Challenge Airlines: first flight from Istanbul today 
Challenge Group is starting the new year as it means to go on, with an historic, inaugural Challenge Airlines flight out of Istanbul, Turkey, today 25 January 2023. The freighter will carry a mix of Turkey’s main export products: garments, fabrics, and automotive parts, all from... more
The industry needs staying power 
GSSA expects airfreight upturn in Q2 or H2. After a peak season that didn’t deserve the moniker the air cargo industry is now looking to the future with uncertainty. Andrius Antanaitis, director of business development for Europe at Strike Aviation, thinks the industry will have... more
Etihad Cargo restructures customer contact centre
Etihad Cargo, the cargo and logistics arm of Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Aviation Group, has divided its existing customer contact centre into two separate units. One team will be dedicated to serve UAE customers, and the other will serve the rest of the world and global key... more
Tonnages make a big jump again - yields not yet
The latest preliminary figures from World ACD Market Data reveal a strong post-holiday season recovery of global air cargo tonnages in the second week of 2023. The 19% upswing is delayed compared with last year, when tonnages had already begun to recover by the end of the first... more
Recent developments in global piracy
The ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB)'s report on global piracy in 2022 sums up 115 recorded incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships – compared to 132 in 2021. In total, 107 vessels were boarded, two vessels hijacked, five attack attempts failed and one vessel... more
Istanbul Alibaba's next hub?
Several international and Turkish papers have stated that the Chinese e-commerce group Alibaba is planning a new logistics hub in Turkey. Besides a warehouse close to Istanbul Airport, a data centre near Ankara is part of the scheme. The total investment will be USD 1... more
Who would like to buy Pembroke?
Standard Chartered is exploring alternatives for the future ownership of its aviation finance business, which includes Pembroke. Standard Chartered’s global aircraft leasing and financing operation manages a modern fleet of aircraft - but without maindeck cargo capacity -... more
Asyad goes Singapore
Oman-based Asyad Shipping has opened the company’s first international office in Singapore to expand its business portfolio into the Asian market. Earlier this year, Asyad Shipping commissioned a new container line that connects Oman directly to Singapore and Malaysia to... more
Mycrane reaches milestone in USA
Mycrane has launched its own office in USA. Houston-based Scott Wilkes has been appointed as director of business development, reporting directly to the senior management team in UAE. Because of the importance and size of the market, Mycrane has decided to establish its own... more
Etihad Cargo hosts Cargo iQ meeting
Etihad Cargo, the cargo and logistics arm of Etihad Aviation Group, will host Cargo iQ's first working group meeting of 2023, from 17-19 January in the UAE's capital, Abu Dhabi. The meeting will bring together over 40 attendees plus online members from around the world to... more