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DHL gains medical expertise

Chris Lewis

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March 31, 2025

DHL Group is to acquire 100% of Cryopdp, a global provider of supply chain solutions for the life sciences sector from Nashville-based parent company, medical logistics specialist Cryoport, subject to regulatory approvals.

Cropdp specialises in movements for clinical trials, biopharma and cell and gene therapies. It has offices in 15 countries and processes over 600,000 shipments per year, serving customers and patients in over 135 countries.

At the same time, DHL is entering into a strategic partnership with Cryoport. The two companies aim to strengthen their supply chain services offering to the global life sciences and healthcare sector.

DHL Group already has an established life sciences and healthcare business that contributed over €5 billion to global sales in 2024.

Chief executive of DHL Supply Chain, Oscar de Bok, said: “The acquisition of Cryopdp is a crucial step for our supply chain business as we look to further expand our Pharma Specialized Network to meet the evolving needs of clinical trials, biopharma and cell and gene therapies, while further strengthening our presence in the conventional pharma and life sciences healthcare segment. The acquisition of CRYOPDP and the expanded partnership with Cryoport Inc. will enable us to offer integrated end-to-end solutions that enhance our capabilities.”

Cryoport chief executive, Jerrell Shelton, added: “We are very pleased to be able to further expand our trusting relationship with DHL Group. Together, we will offer an expanded range of supply chain solutions to meet the critical supply chain needs of businesses and patients. This strategic partnership combines the strong expertise of DHL Supply Chain and Cryopdp and provides Cryoport with the opportunity to further expand its presence in global growth markets such as Asia Pacific, as well as Europe, the Middle East and Africa.”

WestJet speeds voyages of the beagles

Airlines

Chris Lewis

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March 31, 2025

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Canadian carrier WestJet Cargo is to be the official partner of The Beagle Alliance. It will provide transport of dogs across Canada rescued from research facilities, ensuring they reach their forever homes quickly and with minimal stress.

The Beagle Alliance rescues former research animals who would otherwise be euthanized and advocates for animal free science.

Initially, The Beagle Alliance had concerns about air travel for their rescued dogs due to their history of trauma. However, when founder Lori Cohen’s dog Poppy was successfully transported via WestJet Cargo from Vancouver to Winnipeg, they recognized that air travel was a faster, less stressful alternative to long-haul ground transport. Since then, WestJet Cargo has become the preferred carrier for relocating rescued beagles across Canada.

Cohen explained: “Canada is a large country, and ground transport is simply not always feasible. When our first rescue, Poppy, was flown via WestJet Cargo, we realized that this was a reliable and compassionate option for our animals. It is both a blessing and an honour to work with WestJet Cargo in getting these beautiful dogs to their forever homes kindly and with the utmost care.”

The air carrier aims to rescue and relocate 50 former research beagles to homes across Canada this year, as well as helping raise awareness for The Beagle Alliance’s mission.

IAG reinstates Malaysia, San Fran and Denver flights and frequencies

Airlines

Chris Lewis

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March 31, 2025

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IAG reinstates Malaysia, San Fran and Denver flights and frequencies

IAG Cargo has reinstated daily flights between London Heathrow and Kuala Lumpur, between Spain and San Francisco and on Dublin/Denver in its summer 2025 schedule. It has also increased frequencies in Latin America, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.

Daily flights between Kuala Lumpur and London Heathrow will resume on 1 April, operated by a B789 aircraft while three-times weekly services will operate to San Francisco from both Madrid and Barcelona.

Capacity across North America will grow with the return of flights to Denver from Dublin as well as additional services on established routes such as Chicago, Vancouver and Washington from London Heathrow.

In Latin America, services to Rio de Janeiro from Madrid will increase from four to six flights per week. The route from Heathrow to Doha (goes up from seven to 12 flights per week, while Tokyo goes from ten to 14 weekly flights.

Italian GSA pioneer, Glauco Martinelli

GSA
People

Chris Lewis

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March 31, 2025

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Glauco Martinelli, founder of the first Italian general sales agent, ATC, died on 27 March.

He began his career in 1960 with BOAC, followed by key roles in the cargo divisions of South African Airways and Alitalia, before founding ATC to represent Air Canada in Italy 1979, at a time when the GSA concept was still unknown.

Under his leadership, ATC became a leading name in the Italian market, joining the international ECS in 2012when he passed the leadership of the company to his son, Sauro Martinelli. ATC is the largest GSA organisation in Italy.

Ceva launches China-Chicago freighter

Chris Lewis

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March 28, 2025

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In serving its customers with consistent, reliable air capacity on key trade lanes, Ceva Logistics has launched a three flights a week trans-Pacific charter program from Wuxi, China to Chicago.

The inaugural service departed from Wuxi to Chicago on 28 March, carrying more than 100 tons of cargo.

Ceva is also offering customers sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) options through its suite of low carbon transport and circular economy solutions.

The logistics company has signed an agreement with Wuxi Sunan Shuofang International Airport Group. Wuxi airport provides an inland hub covering the Yangtze River Delta Economic Development Zone.

Upon arrival in Chicago, cargo can be distributed across major cities Ceva’s 700,000sq ft warehouse includes an 8,000sq ft Free Trade Zone, a 10,000sq ftcold storage facility with two chambers, a 180,000sq ft Container Freight Station, and a 180,000sq ft certified cargo screening facility.

Ceva’s domestic LTL ground transport network offers more than 200 weekly linehaul options to connect Chicago with hubs in Los Angeles, Dallas, Atlanta, Columbus, as well as 70 onward distribution sites across the country, to complete the final domestic delivery in less than 24 to 48 hours. The charter program also provides swift customs clearance and airport handling service, as well as other tailored solutions for cross-border volumes.

It also provides multi-modal transport options from Southeast Asia to Wuxi.

Air Charter Service opens in Montreal

Chris Lewis

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March 28, 2025

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Air Charter Service has opened its doors in Montreal, Quebec, its second office in Canada and 36th worldiwide. The broker already has an operation in Toronto.

The Montreal office will be headed by Adila Djerrar, who joined ACS more than three years ago. Chief executive of ACS Canada, Gary Hopkins, commented: “We have been serving the whole of Canada from our Toronto office since opening there 15 years ago, but we’ve been looking at Montreal as a second location for a while now, to better serve Quebec. The city is an important centre of commerce, finance, industry and technology and the new operation means that we can be closer to our French-speaking clients in the province.”
He continued: “Adila has been working with clients in Quebec since joining ACS and now has the perfect platform for her growing team to work even closer with them. I’m confident that Adila is the right person to lead our growth in the region and I’m excited to see the office’s development.”
Adila Djerrar commented: “I can’t wait to get started here and continue the work that my team and I have been doing over the past few months in preparation, and the expansion that we have planned to make Montreal another successful Canadian ACS office.”

ACS fundraising hits new heights

Chris Lewis

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March 27, 2025

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Air Charter Service offices worldwide raised more than $200,000 for a variety of charities around the globe – the most the UK-based broker has ever managed in one year. The cash came through an array of challenges, volunteering, raffles and more including 5km races, half and full marathons, the UK Three Peaks challenge, climbing Kilimanjaro and a ‘virtual’ run covering the full distance from one side of the US to the other.
Director of corporate environment and social responsibility, Lloyd Robinson commented: “On top of the money-raising activities, we have also been busy organising other charity events – from staff in our New York office helping out in a Long Island soup kitchen, to our Australian team filling empty leg charter flights in Australia with donations of clothing and toys and flying into rural Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.”

DHL Express moves Florida-bred bongos to new life in Kenya

Chris Lewis

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March 27, 2025

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DHL Express moves Florida-bred bongos to new life in Kenya

DHL Express has moved 17 mountain bongo antelopes from the US to Kenya for animal charity Tusk.

The critically endangered animals came from the Rare Species Conservatory Foundation in Florida to a sanctuary on the slopes of Mount Kenya, run by the Meru Bongo and Rhino Conservation Trust. The bongos were bred in Florida but are on the verge of extinction in the wild with only some 100 remaining due to poaching, forest degradation and habitat fragmentation.

The full herd had to be transported together, so DHL provided a dedicated aircraft which carried the antelopes 8,223 miles from Palm Beach International Airport (Florida) to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Kenya.

They were transported in custom-built crates, alongside 6 tonnes of pelleted feed and 3 specialist animal care staff including a veterinarian and two bongo specialists from the US.

The 12 females and five males will remain in paddocks to safely breed but the offspring will then slowly be reintroduced into Mount Kenya’s forest ecosystem, from which they have been absent for over 40 years.

Online pioneer SAS to launch on Cargo.one

Chris Lewis

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March 26, 2025

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Online pioneer SAS to launch on Cargo.one

SAS Cargo is to offer its capacity on the Cargo.one platform. The Scandinavian carrier provides bellyhold capacity on its Airbus widebody fleet worldwide through its hubs in Copenhagen Oslo and Stockholm. SAS Cargo in fact launched the first direct booking portal in 2015, just before the launch of Cargo.one’s ‘airline agnostic’ platform in 2017 and today over 80% of its bookings are made online. From April, forwarders using Cargo.one in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia can quote and book SAS Cargo’s global capacity for general cargo and temperature controlled shipments up to 10,000 kg to major destinations including Frankfurt, London, New York, Miami, Atlanta, Tokyo, and Seoul. It is planned to launch additional markets in the coming months.

CargoAi offers Qantas space

Chris Lewis

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March 24, 2025

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The CargoAi digital platform has signed partnership with Qantas Freight, Australia’s largest air freight provider. International capacity on selected Qantas and Jetstar flights is now available on CargoAi’s CargoMART and CargoCONNECT solutions, opening up e-booking on trade lanes between Australia and the US, UK and South Africa. Further destinations will be added in future.