In a move that will boost the carrier's ground-handling and freight operations, Etihad Airways has inked a deal to acquire three airport services companies at Abu Dhabi International Airport. Formerly part of Abu Dhabi Airports Company, the three companies — Abu Dhabi Airport Services, Abu Dhabi In-Flight Catering, and Abu Dhabi Cargo Company — are being brought into the Etihad Airport Services fold.

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, operator of DFW Foreign Trade Zone #39, has inked a deal with Farglory Free Trade Zone of Taiwan to establish a trade alliance. The MoU, officials for both organizations say, will mutually benefit DFW airport and the Farglory Free Trade Zone.

Alaska Air Cargo has successfully delivered the season's first shipment of Copper River salmon to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The arrival of the fish marks the start of the summer salmon season and is anticipated by seafood lovers throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond.

Saudi Airlines Cargo successfully flew 630,000 juvenile sea bream fish from Cyprus' Larnaca International Airport to Saudi Arabia's Tabuk Regional Airport on an MD-11 freighter. The shipment, completed on behalf of Tabuk Fisheries via Sagro Aquaculture, required close collaboration between Saudi Cargo and Sagro Aquaculture, company officials say.  

Airbus, Air Canada and BioFuelNet Canada have partnered up to assess Canadian solutions for the production of biofuels; the long-term goal, according to officials for all organizations, is to supply Air Canada with sustainable alternative jet fuels.

Nearly three months after armed robbers impersonating police uniforms successfully executed a diamond heist at Brussels Airport — pilfering $50 million worth of jewels — another jewel heist went down at Miami International Airport. 

Managing director of cargo at ULS Airlines, Hakan Bayramic, believes the Turkish freight sector has been gifted geographically: "Turkey is perfectly situated for air cargo," he says. 

Turkish Cargo has started to replace its existing IT infrastructure, Tactic, with new software solution COMIS (cargo operations management and information system). 

After a lengthy hiatus due to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner's publicised battery issues, United Airlines will reintroduce the aircraft on international and domestic flights. United's 787 flights from Houston to its other domestic hubs will commence on 20 May while the US carrier will launch international 787 operations from Denver International Airport to Tokyo's Narita International Airport on 10 June.

Nigeria's Allied Air has tasked Aeronautical Engineers Inc. (AEI) with providing two firm B737-400SF 11 pallet configuration conversions, with an option for one additional conversion. The first aircraft — a Boeing 737-400 built in 1993 — will undergo freighter conversion next month at Flightstar Aircraft Services in Jacksonville, Fla.

Less than seven months after resuming service to Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport from its London Heathrow hub, Virgin Atlantic Cargo executives are speaking out about the benefits of the route. Officials for the carrier say they are particularly "delighted" with the support from the Indian freight forwarding community.

Cathay Pacific and wholly owned subsidiary Dragonair's freight volumes fell 0.6 per cent, year-on-year, to 123,805 tonnes in April. The combined carriers also recorded a drop in cargo and mail load factor last month, with load factor slowing 2.5 per cent, year-on-year, to 60.8 per cent. 

Volga-Dnepr Airlines has completed the first in a series of AN-124-100 freighter flights transporting equipment to a new natural gas field in Papua New Guinea. The premier flight, which jumpstarts the airline's major logistics contract, traversed from Port Moresby — the capital of Papua New Guinea — to the Northern city of Komo in support of CB&I's new gas conditioning plant for Exxon Mobil.

Freight volumes at Frankfurt Airport were relatively flat in April, slowing only 0.1 per cent, year-on-year, to 174,000 tonnes. Even so, takeoffs and landings at the European airport took a hit last month, declining 2.2 per cent to 39,250 aircraft movements. Such figures were largely affected by the strike of Deutsche Lufthansa AG's ground staff in late April, according to FRA owner and operator Fraport Group. 

After a difficult first quarter, as evidenced by a 6.9 per cent, year-on-year, drop in freight volumes, Air France-KLM Cargo saw one area of improvement in April. The carrier's load factor rose 0.3 per cent, year-on-year, to 64.4 per cent, in April; cargo traffic and capacity both declined during the month, however, falling 4.6 per cent and 5 per cent, year-on-year, respectively. 

Etihad Cargo has unveiled CargoConnect, a new rewards program designed specifically for freight forwarders. Under the new offering, which is targeted to small-and medium-sized forwarders, companies can earn rewards for booking space with the UAE-based carrier.

 Logistics has opened a 20,000-square-metre healthcare facility in the northern Italian region of Lombardy. The facility, dubbed the City of Pharma, is fully dedicated to the warehousing and handling of goods bound for healthcare distribution channels.

SriLankan Cargo's revenues surged 21 per cent, year-on-year, to Rs.12.8 billion in fiscal-year 2012-2013, the highest figure in the company's history. The freight arm of SriLankan Airlines also handled its highest annual volume during the financial year: 101,000 tonnes.

Freight traffic at global airports slowed 1 per cent, year-on-year, in March, with every world region posting declines expect the Middle East. According to data compiled by Airports Council International, airports in this region bucked the global trend and recorded 8.7 per cent, year-on-year, growth in March.