Air Canada Cargo has added twice-weekly freighters from its Toronto hub to Amsterdam Schiphol, together with three times a week services to Monterrey and twice a week to Panama City. The service to Amsterdam complements Air Canada’s passenger flights to the city, while Monterrey and Panama City deepen freighter connectivity to markets in Mexico and Central America.
No need to get in a flap over freighter spares
Aerospace original equipment manufacturer Ontic has launched a CargoCare family of maintenance, repair and operations services to help freighter operators keep their aircraft flying and maintenance costs under control.
The first offering in the CargoCare portfolio is an Exchange & Overhaul programme for Boeing 747 leading edge flap drive units, a component operators have found difficult to turn around quickly when an unexpected removal occurs.
When an operator removes a leading edge flap drive unit and sends it to Ontic, a serviceable replacement is immediately dispatched from an exchange pool, cutting exchange times to as little as 48 hours, says Ontic. The removed unit is then overhauled at Ontic’s MRO facility in Tewkesbury, UK, and returned to the pool, creating a continuous rotation of ready units for customers on the programme.
Customers can choose between a dedicated or shared exchange pool, giving coverage without unnecessary inventory. The programme also offers flat-rate overhaul costs, an extended warranty, flexible commercial terms, and support from Ontic hubs across the Americas, Europe, and Asia.
The 747 leading edge flap drive programme is the first of several planned CargoCare offerings. Ontic intends to extend the model to further platforms and parts as it continues to grow and invest in its MRO portfolio.
Modern Logistics – the support act for global bands and brands
Modern Logistics has operated its first international operations with its 737-800 freighters to support concerts by international bands in Brazil, carried out in partnership with Rock-it Cargo, a specialty logistics provider to large-scale events.
They operated to Lima, Peru and Santiago, Chile on September 14, transporting eight tons of equipment. A domestic flight on September 14 operated from Viracopos with stops in Salvador and Rio de Janeiro.
A second confirmed operation supports the Maroon 5 tour in Brazil. For this leg, Modern Logistics will lease an additional Boeing 737-800 NG aircraft to transport 11 tons of the band’s musical equipment between tour cities. Each flight will carry a representative responsible for the band’s equipment and another responsible for show operations. This procedure covers the band’s performances in three cities scheduled for the coming weeks.
Modern Logistics is meanwhile moving ahead with plans to diversify its client base, with emphasis on the e-commerce and healthcare verticals in line with trends in the Brazilian economy.
Since last year, the integrated carrier has been serving one of the country’s leading e-commerce platforms.
Modern Logistics adds that it will soon formalize an international partnership expected to impact logistics operations in both Brazil and the US with Modern Logistics acting as a freight forwarder, details of which are expected in the coming weeks. Chief executive, Cristiano Koga said: “We have a major development in the pipeline: a partnership that will have a strong positive impact on logistics in Brazil and the US. It will generate tremendous visibility for Modern, and not just in Brazil. We are working to fine-tune every detail of this operation and will share more information with the market very soon.”
New drug works wonders for LATAM cargo carryings
Pharmaceutical product transport by LATAM Cargo between Europe and Brazil grew 150% from January to July 2026 compared to the same period last year, said the South American carrier. This was mainly driven by an increase in the transport of GLP-1-based medications, used in treatments for type 2 diabeteswhich accounted for approximately 15% of the total volume transported.
LATAM Cargo offers solutions including temperature monitoring, climate-controlled rooms, cargo segregation, thermal blankets and reduced ramp exposure time. For shipments transported in active containers, protocols include power supply connection, periodic monitoring and follow-up of battery and temperature levels.
It also operates s CEIV-certified Pharma Hub in Miami, which offers chambers across different temperature ranges and dedicated space for loading and storing active pharmaceutical containers.
New passenger routes from Brussels and Amsterdam to São Paulo added capacity to the network, alongside the freighter service between Brussels and São José dos Campos.
Lödige automates Paris perishables centre
Air France KLM Martinair Cargo is expanding and automating its perishables centre at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport with an elevating transfer vehicle from Lödige Industries for automated multilevel storage and retrieval of ULDs and pallets.
The system reduces manual handling, streamlines internal cargo flows and makes efficient use of capacity. It also supports reliable handling processes for temperature-sensitive shipments within the facility’s dedicated cool areas.
The installation comprises a 10-ft wide edge ETV serving a total of 58 storage decks, including 17 located within temperature-controlled areas.
The system is scheduled to become operational at the end of September 2027.
DHL expands healthcare corridors
DHL has expanded its Cold Chain Network with six new dedicated healthcare corridors connecting Europe and North America to Asia
They include Liège-Shanghai, Brussels-Shanghai, Brussels-Singapore, Cincinnati-Singapore, Cincinnati-Tokyo Narita, and Cincinnati-Seoul Incheon. The new corridors provide pharmaceutical customers with greater routing flexibility, access to temperature-controlled capacity and more consistent transit performance, helping reduce supply chain risk and protect product integrity.
The corridors are supported primarily through DHL’s dedicated network with the majority of flights operating on DHL’s own aircraft. This reduces handovers and gives DHL greater control over the cargo throughout its journey,. DHL deploys Boeing 777 freighter aircraft on its routes, offering three different compartments with dedicated temperature settings to optimally support the cargo’s temperature requirements.
The new routes follow the launch of the Brussels-Cincinnati air corridor earlier this year. Cincinnati serves as a strategic gateway connecting US customers with key pharmaceutical markets across Asia. DHL Global Forwarding is further expanding its dedicated life sciences and healthcare facility in Indianapolis with increased 2-8° Celsius floorspace for operational activities and pallet storage.
The Cold Chain Network combines dedicated healthcare corridors, specialized operational processes, validated handling procedures and temperature-controlled infrastructure, using specialized thermal-blanket solutions and validated operational processes to limit exposure to temperatures outside the required range during handling and transfer.
DHL Global Forwarding recently announced expanded healthcare logistics investments in Singapore, including the future DHL Singapore Cold Chain Hub with dedicated 2-8°C and 15-25°C storage and handling areas combined with direct airside access.
DHL Global Forwarding global head of air freight, Henk Venema, said: “These new corridors further expand our Cold Chain Network into strategically important healthcare markets across Asia. They respond to customer demand for reliable connectivity between major healthcare markets while giving us greater control over critical quality parameters throughout the transportation process. This enables our customers to move critical healthcare products with greater confidence and reliability.”
FlyUs supports Air Canada in Puerto Rico
General sales and services agent FlyUs Aviation Group has opened an office in Puerto Rico, where it has been appointed to represent Air Canada.
It will support the carrier’s three weekly freighter flights between Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport and its Toronto Pearson International hub, where they will connect into its global network.
The appointment builds on a longstanding relationship between FlyUs and Air Canada, with FlyUs representing the airline in Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Ecuador, and several countries in Central America.
FlyUs president and chief executive, Carlo de Haas, said: “Puerto Rico is the number one bioscience manufacturing hub in the US by export volume, so there is a significant requirement for reliable temperature-controlled air cargo capacity from the island. FlyUs has extensive experience handling temperature-controlled cargo, particularly pharmaceuticals, perishables, and flowers, so our team is well-positioned to support Air Canada and its customers with these sensitive shipments.”
Air Canada managing director, commercial, Matthieu Casey, added: “Being able to provide reliable uplift from one of the US’s most significant export markets is an important part of our cargo offering, and we are glad to have FlyUs on board to support us in Puerto Rico.”
Lufthansa adds Asia freighters
Lufthansa Cargo has expanded freighter services in Asia-Pacific in its new winter flight schedule, which comes into effect on 25 October.
It will include Singapore in its existing rotation from Frankfurt to Taipei while the increased two days a week frequency on the Trans-Pacific route from Frankfurt via Ho Chi Minh City and Shanghai to Los Angeles will continue from the summer flight schedule. Additional flights from Frankfurt to Taipei and Chengdu will continue at three days per week
The carrier has also moved freighter operations from Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to the new Navi Mumbai International Airport as of 12 October. Navi Mumbai is about 30km east of Mumbai Chhatrapati.
Bangalore will be added to Swiss WorldCargo’s route network to and from Zurich.
The number of Americas destinations remains unchanged at four South American destinations with four weekly connections and eleven to North America but Dallas will be increased to four a week, Houston to three and New York JFK to five.
Within Europe, the recently introduced additional 777 freighter services from Frankfurt to Larnaca, Istanbul and Stavanger are now being permanently incorporated into the regular schedule. The previous A321F destinations will continue to be served by long-haul freighters or Lufthansa Group’s passenger network until a new operator is found for the four planes.
New bellyhold cargo destinations include Kuala Lumpur, served five times a week, while from November, ITA Airways will add Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic to its schedule twice a week.
Unilode renews Air Transat deal
Unit Load Device (ULD) management and services company Unilode Aviation Solutions has renewed its long-standing deal with Air Transat
The Canadian leisure carrier is one of Unilode’s longest-standing airline partners and flies to international destinations, mainly in Europe, the Caribbean, the Americas and North Africa. Under the renewed agreement, Unilode will continue to provide Air Transat with full ULD management, including the supply, management, positioning, repair, and digitalisation of its ULD fleet.
CargoAi smooths Silk Way West bookings
Baku, Azerbaijan-based Silk Way West Airlines is now offering bookings for general cargo, lithium batteries, and dangerous goods through CargoAi’s CargoMART platform, and direct connections to transport management systems via CargoCONNECT. It follows the digital partnership announced earlier in the year.
Silk Way West Airlines operates a fleet of Boeing 777F, 747-8F, and 747-400F aircraft based at Heydar Aliyev International Airport and plans to renew its fleet with new 777F, 777-8F, and Airbus A350F planes. It offers services to over 40 global destinations across Europe, the CIS, the Middle East, Asia, and the Americas.