FAA predicts 3.1 percent growth in air cargo, driven by international trade
The FAA predicts brisk cargo growth for U.S. carriers, to the tune of 3.1 percent annually for the next two decades, as well as a shift towards maindeck cargo, according to the agency’s just releases 2017-2037 Aerospace Forecast. These cheerful numbers are predicated on booming international trade, an interesting takeaway considering the current political climate. Following a reported 0.9 percent decline in 2016, total (both domestic and international) revenue ton miles (RTM)
NAFTA Negotiations could start in June or July
Canada, Mexico and The United States are all in agreement to modernize the 23 year old North American Free Trade Agreement U.S. Commerce Secretary Ross recently stated the U.S. could start the formal NAFTA renegotiation with Canada and Mexico in just 90 days. The Trump Administration’s goal is to reduce U.S. trade deficit with Mexico through these negotiations, not to completely pull out of NAFTA which has just been a threat at this point if negotiations don’t go well. Like
UAE’s Emaar outbids Amazon for Dubai-based e-commerce retailer
An e-commerce arms race is heating up in one of the Middle East’s most lucrative markets, with United Arab Emirates-based property holding company Emaar bidding against Amazon for e-commerce retailer Souq.com. Emaar, which owns properties including the sprawling Dubai Mall, announced that it was offering US$880-million for the Middle East’s biggest online retailer. Emaar Malls PJSC’s bid for Dubai-based Souq.com was made public today, in a filing on the Dubai Financial Market
International trade drives Aeroflot cargo business
Sometimes it pays to be in the right place at the right time. Moscow-based Aeroflot, located midway between Europa and Asia, saw cargo and mail volumes grow 29.2 percent in February, driven by strong international freight volumes, while domestic volumes were flat. Full-year revenues for the Russian carrier rose 19.4 percent to US$8.7 billion. At 14,231 tonnes for the month, international freight was up 53.5 percent, year-over-year, to 9,182 tonnes, while domestic cargo was up
Seasonal flower shipments provide a second peak-season for Air France-KLM
Despite cuts to scheduled main-deck capacity between Nairobi and Amsterdam, Air France-KLM-Martinair said it maintained its dominant position in the transport of fresh-cut flowers out of popular gateways like Nairobi, Quito and Bogota. For the past five weeks, weekly average volumes have hovered around 1,000 tonnes, down only slightly from an average of 1,150 tonnes per week in 2016. Like clockwork, fresh flower shipments soar during the two-month period between February and
WCS 2017: Disruption finally hits air cargo as carriers pivot
ABU DHABI — There has been talk in recent years about the wave of digital disruption coming to air cargo. Well, that wave appears to have arrived. Air France-KLM Martinair Cargo, as an example, is on its way to true digital transformation, said Laurent Petitmangin, the carrier’s Vice President Marketing, Digital & Communication. Petitmangin said Air France-KLM Cargo has undertaken a project to improve its data quality – an important step toward incorporating more data analyti
Ethiopian Airlines adds Ahmedabad to India cargo network
Ethiopian Airlines announced that it will add Ahmedabad, the carrier’s fifth cargo gateway to India, to its global cargo network as of March 28, 2017. The Addis Ababa based carrier also finalized preparations to launch new flights to Victoria Falls, Oslo and Antananarivo, set to start 26-28 March 2017. Group CEO Tewolde GebreMariam, noted that Ethiopian’s cargo network was, “linking the Indian sub-continent and Africa farther with China and Hong Kong; providing the Indian mar
Increase in drone accidents prompt new restrictions in Canada
Flying unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) just got a little harder in the Great White North. The Canadian government has instituted new temporary, on year rules that prevent the use of recreational drones near airports, garnering praise from private- and public-sector stakeholders in the air transport business. In addition to clearly marking their devices, drone operators in Canada are now forbidden from flying higher than 90 meters, within 75 meters of buildings and “within 9 k
Will the air cargo industry hire Alexa?
With the release of a new “Cargo Trace skill” that can be taught to Amazon’s interactive app, Alexa, Luxembourg-based CHAMP Cargosystems is adding voice-controlled track-and-trace capabilities to its Traxon air cargo shipment tracking platform. Stakeholders in the air cargo supply chain will be able to track the status of air cargo shipments moving on dozens of airlines simply by dictating the eleven-digit waybill numbers to an Alexa-equipped device. CHAMP Cargosystems CEO, A
European Commission re-imposes cartel fine against 10 carriers
It appears March is turn-back-the-clock month in the European air cargo industry. Just a week after a European Union court today reversed an earlier decision preventing UPS from purchasing TNT Airways in 2013 on antitrust grounds, the European Commission (EC) has reversed a December 2015 decision by the General Court to annul the 2010 cartel case that had levied steep fines against 11 carriers for price-fixing. The reversal by the EC re-instates fines of €776 million to be
