Eric Kulisch

Eric is the Parcel 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 was runner up for News Journalist and Supply Chain Journalist of the Year in the Seahorse Freight Association's 2024 journalism award competition. In December 2022, Eric was voted runner up for Air Cargo Journalist. He won the group's Environmental Journalist of the Year award in 2014 and was the 2013 Supply Chain Journalist of the Year. As associate editor at American Shipper Magazine for more than a decade, he wrote about trade, freight transportation and supply chains. He has appeared on Marketplace, ABC News and National Public Radio to talk about logistics issues in the news. Eric is based in Vancouver, Washington. He can be reached for comments and tips at ekulisch@freightwaves.com
Mar - 2023 -
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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22 February
Eric Kulisch

Passenger-to-freighter conversions keep on humming

An Airbus affiliate that converts used passenger planes into cargo haulers plans to outsource some work to a new partner in China.

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21 February
Eric Kulisch

Air Canada’s freighter investments weigh on cash flow 

Air Canada is investing heavily in its dedicated cargo operations at a time when freight rates are slumping.

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20 February
Eric Kulisch

Ameriflight adds 35 heavy-duty cargo drones to wish list

Ameriflight is tentatively betting on two futuristic cargo aircraft from startup manufacturers to augment its feeder service for integrated express carriers.

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18 February
Eric Kulisch

Egyptair adds 1st 737-800 cargo jet to fleet

EgyptAir has two interests in 737-800 freighters: flying them and rebuilding cargo versions from used passenger jets.

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14 February
Eric Kulisch

Finnair modifies A350 weight threshold to carry more cargo around Russia

Finnair got creative redefining aircraft characteristics for the A350 jetliner so it could carry more fuel, cargo and people on long Asia routes.

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13 February
Eric Kulisch

Air cargo’s Lunar New Year blues

Business is very soft in the air cargo sector and likely to get softer still, but there are signs that demand could spark up in the second half of the year.

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09 February
Eric Kulisch

Flexport offers simplified ocean logistics for Shopify merchants

Flexport and Shopify are partnering on a new app designed to reduce the complexity of managing ocean shipments for small businesses.

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Eric Kulisch

Aloha Air Cargo asks DOT to remove regulatory handcuffs on expansion

Aloha Air Cargo is seeking to change an unusual federal limit on its fleet size so it can deliver more mail between the Hawaiian Islands.

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Eric Kulisch

Rockford airport prepares next cargo expansion as Menzies moves in

Chicago Rockford is moving into the major leagues of cargo airports with big expansion plans and the arrival of a global ground handling agent.

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06 February
Eric Kulisch

Amazon, DHL reduce US cargo flights as parcel volumes soften

Air Transport Services Group will see its Amazon business dip this year as the retailer decreases freighter utilization to match slower retail sales.

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Eric Kulisch

Airport investment firm taps former Southwest exec for cargo push 

Burrell Aviation has named an ex-Southwest Airlines director to lure cargo airlines to properties it controls at second-tier airports.

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04 February
Eric Kulisch

Amazon flight pullback caps Sun Country Airlines’ cargo growth

Maintenance downtime at Sun Country cut into cargo revenue and growth was limited by slower Amazon e-commerce business.

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02 February
Eric Kulisch

UPS begins phaseout of older MD-11 cargo jets

UPS is replacing MD-11s with more fuel-efficient Boeing 767 freighters as reducing costs and carbon emissions become increasingly important.

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Eric Kulisch

Hawaiian Airlines faces higher costs for training Amazon pilots

Hawaiian Airlines faces some headwinds in 2023, including some extra temporary costs to prepare for new business flying freighters for Amazon.

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01 February
Eric Kulisch

Sloths die of cold exposure on Qatar Airways jet in Belgium

Three furry sloths died when the heat stopped working on a Qatar Airways jet during a long delay at frozen Liege Airport

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Eric Kulisch

Virtual Hong Kong airline to lease new 777 converted freighters

Fly Meta has one aircraft and no pilots, but it plans to acquire four Boeing 777 jets transformed for dedicated cargo carriage.

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Jan - 2023 -
31 January
Eric Kulisch

End of production era, but 747 freighters will fly for decades

It’s the end of an era for the “Queen of the Skies.” Boeing will make its final 747 delivery on Tuesday, but cargo airlines could fly them for another 40 years.

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30 January
Eric Kulisch

UPS feeder airline intends to buy 20 pilotless cargo planes

Ameriflight, an air cargo contractor for big express companies, is considering a large purchase of uniquely designed, semi-autonomous freighters from Natilus.

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27 January
Eric Kulisch

Air France-KLM doubles order for Airbus A350 freighters

Martinair, with the help of parent company Air France-KLM, is buying four new freighters from Airbus.

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26 January
Eric Kulisch

American Airlines’ cargo revenue tops $1.2B despite market slide

American Airlines generated strong cargo sales in 2022 even as market conditions deteriorated.

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25 January
Eric Kulisch

Freightos makes public debut on Nasdaq as SPAC market tanks

FreightTech startup Freightos is raising money through a public offering rather than seeking venture capital.

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Eric Kulisch

Freightos debuta en bolsa en el Nasdaq mientras el mercado de SPAC se hunde 

La plataforma digital de reservas de carga recauda 80 millones de dólares mediante una fusión

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Eric Kulisch

Air Canada names in-flight chief Turner to lead cargo

Air Canada is sticking with a Canadian, Jon Turner, as cargo chief after two Americans in that position left in recent years.

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24 January
Eric Kulisch

Amazon Air lands in India

Amazon is still investing in its air cargo network despite cost cuts elsewhere in the company. Next up: India.

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Eric Kulisch

Hawaiian pilots land lucrative cargo contract ahead of new Amazon service

A new contract for pilots at Hawaiian Airlines is setting the bar for all-cargo carriers above traditional industry leaders even though the carrier has never flown freighters before.

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20 January
Eric Kulisch

United Airlines’ cargo revenue exceeds $2B despite weak peak season

United Airlines saw cargo revenue dip but exceeded financial expectations in the fourth quarter.

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17 January
Eric Kulisch

Chinese e-commerce logistics company Zongteng inaugurates Paris air route 

Two Chinese logistics companies have started their own airlines and now have expanded their routes within China, and internationally.

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13 January
Eric Kulisch

Delta sets cargo record by a nose during difficult 2022

Delta Air Lines carried more than $1 billion in cargo below passengers’ feet last year, setting a company record.

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12 January
Eric Kulisch

Airfreight industry watches for signs of midyear recovery

A year ago, shippers were in scrums to find cargo space on airlines. The market has softened considerably and 2023 could see more declines before things get better.

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Eric Kulisch

Chicago O’Hare avoids labor impasse, cargo disruption 

Swissport, a large cargo handler at Chicago O’Hare airport, has finally complied with the city’s requirement for a labor peace agreement, ensuring uninterrupted cargo flow.

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Eric Kulisch

Flexport to cut 20% of workforce as global shipping demand wanes

Influential logistics provider Flexport says it will reduce its staff by 20% in the face of a looming global recession.

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10 January
Eric Kulisch

Investment group offers cargo hub-in-a-box to regional airports

A private investment group is rolling up large chunks of land at smaller airports to develop air cargo facilities.

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06 January
Eric Kulisch

Chicago O’Hare labor deal minimizes risk of supply chain upheaval

Alliance Ground International has agreed to give a major union access to workers at its O’Hare airport cargo facilities, averting a potential suspension of operating rights.

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Eric Kulisch

Air Canada loses cargo VP to US regional carrier

Jason Berry was key to getting Air Canada’s new-and-improved cargo unit off the ground but isn’t sticking around to see it reach cruising altitude.

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05 January
Eric Kulisch

Flexport names former Microsoft, Amazon exec as chief commercial officer

Flexport is hiring top tech talent to scale up its digital logistics platform.

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04 January
Eric Kulisch

El mandato pro-sindical en Chicago O’Hare amenaza con interrumpir los vuelos de carga  

La ciudad está dispuesta a cerrar los agentes de carga del aeropuerto en dos semanas por la organización sindical.

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Eric Kulisch

Pro-union mandate at Chicago O’Hare threatens to disrupt cargo flights 

The city of Chicago is pressuring cargo agents at O’Hare airport to make a deal with a powerful union. If they don’t, significant cargo backlogs could occur.

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Eric Kulisch

National Air Cargo busca negocios voluminosos con cargueros 747 y Beluga 

Las aberturas de los aviones de carga ultraligeros permiten cargar envíos de gran tamaño.

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Eric Kulisch

National Air Cargo seeks bulky business with 747, Beluga freighters

Specialized freighters with nose cones that open are helping National Airlines and its sister logistics company capture more oversize business.

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Dec - 2022 -
30 December
Eric Kulisch

Air cargo 2022: What went right and what went wrong

Making money was more difficult for the air logistics sector in 2022, but the future remains bright.

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22 December
Eric Kulisch

FedEx to outsource more cargo flying in cost-cutting effort

FedEx Express is looking to trim fat at the largest cargo airline in the world and lean on rental fleets to fill in needs.

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21 December
Eric Kulisch

Las aerolíneas de carga aumentan sus esfuerzos de venta omnicanal 

Las conexiones directas con los compradores logísticos y los mercados en línea ofrecen más flexibilidad

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Eric Kulisch

Cargo airlines increase omnichannel sales efforts

Several airlines have tapped software interfaces to allow electronic bookings for their cargo capacity.

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20 December
Eric Kulisch

Air Canada prepares Vancouver hub for 2024 arrival of 777 freighters 

Air Canada is beefing up ground infrastructure as it develops a new fleet of freighters able to raise transport reliability for logistics customers.

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16 December
Eric Kulisch

Deutsche Bahn to consider sale of huge Schenker logistics unit

The German national railway is looking to sell off its DB Schenker logistics business if it can get a good price.

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Eric Kulisch

CMA CGM Air Cargo ‘temporarily’ suspends US operations

Ocean carrier CMA CGM’s new cargo airline made the unusual decision to stop serving U.S. customers and lease planes to other carriers for a short period.

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15 December
Eric Kulisch

Cathay Pacific’s November cargo traffic shrinks on weak China exports

Cargo traffic for Cathay Pacific fell in November, weighed down by weak demand for Chinese exports. The small bump it enjoyed in October was short lived.

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13 December
Eric Kulisch

DHL Express opens new freighter route to Dominican Republic

DHL Express is responding to demand for e-commerce with the addition of a new cargo route — this time to the Dominican Republic.

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Eric Kulisch

Freightos unit adds digital booking for North America LTL freight

7L Freight is making truck procurement more convenient for logistics companies by combining dynamic rate management with electronic booking.

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12 December
Eric Kulisch

Truck driver shortage in Japan spurs new cargo airline

Japan Airlines will fly freighters for Yamato Transport, which needs airlift to supplement a shrinking pool of truck drivers in Japan.

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Eric Kulisch

Air cargo shippers seek short-term pricing amid economic uncertainty

Freight management companies are not making long-term shipping commitments with airlines to avoid getting stuck with unneeded bookings.

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06 December
Eric Kulisch

China Southern to list air cargo capacity on Freightos market

China Southern Airlines has joined the Freightos air cargo booking platform. It’s the first time an airline in China has participated in an online freight market.

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05 December
Eric Kulisch

Air cargo market stuck in doldrums during normal busy season

The peak season for air shipping failed to materialize this year, but realistically volumes and rates are just normalizing after a crazy two-year rush.

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01 December
Eric Kulisch

Back in the saddle: Air Canada relaunches equine service

Air Canada is once again offering horse transport thanks to the addition of freighter aircraft to its fleet.

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Nov - 2022 -
30 November
Eric Kulisch

New de-icing facility speeds up FedEx cargo flights at Memphis hub

FedEx cargo jets will waste less time de-icing during the winter at the Memphis, Tennessee, airport thanks to a new consolidated treatment facility.

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29 November
Eric Kulisch

Atlas Air shareholders ratify go-private sale to Apollo consortium

Atlas Air, a large cargo airline and lessor, is one step closer to becoming a private company after a shareholder vote.

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Eric Kulisch

Cargo interests work to block Amsterdam airport flight reductions

The air cargo industry is upset about a Dutch proposal to reduce aircraft slots at Amsterdam airport because it would cut into freight traffic.

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28 November
Eric Kulisch

African passenger airline adds 1st all-cargo aircraft

RwandAir is becoming a combination carrier, adding a freighter airline to its traditional passenger operation.

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27 November
23 November
Eric Kulisch

Cathay Pacific cargo traffic shrinks 25% in October

A weaker-than-normal shipping season is hurting Cathay Pacific Cargo’s ability to recover from the pandemic.

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22 November
Eric Kulisch

Boeing certification troubles in Canada ground 1st WestJet freighters

Canada’s WestJet plans to start flying cargo jets next year after a frustrating wait to get the planes registered.

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21 November
Eric Kulisch

Los trabajadores del centro aéreo de Amazon lanzan una campaña para formar un sindicato 

El aeropuerto de Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky es la mayor instalación de la red logística de Amazon

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Eric Kulisch

Amazon air hub workers launch campaign to form union

Amazon is expected to fight a new effort by workers at its air cargo hub in Northern Kentucky to form a union.

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18 November
Eric Kulisch

MSC Air Cargo moves up start date for global freighter service

Mediterranean Shipping Co. is moving up plans to inaugurate its air cargo airline, offering service between North America, Europe and Asia.

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Eric Kulisch

CargoLogicAir, casualty of Russia sanctions, faces liquidation

United Kingdom sanctions put CargoLogicAir on verge of going out of business.

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17 November
Eric Kulisch

Amazon air cargo service takes wing at Manchester-Boston airport

Amazon has rented a new air cargo facility in New Hampshire and launched daily freighter service to shorten delivery times.

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16 November
Eric Kulisch

Toronto airport plans to convert offices into cargo facility

Toronto Pearson airport is looking for ways to support more cargo business, starting by converting an old office park.

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15 November
Eric Kulisch

Los ejecutivos de la carga aérea están más nerviosos por el retroceso de los consumidores 

La esperanza de una mejora de los envíos en 2023 depende de los niveles de inventario y de las políticas COVID de China

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Eric Kulisch

Colorado Springs Airport gives investors foothold for cargo development

Burrell Aviation has made a speculative investment at Colorado Springs Airport aimed at attracting air cargo companies.

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Eric Kulisch

Air cargo execs more nervous over consumer pullback

Airlines and logistics companies realize air cargo business will be lower this year. Talk of a 2023 upturn is more based on hope than economic signals.

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14 November
Eric Kulisch

FedEx dumps 40 flights, grounds aircraft as shipping demand wanes

FedEx’s airline unit is taking down many flights to save money as it scrambles to counter a steep decline in shipping revenue.

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11 November
Eric Kulisch

Silk Way West, Alaska Airlines sign Boeing freighter deals

Silk Way West Airlines, a growing cargo operator based in Azerbaijan, and Alaska Airlines on Thursday signed contracts with Boeing for two freighters apiece — but that is where the similarities ended.  Silk Way West said it will take two 777-8s, the largest plane available from Boeing (NYSE: BA) and one so modern it isn’t […]

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09 November
Eric Kulisch

Boeing says 60% more freighters needed by 2041 to support air cargo 

Boeing on Wednesday issued a bullish 20-year outlook for the freighter jet market.

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08 November
Eric Kulisch

Emirates to buy 777 freighters in deal with Boeing

Boeing and Airbus on Tuesday signed deals to bring more large freighter jets to the market.

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Eric Kulisch

Miami to permanently host large air cargo trade show 

An international trade group settles on Miami as the regular location for its semiannual air cargo expo.

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04 November
Eric Kulisch

Korean Air keeps cargo momentum going in 3rd quarter

Cargo continued to dominate the passenger side at Korean Air during the third quarter.

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Eric Kulisch

Air cargo market continues to deflate under global economic pressures

Good news for shippers is bad news for airlines as cargo demand and rates retreat again in October.

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03 November
Eric Kulisch

Cargojet upbeat about 2023 as e-commerce business shows resilience

Cargojet is better protected from an economic downturn than airlines handling general air cargo because of e-commerce and deep partnerships.

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02 November
Eric Kulisch

Retail tycoon shelves plans for 1st cargo airline in Vietnam

Investors behind Vietnam’s first domestic cargo airline, IPP Air Cargo, have grounded operations before ever taking off.

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Eric Kulisch

Sun Country Airlines’ Q3 cargo revenue from Amazon flying stays flat

Cargo revenues from Sun Country Airlines’ Amazon business were flat in the third quarter.

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Eric Kulisch

Commentary: Supply chain pro-turned-candidate Mike Erickson’s misguided blame game

Most politicians are clueless about supply chains, so it’s a shame when industry veteran Mike Erickson runs for Congress and pins inflation on ocean carriers.

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01 November
Eric Kulisch

Freighter frenzy could lead to oversupply of cargo jets

Leasing companies are going bonkers converting used aircraft for cargo. As demand for air cargo cools, there could be a glut that lowers shipping rates.

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Oct - 2022 -
28 October
Eric Kulisch

Air Canada cargo business hurt by aircraft mix, Asia weakness

Air Canada has extra cargo capacity thanks to its first freighters, but that didn’t prevent a 23% fall in cargo revenue in the third quarter.

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Eric Kulisch

Maersk’s US-Korea air cargo service lifts off Monday

Maersk is a giant in the ocean shipping industry. It is also heavily investing to grow its all-cargo airline.

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27 October
Eric Kulisch

Lufthansa Cargo overcomes slower demand for big Q3 profit

Lufthansa Airlines’ cargo subsidiary continued to earn profits during a difficult third quarter, even as the market softened.

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26 October
Eric Kulisch

K+N targets high-margin verticals, capturing carrier business to guard profits

Kuehne+Nagel is the largest logistics company in the world. It sees opportunities to capture more business as shipping demand falls.

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25 October
Eric Kulisch

US airports need subsidies for cargo modernization, groups say

A pair of trade associations wants the government to provide up to $5 billion to support massive redevelopment for cargo activity.

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21 October
Eric Kulisch

Amazon, Hawaiian Airlines gear up for 2023 launch of Airbus freighters

Hawaiian Airlines will begin operating Amazon Air’s largest cargo jets on the retailer’s biggest shipping lanes next year.

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Eric Kulisch

Hawaiian Airlines wins Amazon contract to fly Airbus freighters

In a major move, Amazon is acquiring 10 large freighter aircraft for long-haul international transport and hiring Hawaiian Airlines to fly them.

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20 October
Eric Kulisch

Flexport juices trade finance program with $200M credit line from KKR

Flexport is an international logistics provider that also acts as a bank for customers that need more liquidity when sourcing goods from overseas.

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