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Cathay Pacific completes autonomous tractor trials

Chris Lewis
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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

Chris Lewis
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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

Chris Lewis
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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

Chris Lewis
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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

Chris Lewis
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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

Chris Lewis
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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

Chris Lewis
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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.

Globe Air signs Air Premia deal

Chris Lewis
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Globe Air signs Air Premia deal

ECS Group’s Globe Air Cargo Cambodia arm has been appointed general sales agent for Air Premia in Cambodia and Myanmar. Under the agreement, cargo from both countries will be routed via Bangkok to destinations including Seoul, Tokyo Narita and major US hubs such as Los Angeles, San Francisco and Newark.

Air Premia’s Boeing 787 servicess out of Bangkok offer an estimated cargo capacity of 15 to 18 tons per flight.

CargoAi offers interline, online

Chris Lewis
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CargoAi offers interline, online

CargoAi has launched a CargoMART Interline solution with a number of airlines, including Emirates SkyCargo. The tool digitizes and automates interline capacity checks and e-bookings and aims to replace manual interline booking methods through emails and phone calls.

Carriers can check and book interline capacity online and, says CargoAi, unlock additional capacity with minimal effort and with no heavy IT investment.

CargoMART Interline was developed and tested with Emirates SkyCargo, but the platform is not exclusive. It is designed for rapid adoption by any airline with API connectivity – 107 are currently available with CargoAi. The Interline feature has been added to the CargoMART Airline application.

CargoAi chief executive, Matt Petot, said: “As an industry, we can no longer afford the inefficiencies of traditional interline booking. With CargoMART Interline, airlines can scale their partnerships effortlessly, maximize revenue, and prepare for a new era where forwarders can directly book interline capacity. Emirates SkyCargo has been instrumental in the development of this tool, and we are excited to extend its benefits to the entire air cargo community.”

Emirates SkyCargo vice president of pricing, airline partnerships and distribution, Matthew Scott, added: “Our digitalisation strategy is to deploy tools that drive tangible impact, so partnering with CargoAi on this pioneering solution was a natural fit. During testing, CargoMART Interline streamlined our operations, minimized manual tasks, and provided more flexible and direct access to our world-class product and service. We look forward to its expansion across the industry.”

DHL to invest over $2 billion in global healthcare network

Chris Lewis
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DHL to invest over $2 billion in global healthcare network

DHL Group is to invest €2 billion (US$2.2bn) over the next five years in the life sciences and healthcare sector as part of its Strategy 2030.

Some 50% of the investment allocated to the Americas, 25% to Asia Pacific, and 25% to the EMEA region and will deliver faster, more reliable and patient-centric logistics solutions.

The investment will focus on enhancing storage, order fulfilment, distribution, global shipping and last-mile delivery. A significant part will be allocated to establishing new cross-divisional GPD-certified Pharma Hubs for multi-temperature shipments lanes, expanding cold chain capacity in existing facilities, commissioning new temperature-controlled vehicles and enhancing passive and active packaging solutions.

As the demand grows in critical areas such as clinical trials, biopharma, and cell and gene therapies, DHL is also investing in specialized cooling infrastructure to accommodate low and ultra-low temperature ranges. Additionally, the Group will implement new IT systems.

A new DHL Health Logistics sector brand will consolidate life sciences and healthcare expertise.

Chief executive of DHL Supply Chain, Oscar de Bok, said: “We’re building high-quality, integrated logistics solutions that are as innovative and reliable as the products our customers create – ensuring that patients everywhere receive the right treatment, at the right time, with complete confidence.”

Life sciences and healthcare logistics contributed over €5 billion to DHL Group’s global revenue in 2024. Currently, DHL Group operates nearly 600 sites, hubs, and warehouses in almost 130 countries dedicated to life sciences and healthcare logistics, with over 2.5 million sq m of temperature-controlled warehouse space.

DHL Group recently acquired Cryopdp, a specialist courier focused on clinical trials, biopharma, and cell and gene therapies.

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