Specialist airfreight carrier CMA CGM Air Cargo has announced that it has placed an order for four Airbus A350Fs, in addition to the four A350Fs the carrier ordered in 2021. All eight of the new planes, for which the company will be the launch commercial customer, are expected to be in service by the end of 2027, allowing the company to offer its services on a global scale for the first time.  CMA CGM Air Cargo, the cargo airline of the CMA CGM shipping group, operates primarily out of Charles De Gaulle Airport (CDG) in Paris, France.  CMA CGM became the second company to sign up for ..read more

United Parcel Service (UPS) needs to recruit more than 300 more pilots after signing a contract with the United States Postal Service (USPS) to become its new primary air cargo provider.    UPS was announced as the USPS’ new main partner on April 1, 2024, after FedEx lost out despite being the primary air cargo provider for over 20 years.   Industry publication Freight Waves reported that the new USPS contract will increase demand on UPS and new pilots are needed to manage the surge in work volume.     The Independent Pilots Association, which repre ..read more

Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer has confirmed that it successfully completed the first flight of its E190 E-Freighter conversion aircraft in São José dos Campos, Brazil.  The E190 E-Freighter conversion aircraft took flight in Brazil for the first time on April 4, 2024, for around two hours in which a complete evaluation of the model was carried out.  The first flight is part of a series of evaluations that Embraer is conducting before the E-Freighter jets enter into operation.   The aircraft has already been successful in both ground pressurization and cargo loadin ..read more

The United States Postal Service (USPS) has selected United Parcel Service (UPS) as its new primary air cargo provider.  USPS’s new long-term contract with UPS effectively brings its existing partnership with FedEx, which stretches back over 20 years, to an end.   The new contact with UPS, announced on April 1, 2024, is scheduled to begin on September 30, 2024, for a five-and-a-half-year minimum base term.  FedEx confirmed in a SEC filing that its agreement with USPS will expire on September 29, 2024, after a decision was reached on March 29, 2024, following extensive discu ..read more

In a first for Korean Air, the carrier has announced that it has connected its cargo booking system with DHL Global Forwarding.  In a statement from the Korean flag carrier on March 26, 2024, the airline confirmed that DHL was the first freight forwarder it had used to provide the service.    The integration will allow DHL Global Forwarding to book cargo on Korean Air flights directly from its own in-house system without the need to access the airline’s platform.  “This integration enhances workflow efficiency by enabling real-time data exchange between airlines and custome ..read more

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced the launch of the IATA Digitalization Leadership Charter at the IATA World Cargo Symposium in Hong Kong. Cathay Cargo, CHAMP Cargosystems, Global Logistics System Hong Kong Company Limited, IAG Cargo, IBS Software, LATAM Cargo, and Lufthansa Cargo are the inaugural signatories of the charter. The Digitalization Leadership Charter aims to accelerate the air cargo industry’s digitalization journey by committing to five key guiding principles. Developed in consultation with IATA’s Cargo Advisory Council Members, airlines and the wider a ..read more

Lufthansa Cargo will launch its first freighter service from Belgium to the United States (US) from April 2024.   The Lufthansa Cargo Boeing 777F service will fly directly from Brussels International Airport (BRU) to Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD).  The new operation will commence on April 3, 2024, and will run twice a week on Mondays and Wednesdays.    Announcing the new service on March 13, 2024, Lufthansa Cargo confirmed that the entire routing will lead from Frankfurt via Brussels to Chicago and back to the home hub in Frankfurt.    ..read more

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that Lufthansa Cargo has renewed and expanded the scope of its agreement to utilize CargoIS for its air cargo data needs, extending a partnership that has spanned over a decade. “We are pleased to announce the extension of our partnership with IATA through CargoIS. The market intelligence IT has provided us over the years and has played a key role in shaping our strategic planning and improving our operational efficiency. This extended collaboration not only helps us to refine our shipping strategies but also ensures our po ..read more

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Smart Freight Centre (SFC) announced a partnership to provide consistent and transparent CO2 emissions calculations for air cargo shipments. This is an important step for the global air transport sector to advance its decarbonization efforts. The two organizations will focus efforts on developing the cargo component of IATA’s CO2 Connect offering, which successfully launched its passenger version in 2022. The IATA CO2 Connect platform uses primary industry data to power highly accurate carbon calculations. The collaboration with the SF ..read more

AviaAM Leasing, a global aviation holding company engaged in tailored aircraft leasing and trading services, has announced that it has transported its second Boeing B777-300ER for passenger-to-freighter conversion. Performing the conversion will be Mammoth Freighters LLC (“Mammoth”), a Boeing Licensee for the Boeing 777-300ER P2F conversions. On February 28th, 2024, the aircraft has been ferried to Aspire MRO’s state-of-the-art facility at Alliance Airport in Fort Worth, Texas. Upon redelivery, the aircraft will be able to carry 99.79 tons of cargo on transatlantic routes and is expected to se ..read more