Aviation
WFS opens ecommerce, freight forwarder handling facility in Copenhagen
WFS opens ecommerce, freight forwarder handling facility in Copenhagen
Lufthansa Cargo plans VR training for aircraft loading supervisors
International shipping groups condemn Red Sea attacks
Frankfurt Airport cargo volume slips in June
DSV opens Singapore's first "positive energy" logistics facility
Amazon Air Cargo, Air Premia partner to boost cargo network
Ethiopian boosts cargo capacity with new service to Hanoi, Vietnam
4RCargo taps Roman Taborsky to lead Austrian air freight operations
NWSA launches incentive for zero emission drayage
US sets new tariff rates on 14 countries as it moved deadline to August 1
ECS Group subsidiary secures GSSA contract with Thai Airways
Asia Pacific airlines record double-digit cargo demand growth in 2024
Cathay opens a new IT office in Qianhai, Shenzhen
DHL names Markus Voss as new CEO DHL Freight
IMO calls for constructive dialogue as attacks on the Red Sea resumes
Malaysia Aviation Group acquires 20 more aircraft to support long-term growth
ACI World confirms 20 busiest air cargo hub in 2024 with Hong Kong on top
Davies Turner, Manitoulin partner on Canada ocean freight
Global Logistics Network, CargoAi partner to launch payment solution
DP World launches new container management system in Brisbane
U-Freight sees continued rise in Philippine shipments
Transport Logistic Southeast Asia, Air Cargo Southeast Asia accelerates the region’s logistics resilience, sustainability and digitalization
Munich Airport sees 7.6% uptick in first-half air cargo volume
Air cargo capacity overtook demand for the first time in 19 months
Emirates SkyCargo signs service quality deal with Kuehne+Nagel
Geodis completes transport, float-off of three wind foundations
Oman Air Cargo appoints Swissport as its new ground handler in Schiphol
Frankfurt Airport poised to become global pharma hub
Emirates boosts cargo capacity in China with new Shenzhen service
ONE opens office in Greece
Freightos: Transpacific rates slide on early end to peak surge
Hellmann opens new contract logistics center in the Melbourne
MOL completes the acquisition of LBC Tank Terminals
Ethiopian expands Asia cargo network with new Urumqi service in China
Cathay Cargo transports terracotta figures, other artifacts from Xi’an to Perth
S&P: Israel-Iran conflict could lead to sharp shock in global growth
Middle East, South Asia tonnages partially rebound
Ship recycling could double to 16,000 ships over the next 10 years
DHL Global Forwarding inaugurates new Frankfurt air freight hub
IATA: Air cargo demand up 2.2% despite trade disruptions
Saudia Cargo, China Cargo Airlines ink deal to boost Asia-Europe air freight
Oman Air joins oneworld alliance
Air Hong Kong now operating all-A330 Freighter fleet
Air One moves 12-meter cargo from Liège to Abu Dhabi
IATA launches SAF matchmaking platform
APAC Logistics occupiers focus on expansion amid global trade uncertainty
Hong Kong takes center stage at TIACA 2025 Summit
Hong Kong Convention enters into force marking new era in ship recycling
FedEx retires 12 aircraft amid choppy demand
Atlas Air expands cargo facility at Miami International Airport
Asia Pacific air cargo volumes rise again on continued frontloading
Emirates SkyCargo warns of fuel-linked payload concern amid Mideast tension
Qatar Airways reinstates flights as Qatar airspace reopens
Saudia Cargo, TAM Group launch ‘Saudia Cargo Global’ from new Hong Kong hub
Rhenus expands in Southeast Asia with new Singapore air freight gateway
Cathay Pacific maintains double-digit cargo growth in May
Air Charter Service makes top management changes
South Carolina Ports reports stable cargo volumes despite uncertainty
Saudia Cargo inks global partnerships to expand reach
Frankfurt Airport cargo volume bounces back in May
Qantas Freight expands freighter operation in China
JD Logistics debuts in Saudi Arabia
Hong Kong maintains 3% export growth forecast despite tariffs
First ITA Airways flights with Lufthansa Cargo shipments arrive in Rome
MNG Airlines to order two Airbus A350F Freighters
DHL: Early peak season driven by tariff and capacity fluidity
Port of Long Beach sees cargo decline for May
Freightos: Iran-Israel conflict not impacting freight yet
WFS earns Cargo iQ Quality Certification across EMEA, Asia
AviLease orders 10 Airbus A350F freighters
Kale Logistics launches Maritime Single Window in Brunei
WorldACD: Air cargo rides uncertainty as demand grows 6% in May
WFS extends cargo handling, trucking contract with Oman Air in France
FedEx spots freight opportunities for expanded cargo plane operations
Saudia Cargo eyes fleet, network, digital upgrades in bid for Top 10 status
Malaysia sets sights on becoming a key regional cargo hub
Hong Kong sees modest air cargo growth despite trade uncertainty
WorldACD: Worldwide tonnages rebounded 4% in May after April decline
Etihad Cargo, Ezhou Huahu Airport partner to expand Asia-Pacific connectivity
Lödige Industries in Asia expands presence with new South Korea branch office
FedEx boosts APAC healthcare capabilities with CEIV pharma certification
Kuehne+Nagel, SATS launch expedited aircraft parts delivery in Singapore
Qatar Airways Cargo, IAG Cargo, MASkargo to launch global cargo partnership
Etihad Cargo introduces SmartTrack, expanding real-time shipment monitoring
Airline profitability to strengthen slightly in 2025 despite headwinds – IATA
Air China Cargo to set-up its UK cargo hub at Glasgow Prestwick Airport
Emirates SkyCargo boosts East-West connectivity with new connections
cargo.one integrates digital air freight booking with Descartes' system
WorldACD: Global air cargo market stable, while China-US lane recovers
Mersin International Port completes first phase of East Med Hub 2 terminal
Cathay Pacific, Sinopec join forces in a SAF initiative
WR Logistics appoints Massimo Naldini as CEO for Italy
Chengdu-Shenzhen-Hong Kong rail-sea corridor launched
China Airlines joins digital booking platform Freightos
ONE advances green strategy with ship recycling policy, SRTI membership
IATA: Air cargo demand up 5.8% in April
Port of Houston records double-digit container growth
Hactl advances phase two of smart cargo thermal detection
Frontloading boosts cargo volume for airlines in the Asia Pacific
Kuehne+Nagel appoints new global head of sales
Frankfurt Cargo Services expands e-commerce handling facility by 300%
Port of NY/NJ reports continued cargo growth in April
CEVA Logistics links Far East, Latin America with car carrier fleet
Kuehne+Nagel, Natilus team up on blended-wing cargo planes
APAC, Middle East records double-digit growth in air connectivity — ACI World
Transpacific ocean volumes surge during tariff pause
Qatar Airways Cargo reports record year
Lufthansa Cargo uses AI to process booking requests faster
IATA appoints Sheldon Hee as regional vice president for Asia-Pacific
Pacific Carriers, Singapore Maritime Foundation boost maritime workforce
DHL Group partners with Shopify to accelerate global cross-border shipping
WestJet Cargo expands capacity to Japan with daily Dreamliner service
WorldACD: Asia Pacific and worldwide tonnages rebound
Hasenkamp announces first art storage facility of its kind in Saudi Arabia
Swissport, Aurrigo launch first global pilot of autonomous ground handling
FedEx Global Healthcare earns IATA CEIV Pharma Certification
Kuehne+Nagel acquires Spanish road logistics provider TDN
Sudden transpacific capacity shortage amid US-China tariff pause
Lufthansa Cargo expands temperature-controlled logistics with new features
San Pedro Bay Ports open bidding for short line rail services
Neste starts to supply SAF to FedEx at LAX
Cargolux, AIT Worldwide Logistics sign landmark SAF deal
Cathay Cargo sees year-on-year growth, but monthly slowdown amid tariff uncertainty
Qatar Airways Cargo records strongest financial results since pandemic
Port of Antwerp-Bruges launches Europe’s first electric tugboat
Lufthansa Cargo to market ITA Airways capacity, adds Rome as fifth hub
HSBC: China-US tariffs pause would drive an early peak season
Lufthansa Cargo announces executive board reshuffle
China Southern Airlines’ first scheduled freighter lands at Glasgow Prestwick
Hong Kong air cargo volume rises year over year in April, slips from March
Mobull unveils new art warehouse in Brussels
Air Charter Service: Current market the most uncertain since Covid-19
SATS to invest over US$192M to enhance Changi Airport operations
Vienna Airport records cargo increase in Q1
Kuehne+Nagel unveils air freight sustainability initiative
APEC lowers 2025 growth forecast to 2.6%, urges trade policy stability
U.S. slashes ‘de minimis’ tariff on small China parcels to 30%
TIACA names Roos Bakker as first woman chair
Airforwarders Association calls for freeze on tariffs, not trade
Frankfurt-Hahn Airport partners with Somon Air to boost freight traffic
Fednav’s Paul Pathy elected BIMCO president
Awery poll: Security, compliance are top priorities for GSSAs
Frankfurt Airport cargo volume declines in April
Emirates Group confident in growth amid market volatility
China-US deescalation may spur early peak season
Etihad Cargo reshapes regional structure to drive network expansion
Cargo iQ adds SAL, Saudi Arabia's largest logistics provider
allivate digitalizes import shipment pick-up at Frankfurt Airport
U-Freight earns HKAEO accreditation for high security standards
AAPA: Supply chain disruptions hinder aviation’s role in global growth
Maastricht Aachen Airport makes new cargo appointment
US-China tariff pause offers temporary relief, could fuel another frontloading rush
Turkish Cargo signs long-term Partnership with Atlas Air for 747F flights
Qatar Airways Cargo expands Australian export capacity through Virgin Australia
WorldACD: Labor Day contributes to Asia-Pacific air cargo decline
Finnair Cargo joins Smart Freight Centre
Global schedule reliability records two consecutive month-on-month increases
CEVA Logistics announces new strategic warehouse in Singapore
China Airlines orders four Boeing 777-8 Freighters to expand cargo fleet
Qatar Airways Cargo launches campaign highlighting global trade role
Global air freight rates continue to tumble on tariff uncertainty
DHL acquires US e-commerce logistics company IDS Fulfillment
Tariff shifts reshape freighter operations, fuel market volatility
Turkish Cargo, Hong Kong Air Cargo, sign strategic MoU
Pharma.Aero, TIACA partner to boost air cargo's role in healthcare, trade
SATS appoints chief digital officer to lead global digitalisation efforts
AAL transports 60-metre port cranes from Europe to the US
dnata expands airside fleet with 800 new units in US$110M rollout
Trans Global Projects names new director as it launches Malaysian office
ICAO Council condemns radio frequency interference affecting civil aviation
Qatar Airways Cargo becomes launch customer of Mammoth Freighters 777-200LRMF
Air cargo market awaits impact of tariffs and 'de minimis' changes
DP World, Asian Terminals invest US$100M to expand Manila South Harbor
IMO enforces stricter air pollution limits for ships in the Mediterranean
WorldACD: Global cargo tonnages rise 6% in April year-on-year
Kuehne+Nagel, cargo.one partner to expand digital airline connections
ANA cargo volume rises in fiscal year 2024
UK freight group forms advisory body for Heathrow cargo overhaul
Korean Air to build urban air mobility hub in Bucheon
CMA CGM completes Air Belgium acquisition
India shuts airspace to Pakistan airlines amid rising tensions
Air cargo demand rises 4.4% in March amid frontloading ahead of tariffs
Saudia Cargo, China Henan Aviation launch Asia-Middle East air logistics bridge
Geodis, Dolfines team up on XXL lifting device for offshore wind
Emirates, Philippine Airlines to explore enhanced partnership in cargo
time:matters strengthens presence in Southeast Asia
APAC airlines report cargo growth, warn of tariff impact on demand
U-Freight sees continued global ecommerce growth despite current risks
WestJet Cargo expands service to South Korea with increased frequencies
ANA first airline to adopt fuel-saving riblet technology on Boeing 777
CEVA Logistics signs deal to acquire Borusan Tedarik, expand in Turkey
Cargolux posts strong 2024 results, cautions on global market impact
Airports in APAC, Middle East to see US$240B investment in infrastructure expansion
Swissport expands to 13 Saudi airports
WFS, Cathay Cargo ink new cargo handling contracts for Portland, Dallas Fort Worth airports
Air cargo rates from Asia Pacific fall further amid market uncertainty
CMA CGM becomes majority shareholder with 51% stake in Santos Brasil
KLN opens new Netherlands logistics facility to meet e-commerce demand
Cathay expects softening China-US cargo demand amid trade tensions
Qatar Airways Cargo, IAG Cargo, MASkargo eye launch of global cargo joint venture
ANA Cargo boosts online booking with CargoWise
IATA: Brazil's adoption of electronic air waybill a milestone for modernization
Hong Kong air cargo grows 4.8% in March driven by Middle East, Europe
STRONG END TO 2016 BUOYS IATA FORECAST
January 3, 2017

Strong end-of-year figures could well support air cargo into next year, although some counter factors will likely see lower growth, statistics released by IATA show.

 

Figures from the world’s air transport body show demand when measured in freight tonne kilometres (FTKs) rose 8.2% year-on-year in October. Freight capacity in available freight tonne kilometres (AFTKs) grew 3.6% in the same period.

 

“We welcome that,” Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s director general and CEO said of the increase in growth – although given the problems the sector has with overcapacity, it might also apply there.

 

Asia has made a big contribution to the increases with both regional and intra-regional volumes rising – sometimes almost by heart-stopping margins.

 

Regional demand increased 7.8% against a 3.9% increase in capacity, IATA statistics say. Better still were international freight volumes, which expanded 8.0% in October and which fueled an annualized increase, in seasonally adjusted terms, of 15% since March 2016.

 

All of which is giving the industry an optimistic outlook as well as some year-end cheer.

 

“Global air freight markets look set to end 2016 on a high note,” de Juniac added. “Demand is growing at its fastest pace in 18 months. It remains to be seen how long this growth trend will endure after the year-end peak period and we still face headwinds from weak global trade. But there are some encouraging signs.”

 

What is interesting and underlines the significance of these results is that air cargo started the year with a weak first quarter, which recovered and grew in the second, continued to grow in the third quarter, and is already shaping up for a strong fourth quarter.

 

A number of factors have helped produce the good results so far this year, with the top being the resilience of the world economy, something IATA analysts believe will be maintained going forward. “We are expecting to see more growth in the advanced economies,” George Anjaparidze, IATA senior economist told a year-end press briefing.

 

A key part of this is the support it gives to future consumer confidence. However, there are also significant changes on the demand side that need to be considered.

 

Two years ago, consumers in the EU and the US lagged behind their Chinese counterparts by a telling amount, Anjaparidze said, referring to information from Datastream. Now, it is much more even, with China and the US level-pegging.

 

Europe is an interesting mix both of individual markets and of comparisons.

 

“When we look within the Eurozone, a number of countries have shown stronger growth momentum in the first half of 2016 compared to first half of 2015. [The growth of] Spain, Italy and France represents sustained expansion. Just two years ago these countries were stagnating or in outright recession,” Anjaparidze told Asia Cargo News. “The positive growth momentum in these economies has had a favourable impact on air cargo demand to and from Europe.”

 

A number of specific factors, besides general economic health, support consumers not just in Europe but throughout the world, he pointed out.

 

One is lower fuel prices, which allows for more disposable income. Another is buoyant housing prices, which means “consumers have felt richer,” Anjaparidze said. This showed throughout the year with consumer spending “strong,” as IATA put it, during the second half.

 

Good though all this is, there are some things that still need to watched. One is the issue of how this affected yields. To some extent, the jury is still out on this, as it was reported there is a significant decrease in yields. “Yields have fallen significantly since oil prices started to fall,” although some airlines “may have started to dip into profitability,” said Anjaparidze.

 

While this well might delay and complicate the consolidation the air cargo sector probably needs, it also means overcapacity looks set to remain a problem the industry will face in the coming year.

 

“We expect a moderate acceleration in the global economy in 2017 as fiscal policies ease a little,” Anjaparidze said. “But there is much uncertainty about the outlook as price stimulus from lower oil prices is moving into reverse, the impact on growth of Brexit and the economic policies of the new US president are not yet clear, while world trade remains much weaker than before the global financial crisis.”

 

Despite these concerns, the general outlook for the coming years is basically upbeat. Growth demand will persist, said Anjaparidze, adding 2017 will be “another good year.” However, tempering a number of factors, the optimism, he said, this would be “moderate rather than a spike.”

 

 

By Michael Mackey

Correspondent | Geneva