Hong Kong Air Cargo will become the first Far East airline to launch flights to Glasgow Prestwick Airport in Scotland, UK. The first flight on 11 February will be an Airbus A330-200F operating from its home hub, with additional flights already planned for 18 and 25 February.
The first flights will be carrying shipments from three of the top four e-commerce platforms – SHEIN, Temu, and TikTok – all of which operate out of Hong Kong. Each flight will carry up to 60 tonnes, which will be processed and sorted at PIK before final mile delivery by Royal Mail Group and EVRI.
The airport is working with Scottish exporters to fill the return leg with Scottish salmon and whisky and is collaborating with trade associations to increase exports flying out of PIK, avoiding the need to truck goods south.
African cargo airline Astral Aviation has appointed Network Aviation Group as its general sales agent (GSA) for the US, Europe and HIT Cargo Asia as GSA for mainland China.
Network Aviation will strengthen the carrier’s operations and provide tailored cargo solutions and access to Astral Aviation’s network.
Astral chief executive, Sanjeev Gadhia, said: “Their deep understanding of the air cargo industry and their commitment to excellence make them the ideal partner to represent our interests and serve our customers in these key markets.”
Group sales director for Network Aviation, Andy King, added: “We have over 40 years of experience, in providing air freight solutions for clients in the East African region and look forward to growing this business together with Astral.”
German logistics service provider Arvato has acquired US-headquartered companies Carbel LLC and United Customs Services. Carbel is a full-service 3PL provider with a strong focus on fashion and retail, providing custom warehousing, distribution, storage and transportation services at six facilities in the US.
United Customs Services provides import and export solutions and specializes in remote location filing in the US, customs clearance and trade compliance.
Arvato aims to expand the range of services and expand its customer base, particularly in the fashion, beauty and lifestyle sectors.
It follows Arvato’s recent acquisition of ATC Computer Transport & Logistics, which specializes in high-security transport and technical services in the data center industry.
In the US, Arvato will have a total network of 16 warehouses with about seven million square feet (650.000 m²) of warehouse space after the acquisition.
Lufthansa Cargo’s New York JFK station has gained IATA CEIV Pharma certification. The facilities there are equipped with walk-in refrigerators (2 to 8°C), walk-in freezers (-10 to -20°C) and temperature-controlled storage areas (15 to 25°C. Lufthansa Cargo now offers over 28 CEIV-certified and five GDP-certified stations as well as CEIV Pharma certification as an airline.
Worldwide Flight Services (WFS), a SATS company has opened the first new cargo terminal to be built at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in 30 years.
WFS’ warehouse footprint at JFK now exceeds 1 million square feet across eight facilities, reinforcing its position as the airport’s largest provider of cargo handling services. The handler currently serves 38 international and domestic airline customers at JFK.
With 350,000sq ft of floor space, Building 260 increases WFS’ cargo capacity at New York JFK by a further 25% and establishes the first-ever dedicated on-airport handling facility for temperature-controlled pharmaceutical products and perishable cargo with over 3,000sq ft of cooler space at between 2-8°C or 15-25°C.
There is an adjacent ramp area that can accommodate up to three Boeing 747-400/777 or similar-sized wide body freighters and has already received its first arrival with Atlas Air.
Safety features include dock and polymer barriers to prevent accidental trailer movement, as well as impact-resistant doors and column protection systems to minimize damage from forklifts and moving equipment.
A Dock Management System is expected to reduce truck dwell times by as much as 25% by generating pre-alerts to reduce air waybill processing time and a Slot Booking System will manage traffic flow and provide clear visibility of shipment movements and availability, allowing WFS to schedule truck appointments at the building’s 44 truck docks based on shipment volume and complexity.
Warehouse Progress Monitoring (WPM) gives customers real-time visibility, Auto Dimensioning Equipment compliance with carrier requirements, and IATA Dangerous Goods (DG) Autocheck boosts safety and security. The Automated ETV (Elevating Transport Vehicle) and Unit Load Device (ULD) Management systems have been designed to allow for tracking by flight and automated staging for cargo buildup and breakdown, which helps to streamline operations by minimizing forklift usage needed to move ULDs like aircraft containers and pallets.
Building 260 is also close to several major highways.
Sustainability solutions include electric forklift trucks and electric vehicle charging stations for ground support equipment and customer or employee vehicles.
WFS chief executive for Gateway Services, Americas, Mike Simpson, said: “Building 260 marks a new era for WFS and air cargo at one of the main gateways to the US. This cutting-edge facility reflects our commitment to innovation, sustainability, and operational excellence in our drive to serve customers better.”
CMA CGM Air Cargo capacity is now available on the Cargo.one digital procurement and sales platform. Forwarders in the US, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Italy, can now use it to book the French-owned carrier’ services which operate from Greater China and North America and between various European gateways and Asia.
CMA CGM Air Cargo has also joined CargoAi’s CargoMart freight management platform, giving customers access to a comprehensive network of routes. One feature of the platform is the ability to compare flight options by carbon emissions, track CO2 emissions at a shipment level, and purchase sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) when required.
Finally, the French carrier has joined the Freightos WebCargo and 7LFreight cargo booking platforms. Forwarders can now access its global air freight network, see real-time rates and eBook cargo on key trade lanes connecting the US, France, Italy, Spain, and Asia.
Hellmann Worldwide Logistics has acquired all shares in HPL Apollo, its perishable logistics joint venture previously co-owned with Mercury Aviation, its partner of the past 12 years. Headquartered in Los Angeles, HPL Apollo specializes in the transportation of perishable goods by air, sea, and road. Ivo Skorin, who has been with HPL Apollo since 2012, will continue to act as managing director of HPL Apollo.
Hellmann has offered perishable logistics across the Americas for decades, in markets such as Peru, Mexico, Brazil, and Chile and will now focus on expanding its presence in the US, where it already operates in locations including Miami, Los Angeles, Honolulu, and San Francisco. It also plans to enter new strategic markets such as Colombia, Ecuador, and Central America in the coming years.
SATS’ Worldwide Flight Services Holland arm has completed its acquisition of Menzies World Cargo (Amsterdam) at Schiphol Airport. It follows completion of the necessary conditions of the transaction, including local works council consultation. The move increases WFS’ warehouse capacity to more than 50,000sq m at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, where WFS now serves over 120 airline and freight forwarder customers.
Saudia Cargo moved 577,870 tons of cargo in 2024, a 27% growth in transported weight and a 13% increase compared to 2023, the carrier said in announcing its annual results on 30 January. It also operated 193,599 flights, representing a 6% rise year-over-year.
E-commerce shipments saw 23% growth, totalling 64,107 tons, while high-value shipments accounted for 54% of total revenues.
On-time flight performance was 92%, and Saudia introduced new routes to markets iincluding Shenzhen (China), and seasonal routes to Athens (Greece), and Nice (France).
Saudia Cargo transported 13,740 tons of locally produced goods, a 14% increase from 2023. Strategic partnerships included a memorandum of understanding MoU with Red Sea Global to connect the Kingdom to over 800 global destinations and a collaboration with the Royal Commission for AlUla to transport artifacts and boost tourism. Additionally, the company partnered with the Saudi Logistics Academy to upskill 300 employees.
Saudia Cargo collaborated with the Ministry of Economy and Planning to issue its inaugural Sustainability Report for 2024, detailing initiatives to reduce energy consumption and harmful emissions. A dedicated committee was also established to oversee carbon reduction plans aligned with IATA’s goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Digital offerings included a specialized e-portal.
Managing director and chief executive of Saudia Cargo, Eng. Loay Mashabi (pictured), said: “We remain focused on growth, strengthening partnerships, and providing advanced solutions that drive success for our customers. By prioritizing sustainability and operational excellence, we are steadily progressing toward our goal of ranking among the world’s top 10 air cargo carriers by 2030.”
With over a quarter of import shipments at Frankfurt Airport affected by the more stringent requirements of the EU NCTS5 rules, Allivate -a joint venture founded in 2024 by airport operator Fraport and software firm Dakosy – is offering an Easy Transit product to simplify the procedure. The module is available in the FAIR@Link Cargo Community System.
The most significant changes in the new NCTS5 version are the need for declarations using the six-digit HS code. Easy Transit allows users to simply upload the AWB numbers from their shipments to the FAIR@Link Cargo Community System and all the necessary information is compiled there and the transit procedure automatically filled in when it is opened in the customs software. Only the information about the driver, truck and seal need to be added.
In the next configuration of the software, additional customs providers can be connected via a neutral interface. Two major freight forwarders have already integrated the module and are already using it to fully manage the NCTS5 customs process.
