Ethiopian Cargo & Logistics and IATA signed agreement for IATA CEIV live animals certification programme

Ethiopian Airlines Group and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) signed an agreement on  IATA CEIV Live Animals Certification Program on June 20, 2023, at the sidelines of IATA Focus  Africa Conference hosted by Ethiopian Airlines Group at Ethiopian Skylight from June 20-21, 2023.  

The signing of the CEIV Live Animal Project Initiation will be a first step to enable Ethiopian  work hand-in-hand with IATA in getting CEIV certification which in turn allows our customers to see the global standards and requirements met by Ethiopian while transporting the precious animals we are entrusted with. As a result:  

▪ Ethiopian will transport live animals with the world’s best quality services and  standards. 

▪ IATA’s latest Center of Excellence for Independent Validators (CEIV) certification  provides confidence for live animals shippers.  

▪ The CEIV’s certification high standards will lead to high customer satisfaction.  

Underlining the significance of signing the CEIV, Ethiopian Airlines Group Chief Executive Officer Mr Mesfin Tasew said, “The agreement we are signing with IATA on CEIV Live Animals Certification  Program ensures our commitment towards demonstrating quality services. We are positive that IATA  CEIV Certification, a landmark in the transportation of live animals, will help us improve operation standards, quality management systems, facility and infrastructure requirements. We would like to assure our customers that Ethiopian will continue to comply with the requirements of IATA that sets the industry’s policy and provides seamless aviation processes”. 

Wideroe picks WebCargo by Freightos for cargo sales

Wideroe, the innovative Nordic airline, has formed a new partnership with WebCargo by Freightos to deliver real-time rates, capacity and eBookings on the cargo booking platform, reaching 3,500+ forwarders across 10,000 offices globally. Forwarders now have access to air cargo shipments from Norway, Denmark, and the United Kingdom through Wideroe's unique network. With WebCargo, Wideroe stands ahead of the curve in digitization for regional carriers, delivering world-class digital freight pricing and booking services.

With this partnership, airlines that represent well over 50% of total global air cargo capacity are available on WebCargo. eBooking also complements Wideroe's focus on emission reduction, including the use of emissions-friendly turboprop planes and more. As other industries have shown, digital booking can improve utilization. For air cargo, this could improve load factors, which IATA calculates to be in the mid-50%'s[1]. By combining Wideroe's uniquely sustainable fleet with WebCargo's inline CO2 calculator, forwarders can also make informed booking decisions that help reduce emissions.

"We are very happy to finally be able to offer our capacity on the WebCargo-platform. The CO2-emissions calculation done by the platform is something that we in Widerøe welcomes, it enables the customers not only to take an active choice when it comes down to the price, but also the impact on the environment," said Thomas Lone, Cargo Manager Widerøe AS.

"We share Wideroe's commitment to both deliver a top-tier air cargo experience but also to forge a more sustainable industry," said Manel Galindo, CEO of WebCargo by Freightos. "We're delighted to help carriers like Wideroe increase informational awareness at the point of booking to reduce capacity underutilization, increase air cargo efficiency, and improve global supply chains." 

Eastern Air Logistics agrees partnership with WebCargo

Eastern Air Logistics (EAL), the logistics arm of China Eastern Airlines, the first all-cargo airline in China, has announced a new partnership with WebCargo by Freightos, the leading cargo booking and payment platform, to deliver eBooking and payments to global forwarders of all sizes. This partnership provides a seamless, end-to-end solution for customers looking to move cargo from the largest global export country to the West, beginning with ex-China coverage to North America, Europe and Asia, and from Europe to China. Eastern Air Logistics was first made available for bookings on WebCargo last week.

Through this partnership, EAL gains access to WebCargo's extensive network of over 10,000 freight forwarding offices who already conduct thousands of bookings every day.  WebCargo's platform allows EAL to streamline their booking and payment processes, and expand their customer base with an easy and efficient way to price, book, and pay for air freight in just minutes. Freight forwarders around the world have enthusiastically adopted eBookings; at least five large European countries already see 10% of their air cargo being booked  via WebCargo.

EAL brings substantial capacity to China export and import routes, backed by its subsidiaries domestic and foreign sites and branches, including China Cargo Airlines, Eastern Airlines Express, Eastern Transport, Eastern Supply Chain as well as a number of branches at home and abroad. With 16 full cargo freighters from China Cargo Airlines, belly space of nearly 800 passenger airplanes from China Eastern Airlines and the airline resources backed by SkyTeam Alliance, EAL expands its global network to 1088 destinations in 184 countries and regions around the world.

IAG Cargo appoints new Head of Pharmaceutical

Jordan Kohlbeck appointed Head of Pharmaceutical

He will oversee the delivery and focus on IAG Cargo’s temperature control pharmaceutical product

 

The cargo division of International Airlines Group, IAG Cargo has today announced the appointment of Jordan Kohlbeck as Head of Pharmaceutical.

In his new role, Jordan will oversee IAG Cargo’s temperature control pharmaceutical product. He will set the vision and strategic direction of its pharmaceutical and life sciences division. Jordan will ensure the delivery of outstanding solutions and continuous advancement of the product experience for customers.

Cultivating robust network connections and supplier relationships, Jordan will manage IAG Cargo’s Constant Climate product. Constant Climate is a state-of-the-art cold chain solution that caters specifically to the transportation of pharmaceuticals, such as vaccines, biotech products, diagnostics samples, or any other temperature sensitive pharmaceutical material.

Since joining IAG Cargo over three years ago, he has held roles relating to Constant Climate and Transformation, where he helped deliver and drive change within IAG Cargo’s Operations and wider business. Jordan’s expertise in developing innovative solutions, coupled with his customer centric approach, will be instrumental in driving and delivering an exceptional offering for customers to meet the unique needs of the industry. 

IAG Cargo has unveiled the new position following the recent launch its new cargo handling facility, New Premia, which features a cutting-edge Constant Climate Quality Centre (CCQC)

Jordan assumes his new position as IAG Cargo opens its new cargo handling facility, New Premia, which features a cutting-edge Constant Climate Quality Centre (CCQC) with 27 dedicated cool cells for pharmaceuticals to guarantee temperature sensitive shipments are held in the right conditions. 

John Cheetham, Chief Commercial Officer at IAG Cargo said: “Pharmaceutical transport is a crucial aspect of our business and plays a vital role in ensuring the health and well-being of people around the world. We are thrilled to have a dedicated professional driving the ongoing advancement of our cold chain operations. With Jordan’s leadership and understanding of the pharmaceutical landscape, we are confident in our ability to provide innovative solutions, and further strengthen our commitment to the global healthcare industry." 

Jordan Kohlbeck, Head of Pharmaceutical, added: “I am excited to continue my work in supporting transformation at IAG Cargo and providing an important service for the pharmaceutical industry as a trusted partner in their supply chains. With this new responsibility, I look forward to working with our customers, suppliers, and team, ensuring we are relentless at delivering an exceptional customer experience and temperature control offering, befitting of any market-leader.”

Air101: IAG Cargo’s first freight between London and Cincinnati set to take off

Air101: Jenny Critchley joins IAG Cargo as Chief Transformation Officer

Air101: IAG Cargo boosts Latin America and Caribbean capacity for Summer season

Cargo Airline of the Year is Cathay Pacific

Cathay Cargo receives Cargo Airline of the Year accolade at ATW’s 49th Annual Airline Industry Achievement Awards

The prestigious award is a clear sign of faith in Cathay Cargo’s innovation, agility, growth and expertise in the face of significant operational challenges

Cathay Cargo recently collected its award for “Cargo Airline of the Year” at a gala dinner in Istanbul at the 49th Annual Airline Industry Achievement Awards produced by Air Transport World (ATW).

The coveted award pays tribute to Cathay Cargo for overcoming major operational challenges in 2022, as well as for its growth, investment, innovation and ambition to become the world’s most customer-centric air-cargo service brand.

The awards recognise excellence across a broad range of airline operations and are selected by a panel of editors and analysts at ATW, Routes, Aviation Week and CAPA. While the award winners were announced earlier this year, the gala dinner on Friday, 2 June enabled representatives from the recognised airlines to collect their awards and celebrate their achievements in person.

Speaking about this year’s winners, ATW ​ Editor-in-Chief Karen Walker said: “The final selections illustrate the strength of the market recovery across the air transport industry, and it is particularly heartening to see that also reflected among airlines in the Asia-Pacific region.”

Cathay Cargo was recognised for continuing to grow, innovate and adapt through some of the most challenging restrictions. It revamped its Priority solution and launched its refreshed Cathay Pharma solution to meet customer demand; continued to digitise processes and services, including the launch of its digital booking platform Click & Ship; extended its Fly Greener carbon-offsetting initiative to cargo shipments; and opened its dedicated Pharma Handling Centre at the Cathay Cargo Terminal at its Hong Kong hub.

IAG Cargo’s first freight between London and Cincinnati set to take off

IAG Cargo launches new route between London and Cincinnati – a first for the business

 The service will be operated by a British Airways Boeing 787-8 aircraft

 

IAG Cargo, has just announced it will be starting a new direct service between London-Heathrow and Cincinnati, Ohio for the first time in its history. 

From today, 5th June 2023, IAG Cargo customers will be able to export and import vital goods between London-Heathrow and Cincinnati, Ohio five days week during the summer months, and four times a week during the winder period. The route will be essential for the movement of e-commerce, a key source of revenue for the U.S generating $272.6 billion of revenue in the first quarter of 2023.

IAG Cargo's network, which spans six continents, wants to close the gap between North America and Europe by offering services between Cincinnati and London, two significant e-commerce centres.

Camilo Garcia Cervera, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at IAG Cargo said: “The transatlantic corridor is one of the world’s most important trade lanes, and a vital part of our network and so we’re pleased to support our customers with a new route to Cincinnati. With this direct route from one of our key hubs, London, customers can benefit from our wider network that spans across six continents to transport the regions high in demand imports and exports.”

This new route supports IAG Cargo’s increased schedule into the United States, where the company now serves 27 US destinations. Popular items shipped across this trade lane have included high volumes of automotive parts from Southeast Asia, transferred via Europe, into the United States, as well as sporting equipment, food and drink and e-commerce items like home office equipment.

IAG Cargo's network, which spans six continents, wants to close the gap between North America and Europe by offering services between Cincinnati and London, two significant e-commerce centres.

The cargo division of the International Airlines Group (IAG) only recently opened a new cargo centre at London Heathrow that represents a major investment in boosting cargo services.  

Air101: Jenny Critchley joins IAG Cargo as Chief Transformation Officer

Air101: IAG Cargo boosts Latin America and Caribbean capacity for Summer season

Air Tanzania celebrate first 767 freighter delivery to Africa

Boeing and Air Tanzania celebrated the delivery of the airline's first 767-300 Freighter on Saturday at the airline's hub in Dar es Salaam.  The delivery marks the first direct 767 Freighter delivery from Boeing to an African carrier.

"We are thrilled to welcome the 767-300 Boeing Freighter to our fleet. The 767 will cater to the growing cargo demand which was previously carried by passenger aeroplanes," said Eng. Ladislaus Matindi, Air Tanzania managing director. "The 767 will enable Air Tanzania to support a journey towards a more sustainable future and time critical cargo schedules across Africa and beyond. We are looking forward to expanding our imports and exports industry that require timely delivery. The arrival of the airplane will open opportunities for global businesses to transport commercial cargo goods to various parts of the world, which will boost national economic growth."

The 767-300 Freighter's excellent fuel efficiency, operational flexibility and low noise levels will enable Air Tanzania to support time-critical cargo schedules across Africa and beyond. Capable of flying 3,255 nautical miles with a revenue payload of more than 52 tonnes, the 767-300 Freighter is the ideal airplane for growing e-commerce and express cargo markets. This is Air Tanzania's first dedicated freighter as the country looks to expand imports and exports of perishable goods, pharmaceuticals and other products that require timely delivery.

IATA says demand for air cargo slows in April

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for April 2023 global air cargo markets, showing a continued, but slower, decline against the previous year’s demand performance.

Global demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometres (CTKs), fell 6.6% compared to April 2022 (-7.0% for international operations). This decline was an improvement over the previous month's performance (-7.6%).

 

Capacity (measured in available cargo tonne-kilometres, ACTK) was up 13.4% compared to April 2022. It was also up 3.2% compared to April 2019, marking the first time in three years that the capacity has surpassed pre-COVID levels. The strong uptick is primarily driven by belly capacity as demand in the passenger business recovers. Adjusting for this, freighter capacity declined 2.3%. Preighter operations ceased in March after 2.5 years of continuous activity.

 

Key factors influencing demand include:

The global new export orders component of the Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), a leading indicator of cargo demand, improved in April. China’s PMI level surpassed the critical 50-mark indicating that demand for manufactured goods from the world’s largest export economy is growing.

 

Global goods trade increased by 0.2% in March, marking the first annual increase since November 2022.

 

Consumer and producer prices increases have moderated. The April headline Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded rates of 5.0% in the US, 0.3% in China, and 3.5% in Japan. While Europe was higher (8.1%), it is well below its 11.5% October 2022 peak.

"The air cargo industry is adjusting itself to the implications of the recovery in passenger demand that brings with it an expansion of belly capacity. Preighter operations stopped in March and freighter services were scaled back by 2.3% in April. The demand environment is challenging to read. Tapering inflation is definitely a positive. But the degree and speed at which that could lead to looser monetary policies that might stimulate demand is unclear. The resilience that got the air cargo industry through the COVID-19 crisis is also critical in the aftermath," said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.

IAG Cargo officially launches state of the art cargo handling facility, New Premia at London Heathrow

The new dedicated semi-automated facility, over 10,000m2 will allow IAG Cargo to handle more than double the amount of premium shipments
 

New Premia contains a dedicated Constant Climate Quality Centre, allowing the acceptance and storage of more temperature-sensitive cargo such as pharmaceutical and life-science products

 

With 20 break and build workstations and 11 rapid rise delivery doors, transporting cargo becomes more efficient and seamless

IAG Cargo, the cargo division of International Airlines Group today celebrates the official opening of its new cargo handling facility, New Premia at its key international hub, London Heathrow.

New Premia will serve as IAG Cargo’s new home for handling premium loose shipments, enabling double the amount of cargo to be managed daily. To accommodate this increase in cargo handling capacity, significant focus has been given to designing bespoke IT systems and systems integration to regulate freight movements and allocations inside the facility.

The facility has been designed to handle more cargo for customers as efficiently as possible, with 11 new landside doors, meaning even faster engagement for drivers to collect or drop off cargo. The temperature-controlled building includes a state-of-the-art Constant Climate Quality Centre (CCQC) for pharmaceuticals, with 29 dedicated cool cells and temperature facilities available from +2°C to +8°C (COL), +15°C to +25°C (CRT) and -20°C (FRO) ensuring sensitive shipments are held in a temperature-controlled environment at all times. Additionally, the +15°C to +25°C (CRT) chamber includes two dedicated break and build workstations. The new facility is certified under IAG Cargo’s Good Distribution Practice (GDP) WDA licence issued by the UK Medicines & Healthcare Regulatory Agency.

Operationally, four large ‘transfer vehicles’ have been introduced which service the 20 new workstations. These vehicles pass through rapid-rise doors allowing cargo to be moved autonomously through the facility and into storage in advance of collection and delivery to the aircraft for exports and similarly, the process works in reverse for imports. This process uses ground-breaking technology as the system is fully integrated with IAG Cargo’s existing Warehouse Management System – which is the first time globally that this integration has been delivered.

David Shepherd, Chief Executive Officer at IAG Cargo said: “The opening of New Premia is a pivotal milestone for IAG Cargo - the benefits it will bring both to our customers and our operational teams is huge. We strive to provide the best service for our customers and the investment into our IT systems will improve our operational performance, optimising the movement of cargo to support global trade.

“I’m proud of the entire team that have made it possible to officially launch today – it represents a truly exciting time for us as a business. I look forward to seeing New Premia now run at its full potential.”

Investment into learning and development remains key at IAG Cargo and to prepare for New Premia opening and the transition to the new model, IAG Cargo staff have received targeted training over the last 18 months and this training continues as normal operations takes place at the facility. New roles have also been created such as six new Planning Managers, who work closely with the Operations Duty Manager and are fundamental in delivering the day-to-day operations.

 

Ethiopian Cargo partners with digital enabler cargo one to enhance digital sales....

Ethiopian Cargo & Logistics Services, the largest air cargo network operator in Africa, and cargo.one  announced a significant partnership to offer the Ethiopian national carrier’s capacities for instant booking on the air cargo booking marketplace. Comprising its debut digital sales channel, cargo.one now has an important collaborative role in transforming access to Ethiopian Cargo services for freight forwarders all across the world. Ethiopian Cargo gains cargo.one’s vast digital sales expertise to enrich and propel its digitalization journey.

Ethiopian Cargo & Logistics is pursuing a trajectory of ambitious growth in its mission to become among the top 20 cargo airlines worldwide by 2035. Operating Africa’s largest air cargo network, the airline currently covers more than 130 international destinations around the world with both belly hold capacity and 69 dedicated freighter services using its modern and young fleets. In addition to its connectivity, Ethiopian Cargo offers forwarders great flexibility, including high-speed and priority shipments.

By joining an established, high-performing digital marketplace, Ethiopian Cargo will grow its visibility with agents worldwide and further enrich its brand into the digital realm. On cargo.one, the airline can trust that customers receive the very best digital standards for accessibility, online experience and control in the booking of its capacities. Ethiopian Cargo joins over 40 of the world’s leading airlines that leverage cargo.one as a robust digital sales channel with customer centricity at its core.

Jenny Critchley joins IAG Cargo as Chief Transformation Officer

                          IAG Cargo has announced the appointment of Jenny Critchley as Chief Transformation Officer. Jenny takes over from David Rose, who was recently appointed to a new role on the IAG Cargo Executive Team as Director of London Operations. 

Jenny will focus on expanding IAG Cargo’s digitalisation and sustainability efforts, whilst driving productivity, new business solutions and further growth opportunities. 

Jenny joins the business from British Airways where she was Head of Transformation, having held previous roles in strategy, customer, and analytics. With digitalisation being an important issue for the air cargo industry, Jenny is keen to look for new digital opportunities, while continuing the focus on key initiatives such as IAG Cargo’s move to paperless AWBs and a greater share of electric vehicles. 

David Shepherd, Chief Executive Officer at IAG Cargo commented: “At IAG Cargo, we are driving digital transformation throughout the business, whilst pushing our sustainability efforts and our Chief Transformation Officer plays a key role in achieving this. Jenny will support the business to evaluate the prospects of new opportunities, champion key strategic initiatives, and deliver on our multi-year transformational priorities to deliver a better service for our customers.”

 

Jenny Critchley, Chief Transformation Officer at IAG Cargo, the cargo division of International Airlines Group (IAG) commented: “I’m delighted to join IAG Cargo, after many years on the passenger side of the industry, during my career, I have focused on designing future business strategy, much of which is underpinned by digital, customer-centric and sustainable transformation. I believe we have a great opportunity to build upon the excellent work that has been achieved so far, to enhance the end-to-end experience of our customers and I am delighted to be leading this exciting, business-wide transformation.”

IAG Cargo boosts Latin America and Caribbean capacity for Summer season

IAG Cargo offers additional capacity between Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean for the summer season – and restarts services between Barcelona and Chile.

 

IAG Cargo’s network today includes 33 destinations in Latin America and the Caribbean up from 25 in 2019

 

The business now offers 400 wide-body services between Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean

IAG Cargo, the cargo division of International Airlines Group has announced today, additional capacity for the summer season between Latin America, the Caribbean and its hubs - London, Madrid, and Barcelona.

Overall, IAG Cargo now offers 400 wide-body weekly services between Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean. Following a revival last year, IAG Cargo now services 33 per cent more destinations in Latin America and the Caribbean than pre-pandemic. 

IAG Cargo customers will benefit from more capacity to the region with flights between Madrid and Bogota increasing from 14 to 18 weekly services and in Lima four more connections will be added, offering 11 weekly flights. Panama will have between five and seven weekly connections throughout the summer, and daily services from November onwards. The business now also offers a daily service between London and Mexico, with flights between Barcelona and Chile restarting. 

In the Caribbean, services between Madrid and Havana increase to five per week and Puerto Rico to six per week in August. Flights between London and Bermuda have increased to a daily service. 

China’s first Airbus A330 P2F delivered to Sichuan Airlines

Sichuan Airlines has taken delivery of China's first Airbus A330-300 Passenger to Freighter converted aircraft.  The cargo jet is on long-term lease from CDB Aviation and was converted by Elbe Flugzeugwerke GmbH with Shanghai Technologies Aerospace Company Limited at its facilities in Shanghai Pudong, concluding EFW’s first-ever A330 P2F conversion to have taken place in China.

“This re-delivery marks a significant milestone for Sichuan Airlines and China as we see the outcome of intense work and collaboration resulting in the arrival of the country’s very first A330 P2F,” asserted Jie Chen, CDB Aviation’s Chief Executive Officer. “We are grateful to the Sichuan Airlines team for trusting CDB Aviation to be a partner in supporting their innovative fleet strategy and for becoming our first A330 P2F customer in China. This aircraft will be a superb addition to their fleet as the airline continues to serve the country’s rapidly expanding air cargo market.”

The freighter, equipped with Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines, was delivered to Sichuan Airlines on May 15, 2023, becoming the inaugural A330 P2F in the carrier’s fleet. In addition to the A330 P2F, CDB Aviation has two A320 aircraft on lease to the airline.

“We are very happy to build on our relationship with CDB Aviation and thank CEO Jie Chen and his team for their work and cooperation in bringing this aircraft to market,” said Zuyi Shi, Sichuan Airlines’ Chief Executive Officer. “The introduction of this A330 P2F will provide us more freighter capacity to meet the market requirement and further strengthen our development strategy in cargo business.”

Ethiopian Cargo partners with cargo.one to increase digital sales

Ethiopian Cargo turns to digital expert cargo.one to empower its digital transformation and digital sales

Collaboration with cargo.one will unlock notable global sales potential for Africa’s largest network operator

                                                                                          

Ethiopian Cargo & Logistics Services, the largest air cargo network operator in Africa, and cargo.one this week announced a significant partnership to offer the Ethiopian national carrier’s capacities for instant booking on the air cargo booking marketplace. Comprising its debut digital sales channel, cargo.one now has an important collaborative role in transforming access to Ethiopian Cargo services for freight forwarders all across the world. Ethiopian Cargo gains cargo.one’s vast digital sales expertise to enrich and propel its digitalization journey.

Ethiopian Cargo & Logistics is pursuing a trajectory of ambitious growth in its mission to become among the top 20 cargo airlines worldwide by 2035. Operating Africa’s largest air cargo network, the airline currently covers more than 130 international destinations around the world with both belly hold capacity and 69 dedicated freighter services using its modern and young fleets. In addition to its connectivity, Ethiopian Cargo offers forwarders great flexibility, including high-speed and priority shipments.

By joining an established, high-performing digital marketplace, Ethiopian Cargo will grow its visibility with agents worldwide and further enrich its brand into the digital realm. On cargo.one, the airline can trust that customers receive the very best digital standards for accessibility, online experience and control in the booking of its capacities. Ethiopian Cargo joins over 40 of the world’s leading airlines that leverage cargo.one as a robust digital sales channel with customer centricity at its core.

Mr. Abel Alemu, Managing Director, Ethiopian Cargo & Logistics Services comments, “Digital sales will become a vital part of our future. Joining forces with cargo.one is the natural choice when looking for an experienced partner to enable the transition to digital sales. Collaboratively, we will extend Ethiopian Cargo’s reach and launch digital customer experiences at the very top of the league. cargo.one as a partner that shares our own passion and drive to help boost Ethiopian Cargo to become a digital cargo role model not only for Africa, but internationally”. 

Air Cargo drops during March advises IATA

                           The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for March 2023 global air cargo markets showing a continued decline against the previous year’s demand performance. This trend began in March 2022.

Global demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometres (CTKs*), fell 7.7% compared to March 2022 (-8.1% for international operations). This was a slight improvement over the previous February’s performance (-9.4%) and half the rate of annual decline seen in January and December (-16.8% and -15.6% respectively). At this point, it is unclear if this is a potentially modest start of an improvement trend or the upside of market volatility. Irrespective of this, March performance slipped back into negative territory compared to pre-COVID levels (-8.1%). 

Capacity (measured in available cargo tonne-kilometres, ACTK) was up 9.9% compared to March 2022. The strong uptick in ACTKs reflects the addition of belly capacity as the passenger side of the business continues to recover. 

Several factors in the operating environment should be noted

Even with record low unemployment rates, the global economy continues to decelerate due to a combination of factors such as tightening global financial conditions, high levels of global debt, and supply chain problems including those linked to the war in Ukraine. 

In line with the weakening global trade, the Purchasing Manager Indices (PMIs) for new export orders at the global level remained below the 50-critical line for a full year as of March. China’s PMI retreated to below the 50-mark in March, following a slight improvement observed in February. 

The PMI for supplier delivery times indicates high inventory levels, which tends to have a negative impact on air cargo.

Global goods trade decreased by 2.6% in February; this was a faster rate of decline than the previous month of -1.0%.

“Air cargo had a volatile first quarter. In March, overall demand slipped back below pre-COVID-19 levels and most of the indicators for the fundamental drivers of air cargo demand are weak or weakening. While the trading environment is tough, there is some good news. Airlines are getting help in managing through the volatility with yields that have remained high and fuel prices that have moderated from exceptionally high levels. Looking ahead, with inflation reducing in G7 countries policy makers are expected to ease economic cooling measures and that would stimulate demand,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General. 

March Regional Performance

ATSG delivers its first Boeing Converted Freighter to Amerijet

 

                               Air Transport Services Group, the world's largest lessor of freighter aircraft, recently announced the addition of two newly converted Boeing 767-300 freighters to their leasing fleet, one of which is the company's first Boeing Converted Freighter (BCF). The second aircraft was converted by Tel Aviv-based Israel Aerospace Industries.

ATSG's leasing subsidiary, Cargo Aircraft Management, will lease both aircraft to Miami-based Amerijet International, which currently leases nine other aircraft from CAM. This dual delivery is a demonstration of ATSG's successful supply chain diversification in meeting market demand for full freighter conversions.

“Today we acknowledge an important milestone in the history of our company,” said Paul Chase, the chief commercial officer of ATSG, “a milestone that signifies not only our ability to execute on a clear corporate vision, but also demonstrates yet another step we’ve taken to establish ourselves as the global leader in freighter leasing.”

The leadership teams of ATSG and Amerijet addressed employees of ATSG subsidiaries, thanking them for their accomplishments and referencing the companies' shared histories.

WestJet Cargo and the GTA Group's celebration tour concludes with third inauguration of dedicated freighter in Vancouver

WestJet Cargo and the GTA Group today celebrated the third inauguration of its 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighters in Vancouver alongside integral partners and key stakeholders. The event was commemorated by a ribbon cutting, signifying the launch of WestJet Cargo and the GTA Group's dedicated freighter service in one of the carrier's five hubs, that will fulfil the large-scale needs of businesses, freight forwarders, shippers and individual customers across North America. WestJet Cargo and the GTA Group's Vancouver celebration is the last of three inaugural events, that took place across Canada.

"We are thrilled to be celebrating this long-awaited milestone in Vancouver, a core hub for WestJet Cargo that will connect our freighter service to the Pacific coast," said Kirsten de Bruijn, WestJet Executive Vice-President, of Cargo. "Our Vancouver hub is essential to connecting WestJet Cargo to Asia's robust trade lines to Canada, enabling us to seamlessly execute the distribution of incoming valuable cargo products to their final destinations across Canada."

"Today is an exciting day for the GTA Group as we celebrate and welcome this highly anticipated moment in Vancouver. This joint venture with WestJet Cargo will without a doubt, strengthen our position to meet the needs of the rapidly growing Canadian cargo market," said Mario (Mauro) D'Urso, Chairman of The GTA Group of Companies." The capacity of these four dedicated freighters will bring customers new competitive options by providing more air freight capacity to cargo customers who depend on reliable and on-time performance. We are thrilled to see these freighters take flight as we strive to provide exceptional service to all of our customers and their business needs."

WestJet Cargo and the GTA Group celebration tour continues with second inauguration of dedicated freighter in Halifax

WestJet Cargo and the GTA Group yesterday celebrated the inauguration of the second of three 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighters in Halifax alongside integral partners and key stakeholders. The event was commemorated by a ribbon cutting, signifying the launch of WestJet Cargo and the GTA Group's dedicated freighter service in one of the carrier's six hubs, which will fulfil the large-scale needs of businesses, freight forwarders, shippers and individual customers across North America. WestJet Cargo and the GTA Group's Halifax celebration is the second of three inaugural events, taking place across Canada.

"We are thrilled to be celebrating this long-awaited milestone in Halifax, a core hub for WestJet Cargo that will connect our freighter service to Atlantic trade lines," said Kirsten de Bruijn, WestJet Executive Vice-President, Cargo. "Our Halifax hub unlocks unlimited potential to facilitate the distribution of a diverse variety of cargo products, including fresh seafood across Canada and enables WestJet Cargo to meet the large demand for freighter service across the east coast."

"Today is an exciting day for the GTA Group as we celebrate and welcome this highly anticipated moment in Halifax. This joint venture with WestJet Cargo will without a doubt, strengthen our position to meet the needs of the rapidly growing Canadian cargo market," said Mario (Mauro) D'Urso, Chairman of The GTA Group of Companies." The capacity of these four dedicated freighters will bring customers new competitive options by providing more air freight capacity to cargo customers who depend on reliable and on-time performance. We are thrilled to see these freighters take flight as we strive to provide exceptional service to all of our customers and their business needs."

WestJet Cargo and the GTA Group celebrate inauguration of dedicated freighter in Toronto

WestJet Cargo and the GTA Group yesterday celebrated the inauguration of the first of three 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighters in Toronto alongside integral business partners and key stakeholders. The event was commemorated by a ribbon cutting at WestJet's Toronto hangar, signifying the launch of WestJet Cargo and the GTA Group's dedicated freighter service that will fulfil the large-scale needs of businesses, freight forwarders, shippers and individual customers across North America. WestJet Cargo and the GTA Group's Toronto celebration is the first of three inaugural events, taking place across Canada, with events in Halifax and Vancouver, to follow, respectively.

"We are thrilled to be celebrating this long-awaited milestone in Toronto, a core hub for WestJet Cargo and home of the GTA Group," said Kirsten de Bruijn, WestJet Executive Vice-President, Cargo. "As Canada's largest global hub, Toronto is a vital destination for our dedicated freighter operation that will enable WestJet Cargo to plug into a vast network of cargo entering the country and allow us to seamlessly execute the distribution of this cargo to its final destination across Canada."

"Today is an exciting day for the GTA Group as we celebrate and welcome this highly anticipated moment in Toronto. This joint venture with WestJet Cargo will without a doubt, strengthen our position to meet the needs of the rapidly growing Canadian cargo market," said Mario (Mauro) D'Urso, Chairman of The GTA Group of Companies." The capacity of the four dedicated freighters will bring customers new competitive options by providing more air freight capacity to cargo customers who depend on reliable and on-time performance. We are thrilled to see these freighters take flight as we strive to provide exceptional service to all of our customers and their business needs."

WestJet Cargo and the GTA Group's dedicated freighters will now begin operating between its designated hubs in Halifax, Calgary, Los Angeles, Miami, Toronto and Vancouver. Integrating into the WestJet Group's existing network, WestJet Cargo and the GTA Group's dedicated freighters will work in tandem with the cargo-carrying bellies of WestJet's fleet, creating global connectivity and opening trade lanes between Canada and the Caribbean, Europe, Japan and the United States.

"Our incredibly talented team at WestJet Cargo is eager to disrupt Canada's underserved air cargo market, by bringing competitive cost advantages, increased choice, reliable on-time performance and exemplary customer service. Today's celebration signifies a green light to do just that, as we strive to meet the needs of Canada's expanding cargo market," continued de Bruijn.

Air Canada Cargo’s First Freighter Flight to Basel Touches Down

Air Canada Cargo’s First Freighter Flight to Basel Touches Down

Air Canada and Air Canada Cargo mark the start of freighter operations to Basel, Switzerland, connecting one of Europe's premier pharmaceutical hubs to the carrier’s extensive network through its Toronto global hub.

“We are excited to be returning to Basel, this time with our freighters, to serve a key market in Europe for pharmaceuticals. The capability of our freighters, combined with our temperature-controlled containers and cool chain facility at our Toronto global hub position us to serve this critical market with reliable, year-round service, and ensure these important shipments can move safely and in a timely manner throughout our global network,” said Matthieu Casey, Managing Director, Commercial at Air Canada Cargo.

Air Canada Cargo’s Basel service is the latest addition to its worldwide freighter network, following recently launched freighter services to Liege, Belgium; Dallas, Atlanta and Bogota.

Air Canada Cargo is an award-winning provider of air cargo services. It is Canada's largest air cargo provider as measured by cargo capacity, with a presence in over 50 countries and self-handled hubs in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Chicago, London, and Frankfurt. As the dedicated air freight division of Air Canada, Air Canada Cargo offers reliable air freight lift and connectivity across six continents using Air Canada’s domestic and international passenger and freighter flights, and trucking services.