery certification

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
IATA has moved to standardize the handling procedures of lithium batteries as rising global demand raises concerns over misdeclarations or incorrectly handled shipments.
Air Cargo

Trans-Pacific air freight charters hit $2 million

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
The cost of missing online shopping or Christmas deadlines is mounting for air cargo shippers forced out of the congested ocean markets.
Air Cargo

Air cargo capacity fills up ahead of Asia-Europe peak season

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
Global air cargo volumes in August and September were up just 1 percent compared to the same months in 2019, but the shortage of capacity has shippers fighting to secure capacity ahead of holiday season.
Air Cargo Carriers NewsAirport NewsAir Cargo Forwarder News

CMA CGM targets long-haul air cargo market with freighter order

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
The two widebody freighters ordered by CMA CGM Air Cargo will expand its direct access to air freight space, most likely in the tightly constrained trade lanes out of Asia.
Air Cargo

Air cargo rates near 2020 record on ocean demand shift

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
Worsening port and inland logistics bottlenecks are driving shippers from ocean into the air, increasing rates and kickstarting an early air freight peak season.
Air Cargo

Digital pricing taking air freight ‘out of the darkness’: Webcargo

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
Digitalization of the industry is more than just an IT project, and needs greater corporate buy-in from executives in corner offices on the top floor all the way down to workers on the ground, according to Webcargo.
Air Cargo

Air cargo rates rocket to 2021 high on Shanghai lockdown

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
Air freight spot rates out of Shanghai shot up this week to the highest they've been this year as the capacity-slashing COVID-19 disruption across China’s major airports hit prices.
Air Cargo

Geodis deploys scheduled freighter in tight air cargo market

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
Instead of chartering air freight capacity, Geodis has leased its own branded freighter that will be integrated into the forwarder’s global schedule.
Air Cargo

Shanghai air cargo in holding pattern as backlog builds

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
There is little clarity in Shanghai airport’s evolving COVID-19 lockdown situation, with forwarders in China asked not to deliver export cargo to the terminals and airlines suspending inbound shipments.
Airport NewsNorth-American railAir Cargo Carriers NewsAir Cargo Forwarder News

Asia-US air cargo rates spike on China airport lockdowns

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
Air freight rates on the trans-Pacific, although at elevated levels, have been reasonably stable through the summer months, but measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 in China are now pushing rates skyward.
Air CargoAirport News