LH Cargo has introduced “smartBooking” - a new digital interface providing the market with a binding transport offer that can be booked online immediately. In a release, the carrier points out that the new digital tool contains specifics such as the available routings, capacities and prices. In addition, the API automatically executes all relevant checks. This means that capacity can be booked in real time and will be confirmed immediately. Read more >>

Hong Kong's protests continue to plunge the city into chaos, not only crippling metro, bus and cross-border services, but also shutting offices, shopping malls, schools and universities. Clashes between police and protesters, which started more than five months ago, have at some point even extended to Hong Kong's Chek Lap Kok airport, disrupting travel and operations at one of Asia's busiest airports. Read more >>

Today’s press meeting at 09:30 confirmed the speculations that have been in the news this past week: Austrian Airlines is on the brink of a massive, €90 million cost reduction programme. Read more >>

Alibaba Group’s logistics operator, Cainiao and Russia’s Pochta postal service have launched their first direct China-Russia freighter services to deliver AliExpress goods purchased online by Russians, a Reuters report said, quoting an AliExpress Russia announcement.
The move, which AliExpress Russia hopes will help it cut the time it takes to deliver orders from China to Russia to 10 days, comes with Russia’s rapidly growing e-commerce market producing an annual turnover of more than US$14 billion. Read more >>

Peter Reinshagen’s remarkable business career is highlighted by his efforts to accelerate and fine-tune air, road and rail transportation, and finding tailored solutions to better serve customers. In his role as Managing Director of Paris-based Ermewa, a European leader in railcar rental, his tasks are numerous: making his company’s railcars and the trains operating them more attractive to the market, increasing turnover whilst at the same time reducing greenhouse gas emissions, upping productivity, and improving the sector’s poor reputation in general.
To achieve these targets, Ermewa has set up an ambitious masterplan that will be gradually implemented in the coming years. Read more >>

IN BRIEF - THE LATEST AIR CARGO INDUSTRY NEWS Read more >>

It was well known for a long time that the shortest passenger flight used to be from the Scottish mainland to the Shetland Isles. A short distance with a flight taking a few minutes. Now, it seems we’ve got the shortest cargo flight which instead of being operated by a small propeller aircraft as is the case in Scotland, this one is with a heavy Boeing 777 freighter. Read more >>

The global air cargo market has stumbled somewhat during the past twelve months, due mainly to a distinct slowdown on exports from China on the transpacific routes as well as to Europe. Many airlines are presently being cautious about adding extra cargo capacity on various routes. In fact, developments over the past few months have shown a noticeable reduction of freighter capacity on offer. Read more >>

Airlines for Europe (A4E), Europe’s largest airline association, this week sharply criticized a statement issued by EU Finance Ministers requesting EU coordination on aviation pricing, pointing out its flaws and underlining that aviation taxation will not reduce CO2 emissions. Read more >>

Three international carriers - Qatar Airways, Japan Airlines and China Southern - have reportedly put in bids to buy a strategic stake in ailing Malaysian carrier, Malaysia Airlines. Analysts, however, argue that the recently concluded wide-ranging partnership between Malaysia Airlines and Singapore Airlines (SIA) is the ‘best’ approach amid hurdles in aviation mergers in Southeast Asia’s airline industry, which is dominated by loss-making national carriers, while domestic politics also make airline mergers a tough sell. Read more >>

The anticipated fleet rollover at Lufthansa Cargo that CFG reported exclusively on 23 OCT 19, has today been confirmed by a Lufthansa Cargo press representative. By the end of 2020, the airline will operate a uniform fleet of Boeing 777 freighters, nine of which will be painted in traditional Lufthansa colors, four more will be operated by joint-venture partner AeroLogic. Read more >>

Asset manager Unilode is well known for providing cargo carriers with containers, pallets and alike equipment for transporting their loads safely and timely as required. A service often rendered by an external ULD manager based on contracts running several years. This offering is complemented by leasing options as shown in the case of Zurich, Switzerland-based specialist Unilode. Responsible there is Mario Holzer whom we asked to illustrate this specific business. His answers will be displayed in two separate parts. Here comes part one. Read more >>

Managing the flow of unit load devices according to the carrier’s transport demand has always been a complicated and complex task. This is mainly because of the constant market fluctuations, the diverse types of products to be transported by air and changing seasonal demand. Short-term leasing solutions might be an option for airlines to secure their transports despite market fluctuations, says Mario Holzer, Managing Director Short-Term Leasing & Corporate Development at Unilode Aviation Solutions, with whom we spoke. Read more >>

Nippon Cargo Airlines (NCA) and digital platform cargo.one have inked a collaboration agreement to spur volumes and scale down traditional booking procedures. The carrier states that this partnership will strengthen NCA’s market position particularly in Europe.

Through the acquisition of its first Asian capacity provider, the booking platform has broadened its customer base and widened its global reach. Read more >>

Press reports suggest that senior executives of Indian airline IndiGo and Qatar Airways will make a strategic business announcement on November 7, which could involve a comprehensive codeshare agreement and joint flights.
IndiGo chief executive Ronojoy Dutta and Qatar Airways chief executive Akbar Al Baker will "talk about the vision and future for both the airlines", they said in a statement. Read more >>

Dieter Haltmayer, founder and president of Quick Cargo Service and a cult figure in the German and European logistics landscape celebrated his 85th birthday in a glamorous party last Saturday evening at Frankfurt’s Kulturpalast. Together with his large family, 185 handpicked invitees enjoyed the show, among them celebrities such as LH Cargo CEO Peter Gerber and his spouse, Hessian State’s former Minister of Transport Lothar Klemm and his wife, Heinz-Peter Becker, Walldorf-Moerfelden’s former mayor, LH Cargo CCO Dorothea von Boxberg and her husband and VP Germany Achim Martinka of LH Cargo together with his wife, to name but a few. Read more >>