Daily Briefing – November 18, 2025
Welcome to today’s edition of the Airfreight Insider Daily Briefing, your go-to summary of the most pertinent developments shaping the aviation and air cargo sectors. From fleet shake-ups and technological advances to supply chain shifts and strategic partnerships – here’s what logistics professionals need to know.
New Entrant BlueLight Humanitarian Airlines Bets on Airbus A340 for Crisis Missions
The humanitarian airfreight market is gaining a fresh player: BlueLight Humanitarian Airlines, a Swiss non-profit carrier focused on flying aid cargo into crisis zones, is launching with a dedicated fleet of Airbus A340 aircraft. The decision to rely on these widebody jets, once popular for long-haul passenger services but now increasingly phased out, is driven by their reliability, range, and cargo capacity. BlueLight’s founders emphasize that the A340 offers a cost-effective, proven platform for sustained humanitarian missions in challenging environments. This niche strategy contrasts with most new operators favoring newer, more fuel-efficient types.
Iberia and Air Europa Reshape Their Long-Haul Fleets and Networks
The Iberia group continues to evolve its transatlantic portfolio, announcing plans to launch a nonstop Airbus A321XLR service from Madrid to Toronto starting June 2026, operating five times weekly. This marks another milestone for narrowbody long-haul operations targeting secondary markets with right-sized aircraft.
Meanwhile, sister airline Air Europa is making a bold fleet shift by ordering a significant batch of Airbus A350-900 widebodies – a departure from its previous exclusive Boeing 787 and 737 fleet. This strategic pivot points to a long-haul expansion and modernization plan designed to enhance efficiency, passenger comfort, and network flexibility.
Dubai Air Show Highlights: Airbus Upsets Boeing with Flydubai, Etihad’s A330 Neo Order, and More
The Dubai Air Show remains a hotspot for major procurement announcements. Airbus secured a headline-grabbing preliminary order for 150 A321neos from Flydubai, establishing itself as the budget carrier’s exclusive single-aisle supplier going forward, effectively edging out Boeing.
In the widebody space, Etihad Airways placed its first-ever order for 15 Airbus A330-900neos (six purchased directly, nine leased), signaling a commitment to fleet renewal and growth.
South African low-cost carrier FlySafair inked a lease agreement with AerCap for five Boeing 737 aircraft (three 737 MAX 8s and two 737-800s), underscoring continued demand for single-aisle jets in emerging markets.
On the other hand, Emirates CEO Tim Clark dispelled rumors about an Airbus A350-1000 order at the show, citing past operational experiences as decisive factors in avoiding this type, while the airline is pursuing other strategic initiatives such as a new seats manufacturing facility in partnership with Safran in Dubai.
Technological Innovations & Operational Efficiencies: Weather Data and Sustainable MRO
France’s air traffic control organization DSNA, in collaboration with SITA, successfully tested the impact of feeding live, real-time weather data directly to air traffic controllers in the Reims control center. The initiative, trialed over 21 critical weather days, led to a significant reduction in flight delays. This development highlights how integrating dynamic environmental data can optimize airspace management and improve on-time performance – a key interest for cargo and passenger operations alike.
Meanwhile, sustainable practices in aircraft Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) are gaining momentum. Professor Gerko Wende of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) outlined emerging processes and cutting-edge technologies that drive the transition toward greener, economically viable aircraft servicing — an important focus area as environmental regulations tighten and stakeholders demand increased lifecycle efficiency.
Emerging Business Models: E-Smart’s Virtual Integrator Concept
The new airline e-Smart Avia, a collaboration between SASI World, IAS Group, and e-Smart Logistics, is gearing up to launch what it calls a “virtual integrator.” Built around electric aircraft and digital logistics networks, this innovative model aims to challenge traditional scheduled carriers by offering highly flexible, tech-driven services tailored to the burgeoning ecommerce freight market.
Industry Watch: Freightos Struggles but Eyes Ocean Growth
In the freight forwarding and digital logistics space, Freightos (CRGO) continues to report quarterly losses, with the management maintaining an optimistic outlook focused on ocean freight’s long-term growth potential. Despite headwinds, the firm is positioning itself to capture an anticipated shift in freight volumes from air to ocean, banking on evolving customer preferences and supply chain dynamics. This stance reinforces the complex, multi-modal nature of global logistics strategies today.
Vienna Airport Sees Strong Air Cargo Growth
The Vienna Airport reported an 8% rise in air cargo throughput in the first nine months of 2025, handling over 233,000 tonnes. The growth was primarily driven by increased belly cargo capacity on long-haul passenger flights, signaling encouraging demand for Europe’s airfreight hubs despite ongoing challenges elsewhere in the market.
Defense & Aerospace: Boeing Expands Patriot Missile System Production
Boeing announced plans to triple its production capacity for guidance systems used in the Patriot air defense missile system, reflecting surging demand amid heightened global security needs. This expansion underscores the ever-growing defense aviation sector alongside the commercial market.
Lease Deals Highlight Market Fluidity
Aircraft leasing remains robust with notable transactions including CDB Aviation’s deal to lease four Airbus A320neos to Estonian leisure carrier Marabu Airlines, and AerCap’s agreement leasing five Boeing 737s to South Africa’s FlySafair. Such activity highlights ongoing fleet renewal and flexibility strategies by airlines amid a dynamic market environment.
That wraps up today’s update. Stay tuned for our daily video briefing on YouTube where we break down these developments and what they mean for your business.
Your Airfreight Insider Editorial Team