Smaller, simpler FedEx closes UPS gap - it gets harder now

The divide: FedEx has reshaped itself through a freight spin-off, a unified delivery network and a hard pivot towards yield over lower-quality volume. The latest targets from JP Morgan and HSBC are $60 apart, but their analyses still differ on how much of the transformation has become durable earnings power and how much remains to be proven. Look at FedEx shares, how they have performed against UPS, DHL, the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Transportation Average over the past ...

Swissport enters the Colombian market as it continues expansion

Ground handler Swissport is entering the Colombian market through the acquisition of Giraldo Hermanos International (GHI). The handler said the acquisition of a majority stake would expand its presence in Latin America where it currently operates at 85 airports across 15 countries. GHI has a presence at Bogotá and Medellín, where it provides air cargo and passenger handling as well as other services. The company serves customers, including Copa Airlines, Air Europa, Turpial Airlines, Solar Cargo and FedEx. Rene Pascua, Swissport's chief executive for Latin America and the Caribbean, said that several of its key international customers were keen for the company to enter Colombian market. "This expansion is part of Swissport's strategy to broaden its footprint in large, fast-growing aviation markets, enhancing its ability to support airline customers across the region," Swissport said. The handler pointed out that Colombia has the second-largest international airfreight market in South America. The country is particularly significant for time-sensitive exports such as flowers, while trade between Colombia and the US represented the region's largest international air cargo flow, with 500,000 tons transported in 2025. Swissport International president and chief executive Warwick Brady said: "Colombia is a strategically important, high-growth market for Swissport, and GHI has established a strong operational platform from which we can grow together. "We are delighted to partner with the GHI team as we expand in Colombia, strengthening our ability to support our existing airline customers and their operations across the region." GHI chief executive Francisco Giraldo added: "This partnership brings together GHI's strong local knowledge and established operations with Swissport's global capabilities, creating an exciting platform for our customers, employees and partners and supporting the continued development of our industry in Colombia." The closing of the transaction remains subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals. The company has been busy expanding its presence across the globe this year. In June, Swissport entered the Chinese market with the start of operations at the Digital & Intelligent International Cargo Terminal at Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG). And in May, the handler entered the Moroccan cargo market through the purchase of Swiftair Maroc, a cargo handling company operating at Mohammed V Airport, which is Morocco's primary airfreight hub and handles approximately 95% of the country's total air cargo volumes.

ACS transports over 110 pieces of outsize machinery from India to Ghana

Air Charter Service (ACS) recently transported 163 tons of outsize machinery from India to Ghana for a customer that required them for a power plant in Kumasi. The air charter firm said its customer in Mumbai needed to move more than 110 pieces in total to ensure the power plant could run more efficiently. Shahvez Jafary, chief commercial officer of ACS's Indian operations, commented: "We were contacted by a client in Mumbai who needed to move a large amount of machinery and other components urgently to Ghana, where they were needed for a major power plant, in order to get it running more efficiently. "The initial packing list included some outsize pieces that weighed more than 12.5 tons and were more than 10 metres in length, with the total weight of the cargo totalling more than 150 tons." Jafary said the length of some of the machinery pieces necessitated using a nose-loading Boeing 747 freighter, though the final operation utilised two aircraft in total rather than the three originally planned, which saved costs. "Following several changes to the packing list in the lead up to the flights, the client confirmed the final cargo details just days before their requested flight date, with more than 110 pieces in total," he said. "Working hard alongside the operator's loadmaster team and the client we managed to use only two aircraft instead of the initially planned three, meaning a significant saving for our customer. "With the machinery parts that measured 10 metres long, we needed to use a nose-loading B747 freighter, utilising another B747 for the remainder of the shipment. "Two external cranes that we sourced for the client were used to move the bulkiest items onto the nose-loading freighter, while the smaller components were palletised for the second aircraft. "After the flights landed in Accra, the crucial machinery was safely offloaded and transported the remainder of the journey by truck, to the power project, in Kumasi."