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MSN Air Service to utilise Kalé platform at new Guyana cargo station

US ground handler MSN Air Service is expanding its use of Kalé's cargo handling platform in line with plans to add new stations globally. At the Tiaca Air Cargo Forum, MSN Air Service signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Kalé Info Solutions (Kalé) to deploy Galaxy as its standard technology platform at every new station it opens as part of its international expansion. The agreement comes as MSN expands its operations beyond JFK, with a new base at Cheddi Jagan International Airport in Guyana. "MSN is entering an exciting phase of growth, driven by a clear ambition to expand into international markets and strengthen our position in the global air cargo industry," said MSN Air Service group chief executive Manoj Singh. "For us, this expansion is about building a future-ready business, investing in technology and creating the capabilities to compete in an increasingly connected industry. "With Galaxy in use at JFK and committed for deployment across every new station we open, we are building a common technology platform to support operational consistency, visibility and scalability throughout our network." Galaxy supports import, export, and transfer operations through a single cargo handling platform. "International expansion can multiply operational complexity very quickly, and technology should remove that complexity rather than reproduce it at every new station," said Amar More, chief executive and co-founder of Kalé. "MSN is taking the right approach by building a common technology platform into its expansion strategy from the outset, rather than trying to retrofit systems as its network grows. "A common platform gives handlers consistent workflows, real-term visibility, and comparable performance data across locations, allowing them to add new operations without rebuilding their processes from scratch."

IATA: Air cargo demand up more than 7% in September

Air cargo demand continued its strong growth levels in September, with IATA registering a 7.7% increase in cargo tonne kms (CTK) compared with a year earlier. The increase in demand outstripped a 2.7% increase in capacity in available CTK terms and resulted in the cargo load factor improving by 2.2 percentage points on last year to 47.9%. IATA said that the demand increase was again fuelled by AI shipments being moved across the Pacific but also warned that airlines were facing rising costs. Marie Owens Thomsen, IATA's senior vice president for sustainability and chief economist, said: "Air cargo demand rose 7.7% year on year in September, with growth across all regions. "Stronger global trade and manufacturing provided a supportive backdrop, while AI-related shipments helped drive another month of double-digit growth across the Pacific. "The challenge is cost. Jet fuel prices have more than doubled compared with a year ago, and yields have not kept pace. "There is no shortage of goods to ship, but doing that profitably in the face of persistently high fuel prices has become more challenging." Jet fuel prices rose by 17.5% month on month in September and were 103.4% higher than a year earlier, IATA said. Trade lane performance Looking at trade lane performance, it was no surprise to see the strongest growth came on the Asia-North America trade, which was up 17% compared with a year ago and has now recorded eight consecutive months of growth. Next up was Europe-North America, which improved by 9.3% on last year and has now registered five consecutive months of growth. Elsewhere, within Asia improved by 10.2%, Asia-Europe was up 6% and Africa-Asia increased by 2.6%. In contrast, Europe-Middle East was down 18% and Middle East-Asia slipped 10.2% as a result of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East region. Airline performance followed suit, with Asia Pacific-based carriers registering an 8.6% increase in demand, North American airlines were up 11.8%, European airlines improved by 4.5%, Middle East-based carriers benefitted from a 3.8% increase in demand, Latin American airlines were up 6.7% and there was a 4.7% improvement for African airlines.

Etihad Cargo partners with Virginia on cargo development

Etihad Cargo is teaming up with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) to examine how the two can create cargo opportunities at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD). The two signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the TIACA Air Cargo Forum that will establish a framework for collaboration to "strengthen international air cargo connectivity and support the growth of aviation-related trade". This will entail exchanging market insights, exploring joint initiatives, and identifying opportunities to expand air cargo activity. "The collaboration supports Virginia's broader strategy to strengthen IAD as a competitive global air cargo gateway, particularly for high-value and time-sensitive supply chains serving the pharmaceutical, perishables, energy, data centre, and cloud computing industries," the two said in a press release. They added that these sectors depend on reliable global connectivity to support investment, innovation, and international trade. Stanislas Brun, chief cargo officer at Etihad Airways, said: "Virginia is home to industries with highly specialised logistics requirements, from pharmaceuticals and perishables to technology and data centre infrastructure. "Etihad Cargo's experience in handling temperature-sensitive, high-value and time-critical shipments gives us a strong foundation to contribute practical cargo expertise to this collaboration. "Through the MoU with VEDP, we look forward to exchanging knowledge and exploring opportunities that strengthen international air cargo connectivity through Washington Dulles." Eric Jehu, vice president of logistics at VEPD, added: "The value of an air cargo gateway isn't measured simply by the freight moving through it, but by the investment and economic activity it enables. "Virginia is building the logistics capabilities and strategic partnerships that allow our industries to compete in global markets. "Our collaboration with Etihad Cargo represents another important step toward connecting Virginia businesses to global opportunities and strengthening the Commonwealth's position as a gateway for international trade."