NCA says it will be at least ‘more than another week’ before 747-Fs are back in the sky

Today, Nippon Cargo Airlines (NCA) released a statement saying its 747 freighter fleet will remain on the ground for another week, following last week’s news that the carrier would undergo an immediate government audit, pausing its 11 freighters from running services on its trans-Pacific routes due to the discovery of discrepancies in the airline’s maintenance […]

• Nina Chamlou
• June 22, 2018

Alibaba plans massive 3-year expansion of Rural Taobao network

In an effort to cover more of the smaller towns across the vast expanses of Western China, Alibaba Group said it plans to widen the reach of its “Rural Taobao” project to include 1,000 counties and 150,000 villages across China in the next three years. Launched in 2014, Rural Taobao is the company’s program to […]

• Randy Woods
• June 22, 2018

IoT firm Roambee secures investment from Indonesia’s MDI Ventures

Santa Clara-based internet of things (IoT) company Roambee has received a US$2 million investment from MDI Ventures, the corporate venture arm of Telkom Indonesia. The deal will give Roambee access to the Indonesian logistics market, which is projected to grow to $240 billion by 2021. The Roambee asset monitoring system uses Bluetooth, wi-fi and Global […]

• Nina Chamlou
• June 22, 2018

Trade War Fallout: 5 ways the Trump tariffs could impact air cargo

In trade wars, there tend to many casualties and few winners. But in the current politically charged climate, a trade war is now a reality, as the United States decided in March to adopt an aggressive protectionist policy to correct what the Trump administration believes is a crippling trade deficit between the U.S. and several […]

• Randy Woods
• June 21, 2018

Cool Chain Association: Standards needed to prevent waste of a third of world food supply

This week, the Cool Chain Association (CCA) hosted its bi-annual event in Luxembourg to discuss industry trends – this time, narrowing in on the waste and spoilage associated with the supply chain of edible perishables. Shrinkage in supply chain logistics is a tale as old as time, but the CCA is now calling for a change […]

• Nina Chamlou
• June 21, 2018

MNX Logistics to build a cool-chain pharma facility at JFK

Long Beach-based MNX Global Logistics has opened a 14,000-square-foot “healthcare and life sciences” logistics facility near New York’s JFK International Airport for temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical cargo, in compliance with the Good Distribution Practice (GDP) standards for the safe transportation of cool-chain products. The company’s CEO, Paul Martins, cites a heightened demand for biologics, cold-chain and medical […]

• Nina Chamlou
• June 21, 2018

FedEx reports solid fourth quarter results

Yesterday, in addition to the announcement that FedEx ordered for twelve 767Fs, and twelve 777Fs in a deal valued at US$6.6 billion, the express giant reported revenue up 10.1 percent, y-o-y, in its fiscal fourth quarter (ended 31 May) to a record $17.31 billion. Net income for the quarter was $1.13 billion, up 10.5 percent from […]

• Randy Woods
• June 20, 2018

IAG Cargo to host competition for startups to secure investors

IAG Cargo, the cargo arm of International Airlines Group, is accepting applications for its third iteration of its 10-week long “Hangar 51 Travel Tech Accelerator” program, to be held in London. The mentorship for logistics startups offers a chance to win a “multimillion pound” investment for their business idea at the end of the program, […]

• Nina Chamlou
• June 20, 2018

Australian, Norwegian marine companies partner in IoT to transport live fish

A new partnership between marine transportation companies, Australian FloatPac and Norwegian LipFish AS, may be an example of an application of the internet of things (IoT) that could catch on in the airfreight industry. LipFish AS said it has “worked closely” with FishPac – the oxygen-transport-systems-specific arm of the Australian aquaculture company – to develop […]

• Nina Chamlou
• June 20, 2018

Updated Cargobase’s app features 3PL matching algorithm

Singapore-based freight management app, Cargobase, updated its services yesterday, launching what it calls the first “curated multi-freight mode marketplace,” an extension of its existing app, which serves as a platform for shippers and 3PLs to communicate. Cargobase expanded its spot-buying software in April, a service it called “On the Go,” which widened its audience to […]

• Nina Chamlou
• June 20, 2018

NCA audit may take longer than hoped

After Nippon Cargo Airlines (NCA) temporarily grounded its eleven 747-Fs due to a maintenance record discrepancy over the weekend, the forwarding community is saying the halt in air service may be longer than the Narita-based carrier’s initial estimate. Japan’s Civil Aviation Bureau is scheduling an inspection of NCA’s entire fleet after finding that the carrier has […]

• Nina Chamlou
• June 19, 2018

Freight management app ‘Kangaruu’ launches service

Another freight management startup, called Kangaruu, has entered the digitalization landscape, releasing its logistics management platform for shippers and brokers in the trucking industry. This year, we’ve seen airlines, logistics companies and tech start-ups try their hand at creating digital platforms through which industry members can communicate, with the goal of reducing or eliminating the […]

• Nina Chamlou
• June 19, 2018

Investment firm acquires WFS in new deal

Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) is being acquired by Cerberus Capital Management, the self-entitled “world’s largest air cargo handler,” based out of Paris, with a presence in 198 major airports in 22 countries. WFS is “positioned to benefit from attractive long-term industry growth,” said Cerberus’ head of global private equity and senior managing director, Brett Ingersoll. […]

• Nina Chamlou
• June 19, 2018

Google makes major e-commerce investment in China’s JD.com

In its latest foray into the e-commerce logistics world, Google has invested US$550 million in Beijing-based JD.com, giving the Silicon Valley giant greater access to services for global markets, including Southeast Asia, the United States, and Europe. The partnership is illustrative of both a growing focus on cross-border e-commerce, and the tendency of dominant e-tailers in […]

• Randy Woods
• June 18, 2018