Amsterdam-based Global GSA Group has appointed Zafer Aggunduz as chief commercial officer. He joined the group in 2011 and has developed extensive expertise in commercial development. In his new capacity, Mr. Aggunduz will build long-term key partnerships, optimize commercial strategies, and identify new market opportunities while leading digital transformation initiatives that enhance operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Emirates to partner with Africa’s Astral
Emirates SkyCargo has signed a memorandum of understanding with African cargo carrier Astral Aviation.
Astral Aviation operates an intra-Africa network of 50 destinations by scheduled and adhoc charters. The partnership gives it access to Emirates’ network of over 145 destinations and fleet of passenger aircraft and dedicated freighters.
Under the terms of the MoU, Emirates and Astral will expand interline options and block space agreements. Astral has hubs in Nairobi, Johannesburg, Liege and Dubai.
Emirates SkyCargo’s divisional senior vice president, Badr Abbas, said: “Given the breadth of our network, our all widebody fleet and specialist product portfolio, we are well placed to support businesses reach new suppliers and customers in every corner of the globe. This partnership with Astral Aviation solidifies our longstanding commitment to the market, creating mutually beneficial economic opportunities to keep goods flowing quickly, reliably and efficiently.”
Astral signed a similar MoU with Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Cargo in March 2024.
American doubles eco-plastic use
American Airlines Cargo says that its partnership with BioNatur Plastics to supply biodegradable plastic products for its cargo replaced more than 274,000 lbs. of traditional material in 2024. That was equivalent to 12.6 million plastic water bottles and was a nearly 100% increase compared to when the partnership began.
BioNatur Plastics aims to provide eco-alternatives to traditional plastics that retain all the properties of traditional plastic, but do not break down into micro-plastics and instead biodegrade in landfill within 8 to 12 years.
American currently uses BioNatur plastic at most of its US hubs, as well as at smaller domestic stations and in Latin America. It plans to expand use across all operation.
Distributed by M&G Packaging, BioNatur plastic product uses include lower deck pallet covers, heavy duty poly sheeting, stretch wrap, bottom sheeting and plastic covers.
Atlas Air strengthens SATS relations
Outsourced aviation company Atlas Air has signed a memorandum of understanding with SATS and its Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) handling arm to expand global cooperation.
It aims to build on the existingworking relationships, particularly in North America where WFS provides handling for the airline at Chicago, Dallas Fort Worth, Denver, Houston, Indianapolis, Miami, New York JFK, and Seattle. The agreement will expand cooperation in Singapore, the headquarters of the SATS Group, as well as in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and includes warehouse services, freighter ramp handling, and crew transport solutions.
The MoU is the first of its kind between Atlas Air, which operates the world’s largest fleet of B747 freighters and SATS, one of the world’s largest providers of air cargo handling services.
The partners will collaborate on the development of digital and automation solutions to provide expanded supply chain visibility and traceability of cargo throughout the combined networks.
They have also pledged to achieve further collaboration on major international airfreight trade lanes and cooperate on green and low-carbon initiatives.
Schiphol cargo up 8.2%
Amsterdam Schiphol Airport’s total air cargo tonnage reached 1.5 million tonnes in 2024, an 8.2% increase on 2023. Growth was driven by a surge in e-commerce and various global geo-political developments and ocean shipping restrictions.
Electronics, machinery and spare parts, perishables, clothing, e-commerce goods, and pharmaceuticals are some of the largest categories by freight volume.
The full freighter to belly ratio stood at 57% to 43%, reflecting a shift towards a higher proportion of belly freight (up from 39% in 2023), a trend that is predicted to continue in the coming years.
Belly freight saw a 19.8% increase, driven by a higher number of flights carrying belly cargo, as passenger flights continued their post-COVID recovery.
All regions experienced strong growth, except for Latin America, which saw a decline, partly due to the reallocation of routes to and from Asia driven by e-commerce demand.
Awery appoints aviation expert
Awery Aviation Software has appointed Wayne Phelan as business growth and product development consultant. He brings extensive experience in aviation software and digital transformation, from previous consulting roles at air cargo technology companies.
Most recently, Phelan co-founded air cargo start-up, TriCargo, a not-for profit solution focussing on improving connectivity between freight forwarders and airline General Sales and Service Agents.
His prior experience also includes over five years working in senior roles at leading consultancy, Accenture, where he advised clients on the implementation of digital innovations across multiple industries.
Nordisk and Emirates sign fireproof container deal
Nordisk Aviation has signed an agreement to provide Emirates with up to 10,000 for fire-resistant AKE containers for baggage and cargo, designed to mitigate the risks from lithium-ion battery fires. The manufacturer collaborated with the carrier to conduct rigorous fire testing. While the aerospace standard (SAE AS8992) outlines requirements for Class A paper fires, the tests exceeded industry requirements and included a heavy-duty fire simulation involving an AKE container with 1,000 18650-Li-ion battery cells distributed across 60 pieces of luggage and other flammable items like clothing, toiletries and alcohol bottles. The Nordisk AKE’s design allowed flue gases to escape while preventing oxygen inflow, and contained the fire for the entire six-hour testing period.
Magma Aviation plans to add medium-sized freighters to its fleet
Magma Aviation is considering adding medium-size freighters to its wide- and narrow-bodied fleet, the Dublin headquartered air cargo solutions company said in its review of operations in 2024.
The new aircraft would support its existing B747 international flights, and are expected to arrive by the end of 2025.
Magma Aviation set up its global hub in Dublin in 2024. Chief executive, Peter Kerins explained: “We have established our global services here because Dublin is a global aviation hub. This has allowed us to start developing better relationships with leasing companies. Approximately 50% of the world’s aircraft are leased from Ireland. To grow the company’s network, it is essential to strengthen our position here as new, more efficient, long-range aircraft come to market.”
Magma Aviation is part of Avia Solutions Group, the world’s largest ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, and Insurance) provider. It operates a fleet of 221 aircraft worldwide. Its 14,000-strong team also provides a range of aviation services: MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul), pilot and crew training, ground handling and associated aviation services.
Last year, Magma Aviation signed a multi-year contract with Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) for freighter handling at Liege Airport (LGG). It also added narrow-body aircraft to its fleet to diversify its operational capabilities.
As well as the new global headquarters in Dublin, Magma Aviation opened an additional office in Dubai to strengthen its commercial presence in the East and access new markets, not only in the Middle East but in Africa, Southeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent and China.
Kerins stated: “2024 was a very exciting and challenging year for the Magma Aviation. We set out on a plan to make the most of the resources we were using. This will continue as we grow, but the one thing we introduced, and which we always keep in mind, is being quick to adapt. Considering the growth of Magma Aviation over the years, I think the strength has been our people. The team in the company are experts in what they do.”
Looking forward to 2025, he expects growth in air cargo demand to moderate form the 11.3% increase seen last year but still remain at around 5.8%. The global market will continue to adapt to significant geopolitical shifts and economic conditions, such as changes in oil prices and global trade dynamics. These factors will influence both demand and capacity planning across the industry.
Etihad to offer daily Atlanta flights
Etihad says it will boost its four-times a week service to Atlanta, due to be launched on 2 July, to a daily flight from 1 November. It will be operated by Airbus A350-1000 aircraft.
Turkish Cargo goes live on CargoWise
Turkish Cargo has integrated its COMIS eReservation system with the CargoWise platform. It can now offer shippers real-time rates, capacity availability and reservations. The API connection also eliminates errors from manual data entry. The system also offers the ability to modify a booking until final execution of the Master Air Waybill.