Air Cargo News.

For more air cargo news, data and analysis, please go to: http://www.airguideonline.com/professional.htm Jul 17, 2006

China and Japan reached an air services agreement yesterday that provides for a 20% increase in the number of passenger flights between the countries and a doubling of cargo services, Reuters reported. Thirteen carriers from each country will have access, up from the current six. The number of permitted flights will rise to 547 per week, with Chinese carriers operating 300. Jul 14, 2006

Cargo crashes more likely to cause fatalities, report finds. Crashes involving cargo aircraft are 50% more likely to result in fatalities than crashes of passenger planes, a newspaper investigation found. Still, regulators have not boosted efforts to improve the safety of cargo planes. Jul 10, 2006

Boeing

Boeing sees, in its Current Market Outlook, cargo traffic will rise at a rate of 6.1% per year, according to the forecast. The freighter fleet will double from 1,790 units today to 3,560 in 2025, accompanied by a shift toward widebody freighters. With 1,200 retirements, around 3,000 freighters will be added. Most of these will be converted from passenger and combi aircraft, with 770 new production aircraft. Jul 12, 2006

Boeing, Lufthansa Cargo 

Lufthansa Cargo looks to modernize as competition heats up. Lufthansa Cargo is evaluating replacement of its 19 MD-11 freighters, which have an average age of eight years, as it looks to brace itself for tough competition in the years ahead. Lufthansa 's Koepfle didn't specify a possible replacement type but admitted, "there is not much choice anyway." The 747-400ERF, 747-8 or 777F are LHC's most realistic options. Koepfle also said the 747 must have a nose door to be considered and that LHC no longer wants a mixed freighter fleet and is not interested in passenger-to-freighter conversions like several of the MD-11Fs it currently operates. He is not interested in the A380F: "So far, only integrators like FedEx have ordered the A380F. Jul 14, 2006

China Airlines

China Airlines will launch a new cargo service between Taipei and Hanoi from July 19. Initially the service will be weekly with a 747-400F as part of the carrier's Taipei-Penang service. Jul 13, 2006

DHL 

DHL yesterday opened an expanded facility in Denpasar's cargo terminal, consolidating its sales, service, warehousing and administration functions under one roof and extending cut-off times for shipments. Jul 11, 2006

FedEx, UPS

FedEx and United Parcel Service said on Friday they received grand jury subpoenas as part of a global probe by the US government into possible criminal violations of antitrust laws in the air cargo industry. The US package delivery companies said they do not believe they are targets of the investigation, which has drawn in Air France-KLM, British Airways, Lufthansa, Scandinavian airline SAS, Luxembourg-based Cargolux and Air Canada's parent ACE Aviation. Jul 14, 2006

Penauille Servisair

Penauille Servisair signed an agreement with Air France for ground handling at Boston and Philadelphia and its cargo arm opened a new 86,000-sq.-ft. warehouse facility at London Heathrow that will house Emirates SkyCargo, Singapore Airlines Cargo and SriLankan Cargo. Jul 11, 2006

UPS

UPS's 2,700 pilots are being briefed by Independent Pilots Assn. leaders on a tentative labor agreement reached late last month that will be put to a vote in September. The five-year deal reportedly provides increased pay and improved work rules, including a 20% raise in a captain's average salary to $300,000 annually. Negotiations lasted three years. Jul 12, 2006

UPS

UPS's proposed deal puts pressure on FedEx, which has been negotiating with its pilots on a new labor contract since 2004. "There is no way we are going to accept less than what the UPS pilots have accomplished," David Webb, chairman of the FedEx unit of the Air Line Pilots Assn., told the Memphis Commercial Appeal. "It is an absolute that UPS is our number one competitor. If UPS feels it can remain competitive with the pay and benefits it has offered its pilots, FedEx should know we are not going to accept less." Jul 12, 2006