Cargo Facts Connect

Charlotte Douglas International Airport expects its express operations to remain steady while new international passenger services create opportunities to increase belly cargo traffic.The presence of other major express hubs nearby limits the potential for freighter growth at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT), Chief Business and Innovation Officer Ted Kaplan says in this week’s episode of “Cargo Facts Connect,” recorded during a recent site visit.“We’re kind of surrounded by existing national and regional cargo hubs,” Kaplan says. “There likely will not be an opportunity for significant growth with Amazon, FedEx and UPS, given that their networks already have a number of large hubs within relative proximity to our airport.”CLT could support incremental growth by replacing or renovating cargo facilities that were designed for operators twenty to thirty years ago, Kaplan says.“What really came out of [a 2018 cargo study] was where we could significantly improve and possibly expand incrementally,” he says. “The opportunity would be to figure out how to deliver newer facilities that UPS, Amazon and FedEx could transition into and then demolish their old facilities.”CLT has sites that could accommodate new cargo warehouses with airside access if demand materializes. However, the airport would need a long-term commitment from an operator before making a significant investment, Kaplan says.The airport sees more immediate potential in attracting international passenger service that can generate additional belly cargo traffic. For example, Etihad Airways’ new A350-1000 service from Abu Dhabi (AUH), launched in March, has already increased CLT’s cargo throughput, Kaplan says.Tune in to this week’s episode of “Cargo Facts Connect” to hear Kaplan discuss CLT’s express operations, cargo infrastructure and opportunities to expand its cargo business.

A new A300 freighter operator is entering the market next year.Chex Air, which has offices in Dubai and Miami, expects to begin flying an A300-600F around March 2026 to connect Africa and the Middle East with South America, Head of Operations Sebastian Bolivar says in this week’s episode of “Cargo Facts Connect,” recorded at the Dubai Airshow 2025.The aircraft will be on lease from United Arab Emirates-based Sky One and operate under Chex Air’s Chilean AOC, Bolivar says.“If this goes well, we’re going to incorporate a 747 into our fleet,” he says.There are no A300s or 747s registered in Chile. The most recent South American A300 freighter operator was Venezuela-based Transcarga, which retired its final unit in 2024.Chex Air plans to bring more jets from the United States and South America to Dubai and the Middle East to cater to strong demand for charter flights, Bolivar says.“I think our vision for the next five years is to really have a fleet of 747-400Fs [flying] from South America to Dubai and all the way back,” he says. “It’s a great opportunity.”In this week’s episode of “Cargo Facts Connect,” hear more about Chex Air’s strategy as Bolivar speaks with Cargo Facts Editor Jeff Lee in Dubai.

Aircraft cybersecurity is a vital — but often overlooked — part of protecting commercial aviation from bad actors, which is why Cyviation specializes in aircraft risk assessments and solutions.Herzliya, Israel-based Cyviation, founded in 2021, offers intelligence and monitoring solutions to map possible cyber threats to aircraft and related aviation systems.Cyviation determines vulnerabilities and monitors multiple platforms and devices, especially those used for communication, to protect commercial aircraft from cyberattacks, according to the company. Cyviation does this through digital twin technology.Digital twin technology creates a virtual replica of a system that collects and analyzes data in real-time, allowing users to pinpoint weaknesses and predict problems.“The way we are building [these digital twins] is basically from analyzing data only,” Cyviation Chief Executive Eliran Almog says in this week’s episode of “Cargo Facts Connect.”Cyviation does not touch the plane, either physically or through software, Almog says.“We just look at the data — the data of the airplane, the model data and the data [from] maintenance, the specific data of a specific tail number,” he says. “From this data, we basically map the entire network [of] devices, and the connections and communication between the devices, and start to assess, through that digital twin, the vulnerabilities.”In this week’s episode of “Cargo Facts Connect,” hear about using digital twin technology for commercial aviation cybersecurity as Cyviation’s Almog speaks with Cargo Facts Deputy Editor Yael Katzwer.

Miami-based startup carrier 7Air Cargo is entering its third month of full commercial operations and gaining experience that is benefiting its parent, The Xtreme Group.7Air Cargo, formed by The Xtreme Group (TXG), received FAA Part 121 approval in February and began air cargo service in May. It now operates two 737-800SFs and one 737-800BCF, and expects to put a fourth 737-800 freighter into service by yearend.7Air held an inauguration ceremony with the Miami-Dade Aviation Department in Miami (MIA) on Aug. 15 to commemorate the opening of the airline’s hub at the airport.For the executive team overseeing 7Air’s daily operations, the ceremony represented a milestone noting its achievements and serving as a reminder of the challenges still to come.“It’s definitely been a learning curve getting into the airline and cargo industry, since we’re kind of running them side by side,” Chairman and Managing Partner Jose Rodriguez says in this week’s episode of “Cargo Facts Connect.”“The good thing is that we’ve been able to tackle the different objectives through me and [Vice President of Commercial Operations and Partner Carlos Cock]. Most days, we divide our attention,” Rodriguez says. “I’ll handle the maintenance side of things, and Carlos will manage operations to make sure that we have fluidity and efficiency across the board.”As executives with years of MRO experience, 7Air’s leadership team is familiar with managing aircraft maintenance for customers, Cock says.But the tables have turned.“Now, we are the customer,” he says. “Xtreme Aviation is handling a majority of the maintenance for 7Air and it’s allowed us to really see how important the operational side of things is, making sure that communication is not only key but fluid, and that everybody’s on the same page regarding what we’re doing, enabling us to make changes on the MRO side to better serve our customers.”In this week’s episode of “Cargo Facts Connect,” hear about the day-to-day operations, challenges and early stage growth of this new carrier as 7Air’s leaders speak with Cargo Facts Senior Associate Editor Robert Luke.

Cargolux will change its operations to field a mixed fleet of large-widebody freighters when its new 777-8Fs come online later this decade to begin replacing its older production 747-400Fs. Introducing the 777-8F platform to Cargolux’s uniform fleet of fourteen 747-8Fs and sixteen 747-400Fs will result in alterations to its operations, President and Chief Executive Richard Forson says in this week’s episode of “Cargo Facts Connect,” recorded at Air Cargo Europe 2025 in Munich this month. “I think we can make it work, but it will take more managing,” Forson says in a rare public interview. “I think it will take more time, more thinking in advance as to where these aircraft would be deployed at the end of the day, because the last thing I want to be doing is having to break pallets down to rebuild and to put onto another aircraft.” Cargolux announced in October 2022 a firm order ten 777-8Fs along with options for six after Boeing said at the Farnborough International Airshow 2022 that it had secured Cargolux as a customer for the program. Cargolux’s fleet has remained the same since 2020 when it picked up a 2006-vintage 747-400F (35170) that had exited service with United Kingdom-based CargoLogicAir. “My philosophy is I’d rather be short on capacity than long, because if I’m short on capacity, I can always make money during the good times, and when the bad times come along, then obviously I have a lot less exposure to downturns in the market,” Forson says. “And the good years have helped us to build up the resilience of the airline, so our balance sheet is strong and we’ve kept a lot of liquidity in expectation of any downturn in the market.” For the remainder of 2025, one priority for Forson and Cargolux is being able to adapt to any new trade agreements that come into place as countries around the world grapple with tariffs and war. “I think that’s the most important thing,” he says. “What is going to happen to global trade?” Tune in to this week’s “Cargo Facts Connect” to hear more on Cargolux as Forson speaks with Cargo Facts Editor Jeff Lee at Air Cargo Europe 2025 in Munich.

U.S. tariffs against other countries and the elimination of de minimis exceptions are the greatest concerns for the freight forwarder community right now, according to Airforwarders Association Executive Director Brandon Fried.“We need to freeze tariffs, not freeze trade,” Fried said at CNS Partnership Conference 2025 in Miami last week.The U.S. imposed a flat 10% tariff against all countries, effective April 5, and has delayed implementation of reciprocal tariffs pending negotiations with affected countries. The only country excluded from the reciprocal tariff reprieve is China. Last week, following negotiations, the U.S. dropped its tariff against China to 30% from 145% and China dropped its tariff against the U.S. to 10% from 125%. The lowered tariffs will remain in effect for three months, giving the countries time to negotiate a permanent resolution.Also, the U.S.’s de minimis exception for goods from China and Hong Kong ended May 2. Under de minimis regulations, companies shipping goods into the U.S. are not required to pay tariffs on shipments valued at less than $800.The tariff and de minimis changes will adversely affect the air cargo industry, Fried told Cargo Facts.“We understand that these tariffs were initially set to balance the trade deficit of foreign goods entering the U.S., and that tariffs are a commonplace mechanism of international trade,” he said. “The instability caused, however, by mass tariff implementation, negotiation and bilateral agreements, as well as inevitable disputes over high rates, has hit our industry.”Tune in to this week’s “Cargo Facts Connect” to hear more about the state of the air cargo industry in today’s political climate as Fried speaks with Cargo Facts Deputy Editor Yael Katzwer at CNS Partnership Conference 2025 in Miami.

Despite increasing restrictions on global trade and the potential effect on the market, Astral Aviation founder and Chief Executive Sanjeev Gadhia believes new opportunities will emerge in Europe, the Middle East and Africa amid ongoing geopolitical tensions. Gadhia will join a panel discussion on the growing narrowbody freighter demand at Cargo Facts EMEA 2025, taking place May 6-May 8 in Istanbul. “All in all, I’m feeling very positive and bullish, and I'm also looking forward to actually expressing the same and learning when we meet in Istanbul next week,” Gadhia says in this week’s episode of “Cargo Facts Connect.”Kenya-based Astral Aviation remains optimistic and has chosen to focus less on geopolitical events and more on the EMEA region, he said.Astral, which recently took delivery of its first 767-300BDSF (24146, ex-Amerijet) on lease from Palm Beach, Fla.-based Flight Lease, signed a memorandum of understanding with Emirates SkyCargo this year to explore ways to increase global trade, specifically within Africa. “I believe that the region is poised to have a major surge with all the geopolitical situations taking place,” Gadhia says. “And I feel very bullish that within the next three months, after the dust has settled … I actually believe that the EMEA region is where I see a lot of new opportunities.”Tune in to this week’s “Cargo Facts Connect” to hear more on the EMEA market as Gadhia speaks with Cargo Facts Senior Associate Editor Robert Luke.