General sales and services agent (GSSA) 4RCargo has opened an office in Bratislava. The Warsaw-headquartered company has tripled its team in 18 months and invested in four offices, as well as developing shipper pick-up services, including trucking solutions direct from manufacturing premises across the region, avoiding the need to twice screen cargo transiting to the UK for flights.
Emirates to launch Narita freighter; Dubai breaks 1m tonnes
Emirates SkyCargo is to deploy a dedicated weekly freighter from Dubai to Narita International Airport in Japan from 24 May. It will be the first direct, scheduled all cargo connection between Narita and the Middle East and will boost capacity between the two cities by 100 tonnes each way. Emirates SkyCargo already operates a twice weekly freighter to Kansai International Airport.
Narita International Airport is the largest air- or seaport in Japan, in terms of value of cargo handled, and, with further investment allocated to the ‘New Narita Airport’ Development Plan, is set to become the region’s foremost cargo hub by the end of the decade.
Meanwhile, handling company Dnata said it moved over 1 million tonnes of cargo through Dubai between April 2024 and March 2025 – the highest volume ever processed by the company in a 12-month period. A 30% year-on-year increase was driven by strong demand at both Dubai International (DXB) and Al Maktoum – Dubai World Central (DWC) airports, where Dnata currently serves more than 120 airline customers.
Aerios speeds GTA response
Texas-based carrier GTA Air has integrated air cargo charter software company Aerios’ Carrier App platform into its operations. It says it has achieved a 66% reduction in quoting time, faster client responses and enhanced quote accuracy. Integrating with flight planning software ensures quoted flight times reflect actual wind conditions and aircraft performance.
Cathay Pacific completes autonomous tractor trials
Cathay Cargo Terminal has completed the first end-to-end trial of autonomous electric tractor (AET) operations between the terminal and West Cargo Apron at Hong Kong International Airport.
The trial involved a fully autonomous electric tow-tractor pulling four cargo dollies into the Cathay Cargo Terminal and driving itself to the correct cargo transfer gate for loading. After loading, the AET drove itself out of the terminal and successfully completed its journey to the furthest cargo apron, the WCA, delivering the cargo ready to be loaded directly onto a Cathay Cargo flight.
The project is a collaborative effort between Cathay Cargo Terminal, the Airport Authority Hong Kong, and UISEE, one of China’s leading autonomous driving companies.
Saudia launches China-Liege freighters
Saudia Cargo has launched twice weekly freighter routes between Liège in Belgium, Dammam, Saudi Arabia and Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport in China. They will operate direct from Zhengzhou to Liège Airport with two weekly flights, and are aimed at the e-commerce market. They bring total weekly flights operated by the carrier out of Liège to 11 per week.
Senior vice president of sales, Marwan Niazi,said: “The addition of the Liège and Zhengzhou routes will be a game-changer in our operations. It not only enhances our ability to meet the growing demand in the region but also solidifies our position as a leading global air cargo company.
“Leveraging its position as an effective strategic hub connecting global supply chains and contributing to strengthening the Kingdom’s position as a global logistics centre, Saudia Cargo seeks to implement the highest standards of operational excellence and provide integrated solutions that meet the aspirations of the company’s customers.”
CargoIQ moves to three-tier certification
The Cargo iQ airfreight quality standards group is rolling out a tiered certification program to help members develop staggered implementation plans.
It aims to help them to map their quality progress and identify areas that require further improvement. The tiers – 1,2 and 3 -will reflect the scores achieved by members after a data-driven assessment, which will check milestone capabilities and monitor how continuous improvement practises are being applied to operations.
Lean audits are also being introduced alongside the existing audit process so members can upgrade their tiers outside the usual audit cycle.
American Airlines steps up schedules for the summer
American Airlines is to operate flights from Philadelphia to Edinburgh and Milan Malpensa, from Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) to Venice Marco Polo, from Chicago O’Hare to Naples and Madrid-Barajas, from Charlotte-Douglas to Athens and from Miami (MIA) to Rome-Fuimucino in its summer schedule starting in April.
London Heathrow to DFW also increases to five daily flights in April.
Altogether, in June, July and August, American will operate more than 4,000 monthly widebody flights between the US and Europe.
Flights from MIA to Buenos Aires International Airport increase to twice daily for April to October.
In the Asia-Pacific region, larger aircraft will provide increased capacity.
A whole LOT of space on Cargo.one
Polish airline LOT Cargo has signed a deal with Cargo.one. It will make its worldwide capacity available on the digital air freight procurement and sales platform to its user base of thousands of freight forwarding branches in 134 countries.
Forwarders in the US, Canada and Poland can now use Cargo.one to quote and book LOT Cargo’s global capacity for general cargo shipments up to 1000kg to popular destinations including London, New York, Miami, Tokyo, Seoul, Delhi, and Dubai. Additional markets and products including perishables will become available in the coming months.
As well as sizable intra-European connectivity, LOT Cargo offers direct, wide-body long haul capacity from Central and Eastern Europe to hub airports in the US, Canada, China, India, Japan and South Korea via its terminal at Warsaw Chopin Airport and road feeder services.
LOT head of cargo and mail, Michał Grochowski, commented: “Cargo.one delivers LOT Cargo valuable opportunities to grow our sales and enhance the digital experiences we provide. As a partner, Cargo.one offers uniquely strong technology and valuable digital procurement expertise, supporting LOT Cargo to ensure the very strongest end to end service delivery.”
Full bellies for WestJet
WestJet said it saw a surge in belly cargo demand in 2024, with a 60% year-over-year increase in revenue. Performance was particularly strong on key routes like Narita-Calgary Incheon-Calgary.”
While the airline recently confirmed it would eventually phase out its four dedicated freighters, it is committed to expanding belly cargo opportunities in markets where WestJet operates passenger service, as well as offering cargo on new routes.
The Canadian carrier earlier signed a block space agreement (BSA) with Virgin Atlantic from Toronto to London Heathrow and beyond from 31 March.
Hactl and HKT to set up Hong Kong’s first private 5G terminal network
Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited (Hactl) is to collaborate with telecommunications and technology company HKT to establish the territory’s first 5G private network-enabled terminal.
It says the high-speed 5G network will transform terminal efficiency and pave the way for the future adoption of advanced technologies.
The system will enable autonomous electric tractor operations, with real time coordination and dynamic adaptation to traffic and safety protocols, reducing the need for human intervention.
Security will be enhanced by patrol robots, equipped with AI-powered video analytics and 5G private network, continuously transmitting live footage to Hactl’s security control center over a dedicated, secure 5G mobile channel for real time surveillance and instant threat detection and response.
A 5G-connected Smart Cargo Locating system will streamline warehousing through real-time positioning and automated cargo tracking. Smart Forklifts for cargo racking will communicate with one another and the central operations system to optimize workflow and minimize errors.