airport congestion

Qantas says freight backlog in Australia could last 2 more weeks

The beleaguered freight division of Qantas Airways said late Thursday that it could take another two weeks for some key cargo terminals in Australia to dig out from the logjam of shipments caused by a troublesome switchover to a new cargo management system.

Data from the legacy system was supposed to be integrated into the new one, but glitches in digital communication and cargo processing immediately cropped up on Sept. 24. Nearly two weeks into the crisis, Qantas Freight is struggling to keep...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/qantas-says-freight-backlog-in-australia-could-last-2-more-weeks

US airports need subsidies for cargo modernization, groups say

Logistics businesses involved in air transport are urging states and the federal government not to shortchange cargo when dispersing funds for airport infrastructure upgrades. 

The Airforwarders Association (AfA) and a group representing customs brokers released a position paper last week calling for the establishment of a dedicated investment fund for cargo facilities because air cargo is a critical driver of economic growth, especially e-commerce, and modernization is needed to keep airports...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/us-airports-need-subsidies-for-cargo-modernization-groups-say

Airport congestion blamed for peak season drop in air cargo volume

Sideview of back half of a big jet being loaded with cargo on a sunny day.

Global air cargo volumes paradoxically declined in November amid intense shipping demand during the height of the preholiday peak shipping season, yet freight rates jumped higher and planes were more full. 

Blame the disconnect between a red-hot airfreight market and less cargo moved on extreme congestion at major airports, where a shortage of labor among airline service providers is slowing aircraft loading and unloading as well as freight deconsolidation of imports for pickup.

Analytics firm...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/airport-congestion-blamed-for-peak-season-drop-in-air-cargo-volume

Daily Infographic: Airlines scheduled & operated more flights in July 2021 than any month since the start of the pandemic in March 2020


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To view more FreightWaves infographics, click here.

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/daily-infographic-airlines-scheduled-operated-more-flights-in-july-2021-than-any-month-since-the-start-of-the-pandemic-in-march-2020

Loonie tune: Air cargo to O’Hare being routed through Toronto

Air Canada Cargo lettering on side of building with some pine trees in foreground.

Logistics companies looking for ways to avoid crushing congestion at Chicago O’Hare airport have resorted to yet another workaround: putting shipments on Air Canada passenger freighters to Toronto and then trucking them to their Windy City facilities.

Air Canada (OTCUS: AC) was one of the first airlines to pivot to dedicated cargo flights when COVID-19 decimated passenger flying. It even removed seats from seven twin-aisle Boeing 777s and Airbus A330 planes to create extra space for light cargo...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/loonie-tune-air-cargo-to-ohare-being-routed-through-toronto

Mazda shuts down plants as cargo flights from Shanghai dry up

A cargo facility at Shanghai Pudong Airport. with jets on the ramp.

Cargo operations continue to deteriorate at Shanghai Pudong International Airport after the detection of another COVID case, as a key terminal operator operates with a skeleton crew and freighter airlines cancel more flights, logistics industry professionals say. 

Many freight forwarders have stopped accepting bookings for Shanghai and are trying to divert flights under their contractual control to other airports, some of which have their own pandemic restrictions in place, adding to transit...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/mazda-shuts-down-plants-as-cargo-flights-from-shanghai-dry-up

Stealing your own freight: O’Hare cargo delays force drastic measures

A forklift moving stacks of boxes in a warehouse.

Desperate logistics service providers in Chicago are resorting to a number of new tactics, including bribery and undercover extraction missions, to avoid worsening congestion that is trapping shipments for more than a week at O’Hare International Airport’s cargo terminals, according to industry executives.

Shipment volumes at O’Hare have exploded in the past 18 months as businesses turn to air transport for critical imports of personal protective equipment, replenishment of depleted inventories...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/stealing-your-own-freight-ohare-cargo-delays-force-drastic-measures

Cargo airlines cancel hundreds of China flights amid COVID outbreak

China Airlines jet takes off.

Chinese restrictions to control a spike in COVID infections have severely curtailed cargo operations at several airports and reduced crew availability, forcing airlines to cancel hundreds of flights as the peak shipping season kicks into high gear in a sector already struggling to keep up with high demand.

Logistics professionals say the growing scarcity of long-haul aircraft could push freight rates near $20 per kilogram on certain trade lanes within a few weeks, making air transport five or...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/cargo-airlines-cancel-hundreds-of-china-flights-amid-covid-outbreak

Maestro choreographs way around O’Hare cargo gridlock

Boxes and loose cargo spread around warehouse floor.

Maestro International Cargo, a local company that provides airside ground handling services for airlines, is shuttling import shipments off the ramp to a new warehouse three miles from Chicago O’Hare International Airport to alleviate huge backlogs at airport terminals.

The 164,000-square foot facility, located three miles away in Des Plaines, Illinois, opened in June and officials held a grand opening ceremony July 27. It has 16 dock doors and two ramps. It also is open 24 hours a day to...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/maestro-choreographs-way-around-ohare-cargo-gridlock

JFK Airport to get first new cargo facility in 20 years

Rendering of an air cargo terminal.

The first new cargo facility built in 20 years will bring welcome efficiencies for cargo airlines, freight forwarders, delivery companies and shippers at John F. Kennedy International Airport, which is plagued by antiquated, cramped warehouses that haven’t kept up with growth in shipment volumes.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey on Wednesday announced the signing of a long-term lease agreement with Aeroterm for the development of a modern 348,000-square-foot cargo processing center...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/jfk-airport-to-get-first-new-cargo-facility-in-20-years

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