Air Canada has resumed flights from Ottawa to London Heathrow with a Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. Services will operate four times weekly with connections at Heathrow across Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa. The carrier will serve Heathrow from six Canadian cities, with up to 63 weekly flights in summer 2025.
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Unilode to manage Magma’s ULDs
Avia Solutions Group’s Magma Aviation has awarded a multi-year ULD management partnership to Unilode Aviation Solutions.
Unilode will ensure Magma Aviation’s day-to-day ULD needs are supported throughout its global network and the partnership also includes Unilode’s digital service, track-and-trace coverage, maintenance and repair services, complete operational management planning, and oversight for the cargo solutions company’s 3,500 ULD needs.
Magma Aviation chief executive, Peter Kerins, said: “By transitioning to Unilode, we will not only have access to the world’s largest ULD fleet, but we will also benefit from improved ULD visibility through Unilode’s innovative digital management systems.
“This agreement is not just about numbers and resources, it is about building on our operational efficiencies to further enhance our services. With Unilode’s support, we can streamline our processes, optimise our logistics, and continue to be proud of the flexible and comprehensive services we deliver to our customers.”
Turkish Cargo returns to Maastricht with flights from Ecuador and Miami
Turkish Cargo has returned to Maastricht Aachen Airport with two weekly freighter flights operating a Quito-Miami-Maastricht-Istanbul rotation.
The flights will transport flowers, other perishable goods and general cargo. The airport’s Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) status will allow goods to move faster through customs.
The airport’s head of commercial development, Dean Boljuncic said: “Our specialized in-house cargo hub was chosen for its fast and efficient service, a one-stop shop model that bolsters our handling capacity and customized provisions.” said,
The Royal Schiphol Group took a 40% stake in Maastricht-Aachen in 2023 as an alternative to the Netherlands’ main gateway.
Awery gives Schiphol courier Wings
Awery Aviation Software says that Schiphol-based on board courier Wings achieved a 25% increase in productivity since implementing its tailored digital solution.
In collaboration with the Wings team, Awery developed a comprehensive OBC service solution, incorporating Awery’s enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, with custom-designed track-and-trace software accessible through a mobile application.
Wings has a network of over 3,200 couriers in over 150 countries.
Awery founder and chief executive, Vitaly Smilianets, said: “For Wings on Board, we developed a solution that automates previously manual tasks, and provides secure access to critical operational data, allowing for communication between all parties involved in the shipment.”
The solution digitalises Wings’ day-to-day operations from request and quotation handling to mission and courier management, allowing the Wings team to win more business with the same number of staff.
Wings managing director Raz Brod (pictured), added: “We realised the need for a technology partner who could develop a solution to eliminate the time-consuming manual processes that were slowing down our operations, and since implementing Awery’s software, we have seen a significant increase in efficiency.”
DHL gains medical expertise
DHL Group is to acquire 100% of Cryopdp, a global provider of supply chain solutions for the life sciences sector from Nashville-based parent company, medical logistics specialist Cryoport, subject to regulatory approvals.
Cropdp specialises in movements for clinical trials, biopharma and cell and gene therapies. It has offices in 15 countries and processes over 600,000 shipments per year, serving customers and patients in over 135 countries.
At the same time, DHL is entering into a strategic partnership with Cryoport. The two companies aim to strengthen their supply chain services offering to the global life sciences and healthcare sector.
DHL Group already has an established life sciences and healthcare business that contributed over €5 billion to global sales in 2024.
Chief executive of DHL Supply Chain, Oscar de Bok, said: “The acquisition of Cryopdp is a crucial step for our supply chain business as we look to further expand our Pharma Specialized Network to meet the evolving needs of clinical trials, biopharma and cell and gene therapies, while further strengthening our presence in the conventional pharma and life sciences healthcare segment. The acquisition of CRYOPDP and the expanded partnership with Cryoport Inc. will enable us to offer integrated end-to-end solutions that enhance our capabilities.”
Cryoport chief executive, Jerrell Shelton, added: “We are very pleased to be able to further expand our trusting relationship with DHL Group. Together, we will offer an expanded range of supply chain solutions to meet the critical supply chain needs of businesses and patients. This strategic partnership combines the strong expertise of DHL Supply Chain and Cryopdp and provides Cryoport with the opportunity to further expand its presence in global growth markets such as Asia Pacific, as well as Europe, the Middle East and Africa.”
WestJet speeds voyages of the beagles
Canadian carrier WestJet Cargo is to be the official partner of The Beagle Alliance. It will provide transport of dogs across Canada rescued from research facilities, ensuring they reach their forever homes quickly and with minimal stress.
The Beagle Alliance rescues former research animals who would otherwise be euthanized and advocates for animal free science.
Initially, The Beagle Alliance had concerns about air travel for their rescued dogs due to their history of trauma. However, when founder Lori Cohen’s dog Poppy was successfully transported via WestJet Cargo from Vancouver to Winnipeg, they recognized that air travel was a faster, less stressful alternative to long-haul ground transport. Since then, WestJet Cargo has become the preferred carrier for relocating rescued beagles across Canada.
Cohen explained: “Canada is a large country, and ground transport is simply not always feasible. When our first rescue, Poppy, was flown via WestJet Cargo, we realized that this was a reliable and compassionate option for our animals. It is both a blessing and an honour to work with WestJet Cargo in getting these beautiful dogs to their forever homes kindly and with the utmost care.”
The air carrier aims to rescue and relocate 50 former research beagles to homes across Canada this year, as well as helping raise awareness for The Beagle Alliance’s mission.
IAG reinstates Malaysia, San Fran and Denver flights and frequencies
IAG Cargo has reinstated daily flights between London Heathrow and Kuala Lumpur, between Spain and San Francisco and on Dublin/Denver in its summer 2025 schedule. It has also increased frequencies in Latin America, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.
Daily flights between Kuala Lumpur and London Heathrow will resume on 1 April, operated by a B789 aircraft while three-times weekly services will operate to San Francisco from both Madrid and Barcelona.
Capacity across North America will grow with the return of flights to Denver from Dublin as well as additional services on established routes such as Chicago, Vancouver and Washington from London Heathrow.
In Latin America, services to Rio de Janeiro from Madrid will increase from four to six flights per week. The route from Heathrow to Doha (goes up from seven to 12 flights per week, while Tokyo goes from ten to 14 weekly flights.
Italian GSA pioneer, Glauco Martinelli
Glauco Martinelli, founder of the first Italian general sales agent, ATC, died on 27 March.
He began his career in 1960 with BOAC, followed by key roles in the cargo divisions of South African Airways and Alitalia, before founding ATC to represent Air Canada in Italy 1979, at a time when the GSA concept was still unknown.
Under his leadership, ATC became a leading name in the Italian market, joining the international ECS in 2012when he passed the leadership of the company to his son, Sauro Martinelli. ATC is the largest GSA organisation in Italy.
Ceva launches China-Chicago freighter
In serving its customers with consistent, reliable air capacity on key trade lanes, Ceva Logistics has launched a three flights a week trans-Pacific charter program from Wuxi, China to Chicago.
The inaugural service departed from Wuxi to Chicago on 28 March, carrying more than 100 tons of cargo.
Ceva is also offering customers sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) options through its suite of low carbon transport and circular economy solutions.
The logistics company has signed an agreement with Wuxi Sunan Shuofang International Airport Group. Wuxi airport provides an inland hub covering the Yangtze River Delta Economic Development Zone.
Upon arrival in Chicago, cargo can be distributed across major cities Ceva’s 700,000sq ft warehouse includes an 8,000sq ft Free Trade Zone, a 10,000sq ftcold storage facility with two chambers, a 180,000sq ft Container Freight Station, and a 180,000sq ft certified cargo screening facility.
Ceva’s domestic LTL ground transport network offers more than 200 weekly linehaul options to connect Chicago with hubs in Los Angeles, Dallas, Atlanta, Columbus, as well as 70 onward distribution sites across the country, to complete the final domestic delivery in less than 24 to 48 hours. The charter program also provides swift customs clearance and airport handling service, as well as other tailored solutions for cross-border volumes.
It also provides multi-modal transport options from Southeast Asia to Wuxi.
Air Charter Service opens in Montreal
Air Charter Service has opened its doors in Montreal, Quebec, its second office in Canada and 36th worldiwide. The broker already has an operation in Toronto.
The Montreal office will be headed by Adila Djerrar, who joined ACS more than three years ago. Chief executive of ACS Canada, Gary Hopkins, commented: “We have been serving the whole of Canada from our Toronto office since opening there 15 years ago, but we’ve been looking at Montreal as a second location for a while now, to better serve Quebec. The city is an important centre of commerce, finance, industry and technology and the new operation means that we can be closer to our French-speaking clients in the province.”
He continued: “Adila has been working with clients in Quebec since joining ACS and now has the perfect platform for her growing team to work even closer with them. I’m confident that Adila is the right person to lead our growth in the region and I’m excited to see the office’s development.”
Adila Djerrar commented: “I can’t wait to get started here and continue the work that my team and I have been doing over the past few months in preparation, and the expansion that we have planned to make Montreal another successful Canadian ACS office.”