United Kingdom-based Firefly Green Fuels announced plans to construct a commercial-scale sewage-to-sustainable aviation fuel plant in Harwich, Essex, by 2029, a move that could help the aviation industry achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.  The company said it is the first sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) producer to use human waste as a feedstock for SAF ..read more

Amazon last week opened its Amazon Operations Innovation Lab in Vercelli, Italy, where it invested 700 million euros ($745.6 million) into development and deployment of warehouse robotics, AI and automation — tools that have been gaining momentum in the air cargo industry as more emphasis is placed on digitalization.  The lab is a space for ..read more

Cyber criminals targeted the supply chain and manufacturing industries globally in 2023.  While keeping an eye on geopolitical conflict and elections, carriers, forwarders and airports should also be aware of potential weaknesses in operations and how cyber criminals can infiltrate global networks, according to a 2024 cybercrime report by research company Everstream Analytics.  Cybercrime accounted ..read more

Alaska Air Group, which operates Alaska Airlines, today reported a record $2.2 billion in operating revenue for the first quarter of 2024, an increase of 1.6% from the first quarter of 2023. The carrier reported a 10.3% year-over-year increase in “cargo and other revenue” to $64 million.  THE BIG PICTURE: Unlike most carriers, which have ..read more

UPS is betting on the health care market and Asian trade to boost its overall revenue, while FedEx and DHL are considering similar strategies.   UPS recently expanded its UPS Premier service in China. The service combines tracking, prioritization and recovery for time- and temperature-sensitive health care shipments.   “The expansion builds on our existing capabilities ..read more

United Airlines today reported $12.5 billion in operating revenue for the first quarter of 2024, an increase of 9.7% year over year. The carrier’s cargo revenue fell 1.8% compared with Q1 2023 to $391 million.  “Cargo revenue decreased 1.8% year over year, and we’re hopeful that this is the last year-over-year decline we’ll see in ..read more

The FAA issued a ground stop advisory this morning for Alaska Airlines flights that grounded the carrier’s mainline and subcarrier flights.   The advisory remained in effect from about 7:30 a.m. PT to 8:30 a.m. PT, an Alaska Airlines spokesperson told Air Cargo Next.  The FAA said in a statement that Alaska “asked the FAA to ..read more

Malaysia Airlines will temporarily stop carrying cargo on its passenger flights from Kuala Lumpur to London after Iran’s attack on Israel over the weekend forced airlines to make lengthy detours. The Malaysian flag carrier will reroute flights to avoid airspace over parts of the Middle East, requiring more fuel and spurring the need to lighten ..read more

Chinese manufacturer and retailer Shein recently announced digital freight forwarder Flexport as its preferred logistics partner for the Shein U.S. marketplace.  Shein said in an April 11 LinkedIn post that Flexport will handle Shein’s fulfillment and delivery services effective immediately.  Following the announcement, some e-commerce analysts noted that this move could harm Flexport should Shein’s ..read more

Hong Kong International Airport has once again been crowned the top cargo airport in the world, a spot it has held for 13 of the last 14 years.  Airports Council International (ACI) World this week released a ranking of the top 10 cargo airports based on 2023 data gathered from more than 2,600 airports across ..read more