Airfreight Insider Daily Briefing – September 18, 2025
Good morning, air cargo and logistics pros! Today’s briefing gives you a compact overview of the latest industry moves, market insights, and key developments shaping global air transport and logistics.
Long-Term MRO Partnership: China Airlines & Lufthansa Technik
In a major development at MRO Asia-Pacific in Singapore, China Airlines and Lufthansa Technik signed a 20-year agreement covering component support for the Boeing 777 long-haul fleet and future expansions. This deepening cooperation signals strong confidence in long-term fleet maintenance collaborations between Asian carriers and European MRO providers.
Network Expansions and Route Relaunches
- Etihad Airways will launch flights to Damascus from Abu Dhabi starting June 12, 2026, operating four times weekly with Airbus A320 jets offering full business class and economy seating. This marks a strategic return to the Syrian market for Etihad.
- Iraqi Airways is targeting a comeback to Europe by early 2026, aiming to restore direct EU connectivity after years of absence. The Iraqi transport ministry highlighted ongoing preparations and certifications to support the relaunch.
- Corendon Airlines plans significant growth in 2026 with capacity increases of around 20% from Germany and 30% from Austria, focusing on bolstering its bases and delivering more flights to popular holiday destinations.
- LEAV Aviation, expanding its German presence, is starting vacation flights out of Düsseldorf and Münster-Osnabrück airports, further connecting German travelers to Mediterranean sun spots.
Airport and Aviation Commercial Developments
- The Stuttgart Airport has reorganized its sales operations to integrate Aviation and Non-Aviation commercial activities under a single leadership structure. This aims to optimize customer service across the board.
- Bremen Airport released its winter flight schedule effective from October 26, now open for booking, preparing for the upcoming season’s traffic.
- Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) enhanced its passenger services by integrating a global car rental comparison and booking tool on its website, developed in partnership with DiscoverCars.com.
Industry Challenges and Labor Tensions
At Schiphol Airport, the CNV union representing security staff has withdrawn from social dialogue talks, citing a lack of tangible progress on workers’ issues. The union’s negotiator criticized the discussions as “talks for show” that fail to address real problems, signaling increasing tension ahead of the busy travel season.
Environmental Focus: IATA and DLR Highlight Climate Impact
With the upcoming UN Aviation Assembly, IATA’s Director General Willie Walsh emphasized the critical need for a global emissions agreement to meaningfully address the climate impacts of aviation. Despite some skepticism about current targets, the dialogue remains centered on sustainability as a high priority.
Complementing this, a recent DLR study projects a possible 23% reduction in CO₂ emissions per 100 passenger-kilometers by 2070, even under conservative assumptions. The study points to technology synergies — including sustainable fuels and new aircraft designs — as key drivers of this potential.
Geopolitical and Safety Dimensions
- At the 42nd ICAO Assembly in Montreal, Russia’s contentious role in global aviation was spotlighted, covering issues from MH17 legacy cases to GPS disruptions. The complex geopolitical ramifications continue to influence international aviation governance.
- In an unusual safety incident, an Airbus A320 Neo from Spirit Airlines breached typical lateral separation minimums near Air Force One, irritating air traffic controllers and spotlighting stringent security requirements around VIP flights.
- On September 17, the German Air Force scrambled Eurofighter jets to intercept a Kuwait Airways Boeing 777 near Frankfurt after loss of radar contact, underscoring ongoing vigilance in European airspace security.
Market Insight & Logistics
The recent Federal Reserve statement sparked mixed market reactions, highlighting volatility ahead. As Bloomberg remarked, “Fasten your seatbelts, we are going down” reflects cautious sentiment impacting fuel prices and investment in airfreight.
Atlas Air inaugurated a new freighter route connecting Luxembourg, Jinan (China), and Nottingham, boosting cargo flows out of East China’s Shandong province. This addition marks Jinan airport’s third international cargo connection, reinforcing China-Europe trade corridors.
Additional Highlights
- The Italian island of Pantelleria plans to honor fashion legend Giorgio Armani by renaming its airport after him, recognizing his longstanding local contribution and honorary citizenship.
- A cultural aviation piece from Railtour Suisse shares passengers’ favorite in-flight experiences, including humorous announcements by Kulula Airlines and breathtaking Himalayan flights.
- Job opening alert: Airport Weeze seeks a Manager EASA Compliance to oversee regulatory alignment amid growth in regional passenger traffic.
That’s it for today’s update. Stay tuned for our daily YouTube video briefing, where we dive deeper into these topics and explore what’s next for airfreight and logistics professionals worldwide.
Your Airfreight Insider Team