Swissport is to launch cargo handling services in Milan Malpensa, Italy.
Its operations are located in a 4,000sq m second-line warehouse in the WTC Malpensa complex and meet the highest industry standards for customs certification, safety, and security.
wissport will initially focus on import handling, pre-customs clearance, and distribution to express delivery service providers. In a second phase, the company aims to develop export operations and expand its offering to general cargo and air freight customers at Milan Malpensa and throughout Italy.
DHL Group has appointed current DHL Supply Chain North America Chief financial officer and chief strategy officer Mark Kunar as North America chief executive. It follows the stepping down of Patrick Kelleher.
Kunar joined DHL Supply Chain in 1996 as a financial analyst and stepped into his current role in 2024 where he has been responsible for the development and implementation of the company’s North America strategy to facilitate growth of products and sectors in the region. He has also played a pivotal role in the company’s recent acquisitions in the region including, in January 2025, Inmar Supply Chain Solutions, CRYOPDP, a leading specialty pharma courier, and IDS Fulfillment, an e-commerce provider.
In his new role, Kunar will be responsible for managing the business across the US and Canada, leading a workforce of 52,000 associates.
Air Charter Service has made two promotions as part of a restructure of its Time Critical division. Robert Alleman moves to the position of group chief executive officer of ACS Time Critical and in his new will be responsible for the global development of on-board courier and next flight out services. Andreas Spies becomes the new group chief operating officer. He has been part of the broker’s onboard courier team in Frankfurt for more than seven years and was recently appointed as head of Time Critical Services for Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific. He now has the responsibility of operational delivery for these products across the group.
Worldwide Flight Services (WFS), a SATS company, is taking a 20-year lease on a new air cargo terminal in the CargoPort area of Lyon-Saint Exupéry due to open in summer 2026.
The 5.2-hectare Aéroport de Lyon DC1 site is adjacent to the runway and will offer 19,133m² of warehouse space and 2,441m² of canopy, 4,400m² of temperature-controlled capacity, Good Distribution Practice (GDP) compliant, which will be dedicated for pharmaceutical shipments and perishables requiring +2/25°C storage.
The airport is in the heart of the world’s leading vaccine producing regions.
The development project is being carried out by Groupe em2c, Prologis and Lyon Airport authority.
The new site will serve allow consolidation of activities previously spread across multiple sites into a single terminal.
Global GSA client Azul has launched flights between Madrid, Oporto and Viracopos and Recife in Brazil.
It builds on Azul’s existing operations from Lisbon and Paris-Orly,.
The new flights, which began on 10 June 2025, are operated with A330 aircraft, offering 13 additional weekly services and adding 10 tons or 60 cubic meters capacity per flight.
The routes also include five weekly flights from Madrid to Viracopos and three weekly flights from Madrid to Recife, along with three weekly flights from Porto to Viracopos and two from Porto to Recife.
American Airlines has transported four commemorative statues from Boise to Normandy to honour the legacy of the 8th Air Force.
The sculptures, crafted in Boise, Idaho, crossed the trans-Atlantic in time for a dedication ceremony in France.
The carrier also flew a World War II veteran to France for the ceremony and the 81st D-Day anniversary. This opportunity may be a final return to the beaches of Europe in remembrance of the moment that helped shape the future of the world.
American Airlines Cargo donated the air transportation needed to ensure the safe and timely arrival for the official unveiling.
The tribute includes four life-sized bronze sculptures representing iconic members of the unit: Staff Sgt. Maynard Smith, Col. Robert Rosenthal, Gen. James Doolittle and Col. Donald Blakeslee, chosen for their extraordinary service and courage.
Last year, nearly 70 World War II veterans embarked on the journey of a lifetime to Normandy, France, thanks to American. Among them were the brave airmen from the 8th Air Force, the largest air unit in history and a vital force in securing Allied victory in Europe. They stood once more on the shores they helped liberate, this time as honored guests in remembrance of the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
Eric Mathieu, director of cargo customer experience, said: “When American’s Military and Veteran’s Initiatives team approached the Cargo team about transporting these four commemorative statues from Boise to Normandy, we knew immediately that this mission would be significant. Born and raised in France, now living in the US as an American citizen, I felt incredibly fortunate to work for American and support an opportunity that so beautifully connects both nations.”
Logistics real estate developer Realterm and Leipzig/Halle Airport (LEJ) have announced plans to develop an air cargo facility at the German gateway. The build-to-suit development will include up to 45,000sq m of warehouse space designed for single or multi-user operations.
It will offer direct airside, with direct access for aircraft parking and truck staging combined with flexible design for express, ecommerce and general cargo operations.
Realterm has an airport portfolio spanning 17 million square feet across 34 airports worldwide and its recent developments include a $270 million JFK Modern Air Cargo Facility developed with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey – the first new cargo facility at JFK International Airport in two decades. It also completed the Northeast Cargo Campus at O’Hare International Airport alongside the Chicago Department of Aviation 900,000sq ft of space with parking for 13 jumbo freighters.
Worldwide Flight Services (WFS), a SATS company, has achieved Cargo iQ certification for its cargo handling operations in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia (EMEAA).
The accreditation covers some 50 major airport stations in the UK, Ireland, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Italy, the Netherlands, South Africa, Spain, Sweden and Thailand.
Supported by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Cargo iQ is composed of some 60 major airlines, freight forwarders, ground handling agents, trucking companies, and IT solution providers globally. The group’s mission is to create and implement quality standards for the worldwide air cargo industry through a system of shipment planning and performance monitoring based on common business processes and milestones.
Cargo iQ’s Master Operating Plan (MOP) describes the standard end-to-end process of transporting air cargo and introduces standardized performance monitoring for the duration of shipment movements from consignor to consignee.
These include key export milestones such as shipment acceptance into the warehouse, confirmation that shipments are ready for carriage and have been manifested, and departed.
DHL Express is celebrating its 40th anniversary at Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport by inaugurating a multi-service site to Time Definite International and Day Definite International shipments, the first of its kind in France. The hub, with direct access to the airport runways, will start operations this summer and will handle international, European, national, and local parcels, transported via air or road, ranging from urgent to less urgent deliveries. The site will host the regional commercial and support functions and 400 employees will work there, accounting for more than half of DHL Express’s 750 employees in the region. It is built on a 50,000 m² plot equivalent to seven rugby fields.
DHL Group is to invest more than €500 million in the Middle East, focussing on Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The investment spans all four DHL divisions – DHL Express, DHL Global Forwarding, DHL Supply Chain, and DHL eCommerce – and will strengthen logistics operations in the region. DHL already provides a broad portfolio of services in the Middle East, including express parcel delivery, air, ocean and overland freight, warehousing, fulfilment and distribution, customs brokerage and specialized operations for sectors such as life sciences, healthcare, e-commerce and battery logistics.
It says the region is emerging as a trade hub, and is not only due to attracting investments from multinationals but also from Gulf- and Middle East-based businesses growing and increasing their exports.
DHL Group recognizes the growing opportunities in the energy sector, encompassing traditional oil and gas as well as renewables and electrification. The company also sees potential in the life sciences and healthcare markets, alongside e-commerce.
DHL will invest in hub and gateway facilities, its fleet – including electric trucks – and pursue joint venture initiatives such as the recent joint venture with Etihad Rail.
It will also expand its contract logistics offering in the UAE and Saudi with more warehouse capacity, upgradedg equipment and advanced technology.
The acquisition of the delivery provider AJEX in Saudi Arabia will meanwhile enhance DHL’s e-commerce capabilities.
