Category: news

By Rebecca JeffreyRebecca Jeffrey9 January 2026

Carrier plans to expand SmartIST terminal capacity to 4.5m tonnes annually by 2028 and launch a dedicated e-commerce facility in 2026

Turkish Airlines is making major cargo investments

Turkish Airlines is making major cargo investments

Turkish Airlines has announced the second phase of its SmartIST air cargo terminal and a new e-commerce facility to further support Turkish Cargo’s business growth.

Air Cargo News published a news story on 2 January that detailed how Turkish reportedly planned to build a new cargo terminal, although the airline did not release details at the time.

In a press release yesterday, Turkish said the next development stage of SmartIST will enable the terminal to reach an annual capacity of 4.5m tons. Work is planned to be completed gradually during the 2027-2028 period.

Inaugurated in February 2022, SmartIST currently has an annual handling capacity of 2.2m tonnes. The facility includes specialised facilities such as temperature-controlled cold storage zones, dedicated pharmaceutical areas and designated sections for hazardous and radioactive materials.

Turkish is also planning a new e-commerce complex that is planned to enter service this year. The airline said the facility would support its e-commerce door-to-door delivery service.

In 2023, the airline announced it would provide door-to-door cargo services via a new subsidiary, THY Hava Kargo Taşımacılığı A.Ş.

Established specifically for the needs of the e-commerce sector, THY offers integrated air cargo solutions for its corporate customers in the e-commerce logistics sector under the Widect brand.

Widect aims to maximise Türkiye’s potential in the international express market with its wide flight network and direct connection opportunities.

Overall, Turkish has committed to building eight new facilities with a total investment value exceeding TRY100bn at several locations, primarily iGA Istanbul Airport.

Aside from the SmartIST Phase 2 project and the e-commerce facility, the company will invest in a new in-flight catering facility, a Turkish Technic engine maintenance centre, additional aircraft maintenance hangars to increase capability by an average of 20%, a data centre to improve technology capacity, a flight training centre, and an additional crew terminal building.

Commenting on the new investments, Turkish Airlines chairman of the board and the executive committee, Ahmet Bolat said: “In line with our 2033 targets, we are developing not only our fleet but also the robust infrastructure that will allow us to fully utilise this fleet.

“This investment initiative, exceeding TRY100bn and spanning from our cargo operations to our technical maintenance capacity, from our catering centers to integrated operational solutions, strengthens our global competitiveness and is a concrete evidence of our vision to make Türkiye one of the world’s foremost aviation hubs.

“These investments, which will provide 26,000 new jobs in 2026, will increase to 36,000 when all phases are completed. With these steps, we are building not only facilities but also an ecosystem for the future of our country’s economy and aviation sector.

“Today, our company’s contribution to our country’s economy is $65bn, and when we reach our 2033 goals, this figure will reach $144bn.”

 

January 5, 2026 by PLA Editor

association of asia pacific airlines

Preliminary November 2025 traffic figures released by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) showed continued strong growth in both international air passenger and cargo markets. Travel demand remained robust within the region and across key long-haul routes, while inventory restocking and increased e-commerce activity heading into the year-end festive season supported further expansion in air cargo demand.

Overall, the number of international passengers carried by Asia Pacific airlines increased by 8.3% year-on-year in November to a combined total of 32.9 million. Measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPK), demand grew by 9.0% compared to the same month in 2024, outpacing the 8.0% expansion in available seat capacity. As a result, the average international passenger load factor rose by 0.8 percentage points to 83.2% for the month.

Reflecting increased export activity from Asian economies, particularly in South-East Asia and India, Asia Pacific carriers recorded a 6.2% year-on-year increase in international air cargo demand, as measured in freight tonne kilometres (FTK), in November. Offered freight capacity rose by 7.2% year-on-year, resulting in a marginal 0.6 percentage point decline in the average international freight load factor to 61.9% for the month.

Commenting on the results, Mr. Subhas Menon, AAPA Director General, said, “Continued robust growth in both leisure and business travel propelled passenger demand higher in November, contributing to a solid 10% increase in the number of international passengers carried for the first eleven months of the year, to a total of 355 million.”

“Meanwhile, Asian carriers benefitted from strong demand for the timely shipment of goods, consistent with past traffic trends for this time of the year. Overall, air cargo demand remained resilient over the year, rising by 5.6% year-on-year for the first eleven months of 2025, as supply chains increasingly shifted towards other economies in Asia.”

Looking ahead, Mr. Menon concluded, “The overall outlook is positive, with passenger demand expected to record further growth in 2026. Intensifying market competition is placing pressure on yields, while airlines continue to face cost pressures arising from persistent supply chain challenges. Although the decline in oil prices provides some relief, airlines remain vigilant in managing costs to maintain profitability.”

8 January 2026   No. 1

Geneva – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) released data for November 2025 global air cargo markets showing:

• Total demand, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTK), rose by 5.5% compared to November 2024 levels (+6.9% for international operations).
• Capacity, measured in available cargo tonne-kilometers (ACTK), increased by 4.7% compared to November 2024 (+6.5% for international operations).

“Air cargo demand grew 5.5% year-on-year in November 2025, boosted by shippers prioritizing timely delivery in the lead-up to the year-end holiday season. Strong emerging market demand and selective Middle Eastern growth more than made-up for softness in the Americas amid ongoing adjustment to the new US tariff regime. Globally, the fourth quarter for air cargo was resilient as strategic re-routing of trade shaped performance across key markets. The strong end for 2025 bodes well for the air cargo industry as it enters the new year,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.

Several factors in the operating environment should be noted:

• The global goods trade grew by 3.2% year-on-year in October.
• Jet fuel prices rose 5.9% in November despite falling crude prices, driven by refinery disruptions, EU restrictions on Russian-derived products, and limited spare refining capacity, pushing crack spreads close to double last year’s levels.
• Global manufacturing sentiment strengthened in November, with the PMI rising for the fourth consecutive month to reach 51.17. New export orders improved slightly to 49.87, but remained below the 50-point expansion threshold, reflecting ongoing caution amid tariff uncertainty.

Air cargo market in detail – November 2025

November 2025

(% year-on-year)             World share1     CTK        ACTK     CLF (%-pt)           CLF (level)

Total Market      100%     5.5%      4.7%      0.4%      49.1%

Africa    2.0%      15.6%    18.1%    -0.9%     44.2%

Asia Pacific          34.3%    10.3%    8.4%      0.9%      50.2%

Europe 21.5%    5.8%      4.1%      0.9%      57.9%

Latin America and Caribbean      2.9%      -4.8%     -3.0%     -0.7%     39.6%

Middle East        13.6%    7.4%      11.0%    -1.6%     47.8%

North America  25.7%    -1.6%     -2.3%     0.3%      44.1%

1% of industry CTKs in 2024

November Regional Performance

Asia-Pacific airlines saw a 10.3% year-on-year growth in air cargo demand in November. Capacity increased by 8.4% year-on-year.

North American carriers saw a 1.6% year-on-year decrease in growth for air cargo in November. Capacity decreased by 2.3% year-on-year.

European carriers saw a 5.8% year-on-year increase in demand for air cargo in November. Capacity increased 4.1% year-on-year.

Middle Eastern carriers saw a 7.4% year-on-year increase in demand for air cargo in November. Capacity increased by 11.0% year-on-year.

Latin American and Caribbean carriers saw a 4.8% year-on-year decrease in demand for air cargo in November, the weakest performance of all regions. Capacity decreased by 3.0% year-on-year.

African airlines saw a 15.6% year-on-year increase in demand for air cargo in November, the strongest rise of all regions. Capacity increased by 18.1% year-on-year.

Trade Lane Growth

Air freight volumes in November 2025 increased across all major trade corridors.

 

Trade Lane          YOY Growth       Notes    Market Share of Industry*

Asia-North America        +1.8%    1 month of growth          24.6%

Europe-Asia       +11.7% 33 consecutive months of growth            20.4%

Middle East-Europe        +5.4%    1 month of growth          5.6%

Middle East-Asia              +11.1% 9 consecutive months of growth               7.3%

Within Asia         +15.8% 25 consecutive months of growth            7.0%

Within Europe   -4.9%     4 consecutive months of decline               2.0%

North America-Europe  +5.0%    22 consecutive months of growth            13.3%

Africa-Asia          +9.5%    5 consecutive months of growth               1.4%

 

 

By Rebecca JeffreyRebecca Jeffrey12 December 2025

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Investigation uncovers three separate alleged schemes involving fraudulent invoices and kickbacks to secure cargo contracts

Worawee-Meepianshutterstock_2259492687

Individuals in the US air cargo industry have been charged with alleged bribery and money laundering crimes committed over several years to secure favourable contracts.

New York State Attorney General Letitia James said in a press release that an investigation by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (Port Authority) had uncovered three alleged bribery and money laundering schemes by companies working out of New York JFK Airport.

At this stage, the charges in the indictments are merely allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

The accused had allegedly used fraudulent invoices and cash payments to bribe an airline employee in order to secure contracts for cargo companies they owned.

In the first indictment, the charged co-conspirators allegedly agreed to pay an airline employee cash every quarter and paid for trips, as well as meals and other expenses incurred on the trips, in exchange for receiving continued contracts.

The second indictment alleged a separate bribery scheme where an airline employee at the airport agreed to ensure its business in exchange for a percentage of earnings achieved through the contract.

The third alleged scheme involved another company with an airline employee receiving two or three dollars each time a product was sold to the airline. The money was allegedly paid through an intermediary company that would keep half of the money, the press release claimed.

“We’re grateful for our strong partnership with the Attorney General’s Office that helped us uncover these alleged schemes inside JFK’s cargo operations,” said Port Authority inspector general John Gay.

“Blatant bribes, fake invoices, and vacation kickbacks have no place in an environment that depends on honesty and accountability. Our office will continue to pursue anyone who attempts to compromise the safety and integrity of the region’s critical transportation infrastructure.”

Airports Council International Asia-Pacific & Middle East (ACI APAC & MID), the trade body representing over 600 airports, released its latest outlook on air cargo performance across the region, highlighting stabilising demand, recovering supply chains, and long-term growth until 2028.

The updated version of ACI APAC & MID’s Short Term Forecast 2025-2028, developed with OAG, projects Asia-Pacific air cargo volumes to grow 4.3% CAGR through 2028, while the Middle East is expected to expand at a 3.3% CAGR.

Asia-Pacific continues to lead global air cargo, driven by its strong manufacturing base, particularly in semiconductors and electronics, along with expanding cross-border e-commerce networks and its significant demographic scale. Together, these structural advantages are expected to sustain the region’s cargo leadership well into the future.

The Middle East’s location at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa has strengthened its position as a major hub for air cargo, supporting trade and attracting global logistics players. Ongoing economic development, large urban projects, and rising demand for advanced logistics services are further accelerating the region’s growth in global air freight.

Director General of ACI Asia-Pacific & Middle East Stefano Baronci, said, “The resurgence of cargo, particularly significant in the first 10 months of the year in Asia-Pacific, powered by e-commerce and manufacturing shifts, highlights the region’s underlying economic resilience. Despite geopolitical tensions and trade uncertainties, over the next three years, we expect Asia-Pacific to continue to play the lion’s share in terms of cargo growth. To prepare for this, over the next 10 years, airports in both Asia-Pacific and Middle East will invest extensively to add 71 million tonnes of additional cargo capacity.  This growth trajectory requires supportive policies and coordinated planning across the cargo supply chain.”

Asia-Pacific outlook 2025-2028

Southern Asia is projected to grow at 5.5% CAGR through 2028, boosted by India’s strong economic outlook. The forecast shows South-Eastern Asia growing at 5.2%, driven by its rising role in China+1 manufacturing, while China is projected to grow at 4.4%, supported by strong cross-border e-commerce.

Eastern Asia is expected to grow 2.6% CAGR to 2028, supported by steady export recovery.

Oceania is projected to achieve a CAGR of 3.7%, indicating a steady increase in demand, driven by the continuous expansion of e-commerce, strong investment, and steady consumer demand.

Middle East outlook 2025-2028

 

The Middle East air cargo market is projected to continue its upward trajectory in the near term. Cargo volumes are forecast to grow at 3.3% CAGR from 2025 through 2028, outpacing some other regions like Europe and the United States in terms of percentage growth.

Gulf airports are investing heavily through 2028, adding cargo terminals, upgrading technology, and expanding cool-chain capacity to support faster, more efficient cargo handling.

Surging online retail and cross-border e-commerce, especially flows from Asia, are boosting demand. Operators are expanding express networks and automation to manage rising parcel volumes.

Adoption of AI-enabled cargo management, digital booking platforms, and automated systems is strengthening efficiency and supporting the region’s projected 3.3% annual cargo growth.

Potential risk

While growth prospects remain positive, geopolitical tensions and trade uncertainties pose significant risks to the region’s air cargo market. Conflicts, airspace restrictions, and shifts in regional security dynamics, alongside trade policy changes and tariffs, could disrupt key corridors and affect cargo flows.

Other Topics: Air Cargo Network, Air Express, Air Freight Services, Air Logistics, Airports Council International, Airports Council International Asia-Pacific & Middle East, Asia Pacific Air Cargo, Asia Pacific Air Freight, Asia Pacific Air Logistics, Asia Pacific Shipments, Cargo Flights, E-Commerce Logistics, Express Delivery, Express Logistics, International Air Shipments, International Express Delivery, Transpacific Air Cargo, Transpacific Air Freight

By Rebecca JeffreyRebecca Jeffrey9 December 2025

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Trade body highlights sector resilience amid global trade challenges, with e-commerce and time-sensitive shipments driving growth

Generic cargo on freighter

Credit: tratong/ Shutterstock

Air cargo volumes in 2026 are expected to increase 2.4% year on year, according to IATA’s latest analysis.

The trade body said air cargo volumes are expected to reach 71.6m tonnes in 2026, noting that the “resilience in air cargo has been particularly impressive” within the context of the challenges the market has faced.

Cargo revenue is forecast to reach $158bn in 2026, up 2.1% on $155bn this year. Revenue will be particularly driven by time-sensitive shipments and e-commerce volumes.

Despite positive predictions for volumes and revenue, cargo yields are expected to be down -0.5% on 2025, although this is within the context of a slowdown in global trade and yields will still be approximately 30% above pre-pandemic levels, pointed out IATA.

Willie Walsh, IATA’s director general, said: “The resilience in air cargo has been particularly impressive. As trade flows adapt to a protectionist US tariff regime, air cargo has been the hero of global trade buoyed in part by robust e-commerce and semiconductor shipments to support the boom in AI investments.

“Notably, air cargo enabled front-loading to deliver products ahead of tariff deadlines, and it flexibly accommodated demand surges as tariffed goods normally destined for the US found new markets. The critical role of air cargo is front and center as the global economy adjusts to new realities.”

 

USD 1.2 Billion in Airline Funds Blocked by Governments, Majority in Africa and Middle East

Geneva – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported that USD 1.2 billion in airline funds are blocked from repatriation by governments as of the end of October 2025. A marginal improvement of USD 100 million has been made since last reported in April 2025. Out of total blocked funds reported, 93% are trapped in Africa and Middle East (AME).

IATA called on governments to lift all restrictions on currency repatriation and allow airlines to access their revenues in U.S. dollars from ticket sales, cargo sales and other activities, as guaranteed in bilateral air service agreements and treaty obligations. Restrictions include burdensome or inconsistent procedures to obtain repatriation approval, delays in obtaining approval, shortage or lack of foreign exchange or other limitations imposed by governments or central banks.

“Airlines need reliable access to their revenues in U.S. dollars to keep operations running, pay their bills, and maintain vital air connectivity. Governments have committed to unfettered repatriation of funds in bilateral agreements. With low margins and significant dollar denominated costs, airlines depend on governments fulfilling that commitment. It is also in the interest of governments to foster the economic catalyst that airlines provide by connecting their economies globally. That’s why we urge governments to facilitate the efficient repatriation of airline funds and prioritize this in foreign exchange allocations, even when currency is in short supply,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.

Ten countries are responsible for 89% of blocked funds

Ten countries across Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia account for 89% of the total blocked funds, amounting to USD 1.08 billion.

Country                Amount USD Million

Algeria  307

XAF Zone*          179

Lebanon              138

Mozambique     91

Angola  81

Eritrea   78

Zimbabwe           67

Ethiopia                54

Pakistan               54

Bangladesh         32

*XAF Zone (Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon)

Country Highlights

For the first time, Algeria sits at the top of the list of blocked funds countries. Significant increases have been reported due to a new approval requirement by the Ministry of Trade, adding to the already burdensome documentation requirements. IATA urges the government of Algeria to remove unnecessary processes and requirements for airlines.

While blocked funds in XAF Zone have slightly decreased since last reported in April 2025 from USD 191 million, airlines continue to face repatriation challenges despite submission of required documentation. We call on the BEAC to streamline the internal three-step validation process and improve processing times to continue clearing the backlog.

AME region accounts for 93% of total blocked funds across 26 countries, at USD 1.12 billion as of end October 2025.

“Political and economic instability are key drivers of currency restrictions across Africa and the Middle East, resulting in large sums of blocked funds. We recognize that allocation of foreign exchange is a difficult policy decision, but the long-term benefits for the economy and jobs outweigh short-term financial relief,” added Walsh.

Transparency

To provide greater transparency on the issue of blocked funds, IATA launched a web page to track progress quarterly, provide background information, and highlight developments.

By Cathy Morrow-Roberson 5 December 2025

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Freight forwarders are preparing for the new year by expanding into new trade lanes, reducing costs, and investing further in technology

Belly cargo being loaded

Freight forwarders described the third quarter as one of overcapacity and softer demand, as the US de minimis ended and inventory front-loading eased.

The fourth quarter is expected to be a quiet one, with some forwarders not expecting a peak for airfreight while others expect only a small, shortened one, at best.

However, depending on how successful the fourth-quarter holiday season is for retailers and the potential need for seasonal inventory, inventory replenishment will likely be necessary towards the end of the fourth quarter and early 2026, which could boost freight forwarders’ revenue and perhaps profitability if there is a reduction in market capacity.

Demand from US manufacturers, however, will likely be muted through at least the first quarter of 2026. US manufacturing indices have remained below 50, meaning contraction, for most of 2025 due to the geopolitical environment.

In such an environment, forwarders such as Kuehne+Nagel and Expeditors International of Washington have found some success by focusing on specific verticals.

Kuehne+Nagel benefited from perishables and semiconductors, including hyperscalers, while Expeditors benefited from technology, pharmaceuticals, and aviation.

“We also continue to benefit from the significant investments being made by our technology customers in artificial intelligence infrastructure,” noted Expeditors’ executives in the company’s third-quarter earnings announcement.

Besides specialisation across various verticals, forwarders are also focusing on new trade lanes that exclude the US due to the tariff rollercoaster and struggles to keep up with customs changes as they relate to threats of and actual tariff changes.

DHL Group chief executive, Tobias Meyer, said during the company’s third-quarter earnings call in early November: “I think most notably that was visible in the September export figures of China, where trade to the US was down 27%, but you had double-digit growth in the trade with Southeast Asia, with the trade of Europe as well, and particularly the trade to the Middle East and Africa was growing a lot, Latin America as well.

 

“These being long-haul trades and that compensating for some of the decoupling that we see as it relates to the US, which clearly has a lower share of participation in global trade as is increasingly replaced by China as the most important trading partner for many countries in the world.”

Expeditors International is perhaps the exception. It historically has had a strong US customs brokerage offering.

During the third quarter, it benefited from this strength as noted by its recent earnings announcement: “All of our businesses within this category [customs brokerage] continued to generate strong growth.

“The products and services in this group tend to be more stable than those in our air and ocean businesses. Our customs brokerage business continues to deliver strong growth, given the high demand for our services due to the dynamic trade environment.”

As forwarders enter 2026, they are also focusing on cost control. For example, as it integrates with the former DB Schenker, DSV plans to continue to monitor activity levels across its organisation and will adjust capacity and its cost base as necessary.

Meanwhile, Kuehne+Nagel announced layoffs and “facilities-related costs and a basket of other variable expenses,” according to chief financial officer Markus Blanka-Graff.

In addition to cost reductions, Kuehne+Nagel is reviewing “large language models and digital agent capabilities” and “will further identify areas where we can leverage digital agents, which should help us to reduce our cost to serve”, chief executive Stefan Paul said during the company’s third-quarter earnings call.

Expect more forwarders to embrace ‘digital agents’ to reduce costs. CH Robinson, for example, highlighted its investments in artificial intelligence (AI) within its overall business by improving its productivity and operational performance by automating tasks that free up its employees to focus on more strategic, higher-value work, according to chief executive David Bozeman.

According to early 2026 outlooks, volatility will be the norm instead of the exception. While tariff tensions have temporarily eased, the path ahead remains unsettled, as higher borrowing costs, shifting fiscal policies, and elevated geopolitical risks weigh on growth prospects.

“We are focused on aligning our operating cost structure with a lower growth environment, while continuing to make strategic investments in high return areas to drive sustainable, profitable, and capital efficient growth,” according to Expeditors International chief financial officer David A. Hackett.

Indeed, most, if not all, the top global freight forwarders will follow Expeditors International’s lead as 2026 draws near.

Air cargo predicted to pick up in second half of 2026

By Rebecca JeffreyRebecca Jeffrey4 December 2025

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Industry analysts predict that continued tariff uncertainty will drive air cargo volatility in 2025, though actual implementation expected to be less severe

Tariffs, e-commerce and demand out of Southeast Asia will be some of the hot topics in the air cargo industry next year, with the second half of the year more prosperous.

The air cargo industry will likely have to contend with more tariff turbulence next year, but the threatened tariffs will be worse than the reality, according to Niall van de Wouw, chief airfreight officer, Xeneta.

Speaking during Flexport’s ’Air Market Predictions for 2026’ webinar, van de Wouw said it is likely there will be further tariff developments and “more volatility” but headline tariffs will be higher than the actual tariffs implemented.

He pointed out that this year, actual tariffs went up about 12%, a lot lower than the theatened tariff levels. This explains why the industry hasn’t seen inbound US demand plummet, he said.

Flexport’s vice president global head of airfreight, Alexis Boutet said that the company expected a low single-digit increase in industry demand in 2026, with slightly higher capacity, leading to downward pressure on rates, although rates are still expected to be elevated next year.

Further, he added that demand is anticipated to be higher in the second half of the year, with a strong peak lead by Asia export demand for e-commerce and AI-related data centre component shipments.

The webinar highlighted Aevean’s 2025 year to date growth data, which showed that both freighter and belly capacity has grown 5% year over year, with belly capacity in particular recovering to 2019 levels, although still lagging recent demand growth.

Maarten Wormer, head of consulting, Aevean, said that “much of the capacity” has been deployed on Asia-Europe and Asia-Middle East trade lanes to serve e-commere demand, which means there has been limited transpacific capacity growth.

Touching on the recent MD-11F incident and subsequent grounding of the fleet, Boutet stressed that while MD-11Fs are largely deployed on domestic routes and represent only a 1% capacity loss, provided they remain absent from the market, this “might be just enough to keep capacity tight in 2026”.

Aevean data showed that demand from Southeast Asia to the US has continued to grow throughout 2025. Vietnam is a key US trade partner for laptops and overtook China in March. US smartphone imports from China, Vietnam and India are now also equal in size, found Aevean.

 

However, Southeast Asia now faces the challenge of matching China’s infrastructure and air cargo capacity as demand continues to grow.

On the subject of demand out of Vietnam, van de Wouw said “rates will be elevated with peaks if capacity is not managed”. He added that demand and rates out of Taiwan will depend on how the semiconductor market develops.

Boutet also pointed out that it costs more to deploy freighters from Vietnam than China, so rates need to be higher as a result.

E-commerce has continued to grow, said Boutet. This year saw supply chains shift from China-US to China-Europe when the US government ended the de minimis exemption.

However, Flexport does not think the EU move to end the de minimis exemption, with temporary measures from next year, will impact the market significantly.

“We don’t think the new EU e-commerce regulation planned for November 2026 will significantly change the picture,” Flexport’s presentation stated.

In addition to this, Aevean’s research showed that US e-commerce is back to 90% of its pre de minimis trade, showing the resilience of business and strong consumer demand.

 

China Cargo Airlines launches Paris-Shanghai freighter service

By Damian BrettDamian Brett25 November 2025

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New route launched on 20 November responds to rising trade demand, with road feeder connections planned across its European network

China Cargo freighter

China Cargo Airlines, a subsidiary of China Eastern Airlines, has launched a new freighter route connecting China and France.

According to a China Eastern social media post, the new service was launched on 20 November using one of the carrier’s Boeing 777 freighter aircraft.

The flights connect Paris CDG and Shanghai Pudong International three times per week.

The new service comes in response to rising demand between the two countries, reports the Shanghai Observer.

The airline is hoping to carry machinery and apparel to France and chemicals and raw materials on the return leg.

From Paris, the service will connect with other European locations through the carrier’s road feeder operation.

In Paris, cargo will be handled by Worldwide Flight Services (WFS).

Additionally, WFS will provide full ramp handling for the 777Fs and operate road feeder services for China Cargo Airlines between Paris and regional airports across France as well as to other major airports in Europe.

”The new contract extends a relationship between WFS, China Cargo Airlines and its parent, China Eastern Airlines, spanning more than 25 years in Paris,” WFS said. ”This cargo handling partnership is now also in place in Arlanda, Bangkok, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Marseille and Milan.”

As well as the new freighter operations, WFS handles all cargo carried onboard China Eastern’s passenger aircraft in Paris.

The airline has been expanding its freighter fleet this year, adding four 777Fs, and it has at least one more of the model on order, according to planespotters.net.

In total, the carrier currently operates 18 of the aircraft.

 

The new flight is not the airline’s first European network addition in 2025. In May, China Cargo Airlines launched a scheduled service between Hefei Xinqiao International Airport in China and Liege Airport in Belgium.

The carrier also offers flights in Europe to Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Stansted and Budapest. Its flights to Budapest were launched in 2024.

Damian Brett

Damian Brett

Damian has been writing about the freight and logistics industry since 2007 when he joined International Freighting Weekly to cover the shipping sector. After a stint in PR, he went on to work for Containerisation International and Lloyd’s List – where he was editor of container shipping – before joining Air Cargo News in 2015.

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