

From Russia with airfreight, Moscow volumes surge
Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport handled more than 260,000 tonnes of cargo in the first 11 months of 2017, a 30% increase on the same period last year. Management at Russia’s largest cargo hub said that the airfreight surge was due to the “significant increase in cargo turnover on international flights”. The volume of international freight handled by the Moscow Cargo terminal in 2017, up to November, increased by 60.8% over 2016. For the airport’s cargo facilities as a whole, ex


Cathay Pacific predicts strong Q1 for air cargo
Cathay Pacific Cargo is expecting a strong start to 2018, with demand remaining strong for at least the first quarter, shippers already looking to secure space and rates expected to rise. In a series of outlook articles, executives from the airline outlined the strength of the air cargo market in 2017 also their expectations for the coming 12 months. Regional manager cargo, Europe, Ray Jewell, said that bookings for January had come in earlier than usual and added that forwar


Lufthansa Cargo adds transatlantic charter flights to cover e-commerce demand
lufthansa-cargo-mcdonnell-douglas-md-11f Lufthansa Cargo will carry out six charter flights between Frankfurt and New York on behalf of Deutsche Post as the postal operator looks to meet e-commerce demand. The Frankfurt-hubbed airline began the MD-11 flights in mid-November and they will continue until shortly before Christmas Eve, flying each Monday. Lufthansa Cargo chief product and sales officer Alexis von Hoensbroech said: "In the six weeks before Christmas in particular,


Sheremetyevo opens new cargo terminal, with a second on the way
Moscow Cargo has launched the commercial operation of its airfreight complex at Russia's Sheremetyevo International Airport, and is due to start work on a second phase in 2018. The investment in airfreight facilities continues as Russia prepares to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup and with surging volumes for AirBridgeCargo, the Russian freighter airline hubbed out of Sheremetyevo. The new cargo terminal, with a handling capacity of 380,000 tonnes per year, covers 43,200 sq m and
E-commerce – growth without profit?
Airlines are looking to capitalise on the rapid growth of online consumer sales, but do the margins generated by the sector justify the investments carriers are making, asks Ian Putzger Air France Martin Cargo (AF-KL-MP) is poised to launch a same-day product on intra-European sectors that will use its baggage system for rapid cargo handling. The service has been tested at five airports and will cover 10 by next May, according to Christophe Boucher, senior vice president of s


MAG reports on strong first-half results
UK airport operator Manchester Airports Group (MAG) today released its interim unaudited half-year results covering the period April 1 to September 30. Contributing to continued strong growth in the group’s revenue and profit, MAG’s cargo volumes enjoyed what MAG described as a “sustained period of growth”, with volumes rising by 4.4% year-on-year to reach 365,565 tonnes. Cargo-related income was up by 1.3% year-on-year. Airfreight traffic growth was driven by increased e-co
Lack of airfreight space drives up "sky high" rates
Freight forwarders are continuing to report a lack of cargo space and "sky high rates", while claiming that some shippers are turning to ocean transport to avoid delays. According to the latest Freightos International Freight Index, the rush in demand for airfreight capacity has not abated, and shippers are turning to ocean shipping as an alternative. The latest Freightos Index Update, which covers week 49 of 2017, also points to “sky high rates” for air cargo capacity on man


Freight marketplace to include multimodal carbon calculator
The Freightos online marketplace is offering free tools to allow users to select the greenest mode of transport. It incorporates the calculations into freight quote options, for example showing that a 200kg consignment from Shanghai to London will produce 1.1 tonnes of CO2 by air but only 0.02 tonnes (20kg) of CO2 by ocean. Freightos says that the recent Paris Accord has spurred a desire for greater environmental awareness in the industry and, with international trade-related


time:matters targets high-tech sector with international expansion
Time critical logistics firm time:matters is expanding internationally with the opening of its first air station outside of Europe. The Lufthansa-owned company has revealed that it will open a new station in Tel Aviv to cater for high-tech/semicon, medical electronics, agricultural technology and telecommunications demand around the city. From the new station, time:matters will offer 90 direct connections a week to and from Tel Aviv. "This will facilitate the seamless transpo
Expeditors: air cargo volumes rise 12% in third quarter 2017
Washington, Seattle-based global logistics company Expeditors International saw its airfreight tonnage increase by 12% year on year in the third quarter of 2017. Airfreight revenues for the three months totalled US$735,164, 18% more than the same period of 2016. Costs also rose, however: airfreight operating expenses stood at 547,595 (a year-on-year rise of 23%). Jeffrey Musser, president and chief executive, commented: “While our current focus has shifted somewhat from volum