Air cargo detection company Global K9 is to provide canine teams, X-ray screening, and compliance officers at handler WFS locations in Dallas and Houston. GK9 will oversee all screening operations at both DFW and George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), including the provision of certified canine handling teams, X-ray screening. Last year, WFS processed over 250,000 tonnes of cargo through its DFW facilities, and 115,000 tonnes through IAH.
GK9 has been working with WFS since 2021, and now delivers services across nine US cities, including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Portland, and San Francisco, covering more than 25 of its facilities.
IAG Cargo increased revenues by 11.1% to €629 million (US$718m) in the first half of 2025 compared with the same period last year.
Latin America – Europe routes continue to be a key growth driver, with tonnage up 19.3% in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period last year. Shipments of its Critical product, for premium, time-sensitive goods, also increased by 30.5%,
Progress continues on the Global Cargo Joint Business with Qatar Airways Cargo and MASkargo, announced earlier this year and scheduled to formally launch in late 2025, subject to regulatory approvals. The combined networks will offer greater routing flexibility and expanded capacity across key trade lanes connecting Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, the Indian Subcontinent, and the Americas.
The partners have also pledged a combined 1,000 tonnes of cargo capacity to support the UN World Food Programme’s humanitarian operations.
Air Charter Service has appointed Kerry Holder as chief financial officer, taking over the position from Stewart Pitt who has held the role for 19 years and becomes a a non-executive director. She brings with her almost 30 years’ experience in finance, starting her career at KPMG in 1997 and as finance director at large companies.
Delta is to launch a daily route from Los Angeles to Hong Kong from June 6, 2026. It will be operated by a widebody Airbus A350 aircraft with the capacity of over 20 tons of cargo per flight.
PortMiami and Miami International Airport (MIA), in collaboration with south Florida investment firm Mandich Group, Cold-Link Logistics, and Reveam, have started work on a Phytosanitary Treatment and Cold Chain Processing Facility.
It will eradicate pests from refrigerated cargo containers and air cargo pallets, and the cold chain processing portion will provide cold storage, warehousing, distribution, and other services for perishable goods. It will be located at 7449 NW 12 Street, between the air- and seaport, will be the first center of its kind in the state of Florida and the largest in the US.
The facility is estimated to cost $141 million and open in 2027. Mandich Group will contribute $98.5 million and PortMiami will provide $9 million towards the project. PortMiami has also received a $33.5 million U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration Federal Port Infrastructure Development Program Grant for the project.
Utilizing US Department of Agriculture certified non-chemical treatments, the center is designed to expedite inspections while enhancing protection against invasive pests and diseases.
It will span over 340,000sq ft, around 20% of it dedicated to phytosanitary technology and the remaining 80% optimized for cold storage logistics, including refrigerated warehousing, loading docks, and office space. The facility will be capable of treating over 20,000TEU and will accommodate more than 25,000 pallet positions for chilled and frozen storage.
The facility will feature advanced USDA-approved phytosanitary irradiation capabilities powered by Reveam’s proprietary Electronic Cold-Pasteurization platform. The heat-free, and chemical-free process will help to extend shelf life, reduce spoilage and foodborne pathogens, and allow treatment in final packaging. It is ideal for a wide range of products, including fresh produce, proteins (such as poultry and seafood), pet foods, spices, fresh-cut and pre-packaged foods, and even medical devices and supplies.
Other capabilities include 50-foot clear height for high-density racking, dedicated freezer and cooler storage, and logistics services such as import/export handling, cross-docking, inventory management, case picking, wrapping, unitization, pallet building, up/down stacking, labeling, load consolidation, temperature reduction, floor loading and unloading, lumping, repalletization, and EDI integration.
Ukraine-owned Antonov Airlines and broker Air Charter Service have delivered an urgently required piece of gold mining equipment and accompanying cargo from Istanbul, Turkey to Calgary, Canada.
The piece was transported on a special frame and loaded into the AN-124-100 through the rear door using onboard cranes.
However, commented Olha Danylova, commercial executive, Antonov Airlines, “What began as a routine AN-124-100 flight quickly presented unexpected technical challenges. The cargo’s attachment points did not comply with the aircraft’s lashing standards, and no immediate solution was available. Through close coordination with the manufacturer’s engineers and the determination of our team, the cargo was ultimately secured to meet all safety and operational requirements.”
With Colorado State’s forecasting team predicting nine hurricanes, including four major ones,air charterer Chapman Freeborn is gearing up for the coming season, which officially began on June 1.
The specialist, Part of Avia Solutions Group, recently formed an Aviation Emergency Service (AES), division.
Senior vice president of cargo for the Americas, Jack Burt (pictured, below), says that CF is typically required to transport power generation equipment, along with supplies like water and foodstuffs, along with medical supplies such as mobile hospitals, equipment and medicines.
He explains: “While every natural disaster is unique, preparedness goes a long way. We have over 50 years’ experience, and an unrivaled global network of airlines and partners. Chapman Freeborn is mission ready and capable of responding to the most difficult logistical challenges. We can mobilize an aircraft and crew within just a few hours to respond to emergency situations. In extreme circumstances, our response time can be 60 minutes or less.”
The charter firm carries out thorough business continuity planning and staff planning to ensure the physical preparedness of offices. It also has its own evacuation contingencies in place.
“Our Cargo team is prepared with rapid response cargo transportation solutions in the Americas,” Burt continues. “This means having aircraft, trucks, ground handling agents and logistics service providers based in the region and ready to respond to any hurricane threat.”
As a charter broker, Chapman Freeborn has long-standing relationships with partners around the world, enabling the quick deployment of any size aircraft. “
But the final element of its preparation is the team’s mental resilience and focus. Burt says: “Hurricane season is an unpredictable and stressful time. We conduct regular training exercises to support the team. Furthermore, having deep know-how and an experienced leadership team helps us remain confident and calm under pressure.”
When Chapman Freeborn is called into action after a hurricane, close coordination with governments, NGOs and private sector partners is essential. “Urgent humanitarian relief flights before or after a large hurricane require extensive collaboration. This is normally led by our staff, which ensures there is connectivity and transparency between the key parties in the humanitarian supply chain. These include airlines, airport authorities, civil aviation authorities, NGOs, ground handling agents, trucking agents, logistics partners, shippers and consignees,” explains Burt.
“You may be one of the first flights into a destination recently impacted by a storm. Airport conditions may be poor or unknown, and communication channels are often slow or non-existent. Naturally, this creates difficulties in planning a charter flight.”
CF works with different airports right up until departure to confirm which is safest to use, continuously monitoring forecasts and creating multiple contingency plans.
Burt adds: “Another challenge of hurricane relief flights is that you may be required to deliver large volumes of cargo to remote or hard-to-access locations, such as small Caribbean or Hawaiian Islands. In 2017, our Cargo team operated hundreds of charter flights to Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria. We transported critical supplies and infrastructure equipment to assist in the island’s rebuild.”
CF has flown cargo and passenger charters to remote and challenging locations including Pakistan, Haiti, Nepal, Yemen, Darfur, South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Swissport has officially started operations at its new Auckland Cargo Centre. The new facility offers 8,500sq m of handling space, including weather-protected receipt and dispatch areas. It is the first cargo terminal in Auckland with direct access to the airfield.
Swissport has invested in advanced equipment and digital systems including the airport’s largest X-ray machine and the latest cargo screening technology. An array of 46 CCTV cameras keeps the area under continuous surveillance.
The site is licenced as a Customs Controlled Area and authorised under New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries as a Transitional Facility. It also includes large-scale cold storage areas, with capacity for both palletised and ULD shipments of perishable goods including pharmaceuticals, seafood, fresh produce and meat.
Maastricht Aachen Airport has partnered with accreditation consultancy FlowerWatch to improve the quality and lifespan of sensitive cargo passing through the Netherlands gateway. The collaboration will address the challenge of temperature fluctuations, which can lead to a waste rate of up to 20%. By making fluctuations transparent and actionable through FlowerWatch’s monitoring tools and data loggers, the airport says it can drastically reduce losses.
The Airforwarders Association (AfA) has welcomed a US Government Accountability Office (GAO) report which raises concerns over the nation’s airport air cargo infrastructure that it has raised repeatedly with legislators, it says.
AfA says that the “pivotal document”, directly mandated by the FAA Reauthorization Law, validates long-standing industry concerns and follows AfA’s advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill.
AfA executive director, Brandon Fried said: “For years, we have highlighted the critical need for investment in our ground-based air cargo infrastructure. This report provides the irrefutable, government-backed evidence we need to drive real change and secure essential federal funding.”
The report’s initial findings confirm the challenges faced by freight forwarders and stakeholders across the US supply chain, including aging airport cargo facilities, that are struggling to keep pace with modern operational demands and larger aircraft; operational bottlenecks such as insufficient truck parking, poorly configured roadways, and crowded cargo aprons; limitations in the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) air cargo data, which hinders planning and decision-making; and a lack of engagement by the Department Of Transport with the air cargo industry.
Fried said: “Our goal is to reduce airport truck lines, modernize facilities, and ultimately lower operational costs for our members, ensuring a more efficient and resilient supply chain.”
He thanked Government Relations Director Michael Taylor for his outstanding efforts in advocating the report. “We also thank our coalition partner, the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA), and acknowledge all contributors to our 65-page briefing paper, especially the late Dan Muscatello, whose foundational insights were instrumental in making this report a reality,” he added.
