Air Freight News
Below are links to stories relating to air freight
East Midlands Airport had 2nd busiest year for air cargo – after 2007
Date added: 4 April, 2011
In 2010 EMA had its 2nd highest year ever for air cargo, saying its cargo department handled over 300,000 tonnes of freight last year. The
airport hopes that "as the UK comes out of recession, the air freight sector will play an increasingly
important role in supporting UK businesses engaged in high-value sectors of the
economy. Already almost 40% of UK trade with non-EU countries by value is transported
by air."
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12 die as mercy flight freighter crashes just after take off in Karachi
Date added: 29 November, 2010
A Russia-built freighter crashed in Karachi in the early hours of the morning
killing at least 12 people.
The Ilyushin Il-76 was carrying 31 tonnes of relief aid to Khartoum in Sudan.
The plane caught fire immediately after take off from Karachi’s Jinnah International
Airport. It crashed minutes later into a residential construction site, exploding
into a fire ball, killing all 8 crew and at least 4 people on the ground and injuring a
few more.
(IFW)
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IATA says global air freight demand rose 14.4% in October; freight is 1% above early 2008 levels
Date added: 25 November, 2010
In October, compared to a year before, international freight was up + 14.4%. Freight appears to be at a turning point. In October global cargo capacity expansion
of + 9.2% was well below the demand increase of +24%. Global freight is +1% above
its previous peak level in early 2008. European airlines recorded a +12.1% year-on-year demand increase in October, though their traffic
remains 12% below pre-recession levels of early 2008.
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Airships and air cargo ? They may have a low carbon transport future
Date added: 20 November, 2010
There are a number of companies in the US, and at least one in Germany, that
are engaged in the design and development of the next generation of airships.
A few are developing heavylift vehicles – of course, "heavylift" is only thinking in kilos
rather than tonnes. Heavylift is not an easy problem to resolve in lighter-than-air
ships. To achieve any meaningful lift capacity, the size of the vehicle has to
be impracticably large.
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Cargo plane bomb found in Britain was primed to blow up over US
Date added: 11 November, 2010
Scotland Yard has revealed that the device taken from a plane in Britain was
timed to explode in mid-air over the eastern United States. The bomb was found by police on board a cargo plane at East Midlands airport
last month after detailed information was passed through intelligence channels
to the UK and US from Saudi Arabia. An alarm clock on a mobile phone attached to the printer bomb was set to go off
at 10.30am BST. Another device was found at Dubai airport.
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British Airways fined €104m for role in air cargo cartel
Date added: 8 November, 2010
BA was one of 11 airlines fined a total of €799m for rigging fuel and security
surcharges over 6 years, spanning December 1999 to February 14. The EC decision
leaves the carriers exposed to class-action damages claims from customers representing
€6bn of cargo traffic. A 3 year investigation by the EC found the airlines started by fixing fuel surcharges and
then "extended their co-operation by introducing a security surcharge". (Telegraph)
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Qantas A380 landing: Airlines were warned in August over engine safety
Date added: 4 November, 2010
Two airlines - Qantas and Singapore Airways - grounded their fleets of Airbus A380 superjumbos following an emergency landing by a Qantas plane after one
of its engines blew apart in mid-air. It showered debris on the ground below.
In August Europe's air safety watchdog (EASA) issued an alert about abnormal wear
on splines used to secure the turbines inside the British-made Rolls Royce engines
used on the A380, but experts said it was too early to tell if the two were connected.
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Airlines will work with government over new freight security measures
Date added: 3 November, 2010
Airlines have pledged to work with the UK Government to accommodate new security measures announced by Theresa May following the Yemeni plane terror plot. From today for a monoth the carrying of toner cartridges larger than 500g in passengers’ hand luggage on flights leaving the UK will be banned. Also the carriage of these cartridges by air cargo is banned into, via or from the UK unless they originate from a known shipper with DFT approval.
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Bombs reveal major flaws in screening of international freight
Date added: 31 October, 2010
The bomb at East Midlands airport was missed initially. Security experts have
said the Yemeni bombing plot had taken advantage of known weaknesses in the way
international cargo is screened. Not all cargo is screened. In 2008 only 3 - 4%
of cargo on passenger planes was being screened worldwide. Britain and other countries
remain vulnerable to terrorists switching their focus to cargo planes. Just a
small amount of pentaerythritol tetranitrate, better know as PETN, could badly
damage a plane.
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IATA: global air freight still growing September, but only just
Date added: 26 October, 2010
Global air freight traffic recorded a 14.8% year-on-year increase, which is significantly
weaker than the 19.0% rise recorded in August. Freight capacity increased by 11.9%. European freight demand recorded an 11.1%
increase. Seasonally adjusted figures show that, compared to August, global freight
markets contracted by - 2.1%. September’s decline was larger than anticipated.
Freight activity has fallen 6% since May’s post-crisis peak.
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