Challenge Group has officially launched its Boeing 777-300ERSF conversion program, announced at the start of 2025. With a payload of almost 100 tons, the first Boeing 777-300ERSF will be registered in Malta. Challenge is recruiting and training new pilots for the type rating.
This milestone follows Challenge Group’s Boeing 767 300BDSF conversion program, completed in 2024, and is part of a broader fleet modernization and growth strategy.
Lufthansa Cargo is to market cargo capacity on Italian carrier ITA Airways.
From 16 June, it will offer capacity under its own AWB prefix from São Paulo (GRU), Rio de Janeiro (GIG) and Buenos Aires (EZE) to Rome. On all other routes, both airlines will initially continue to operate under two separate AWB numbers.
Following regulatory approvals, Lufthansa Cargo will gradually take over the marketing of the Italian airline’s belly capacities on all continental and intercontinental routes under its own AWB prefix. It is expected to increase global belly capacity for Lufthansa Cargo by almost 20% and create a fifth hub in Rome, alongside Frankfurt, Munich, Vienna and Brussels.
ITA Airways has officially been part of the Lufthansa Group since the beginning of the year, when it initially acquired a 41% stake.
ECS Group chairman is leading a new think-tank to support airlines in managing and evolving their cargo business. Aerion brings together commercial, digital, operational, and support expertise within a single framework to optimize performance and rethink traditional models.
It aims to offer airlines a high-level task force, ready to activate commercial, digital, regulatory, or organizational levers without the need for internal expansion.
It is described as a tailored strategic platform to help airlines structure, transform, and unlock the full value of their cargo operations. Rather than a service provider, it is an exclusive strategic partner, dedicated to strengthening the cargo models of airlines ready to move beyond traditional frameworks.
Aerion draws on the expertise of several companies with the ECS Group. Commercial: GSA services, market development, and flow management will be offered by ECS Group, Global GSA and Mail & More.
Its CargoTech arm will supply digital tools, platforms, data solutions and automation.
Operations including supervision, quality, compliance, and on-the-ground-handling comes via ECS Group’s Total Cargo Expertise (TCE) arm while support: legal, contractual, HR, billing solutions is from ECS’s back office service provider, Squair.
Each stream operates independently but can be combined.
Thominet will be supported by an executive board of directors overseeing operational execution. A separate Advisory Board, composed of leading figures in the air cargo industry, will shape strategic priorities and track market evolution.
He explained: “Imagine you’re leading an airline and you’re under pressure to do more with less — sell better, automate more, control costs, stay compliant. You don’t need another provider. You need a team that sees the whole picture, who can quietly and efficiently strengthen your cargo performance without the noise.
China Southern Air Logistics has signed an agreement with Glasgow Prestwick Airport for an initial four freighter flights a week from Guangzhou with plans to increase to a daily service.
The move will double the Scottish gateway’s current scheduled freighter movements and would be a “game changer” said Prestwick chief executive, Ian Forgie.
He said: “This is welcome news. The airport team have been working hard over the last 12 months to showcase the Prestwick solution as an alternative Cargo Gateway into the UK, and the board is delighted that a flagship carrier China Southern Air Logistics has established a scheduled service from China to Prestwick.
“We anticipate this new trade route will grow rapidly in 2025 as Prestwick delivers on its plans and the market responds to an alternative Cargo Gateway into the UK and a new direct export route to China from Scotland for high value Scottish seafood and Whisky. We are in discussions with other airlines and expect to make further announcements soon.”
Prestwick has invested £2.3m in equipment in the last 12 months and is continuing to invest in ground handling and its cool chain, as well as employing more staff, to maximise its capabilities in handling large freighters.
Colin Dai, the airport’s country sales director for Greater China, added “The airport has a long history and reputation for handling wide bodied freighters, providing fast aircraft turnaround and cargo handling, delivered through our in-house team.
“We are proud to announce this landmark agreement between China Southern Air Logistics and Glasgow Prestwick Airport, and I know there is a lot of excitement from both sides to see the success of these flights.”
The first scheduled flight landed at Prestwick on 16 May.
Mark 3 International, which specialises in express parcel and freight logistics, particularly with the US, has appointed for CFL chief executive, Matthew Ware, as its own chief executive.
During his eight years at CFL, Heathrow Airport’s only on-site express courier handler, Ware increased the size of the company significantly and expanded partnerships with airlines Before CFL, he held several senior positions with FedEx, where he worked for 16 years.
Mark 3 International was formed in 1990 and has grown to become one of the UK’s leading experts in UK/US trade. The company has warehousing and clearance facilities at Heathrow and JFK in New York.
Speaking about his time at CFL, he said; “I am hugely proud of what we achieved in my time there. The team is simply fantastic. They know the business inside out and have developed a number of strong and close relationships with airlines across the world that help create a global marketplace for UK exporters. In addition, imports into the UK are now faster, more reliable, and more cost effective.
“I’ve no doubt CFL will continue to thrive under new leadership.”
At CFL, he also oversaw the introduction of a new security system that automates and simplifies manifest information sharing with Border Force and other parties, including HMRC, and means less disruption and more consistent collection times for CFL’s customers.
Handling company Dnata is to open a dedicated animal handling centre at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS) this summer. Part of the new Dnata Cargo City Amsterdam complex, the purpose-built the 2,380sq m fully temperature-controlled centre will accommodate a wide range of animals in a safe, calm environment. It will include separate holding areas, quiet zones, adjustable lighting and an on-site vet to ensure continuous care. There will be stables for over 70 horses, and rigorous biosecurity protocols.
The new centre will meet global standards, including IATA’s Centre of Excellence for Independent Validators (CEIV) Live Animals certification. Dnata’s animal handling team is fully trained and regularly updated on IATA’s Live Animals Regulations.
Demand for animal transport is rising globally, says Dnata, with nearly 200,000 live animal shipments in 2024, an 11% increase since 2019. At Schiphol alone, Dnata handled 22,500 animals last year.
It will form part of Dnata Cargo City Amsterdam, one of the world’s largest and most advanced facilities of its kind, opening this July. The 61,000sq m, fully automated hub will be capable of processing more than 850,000 tonnes of cargo annually, including pharmaceuticals, perishables, dangerous goods, aircraft engines and vehicles.
The company currently provides ground handling and cargo services to 25 airlines in Amsterdam, handling over 550,000 tonnes of cargo annually with a team of over 1,000 professionals.
Dnata’s new Schiphol facility complements its existing 2,000sq m Animal Care and Inspection Centre at Brussels Airport.
Vienna Airport increased its cargo traffic by 5,222 tonnes, or 8%, to 73,280 tonnes in the first three months of 2025. The Austrian gateway also moved 26,999 tonnes in April, a 13% rise compared to April 2024.
Growth in belly cargo on passenger aircraft compensated for a slight decline in volumes handled by cargo-only aircraft.
Tonnage handled in the Pharma Handling Center during the first quarter also increased by 3% to 913 tonnes.
Executive director of the Airforwarders Association(AfA), Brandon Fried, called on the US Government to freeze tariffs, as negotiations continued between the US and China.
Both sides have agreed to suspend implementation of swingeing import taxes -triggered by Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ announcement in April – for 90 days while they attempt to hammer out an agreement.
Fried said: “We understand that these tariffs were initially set to balance the trade deficit of foreign goods entering the US, and that tariffs are a commonplace mechanism of international trade. The instability caused, however, by mass tariff implementation, negotiation, and bilateral agreements, as well as inevitable disputes over high rates, has hit our industry, and we need to freeze tariffs, not our ability to trade.
“The expertise of our forwarders is being put to the test, as we are having to find solutions that can be obsolete in a matter of days or weeks.”
He added: “We are ready to work with the Trump administration to support this and most importantly to make sure the U.S. is open for business, both domestically and internationally.”
Atlas Air and Ethiopian Cargo have launched regular flights into East Midlands Airport, both from China.
US-based Atlas Air will operate five 747 freighter flights a week throughout the summer.
Meanwhile 777F operator, Ethiopian Cargo, has started twice-weekly flights to China which will also continue throughout the summer.
A few days earlier East Midlands Airport announced a deal with Chinese cargo operator YunExpress, its first to any UK airport.
The logistics firm YunExpress began operating its own Boeing 777F freighter flights in partnership with Central Airlines in May.
The flights will operate initially twice a week, but there are plans to increase frequency. Central Airlines is based in Hainan, flying to 12 countries and 43 airports last year.
The Tuesday 13 May arrival got the red carpet treatment and was greeted by representatives from the Chinese Embassy to the UK, Chinese Chamber of Commerce and East Midlands Chamber of Commerce.
East Midlands Airport’s managing director, Steve Griffiths, said: “These new operators are a major coup for the airport and point to our status as the UK’s best-placed airport for the ongoing growth in express air cargo. While there are constraints at many other airports, we have capacity for more cargo flights, can operate 24/7 and can quickly get goods from aircraft to anywhere in the UK.
“YunExpress’s plans, and Central Airlines’ commitment to twice-weekly flights initially, together provide a long-term presence at East Midlands.”
General manager of YunExpress, Bole Xia, added: “This new route not only expands our European network but also reinforces our commitment to delivering faster, more reliable services to our customers.
“With EMA’s strategic location at the heart of the UK’s thriving e-commerce sector, we are confident in our ability to enhance delivery speed and efficiency. This achievement reflects our ongoing dedication to innovation and excellence in global logistics.”
East Midlands Airport’s head of aviation David Craig said: “We have established ourselves as the UK’s leading express air freight hub and are demonstrating that we are open for more cargo business. Our strategic central location and flexibility around night flying help to attract new cargo operators looking for a way into the UK market and finding many other airports are over capacity and congested.
“Landing the deal with YunExpress and Central Airlines is momentous as they are the first China-based operators at East Midlands. Atlas Air’s new operation demonstrates we are ready, willing and able to adapt to changes in the global supply chain. Meanwhile we know Ethiopian Cargo’s move here is also for a longer-term solution which we are ready and able to accommodate.”
Data security and compliance are top priorities for airfreight general sales and service agents (GSSAs) investing in digital platforms according to a recent poll conducted by Awery Aviation Software during a session of the Federation of Airline General Sales and Service Agents (FEDAGSA).
The poll, receiving over 200 responses, was conducted in March 2025, during the International Air Transport Association (IATA) World Cargo Symposium in Dubai, to better understand FEDAGSA members’ current and future digital requirements.
Awery chief commercial officer, Tristan Koch, said: “It is absolutely imperative that companies’ data is stringently protected. Industry data regulations and certifications have always been essential to our work, and we’ve made long-term investments to ensure our systems meet the highest standards.”
Awery is certified under SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, and ISO 9001 frameworks, for secure data handling and information management, and frequently undergoes penetration testing.
“With the issues we’re seeing across the industry – cyber attacks and data breaches exposing vulnerabilities in major supply chain organisations – it’s more important than ever to ensure your data is protected,” Koch added.
The poll also revealed that increased efficiency, cost savings, better customer service, and scalability were among the top priorities for GSSAs looking to invest in digital platforms.
