Daily Briefing – Airfreight Insider – September 14, 2025
Good morning logistics professionals,
Here is your daily overview of the most important developments shaping the aviation and airfreight sector today:
Airlines & Passenger Experience
Inclusion challenges for visually impaired travelers: Már Gunnarsson, blind musician and frequent flyer, recently highlighted the significant gaps many airlines and airports still face in properly accommodating guests with visual impairments. His candid testimony underlines the urgent need for enhanced staff training and better accessibility measures across the industry.
Lufthansa expands while Wizz Air continues retrenching: Lufthansa is steadily growing, adding about one aircraft per week to its fleet, signaling confidence in market recovery. In stark contrast, Wizz Air is pulling back on several fronts, scaling down operations even as three Airbus A321 XLR aircraft have arrived. Notably, one of those A321 XLRs, the G-XLRA, experienced a tailstrike incident on landing September 11 and is currently out of service, adding to Wizz Air’s operational challenges.
Tap Air Portugal debuts new Airbus A321 Neo cabin: Tap’s introduction of an updated Airspace cabin on its first A321 Neo enhances passenger comfort and increases hand luggage capacity—an important upgrade aimed at improving customer experience on short- and medium-haul routes.
Regional connectivity grows: Contour Airlines has announced a new thrice-weekly service connecting San Juan, Puerto Rico, with St. Maarten, strengthening intra-Caribbean travel options. Meanwhile, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) has reached a milestone with its inaugural direct flights between Copenhagen and Seoul, offering a new bridge for trade and tourism between Scandinavia and South Korea.
Labor Relations & Workforce
The labor climate remains tense in parts of Europe’s aviation sector. Lufthansa staff are voting on potential strikes amidst ongoing negotiations, while Italian airline ITA faces pressure from unions over perceived lack of commitment to employee interests. In the Netherlands, union FNV has publicly criticized a “luxury deal” that KLM struck exclusively with its pilots’ union, VNV, citing growing inequality between pilots and ground staff — a divide that risks fueling further unrest.
Safety and Training
A remarkable story from earlier this year highlights the critical role of rigorous training in aviation safety. When a Bombardier Challenger 604 crashed in the US in February 2024, a flight attendant’s quick thinking saved passengers’ lives — underlining the value of ongoing emergency preparedness and crew readiness.
Meanwhile, serious concerns arise over operational procedures at Germany’s Aviation Authority (Luftfahrt-Bundesamt). A former legal expert has accused the agency’s medical evaluation division of issuing flawed reports and running inefficient processes, raising questions about oversight and safety compliance.
Military and Security
The security situation in Eastern Europe remains volatile. Poland has deployed fighter jets in response to threats of Russian drone attacks near the Ukrainian border, elevating readiness across its air defense systems. On a related note, the German Air Force has doubled the alert status of its Eurofighter jets stationed in Rostock/Laage, maintaining heightened vigilance amid regional tensions.
In Asia, Singapore’s air force is retiring its fleet of Fokker 50 maritime patrol aircraft after three decades, to be replaced by modern Boeing 737-derived P-8A Poseidon jets, signaling modernization efforts in maritime surveillance and defense capabilities.
Cargo & Fleet Updates
Kalitta Air has received its first two Boeing 777-300ERS freighter conversions under IAI’s Big Twin program, leased from AerCap. The arrival of these modern widebody freighters at Kalitta’s Michigan base will boost capacity and operational efficiency in transcontinental cargo operations.
Jobs & Careers
Looking to make a career move in aviation? This week’s job picks include openings for aircraft mechanics, administrative staff, and instructors. Explore the latest opportunities in our Aviation Job Market.
That wraps up today’s briefing. Stay tuned for our daily YouTube update, where we dive deeper into key trends affecting the industry. Have a productive day!
Your Editor-in-Chief,
Airfreight Insider