Cargo

Ireland, 30th June 2025: Republic of Ireland based ECT Aviation has acquired its first Britten-Norman BN2T-4S Islander aircraft, expanding its operations into dedicated cargo services between Europe and North Africa. The aircraft will be deployed on high-frequency freight routes, notably linking Lyon Saint Exupéry Airport (LFLL) with key North African destinations. Flights will be operated in partnership with aviation services provider AVICO, with a focus on high-value, time-sensitive cargo including pharmaceuticals, artwork, precious metals, and critical documentation. Headquartered at Lyon Bron Business Airport (LFLY) and registered in Dublin, ECT currently operates a Pilatus PC-12 NGX for business aviation and MEDEVAC across Europe. The BN2T-4S will mark the company’s entry into scheduled freight operations, with service launch expected by late 2025, following delivery of the aircraft this autumn. Operations will be conducted under a German Air Operator Certificate (AOC) via Pro Air. In addition to this initial purchase, ECT has signed a Letter of Intent for a second BN2T-4S Islander, scheduled for delivery in early 2026. This planned expansion reflects the company’s strategic intent to build a dedicated, regionally focused cargo fleet serving markets that require speed, flexibility, and operational resilience. The BN2T-4S is the largest variant of Britten-Norman’s proven utility platform, the Islander. It features twin Rolls-Royce 250 B17F turboprops (400 hp flat-rated), a stretched fuselage, and a 30% increase in internal cabin space. The aircraft has a maximum take-off weight of 8,500 lbs and offers a range of 805 nautical miles (1,491 km), 7+ hours of endurance, and retains the platform’s STOL (short take-off and landing) capability, making it ideal for remote or unprepared strips. The aircraft will be equipped with the latest Garmin G600 TXi glass cockpit, including 10” primary displays, GTN 750/650Xi NAV/COMM/GPS units, and ADS-B Out transponders – supporting enhanced safety, regulatory compliance, and pilot efficiency. Fabrice Jounot, Managing Director at ECT Aviation, comments: “We’ve seen consistent demand from clients needing fast, flexible logistics into regions that are underserved by traditional carriers. The BN2T-4S offers the right combination of rugged performance and modern avionics to deliver reliable cargo operations, even into short or remote runways. It’s a highly capable platform that supports our strategy to grow specialised air freight between Europe and North Africa.”

London, 20th June 2025: Baltic Ground Services (BGS), an international ground handling, aircraft fuel supply and logistics service provider, has entered into a new strategic partnership with AEGEAN, the Greek flag carrier. The company, part of Avia Solutions Group, the world’s largest ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, and Insurance) provider, will supply AEGEAN with comprehensive ground handling services at Vilnius International Airport (VNO). The partnership commenced with AEGEAN first flight to Vilnius this year on June 3, 2025, followed by the first departure from Vilnius on June 4, 2025. AEGEAN operates scheduled direct flights between Vilnius and Athens twice a week, every Wednesday and Sundays, using Airbus A320 aircraft, with services available through the end of October. Launched last June, the Vilnius-Athens route offers Lithuanian passengers seamless access to the Greek capital, while also serving as a gate-away to the Greek islands and other destinations across Europe and the Middle East via Athens International Airport. It is particularly relevant for travelers planning leisure or business trips to southern Europe. “We are excited to support AEGEAN with our ground handling services in Vilnius,” says Vitalis Dudys, BGS Group Head of Commerce. “This partnership allows us to strengthen our presence at VNO, which has shown remarkable growth in recent years – passenger numbers increased by 9% to 4.8 million in 2024 compared to 2023.” AEGEAN, Greece’s leading carrier and member of STAR ALLIANCE founded in 1999 and, over its 25-year history, has grown into the most successful and fastest-growing regional airline. The 2025 AEGEAN network includes 250 direct routes, both scheduled and charter flights (55 domestic and 195 international), connecting 162 destinations in Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. These routes are operated from AEGEAN’s seven bases in Greece and abroad, with a fleet of 83 aircraft, including the latest Airbus 320 and 321 neo. “We are pleased to establish a partnership with BGS as we commence our second year of operations on the Vilnius-Athens route”, comments Panos Nicolaidis, AEGEAN’s Chief Ground Operations Officer. “Their professional ground handling services and deep local expertise are essential to ensuring the efficiency and reliability of our operations. This partnership enables us to remain focus on our core mission – connecting Lithuania with Greece and the wider Mediterranean region, while consistently delivering high-quality service to our passengers”.

Munich, June 5, 2025: Global GSA Group and Qantas have announced a new pan-European cargo partnership leveraging Qantas’ direct services from Rome and Paris and Global GSA Group’s extensive interline connections.Qantas offers seasonal services from Rome’s Fiumicino airport with three weekly Boeing 787-9 services providing generous cargo capacity during European Summer. The Australian carrier also offers year-round services from Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport with three weekly flights also operated by the Boeing 787-9 and a weekly cargo uplift of around 45 tonnes. Direct flights from France and Italy are available for booking with seasonal Rome-Perth-Sydney services set to commence on 15 June 2025.Aytekin Saray, Global GSA Group’s Chief Executive Officer, and Mallory Logan, Head of Global Sales and Customer for Qantas Freight this week signed the three-year agreement selecting Global GSA Group as Qantas Freight’s GSA in Europe. As one of the world’s leading GSAs with a dense commercial network in 25 European countries and strong interline connections, Global GSA Group will assist in implementing and developing Qantas’ cargo expansion plans for mainland Europe over the next three years. An efficient and flexible mix of direct flights and interline opportunities will give European freight forwarders access to reliable services to Australia and beyond. “As the only Australian carrier providing direct services from two European ports to Australia with connections to broader Oceania destinations, Qantas offers a huge network of opportunity for European freight forwarders to reach domestic and international destinations within Oceania,” said Aytekin Saray, Chief Executive Officer of Global GSA Group. “Global GSA Group looks forward to supporting Qantas as it expands its cargo offerings from Europe, leveraging our solid presence on this continent to provide a broad and long-term cargo network and increased online operations for the region.” Igor Kwiatkowski, Executive Manager of Qantas Freight, said the Australian carrier was looking forward to partnering with Global GSA Group for its re-entry into Europe. “We are thrilled to partner with an experienced GSA like Global GSA Group to offer our customers more efficient and flexible air freight services from Europe. This strategic partnership allows us to make the most of cargo network in the region and make it easier for freight forwarders to access our capacity from Europe to Australia and meet continued global ecommerce demand.” Flight QF34 takes off at 10:25 every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from Paris -Charles de Gaulle to Perth, where it lands at 08:45 the next day. At 10:30, it continues onto Sydney, landing at 16:25 the same afternoon. From Perth, Qantas offers multiple onward connections to Melbourne (MEL) and Brisbane (BNE), while Sydney feeds into key ports like Aukland (AKL), Nouméa (NOU), New Caledonia and more. From 15th June 2025 to 3rd October 2025, three flights per week will set off from Rome via Perth to Sydney. Flight number QF6 departs Italy on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. ________________________________________

Toulouse,France, 29th May 2025: Liebherr-Aerospace has announced its participation for the first time in Air Cargo Europe From June 2 to 5, 2025. This event is marked as one of the most important exhibition and conference for the global air cargo industry. Liebherr team will showcase at booth no. 278 the Class F Cargo Conversion,a quick solution to convert passenger to freighter cargo aircraft that has been developed and certified by LHColus Technologia Ltda in São José dos Campos (Brazil).Liebherr is responsible for the global distribution of the kit, excluding Brazil, through its worldwide customer services network, whichprovides sales and technical support. The Class F Cargo Conversion is implemented by means of a simple, fast, and fully reversible modification ofthe aircraft cabin. The ground time required to convert the aircraft in either direction is just a small fraction of a classic cargo conversion of a narrow-body aircraft. After its certification by ANAC, the Brazilian National Civil Aviation Agency, the solution’s efficiency and reliability had been field-proven with a sizeable Embraer E190 fleet operating for over two years in Latin America. More than 20,000 flight hours have been already accumulated and over 16 million packages equivalent to 35,000 tons of payload have been transported. The solution is currently being certifiedby the FAA, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, for Embraer E190 aircraft and can be extended to other single aisle aircraft types. “We are excited about our participation in Air Cargo Europe 2025 to showcase such an easy, fully reversible and cost-effective solution and discuss upcoming business opportunities”, commented Joël Cadaux, Director Business and Services of Liebherr-Aerospace & Transportation SAS.

Doha, 28th May 2025: Qatar Airways Cargo has announced the expansion of Sama, the airline’s pioneering AI Digital Human, who has successfully transitioned from enhancing passenger services to now revolutionising the cargo experience. This innovative development will be showcased at Air Cargo Europe, taking place from 2-5 June 2025 in Munich, Germany. Initially launched to assist passengers with bookings, enquiries, and customer service interactions, Sama has redefined the way travellers engage with Qatar Airways. Her advanced capabilities allows passengers to receive personalised, real-time support, marking a significant advancement in the airline’s technological integration. Now, Sama is stepping into the cargo universe, bringing her expertise to the air freight sector. She will assist customers with cargo bookings, provide shipment tracking, and address enquiries specifically related to air freight services. This transition aims to streamline the cargo booking process and enhance service efficiency for clients in logistics and shipping. “By expanding Sama’s role into the cargo sector, we are reinforcing our commitment to innovation and excellence across all areas of Qatar Airways,” said Mark Drusch, Chief Officer Cargo at Qatar Airways Cargo. “Sama not only enhances the passenger experience but will now play a crucial role in facilitating seamless cargo operations. Our goal is to ensure that our clients receive the same high level of service in cargo as they do with our passenger offerings.” Attendees at Air Cargo Europe will have the opportunity to meet Sama firsthand and witness demonstrations of her capabilities in action. Qatar Airways Cargo invites all media and industry professionals to visit our booth in Hall A2/ Booth 101/202 to learn more about how Sama is transforming the cargo booking experience and driving digital transformation in the aviation industry.

Amsterdam, May 19th, 2025: Global GSA Group subsidiary, Mondial Airline Services GmbH has won the GSA tender to represent Coyne Airways across Germany, with a primary focus on the airline’s scheduled freighter business from Frankfurt via Liège to the Caspian region (Georgia and Armenia), and flexible connections to the Middle East, and Africa. Mondial Airlines Services GmbH became Coyne Airways’ GSA in Germany on 17 April 2025, and now represents a unique cargo business that has been firmly established and built over a period of more than thirty years. The GSA contract core focus is on Coyne Airways’ two direct Boeing 767 freighter flights out of Liège on Sundays and Tuesdays, to Tbilisi (TBS) in Georgia, and Yerevan (EVN) in Armenia. Mondial arranges the corresponding truck connections to and from Frankfurt, carrying regular shipments of automotives, car parts, health care products, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, and foodstuffs. The contract also encompasses a strong Gulf service offering a flight network of more than 30 lesser-served destinations across the Middle East and Africa, via transit hubs in Sharjah (SHJ) and Dubai (DWC) in the UAE. These include destinations such as Kabul (KBL) in Afghanistan, Baghdad (BGW), Basra (BSR), Erbil (EBL) and Sulaimaniyah (ISU) in Iraq, Asmara (ASM) in Eritrea, Juba (JUB) in South Sudan, and Ndjamena (NDJ) in Chad, for example. “Local market expertise is the foundation for business success. With its offices in Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, Munich, Stuttgart and Hamburg, and proven sales excellence, we are confident that Mondial will deliver the high quality response times and customer service levels that our customers at Coyne Airways expect and deserve,” says Larry Coyne, Chief Executive Officer of Coyne Airways. “And, as we continue to expand, Mondial will be able to provide the additional resources necessary to meet the increasing demand for our freighter services to the Caucasus region, the Middle East and Africa.” “To count such an established and unique airline model as Coyne Airways as our latest partner is both an honour and an inspiration for us at Global GSA Group and Mondial Airline Services GmbH, in particular,” states Zafer Aggunduz, Chief Commercial Officer, Global GSA Group. “Our GSA teams across Germany pride themselves in the entrepreneurial spirit, agility and product knowledge required to act as a perfect extension of Coyne Airways in their local markets. We look forward to contributing to Coyne Airways’ continued success.” “Coyne Airways is an outstanding example of how flexibility and reliability can be perfectly in tune,” says Aytekin Saray, Chief Executive Officer of Global GSA Group. “Its service covers the entire spectrum of cargo commodities from pharma to dangerous goods, and connects many of the more challenging and lesser-served destinations, so processes need to be expertly organised and all eventualities considered to ensure the quality expected by its customers. Mondial Airline Services GmbH is always ready to make the seemingly impossible effortlessly possible, in line with its airline partner’s philosophy.”

Dubai,19th May 2025: Emirates has unveiled its highly anticipated bespoke A380 livery, dedicated to its new door-to-door delivery solution, Emirates Courier Express. The iconic passenger aircraft will take to the skies, reinforcing Emirates’ commitment to redefining the express delivery experience by merging its four-decade experience of moving people and goods worldwide. Managed in-house at Emirates Engineering, the Emirates Courier Express livery required the A380 to undergo a full repaint, as part of an expansive project encompassing design, production installation and painting of the livery to bring the customised aircraft to life. Inspired by brown paper packages, the aircraft’s nose and fuselage are wrapped in kraft paper, torn to reveal the UAE flag on the tailfin and the Emirates Courier Express logo emblazoned on each side. The logo also adorns each of the four engines, while the belly features the classic red Emirates branding. A large ‘special delivery’ stamp, coupled with instantly recognisable handling stamps decorate the body, bringing the design to life. The striking nose-to-tail livery highlights exactly what makes this door-to-door express delivery solution so innovative: the seamless integration between Emirates’ fleet of over 250 widebody aircraft and high-frequency global network, with Emirates SkyCargo’s world-class infrastructure and deep understanding of logistics. It also marks the first cargo inspired livery on an Emirates’ passenger aircraft. The Emirates Courier Express A380 took off to O.R. Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg this week, carrying both passengers and parcels directly to their destination.

Gurugram,May 15th,2025: Transport Corporation of India Ltd.(TCI),India’s leading integrated multi modal logistics and supply chain solutions provider has announced its financial results for the quarter and financial year ended March 31,2025. Financial Highlights for Q4 FY 2025: :- Revenue: TCI reported a consolidated revenue of 11,972 Mn,marking a growth of 9.3% compared to Rs. 10,954 Mn in the same period last year. :- EBITDA: The company’s Earnings Before Interest,Taxes,Depreciation,and Amortization (EBITDA) stood at Rs.1,401 Mn,a 11.3 % increase from Rs 1,259 Mn. in FY 2024. :- Profit After Tax (PAT): PAT rose by 11.4% to Rs.1,151 Mn.,compared to Rs.1,033 Mn.in the previous year.   Management Views: Summarizing the multi dimensional performance insights, Mr. Vineet Agarwal,MD-TCI, said: “FY 2025 has been a year of systemic growth at TCI. Despite global uncertainties and evolving supply chain dynamics, our focus on multimodal integration, sustainability and digitalization have propelled decisive advancement.” Driven by consumption lead warehousing demand, spanning quick commerce, retail and consumer durables sectors, weal so strengthened our niche logistics and multi modal solutions for bulk goods, heavy machinery &large equipment. By deploying smart assets in rail and coastal transport we have deepened our capabilities with high−capacity 40−foot,40−tonne containers,fixed chassis units and ISO containers,ensuring efficiency and scalability in operations. Sustainability remains intrinsic to our innovation road map, marked by the induction of EV and LNG trucks in our fleet and the transition to renewable energy−powered warehousing. The TEMT tool, developed by the TCI−IIM Supply Chain Sustainability Lab, which holds the distinction of being India’s first ISO−certified tool has also been recognized by the Smart Freight Centre in the Netherlands for its contribution in decarbonizing freight transportation. Further strengthening our digital capabilities, we have success fully piloted AI−driven analytics, bot−based service operations and are testing Agentic AI solutions to elevate customer experience and operational precision. He further added, “With the global logistics sector undergoing transformative acceleration,TCI remains stead fast in its commitment to resilience, innovation, operational excellence and stake holder value creation. As we look ahead, we are investing in up−skilling talent,green logistics, automation and strategic partnerships, aligned with our vision to be a key enabler in positioning India as a global logistics hub.”  

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia,13th May 2025: While international air travel and cargo demand continues to rise in the Asia Pacific, an overhanging supply crisis threatens to stall the region’s growth as the largest air transport market in the world. According to the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines, demand for air services is strong but growth has begun to moderate in 2025. Average load factors are at a record high of 83%, reflecting capacity constraints. “In 2025, over one-fifth of aircraft deliveries are expected to be delayed,” said Subhas Menon, Director General of AAPA. “Pandemic-induced supply chain disruptions remain unresolved, and there’s no clear path to any meaningful alleviation of these constraints. The U.S. Government’s tariffs onslaught is set to further complicate an already fragile ecosystem” said Subhas Menon, Director General of AAPA. Aircraft and engine production is a global effort, relying on components sourced from many different markets. The imposition of new tariffs and retaliatory measures threaten to drive up costs and slow production further — costs and delays that will ultimately be borne by airlines and their customers. “Aviation supply chains were built on the efficiencies of open markets and international cooperation,” said Menon. “Now, that framework is being wholly undermined. Free trade has always lifted aviation – and the broader economy. Trade barriers do the opposite, dragging everyone down,” said Mr. Menon. ICAO mandate for Net Zero Carbon Emissions by 2050 The industry’s path to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 is also under threat. Delayed deliveries mean airlines must keep older, less efficient aircraft in service, without any emissions reductions. Compounding this is the limited availability of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). Of the 1.5 million tonnes projected for 2024, only 1 million tonnes were produced. “Worryingly, very few traditional fuel suppliers have joined the SAF supply chain,” Menon added. “Demand for SAF continues to outstrip supply, and costs remain prohibitively high. Regulatory frameworks to encourage SAF production are still underdeveloped, inconsistent, or insufficient.” Asia Pacific airlines, play a crucial role in connecting economies and communities, but are operating on slim margins. The rising burden of regulatory hurdles, surging equipment costs, and supply shortages, threaten the long term growth and sustainability of the industry. Commenting on what more needs to be done, Menon said, “Aviation is a catalyst for sustainable economies and global connectivity. Its contribution to economic and social development is an outsized one, particularly in the Asia Pacific region. Airlines don’t manufacture aircraft, engines, fuel, or manage airports and airspace. Air services are clearly in demand, but meeting the demand is more difficult now due to factors outside the control of airlines. Governments and suppliers must step up to tackle this disconnect.”