PPE imports

Swiss Air Lines cleared for more types of cabin cargo

Boxes of PPE being hand-passed up the passenger stairs for loading in cabin of Swiss Air flight. Swiss Air received permission to load all kinds of commodities in the cabin.

Swiss International Air Lines is carrying a greater variety of cargo in passenger cabins after four months of only being allowed to use the upper deck for shipments of COVID-19-related medical supplies.

Swiss Air Lines’ cargo division said it recently received approval from the Swiss aviation agency to transport general cargo in the cabin. Swiss flew its first flight a week ago from Zurich to Dubai International Airport with garments and other fashion-related goods in the passenger area.

The...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/swiss-air-lines-cleared-for-more-types-of-cabin-cargo

COVID ushers in direct cargo flights from Vietnam

Big load of cargo on a pallet at the airport.

High airfreight rates and the urgent need for personal protective equipment have led to more direct all-cargo flights from Vietnam to the U.S., saving shippers time and money, according to logistics companies and airport managers.

Since mid-April, Wen-Parker Logistics has chartered 46 full freighters, the majority of them from Vietnam, carrying face masks for multiple U.S. customers, according to Brady Borycki, executive vice president, global business development. Three more aircraft are...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/covid-ushers-in-direct-cargo-flights-from-vietnam

Cargo clogs U.S. airports as freighters proliferate

Big white 747 freigher with nose cone up to load cargo.

Snapshot: Cargo congestion is a big problem behind the scenes at some major U.S. airports. The coronavirus forced big industry changes that have exacerbated existing inefficiencies due to poor coordination and infrastructure.

  • Ground handlers are understaffed and big freighters are dumping cargo faster than they can process it.
  • The lack of passenger flights has changed the entire dynamic of cargo handling at airports.
  • New technologies are helping to improve communication among airliners, freight...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/cargo-clogs-u-s-airports-as-freighters-proliferate

FEMA winds down Project Airbridge

Large cargo plane being loaded, view from underbelly at tail end.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency said Project Airbridge, the emergency logistics effort to rush personal protective equipment and other critical supplies into the U.S. to combat the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S., has accomplished its mission and will be phased out by the end of the month.

The decision, announced Thursday, reflects the fact that hospitals, nursing homes, first responders and distributors now have enough face masks and other hospital gear to meet their needs and can use...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/fema-winds-down-project-airbridge