Years ago, ground handling services at commercial airports were strictly conducted by the airlines themselves. In a move to concentrate on their core business and lower labor and equipment costs, a number of airlines began to contract with third parties to provide the service. Of version of the self-handling model involved the hiving off of a semi-autonomous unit that, aside from handling the parent airline, would also seek business from other carriers and at various airports. As the … [Read more...] about Ground Handling Supplement in February issue

Another year over – almost – and for pretty much most of the air cargo industry it’s probably a year best forgotten. But as we are, here on the eve of the year-end and a brand new year awaits just around the corner, one cannot help but detect the scent of optimism in air. On the bright side, it appears industry opinion is unanimous that the worst is over and the world is unlikely to plunge back into turmoil in a much feared and – oh so cruel … [Read more...] about A new year beckons

Traces of cocaine among the remains of a cargo plane recently discovered in West Africa suggest that large aircraft are increasingly being used to smuggle drugs and even weapons to the region, possibly benefiting terrorists, the United Nation’s anti-crime chief said recently. The burned debris of a Boeing cargo plane was discovered in early November in the Gao region of Mali, said Antonio Maria Costa, head of the Vienna-based U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime. It is assumed to have … [Read more...] about EUROPE & CIS: UN warning on cargo plane use by smugglers

Four South-African Perishable freight agents – Aviator Airfreight, Grindrod PCA, Morgan Cargo, and Sky Services – recently inked an agreement with Air France-KLM, the first CO2 compensation dea, to compensate at least 50 per cent of the CO2 emitted by the transportation of fruit during the months of November and December. Earlier this year, AF-KL Cargo was the first major air carrier to offer the CO2 compensation service to its customers, allowing both freight forwarders … [Read more...] about EUROPE & CIS: AF-KLM cuts first CO2 compensation deal

Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsia) suspended the operator certificate of Aeroflot-Cargo on 1 December 2009. The Arbitration Court of the Moscow Region approved the decision to liquidate the company in late October 2009. The cargo business of Aeroflot-Cargo will be transferred to the cargo department of its parent company Aeroflot – Russian Airlines. Meanwhile, Aeroflot has approved the decision to dispose off the former cargo unit’s MD-11 … [Read more...] about EUROPE & CIS: Operator certificate of Aeroflot-Cargo suspended