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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. He won Environmental Journalist of the Year from the Seahorse Freight Association in 2014 and was the group's 2013 Supply Chain Journalist of the Year. 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]
Mar - 2024 -
18 March
Eric Kulisch

Silk Way West orders extra 777 freighter from Boeing

Silk Way West Airlines is buying another 777 freighter from Boeing.

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15 March
Eric Kulisch

FedEx pilots take harder line as contract dispute drags on

The FedEx pilots union is telling members that the company’s slow response to its demands is triggering tougher tactics. FedEx says there is so much turmoil in the union that it doesn’t know what demands to take seriously.

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13 March
Eric Kulisch

Power struggle within FedEx pilots union upsets contract talks

Bad blood between factions in the FedEx pilots’ union is making it difficult to present a unified position in collective bargaining with the company. Some hard-liners are turning against leadership and pushing for a strike to get better terms.

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12 March
Eric Kulisch

Photo Gallery: The BelugaST delivers satellite for rocket launch

You’re familiar with the term “when pigs fly.” But what about a whale? Airbus flies a fleet of cargo jets that have an uncanny resemblance to a beluga whale.

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11 March
Eric Kulisch

Amerijet Chief Commercial Officer Eric Wilson abruptly departs

Ongoing efforts to stabilize finances at Amerijet appear to have cost Chief Commercial Officer Eric Wilson his job.

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Eric Kulisch

Airbus’ distinctive new airline ready to haul whale-size loads

Airbus for years has operated whale-shaped cargo jets to support its manufacturing operation in Europe. Now it has dedicated a portion of its fleet to haul extra-large shipments for external customers.

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08 March
Eric Kulisch

FedEx pilots seek release from federally mediated contract talks

Pilots at FedEx say talks on a new contract are at a stalemate and have asked the National Mediation Board to send the dispute to arbitration.

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07 March
Eric Kulisch

Lufthansa Cargo profit tumbled 86% last year

Lufthansa Cargo saw a big drop in profitability last year because of difficult market conditions.

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06 March
Eric Kulisch

Qatar Airways says goodbye to Boeing 747 freighter

A Qatar Airways 747 freighter touched down for the last time on Friday. The plane has been sold to UPS.

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Eric Kulisch

TSA rule change provides regulatory relief to air logistics providers

Air forwarders are getting a break from the Transportation Security Administration that will save them time and money on administrative work needed to stay in a required security program.

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Eric Kulisch

Amerijet lost $33M in 12 months, downsizes Atlanta operation

Cargo airline Amerijet has already downsized its fleet and workforce, and changed leadership, to stem the flow of red ink. The latest move is outsourcing a warehouse operation in the Southeast.

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04 March
Eric Kulisch

UPS adds twin-bay maintenance hangar at Worldport hub

The UPS maintenance division is moving into a new hangar, capable of supporting 747 jumbo jets, at its global air hub in Louisville, Kentucky.

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01 March
Eric Kulisch

Kuehne+Nagel operating profit cut 50% in 2023

Kuehne+Nagel is the largest logistics company in the world, but it wasn’t immune to downward market forces in 2023.

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Feb - 2024 -
29 February
Eric Kulisch

Amazon’s return of leased cargo jets hurts ATSG profit

Air Transport Services Group is taking a more conservative approach to fleet expansion until the air cargo market picks up and customers start leasing additional freighters.

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28 February
Eric Kulisch

Freightos loses $19M, eyes profit breakthrough in late 2026

Electronic freight booking and data company Freightos says a virtuous cycle of growth will enable it to become profitable within a few years.

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27 February
Eric Kulisch

Cargojet sees strong volumes after 2023 fleet reversal

Canadian operator Cargojet sharply scaled back fleet investments last year to stabilize the bottom line but reports the Q4 upturn in air cargo business carried over to the new year.

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26 February
Eric Kulisch

Where live entertainment meets customs compliance

Rock-it Global is the first company in the U.S. to generate a digital passport for goods, which simplifies customs entry for products that aren’t intended to be sold in the destination country.

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23 February
Eric Kulisch

How FedEx could win by losing its Postal Service business

The U.S. Postal Service contract is an albatross around FedEx’s neck. The company needs to fly less during the daytime and consolidate more express and ground parcel shipments, Barclays says.

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21 February
Eric Kulisch

Taiwanese startup Starlux Airlines orders 5 A350 freighters from Airbus

Newbie airline Starlux in Taiwan has signed with Airbus for five large A350 freighters, an aircraft that is still under development.

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20 February
Eric Kulisch

Kenya Airways more than doubles capacity with 737-800 freighters

With the addition of two secondhand Boeing 737-800 freighters, Kenya Airways Cargo is more than doubling capacity and extending its reach to the Middle East and India.

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Eric Kulisch

Trade group wary of unfunded mandate to curtail fentanyl smuggling

The Airforwarders Association has begun to collaborate more with international counterparts and moved the date of its annual event away from Super Bowl Sunday.

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16 February
Eric Kulisch

Air Canada says freight demand beginning to improve

The downward slope in cargo revenue at Air Canada began to level out during the fourth quarter, and management is optimistic 2024 will be better for airfreight than last year.

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15 February
Eric Kulisch

UPS to deploy 747-8 freighters from Qatar Airways by early 2025

UPS is rationalizing its air network as demand falls, but it is still adding aircraft when it makes sense.

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14 February
Eric Kulisch

Alaska Airlines to expand freighter service to Los Angeles

Alaska Air Cargo will debut its second Boeing 737-800 freighters next month, opening the door for the first all-cargo service between Alaska and Los Angeles.

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13 February
Eric Kulisch

Cargo unit sale seals EU approval for Korean Air buy of Asiana

The European Union blessed a Korean Air takeover of Asiana Airlines under the condition that Asiana sells off its cargo airline.

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12 February
Eric Kulisch

Air cargo growth to start 2024 less than meets the eye

The air cargo market has certainly turned around from the depths of last summer, but the extraordinary increase in January volumes should be taken with a grain of salt. Conditions are improving, but short-term factors inflated the January numbers.

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09 February
Eric Kulisch

Atlas Air engine that caught fire in Miami had loose plug, NTSB says

An Atlas Air freighter had an engine inspection four days before an engine fire forced an emergency landing, the NTSB said on Friday.

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08 February
Eric Kulisch

Spare part delays keep Lufthansa Cargo A321 freighters grounded

Two of Lufthansa Cargo’s smaller freighters are out of service because of maintenance and supply chain challenges.

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06 February
Eric Kulisch

Global Crossing Airlines changes CEO, cargo direction

As a new carrier facing growing pains, Global Crossing Airlines (GlobalX) is doubling down on its passenger business and slowing expansion in cargo.

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Eric Kulisch

Pilots flying Amazon cargo say employer stalling contract talks

Pilots at Air Transport International say the parent company wants to prolong contract talks for another two years so it can synchronize a labor deal with a new Amazon transportation services agreement. Meanwhile, the company is having a difficult time retaining experienced pilots.

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01 February
Eric Kulisch

FedEx fleet restructure poses threat to freighter operators

FedEx has more cargo jets than it needs for its express package network. Some of those planes will now be used to try and capture a larger share of the general cargo market. In doing so, FedEx will go head to head with all-cargo carriers like Atlas Air, Cathay Pacific and Nippon Cargo Airlines.

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Jan - 2024 -
25 January
Eric Kulisch

Former Polar Air Cargo exec pleads guilty to wire fraud

Six people have pleaded guilty so far in a federal fraud case involving former executives at Polar Air Cargo, customers and service providers.

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Eric Kulisch

American Airlines misses out on cargo’s fourth-quarter bounce

American Airlines’ cargo results in the fourth quarter were lackluster considering the industry experienced a mini-renaissance after hitting bottom in the summer of 2023.

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Eric Kulisch

Sea-air routes gain as bypass option for Red Sea shipping delays

The air cargo industry finished 2023 on a high note and is getting an extra boost from the Red Sea shock as shippers divert ocean freight to keep their supply chains fluid.

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23 January
Eric Kulisch

China Cargo Airlines postpones start of first Miami service

China Cargo Airlines has delayed the start of its inaugural freighter service to Miami for undisclosed reasons.

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22 January
Eric Kulisch

United Airlines’ cargo decline eased in fourth quarter

United Airlines said Monday that fourth-quarter cargo results were half as bad as for the full year.

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19 January
Eric Kulisch

Jetran buys Cargojet rights for 777 freighter conversions

Cargojet has exited its commitment for 777 aircraft with cargo conversion packages by selling the rights to aircraft trader Jetran, which is bullish on the aircraft’s prospects.

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17 January
Eric Kulisch

European cargo airline Cargolux launches aerial firefighting unit

Cargolux is investing in aircraft to fight wildfires, a completely new line of business for the freighter operator.

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16 January
Eric Kulisch

CMA CGM, Air France-KLM scrap cargo alliance over US market access

Air France-KLM and ocean shipping power CMA CGM, citing regulatory challenges in various nations, have agreed to discontinue their air cargo capacity-sharing agreement one year into a 10-year partnership, the […]

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Eric Kulisch

Cargojet reverses course on 777 freighter ambitions

Cargojet says there isn’t enough airfreight business to justify its planned investment in 777 converted freighters. It wants to get out of its commitments, most likely by selling the aircraft to another company.

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12 January
Eric Kulisch

Slide in Delta Air Lines’ cargo revenue decelerates in fourth quarter

Delta Air Lines’ cargo business saw some improvement during the fourth quarter, but the overall enterprise performed very well, according to results released on Friday.

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10 January
Eric Kulisch

Cargo airline Amerijet in distress sale, terminates 6 aircraft leases

New owners have taken control of troubled Amerijet, which is scuttling several aircraft leases and laying off more workers to preserve cash.

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08 January
Eric Kulisch

FedEx braces for 50% cut in Postal Service air contract

FedEx Express faces more headwinds in its effort to improve profitability as the U.S. Postal Service prepares to drop air routes from contracted service.

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04 January
Eric Kulisch

FedEx pilots face pay cuts, buyouts as contract talks resume

FedEx Express wants to compensate for a surplus of pilots by lowering guaranteed pay and offering severance packages once a new labor contract is reached. Meanwhile, mechanics are agitating to unionize.

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Dec - 2023 -
28 December
Eric Kulisch

Air cargo industry faced stress test in 2023

2023 was a tumultuous year for airfreight. The downturn in business put pressure on the industry, but the year ended with some optimism.

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22 December
Eric Kulisch

Japan Airlines dedicates first 767 freighters to DHL Express

Japan Airlines is restarting its freighter division after 13 years and will fly three 767s exclusively for DHL.

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Eric Kulisch

Cargo owners consider airfreight alternative to Red Sea shipping delays

Importers and exporters are looking to air cargo as a way to bypass the dangerous Red Sea and minimize supply chain disruptions.

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20 December
Eric Kulisch

Transport Canada contributes $14M to Winnipeg airport cargo expansion

The Winnipeg Airport Authority is ready to begin the next phase of its cargo expansion and modernization project with an investment from the Canadian government.

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19 December
Eric Kulisch

DHL Express workers at Cincinnati airport reach deal, end strike

DHL ground support workers at the company’s Cincinnati airport hub ended their strike after an agreement on a new contract.

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Eric Kulisch

New Calgary airport property owner shifts focus to air cargo 

A new owner sees air cargo potential for underutilized property at Calgary airport in Alberta, Canada.

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18 December
Eric Kulisch

Air China Cargo welcomes first Airbus A330 converted freighter

Air China Cargo is adding Airbus freighters to its fleet after previously operating Boeing jets.

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15 December
Eric Kulisch

DHL Express workers extend picket lines across US

Striking airport workers at the DHL Express hub outside Cincinnati have picked up support from union members around the country, slowing customer shipments.

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Eric Kulisch

Swiftair to add 1st A321s to freighter fleet

Spain-based Swiftair plans to lease a couple Airbus A321 modified cargo jets next year.

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Eric Kulisch

Air cargo market: From ‘doom mongering’ to stability

After two consecutive years of negative growth, air cargo is shaping up for a rebound in 2024, according to the International Air Transport Association and industry experts.

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12 December
Eric Kulisch

Western Global Airlines exits bankruptcy with better balance sheet

Western Global Airlines is starting with a clean slate after completing Chapter 11 bankruptcy, but still faces difficult market conditions.

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08 December
Eric Kulisch

Cathay Pacific places order for 6 Airbus A350 freighters

Airbus beat out Boeing for Cathay Pacific’s order of new heavy freighters.

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07 December
Eric Kulisch

DHL Express workers begin strike at Cincinnati air hub 

DHL Express workers went on strike Thursday at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport.

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06 December
Eric Kulisch

Reliable Robotics achieves milestone for uncrewed cargo flight

Reliable Robotics successfully tested its autopilot system with no one on board the Cessna cargo plane.

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Eric Kulisch

DHL Express diverts freighters from Cincinnati hub as strike precaution

DHL Express says it has procedures to ensure there are no service disruptions if unionized ramp workers at its Cincinnati air hub go on strike.

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04 December
Eric Kulisch

DHL Express rotates Americas CEO to Europe

DHL Express announced high-level personnel changes in its global organization.

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Eric Kulisch

UPS to quadruple size of Hong Kong airport express facility

UPS will invest an undisclosed amount of money to build an ultra-modern air package hub at Hong Kong International Airport.

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Eric Kulisch

Maersk Air Cargo explores China-UK route

Maersk, the giant ocean shipping carrier, is testing a U.K. airport as a possible import base for its cargo airline.

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Eric Kulisch

Amerijet feels financial pinch as cargo business deteriorates

Cargo airline Amerijet is operating fewer aircraft to conserve money as shipping demand from major customers shrinks.

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03 December
Eric Kulisch

Alaska Airlines to fly Amazon packages after completing Hawaiian buy

Alaska Airlines will inherit a cargo business for Amazon as part of its acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines.

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Nov - 2023 -
28 November
Eric Kulisch

Atlas Air to buy 2 new Boeing 777 freighters

Atlas Air Worldwide on Tuesday announced the order of two 777 freighters from Boeing in response to strong demand for international e-commerce shipping, one of the few areas of strength […]

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27 November
Eric Kulisch

White House gives Flexport shoutout for sustainable aviation fuel

The White House recently publicized Flexport for facilitating purchases of sustainable aviation fuel because of the California connection to Asia-Pacific trade and sustainability, although the program isn’t particularly novel.

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22 November
Eric Kulisch

Israel-Hamas war impacts Freightos operations as losses persist

Israeli cargo reservation platform Freightos is struggling to make money in a bad freight market and now faces the extra challenge of operating in the middle of a war zone.

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21 November
Eric Kulisch

Air cargo’s anemic peak season nothing to celebrate

Air cargo demand has picked up after a long slide, but the busy season leading up to the holidays has been disappointing by historical standards.

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16 November
Eric Kulisch

GlobalX Airlines defies cargo trend with fleet strategy

Global Crossing Airlines, a 2-year-old hybrid carrier that provides supplemental airlift to customers that rent the entire plane, is taking a long-term view toward cargo expansion at a time when freight demand is very soft.

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15 November
Eric Kulisch

DHL Express upsizes Hong Kong air hub

DHL Express has doubled the size of its Asia air hub in Hong Kong.

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Eric Kulisch

Korean Air says Amerijet-Maersk cargo partnership violates trade agreement

U.S. cargo airline Amerijet accuses Korean Air of protectionism. Korean Air says Amerijet is trying to cover up the true nature of its relationship with Maersk Air Cargo because it violates air transport rules.

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14 November
Eric Kulisch

ATI cargo pilots give union power to call a strike

Cargo pilots at Air Transport International are frustrated by the pace of negotiations for a labor deal and ready to go on strike.

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13 November
Eric Kulisch

Cargojet founder Virmani passes torch to co-CEOs

Freighter airline Cargojet announced that founder and CEO Ajay Virmani is leaving that role to be executive chairman, with two top lieutenants stepping in as co-CEOs.

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10 November
Eric Kulisch

Cargojet to sell off new B757 freighters, pause 767 conversions

Cargojet wants to dump eight aircraft that were part of of its growth strategy and postpone converting two more aircraft into cargo jets as the weak cargo market shrinks profit margins.

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09 November
Eric Kulisch

Cargo airlines throttle back on aircraft leases, ATSG says

Air Transport Services Group is slowing investment in converted freighters as a weak shipping market leads cargo airlines to pause fleet expansion.

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06 November
Eric Kulisch

Air Transport Services Group replaces Corrado, names Hete CEO

Air Transport Services Group’s underperformance cost CEO Rich Corrado his job on Monday.

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Eric Kulisch

UPS reduces pilot head count by nearly 200 with buyouts

UPS has bought out a small contingent of senior pilots. An American Airlines regional partner is trying to attract them to fly small jets.

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05 November
Eric Kulisch

FedEx tells pilots to switch to American Airlines feeder operator

FedEx pilots are experiencing significant pay decreases because there isn’t enough flying to go around. The company is pushing cockpit crews to take jobs at a regional passenger airline.

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02 November
Eric Kulisch

Lufthansa Cargo profits wiped out in Q3

Lufthansa Cargo didn’t make a profit in the third quarter as revenues fell more than 40% from last year.

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01 November
Eric Kulisch

IndiGo, Air Inuit opt for converted narrowbody freighters

The freighter conversion business is slowing down, but there remains residual momentum from carriers such as IndiGo.

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Oct - 2023 -
31 October
Eric Kulisch

Air Canada reaffirms cargo commitment after 777 freighter cancellation

Air Canada said it is taking a slower approach to adding cargo jets because there isn’t enough demand now to justify the investment.

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30 October
Eric Kulisch

Hawaiian Airlines welcomes new Amazon revenue stream

Hawaiian Airlines is finally on its way to positive cash flow from its new Amazon Air contract after spending money to launch freighter operations.

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26 October
Eric Kulisch

Former Polar Air Cargo exec pleads guilty to swindling employer

A former senior executive at Polar Air Cargo pleaded guilty to corporate corruption and agreed to pay restitution of $9.3 million in addition to serving a potential jail sentence.

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25 October
Eric Kulisch

War increases Israel’s demand for imports

Israel won’t be able to produce as many goods for its economy because of the war it is waging. Some logistics providers are increasing their capability to deliver imports to the country by air and ocean.

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23 October
Eric Kulisch

Kuehne+Nagel deploys private freighters to Taiwan for chip industry

The semiconductor industry is a new vertical that logistics provider Kuehne+Nagel has identified as a growth area. Toward that end, it is using two large freighters it controls to transport shipments from Taiwan to Europe.

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Eric Kulisch

Amerijet turns tables on Korean Air for opposing commercial permit

Amerijet, a mid-tier cargo airline based in Miami, is trying to block a startup operator of business jets owned by Korean Air from gaining flight access to the U.S. because it says the Korean flag carrier is undermining its expansion into Korea.

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19 October
Eric Kulisch

China approves first A321 cargo conversion for Sichuan Airlines

The first Airbus A321 converted freighter has been cleared by authorities to begin commercial service in China.

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Eric Kulisch

American Airlines’ cargo revenue shrinks by a third in tough market

American Airlines Cargo had a disappointing, but expected, third quarter. Management says new aircraft and operational enhancements should help attract customers as the market improves.

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Eric Kulisch

Kuehne+Nagel teams up to make airport cargo handling more efficient

Mega-forwarder Kuehne+Nagel is working with one of its top air logistics vendors to make airport cargo transfers faster.

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18 October
Eric Kulisch

Qantas cargo customers seek fee waivers after shipping disruption

Shippers aren’t paying freight forwarders because their cargo was delayed. Now those forwarders want Qantas Airways to eliminate their handling charges because of a self-inflicted operational breakdown.

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17 October
Eric Kulisch

United Airlines’ cargo gain undermined by low rates

United Airlines had a weak quarter for cargo revenue, but it’s on par with the rest of the industry.

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Eric Kulisch

Global Crossing Airlines one of few to make Israel cargo flights

Global Crossing Airlines is using its small regional jets to airlift aid to Israel. Other U.S. carriers are more cautious and have canceled flights to Israel until further notice.

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16 October
Eric Kulisch

Uptick in airfreight rates creates mirage of market recovery

The air cargo market has pulled out of its 1.5-year dive, but analysts say don’t be deceived by the slight seasonal improvement. Real growth is many months away.

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13 October
Eric Kulisch

Flexport CEO Petersen overhauls top management

Flexport has elevated a new management team after getting rid of CEO Dave Clark last month.

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Eric Kulisch

Flexport lays off 600 workers amid difficult freight market 

Logistics provider Flexport is moving ahead with a second round of layoffs this year.

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12 October
Eric Kulisch

Delta Air Lines cargo revenue drops 36% on slow freight demand

Delta Air Lines cargo revenue fell by more than a third in the third quarter, reflecting weak market conditions.

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11 October
Eric Kulisch

UPS flights to Israel still suspended, DHL operates

UPS has stopped flying to Israel while competitors DHL and FedEx have maintained air service to the country, which is at war.

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10 October
Eric Kulisch

Qantas Freight makes progress on cargo pileup

The traffic jam of freight at Qantas Airways facilities in Australia is slowly abating as the airline makes efforts to remediate problems caused by a new cargo system.

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09 October
Eric Kulisch

FedEx, UPS suspend freighter flights to Israel

FedEx and UPS have paused flights to Israel, while DHL continues to operate to the capital city of Tel Aviv.

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