Daily Briefing – Airfreight Industry Update | July 22, 2025
Welcome to your daily dose of key developments shaping the airfreight and broader aviation sectors. Today’s briefing covers a mix of route adjustments, fleet news, infrastructure investments, and safety updates that logistics professionals need to watch.
Network Adjustments and New Routes
KLM is temporarily suspending its recently launched Schiphol to San Diego service for four months this coming winter, from late October to the end of February. Passengers affected by this pause will be rebooked or refunded accordingly. This move underlines ongoing market recalibrations on transatlantic leisure routes.
Discover Airlines is expanding its winter schedule with a new route connecting Munich to La Palma starting October 26, operating weekly flights on Sundays with an Airbus A320—a strategic boost for autumn and winter holiday travel. Similarly, Aer Lingus is reinstating its Cork to Geneva route from December 20th, also on a weekly basis, reflecting revived demand on regional European connections.
Etihad Airways will deploy the larger Boeing 787-10, instead of the 787-9, on its Abu Dhabi–Frankfurt route between October 27, 2025, and January 31, 2026, as per Aeroroutes sources. The capacity upgrade aligns with growing passenger volumes anticipated for the winter period.
Fleet, Production & Technology Updates
Joby Aviation announced a significant expansion of its production facilities in Marina, California, doubling manufacturing output. This comes amid rising interest in urban air mobility and electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft.
Embraer has pushed its commercial aircraft order backlog to a record high of $13.1 billion, thanks largely to firm orders totaling 105 jets from SkyWest and SAS. This robust book signals strong confidence in narrow-body demand over the next eight years.
In pilot training innovation, Brussels Airlines has integrated Virtual Reality into its A320 type rating program, with plans to expand this to other Lufthansa Group carriers—an encouraging sign of digitalization in crew preparedness.
Airport and Infrastructure Developments
DHL Express is undertaking a strategic move by constructing a new cargo and sorting hub in Cologne-Marsdorf and thereby exiting the current facilities at Cologne/Bonn Airport. This shift indicates a push for more integrated and possibly more efficient ground operations away from congested airport grounds.
Meanwhile, Amsterdam Schiphol Airport has equipped all 385 baggage hall workstations with lifting aids to reduce physical strain on staff, highlighting ongoing efforts to improve workplace ergonomics and sustainability in handling operations.
Singapore Changi Airport continues its evolution beyond a transit hub into a destination in its own right, showcased by its partnership with the Crowne Plaza hotel. This trend reflects airports’ ambitions to capture passenger engagement and ancillary revenue beyond pure transportation.
Safety, Compliance & Operational News
Air India has completed DGCA-mandated safety inspections on fuel control switches for its Boeing 787 and 737 fleet. However, the carrier also disclosed having received nine regulatory warnings over safety breaches in the past six months, underscoring ongoing challenges around operational compliance.
An Airbus A319 government flight was diverted unexpectedly to Leipzig due to a warning alert during a Berlin to Cologne/Bonn trip on July 21, underlining the importance of swift operational responses to in-flight alerts.
Emirates Airbus A380s are now being subjected to mandatory inspections of their leading-edge slats after repeated reports of vibrations linked to damage, especially following a recent incident on landing in Nice. Airbus has issued detailed inspection protocols to operators worldwide.
Adding to operational sensitivity, an All Nippon Airways Boeing 787 arriving at Frankfurt was forced to abort landing after reaching the airport 18 seconds too early, violating strict night-time curfews. The incident demonstrates how tight scheduling windows continue to impact flight operations.
Sustainability and Cargo News
A recent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) usage report paints a concerning picture: major cargo carriers including FedEx, UPS, and Cargolux are using little to no biofuel, despite industry pledges. This spotlight on limited SAF uptake could pressure freight operators to accelerate greener practices.
On the air cargo front, Lufthansa Cargo and India’s IndiGo-linked CarGo have launched a new freighter connection from Dhaka to Los Angeles. This collaboration aims to alleviate export bottlenecks severely impacting Bangladesh’s garment sector, which has been constrained by regional trade barriers.
Passenger Traffic and Airport Growth
Abu Dhabi Airports reported passenger growth of 13.1% in H1 2025, handling 15.8 million travelers despite regional challenges. The robust traffic rebound underlines the Gulf hub’s enduring importance in global network connectivity.
Premium Travel Experience
Emirates has opened a redesigned First-Class check-in area at Dubai International, including private lounges for First-Class and Skywards Platinum travelers, reinforcing its brand promise of luxury and exclusivity.
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That wraps up today’s snapshot. Stay tuned for our YouTube video later today, where we dissect these stories with expert insights. Until tomorrow, keep your operations efficient and your cargo moving.
Your Airfreight Insider editorial team