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.
Dnata gains Cargo IQ status
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.”
Swissport to buy eCommerce firm
Swissport International is to acquire end-to-end e-commerce handling company, ViaEurope, subject to regulatory approvals. It aims to create a single point of contact for shippers, airlines and freight forwarders, providing a comprehensive service offering across each step of the product journey from aircraft handling, warehousing, customs clearance, tracking and preparation for delivery. ViaEurope operates at Amsterdam, Brussels, Budapest, Frankfurt and Liège airports.
New chief for Saudia Cargo
Saudia Cargo has appointed Eng. Loay Mashabi as its new chief executive officer and managing director from 1 January. He succeeds Teddy Zebitz as chief executive, who will continue to serve as a member of the board of directors. Eng. Mashabi has been a Saudia Cargo board member since August 2021 before becoming managing director in October 2023. Prior to joining the carrier, he served as deputy minister for logistics services at the Ministry of Transportation and Logistics Services, and Deputy Governor for Planning and Development of the General Authority of Customs.
United Cargo joins Cargo.one
Leading US air belly carrier United Airlines has joined the cargo.one digital cargo booking platform. Currently, the service on cargo.one is available to selected customers in the US, Canada, the UK, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland but the carrier plans to progressively introduce the platform to additional markets in the months ahead.
Chop! Chop! Quick-thinking Chapman Freeborn delivers urgent car parts
Air charter broker Chapman Freeborn landed an AS-355 helicopter on a carpark to get automotive equipment to its destination in time for a German car manufacturer. The company drew upon its fifty years of experience to identify and request the use of an adjacent car park as a temporary helipad.
“We are well aware that for our automotive customers, every second lost to inactivity translates into enormous costs,” said Reto Hunziker, President – Europe, Chapman Freeborn. “By arranging for a car park on a neighbouring site to be used as a temporary helipad, our expert team were able to deliver the spare parts needed directly to the customer’s door.”
The air charterer also recently supported a manufacturer with the testing of new cars at a remote quarry, shuttling around 250 people to the site from a nearby racetrack in Southern Germany.
New Americas chief for ECS
ECS Group has also appointed Paco Ortega as regional vice president. He will spearhead ECS Group’s commercial development efforts and work to establish greater cohesion across its US, Central, and South American operations.
With over 30 years at ECS Group, Paco Ortega has led numerous major initiatives, including integrating North American offices and establishing key partnerships across the continent. In his expanded role, he will forge stronger client connections, create regional synergies, and grow ECS Group’s ‘Abilities’ service portfolio, while overseeing the implementation of digital solutions.
His appointment follows that of Jean Ceccaldi as chief executive as part of a strategic restructuring of the airline general sales and service agency company.
New look for SATS and WFS
SATS and its wholly-owned subsidiary Worldwide Flight Services (WFS), have created a new unified global visual identity to reflect their integration, 18-months after SATS completed the acquisition of WFS. The WFS brand name will be retained in the Americas and EMEAA region, however. The new look will be rolled out in phases over the next three years and will eventually appear on SATS’ and WFS’ uniforms, airport vehicles, and infrastructure such as warehouses acros 215 stations in 27 countries.
Portugal’s TAP restarts Manaus flights
Portugal’s TAP restarts Manaus flights TAP Air Portugal has resumed three-days-a-week services from Lisbon to Manaus, the capital of the Brazilian state of Amazonas with the first flight arriving at Eduardo Gomes International Airport on 4 November operated by an A321 neo aircraft. The service operates via Belém. The Portuguese carrier also flies from Lisbon to São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belém, Belo Horizonte, Brasília, Fortaleza, Natal, Maceió, Porto Alegre, Recife, Salvador and Florianópolis and from Porto to São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
More stations for Menzies’ MACH system
Menzies Aviation has extended its partnership with technology services and consulting company Wipro to roll-out the Menzies Aviation Cargo Handling (MACH) cargo management system to 28 new stations in 2025.
MACH has already been deployed at 24 locations across four continents, with a further 13 airports on track to go live over the coming months.
Since its launch in November 2023, the new cargo management system has been introduced at locations including Dallas Fort Worth, Auckland and Johannesburg OR. Tambo and has managed more than 150,000 tonnes of cargo. It will ultimately be used by more than 3,000 end users, with over 600 Menzies employees now trained to use the system.
Menzies says it improves data accuracy as all electronic information is populated automatically across the system.