Ukrainian-owned An124 operator Antonov Airlines and Netherlands forwarder First Class Freight have moved an urgently needed marine propulsion unit from Hong Kong to Houston. It was needed to ensure the safety of a cruise ship due to set off for the Arctic.
The move was complicated by the shape and size of the unit. Antonov Airlines had only three weeks to design and build a frame and complete the transportation. It also posed challenges with loading and weight distribution in the aircraft.
The airfreight industry has been called into action multiple times around the world this year to charter planes into disaster regions, says Ben Dinsdale, Air Charter Service’s director for government and humanitarian services.
This year the industry has been busy assisting humanitarian operations in the Far East, Africa, the Middle East, Caribbean, as well as North and South America, in the aftermaths of a number of natural disasters and civil unrests.
In Papua New Guinea, there was a devastating landslide burying hundreds of homes in a remote community – the displaced survivors urgently needed shelter and medicines.
The worst flood Brazil had seen for 80 years caused widespread landslides and dam collapses, leaving at least 580,000 people displaced from their homes, and they needed shelter and medicinal supplies in the direct aftermath. And Hurricane Beryl hit the Caribbean hard, causing widespread damage to many of the islands in the area, leading to aid flights to the region, as well as evacuations.
Dinsdale said: “The civil collapse in Haiti has displaced hundreds of thousands of people, and the escalating conflict of the Sudanese civil war has led to mass displacement for much of the population. Both situations have required multiple flights with shelter equipment. Most recently, following the invasion of Lebanon last month, the country has required a huge amount of aid flights, as well as multiple evacuations.”
For ACS, the Sudanese civil war led to a series of charters into Port Sudan and Ndjamena, in Chad, with the aid originating in Pakistan and the UAE, using a wide range of aircraft types. But the biggest operation this year has been over the past month or so, following the invasion of Lebanon. ACS has arranged more than 20 cargo flights carrying in over 600 tons of aid, as well as organising 30 evacuation charters, moving several thousand people out of the country.
Dinsdale concluded: “We have been involved with, and responded to, virtually every humanitarian logistical operation over the past few decades. In such situations we feel fortunate to be able to call on a hugely talented network of industry suppliers to deliver these complex operations around the world. This year has, once again, highlighted some of the vitally important work that the air charter industry delivers.”
Hermes Logistics Technologies has completed an upgrade to the Cargo Management System at Cairo International Airport last week and migrate local handler CACC Cargolinx’s to its Cloud-based service. Hermes Business Intelligence and Track and Trace apps will provide data insights and detailed shipment information for agents and shippers, in real time and making CACC Cargolinx’s operations in Cairo fully automated.
UK based packaging specialist Tower Cold Chain – recently acquired by Massachusetts-based Cold Chain Technologies – has introduced a carbon calculator to help customers improve the sustainability of their logistics operations in partnership with Cardiff University’s Business School and using datasets from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. It provides actionable insights that enable customers to make informed decisions about their environmental impact and helps identify areas for improvement within Tower’s operations and the wider supply chain. It also compares Tower’s solutions against alternatives.
New York-based Freight forwarder Accelerated Global Solutions (AGS) has appointed Tony Barnes to the new position of global chief commercial and growth officer. He also assumes the role of global head of ocean product.
His appointment follows the company’s acquisition by Chris Zheng, founder and chief executive of last-mile delivery specialist SpeedX.
Barnes’ career includes senior roles such at AP Moller-Maersk in Hong Kong and Ceva Logistics and was most recently president, Asia Pacific at Seko Logistics.
He stated: “Joining AGS at this stage of growth, as it continues to expand its international reach and capabilities, is a remarkable opportunity. The integration with SpeedX provides a unique platform to offer our clients end-to-end solutions that streamline logistics across borders.”
Chicago Rockford International Airport has signed an agreement with Glasgow Prestwick Airport in Scotland, UK to promote cargo flights between the two locations.
It aims to strengthen the trade lane and to boost information sharing between the airports.
Both airports run full-service 24-hour operations with no night flying or handling restrictions, allowing for continuous operations at either end.
Several aerospace manufacturers operate within the catchment areas of both Prestwick and Rockford.
Prestwick business development director, Nico Le Roux (pictured, left at the TIACA Air Cargo Forum in Miami), said: “We are looking forward to getting underway with this new partnership with Rockford, and working with another regional cargo hub to grow this high-potential trade lane. Our initial focus will be on aerospace cargo, as both Prestwick and Rockford are positioned within large aerospace industry clusters.”
E-commerce is another major focus with Prestwick’s appointment as Royal Mail Group’s international e-commerce gateway to the UK, while Rockford is an established U.S. e-commerce hub.
Rockford’s executive director, Zack Oakley (right), commented: “The Chicago-UK air cargo market flow amounts to over 26,000 tons annually and is currently underserved by direct air cargo routes to Scotland. Developing the air cargo connections between PIK and RFD aims to rectify this, while supporting the emerging growth factors for air cargo across the perishables, automotive, pharma, and e-commerce sectors.
“The partnership also allows us to help shippers secure significant cost savings and Co2 reductions, aligning with both airports’ sustainability goals.”
Silk Way Group unveiled plans for a new cargo airport in the Alat Free Economic Zone during the COP29 summit, being held in its home country, Azerbaijan. It will operate under the Silk Way Alat Free Economic Zone Company, a registered entity established to advance Silk Way Group’s logistics and infrastructural initiatives in the region.
The project includes will a 4,000-meter runway and taxiway, 18 aircraft stands, individual forwarder warehouses, perishables airside facilities and office buildings.
On completion of the project in 2026, the wider Alat Free Economic Zone will have access to the Baku International Sea Trade Port and rail and motorway networks.
President of Silk Way Group, Zaur Akhundov, noted: “The establishment of the new cargo airport in the Alat Free Economic Zone represents a significant milestone in the country’s history, signifying a shift towards new opportunities that will effectively address the increasing local and global demand for freight transport. This initiative not only bolsters our standing within the Middle Corridor but also opens up new avenues for growth, offering promising prospects for our business, as well as for our valued partners and investors.”
Chief executive of Silk Way Alat Free Economic Zone Company, Jawad Dbila, added that the new cargo airport would be “a pillar of the Alat Free Economic Zone, transforming our vision for Azerbaijan’s logistics and transportation capabilities into reality.”
Sander Doves, director of TKH Airport Solutions, a technology partner in the project that that his company’s advanced airfield ground lighting technology would be used in the construction of the runway and would result in enables significant energy savings.
Airfreight handler Swissport has opened a new hub at Heathrow Airport at Building 588. It includes 15,000sq ft of temperature-controlled space, advanced warehouse management systems and real-time tracking capabilities, along with a Border Inspection Post.
It follows substantial growth in the UK, driven largely by e-commerce imports, as well as demand for pharmaceuticals and perishable items. Tonnage has increased 17% increase in in the year to date, it said.
Swissport is also planning to open a new facility at London Gatwick, and expand its sites at East Midlands, Manchester, and London Stansted.
Chief operating officer of cargo, Joe Bellfield, said: “Our new facility at Heathrow is a cornerstone of our global air cargo expansion strategy. It not only enhances our service capabilities at a critical global hub but also demonstrates our commitment to investing in infrastructure and technology to meet the growing demands of the air cargo industry.
“Several customers are waiting to join Swissport’s portfolio once we have the space, and we’re thrilled to be expanding at Gatwick, East Midlands, Manchester, and Stansted in the months that follow our opening at Heathrow Airport.”
American Airlines will expand its European network from Miami International Airport in summer of 2025 with its first-ever service to Rome Fiumicino Airport and two daily flights between to London Heathrow. Flights to Rome will start on June 5, a month earlier than previously planned. The carrier will offer service to five European destinations from Miami, including year-round service to Barcelona, Paris Charles de Gaulle and Madrid.
Dubai based ground handling company Dnata has received its first Cargo iQ certification
It has integrated the Cargo iQ principles into its existing Quality Management framework, with the aim of reporting three quarters of shipments globally.
Its stations at Dubai, London, Amsterdam and Singapore are already using data collection to feed into the quality monitoring framework.
Dnata global has been a member of Cargo iQ since 2020.
Senior vice president for UAE cargo and global cargo strategy, Guillaume Crozier, said: “Achieving excellence in air cargo requires not only compliance and rigorous data management, but also a commitment to community performance, supply chain visibility and safeguarding product integrity at every step. Dnata supports the Cargo iQ framework and will continue to invest in technology and innovation, aiding real time capability to support our customers, and delivering on our promises.”
