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Air cargo executives call for new midsize freighter, with eyes on 787F

Air cargo executives are concerned with what aircraft will replace the Boeing 767 freighters that now compose a hefty chunk of the midsize cargo aircraft fleet, and at this year's Cargo Facts Symposium in Nashville, they called on Airbus, Boeing and conversion shops to get busy on such a project. Many executives view the 787 - either a Boeing-produced dedicated freighter or a passenger-to-cargo conversion - as the most-logical answer to the 767-replacement riddle, though interest also exists for a cargo variant of Airbus' A330neo. Basically, airlines are desperate for a new midsize freighter with modern engines. "Hopefully, Airbus or Boeing come up with something that we can fly, because we're starting to get nervous about what comes next," LATAM Cargo Group chief executive Andres Bianchi said on 22 October. "They should have started already... I think both of them are late." LATAM now operates 20 767Fs and can add nine more, taking those from LATAM's passenger operation and converting them into freighters. But the 767Fs "cannot carry us into the second half of the 2030s", Bianchi said. LATAM is one of many airlines globally that depend heavily on 767Fs. The jets can carry roughly 50t of payload - less than half as much as the largest widebody freighters - making them ideal for operating medium-haul, medium-demand routes. So popular is the type that Boeing continues assembling them, but not for long. Its backlog is dwindling and a production halt is in sight. The problem is that a one-to-one replacement with a new-generation widebody is not available. Airbus and Boeing are largely focused on developing much-larger widebody freighters, Boeing with its 777-8F, which is several years from service entry, and Airbus with its A350F, which it aims to have certificated in the second half of 2027. That is where the 787 could come in. Yes, Boeing's flagship is larger, costlier and more complex than the 767. Still, the idea has backers. Those include aircraft conversion shops, whose executives see a chance to develop such an aircraft, likely in partnership with Boeing. "The right answer will be for [Boeing] to build a passenger-freighter conversion of the 787," Air Transport Services Group chief executive Greg Mays said on 22 October. "I'd cut a hole in one today," he added, referring to a cargo door. Asked to comment, Boeing offered a previously issued statement. "As we look ahead to future medium-widebody freighter options, the 787 is a natural place for us to look," the company said. "We continue to evaluate our options in this space and are listening to our customers." Israel Aerospace Industries is also interested. The conversion company's vice-president Yaacov Berkovitz posted on LinkedIn last week: "The Boeing 787 is the next chapter in passenger-to-freighter conversions." Speaking in Nashville on 22 October, Berkovitz added: "This is a more-complex conversion. It has to be done with the OEM." Jim Gibbs, chief executive of conversion firm Kansas Modification Center (KMC), agreed that any shop seeking to convert a 787 had best partner with Boeing, citing the aircraft's composite fuselage and advanced systems. "You have external loads based on carbon fibres, and carbon-fibre stringers. You have common core-technology. There's a bunch of stuff in there that could easily cost hundreds of millions of dollars," Gibbs said. "If you had an OEM partner on the deal, it could actually cut the conversion timeframe and cost in half," he added. The idea has momentum, but do not expect to see 787Fs taking to the skies anytime soon. Such projects take years to reach fruition. Also, demand is roaring for passenger-configured 787s. Boeing already cannot meet demand, and airlines are not yet offering up the number of second-hand 787s required to support widespread conversions.

Terminal operators and liners eye concession opportunity at Colombo Port

Global terminal operators, backed by container shipping groups, are keenly eyeing fresh concessions at Sri Lanka's Colombo port, according to industry sources. One opportunity up for grabs soon is a rebid for South Asia Gateway Terminals (SAGT), where 30-year concession rights end in 2029. SAGT's ownership has four partners: 42% held by John Keells Holdings; 33% by Maersk/APMT; 15% by Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA); and 10% by Evergreen. According to sources in Colombo, Sri Lankan policymakers are not considering a further extension of the concession term but will seek new proposals. "There are clear signals that SLPA will go in for a fresh tendering attempt," one source told The Loadstar. SAGT, which has three berths with a total quay of 940 metres, and able to handle 2m teu annually, began operations in 1999. The terminal handled 1.8m teu in fiscal year 2025-26, which was down 11% year on year, as the Middle East crisis resulted in a wave of service suspensions, according to available data. Sources said most major liners were upbeat about staking a claim for SAGT, with indications that Maersk will partner with another European liner to jointly pursue the concession rights. The Danish group had previously explored collaborating with an Asian carrier, but the prospect of EU regulatory clearance risks was understood to have derailed that move, sources added. "A joint bid between two European liner behemoths could be a game-changer for Colombo's terminal operations," one Sri Lankan port veteran told The Loadstar. Sources believe Colombo's booming transhipment traffic offers investors a stronger growth proposition, so bidding for any upcoming projects at the port is expected to be heated. Despite the nagging capacity strain and growing competition from Indian ports, Colombo saw combined throughput in H1 26 spike 12% year on year, to 4.4m teu. Meanwhile, until new concessions emerge or become operational, Adani Group's $750m investment in Colombo West International Terminal (CWIT) is seen to be Colombo's primary growth engine. CWIT has officially launched phase 2 operations, doubling its capacity to 3.2m teu, after hitting 2m teu within 18 months of phase 1 operations, claimed to be the fastest growth seen by any operator at the port. "With additional capacity, CWIT would be able to simultaneously berth three ultra-large container vessels, strengthening Colombo's position as a critical transhipment hub on the east-west trade route," said Adani Ports (APSEZ). "Phase 2 is a landmark for APSEZ's international portfolio and sharpens our position across the Indian Ocean's key trade corridors. With expanded capacity, full automation and deepwater infrastructure, CWIT is built to be Colombo's premier transshipment gateway and contribute to export/import cargo in Sri Lanka." In recent years, Adani has markedly expanded its terminal networks beyond India, aiming to become the world's largest port operator handling 1bn tonnes of cargo across markets by 2030 - doubling the 500m tonnes in fiscal 2025-26.

Davies Turner to establish new airfreight HQ outside Heathrow

Davies Turner has acquired a logistics facility close to Heathrow Airport that will become the new headquarters of Davies Turner Air Cargo. The facility is currently being prepared for occupation, with an official opening scheduled for later this year. Its acquisition represents one of the most significant property investments in the UK-based independent freight forwarding group's recent history, the company said. The 130,000 sq ft facility is located less than two miles (3.2km) from Heathrow Airport's cargo terminal and just 500 yards from Junction 14 of the M25, the orbital motorway that surrounds London. It comprises approximately 70,000 sq ft of high-specification warehousing, with 12.5m clear internal height, and two mezzanine floors providing a further 50,000 sq ft of operational space. The site features five dock-loading doors and two level-access loading doors, together with 10,000 sq ft of office accommodation Davies Turner said that the acquisition forms part of its long-term strategy to "invest in critical logistics infrastructure that supports customer growth, operational excellence and future expansion". The new site has been selected to "strengthen the company's capacity, improve efficiency and provide a modern, future-ready environment for both employees and customers", it added. James Wheatley, managing director of Davies Turner Air Cargo, stated: "This acquisition represents a major milestone for Davies Turner Air Cargo and demonstrates our long-term commitment to the UK airfreight market. "Heathrow remains the country's premier international cargo gateway and this strategically located facility provides an exceptional platform from which to support our customers' future growth." He observed: "The investment gives us the capacity, infrastructure and operational flexibility required to continue developing our services for many years to come." Meanwhile, the long-running saga of Heathrow's own expansion rumbles on. Earlier this month, the airport indicated that the opening of its planned third runway is likely to be closer to 2039 than 2035. In its first quarter 2025 results, published on 30 April 2025, it said that depending on the UK Government's response, it aimed for the third runway to be operational by 2035. But in January 2026, Heathrow said the UK Government timetable was to secure planning permission by 2029 and bring the runway into operation within a decade, up to 2039. And, in a recently issued statement to Reuters, a spokesperson for Heathrow said that 2035 had been an "ambitious target". The airport added: "Our focus has always been to secure planning permission by 2029. Once achieved the runway will be open within a decade."