Frankfurt-Hahn Airport in central Germany has signed a partnership with Tajikistan –based Somon Air to develop cargo and passenger traffic.
Somon Air was founded in 2008 and has a current fleet of six Boeing 737-800 and Boeing 737-900 aircraft. It operates regular flights between Tajikistan and Germany, the UAE, Turkey, China, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iran, India, Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
Frankfurt-Hahn Airport is one of the few airports in Germany with a 24-hour operating permit. Trucks can reach the Netherlands, Belgium or France within a few hours.
In the first quarter of 2025, it handled around 22,000 tons of air freight, up 8%.
Turkish Cargo has signed a partnership with outsourced freighter operator Atlas Air Worldwide for a Boeing 747-400F wide-body freighter based in Istanbul. It will operate flights to destinations in the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and the Americas, from May.
Qatar Airways Cargo has signed a partnership with Virgin Australia partnership. It currently offers more than 240 tonnes of belly cargo capacity each way each week into Australia and, with the addition of Virgin Australia flights, will increase to more than 400 tonnes.
Also from June 2025 Virgin Australia will operate daily Boeing 777 flights between Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, and Doha giving 129 tonnes of cargo capacity each way between Doha and Perth, 30 tonnes each way for Brisbane and 21 tonnes each way for Sydney. Further, from December 2025, it will add daily Boeing 777 flights from Melbourne with Qatar Airways.
Qatar Airways chief officer cargo, Mark Drusch, said: “Australia plays a pivotal role in global trade, and it is essential for us to empower its exporters with the best possible connectivity. Our proven expertise in safeguarding sensitive shipments such as perishables and pharmaceuticals positions us as the trusted partner for Australia’s trade ambitions. This partnership with Virgin Australia significantly increases capacity available to Perth, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne — a major improvement in global cargo capacity for exporters.”
Federal Express has announced major improvements to its UK network, including plans to open two logistics hubs close to its existing Kingsbury / Atherstone and Marston Gate sites.
It will consolidate its existing road hub infrastructure from five hubs into two new facilities, with advanced technologies to enhance service and support future growth.
The new hubs, anticipated to be operational by 2029, will each be able to sort 32,000 packs per hour, and also process international freight and ecommerce shipments. The hubs will also provide a more comfortable working environment for team members.
Vice president of operations, Rob Peto, said: “This is a substantial commitment into the UK and will mean we’re well positioned for future growth with a dynamic, flexible and efficient end-to-end network. It will also present exciting opportunities for our team members over the long term and further enhance the service we deliver to our customers.’’
Qatar Airways will increase flights from Doha to Toronto to five-times-a-week from 19 June and will increase its São Paulo schedule from 14 to 17 weekly flights from 25 June. The Middle East carrier also plans to offer daily service to Toronto this winter. The move follows the launch of services to Toronto in December 2024.
Niall Prendiville has joined temperature-controlled shipping solutions provider CSafe as chief product officer. He brings engineering, automation, and supply chain operations expertise to the company and has led product development, engineering, and business transformations across high-tech industries, including warehouse automation, power systems, and aerospace. He will be based in Monroe, OH at CSafe’s corporate office.
Pharma.Aero and TIACA (The International Air Cargo Association) have set up a Food and Farm for Health project to underscore the value and role of air cargo in healthcare access and economic development in low- and middle-income countries.
Developed in collaboration with the Cool Chain Association and the Humanitarian Logistics Association, it seeks to optimize air cargo’s potential to deliver life-saving medicines while simultaneously supporting local agricultural economies.
Leveraging the expertise of specialists in pharmaceutical logistics, humanitarian supply chains, and temperature-sensitive freight, the project will analyze global air cargo movements, assess their economic impact and evaluate their role in advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Secretary general of Pharma.Aero, Frank Van Gelder, said: “We recognized a critical gap and initiated this project to use air cargo as a dual-purpose tool: flying in life-saving pharmaceuticals and medical supplies while flying out perishable agricultural products – like fruits, vegetables, and flowers – from local farmers to Western markets.
“By utilizing available cargo space on return flights, we create a more cost-effective, efficient trade route. This approach not only ensures faster access to essential medicines and vaccines, but also opens new market opportunities for farmers, boosting local economies and providing better access to international markets.”
TIACA chair, Steven Polmans added: “Air cargo is more than a mode of transport – it’s a critical lifeline for economies and communities across the globe.
“From Kenya’s flower exports supporting millions of jobs to India’s seafood sector driving billions in trade, our work confirms that airfreight is a catalyst for opportunity, health, and resilience.
“As TIACA, we’re committed to building smarter, more equitable supply chains that serve both people and planet. This project is a key step in advancing that vision — and we thank all contributors for bringing their expertise and passion to this important work.”
Cool Chain Association board member, Ian Buck said: “Aligning healthcare providers in their mission to provide lifesaving treatments and preventative medicines to developing and emerging regions, and in turn giving those regions an economic reach for their home grown and produced perishable products is the balance we seek.
“Highlighting those connections and looking to forge partnerships and understanding with solid data at either end we hope will provide access and benefits for all.”
Humanitarian Logistics Association chief executive, George Fenton commented: “The aid sector recognises the need to change but is struggling to bring about transformation through evolution. There is a huge need to find innovative ways to strengthen local supply chain capability. The air cargo industry is vital to the fast delivery of humanitarian aid, yet the last mile is still the greatest challenge. The Food and Farm for Health project will provide valuable insights to support effective, sustainable, change through improved cross-sector coordination, collaboration and knowledge sharing.”
It adds over 1.3 million square feet of multi-customer warehouse and distribution space and includes facilities in Indianapolis, Salt Lake City, Atlanta, and Plainfield, Ind., where the company is headquartered.
In January, DHL acquired Inmar’s reverse logistics business, making it the largest returns processing provider in North America.
Chief executive of DHL Supply Chain North America, Patrick Kelleher, said: “The acquisition of IDS Fulfillment not only expands our operational footprint but also ensures small and midsized companies have access to our state-of-the-art logistics solutions designed for their specific requirements.”
Global chief executive of DHL Supply Chain, Oscar de Bok, added: “With global e-commerce set to grow at a CAGR of 8% per annum by 2029, DHL is targeting investments that further expand our capabilities to meet the needs of this growing segment and make our network and solutions easily accessible to businesses of all sizes. IDS Fulfillment complements our existing DHL Fulfillment Network, enhancing our ability to offer seamless global eCommerce solutions with local expertise and reach. Especially timely as more multi-national organizations are looking to establish fulfilment capabilities in North America.”
Challenge Group has launched a freighter service to Bangalore, India, just one year after launching services to Mumbai. The Bangalore service is operated with a Boeing 767-300BDSF freighter, offering a 50-ton capacity.
The Belgian-based freighter operator also maintains daily connections between Tel Aviv and Liège. From Tel Aviv, cargo also moves twice a week directly to New York while Liège is also connected to New York with five weekly flights,. It also operates weekly freighter services from Liège to Houston, along with twice-weekly flights to Atlanta.
Emirates will launch daily services between Dubai and Hangzhou from 30 July, its fifth gateway on the Chinese mainland after Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Shenzhen. It will operate with a Boeing 777-300ER, offering connections to and from in Europe, Africa, the Middle, Brazil and Argentina. Expected traffic will include electronics, e-commerce, pharmaceuticals, and perishables.
