Top 10 Air Cargo World stories of 2017

We at Air Cargo World thank you for your loyal readership during this surprisingly busy 2017 and wish you continued success in the coming new year. But before we turn the calendar to 2018, we thought we’d take one last look back at this year – our 75 th continuous year in publishing – and find out what the top stories were on our website. In looking over this list, it’s clear that ACW readers are keenly interested in new technology – especially if it contains the word “blockchain” – in the various ways air cargo firms can compete with the Amazon juggernaut and in any potential pilot shortages in the near future. You can be sure we will continue to cover the latest on all of these topics, plus any other cutting-edge subjects, in 2018. But before we move forward, let’s remind ourselves of what we were most interested in during 2017. Have a happy, healthy, prosperous and safe new year, and we’ll see you again on Jan. 2. To see the stories, click to the next page. #10: UPS contract cargo aircraft crash in West Virginia kills two [caption id="attachment_19854" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] photo by Josh Beasley[/caption] We begin, sadly, with tragedy. In a story that generated a lot of interest precisely because of its rarity, a twin-engine turboprop Short 330 cargo plane (see photo), operated by Wisconsin-based Air Cargo Carriers, crashed on landing back in May when its left wing struck the runway at Yeager Airport (CRW), killing the pilot and co-pilot, the only two people on the aircraft. #9: CFS: Dwindling 767 conversion feedstock could mean Airbus conversions for Atlas Air When our sister publication, Cargo Facts , confirmed that Atlas Air CEO Bill Flynn would be one of the "Fireside Chat" guests at October's Cargo Facts Symposium in Miami, we knew it would be one of the highlights of the conference -- and we were correct. ACW readers made this story the ninth most popular story of 2017, as Flynn discussed his views on the future of the freighter conversion business in light of unabated demand for e-commerce airfreight. #8: 5 ways blockchain can be used to enhance the supply chain In the first of two blockchain-related stories to make the Top 10, this April roundup piece looked at how this exciting new technology may have major repercussions across the air cargo world, in terms of speed, efficiency and security. #7: Dubai-based cargo handlers complete blockchain technology test with IBM In the other blockchain story to make the Top 10, this November piece looks at Dubai-based ground handler dnata, which successfully completed a proof-of-concept test for a blockchain-based logistics platform that tracks supply chain transactions. According to stakeholders in the project, the new system can eliminate redundant data and improve visibility and transparency. #6: Where have all the pilots gone? How a looming shortage may curtail e-commerce The plight of air cargo pilots turned out to be one of the most compelling topics of 2017, according to ACW readers. This feature story from our April 2017 issue took an in-depth look at how the growing demand for e-commerce airfreight may be taking a steep toll on pilots, who are already stretched thin on some routes and have threatened to strike over their work conditions. The possibility of a pilot shortage as today's veteran pilots begin retiring is a serious issue that ACW has covered often in 2017 and will likely return to in 2018. #5: DHL launches virtual freight marketplace CILLOX This piece from January 2017 that talks about new cargo management software for freight hauled by truck is an example of the intense interest there is for the continued digitalization of the industry and the need for a seamless integration of truck and airfreight to handle e-commerce. #4: UPS cockpit upgrade cuts carbon emissions and increases reliability This April story is another example of a technology piece garnering major attention, in this case for integrators looking to upgrade their 757s and 767s with Large Display System (LDS) screens to increase situational awareness for pilots. #3: Amazon to move Prime Air cargo hub to Cincinnati These days, just about anything that mentions Amazon will attract lots of eyeballs. This February piece that helped break the news that the Seattle online retail giant would be moving the based of its Prime Air hub from Wilmington Airpark (ILN) in Ohio to the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport (CVG), hinting at a possibly vast expansion of Amazon’s e-commerce air service, was one of the most popular stories of the year. #2: AirBridgeCargo gains Schiphol slots after threat over Russian airspace Of course, good old-fashioned drama can play a big part in the popularity of our news stories. This early November piece about the showdown between AirBridgeCargo and Amsterdam Schiphol Airport over freighter slot spaces was a particularly juicy item, especially considering the Russian carrier's attempt to force the airport's hand by threatening an airspace ban for Dutch carriers if they didn't get their way. While the incident ended amicably, the tension the story achieved was relatively rare in the usually polite air cargo world, and it helped bring attention to the serious problem of overcrowding at many of the older European hubs, due to the growth of e-commerce and the rise in demand for airfreight of all sorts. #1: Ameriflight, UPS Airlines launch joint training program for pilots We at ACW may be just as surprised as you are that this modest-seeming item from June about a pilot training program generated the most attention of any news items we posted on our site -- especially considering that it had attracted only two pilot candidates. But once again, the reader results showed how pilot labor concerns and access to pilot training are becoming serious issues in the airfreight world, which will not go away soon as demand continues to rise. Stay tuned for more on these subjects in 2018.

Top 10 Air Cargo World stories of 2017

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