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Air CargoAmerican ShipperBorderlands: CanadaNews

Cargojet shifts aircraft to handle domestic surge in essential supplies

Eric Kulisch
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(Source: Flickr/BriYYZ)

Canadian air-cargo provider Cargojet [TSX: CJT] said it is redeploying aircraft currently serving international scheduled and charter routes to its North American network to support increased volumes for e-commerce, and healthcare and essential supplies as the coronavirus outbreak changes supply chain needs.

Cargojet operates a domestic overnight network for Amazon.com and express delivery companies, with its airplanes also carrying interline traffic from international airlines. It operates a fleet of 26 wide-body aircraft.

The Ontario-based carrier also said it will run more daytime flights if volumes exceed the capacity of its overnight network on certain routes. “We are well equipped and planning to handle any surge in volumes should that be necessary by adjusting schedules and routes,” it assured customers in a news release.

The airline is also taking other steps to keep goods flowing.


It is providing employees a temporary daily cash allowance to alleviate unexpected child care needs due to school closures, higher prices of daily essentials, grocery shortages and other costs. The assistance is designed to let workers focus on their delivery assignments.

Cargojet said its staff is in daily contact with key customers to ensure there are enough resources to meet their service levels during a period of peak demand.

The company also has increased health checks at each of its facilities and is following enhanced sanitizing and disinfecting procedures for aircraft, cargo containers, packages and facilities.

It also is making sure that deliveries continue to northern communities, some of which are only accessible by air and may be less able to restock supplies as passenger carriers have curtailed flights.


On Wednesday, Air Canada announced it was shrinking its network further because of falling traveler demand.

In related news, Alaska Air Cargo reminded customers to be aware that operating hours are changing at many locations for drop off and pick up because airlines have reduced flight schedules in response to the coronavirus outbreak. 

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, Eric 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. 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 [email protected]