Air Cargo

Canada’s WestJet is backing out of the cargo business after two years because of a difficult competitive environment.

FedEx has switched from downsizing to incrementally growing its air cargo fleet by ordering large 777 freighters and postponing plans to retire older MD-11 jets.

FedEx reported higher revenue and operating income in the third quarter than last year but says shipping business could slow this quarter because of weakness and uncertainty in manufacturing.

Several small or midsize airlines that operate freighter aircraft are giving up on cargo flying to focus on business-to-business passenger flying and subleasing aircraft because of limited business opportunities.

Air France-KLM is substituting two A350 passenger jets for freighter aircraft on its Airbus orderbook because it can get the passenger planes sooner.

Global Crossing Airlines has a diverse customer base, including sports teams, rock bands like AC/DC and the parcel shipping giant DHL Express.

The barrage of policy changes in the early days of the Trump administration is making logistics professionals nervous about the risk of recession and a contraction in air cargo demand.

SmartLynx Airlines is retreating from the cargo market after losing a contract with DHL Express and will focus on charter operations for passenger airlines.

France-based CMA CGM, a major ocean shipping and logistics company, plans to spend $1 billion beefing up its cargo airline division and establishing a base in Chicago.

The French shipping and logistics conglomerate CMA CGM said it is investing $20 billion in its U.S.-based shipping, port and supply chain capabilities, using pro-American language that might appeal to President Trump.

Air Transport Services Group had lackluster results in 2024 but hopes that leasing Airbus A330 freighters for the first time this year will improve the bottom line.

A private developer has started construction on a speculative cargo terminal at Milwaukee airport with the goal of bringing more direct air cargo service to shippers in Wisconsin.

Southwest Airlines is searching for someone to lead its cargo division after Wally Devereaux announced his retirement.

Allstates WorldCargo announced it has acquired freight forwarding peer Saturn Freight Systems.

Air cargo’s hot run had to cool off at some point, but new U.S. trade measures against Chinese parcel shipments mean the industry could be in for a surprisingly quick reversal of fortune.

Omni Air International pilots with the Teamsters Union voted to authorize strikes at the airline after the union said Omni made “unilateral changes to working conditions” without following legally required processes.

Polar Air Cargo has ceased operating after Atlas Air and DHL Express determined the joint venture was no longer useful.

Now on demand on WHAT THE TRUCK?!? Dooner is joined by Toby Young; Ryan Ewing; Justin Martin

Airbus has delayed the planned entry into service of the A350 freighter for a year because of supply chain problems.

Canada’s Purolator is getting more efficient freighters for its feeder network in western Canada through its partnership with KF Aerospace.

Winter storms in Tennessee and Kentucky impacted express parcel deliveries on Wednesday, while Air Canada faces shipping delays at the Toronto airport.

Cargojet is focusing more on charter business as e-commerce retailers and other companies seek dedicated airlift, which helped boost revenue more than 30% in the fourth quarter.

Expeditors International had a strong quarter, beating analyst estimates on profitability and revenue.

UPS has deployed a 747 freighter to carry French exports to Hong Kong. The primary front-haul route is typically from China and Hong Kong to Europe.

Cargo airlines have transported thousands of tons of flowers from South America and Africa to North America and Europe for Valentine’s Day.

SmartLynx Airlines is in a difficult situation after DHL Express pulled its contract for airfreight service in Europe.

President Donald Trump has delayed his ban on duty-free treatment of low-value shipments from China until border agencies can figure out how to collect and process single parcels without backing up the import clearance system. The White House on Wednesday amended its recent executive order closing the duty exemption for de minimis shipments valued at […]

Sun Country Airlines expects robust growth in cargo revenue as it begins to receive eight more 737 freighter aircraft for its Amazon flying business.

The U.S. Postal Service has reversed its decision to stop receiving parcels from China and Hong Kong.

United Airlines has purchased all the capacity on a northbound cargo service from Puerto Rico to Chicago operated by Global Crossing Airlines to enable faster, more efficient delivery for pharmaceutical customers.

The U.S. Postal Service has stopped accepting parcels from China and Hong Kong.

The cross-border e-commerce logistics ecosystem, including cargo airlines, is bracing for a downturn in business after the U.S. moved to ban low-value Chinese imports from qualifying for zero duties.

UPS said it will cut the volumes it handles for Amazon by 50% over the next two years to boost profitability.

Airbus is terminating its charter cargo business, which used funky freighter aircraft to transport oversize loads, after less than a year.

President Trump’s return-to-work mandate for federal employees could have unintended consequences for the Transportation Security Administration and aviation security.

January is normally a slow month for international airfreight, but demand and rates are holding up after the holiday peak season as shippers pull forward orders from China to avoid tariffs and manufacturing delays.

Challenge Group is beefing up its order for 777-300 converted freighters. It is an early adopter of the aftermarket freighter and will likely be the first operator in Europe.

Following up on earlier action this week aimed at controlling the influx of unidentified e-commerce shipments from China, U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Friday proposed that low-value imports no longer qualify for duty-free entry if the products are subject to tariffs or other national security restrictions. The proposal could result in higher consumer prices […]

Emirates SkyCargo has hired startup Compass Cargo Airlines to operate two Boeing 747-400 freighters in its global freight network.

Swiss logistics startup Alpha Augmented Services recently snared $2 million in investment aimed at expanding its global reach.

Several freighter operators are flying new routes this year between Europe, Asia and the Middle East to meet increased customer demand.

Etihad Cargo is supporting two logistics companies with dedicated freighter operations from China to two European cities.

Starlux Airlines plans to start a freighter fleet with the all-new Airbus A350 cargo jet, bringing welcome supply to a tight market.

Cass Information Systems rounds out its freight payments platform with the acquisition of AcuAudit.

Federal Express’ strategy for improving profitability and soft parcel volumes includes redeploying aircraft for daytime international flights to capture containerized cargo.

China Airlines is investing about $2 billion in large, future-generation freighter aircraft from Boeing.

Global Crossing Airlines is branching out from the U.S. market to help investors start a charter airline in Australia, serving passenger and cargo airlines.

Air cargo demand is projected to slow to 6% next year, bolstered by positive economic supply chain and economic trends against a backdrop of rising geopolitical uncertainty.

Alaska Airlines plans to transfer some of Hawaiian’s A330s out of Honolulu and base them in Seattle to fly new routes to Asia, creating a big opportunity for increased cargo business.

FreightWaves got an inside look at DHL Express’ big parcel center at Miami International Airport as the global logistics integrator prepared for the holiday shipping season, when volumes are 40% to 50% higher each day than the rest of the year.

After over two months of stunted production due to a 53-day machinist strike, Boeing has resumed building 737 MAX aircraft.

Maersk is moving a China air cargo service back to South Carolina after a six-month pause during which the freighter was used to start a new route to the Chicago area.

Air Canada bought two medium 767 cargo jets from Boeing last year with the goal of growing the cargo business, but changing economic factors have led the company to lease the planes to Ethiopian Airlines.

Boom Technology CEO Blake Scholl spoke with co-hosts Craig Fuller, founder and CEO of Firecrown Media, and JP Hampstead, strategic analyst at Firecrown, on the latest episode of the Bring it Home podcast about the return of supersonic air travel.

The air logistics sector has been riding high all year, but market watchers caution that growth in 2025 could slow sharply.

Atlas Air has selected an experienced passenger airline executive to help run its complex global cargo operations.

The air cargo market will double in size over the next 20 years, and express will be the industry’s main growth engine, Boeing said in a new forecast.

Delivery of replacement aircraft for five freighters recently retired by Avianca Cargo has been pushed back by six months or more, but the airline has still been able to maintain revenue levels.

KF Aerospace is swapping out old Convair cargo planes for more modern ATRs that will fly packages for Purolator in British Columbia.

A DHL cargo plane crashed Monday morning in Lithuania, killing one and leaving three others injured.

The air cargo market has enjoyed a banner year, but the peak shipping season is less pronounced.

Recovery efforts for an Amazon Air freighter at Vancouver airport in Canada are underway.

An Amazon charter flight operated by Canadian partner Cargojet overshot the runway at Vancouver airport, impacting flight operations.

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – Etihad Airways has decided to exercise an option for three Airbus A350 next-generation freighters, bringing its total order to 10 aircraft, said Stanislas Brun, vice president of cargo, in an interview with FreightWaves. The Middle East carrier in 2022 committed to buy seven A350 future model cargo jets but is motivated […]

Tim Strauss is back as CEO of another small cargo airline based in Miami. His new company is 21 Air, which has secured Amazon as its latest customer.

Amazon has added 21 Air to its roster of air cargo transport providers.

Amazon is promising logistics companies that use its air cargo airline that their shipments won’t get left behind when e-commerce parcel volumes are high.

FedEx is strengthening its air network in Latin America with two new flights linking markets in South and Central America with Miami, the company announced.

Air Transport Services Group said fewer aircraft in revenue service plus higher expenses led to a reduction in core operating profit during the third quarter, but the current quarter is expected to be better.

The company that produces A321 converted freighters is adding a production line in Japan on the expectation that cargo airlines in the region will need more standard-size freighters.

Lufthansa Cargo is helping Shanghai Pudong airport improve cargo operations and signing capacity agreements with Chinese air cargo and postal operations.

Two incendiary devices bound for delivery by DHL from Europe to North America were discovered this summer, prompting Western officials to investigate their origin.

Cargojet reported good third-quarter results and says it is adding capacity to meet expected demand growth.

International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union members voted to approve a new contract with Boeing on Monday, putting to an end a lengthy strike in the Pacific Northwest.

Expeditors International by numerous metrics had a strong third quarter.

The growth of cross-border e-commerce shipping influenced investment house Stonepeak’s decision to acquire Air Transport Services Group.

The strong air cargo market acted as a tailwind for Air Canada in the third quarter.

Boeing reportedly dismantled its global diversity, equity and inclusion department on Thursday, and striking members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers are scheduled to vote on a new contract offer Monday.

Amazon Air is looking to make money from its in-house cargo airline by renting out aircraft, including those operated by Sun Country Airlines, to shippers.

FreightWaves SONAR hosted a webinar Wednesday discussing its new shipper data consortium with Charles Odom, director of logistics at Halliburton.

Logistics powerhouse Kuehne+Nagel is an early adopter of Amazon Air’s freight transportation service, which it is using to move e-commerce shipments from China to the U.S.

Lufthansa’s cargo division recorded modest profit growth in the third quarter and this week launched a trans-Pacific freighter service.

EFW, a company that specializes in passenger-to-freighter conversions, is shutting down its U.S. assembly plants because of shortages in skilled labor and other problems that have delayed delivery of large aircraft to Amazon.

Despite a first-half lull in domestic network demand for logistics services, the world’s largest forwarder saw overall volume growth in the third quarter.

Virgin Atlantic is adding its shortest route, but the flights will only haul freight. On Friday, the carrier announced service between London Heathrow and Brussels.

In the first episode of the new Bring It Home podcast, co-hosts Craig Fuller and JP Hampstead speak with Dunavant Enterprises CEO Bill Dunavant about the future of Memphis Tennessee as “America’s supply chain capital.”

UPS’s financial performance bounced back in the third quarter, but it flagged macroeconomic weakness and in-store shopping as potential headwinds for fourth-quarter volumes.

Union workers voted Wednesday to reject the latest employment contract offer from Boeing.

The Boeing Co. on Wednesday reported a loss in revenues of over $6 billion in the third quarter.

DHL Express says a new aircraft maintenance hangar and extra parking positions now under construction will minimize the amount of time aircraft are out of service and increase capacity at its U.S. superhub near Cincinnati.

The National Transportation Safety Board said an improperly installed borescope plug led to a January engine fire on an Atlas Air Boeing 747. Maintenance on the aircraft was performed just four days before the incident.

Emirates has placed an order for five current-generation 777 freighters and is eyeing a big order for next-generation freighters from either Airbus or Boeing.

Azul Airlines will soon deploy its first two Airbus A321 passenger-to-freighter aircraft.

The air cargo sector is finishing the year with a flourish as peak season demand pushes freight rates even higher.

FedEx transported six giant pandas between the United States and China this week on what the company calls the “FedEx Panda Express.”

Boeing’s striking machinists are not currently expected to be the target of job cuts by the company, according to an internal presentation obtained by The Seattle Times.

Boeing is scaling back production plans for the 767 and next-gen 777-X freighters, which could create a shortage of widebody cargo aircraft later this decade.

Air Canada pilots voted in favor of a new collective bargaining agreement Thursday that includes several pay increases and quality-of-life improvements. Described as the airline’s largest-ever labor contract, the deal moves pilot compensation more in line with that of their U.S. peers.

The general aviation airport in Gary, Indiana, is expanding cargo infrastructure to help UPS. There is also a Field of Dreams mentality: Build it and other cargo carriers will come.

Boeing announced it has withdrawn its contract offer to striking machinists union workers as it considers “next steps.”