cargo-only flights

EU ends airline exemption for cargo in passenger cabin

Boxes of cargo tied down with netting in the passenger compartment of an aircraft. The EU is ending permission for such loading.

European aviation regulators said Monday they won’t extend a safety exemption allowing airlines to carry critical supplies in the passenger cabin to make up for capacity lost when the pandemic closed down most commercial flights.

“The logistical challenges that arose in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 crisis no longer exist to the same extent,” the European Union Aviation Safety Agency said in a notice. The permission for cabin cargo expires July 31.

EASA was one of the first civil aviation...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/eu-ends-airline-exemption-for-cargo-in-passenger-cabin

Government cargo subsidy cushions Air New Zealand’s 2021 loss

An all-black Air New Zealand plane with wheels down on approach in blue sky.

The government giveth and the government taketh away.

Air New Zealand increased second-half 2021 cargo revenue by nearly 2.5 times the 2019 level to US$321 million, and 29% year-over-year, with a big boost from a government subsidy program primarily aimed at air cargo. But the overall business couldn’t withstand extended national border restrictions and a 107-day COVID lockdown of the capital, Auckland, resulting in a dramatic decline in passenger traffic and $250 million pretax loss, the...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/government-cargo-subsidy-cushions-air-new-zealands-2021-loss

Blocked from flying passengers, budget startup Flypop turns to cargo

Colorful logo on side of flypop aircraft, view from 45-degree angle close to plane.

Tired of waiting to get passenger service off the ground during the pandemic, startup low-cost carrier flypop has decided to switch gears and debut as a cargo airline. 

The U.K.-based airline said last week that it has redeployed its first Airbus A330 for dedicated cargo operations as a passenger freighter with its seats removed. The cargo-only flights are being operated for flypop by air charter specialist Hi Fly.

Flypop intends to deploy the passenger aircraft as an auxiliary freighter for...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/blocked-from-flying-passengers-budget-startup-flypop-turns-to-cargo

Delta Air Lines on pace for $1B in cargo revenue in 2021

A white and blue-tailed Delta Air Lines jet flying upwards, view from below.

Strong growth in cargo revenue during the third quarter helped Delta Air Lines turn its first profit since the start of the pandemic, but officials warned rising fuel costs could temporarily derail the momentum during the current period.

Delta (NYSE: DAL) reported cargo revenue jumped 39% over the 2019 level to $262 million even though the airline flew fewer than half its widebody fleet because COVID fears and restrictions have flattened international travel. Year-to-date cargo revenue is up 28%...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/delta-air-lines-on-pace-for-1b-in-cargo-revenue-in-2021

United Airlines restarts cargo-only flights

A United Airlines jet at the airport gate with cargo containers on the tarmac ready for loading.

United Airlines has restarted cargo-only flights just weeks after assigning all aircraft to normal passenger operations because the delta variant has dragged down travel volumes and growth expectations for the remainder of the year.

“I just released five [Boeing] 777-300s to our cargo division for later this year to put those aircraft back into all-cargo markets, based on the dynamics we’re seeing in the marketplace today, so these aircraft won’t be idle,” Chief Commercial Officer Andrew Nocella...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/united-airlines-restarts-cargo-only-flights

Eastern Airlines enters air cargo market with ‘freighter-light’ model

An Eastern Airlines jet on tarmac in front of a hangar building.

Eastern Airlines, a small, relatively unknown passenger carrier, is making a significant play to join the air cargo big league with an unusual business model centered on stripping out seats from used aircraft rather than converting them to a traditional freighter that can carry heavy shipments on the main deck.

The Wayne, Pennsylvania-based company on Wednesday announced it has purchased 35 Boeing 777 widebody aircraft and plans to launch service targeted at the e-commerce and express delivery...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/eastern-airlines-enters-air-cargo-market-with-freighter-light-model

Air Canada sets record for cargo revenue in second quarter

Front half of a white Air Canada jet, view from the side, with a cargo pallet in the foreground.

Hampered by strict government border restrictions, Air Canada disappointed investors with a US$918.3 million loss in the second quarter, but the cargo division did better than expected with a record $274 million in revenue.

Cargo sales for the period ending June 30 were 33% greater than in 2020 and double the amount in 2019, before the pandemic.

Air Canada (OTCUS: ACDVF) was one of the most aggressive passenger carriers to shift to dedicated cargo operations when global cargo capacity plummeted...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/air-canada-sets-record-for-cargo-revenue-in-second-quarter

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