Amazon’s private cargo airline, Amazon Air, took a different approach with its North American and European networks during the past 12 months. It has been streamlining operations in the U.S. by prioritizing larger planes and major hubs, but relying less on hubs in Europe as flight activity decreases, according to a report published Thursday. The air logistics unit’s meteoric growth has ended after seven years, but the company was able to maintain operating levels at a time when many cargo airlines, including FedEx and UPS, parked aircraft and reduced flights in response to the downturn in air ..read more

This story originally appeared on Flyingmag.com. Longtime Walmart partner DroneUp has joined a select group of drone delivery firms with expanded permissions from the Federal Aviation Administration. The drone delivery and logistics company announced Jan. 18 that the regulator has approved it for flight beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS) of the operator, making it one of a handful of companies with a BVLOS waiver for medical deliveries. “Securing BVLOS approval is a testament to our dedication to safety and innovation,” said DroneUp CEO Tom Walker. “We have some significant technologies ..read more

Houston-based e-commerce platform Cart.com announced it has nabbed $30 million from Trinity Capital to help the firm expand while boosting its balance sheet. The investment is part of a larger $100 million debt refinancing that included Trinity and Silicon Valley Bank, a division of First Citizens Bank. The capital will strengthen Cart.com’s balance sheet as it continues to scale operations, according to a news release. “With Trinity’s financing, Cart.com will double down on investments that support the growing demand for innovative logistics and commerce infrastructure solutions that help ou ..read more

DHL Express has signed a long-term, full-service charter agreement with Japan Airlines to utilize the carrier’s new Boeing 767-300 converted freighters in its express network between Japan and northeast Asia. Japan Airlines said it will commence service on Feb. 19 with one 767-300 converted from its passenger fleet, marking the first time in 13 years the carrier has operated its own freighter aircraft. Two more freighters are expected to be delivered in 2024. The two companies announced Wednesday that JAL will connect Tokyo; Seoul, South Korea; Shanghai, China; and Taipei, Taiwan, with two ro ..read more

This fireside chat recap is from FreightWaves’ Domestic Supply Chain Summit on Wednesday. FIRESIDE CHAT TOPIC: Navigating Black Friday trends in e-commerce and the evolution of outsourced fulfillment. DETAILS: Casey Armstrong, chief marketing officer at ShipBob, and FreightWaves’ Tony Mulvey dive into the recent Black Friday shopping holiday and how e-commerce shopping has evolved over recent years. The discussion looks into the future of outsourced fulfillment, allowing for brands to focus on product development and sales and marketing of their core business, while eliminating choke points i ..read more

To view more FreightWaves infographics, click here The post Daily Infographic: Amazon dominates the US e-commerce landscape appeared first on FreightWaves ..read more

To view more FreightWaves infographics, click here The post Daily Infographic: Most profitable categories for sellers on Amazon appeared first on FreightWaves ..read more

Last week’s dismissal of Dave Clark as Flexport’s chief executive officer was prompted by his neglect of customers and freight growth to focus on expensive technology development for Amazon-like last-mile delivery, reinstalled CEO Ryan Petersen told FreightWaves.  The Flexport founder stressed the leadership change doesn’t mean the company is returning to being a nuts-and-bolts freight forwarder and will continue its transformation into an end-to-end logistics provider, aided by the June acquisition of Shopify’s e-commerce fulfillment unit.  The reboot, he explained, has more to do ..read more

The National Retail Federation (NRF) said Thursday that it acquired the Reverse Logistics Association (RLA), the global trade group for the product returns and reverse logistics industry, for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition puts NRF, considered the country’s leading association that represents the retail trade, deep into one of the fastest-growing segments of global commerce. According to Grand View research, the global reverse logistics market, valued in 2022 at an estimated $731.3 billion, is projected to grow at a 9.4% compound annual growth rate from 2023 to 2030.  The global exp ..read more

As global marketplaces become increasingly interconnected, the dynamics of cross-border trade have undergone shifts, spotlighting e-commerce import practices. At the forefront of these discussions is the de minimis threshold, which defines the value below which imported goods can enter a country duty-free, streamlining customs procedures for low-value shipments. BoxC Logistics’ co-founder and Chief Digital Officer Chad Schofield (Photo: BoxC Logistics) However, current congressional discussions on tightening regulations have sparked scrutiny of the threshold and the potential ramifications fo ..read more