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Jetstream delivers first Saab 340B(F) cargo aircraft to Alaska operator Ryan Air

Saltchuk Aviation-owned Ryan Air has taken delivery of its first Saab 340B(F) cargo aircraft from Jetstream Aviation Capital for use in its air cargo operations across western Alaska in the US. The aircraft, with serial number 340B-329, was delivered to Anchorage, Alaska-based Ryan Air on 4 August. The freighter will be used for the airline's scheduled and chartered cargo operations throughout western Alaska. "Jetstream is proud to announce the delivery of the first Saab 340B(F) cargo aircraft to Ryan Air," said Florida-based lessor Jetstream in a LinkedIn post yesterday. "This delivery represents more than the addition of an aircraft; it reflects a shared commitment to supporting the essential movement of cargo and supplies throughout Western Alaska. We're honored to play a role in Ryan Air's mission of serving more than 80 communities across the region."

Decarbonising airfreight requires whole-system approach

The UK government must adopt a coordinated, whole-system approach to SAF resourcing and usage across air and other modes of transport. The UK government's Jet Zero Strategy sets out a pathway to reach net zero for the airfreight sector by 2050, using key levers such as the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Mandate and focused investment. At the beginning of the year, £43m was announced for green aviation projects, focusing on research and development to support zero-emission aircraft, whilst most recently, the government announced a £219m low carbon fuels fund (LCCF) to scale up SAF production. SAF is the most viable method for decarbonising airfreight in the short term, offering lifecycle carbon reductions 70% lower than kerosene, but adoption is currently constrained by supply, high costs compared to conventional fuel and infrastructure. The feedstocks required for SAF are the same as those required for road and maritime operations, and while low carbon fuel (LCF) alternatives are viable for all modes, uncertainty about how supply will be made available to air operators (as well as those working in road or maritime operations) is risking uptake, at a time when the UK needs an urgent assurance in supply to meet decarbonisation targets. To combat this, the government must adopt a coordinated, whole-system approach, one that takes into account the needs of multimodal logistics and plans accordingly. Expand UK production Common feedstocks for LCFs, such as used cooking oil, agricultural residues and waste oils are already in short supply relative to demand. Sustainable Aviation's SAF Roadmap highlights that current global capacity falls short of 2030 targets by almost four million tonnes, an issue that is exacerbated by the UK's limited domestic production options and dependency on overseas fuels. The UK imports around 70% of the liquid biofuels it uses for transport, leaving it susceptible to supply chain shocks, as observed during the 2022 energy crisis and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Planning processes need to be modernised, and the deployment of alternative fuel infrastructure needs to be prioritised, to streamline approvals for refuelling and recharging infrastructure, as well as vital grid connections. Planning and policy decisions made about infrastructure development and expansion need to consider the UK logistics network as a whole. Not doing so runs the risk of creating regional inequalities, patchwork regulation and bottlenecks. Align regulation Although the government has implemented the SAF Mandate alongside the LCFF and a revenue certainty mechanism to attract investment, the impacts of this will remain constrained while regulation remains unaligned. The UK SAF Mandate defines eligible fuels based on lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction thresholds (a minimum of 40%), sustainability criteria and limits on feedstocks, while in the US, SAF policies refer to different lifecycle assessment methods and allow for a wider range of feedstocks. This means that SAF blends produced in the US do not meet UK criteria. The EU's ReFuelEu Aviation regulation contributes to further confusion, introducing another framework with binding SAF blending mandates, and creating a challenging environment for airlines operating global routes and SAF producers looking for global markets. Without alignment, adoption of SAF will remain restricted. The pace and scale of decarbonisation across the aviation sector will depend on a whole-system approach, not aviation only. Persistent questions about limited LCF supply and how its production can be upweighted to meet the demands of different modes is challenging uptake, which the government must address by increasing domestic production through reformation of the planning system and harmonisation of SAF regulation.

Xeneta: Little evidence of an air cargo peak season boost

The air cargo market is continuing to cool and there is little evidence that airlines will this year gain a peak season boost, according to data provider Xeneta. The data provider today released its market update for July, showing a demand increase of 4% year on year, while capacity was up 1% and the cargo load factor reached 61%. However, average airfreight spot rates fell to $3.12 per kg from $3.40 per kg in July - although they remain up 28% year on year as a result of higher fuel surcharges and the Middle East conflict. Xeneta said that this month-on-month decline in spot rates, and a slowdown in the pace of year-on-year rate growth from 38% in June and 41% in May, was a sign of a weakening market. Demand growth in July also narrowed from the 8% improvement registered in June. "The rate premiums airfreight buyers have paid since the escalation of the Middle East conflict in late February are continuing to unwind, with little evidence of a peak season boost for airlines and forwarders to look forward to, as the global air cargo market faces a slower second half of 2026," said Xeneta. Xeneta chief airfreight officer, Niall van de Wouw added that there were minimal conversations regarding charter capacity for the peak season. "Very few people are talking about peak season," said van de Wouw. "In all the conversations we've had with our shipper community, in only one was there talk of peak season charters. "This is another signal of the lower expectation for the coming months," he added. The company recently upgraded its demand outlook for the year, but this was largely based on performance in the first half as opposed to expectations for the end of the year. As a result of the weaker market conditions, Xeneta is expecting rates to continue to ease as the year progresses. "Airlines will be fighting tooth and nail to avoid reducing rates as quickly as they went up. It's not in their interests to lower rates quickly, but there is some relief for shippers with the market on a downward trajectory year-on-year," explained van de Wouw. "Rates are swinging backwards, and we expect that to continue, despite the situation in the Middle East still being unclear." Another development that has affected the air cargo market in July was the European Union's implementation of a €3 customs duty on low-value parcels imported from outside the bloc. Xeneta said that this development contributed to spot rates from Northeast Asia to Europe falling 13% month on month, with Southeast Asia to Europe down 9%. "Most striking was China to Western Europe, where spot rates fell 22% month on month to $4.15 per kg - a far steeper July decline than the low single-digit falls seen in the same period in the last two years," the analyst said, adding: "Market reports already point to freighter capacity being withdrawn from China-Europe e-commerce services." The other hot topic of the year has been the rise in AI shipments on the transpacific trade, with rates again up to North America. Xeneta figures show that spot rates from Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia to North America were both 33% above late-February levels - although this too has eased from the 41% and 42% levels recorded at the end of June.