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Eric Kulisch

Eric is the Supply Chain and Air Cargo Editor at FreightWaves. An award-winning business journalist with extensive experience covering the logistics sector, Eric spent nearly two years as the Washington, D.C., correspondent for Automotive News, where he focused on regulatory and policy issues surrounding autonomous vehicles, mobility, fuel economy and safety. He has won two regional Gold Medals and a Silver Medal from the American Society of Business Publication Editors for government and trade coverage, and news analysis. He was voted best for feature writing and commentary in the Trade/Newsletter category by the D.C. Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. In December 2022, he was voted runner up for Air Cargo Journalist by the Seahorse Freight Association. As associate editor at American Shipper Magazine for more than a decade, he wrote about trade, freight transportation and supply chains. Eric is based in Portland, Oregon. He can be reached for comments and tips at [email protected]
Jun - 2023 -
09 June
Eric Kulisch

Netherlands airports join forces to synchronize cargo flow

Busy Amsterdam airport in the Netherlands is taking a large stake in Maastricht airport, which could become a feeder port as Amsterdam deals with overcrowding.

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08 June
Eric Kulisch

Alaska Airlines trades water ballast for e-waste on Nome cargo flights

Instead of carrying dead weight to help balance its empty freighters, Alaska Air Cargo is taking waste that will go to a recycling center.

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07 June
Eric Kulisch

Lufthansa handles some cargo for ITA Airways ahead of pending deal

Lufthansa Cargo’s planned investment in Italy’s ITA Airways will allow the airlines to harmonize cargo operations.

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06 June
Eric Kulisch

Cargo revenues to fall $65B in 2023, airline group says

IATA forecast suggests weak airfreight demand will continue without peak-season rebound

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01 June
Eric Kulisch

Fewer FedEx flights raises red flag for 4th-quarter earnings

FedEx flight reductions reflect a significant drop in parcel traffic, throwing a wrench into management’s earnings expectations in the just-completed fourth quarter.

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Eric Kulisch

British Airways brings belly cargo to Cincinnati/N. Kentucky airport

Shippers will be able to place lots of freight on widebody jets British Airways will start flying to Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport from London.

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May - 2023 -
31 May
Eric Kulisch

FedEx agrees to tentative deal with pilots

FedEx has prevented a potential strike by its pilots by agreeing to a contract that still must be approved by members of the pilots union.

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Eric Kulisch

US, EU object to cargo concentration in Korean Air, Asiana merger

U.S. and EU antitrust authorities are worried about reduced cargo competition from a merger between South Korea’s top airlines.

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30 May
Eric Kulisch

FedEx expands package capacity at Adelaide Airport

FedEx Express is quadrupling throughput at one of its airport gateways in Australia.

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Eric Kulisch

Birmingham airport breaks ground on Kuehne+Nagel cargo facility

Birmingham-Shuttlesworth airport is building a 53,000-square-foot airside transfer center for freight company Kuehne+Nagel.

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24 May
Eric Kulisch

Freightos’ cash burn continues despite more user activity

Freightos, an online reservation portal for freight shippers, is adding users, but heavy development costs and a weak shipping market make it difficult for the startup to reduce losses.

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23 May
Eric Kulisch

Seko Logistics warns of puny peak season for shipping

More signs are surfacing that the second half of the year won’t be a panacea to the international freight recession. Seko Logistics says there won’t be a surge in orders that fuels transportation spending.

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22 May
Eric Kulisch

CMA CGM Air Cargo discontinues US service

The airline subsidiary of ocean carrier CMA CGM has backed out of the U.S. market for the second time in six months.

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Eric Kulisch

FedEx Logistics rolls out instant visibility feature for airfreight clients

The outsourced logistics arm of FedEx is opening up the way it shares data on electronic bookings for air cargo with a major customer.

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19 May
Eric Kulisch

WestJet averts pilots strike, agrees to new contract

There’s plenty of cargo news in Canada with WestJet avoiding a pilots strike and Air Canada expanding its freighter network to Costa Rica.

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18 May
Eric Kulisch

Flexport names Uber Freight chief to lead digital truck unit

Flexport has taken another step toward simplifying international freight transportation from manufacturing to e-commerce storefront.

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Eric Kulisch

Startup CMA CGM Air Cargo expands network to India

CMA CGM Air Cargo is trying to find its footing as a new airline. It has begun flying to India instead of the U.S.

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Eric Kulisch

WestJet initiates controlled shutdown as pilot strike looms

Cargo shipments will cease on Friday as WestJet pilots walk off the job. The airline is trying to avoid a chaotic situation by taking down aircraft ahead of the deadline.

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17 May
Eric Kulisch

DHL Air Austria seeks US access for incoming 767 freighters

DHL Air Austria will operate a mixed fleet of Boeing freighters in the fall and is seeking permission to fly new 767s to the U.S. so it has that option in the future.

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Eric Kulisch

FedEx pilots empower union leaders to call a strike

FedEx pilots say they are willing to go on strike, if necessary.

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Eric Kulisch

Sichuan Airlines accepts 1st A330 converted in China for cargo

Airbus has reached another milestone with its young A330 passenger-to-freighter program.

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16 May
Eric Kulisch

WestJet pilot lockout would halt new all-cargo operation 

WestJet Cargo finally got airborne last month after nearly a year of unexpected delays and now faces a shutdown by week’s end because of a labor dispute.

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Eric Kulisch

Amerijet, pilots reach tentative labor agreement

Amerijet, a mid-tier cargo airline with growth ambitions, has struck a tentative deal with pilots for a new contract.

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15 May
Eric Kulisch

DSV unveils details for new Phoenix-Mesa air cargo operation

If you’ve never heard of Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, you’re not alone. But for DSV, a large logistics company, it could prove a diamond in the rough for air cargo purposes.

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Eric Kulisch

Optimism fades for airfreight recovery on slow-healing inventories

Recovery from the recession in airfreight transportation looks like it will be drawn out over the next year — and very slight when it does happen.

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12 May
Eric Kulisch

Nippon Express buys European logistics firm Cargo-Partner

Nippon Express has signed a deal with Austria’s Cargo-Partner that expands its geographic reach and logistics service capabilities.

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Eric Kulisch

Air Canada’s cargo sales sink 40% in first quarter

All airlines are experiencing lower cargo revenue, but Air Canada lagged most competitors during the first quarter for reasons both unique to the airline and common for the industry.

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09 May
Eric Kulisch

Japan Airlines returns to freighter business

Japan Airlines is joining a group of passenger airlines that are starting all-cargo operations.

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Eric Kulisch

Mediterranean Shipping Co. designates air cargo agent

MSC Air Cargo, the airfreight arm of Mediterranean Shipping Co., has named ECS Group to handle functions in two major markets.

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08 May
Eric Kulisch

Emirates taps Kalitta Air to fly rented 747 freighters

Emirates SkyCargo is going back to the future by deploying Boeing 747-400 freighters for the first time in more than five years.

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Eric Kulisch

Wall Street sours on ATSG freighter spend during cargo slowdown

Amazon air cargo partner ATSG has its eye on long-term growth, but investors with a shorter horizon are wary of big expenditures for cargo jets as shipping demand wanes.

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04 May
Eric Kulisch

Airbus adjusts entry of 1st A350 freighter to 2026

Airbus has delayed the entry into service of the firstA350 freighter until 2026.

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Eric Kulisch

Atlas Air promotes Michael Steen to CEO

Two top executives at Altas Air are retiring in their 50s. The cargo airline named Michael Steen as its CEO.

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Eric Kulisch

Shopify sells fulfillment business to Flexport, slashes 20% of staff

Privately held logistics provider Flexport is acquiring the logistics assets of Shopify to provide complete order management and final-mile delivery services for customers.

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03 May
Eric Kulisch

Cargo ‘combi’ carriers Korean Air, Lufthansa post lower Q1 revenues

Korean Air and Lufthansa Cargo saw cargo revenues shrink substantially during the first quarter amid weak economic conditions.

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Eric Kulisch

Cargojet postpones more 777 freighters, tightens belt as shipments slow

Canadian air cargo company Cargojet is searching under every rock for savings to maintain profit levels as shipping demand deteriorates.

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02 May
Eric Kulisch

From windfall to sustainable profit for Kuehne+Nagel, DSV

Two of the world’s largest third-party logistics providers consider the glass half-full despite a substantial drop in profits.

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01 May
Eric Kulisch

Etihad Airways, SF Airlines mutually assist cargo network expansions

Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi and SF Airlines in China are helping each other expand globally by providing ground services for the other at their main freighter hubs.

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Apr - 2023 -
28 April
Eric Kulisch

Sun Country’s Amazon cargo moves stay steady as rivals fly less

Sun Country is bucking the trend of express carriers flying fewer hours because of slow shipping volumes. Its Amazon fleet is busy as ever.

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Eric Kulisch

UPS downshifts flight activity as volumes deteriorate

UPS is adjusting its air network to minimize wasteful flying while shipping volumes are weak.

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27 April
Eric Kulisch

American Airlines’ cargo revenue shrinks 38% in 1st quarter

American Airlines joined its peers in posting lower cargo revenue for the first quarter from a year ago.

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Eric Kulisch

Gol to increase e-commerce cargo fleet in May

Gol Airlines in Brazil will have five all-cargo aircraft in its fleet by next month operating in a dedicated service for a large online retailer.

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26 April
Eric Kulisch

Hawaiian Airlines to begin Amazon cargo flights in 4th quarter

Hawaiian Airlines faces more turbulent market conditions coming out of the pandemic than nearly any airline. On the bright side is a new charter contract with Amazon that will diversify the business.

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Eric Kulisch

Cargolux reports record $1.6B profit in 2022

Cargolux set financial records in 2022 but expects its air cargo business to decrease this year because of difficult operating conditions.

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25 April
Eric Kulisch

Gary/Chicago airport builds cargo apron with eye toward new tenants

Gary Chicago airport is building a massive apron for freighter aircraft that UPS will only partially occupy. Build it and others will come is how officials think about it.

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Eric Kulisch

Amerijet fleet reaches 25 freighters

Amerijet and Air Transport Service Group have hit milestones: Amerijet for growing its fleet to 25 aircraft and ATSG for leasing its first used freighter that was reconfigured for cargo by Boeing.

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24 April
Eric Kulisch

FedEx to close pilot bases in Alaska, California and Germany

FedEx is shrinking its network of pilot bases in an effort to cut costs. The move follows a recent decision to transfer a major maintenance facility at LAX airport to Indianapolis.

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21 April
Eric Kulisch

Mystery surrounds $15M valuables theft at Toronto airport

A shipment of gold and other values was pilfered at the Toronto airport in Canada this week and police have few leads so far.

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Eric Kulisch

For WestJet Cargo, it’s finally go time

WestJet can’t catch a break when it comes to starting its new cargo airline. Service began Thursday but could shut down in less than a month if pilots go on strike.

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20 April
Eric Kulisch

DHL Express to buy 9 Boeing 777 jets converted for cargo

DHL Express is ordering nine passenger-to-freighter conversion aircraft to modernize its large fleet.

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Eric Kulisch

Air cargo operators still feel ‘hangover from the 2021 party’

Air cargo professionals hope demand has hit bottom and will start to improve soon, but there could be further downside if some barometers are true.

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18 April
Eric Kulisch

United Airlines’ cargo sales slump 37% in Q1

United Airlines posted a quarterly loss and said cargo sales fell more than a third from a year ago, but was optimistic about strong travel demand the remainder of the year.

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17 April
Eric Kulisch

Israeli firm to convert Boeing 777s for cargo in South Korea

Israel Aerospace Industries has added a second overseas facility to carry out passenger-to-freighter conversions of the Boeing 777-300.

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15 April
Eric Kulisch

FedEx pilots to vote on strike authority, but no action imminent

The FedEx pilots’ union is asking members to vote on a strike authorization for possible later use.

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14 April
Eric Kulisch

Merlin to deliver Alaska cargo with self-flying aircraft

Artificial intelligence, not magic, allows Merlin to operate small aircraft without a human pilot.

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13 April
Eric Kulisch

Delta Air Lines’ cargo revenue retreats in soft freight market

Delta Air Lines made less money from cargo during the first quarter than a year ago — or any quarter in between. Similar results are expected when other airlines report results.

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Eric Kulisch

Former Polar Air Cargo executives charged in $52M fraud scheme

Four former executives at Polar Air Cargo were indicted on charges of defrauding the company through an elaborate kickback scheme.

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12 April
Eric Kulisch

Air cargo portals automate cross-border booking amid neutrality concerns

Companies that resemble an Expedia for airfreight are making their portals more accessible to logistics customers outside their home countries. Agents are watching for potential conflicts of interest.

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11 April
Eric Kulisch

Irish cargo airline ASL takes step toward heavy drone delivery

ASL Aviation has several airlines that support express delivery companies and e-commerce retailers. It plans to serve them with drone delivery too.

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07 April
Eric Kulisch

Nontraditional airlines in Brazil, Indonesia pursue 737-800 freighters

Several airlines are in the process of obtaining 737-800 cargo-modified aircraft. The magic number is two.

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06 April
Eric Kulisch

FedEx says air network restructuring to save $700M annually

FedEx said it aims to slash $700 million per year in costs through a massive overhaul of its air network, part of a larger corporate profitability initiative.

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05 April
Eric Kulisch

FedEx airfreight partner ASL Aviation acquires Australia’s Pionair

Ireland-based cargo group ASL Aviation is expanding to Australia with the acquisition of a FedEx contract carrier.

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Eric Kulisch

Lufthansa Cargo adds cities to new intra-European freighter network

Lufthansa Cargo is building up a fleet of regional cargo jets to support express carriers in Europe and North Africa.

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04 April
Eric Kulisch

Maersk Air Cargo launches 1st US-China routes

Maersk is rapidly expanding from a pure ocean carrier to a cargo airline. The latest move is the establishment of new routes between the U.S. and China.

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Eric Kulisch

Big freighter era begins at Birmingham airport in Alabama

Birmingham airport in Alabama welcomed the first regularly scheduled 747 freighter organized by logistics provider Kuehne+Nagel.

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03 April
Eric Kulisch

Air France-KLM and CMA CGM activate cargo partnership

Air France-KLM and French all-cargo carrier CMA CGM Air Cargo are combining forces to attract customers and better utilize their assets.

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Mar - 2023 -
31 March
Eric Kulisch

Amerijet offshores accounting functions to Trinidad and Tobago

Freighter operator Amerijet is moving back-office functions from Miami to Trinidad and Tobago.

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Eric Kulisch

Lufthansa promotes commercial chief to lead cargo division

Lufthansa promoted its top marketing executive to head the cargo subsidiary one week after moving the CEO to another group airline.

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27 March
Eric Kulisch

Delta Cargo cranks up refrigeration at JFK airport

Delta Air Lines is putting more resources into temperature-controlled cargo services because they pay off.

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Eric Kulisch

Milwaukee airport to build cargo hub with private financing

Milwaukee airport wants to redevelop a former Air Force reserve base into an air cargo hub. Officials believe they can capture some shipments from Chicago O’Hare airport.

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24 March
Eric Kulisch

FedEx to transfer LAX airport maintenance to Indianapolis

FedEx will exit a maintenance facility at LAX and send the work to its Indianapolis hub to increase efficiency.

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23 March
Eric Kulisch

Lufthansa moves cargo chief von Boxberg to run Brussels Airlines

After two years at the helm of Lufthansa Cargo, Dorothea von Boxberg has been tapped to head Brussels Airlines.

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Eric Kulisch

ATI pilots seek federal mediation on stalled contract

Contract talks for pilots at Amazon contractor Air Transport International have moved to the mediation stage at the federal level.

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21 March
Eric Kulisch

Bad luck hampers start of WestJet freighter operations

WestJet can’t seem to catch a break getting its new cargo airline off the ground. It had to postpone the fleet launch another month, and the conversion facility is taking longer than expected to complete the final aircraft.

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Eric Kulisch

DSV snaps up Arizona trucking, logistics companies

DSV is rapidly building up its logistics infrastructure in Arizona, an emerging market for semiconductors and electric vehicles.

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20 March
Eric Kulisch

Cathay Pacific Cargo unleashed 

Cathay Pacific has been tied down by COVID health restrictions much longer than most airlines. The cargo network is getting a big boost as long-haul passenger aircraft rejoin the fleet.

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Eric Kulisch

Maersk Air Cargo unveils Denmark-to-China freighter service

Shipping line Maersk has unveiled the latest expansion of its cargo airline with a new Eurasia route.

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16 March
Eric Kulisch

FedEx readjusts air network again amid sharp volume declines

FedEx Express is aggressively scaling back air operations to save money as shipping demand crumbles.

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Eric Kulisch

Air cargo market may not improve even if economy does

A multitude of mixed economic signals make it difficult to predict a recovery in air cargo business this year. Even if global trade picks up, the lion’s share of shipments will go by ocean.

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15 March
Eric Kulisch

Boeing adds 737-800 freighter conversion line in India

Boeing is meeting customer demand by adding a facility to carry out passenger-to-cargo conversions in India. Some wonder whether the market will soon be oversaturated.

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14 March
Eric Kulisch

DOT approves private equity buy of Atlas Air, company says

Atlas Air has apparently cleared the final hurdle for its sale to Wall Street hedge funds.

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Eric Kulisch

Cash burn saddles digital portal Freightos as shipping market sinks

Freight reservation aggregator Freightos issued its first earnings report as a public company. Reducing losses continues to be a challenge in a difficult economy.

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Eric Kulisch

Cargo influences British Airways to use big jets on European hops

IAG’s cargo division has convinced management to use larger passenger jets on some short-hop routes to capture more cargo business.

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10 March
Eric Kulisch

Latam Cargo launches flower flights to Los Angeles

Latam Airlines’ cargo division is diversifying routes for flower exporters with a new destination in Los Angeles.

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Eric Kulisch

Freighters flying fewer hours underscores market weakness in air cargo

Flight hours are a proxy for air cargo demand and the amount of time all-cargo aircraft are flying is falling.

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09 March
Eric Kulisch

FedEx, UPS unfazed by Boeing freighter delays over supplier snafu

Boeing has paused delivery of the 767 freighter until it corrects a fuel tank issue.

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08 March
Eric Kulisch

NYK Line bucks trend, exits cargo airline business

Shipping line NYK says operating Nippon Cargo Airlines is too expensive and plans to sell it to another Japanese carrier.

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07 March
Eric Kulisch

Amazon Air’s new reliance on hub airports increases efficiency

Amazon Air is growing and refining its air cargo network, but at a more gradual pace because of the slowdown in online shopping.

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06 March
Eric Kulisch

Cargojet to sell 777 aircraft, defer cargo conversions as demand slips

Cargojet is scrambling to balance its cost structure as the air cargo market softens by hitting the brakes on the acquisition of 777 freighters.

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Eric Kulisch

Maersk Air Cargo temporarily idles new freighters

After rushing to add capacity, Maersk’s in-house cargo airline is hitting the pause button on new routes because of sharply lower shipping demand.

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Eric Kulisch

Lufthansa Cargo bullish on 2023 despite Ukraine war, economic slowdown

Without Lufthansa Cargo’s strong results last year, the Lufthansa Group of airlines would have lost money.

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03 March
Eric Kulisch

Mercedes-Benz to benefit from new cargo service at Birmingham airport

Global logistics provider Kuehne+Nagel wants to avoid bottlenecks at big cargo airports by sending freighters to Birmingham, Alabama.

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02 March
Eric Kulisch

Kuehne+Nagel logistics profit plunges but still 2nd-best quarter ever

Kuehne + Nagel had a highly profitable year in 2022 despite macroeconomic headwinds, but results fell considerably in the fourth quarter along with transport demand.

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01 March
Eric Kulisch

Sichuan Airlines to convert Airbus A321 aircraft for cargo

Sichuan Airlines is taking the unusual step of carrying out cargo conversions of Airbus A321 aircraft on its own.

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Feb - 2023 -
28 February
Eric Kulisch

Cargo airline Amerijet pulls plug on freight forwarding unit

Freighter operator Amerijet is rationalizing its business by terminating a south Florida air and ocean logistics business it owns.

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27 February
Eric Kulisch

Kuwait government orders Agility to vacate logistics parks

Agility is losing lucrative contracts to manage logistics parks in Kuwait after the government decided not to renew its agreement with the company.

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24 February
Eric Kulisch

Amazon contractor ATSG expects cargo jet usage to dip 5% in 2023

Air Transport Services Group says its leasing business is insulating it from a market downturn that is impacting its cargo airlines.

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Eric Kulisch

Qantas to add more A321 cargo jets for e-commerce

Qantas wants to capitalize on Australia’s e-commerce boom by increasing the number of freighters used to quickly haul packages around the country.

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23 February
Eric Kulisch

Atlas Air Q4 profits fall ahead of delisting

Atlas Air took a profit cut in the fourth quarter, but comparisons with 2021 weren’t good because it was a record year financially.

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Eric Kulisch

Chinese cargo airline SF invests in airframe repair station

Express carrier SF Airlines is gaining in-house capability to upgrade airframes through a joint venture in China with ST Engineering.

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