Revisiting the 747-400 Freighter

In November 2017, air freight traffic was growing 8.0% year-over-year, jet fuel was selling for about $1.75/gallon, Cargolux CEO Richard Forson was telling journalists that he was thinking about expanding his fleet of 23 747 freighters, and Boeing’s production of new 747-8Fs had slowed to a crawl. From where were these additional freighters to come? […]

• Alan Hedge
• August 10, 2018

The world’s top 50 cargo carriers of 2017

Last year when we analyzed the top 50 cargo carriers of 2016, we noted FedEx’s runaway cargo traffic growth through its acquisition of TNT, which further drove a wedge between FedEx and the number two contender for highest total cargo traffic, Emirates. However, a year can make quite a difference, and what an eventful year […]

• Caryn Livingston
• August 9, 2018

Cathay stays in the red, despite continued cargo strength

The Cathay Pacific Group reported a net loss of US$34 million in the first half of 2018, marking an improvement from 2017’s first half when the Hong Kong-based carrier reported a net loss of $261 million as its passenger business struggled to counter increasing competition from airlines based in mainland China. So far this year, […]

• Caryn Livingston
• August 8, 2018

DP-DHL 2Q results point to ongoing post, parcel pains

While Deutsche Post-DHL Group posted operating profit (EBIT) gains in the Express, Global Forwarding and Freight, and Supply Chain segments, a year-over-year decrease of 58.5% in second quarter EBIT for the Post-eCommerce-Parcel (PeP) division weighed on the Group’s overall EBIT for the quarter, which declined by 11.2% y-o-y to €747 million. The Group’s revenue increased […]

• Caryn Livingston
• August 7, 2018

Air cargo volume growth flattens in June

When Netherlands-based WorldACD reported air cargo performance results for May, the outlook for continued cargo growth was in question, summarized as “Is the party really over?” With yesterday’s release of June results from WorldACD, the answer seems to suggest that although the party isn’t truly winding down, it is certainly on hiatus for the summer. […]

• Caryn Livingston
• August 1, 2018

US cherry exports shrugging off tariff impacts?

A 25% tariff on about $50 billion worth of Chinese imports into the US went into effect on 6 July, prompting retaliatory tariffs from China and sparking a trade war midway through the Pacific Northwest’s cherry season. Typically, cherry exports to China are a huge business during July and for the region generally – during […]

• Caryn Livingston
• July 31, 2018

Farnborough 2018: widebody freighters, narrowbody pax

As has been the trend since last year’s Paris Air Show, headliner orders for large widebody passenger aircraft were once again absent. Deals involving narrowbody passenger jets and widebody freighters meanwhile, dominated the show. Also popular this year, were more opaque deals from unidentified customers. Orders for 325 aircraft were placed by unidentified carriers and […]

• Charles Kauffman
• July 25, 2018

Is JD.com exploring own-controlled capacity?

Earlier this week, reports emerged that Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com had entered into discussions with the HNA Group over potential “participation” in one of the group’s air cargo carriers. We note that collaboration between the two companies has been expected to some extent since March of this year when JD.com and HNA Group entered into a […]

• Charles Kauffman
• July 24, 2018

June cargo traffic indicative of growing pains at Europe’s top airports?

Following a trade war between the United States and China which began last month when US President Donald Trump announced the imposition of tariffs on about $50 billion worth of Chinese imports, all eyes were on the Asia-North America trade lane. The number of goods now subject to tariffs has increased substantially but for the […]

• Caryn Livingston and Charles Kauffman
• July 23, 2018

Volga-Dnepr Group finds its HUB-2 at Liege

Earlier this week, when the Volga-Dnepr Group and its UK-based affiliate CargoLogicHolding inked a massive deal with Boeing for up to thirty-four widebody freighters – a letter of intent to purchase twenty-nine 777 freighters, and an order for five 747-8 freighters, we questioned where some of these aircraft might up. Yesterday, Volga-Dnepr Group and U.K.-based […]

• Charles Kauffman
• July 19, 2018