China e-commerce exports, unreliable Red Sea shipping boost air cargo
The air cargo sector grew more than 10% during the first quarter on the back of e-commerce exports from China and supply chain disruptions in the Red Sea.
The air cargo sector grew more than 10% during the first quarter on the back of e-commerce exports from China and supply chain disruptions in the Red Sea.
Shippers should lock in certainty with airtight ocean carrier contracts that ward off surcharges.
The World Shipping Council has named Joe Kramek its next president and CEO. He will replace John Butler, who plans to retire in July.
Crews recovered the body of a fourth victim this week who died after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed when it was struck by the Dali, a cargo ship just minutes into its voyage.
The Federal Aviation Administration has warned a cargo airline that supports the Pacific Islands that it plans to fine it $2.9 million for poor safety compliance.
United Airlines nearly closed the year-over-year gap in cargo revenue during the first quarter as the air logistics sector shakes off a lengthy slump.
CMA CGM Air Cargo, with roots in the container shipping industry, plans to add 11 large freighters from Boeing and Airbus within three years. The first additions will enable the start of an Asia-U.S. service this summer.
The end of Panama’s dry season is in sight, and the Panama Canal Authority plans to welcome more vessels in the coming weeks.
The East and Gulf Coast ports continue to take market share from the largest West Coast ports, which had a challenging March.
The government’s long-awaited National Multimodal Freight Network has finally kicked off with a two-month request for information to help map out facilities and routes.
It’s not a great return on investment to acquire an aircraft and immediately ground it because demand is soft. But that’s what Saltchuk Aviation and its Alaska-based subsidiary Northern Air Cargo have done.
We may be months away from a national market shift, but the time to start planning for it is now.
The air cargo market’s upturn helped Delta Air Lines in the first quarter, but revenues were still lower than in 2022.
Xeneta data reveals that ocean spot rates have not reacted significantly to the Baltimore bridge collapse, despite the disruption to supply chains on the East Coast.
As disruption after disruption throws transportation leaders for a loop, how are we still able to keep supply chains moving?
The pilots union at ABX Air, a large contract carrier for DHL, is taking a novel approach toward labor relations by promoting the company at industry trade shows.
Ship recycling has fallen to its lowest level in 20 years, per a recent report by the Baltic and International Maritime Council.
Express delivery giant UPS is recruiting pilots again after beating out FedEx for the Postal Service’s air transport contract.
Federal regulators are bracing for a surge in container late fee complaints as ocean carriers and shippers process alternate routing options following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
The U.S. Postal Service picked UPS to replace FedEx as its primary partner for moving parcels by air, but analysts say FedEx actually comes out ahead by losing the business.
A key ocean container spot rate benchmark dropped nearly 18% this week.
iAero, a contract carrier for DHL Express, says it is going out of business by the end of the week.
UPS will take over flying mail and parcels for the U.S. Postal Service later this year. FedEx is relinquishing the contract but says the move will make it more profitable.
If China and Russia find the Houthi problem in the Red Sea as intractable as the U.S. and its allies have, it would all but halt what little maritime traffic remains in the region.
Ports in New Orleans and Corpus Christi, Texas, recorded year-over-year increases in cargo volumes in February.
FedEx and UPS have recently announced job reductions as part of ongoing efforts to streamline operations and boost profits.
An unusually warm and dry winter might herald drought conditions in key areas of the Mississippi River Basin over the coming months.
The MV Dali container ship that caused the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore was involved in a collision in 2016.
Atlas Air is now providing two Boeing 777 freighters for the exclusive use of China-based YunExpress.
The Port of Baltimore’s indefinite closure could cost the state of Maryland as much as $1 billion in total value of goods and services, analysts say.
UPS told investors it is leaning into automation and robotics to increase parcel capacity, which in turn will allow the company to operate fewer physical facilities.
“The whole bridge just fell down!” an officer said on an emergency call as authorities raced to close the Francis Scott Key Bridge just before it was struck by a container ship.
The FedEx pilots union has a new chairman who is more aligned with the majority of the Master Executive Council, which wants to press FedEx harder on a new contract.
The collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge could significantly disrupt supply chains as shippers and carriers scramble to relocate shipping services to other East Coast ports.
Around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, the Dali, a Singapore-flagged ship, smashed into the bridge.
Early Tuesday, a container ship collision with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore caused a major collapse, leading to a halt in port operations and creating severe traffic disruptions.
Chinese trade flow into Mexico is helping to build up the latter’s manufacturing capabilities, which is a long-term positive for the U.S.
My Freighter, a fledgling carrier based in Uzbekistan, began leasing a third widebody freighter from Ohio-based Air Transport Services Group.
The Port of Virginia recently completed a project to widen its ship channel for ultralarge container vessel traffic.
FedEx Express has parked more freighters, reduced aircraft capex and is integrating its daytime freighter network with the Freight segment’s less-than-truckload operation to provide linehaul connecting the U.S. and Europe to boost efficiency.
Port Houston reported strong imports after a soft January as general cargo tonnage represented nearly 40% of total import tonnage in the month.
Delta Air Lines has named Peter Penseel, currently at Ceva Logistics, to head Delta Cargo.
Foremost Group CEO Angela Chao was intoxicated when she reversed into a pond and drowned at her Texas ranch on Feb. 11, according to authorities.
Legislation approved by the House gives the Federal Maritime Commission more power to investigate potential container market manipulation by China.
A DePaul University report says Amazon’s air logistics unit is increasing efficiency by adopting a hub-and-spoke operating system for its cargo jets and airport locations.
The air cargo logistics sector is enjoying good volume growth so far this year, but it remains to be seen if the new momentum can be sustained.
Will shippers pull forward freight to avoid East Coast port labor disputes?
The Biden administration is getting a clearer picture of freight flow changes with new data from inland intermodal hubs.
In 2023, the Port of New Orleans achieved a record-breaking year for its container-on-barge service, emphasizing its commitment to reducing emissions.
Venture Global LNG is building a large fleet of liquefied natural gas-powered vessels, amid numerous legal fights.
Silk Way West Airlines is buying another 777 freighter from Boeing.
This week in Borderlands: Container shipments from China to Mexico skyrocketed in January; construction set for border logistics park in West Texas; Nippon Steel set to build $71M plant in Mexico; and China-based auto supplier announces $178M investment in Mexico.
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.
Georgia is paying $6 million toward a $17.45 million Port of Brunswick harbor improvement project, which includes more warehousing and roll-on/roll-off storage.
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.
ZPMC’s cranes appear to be part of a global digital surveillance effort on the part of the Chinese.
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.
Descartes’ monthly report shows strong February container imports, but March and April volumes appear less certain.
Ongoing efforts to stabilize finances at Amerijet appear to have cost Chief Commercial Officer Eric Wilson his job.
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.
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.
The initial shock factor is waning and ocean spot rates are losing momentum across the globe.
Lufthansa Cargo saw a big drop in profitability last year because of difficult market conditions.
A Qatar Airways 747 freighter touched down for the last time on Friday. The plane has been sold to UPS.
Ports across Mexico moved 728,116 twenty-foot equivalent units during January, a 20% year-over-year increase.
Intermodal at Savannah posted its strongest February ever.
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.
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.
Rates are still high and ships are still rerouting, but global supply chains appear to be adjusting to restricted Red Sea trade.
The UPS maintenance division is moving into a new hangar, capable of supporting 747 jumbo jets, at its global air hub in Louisville, Kentucky.
Kuehne+Nagel is the largest logistics company in the world, but it wasn’t immune to downward market forces in 2023.
Houthis, the Lunar New Year, drought in the Panama Canal, an impending potential strike and the upcoming election mean rough seas in 2024. Here’s how shippers can protect themselves.
The CEO of the Port of Long Beach boss cited restocking ahead of the Lunar New Year as the driver for import growth in January.
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.
Ports in Houston and New Orleans recorded year-over-year increases in cargo volumes during January, while Corpus Christi, Texas, saw a slight decline.
While visiting Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, Lori Ann LaRocco and daughter Abby Wallace learned about families who were enslaved at the site.
Electronic freight booking and data company Freightos says a virtuous cycle of growth will enable it to become profitable within a few years.
Seattle-based OpenTug says it serviced over 3 million tons of marine cargo across 25,000 miles of U.S. marine highways in 2023.
Spot rates are back above breakeven and Zim’s costs are falling.
Multiple looming factors in maritime could impact the upcoming contract season, boosting capacity at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
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.
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.
Dockworkers are fully prepared to swap pallet jacks for picket signs come October.
Documentation and fintech platform ODeX conducted a survey assessing the maritime industry’s views on digital documentation in ocean shipping.
Regulators have imposed new billing standards on ocean carriers that shippers consider a “major step” toward eliminating abuse.
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.
Georgia Ports Authority said it handled 428,000 containers and 65,400 roll-on, roll-off units in January.
Following 15 months of challenges, U.S. ports are once again experiencing substantial growth in inbound containers.
New cyber-risk requirements for container terminal owners and operators are part of a major maritime cybersecurity initiative announced by the White House.
Newbie airline Starlux in Taiwan has signed with Airbus for five large A350 freighters, an aircraft that is still under development.
Expeditors makes less money than it did five years ago.
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.
Teamsters Canada said negotiations with Canadian National Railway Co. and Canadian Pacific Kansas City have stalled over issues of pay and working conditions.
Spot-exposed carriers are likely to see a boost to their Q1 2024 financials.
The Airforwarders Association has begun to collaborate more with international counterparts and moved the date of its annual event away from Super Bowl Sunday.
A recent string of Houthi attacks have reignited concerns about the Red Sea crisis, raising the floor for tanker rates.
The Georgia Ports Authority sets export record in 2023; the Alabama Port Authority and CSX partner to launch an intermodal facility; and the Port of Cleveland receives $32 million for upgrades.
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.
The crisis in the Red Sea will require companies to start planning for peak season in the next few months.
UPS is rationalizing its air network as demand falls, but it is still adding aircraft when it makes sense.