Insights – Page 8
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InsightsAstral Aviation aims for growth
Astral Aviation is pursuing freighter and drone investments to grow its cargo airline business in Africa and beyond.Astral Aviation is setting its sights on China now that the county has relaxed its pandemic restrictions.The Kenya-headquartered cargo airline plans to launch flights to China and add an office in the country, ...
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Supply chain spotlight: Inflationary pressures hit UK economy
An ongoing challenge to the smooth passage of trade throughout 2022 was the strike action at Felixstowe and Liverpool ports, running from August to October, which caused disruption to supply chains across the country.This disruption has continued into the beginning of 2023, where consumer activity has dropped and as a ...
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Insights
Putzger perspective: Air cargo navigates stormy skies
Recent months have been relentlessly tough to navigate for air cargo carriers, as imploding demand has yanked rates and yields out of the stratosphere to levels last seen before the pandemic.The reverberations are taking a toll on capacity expansion, as operators are having second thoughts on their anticipated need for ...
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InsightsTIACA tackles people and pollution
Trade organisation TIACA is hoping to take a lead when it comes to reducing the emissions generated by air cargo and attracting the next generation of employees.Sustainability is a delicate balancing act for the air cargo industry: maintaining global supply chains while cutting carbon emissions to meet aviation’s net zero ...
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InsightsAsia-Europe air cargo market still in recovery
The Asia-Europe trade lane has been buffeted by weakening demand and the outbreak of war in Ukraine over the last 12 months but there are some opportunities to be found.Air cargo capacity on the Asia-Europe route increased marginally (+3%) from the fourth quarter of 2021 to fourth quarter of 2022, ...
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InsightsAir cargo outlook: challenging market ahead
It’s been an interesting period for the air cargo industry as volumes have been trending downwards since the first half of last year, while the capacity situation continues to change and rates remain above pre-Covid levels despite recent declines.The fall in volumes reflects high inflation that is affecting consumer spending, ...
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InsightsPartnerships key for United Cargo's growth
United is striving to keep its customers onside, evolve strategic partnerships and focus on re-establishing a strong network, explains Ian Putzger.The resurgence in passenger traffic appears not to have dented United Airlines’ cargo business.Although widebodies reverted to passenger routes, the carrier outperformed most other airlines on cargo in the third ...
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Putzger perspective: e-freighters anyone?
E-freighters offer an attractive cargo solution, but they come as freighter demand has slowed down, writes Ian Putzger.In the Superman comic strips, reporter Clark Kent would rapidly transform himself into the superhero to perform his stunning feat to avert a massive disaster and then morph back into the bespectacled journalist. ...
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InsightsTaking up the sustainability Challenge
Challenge Group is embracing sustainability and modernising its aircraft fleet as it looks to the future of the business.The Malta-headquartered international air cargo conglomeration currently has a fleet of four Boeing B747-400Fs.Israel-based airline Challenge Airlines IL operates two of the four-engined B747-400Fs.And Belgium-based airline Challenge Airlines BE also operates two ...
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The changing role of traditional and digital forwarders
The meteoric rise in freight levels during the pandemic created an irrational exuberance for most forwarders, but the party is ending for some, writes Airforwarders Association (AfA) executive director Brandon Fried.As freight forwarders begin to see reduced shipments drop to more realistic levels, some still see high volumes but most ...
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InsightsEmirates SkyCargo invests for the future
The last 14 months have been a busy period for Emirates SkyCargo.Not only has the carrier been managing heightened demand – at least until the second half of last year – and the recovery of bellyhold operations, but it has made a series of investments.Firstly, in November 2021 the carrier ...
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Putzger perspective: Full steam ahead for air cargo headwinds
Industry forecasts for this year are largely pessimistic with the outlook for demand muted at best, though capacity looks set to grow, writes Ian Putzger.“Air cargo peak season has now officially failed to materialise,” wrote Freightos head of research Judah Levine on December 7, pointing to year-on-year drops of more ...
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InsightsHeavylift sector faces up to an uncertain market
The heavylift sector is facing up to challenging market conditions but there are some positives to be found, writes Michael Mackey.Heavylift air cargo faces a difficult future despite an obvious need for its services.“I would describe the current situation as a ‘tough market’,” Reto Hunziker, regional director Europe for Chapman ...
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AfA optimistic US air cargo industry can ride out a recession
A global recession looms ahead but air cargo setbacks look set to be short-lived, writes Airforwarders Association (AfA) executive director Brandon Fried.The recent half-point raising of interest rates by the US Federal Reserve signals that inflation still lingers within the American economy as the likelihood of a global recession seems ...
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Where now for UK air cargo? A year in review
2022 saw its fair share of challenges within the logistics industry, as the UK continued to navigate post-pandemic life and the government underwent reforms.As the economy returned to a new normal, air cargo has proved its value as a key link in keeping the country’s supply chain intact, but has ...
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InsightsPrevention is better than an air cargo cure
Advocating for the airforwarding industry is no simple task in the US government’s legislation arena, as Brandon Fried, executive director of the Airforwarders Association (AfA) explains.Taking action on key air cargo issues is vital for the air cargo industry to protect its own interests in a world where it is ...
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InsightsAirblox aims to create an air cargo futures market
Airblox launched in the air cargo market in 2022 with the aim of creating an electronic exchange for block space agreements.Speaking to Air Cargo News at the Air Cargo Forum event in Miami, the company’s founder Edip Pektas, whose career in air cargo started with an investment in handler MIC ...
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InsightsLatin American air cargo recovers with a vengeance
Demand faltered in Latin America during Covid but has bounced back this year and carriers are keen to capitalise, explains Ian Putzger.At the end of October, LATAM Cargo stepped up its freighter flights from Huntsville International Airport in Alabama from one to three weekly frequencies.This came shortly after Latin America’s ...
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Logistics UK: Heathrow Airport - the sky is the limit
Since 2021 there has been a drop in freight movements across all modes due to the cost-of-living crisis, post-pandemic supply chain issues, the conflict in Ukraine and an increase in fuel prices.Overall, consumer activity is down and compared to last year, retail sales have fallen 6.9%.Aviation especially saw a decline ...
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InsightsPutzger perspective: Airport bottlenecks
Photo: Number1411/ ShutterstockUS airports are set to plough government funding into passenger facilities but neglect cargo, writes Ian Putzger.The supply chain disruptions of the past two years have led to a loosening of government purse strings in many locations.Faced with epic congestion from ports to inland rail hubs, the US ...