Advertise on podcast: Cargo Facts Connect

Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport is positioning itself as an alternative to congested cargo hubs by offering dedicated handling, flexible facilities and room for expansion. The airport can provide customized services and faster turn times for freighter operators and forwarders moving specialized cargo, GSP Vice President and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Tom Tyra says in this week’s episode of “Cargo Facts Connect,” recorded during a recent site visit. “If you’re doing an all-freight operation and it’s a unique build, you have the full focus of our team working on every single operation,” Tyra says. “It’s 100% focus on every operation.” GSP established its cargo operation in 2016 and opened an 110,000-square-foot facility three years later. A subsequent expansion increased the building to 160,000 square feet, while the airport doubled the adjoining ramp to about 35 acres, enough to accommodate six 747s simultaneously. The airport’s master plan provides space to double its cargo facilities as demand increases, Tyra says. “We’re well-positioned for the future,” he says. “If air cargo continues to expand in this area, and particularly across the Southeast, we’re well-positioned to take opportunities as they arise.” Customer needs Cerulean Commercial Aviation, GSP’s aviation services operation, handles cargo ranging from automotive components and construction equipment to pharmaceuticals, flowers and live animals. Its ability to adapt facilities and handling processes to individual shipments differentiates GSP from larger gateways, Commercial Aviation Services Manager Kelly Wiggs says. “Our model is customized,” Wiggs says. “We can customize for your customer. We can customize for the freight forwarder. We can do things that you might not do at a traditional hub like Atlanta, Chicago or JFK.” GSP is also exploring partnerships with secondary airports in Canada and South America as it works to attract additional scheduled freighter service. The airport sees an opportunity to connect South American perishables with markets in the United States and Canada, Tyra says. One of the challenges for GSP will be to continue growing while not losing its ability to customize and personalize its service. “We can get a lot bigger,” Tyra says. “But we want to need to do it in a way that we don't lose track of what's got us here.” Tune in to this week’s episode of “Cargo Facts Connect” to hear Tyra and Wiggs discuss GSP’s cargo facilities, specialized handling capabilities and strategy for attracting freighter operators and forwarders.

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.

New lessor Thrust Capital is looking to capitalize on the Dash 8-Q400’s speed, range and container capacity by bringing large-cargo-door variants to the regional freighter market.   Founder and Chief Executive Nico von Appen established the company after identifying an overlooked opportunity for the Q400, he says in this week’s episode of “Cargo Facts Connect.”   “I looked into it more myself because I was really convinced by the Q400 as a freighter, especially with the large cargo door,” von Appen says. “I was in contact with De Havilland and some regional lessors to talk about feedstock.”   Thrust Capital plans to market the converted aircraft as the Regional Eco Wing Freighter and hopes to begin offering two units in 2027. Von Appen has identified four potential aircraft and expects feedstock availability to improve over the next few years.   The Q400’s performance and capacity could give it an advantage in overnight feeder operations, he says.   “There are analyses showing that you can operate one or two more flights per night compared with an ATR,” von Appen says. “You can get up to two more LD3 containers. You’re faster, you have a better climb rate and you have the power.”   De Havilland is supporting Thrust Capital’s efforts to bring the approved large-cargo-door modification to market, while von Appen is in discussions with qualified MRO providers and prospective operators, he says.   Tune in to this week’s episode of “Cargo Facts Connect” to hear von Appen discuss the Dash 8-Q400 conversion market, feedstock availability and his plans for Thrust Capital.

Boston-based Merlin and its New Zealand-based affiliate, Merlin NZ, are working hard to certify the Merlin Pilot autonomous flight software in New Zealand next year. Merlin NZ is prepared to shoulder the load to ensure Merlin Pilot is put into commercial freighter service after certification by the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand (CAANZ), Merlin NZ Chief Executive Grant Crenfeldt says in this week's episode of “Cargo Facts Connect.” “At that point, [we would say that] Merlin, a technology organization, has the Merlin Pilot installed into the Cessna Caravan that we have here in New Zealand,” Crenfeldt says. “And then we’ll take that aircraft, put it onto the Merlin airline AOC, similar to how a fully certified aircraft goes on to a certificate, and then we start flying commercial freight routes using that aircraft.” The anticipated approval of the Merlin Pilot by the CAANZ in 2027 would represent the first time a conventionally crewed fixed-wing aircraft equipped with autonomous flight technology enters revenue cargo service, Crenfeldt says. Merlin is already looking beyond New Zealand and setting its sights on obtaining FAA certification. “The CAANZ and the FAA have a bilateral agreement, which means that if one or the other regulator certifies something, then the other regulator can choose to apply the amount of due diligence to that certification before they approve it as well,” Crenfeldt says. Merlin's technology, for which it obtained an experimental certificate of airworthiness from the CAANZ in 2025, is designed to operate existing aircraft in commercial airspace without requiring changes to air traffic management procedures, he says. Tune in to this week’s episode of “Cargo Facts Connect” to hear Crenfeldt speak with Editor Jeff Lee, Senior Associate Editor Robert Luke and Associate Editor Jay Aelick.

After beginning revenue service with Australia’s first Beech 1900D Super Freighter at the end of May, GAM Air will soon take delivery of another. The carrier signed a deal this year to purchase three aircraft from Provo, Utah-based Alpine Air Express to operate for Team Global Express in Australia under a ten-year contract. The first unit (UE-254) arrived in April. GAM Air started to seriously evaluate the Beech 1900D Super Freighter about two years ago, when Alpine Air Express, which holds the only STC to convert the type, began marketing it. “We started doing some numbers on the airframe then with what we did know, just from a soft approach to see if that was the right sort of aircraft for our client, and it was really the only aircraft in the market — and still is,” GAM Air Chief Executive Carl Jepsen says in this week’s episode of “Cargo Facts Connect.” “They had a point of difference against the Metros, the Dornier 228, and it blew the socks off the SkyCourier as well. “So for us, and what we do in Australia, the routes that we have, the speed we need and the payload we carry, it was the perfect airplane.” The deal with GAM has opened more opportunities for Alpine as interest has grown, Alpine Chief Operating Officer Bob Frisch says. “I think that this airplane fits a really good niche and it’s got that specific market,” he says. “And I think people are starting to look at that not only because of that niche that they have, but also just at the other replacements and the other costs of the airplanes, and what this can do.” Alpine CEO Michael Dancy says he would be reluctant to sell any Beech 1900D freighters to other operators in the United States. “I think the whole idea is I just don’t want them showing up next to me,” he says. “But there is so much interest from these aircraft in Canada, in Europe, in Africa and so forth.” For now, Dancy is happy to have GAM Air as a partner in Australia and wants to see the Australian carrier be as successful as possible. “So, we’d love for them to be the only operator in Australia, because for us, that's a great relationship,” he says. “We know how advantageous that is.” Tune in to this week’s episode of “Cargo Facts Connect” to hear more about the Beech 1900D as Dancy, Jepsen and Frisch speak with Editor Jeff Lee, Senior Associate Editor Robert Luke and Associate Editor Jay Aelick.

The airfreight industry should focus on attracting talent, implementing open data standards and providing flexibility for the rest of 2026 and beyond, according to Flexport. “We have a lot of experienced people today approaching retirement, and the pipeline behind them is very, very thin in all roles: in operations, in customs, in commercial roles,” Milena Milenkovic, head of airfreight for the EMEA region at Flexport, says in this week’s episode of “Cargo Facts Connect.” “And if we don’t fix that, we will create a people problem that no new aircraft or software can solve.” The industry is not doing enough to appeal to young people, and it can do that by being more vocal about the vital role that air cargo plays, Milenkovic says. Two other areas that air cargo must continue to improve are data and flexibility, according to Milenkovic. The industry has the technology to process and share the increasing amount of data generated today but still does not make use of it effectively, she says. Additionally, in a market characterized by instability, carriers must develop flexible options for customers and build redundancy into their networks. Overall, Milenkovic believes the largest hurdle for the industry is still its inability to recruit and retain skilled personnel, and inspire their excitement. “I started this career when I was twenty-two,” she says. “I still love it, and it’s twenty plus years later.” Tune in to this week’s episode of “Cargo Facts Connect” to hear Milenkovic speak with Senior Associate Editor Robert Luke.

Freighter operators remain optimistic about the prospects for the industry and its resilience in dealing with crises, drawing from the handling of disruption caused by the Iran war. As the war broke out on Feb. 28, Compass Air Cargo and Atlas Air were among the many carriers that collectively had fifty or so freighters stuck in the region. Atlas, for one, had a 777F (69788) in Abu Dhabi (AUH) and a 747-8F (60118) in maintenance in Tel Aviv (TLV), Graham Perkins, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa for Atlas Air, said during the opening panel discussion at Cargo Facts EMEA 2026 in Brussels last week. “All the focus at that point in time was on our trying to get our people out, those who were not based there, looking after our people who were living there and are based in the [United Arab Emirates] in particular,” Perkins said. “And then, of course, the aircraft themselves. So, it was people first, and airplanes second in that regard.” Now that most operations have resumed, the industry should learn to react to major events in an even more agile manner to address the demands of customers, Teleport Chief Business Officer Jan Philipp Poter said during the panel. “The world continues to grow; e-commerce continues to grow, and other people move things by air — it’s a structural part of how we move things, and that will stay,” he said. “So, that optimistic view, I think, is important to keep, especially in times of crisis. And if you’re optimistic, you have your crisis playbook and you stay connected, I think you are well-prepared.” The industry should also take pride in how it pivoted during the initial stages of the war, Compass Air Cargo Chief Commercial Officer Rainer Mueller said. “Looking at what has been managed in the Middle East over the last five or six weeks, it is amazing,” he said. “And I’m 100% convinced that we are ready even for the next crisis.” Tune in to this week’s episode of “Cargo Facts Connect” to hear an excerpt from the opening panel at Cargo Facts EMEA 2026, moderated by Editor Jeff Lee.

Chapman Freeborn has been especially busy fielding charter requests since the outbreak of the Iran war at the end of February, as airspace closures led to grounded aircraft and a sudden drop in capacity. “It is true that aviation is a very volatile industry,” Group Chief Executive Saska Gerasimova says in this week’s episode of “Cargo Facts Connect.” “So, it’s not about whether a crisis will happen, but it’s a matter of when and where it will happen.” Gerasimova, who was appointed group CEO in October 2025, says that her experience at Amazon Air in Europe, in particular, is helping her understand the needs of cargo customers. “The biggest struggles that our customers have is the uncertainty of the geopolitical situation and the volatility in supply,” she says. “Many customers use these elements as an opportunity and are able to react and adjust quickly, while others are rather postponing the decisions. And this is a very big impact that we’ve seen in the last two or three weeks, for example.” Gerasimova will share her perspective of the freighter market in light of the war and more in a fireside chat on Wednesday, April 29, at Cargo Facts EMEA 2026 in Brussels. “I would really love to challenge the ideas that [fellow executives] present,” she says. “I would really love to hear the ideas that they have of how we can work together to minimize the impact on the customers, [not just] in the short term, but also in the long term.”  Tune in to this week’s episode of “Cargo Facts Connect” to hear Gerasimova discuss her upcoming fireside chat with Editor Jeff Lee.

Carsten Hernig, deputy general manager, VP of sales and marketing and production at Shanghai Pudong International Airport Cargo Terminal, has implemented a flexible strategy for the cargo facility as the Iran war continues to shift trade volumes and cargo flight schedules, he says in this week’s episode of “Cargo Facts Connect.”   With Shanghai (PVG) one of the major airports connecting the Asia-Pacific region to Europe, the war concerns Shanghai Pudong International Airport Cargo Terminal (PACTL), Hernig says.    “Some of the main carriers who are serving this route from the Middle East are actually experiencing a disruption of their operation at the moment,” he says. “This has capacity impacts on the market, which means for us as a handling provider, that we have to be extremely flexible and react fast to schedule changes and also additional capacity.”   In turn, Hernig says he believes the war is driving demand for dedicated freighters as passenger flights remain limited.   “I think it will underline the importance of freighter aircraft being a practical tool to increase the resilience of the system of air cargo, as disruptions on the passenger side lead to capacity impacts,” Hernig says.   The air cargo sector must “find quick solutions” for “non-controlled” variables — such as political tensions, tariffs and other factors — affecting the industry amid high global demand, and remain resilient, he says.   Tune in to this week’s episode of “Cargo Facts Connect” to hear Hernig discuss the market’s outlook and PACTL’s role in handling air cargo at PVG with Senior Associate Editor Robert Luke.

Lima Airport Partners Chief Commercial Officer Norbert Onkelbach expects his new facility to expand its air cargo market share, he says in this week’s episode of “Cargo Facts Connect.”   Onkelbach sat down with Cargo Facts at the IATA World Cargo Symposium in Lima, Peru, this week to discuss the capabilities of Jorge Chavez International Airport (LIM), which “has undergone a significant expansion, increasing its land area from 270 hectares to 940 hectares,” he says.   The construction was backed by Germany-based global airport operator Fraport, which acquired an 80% stake in Lima Airport Partners in 2001.   While Onkelbach says he sees “increasing e-commerce interest from all over the world,” LIM is “exporting more than 60% in perishables, blueberries, avocados and, increasingly, mangoes.”   Lima Airport Partners may consider developing a direct cargo corridor between LIM and Peru’s seaport, Onkelbach says.   “We see another opportunity as our location of the airport is just eight kilometers from the seaport to basically, in the future, develop contract concepts to integrate seafreight and airfreight.”   Onkelbach hopes to secure the support of the federal and provincial governments of Peru to create special economic zones that will attract investors to the project.   Tune in to this week’s episode of “Cargo Facts Connect” to hear Onkelbach discuss Lima Airport Partners’ plans for LIM and share his outlook of the industry with Senior Associate Editor Robert Luke.

Brandon Fried may be retiring as executive director of the Airforwarders Association at the end of the year, but he intends to remain active with the industry, he says in this week’s episode of “Cargo Facts Connect.” After leading the Airforwarders Association for more than twenty years, Fried looks forward to aiding the industry’s growth independently, noting that there is still much work to be done. He identifies two main areas of focus: the near-term tightness in global freighter capacity, and sustainability, since only 2% to 3% of the SAF needed by the industry is available. “I’m concerned about a lack of feedstock for the future,” Fried says. “There are only about 650 [large-widebody] freighters now available worldwide, and we’re concerned about that.” Reflecting on AfA’s milestone achievements, Fried points to TSA’s Certified Cargo Screening Program, which enables certified facilities to pre-screen air freight before acceptance by an aircraft operator or indirect air carrier. The idea faced significant resistance in Washington, D.C., when it was proposed after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. “There were opinions on Capitol Hill that freight should not be flying in the bellies of passenger planes due to security issues,” he says. “And we convinced Congress as well as the TSA that we could handle the job of handling our own security, and we did.” Fried’s outlook remains upbeat despite the uncertain trade environment and believes freight forwarding will always have a role in helping customers overcome the challenges ahead. “We’re advisers and we’re called in for that role,” he says. “Flexibility, being the source of information to the customers, is never going to go out of style, so we’re bullish on the future.” Tune in to this week’s episode of “Cargo Facts Connect” to hear Fried discuss his takeaways as an industry leader with Editor Jeff Lee and Senior Associate Editor Robert Luke.

Amerijet will continue to focus on Latin America as a major source of growth for its scheduled and charter business in 2026. “More volume is going into Central and South America versus the U.S., and with de minimis, trade patterns certainly have changed,” Chief Executive Joe Mozzali says in this week’s episode of “Cargo Facts Connect.” “So, we’ve seen a lot of demand for e-commerce in various countries and on a scheduled charter basis.” Amerijet’s revenue increased by 12% and EBITDA by 9% in 2025, and the carrier was ranked third in terms of tonnage in Miami (MIA) in 2025, Mozzali says. Two 767-300BCFs have joined the fleet on lease from NAS Aircraft Leasing in the past three months, although Amerijet will have to furlough around thirty-five pilots at the end of February because of the termination of a CMI arrangement for Maersk. While Amerijet faced a 30% escalation rate in engine costs in 2025, the carrier expects that to normalize somewhat this year and is leaning into AI to develop a reliability portal so maintenance can be more predictive than reactive, Mozzali says. “We’re just probably about three months into it, so it’s in its early stages,” he says. “But we have some high expectations that we can improve our reliability by leveraging AI.” Once the most recent 767 addition begins flying, it will bring Amerijet’s own fleet to eleven 767-300 freighters.  “With the additional aircraft, we can be a little bit more opportunistic on the on-demand charter market, but overall, we think that in existing markets the tide is going to continue to rise,” Mozzali says. Tune in to this week’s episode of “Cargo Facts Connect” to hear Mozzali discuss Amerijet’s plans with Editor Jeff Lee and Senior Associate Editor Robert Luke.

Columbia Metropolitan Airport wants to play a larger role in the air cargo industry and serve as a less congested alternative to airports including Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International and Charlotte Douglas International. The South Carolina Department of Commerce awarded Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE) a $5 million grant in 2024 to acquire new ground service equipment and renovate its west cargo building to support additional warehousing and air cargo operations. Apart from FedEx and UPS, there really are no other cargo-handling capabilities at CAE, Ryan Kreulen, vice president of operations at the airport, says in this week’s episode of “Cargo Facts Connect.” Air cargo flights accounted for 14% of CAE’s total traffic in 2025, with most of the 40,000 tonnes of air freight moving through the airport being handled by FedEx and UPS. In addition to having customs on site at the airport, CAE provides an escape from the congestion found in larger markets and the experience of working with large freighter operators, Chief Executive Chris White says in the podcast. Tune into this week’s episode of “Cargo Facts Connect” to hear White and Kreulen discuss with Senior Associate Editor Robert Luke how they plan to attract more cargo operators to the capital of South Carolina.

EnComm Aviation’s regional freighter operations came to an abrupt halt in September 2025, causing the carrier to write off more than $100 million after BAE Systems surrendered its ATP aircraft type certificate to the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority. EnComm had made multiple investments building its infrastructure, including heavy maintenance repairs for its ATP fleet, when it learned of BAE’s decision to discontinue its support, making it nearly impossible for the carrier to continue operating the type, EnComm Aviation Director Jackton Obuola says in this week’s episode of “Cargo Facts Connect.”   “There were a lot of investments we were still making,” Obuola says. “For instance, we were in the process of overhauling landing gears, overhauling engines, returning to service a lot of aircraft, spending up to $15 million.”   EnComm has filed a lawsuit in London seeking $250 million in punitive damages and claiming negligent misrepresentation and misstatement by BAE.   The Kenyan startup was surprised by the decision after meeting with BAE and receiving commitments for continued support for its ATP fleet, Obuola says.   EnComm was operating four ATP freighters and was preparing to enter service with the remaining nine ATP aircraft it had acquired from Sweden-based West Atlantic.   BAE invited EnComm to the United Kingdom for a meeting when the startup reached out to the manufacturer in May 2024, Obuola says. Parts and suppliers for the ATP aircraft type were in attendance, including parts distributor Saywell International, component supplier Safra[MM3] n and propeller supplier PropTech.   “Our BAE representative at the time said as long as there’s one BAE ATP aircraft in service, they will continue supporting it,” Obuola says.   Even though EnComm has ceased operations, its legal pursuit of BAE is just beginning. Tune into this week’s episode of “Cargo Facts Connect” to hear Obuola discuss with Senior Associate Editor Robert Luke the events that grounded the regional carrier and the next steps it will take.

Airlines lose control when they outsource heavy maintenance, and that could be the root cause of the fatal crash of UPS flight 2976, according to a former FAA airworthiness inspector and NTSB major accident investigator.    UPS’ CF6-powered, 1991-vintage MD-11F (48417) failed to maintain its climb and crashed after its left engine separated from the wing during takeoff from Louisville, Ky. (SDF).   MROs under microscope   The FAA and NTSB should look closely at the maintenance checks carriers have outsourced to third-party MROs, Stephen Carbone, president of private maintenance consultant firm Aircraft Maintenance Safety Professionals, says.   A former FAA airworthiness inspector and NTSB major accident investigator, Carbone says in this week’s episode of “Cargo Facts Connect” that he believes there is not enough oversight from the FAA or quality control from airlines that outsource aircraft maintenance.   “Since the early ’90s, the airlines have relied a lot more on repair station overhaul facilities to do their work,” Carbone says. “And the problem with that is the airline loses control of the maintenance.”   Tragic similarities   In addition, the November crash had tragic similarities to a 1979 crash of an American Airlines DC-10 at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD) that killed all 271 people.    “The basic problem that caused the American Airlines DC-10 crash was the departure of the engine, almost exactly like the UPS MD-11F,” Steve Forness, president of aircraft engineering consultancy Air Flight Technical, says in the podcast. “It went up over the wing. The failure was the aft pylon.”   As a member of the McDonnell-Douglas team assigned to the American Airlines DC-10 crash and an FAA designated engineering representative, Forness aided the NTSB investigation, which identified improper installation of the engines as the cause of the aft bulkhead failure in the pylon.   Although the lessons learned from the DC-10 were implemented into the design and operation of MD-11s, the NTSB revealed in its Nov. 20 preliminary report of the UPS crash that it had discovered fatigue cracks in the pylon aft mount of the left engine.     As the NTSB investigation into UPS flight 2976 continues and around sixty MD-11Fs remain grounded, tune into this week’s episode of “Cargo Facts Connect” to hear Carbone and Forness share their insights with Senior Associate Editor Robert Luke on the accident and what could happen before the MD-11Fs return to service.