DHL, K+N and DB Schenker the leading airfreight forwarders

  DHL Global Forwarding, Kuehne+Nagel and DB Schenker have maintained their position as the world’s leading airfreight forwarders, while the top 25 forwarders recorded a total increase in airfreight demand of less than one percent. The latest top 25 Global Freight Forwarders List from consultant Armstrong & Associates, based on revenues and ocean and airfreight...

Continue

FedEx and TNT deal on track but clearance could take a year

TNT Express has provided an update on its planned $4.8bn takeover by FedEx, stating that the two companies are making timely progress on preparations for the offer but reiterated that it could take a year to gain regulatory clearance. TNT said that FedEx expects to submit a request for review and approval of its offer document with Dutch financial service regulator...

Continue

FedEx updates on freighter retirements and TNT acquisition

FedEx has provided more details on its decision to retire freighters early, while also providing an update on its proposed takeover of TNT Express and saying that it will continue on the acquisition trail. Speaking shortly after the announcement of its fiscal year fourth quarter results, the US express giant said its decision to retire 15 aircraft and 21 related engines...

Continue

Boeing ups aircraft demand expectation

Boeing has upped its expectation for demand of new aircraft from last year’s forecast, predicting that 38,050 new airplanes will be needed over the next 20 years. The company predicted that by the end of the 20 year forecast period, the commercial airplane fleet will double, from 21,600 airplanes in 2014 to 43,560 airplanes in 2034. Last year, its forecast was...

Continue

American goes further east with FlyUs

American Airlines Cargo has extended its reach in eastern Europe with the appointment of FlyUs as its general sales agent (GSA) in both Hungary and Poland.  Both countries are currently off-line destinations in the American Airlines network, with cargo being trucked from both Budapest and Warsaw to London, Frankfurt, Munich or Paris for direct entry into the...

Continue

Etihad teams up with WCA

Etihad Cargo is offering World Cargo Alliance (WCA) members special rates for certain destinations when they use the Worldwide Information Network (WIN) booking platform. WCA members who are participants in Etihad's loyalty programme, CargoConnect, and who also use the WIN for booking and air waybill transactions, will qualify for special rates on selected origins...

Continue

Sharp decline in load factors

Airfreight demand growth began to ease off in April, resulting in a “sharp” decline in load factors as they reached their lowest level for a year. The latest IATA figures show that airfreight volumes increase by 3.3% year-on-year in April compared with growth of 4.3% for the first four months. It said that the slowdown was mainly the result of a weakening in demand...

Continue

FedEx takes axe to 15 freighters

US parcels and logistics giant FedEx has "permanently retired" 15 aircraft and 21 related engines as it continues to “rationalise capacity and modernise its aircraft fleet to more effectively serve FedEx Express customers”. FedEx has taken a non-cash impairment charge of $246m recorded in May 2015 and has also adjusted the retirement schedule of an additional...

Continue

DB Schenker to charter from Etihad for new US freighter service

DB Schenker has revealed it is chartering an aircraft from Etihad for its new weekly freighter service from China to the US. The forwarder, through its JetCargo division, this week announced it had launched a freighter service travelling between Hong Kong, Chicago and Houston. A company spokesperson told Air Cargo News it was a fully dedicated service using a Boeing...

Continue

Optimistic airfreight forwarders

European airfreight forwarders are expecting volumes to continue to increase over the coming two months. The latest monthly Danske Bank forwarder index for expectations for the coming two months came in at 57 points, with any figure above 50 suggesting that participants expect volumes to grow over the period. The April survey also shows an improvement on future expectations...

Continue

Agility's airfreight yields boost Q1 performance

Improving airfreight yields have helped push logistics firm Agility to a 5 percent year-on-year improvement in profits during the first quarter of the year. During the first quarter, the Kuwait Stock Exchange-listed company recorded a 1 percent improvement in revenues on last year to KD318.1m ($1.06bn), while net profit increased by 5 percent to KD11.8m. Its Global...

Continue

Vessels collide in same 2013 sea mishap spot

Talisay City, Cebu — A chief engineer was hurt when a fast craft collided with a cargo vessel late Wednesday afternoon at Lauis Ledge off Talisay City, the same spot where a passenger vessel and cargo ship collided two years ago, killing 116 passengers and crew. The Lauis Ledge has become an eerie spot for vessels traveling from Cebu to Bohol and passengers on board fast craft Starcraft 9 went into panic when the sea craft collided with cargo vessel MV Our Lady of Faith at 5:50 p.m. last...

Continue

NGA to cease operations at the end of May

Main-deck cargo airline Nordic Global Airlines will cease operations at the end of the month after overcapacity in the market took its toll on the operator. NGA, which operates a fleet of four MD-11F freighters for customers, was launched in 2011 but faced continued pressure on pricing. Finnair Cargo, which owned a 40% stake in the company, leased freighter capacity...

Continue

Damco sees $9m loss as airfreight dives

Damco, the troubled logistics arm of Danish shipping giant AP Moller-Maersk (APMM), made a $9m loss in the first quarter of 2015 as its airfreight volumes fell 19%. The division's total supply chain revenue fell nine percent, year on year, to $683m for the January to March 2015 period, of which eight percent was due to exchange rate movements. Netherlands-based...

Continue

Frankfurt freight disappoints

Frankfurt’s airport operator Fraport’s airfreight and airmail tonnage dropped by 2.4 per cent year-on-year to around 500,000 tonnes in the first quarter of 2015. However, the group as a whole recorded “noticeable growth” in revenue, which rose 10.8 per cent to €575.9 million.  Contributing factors included growth in traffic and fees, consolidation of two new...

Continue