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Increased yields push up United's cargo revenue up in Q2

United's cargo revenue was up 22.6% year on year in the second quarter of 2026 due to increased yields. Cargo revenue at the US airline was $527m in the second quarter of 2026, compared to $430m in the second quarter of 2025. During the airline's second quarter 2026 earnings call, Scott Kirby, chief executive of United, said most of the improvement in cargo revenue came from higher yields rather than increased shipment volumes. Kirby commented: "Cargo had a really strong quarter. Most of the gains in cargo were yield related, not volume related, and I expect that to continue into Q3 as well." In the first quarter of the year, when carriers faced the start of the Middle East conflict and rising jet fuel prices, air cargo revenue had dropped 1.6% for United. Kirby did not elaborate on cargo shipment price increases in the call, but the airline indicated that although jet fuel prices have been a cost pressure, revenues, including cargo, were healthy in the quarter. On 18 April, United announced it would implement a "Market Disruption Fee" on freight shipments for airway bills (AWB) issued on or after 1 May. The fee is applicable based on the chargeable weight of the shipment. The airline said at the time: "The Market Disruption Fee reflects United Cargo's increased cost of doing business globally. United Cargo faces the challenge of rising costs imposed on us by our suppliers, partners, and by the market." Despite volumes not being United's main air cargo revenue driver, the airline transported nearly 347m pounds of cargo in the second quarter - the most for a second quarter since 2020, and 20m more pounds than in the same quarter last year. This included more than 9m pounds of medical shipments and 232,000 pounds of military shipments. Delta Airlines' cargo revenue increased 39% in its second quarter, which the airline attributed to volume growth as it seeks expansion in Asia and the Middle East.

Cargolux cancels plans to restart freighter operations to Dubai

Cargolux has put plans to restart freighter services to Dubai World Central (DWC) on hold. In a short statement on the freighter operator's website, Cargolux said that the planned restart of flights to DWC was on hold until further notice. It appears that the airline had been hoping to restart the flights in July, based on a previous notice that appeared on the carrier's website. Air Cargo News has contacted the carrier for more information on why it decided against the relaunch of operations, but the development comes as the US-Iran conflict has ramped up in recent days. A ceasefire between the US and Iran collapsed on 8 July when Iran allegedly attacked commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Since then, the two countries have been trading waves of airstrikes and missile attacks. Cargolux initially suspended operations to the Middle East in early March following the outbreak of fighting. Services to Muscat have continued, but the airline's flights to Kuwait, Dammam, Bahrain, Riyadh and Doha remain suspended. While Cargolux has decided to delay the restart of its freighter operation to Dubai, capacity to the wider Middle East region continues to recover. Data from consultant Rotate shows that on Monday and Tuesday of this week, cargo capacity from the Middle East to Europe was up 11% compared with the equivalent days a month earlier. Qatar Airways, Emirates and Cathay Pacific had added the most capacity over that period, the Rotate figures show.

Sea Legend Shipping returns to Arctic route with China-Europe NSR sailings

Chinese operator Sea Legend Shipping is to repeat its opportunistic Ningbo-Felixstowe service through the Northern Sea Route (NSR). This time, there will be eight sailings by Sea Legend's China-Europe Arctic Express between August and October, starting withthe 1,732 teu Dubai Tower on 15 August. Sea Legend's vessel schedule shows the voyage will take 21 days, with Dubai Tower expected to arrive in Felixstowe on 6 September. The sailings coincide with the 2026 navigational season for the NSR, which is accessible to shipping only during the Northern Hemisphere summer, when ice caps have melted sufficiently. Cargo is expected to comprise finished goods from Chinese factories rushing out orders for Christmas, but Sea Legend is also targeting shipments of lithium batteries and asserts that the NSR's cold environment will control the related thermal runway risks. Sea Legend, incorporated in Singapore in February 2023, emerged early in 2024 when mainline operators left the Red Sea following Houthi rebel attacks on vessels, creating a vacuum. The company joined other opportunistic operators, such as Safetrans and OVP Shipping, in offering services connecting China to the Red Sea. Subsequently, Sea Legend launched services linking China to the Black Sea and the Indian Subcontinent. Its website boasts more than 60 vessels in its fleet, mostly chartered from Chinese owners. Last September, amid interest from China and South Korea in exploring the NSR as a shortcut to Europe, Sea Legend launched a one-off Ningbo-Felixstowe sailing, using the 4,890 teu Istanbul Bridge. All slots on the ship were fully booked. Sea Legend claimed the route would see vessel emissions slashed by 50%, compared with the Cape of Good Hope route. It is not clear who owns Sea Legend, its ultimate holding company is the British Virgin Islands-incorporated Worldwide Logistics Holding. Its 2024 financials showed Sea Legend booked revenue of $142m in 2024, more than twice as much as in 2023. The company reported a $9.3m net profit in 2024, turning around from a startup loss of $10.4m in 2023.