DHL invests to accelerate Africa trade

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October 16, 2025

DHL Group says it will invest over €300million in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The multi-year initiative will be deployed across DHL Express, DHL Global Forwarding, and DHL Supply Chain to expand infrastructure and enhance services for sectors including e-commerce, perishables, energy, and life sciences and healthcare.

The investment will include upgrading gateways, adding aviation uplift and extending time-definite coverage into second cities that are emerging as demand centres under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). As the only integrator with a dedicated air network in Sub-Saharan Africa, Express will link these cities more tightly to Africa–Europe and Africa–Asia lanes, building on recent growth in Ethiopia and Nigeria.

DHL Global Forwarding will focus its investment on strengthening key industry solutions and expanding its capabilities in energy and industrial projects, enhancing cold-chain and perishables logistics and scaling its expertise in life sciences and healthcare

DHL says that AfCFTA is creating a continental market that can deepen intra-African commerce and open new corridors with the rest of the world. However, progress depends on continued improvements in infrastructure and trade facilitation. Cross-border flows have remained resilient and African enterprises are increasingly connecting to global value chains.

DHL Express chief executive, John Pearson, said: “Africa is at a pivotal moment in its trade journey. Despite global volatility, the continent continues to show resilience and momentum. Our investment reflects confidence in Africa’s trajectory and DHL’s commitment to enabling the trade flows that drive inclusive growth. By strengthening our network and capabilities, we aim to make it easier for African businesses, from small and medium enterprises to large corporates, to compete on the world stage.”

DHL Express Sub-Saharan Africa chief executive, Hennie Heymans, added: “Our focus is to be closer to customers and make cross-border shipping simpler and more reliable. As trade expands, businesses are asking for predictable transit times, consistent delivery performance and support that understands local conditions. By raising the bar on service and proximity, we will help more African companies trade efficiently and compete on a bigger stage.”

Awards recognise women in air cargo

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Chris Lewis

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October 16, 2025

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Czechia country manager for 4RCargo, Petra Justová won the inaugural RFS/GSSA Women in Air Cargo Award, while head of the CargoBooking platform, Anna Balan, received the award for IT during the Aviation Connect conference in Copenhagen on 15 October.

Petra Justová was recognised for her achievements in redefining the Czech air freight market, introducing innovative services such as 4RCargo’s single screening solution to underserved customers, and for her role as one of the youngest senior female managers in the industry.

Anna Balan was commended for her leadership within CargoBooking, her dedication to developing the platform’s capabilities, and her role in driving digital transformation across the air cargo sector.

British airport Bournemouth transforms cargo capacity

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Chris Lewis

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October 14, 2025

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Cargo First, the dedicated cargo division of Bournemouth Airport in the south of England, has completed and commissioned new freight facilities at the airport.

The project, part of an ongoing major investment across the estate by owners Regional & City Airports, has delivered three new stands for aircraft up to Airbus A340 size, a 3,000sq m Customs-bonded cargo centre, double the size of the previous facility, a 450sq m powered cargo transit system and landside works including a new 4,000sq m paved area, improved access and new truck parking bays. It is also directly alongside the Airport’s 200-acre business park.

The cargo operation now employs more than 80 staff.

The investment effectively doubles the airport’s cargo infrastructure and consolidates freight operations in a purpose-built zone on the northern side of the airfield, giving scope for future growth.

Airport managing director, Steve Gill, said: “The completion of these new facilities marks a significant milestone for Bournemouth Airport and Cargo First. They not only provide the infrastructure to support our fast-growing cargo business but also reinforce our position as a highly attractive alternative to congested London hubs. With record volumes already passing through the airport last year, this investment underlines our ambitions as the UK’s newest import/export air hub.”

Cargo First handled a record 31,000 tonnes of freight in the 12 months to March 2025, making Bournemouth eighth among the UK’s airfreight airports – a 70% increase on the prior year. Growth was driven by e-commerce imports and exports, with high-value UK-manufactured goods becoming an increasingly important part of the mix.

Chief operating officer at European Cargo, Iain Edwards, one of Bournemouth’s principal freight carriers, said: “The new facilities are a real boost to our business. Bournemouth Airport offers us the flexibility and speed that are critical in air cargo, and the expansion means we can look forward to handling even more volumes efficiently. It’s a huge advantage to operate away from the congestion of the London hubs, while still being able to deliver consignments into the London market faster than if we flew there directly.”

Bournemouth Airport is undergoing a major investment by owners Regional & City Airports, and recently received planning consent for a significant expansion of its passenger terminal and a new transport interchange.

Turkish adds ninth 777F

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Chris Lewis

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October 14, 2025

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Turkish Cargo has added a ninth Boeing 777 Freighter (777F) to its fleet and will take delivery of three additional aircraft by mid-2026, bringing its fleet of the type to 12. The new aircraft will operate on long-haul scheduled routes with its 9,200km nonstop range, primarily to the Americas and the Far East.

It is part of Turkish Airlines’ 2033 Vision target to increase its passenger and freighter fleet to 813 aircraft and increase its freighter fleet from 28 to 44.

Jettainer and IBS promise smarter ULD handling

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Chris Lewis

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October 14, 2025

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Jettainer has gone into partnership with IBS Software to manage unit load devices (ULDs) and cargo operations. Jettainer will integrate its ULD management solution, JettWareNG, with IBS Software’s digital cargo management platforms iCargo and iPartner Handling, via an API interface to give faster, more secure, and seamless data exchange.

The integration will allow Jettainer’s intelligent ULD management solutions to operate within IBS Software’s comprehensive cargo environment, helping customers improve planning efficiency, streamline workflow and enhance decision making. Initial integration capabilities are expected to be available later in 2025.

The integration will deliver information faster and directly to where needed. Move orders for ULDs will no longer need to be executed manually but would be automatically integrated into loading plans, for example. Process transparency, such as sharing tracking data via ONE Record, will lead to further benefits, including a real-time overview of current ULD positions and availability at individual locations.

In the next step of the partnership, Jettainer customers who also use iPartner Handling will be able to access both services under the iPartner Handling umbrella, eliminating the need to operate with two systems.

United to fly to four new cities in Europe

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Chris Lewis

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October 13, 2025

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United Airlines is to add services from Newark-New York to Glasgow (Scotland), Split (Croatia), Bari (Italy) and Santiago de Compostela (Spain) in its summer 2026 schedule.

It is also flying for the first time between Washington-Dulles and Reykjavik, Iceland, and introducing a new year-round daily service from Newark to Seoul, South Korea, and four additional weekly flights between Newark and Tel Aviv, Israel.

United will also continue to serve all nine destinations from its largest expansion ever last summer including seasonal service to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia; Nuuk, Greenland; Palermo, Italy; Bilbao, Spain; Madeira Island, Portugal; Faro, Portugal. It will continue year-round service to Dakar, Senegal; Puerto Escondido, Mexico, and Kaohsiung.

WFS to roll out contour-checking system at three major hubs

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Chris Lewis

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October 10, 2025

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Worldwide Flight Services is introducing CIND’s ContourCheck ULD measurement system at its largest air cargo handling stations at London Heathrow, Amsterdam Schiphol and Paris Charles de Gaulle airports in early 2026, as part of a global rollout.

WFS was the first air cargo handler to implement CIND’s 3D modelling software in 2024, and the technology is now in daily use at its handling stations in Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Madrid, and Toulouse.

For each flight, airlines receive a comprehensive digital report, complete with pictures, providing digital proof that each unit is fit to fly.

WFS senior vice president for operational excellence, Jimi Daniel Hansen, said:

“CIND’s ContourCheck solution is an important step in our journey towards automation and digitalisation. It allows us to digitally measure ULDs, ensuring all ULDs are 100% fit to fly, providing valuable data, and helping us optimise cargo space.

“None of the ULDs built using ContourCheck have been offloaded for contour issues.“

Etihad to fly to Kabul

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Chris Lewis

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October 10, 2025

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Etihad Airways is to launch passenger flights from its Abh Dhabi hub to Kabul, Afghanistan, from 18 December. They will operate three times weekly with A320 aircraft. The UAE hosts one of the largest Afghan communities in the Gulf, with around 300,000 Afghans living and working in the country, according to the Afghan Business Council. The route also offers access to Etihad’s network across the GCC, Europe, Australia and North America.

ICAO condemns GPS jamming attempts

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Chris Lewis

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October 10, 2025

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The International Civil Aviation Organization has condemned Russian and North Korean attempts to interfere with aircraft and ship navigation systems in the Red Sea and Persian Gulf region that occurred on 3-7 October.

ICAO has issued two resolutions condemning the two countries for the incidents, saying that they infracted the 1944 Convention on International Civil Aviation and urgently called upon both countries to comply strictly with their obligations.

Lisa Dyer, executive director of the GPS Innovation Alliance trade association added: “ICAO’s resolutions condemning GNSS interference are an important milestone in safeguarding global navigation systems. From aviation and maritime trade to freight and ground transportation, GNSS systems are the backbone of global navigation and trade. These operations rely on uninterrupted GPS signals for routing, scheduling, real-time tracking, and more.

“Governments should follow ICAO’s lead by taking action to modernize and secure GPS infrastructure to ensure navigation remains free from harmful interference in freight transport worldwide.”

Shipping operators have also reported malfunctions to navigation equipment in the Red Sea area.

De minimis is unfinished business, warns forwarding chief

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Chris Lewis

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October 9, 2025

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The air freight industry is adjusting to the end of de-minimis customs concessions in the US, with tighter compliance and small-parcels giving way to heavier, consolidated shipments, Airforwarders Association (AfA) executive director, Brandon Fried (pictured, center) told the FIATA World Congress 2025 in Hanoi on 9 October.

He said that AfA members have reported higher duties, longer cycle times, and greater complexity in returns management since the de minimis thresholds ended on August 29.

“The industry has moved overnight from light-touch clearance to full formal entry,” he said. “We are seeing fewer parcels but larger, better-documented shipments. Fraud has dropped, but working-capital and compliance burdens have climbed sharply. “Realignment is far from finished.”

Fried urged forwarders to consolidate smartly, invest in master data and tariff governance, and design returns solutions through Free Trade Zones or Inward Processing Relief schemes.

He said forwarders must address duty cash-flow early and strengthen visibility across purchase orders to manage the post-de-minimis environment effectively.