- Hactl is the first handling facility at Hong Kong International Airport to achieve Good Distribution Practices (GDP) accreditation, bringing it in line with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) quality assurance guidelines for the handling of pharmaceuticals. To meet the GDP guidelines, Hactl enhanced the temperature-controlled zones in its SuperTerminal 1 facility.
- Total freight tonnage at Miami International Airport was up 1.42 percent in the first half of 2014, with international freight up 2.1 percent and domestic freight down 3.27 percent.
- The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) is calling for candidates to be considered for election to TIACA’s Hall of Fame 2015. Industry leaders deserving to be recognized who have contributed greatly to the development of the air cargo industry are eligible. Nominations are due Oct. 31 via secgen@tiaca.org or +1-786-265-7012.
- Boeing forecasts continued strong growth in demand for commercial aviation pilots and maintenance technicians as the global fleet expands over the next 20 years. Boeing’s 2014 Pilot and Technician Outlook projects that between 2014 and 2033, the world’s aviation system will require 533,000 new commercial airline pilots and 584,000 new commercial airline maintenance technicians.
- Air Charter Service reported that June was the busiest month in the company’s history. The aircraft charter specialist completed more than 800 charter contracts.
- Dachser USA opened its St. Louis office to support the company’s continued expansion in the Midwest. The new office is located in the St. Louis Customs Building across from Lambert International Airport. It supports customers in southern Illinois, Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska, and will work in tandem with Dachser’s new office and warehouse in Chicago.
- American Airlines Cargo began offering full cargo service to and from Detroit; Omaha, Neb.; West Palm Beach, Fla.; and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
- Boeing and All Nippon Airways celebrated the delivery of the airline’s first 787-9 Dreamliner. The two companies also finalized an order for 40 wide-body airplanes – 20 777-9Xs, 14 787-9 Dreamliners and six 777-300ERs.
- Iberia will add two new German destinations to its network starting Oct. 26. The carrier will fly from Madrid to Stuttgart and Hanover, with four and three weekly flights, respectively.
- Accenture released a new version of its Air Cargo Pricing software, which offers air carriers more options in rate creation and maintenance, and enhanced features to support the interline market.
- UPS released its 12th annual Sustainability Report announcing that in addition to reducing overall carbon emissions in 2013, the company also met its 2016 goal of reducing its air and ground fleet’s carbon intensity by 10 percent three years early. Therefore, the company has set a new goal to achieve a 20 percent reduction in carbon intensity from transportation by 2020.
- Boeing announced that final assembly of the 787-10 will take place exclusively in North Charleston, S.C. Design of the 787-10 is underway in Everett, with final assembly of the first 787-10 scheduled to begin in South Carolina in 2017.
- Virgin Atlantic Cargo took delivery of its first 802 lightweight air cargo containers and will add a further 250 new units in the coming weeks as part of its sustainability program to save fuel and reduce its carbon footprint. The airline will ultimately replace all 3,200 of its LD3 units.