Swissport has become the largest cargo handler at Liege Airport after the addition of a third cargo centre on the back of rising e-commerce demand. The new 4,000 sq m customs bonded facility has expanded the handler’s overall capacity at the freighter airport by 17% to 27,000 sq m. The new facility opened on April 22 and is located in a second line just behind its existing two air cargo centres. The handler said that the expansion would allow it to offer a wide range of handling services and take the pressure off the existing facilities. “In a step aligned with Swissport’s global cargo strateg ..read more

Customs technology provider Hurricane Commerce has warned that stricter customs requirements for low-value imports could result in delays to e-commerce shipments to the US. The tech firm said that from April 13, low-value Entry Type 86 shipment data sets have been required to be filed prior or on arrival of the imported cargo.  If filed after the cargo has arrived, the entry will be rejected and the cargo will be held until a separate entry or appropriate entry type is made. The cargo will no longer be eligible for Entry Type 86 clearance, which covers shipments up to a value of $800. Hur ..read more

Kerry Logistics is partnering with Menzies Aviation and Menzies Macau Airport Services to enhance customs clearance for e-commerce at Macau Airport. The partners have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that aims to ensure all goods handled by Kerry eCommerce passing through Macau can depart “smoothly and achieve fast and efficient transportation through convenient customs clearance procedures in Macau”. They will work together to ensure the smooth customs clearance of goods and “collaborate on end-to-end solutions on a global scale to support the strong development of e-commerce logist ..read more

E-commerce giant Alibaba Group has decided to cancel plans to place its logistics subsidiary on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and withdrawn its initial public offering (IPO). Alibaba said that the move would allow it to align Cainiao to realise strategic synergies with online shopping platforms Taobao and Tmall Group and Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group as well as “support Cainiao to execute a long-term strategic expansion of its global logistics network”. As well as withdrawing the IPO plans, Alibaba said that it planned to offer to buy all shares in the company from minority holde ..read more

Saudia Cargo aims to further tap into the e-commerce market with the addition of two weekly flights to Shenzhen, China. The flights, which launched on March 15, operate with a Boeing 777-200F on Mondays and Fridays, said the Jeddah-headquartered Saudi Arabian airline. “This expansion enables Saudia Cargo to facilitate the seamless transportation of goods between Shenzhen and Riyadh, with Riyadh being identified as the most lucrative international market for Chinese businesses,” noted Saudia Cargo. The airline said that China is a crucial market for its operations and the service aims to help m ..read more

YunExpress has extended its agreement with lessor Atlas Air to include a second Boeing 777-200 freighter that will be used to cover rising e-commerce demand. The new aircraft will enter operation under a long-term charter agreement in April and operate six weekly routes between China and the US. The new flight will enhance YunExpress’ international logistics network and help it serve the increasing demand for cross-border e-commerce shipping from China, Atlas said. Wang Zuan, president of YunExpress parent Zongteng Group, said: “Last December, YunExpress, in collaboration with Atlas, launched ..read more

Challenge Group has decided to launch a scheduled freighter route between Mumbai (BOM) and Liège (LGG). Operating twice weekly, the service will use the capacity of Challenge Group’s recently acquired second B767 freighter, which has a payload of 52 tons per uplift. The freighter will mainly carry pharmaceuticals and electronics, but “also the large and complex main deck cargo shipments that are Challenge Group’s expertise”, said the company. Challenge Group took delivery of its first Boeing 767-300 in August last year. The company did not announce the arrival of its new aircraft, however, in ..read more

Amazon Air expanded its air cargo capacity last year through the addition of larger aircraft but also simplified its network and conducted fewer flights. The latest study from The Chaddick Institute for Metropolitan Development shows that in the five weeks running to March 12, Amazon Air increased its US tonnage capacity by 4.9% compared with the same period last year, while total daily flights fell by 1.8% compared with the same period last year. This comes as the airline moved to larger aircraft and consolidated operations at fewer hubs. Since March last year, the carrier has added three Boe ..read more

E-commerce will likely stabilise as a third of total air cargo volumes, delegates were told at IATA World Cargo Symposium (WCS). Speaking about how e-commerce is rapidly gaining value in the air cargo sector as it grows in volume, Ludwig Hausmann, senior partner at consulting firm McKinsey said that the percentage of e-commerce air cargo had jumped 10% in the space of five years, with further growth expected. During the ‘Air Cargo Market Dynamics 2024 and the E-commerce Opportunity’ session, Hausmann said that in 2017, the cross-border e-commerce share of total air cargo volume was 10%. In 202 ..read more

Hong Kong-based international cross-border logistics service provider U-Freight Group (UFL) has inked a deal with Shanghai Hongyu Supply Chain Management Co designed to marry the latter’s expertise in China’s medical and healthcare sector with UFL’s experience in international freight forwarding and logistics. According to the agreement, the two companies will share resources in order to develop complementary domestic and foreign supply chain management networks incorporating transportation, storage and associated logistics services. Shanghai Hongyu Supply Chain Management Co offers services s ..read more