Egypt Freight Forwarding Services
Air & Sea Freight Between Egypt and the UK

Global tension + rising costs = more pressure on UK SMEs

UK businesses are facing mounting pressure from renewed tension around the Iran conflict, with rising transport, sourcing, and energy costs threatening to squeeze margins and further disrupt already fragile supply chains. The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that 29% of businesses with 10 or more employees were concerned last month about international conflict affecting their supply chains over the next year, up 19 percentage points from December 2025. A further 20% were worried about shipping disruption, an increase of 12 percentage points. More than half (52%) of businesses expected the cost of sourcing materials to be affected, while 47% anticipated an impact on transport costs. Meanwhile, 57% expressed some concern about energy prices and 70% about fuel prices. The figures underline the growing challenge facing forwarders, according to British International Freight Association (BIFA) director general Steve Parker, who warned that geopolitical disruption was creating significant uncertainty for businesses moving goods internationally. He said recently that the industry was already dealing with the consequences of vessels being diverted and containers ending up far from their intended destinations due to shipping routes being disrupted. He described the experience of booking containers as "less like putting freight on a straightforward journey and more like sending it on an adventure", with uncertainty over where cargo will ultimately arrive. Mr Parker added that once cargo was unloaded and remained at a port, additional charges began to accumulate. "Bills and costs rack up for no fault of our own," he said. The ONS data suggested that among businesses with 10 or more employees that had exported in the previous 12 months, 39% reported higher exporting costs in June compared with the same month in 2025 - the highest proportion recorded since June 2023. The renewed geopolitical uncertainty comes on top of already challenging operating conditions for the freight sector, Mr Parker highlighting rising business costs, energy expenses, and pressure on transport operators. For smaller freight forwarders in particular, he added, the ability to absorb unexpected costs and disruption was limited. "If you've got deep pockets, it's probably not too bad. But a lot of our members, even if they're small... could find themselves caught up with additional costs."

ACS revenues boom as cargo charter demand rises

Charter broker Air Charter Service (ACS) has seen its revenues significantly increase in the first half of the year, led by rising demand in its charter division. The company, which operates out of 43 offices worldwide, saw revenues increase by 38% year on year in the first half of the year to more than $845m. The improvements were led by ACS' cargo division, which saw charter numbers increase by 49% compared with last year and revenues grow 38% in part as a result of the conflict in the Middle East. ACS chairman and founder Chris Leach said: "In part, these increases were due to supply chain disruptions caused by the conflict in Iran, the repercussions of Storm Marta with the port closures that it caused in Morocco, as well as Venezuelan relief efforts, but events such as these individually make up a small proportion of what we do, indicating strong underlying growth." Leach added that regionally, the company saw particular growth in its offices across the US, Europe and Greater China. The results were also boosted by the opening of six new offices last year, while the company is hoping that the three offices that it has opened this year - in Brussels, Monaco, and Stuttgart - will also support performance. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation in the first half of 2026 were up between 35-40% year on year across its three divisions - cargo, group charter and private jets. "Every year we talk about how exceptional events inflate our numbers; however, we are finding that we are being called upon when there are spikes in demand with increasing regularity, from sporting events to natural disasters to political unrest," added Leach. "We are increasingly becoming the 'go-to' for large organisations and governments, as we are often one of the only companies able to deliver such complex projects. "We can't foresee what we will face in the next six months, but we are confident that we are in a strong position to tackle whatever happens in the second half." The strong start to the year, follows on from improved performance in the 2025/26 fiscal year.

FedEx shows off retro-livery 777F as Memphis hub named after founder

US freight operator FedEx has shown off a Boeing 777F carrying a retro livery as its Memphis hub airport was named after the company's founder. The twinjet, registered N884FD, was originally delivered to the carrier in 2011. It has undergone a repaint in the colour scheme which, says FedEx, is "inspired" by the company's original Dassault Falcon 20 jets, used when it started operations in 1973. Memphis airport is being renamed after Frederick W Smith, the founder of FedEx, who passed away in 2025. The carrier says the 777F was among the first aircraft to land at the newly-renamed facility. This aircraft also features the name 'Rosie', after Smith's granddaughter. FedEx says this represents a "meaningful connection between our past, present and future". Smith chose Memphis as the home for Federal Express in 1973, citing its strategic geographic location and reliable weather. "Moving forward, every plane, person, and package that passes through Frederick W. Smith International Airport will carry the spirit of our visionary founder and the pride of a city that connects the world," said Raj Subramaniam, president and chief executive of FedEx Corporation.