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Hong Kong Air Cargo launches Hong Kong-Mumbai freighter service

Hong Kong Air Cargo has launched a dedicated freighter service between Hong Kong and Mumbai as part of its global expansion plans. Data from Flightradar24 shows that Hong Kong Air Cargo operated a flight from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai to Hong International Airport on 6 August. Hong Kong Air Cargo's charter programme for the period of 1 August to 31 August includes a Hong Kong - Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International service. However, Air Cargo News (ACN) reported last month that Hong Kong Air Cargo planned to launch charter flights between Hong Kong International and Navi Mumbai International from August. ACN has requested clarification from Hong Kong Air Cargo on its route(s) between Hong Kong and Mumbai. The launch of flights between Hong Kong and Mumbai comes within two months of Aeroprime Group's appointment as Hong Kong Air Cargo's cargo General Sales & Service Agent (GSSA) in India. Raymond Chen, vice president, commercial spokesperson for Hong Kong Air Cargo said: "The launch of our freighter service from Mumbai marks an important step in our India growth strategy. "Mumbai is a key export hub, and we are pleased with the rapid progress achieved alongside Aeroprime Group. Their support have played a vital role in expanding our footprint, and we look forward to strengthening our network and delivering greater value to customers." Abhishek Goyal, executive director, Aeroprime Group, said: "Launching Hong Kong Air Cargo's freighter service from Mumbai within just two months of our partnership reflects the shared commitment and agility of both teams. "Mumbai is one of India's most strategic cargo gateways, and this expansion enables us to offer customers greater capacity, enhanced connectivity, and reliable cargo solutions. "We thank Hong Kong Air Cargo and our partners for their continued trust and look forward to further expanding the airline's presence in India."

Drone carrying explosives found at Leipzig Airport

A counterterrorism investigation was opened by the German authorities yesterday after a drone carrying explosives was found near a runway at Leipzig/Halle Airport overnight. Areas of the site, which is the location of a major DHL hub, were shut down. It is not clear whether the airport has since fully re-opened the southern runway having been closed earlier in the day. The discovery was made by an airport employee who spotted the device in a restricted cargo area near the southern runway in proximity to parked Ukrainian freighter aircraft according to a report which quoted local police. As a precaution several DHL aircraft scheduled to land at Leipzig-Halle were diverted. German police used a robot to inspect the drone and a detonator was removed. Later, they carried out a controlled explosion. Counterterrorism officers are also investigating another incident which saw an unidentified object collide with a cargo aircraft, thought to be operated by DHL, near the same airport. On landing at Hanover, it was discovered to have suffered only minor damage. Ukraine's ambassador to Germany, Oleksii Makeiev, speaking on German TV, said: "Who else could it be but Russia?" In July 2024 a parcel burst into flames on the ground at Leipzig/Halle Airport having been due to be loaded onto a DHL aircraft. This was one of a series of parcel fires that targeted the UK and EU countries. It led to suspicions of Russian involvement. Leipzig/Halle Airport serves as a base for Germany's armed forces and NATO allies for the transport of military cargo goods and also for Ukraine's Antonov Airlines, which handles the vast majority of the country's airborne shipments.

Geo-political uncertainty propels Lufthansa Cargo's Q2

Lufthansa's logistics division - whose main component is Lufthansa Cargo, posted an adjusted EBIT in Q2 of €116m, an increase of 58% on the same period last year while revenues were up 27% year on year (YoY) to just over €1bn. Commenting on the quarter at conference call in Frankfurt earlier today, attended by The Loadstar, group chairman and CEO, Carsten Spohr, said: "The second quarter operating environment for air cargo was anything but easy, the conflict in the Middle East affecting the reliability of global supply chain networks which had to be adjusted at short notice in an environment like this, one thing becomes clear once again. The more complex and unpredictable the global economy becomes, the more a growing cargo business, like Lufthansa Cargo, shows its worth." He continued: "In particular, the crisis in the Middle East triggered a surge in demand on routes to the Far East and for our new and now almost daily, trans-Pacific connection, as well as our new intra-Asian routes." He went on to highlight that "this commercial success was the result of the consistent execution of our strategy and our increasingly strong focus on high-margin products, semiconductors and more and more IP server equipment for the growing AI-driven investments in computers around the world and data centres". In a statement issued before the conference call, the Group noted that in the context of a significantly changed market environment, due to the conflict in the Middle East and the corresponding reduction in competitors' capacities in the region, Lufthansa Cargo's freight business had "gained momentum in overall terms". The reduction in the volume of capacity on the market and the strong rise in fuel costs led to a significant increase in yields compared to previous quarters. Demand was driven by continued strong business in the Asia/Pacific region in particular. This was reflected in an increase in cargo tonnage. India had also performed strongly. Higher fuel and charter costs in particular had a negative impact on expenses. Capacity, expressed as available cargo tonne kilometers (ATK), grew a modest 2% versus the previous year mainly driven by 6% bellyhold growth, particularly from Italian airline subsidiary, ITA Airways. Traffic, expressed as revenue cargo tonne kilometers (CTK) increased 3% YoY while the cargo load factor was stable at 62.9%. Mr Spohr also drew attention to the modernisation of Lufthansa Cargo's ground infrastructure. "At the end of June, we brought the first and most important phase of our new Frankfurt cargo centre into operation. This will make our handling operations even more reliable, more efficient, and more productive, and obviously will contribute to the premium positioning of Lufthansa Cargo." He also remarked on the Group's internationalisation strategy which was beneficial to Lufthansa Cargo with the integration of the marketing of ITA Airways' cargo capacity and closer co-operation with other passenger airlines in the Lufthansa portfolio.