All Insights articles – Page 4
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Insights
Putzger perspective: The times, they are a-changin’
The logistics landscape is changing with significant shifts in trade flows, while the structure of e-commerce business is evolving, but this doesn’t mean air cargo will be left out in the cold… As Bob Dylan sang a few decades ago, ‘the times, they are a-changin’. Take cargo flows into the ...
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InsightsTop 25 air cargo carriers: Cargo airlines tackle tough times
Cargo carriers faced multiple challenges to business growth in 2022, a year that presented a dramatically different operating landscape to 2021 (full chart at end of article).2022 proved to be a testing year for air cargo carriers following the boom years of the pandemic.The start of the Ukraine-Russia war had ...
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InsightsFreighter conversion market turned on its head
Within months the freighter conversion market flipped from overdrive to low gear. The return to expansion mode will be much slower. Just in case you are looking to convert a Boeing 737-800 into all-cargo configuration, finding a slot on a conversion line should not be a problem. Aeronautical Engineers Inc. ...
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Insights
Putzger perspective: End to end game
Amazon Air has scaled back its freighter fleet, but parent company Amazon has stepped up its interest in end-to-end logistics, along with others in the industry. A few airline folks will have noted with satisfaction or relief that Amazon’s relentless build-up of freighter fleets has hit the buffers. This year ...
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InsightsEthiopian adds Gatwick flights with UK freighters on the horizon
Ethiopian Airlines will add a third UK airport to its network next month and its cargo division is looking forward to the possibility of freighter flights to the country in the future.Speaking to Air Cargo News, Ethiopian Airlines area manager for the UK and Ireland Henock Woubishet said that on ...
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InsightsFowarder focus: LA's long-awaited air cargo development
Image: Michael Rosebrock/shutterstockAfter much industry anticipation, Los Angeles World Airports is set to construct and implement its new Cargo Modernization Program at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).This initiative is a welcome development, as forwarders know that LAX's current cargo facilities are outdated and no longer compatible with industry standards.The new ...
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InsightsWhere did things go wrong for Western Global Airlines?
In 2020 and 2021 Western Global was preparing for a bright future with plans to add new modern freighters on the back of high demand for all-cargo aircraft. By July this year the airline had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. So where did things go wrong for the carrier?In ...
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InsightsRFS firms stand their ground in tough air cargo market
Road feeder services (RFS) companies are optimistic about demand, despite a mixed picture for volumes and growing capacity.Wallenborn reports it hasn’t experienced a drop in RFS demand overall, and volumes are in line with the last three years, despite the general air cargo market’s post-pandemic shift in demand.Jason Breakwell, commercial ...
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Insights
Putzger perspective: 737 wobbles
No, this is not about the woes of Boeing’s 737 MAX aircraft. We’re looking at a plane that only yesterday was selling like hotcakes. At the beginning of August, there were nine converted B737-800 freighters looking for buyers, according to aircraft valuation specialists IBA. Aeronautical Engineers Inc., which was the ...
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InsightsCargo carriers drive the automotive supply chain
Demand for automotive shipments has returned stronger than before the pandemic, and in an industry where time is of the essence, airfreight still delivers.There are many links to the automotive supply chain, not least that of the big all-cargo carriers, many of which play an important role in the business.Luxembourg-based ...
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Insights
Reviving Manston Airport
Since its closure in 2014, Manston Airport has been the forgotten jewel of the UK airfreight industry. Formerly known as the Battle of Britain airfield and utilised as an RAF base until 1999, Manston catered for UK and international commercial flights, helping to meet local demand, and contributed to regional ...
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Insights
Putzger perspective: Not there yet
Are we there yet? One of the hallmarks of summer are cars headed to vacation destinations echoing with this refrain issued at frequent intervals by kids anxious to reach the end of the journey. Adults waiting for an outcome usually have a more judicious approach to the distance, but some ...
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Insights
Putzger Perspective: The rising cost of supply chains
The spectre of serious supply chain disruption has loomed large over the logistics industry. By mid-June beneficial cargo owners were looking anxiously for updates on labour contract discussions. UPS was negotiating with the Teamsters union, which had signalled its intention for a tough fight. On the North American west coast, ...
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Insights
Why green skills are vital for the survival of airfreight
As the logistics industry continues to progress towards achieving net-zero emissions, new skills will be needed to support the development of new technologies and the transition itself.By 2032, UK recruitment agency Morson Talent has estimated that there will be 175,000 new jobs created within the transport sector alone, with "green-skilled" ...
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InsightsNordic countries invest to battle through challenges
Nordic air cargo players are facing the same market challenges as the industry is worldwide, but are seeking to tackle them with strategic infrastructure, service and fleet investments.Elizabeth Axtelius is the director of aviation business at Swedavia, the Swedish state-owned company that owns and operates ten of the country’s airports. ...
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InsightsAll change for energy airfreight
Reduced heavylift capacity, costs and shifts in the oil market have forced the air charter market to think outside the box, but new opportunities are emerging in the energy airfreight sector.The reduction in heavylift airfreight capacity since the invasion of Ukraine is prompting manufacturers in the energy sector to consider ...
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Insights
Night flights vital to UK economy
On May 9, Logistics UK submitted its response to the UK Department for Transport's (DfT) consultation on night-time noise abatement objectives for the designated airports Gatwick, Heathrow and Stansted.Within its response, Logistics UK highlighted the importance of night flights to the UK's trade and economy and reiterated its view that ...
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Insights
Putzger perspective: Engine trouble
In May, the US Postal Service did something rather startling. It announced plans to lower rates on some packages. For years parcel rates have only gone in one direction – up, at a steep angle. Year after year, e-commerce shippers have had to swallow eye-watering rate hikes (in double digits, ...
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InsightsEmbedding sustainability in your business strategy
Have you done your ESG materiality assessment?Sustainability pressures, as seen in the latest TIACA Air Cargo Sustainability Report, produced by Change Horizon annually, are ever increasing with 78% of customers, 69% of employees, and 62% of local communities and business partners asking for change.The strategic necessity of sustainable business credentials ...
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Insights
Airfreight rates slide in April
Airfreight rates on major east-west trade lanes declined in April as indicators of a recovery in March showed signs of fading (see chart below).The latest statistics from Baltic Exchange Airfreight Index (BAI) show declines in prices between Asia and Europe, Asia and North America and across the Atlantic.The falls are ...