Astral Aviation is set to expand its freighter fleet, with the addition of three Boeing B757-200Fs and two Airbus A320 P2Fs. Kenya-based cargo airline already has 14 strong freight fleet. “The B757-200F’s will be operational from June 2022 onwards, as we have had some unfortunate delays, partly caused by Boeing’s lack of timely support on the multi-mode receiver (MMR) upgrade. The B757-200F’s will operate scheduled flights from Astral’s Nairobi hub to Johannesburg, in addition to Dubai and Tel Aviv, with plans to operate charter flights to and from China by Q3,” said Sanjeev Gadhia, Founder and Chief Executive of Astral Aviation in an official statement. “The A320F will be operational from mid-July 2022 and will operate on charter basis in 2022 on routes between Africa, Middle East, and South Asia. The second A320F will be delivered by the end of the year,” he added.

Pharma.Aero and the Bio Supply Management Alliance (BSMA) have collaborated to augment their supply chain management capabilities for their global communities and customers. The signatories of the collaboration were Devendra Mishra (Executive Director of BSMA), Franck Toussaint (Managing Director of BSMA Europe), Frank Van Gelder (Secretary General of Pharma.Aero), and Trevor Caswell (Chairman of Pharma.Aero). Mishra said, “The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the vulnerability of the global supply chain where airfreight logistics was significantly constrained because of systemic and external factors of decimated cargo capacity. Combining the supply chain management dimension of BSMA with the global network of Pharma.Aero augurs well for the industry committed to saving human lives. Together, the two associations will synchronize the links of the end-to-end supply chain with optimal policies.”

Brussels Airport is joining forces to make the logistics chain at the airport efficient and to accommodate future growth. Brussels Airport is redeveloping part of its cargo area in a sustainable manner. Between 2022 and 2025, eight end of life buildings will be demolished in the Brussels Airport cargo zone and three new logistics buildings, including office facilities and a parking tower, will be developed. The new buildings will be future (?) proof, meeting the net zero carbon ambitions of Brussels Airport. The mobility layout will be revised to ensure smooth traffic flow with thorough renovation of existing roads and improved modal split. Demolition work on the eight buildings will start in June 2022, while construction work is likely to start by 2023-end. Construction is scheduled to be completed by 2025.

Cathay Pacific Cargo has announced that the carrier is back to full schedule. Tom Owen, Director said in a statement, “I am pleased to report that steadily emerging from what has been a challenging time for the business. We have always tried to put as much cargo capacity as we can into the market, but it is an exciting time for us as we start to rebuild our overall network and schedule. The biggest news of the month is resumption of our full freighter schedule. We will be operating between 90 and 100 freighters each week. We are planning to operate 500 cargo-only-passenger flights a month around the region. They will provide strong lift over the next few months to feed our reactivated long-haul freighter services.”

Global cargo traffic fell 5.6 per cent in May 2022 as compared to May 2021, as per the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA). AAPA blamed supply chain disruptions and slowing demand, leading to a year-on-year decline in freight tonne kilometres in May. Freight capacity expanded by 1 per cent year-on-year compared to the same month last year, which led to a 4.8 percentage point decline in the global load factor to an average of 69.4 per cent for the month, it added. Subhas Menon, Director General, AAPA said, “After a buoyant 2021, air cargo demand is facing headwinds with export orders facing downward pressures, driven by an increasingly cloudy global economic outlook.”

IAG Cargo has joined the Neutral Air Partner (NAP) network as an airline partner. NAP, which also includes consolidators, general sales agents, charter brokers, forwarders and express operators among its members, said it would work with IAG Cargo jointly in various initiatives to support small and medium sized forwarders, said a statement. IAG Cargo includes the airfreight operations of British Airways, Aer Lingus and Iberia in markets including Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa, and the Americas. Christos Spyrou, Chief Executive, NAP said, “Small and medium-sized forwarders and consolidators represent over 45 per cent of the global airfreight volumes and our network is comprised of leading and independent air cargo sales agents and consolidators worldwide. Through our NAP Global Airline Partner Programme, we aim to significantly increase our cargo volumes to IAG Cargo, and to access cargo capacity on key trade lanes.”

Mammoth Freighters has given contract to Collins Aerospace for its “Main Deck Cargo Handling Systems” as part of its 777 P2F conversion programme. In a LinkedIn post, Mammoth stated, “The Mammoth system will share parts commonality with the 777 production freighter already in service with many operators, and most high use/high mortality components will be interchangeable with OEM materials. This cargo handling system has been proven reliable through years of service and this award is welcomed by the operator community. Our alliance with Collins Aerospace is an addition to the Mammoth Freighters 777 P2F conversion programme.” Triumph Group’s Interiors business has recently been awarded a contract for composite air distribution ducts on Mammoth Freighters’ Boeing 777 Passenger to Freighter (P2F) conversions.

DP World and National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) announce broadening of existing partnership, with NIIF Master Fund investing primary capital of US $300 million for a shareholding of approximately 22.5 per cent in Hindustan Ports Private Limited (HPPL), stated a release. HPPL is the wholly owned subsidiary of DP World. With this transaction, which is the Master Fund’s single largest investment, NIIF’s investment under this partnership will reach US$500 million. The transaction is subject to customary completion conditions and is likely to close by Q1 CY2023.

Chennault International Airport, United States, is likely to open its new air cargo facility next month. “The concrete is down, and we are looking forward to an early August opening of our new US$4 million air cargo pass-through facility. It is the latest initiative by the Chennault team to expand opportunities and grow the area economy,” stated a statement. Construction of the 10,000 sq. ft. air cargo pass-through facility began in June 2021. In February this year, Chennault officials said it planned the facility to be certified for global cargo by federal agency US Customs and Border Protection. Construction of the facility has been funded by a US$3m capital outlay from the state and $1m from Chennault International Airport Authority funds, as per reports.

DHL Express has introduced a new route between Chubu (Nagoya) and Cincinnati in the United States. The new route is being operated by DHL Air UK and has been added in response to the increasing international shipping needs between Japan and the US. Currently, traveling three times a week, the dedicated B777F will increase its frequency to six times a week starting from 6 September 2022. This route also offers up to 102 tonne of additional capacity per flight. It will serve Trans Pacific customers along with the current five-weekly B747F flights by Polar Air Cargo Worldwide and five-weekly B777F flights by Kalitta Air, stated a release. Tony Khan, President and Representative Director, DHL Express Japan said, “The capacity expansion is in response to growth in global shipping demand from customers engaged in trade between Asia and the US, especially on routes between Japan and the US. The addition of this new route enables us to support the development of our Japanese customers’ business in the US.”