Russian flag carrier Aeroflot plans to slash another 2,000 jobs out of its 15,000 staff, in the next six months. The airline announced its 2008 profits dropped 88 per cent due to higher kerosene and oil prices and net losses in its cargo operations. Aeroflot Cargo declared bankruptcy in June. … [Read more...] about EUROPE & CIS: Massive job cuts at Aeroflot

Aeroflot-Cargo has reported August cargo volumes amounting to 14,140 tonnes of freight and mail, which have exceeded last year’s volumes by 4.3 per cent. Of the total, 7,659 tonnes were uplifted on flights of Aeroflot’s passenger network while Aeroflot-Cargo’s freighter fleet of three MD-11Fs carried 6,480 tonnes exceeding last year’s volumes by 10.7 per cent. The Russian cargo carrier’s volumes this year have grown month-on-month from … [Read more...] about EUROPE & CIS: Aeroflot-Cargo’s August volumes up 4.3% on ‘08

Coyne Airways, the British carrier noted for serving difficult markets such as Iraq and Afghanistan, has appointed Air Proxy as its first ever GSSA for Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Air Proxy is the exclusive member of the EGSAC network for the Baltic States, and is the tenth EGSAC member to represent Coyne Airways. Air Proxy sees considerable potential in Coyne Airways’ B747 freighter services from Frankfurt and Cologne to its Tbilisi hub, from which it serves Aktau, Atyrau, … [Read more...] about EUROPE & CIS: Coyne picks Air Proxy for Eastern Europe

Market Air has won a three-year contract to provide cargo GSA services in Spain for airlines of the SAS Group. The contract took effect on 1 September and it awards Market Air responsibility to market cargo capacity to freight forwarders in Spain for Scandinavian Airlines, Spanair and Blue 1. The SAS Group airlines operate more than 50 flights a day from Spain serving destinations in the Canary and Balearic Islands, mainland Spain, Europe, the United Sates and Far East. Its fleet of MD80 and … [Read more...] about EUROPE & CIS: Market Air to provide GSA services for SAS in Spain

Following closely on the heels of Lufthansa Cargo’s recent announcement that it will raise its rates by 25 per cent, Air France-KLM Cargo has followed suit with a similar announcement of rate hikes. In a nearly identical move by AF-KLM, the Franco-Dutch carrier announced via an email to its customers that it would increase its rates by as much as 30 per cent from next month. “The results of Air France Cargo-KLM Cargo are under severe pressure given the extraordinary market … [Read more...] about EUROPE & CIS: AF-KLM follows Lufthansa in announcing hefty rate hikes

Former SAS Cargo sales director Jan Lillieborg, who is charged with the obstruction of justice in connection with the airline’s involvement in the globespanning cargo price fixing scandal, is said to be on the run after being fired from his new job, according to the Copenhagen Post. Lillieborg – indicted on three counts by the US Department of Justice – was reportedly fired from his job with Swedish company Green Cargo on Tuesday and has been uncontactable … [Read more...] about EUROPE & CIS: Former SAS cargo director on run from Interpol