Air Data News
• Ricardo Meier
Radia is advancing development of the 109-meter WindRunner, a purpose-built cargo aircraft designed to transport oversized loads that cannot fit inside conventional freighters. The project is now moving into industrialization, with production taking shape through a global supply chain as the developer expands its plans.
Air Cargo & Freight Logistics
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De Havilland Aircraft of Canada plans to bring back the rugged Sherpa airlifter, showcasing the aircraft at the Farnborough International Airshow. The revival highlights renewed interest in specialized cargo aircraft for missions requiring flexible, short-field transport capabilities.
Radia is advancing development of the 109-meter WindRunner, a purpose-built cargo aircraft designed to transport oversized loads that cannot fit inside conventional freighters. The project is now moving into industrialization, with production taking shape through a global supply chain as the developer expands its plans.
High activity
Airbus has completed painting its first A350F prototype after a livery competition that drew 4,000 entries. The aircraft is now undergoing final ground tests, with a first flight planned for late September or early October, while a second A350F has emerged from assembly without engines or its cargo door.
Hong Kong Air Cargo has launched three weekly cargo charters linking Hong Kong International Airport with Navi Mumbai International Airport, making it the first foreign carrier to operate at the new Indian gateway. The service adds a new international air-freight connection for the Mumbai region.
High activity
SAS will resume nonstop Copenhagen–Mumbai flights on October 1, 2026, ending a 17-year absence from India. The airline plans five weekly, year-round frequencies using a 266-seat Airbus A330, restoring direct passenger and cargo connectivity between Scandinavia and Mumbai after its June launch was aborted.
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Airbus is preparing to fly the A350F for the first time in the third week of September 2026, according to industry sources cited by Reuters, bringing the delayed freighter toward its certification campaign. The schedule remains tentative and could slip into early October.
Uber, DoorDash, Walmart and other delivery platforms are investing in drone delivery to reduce trip times. Uber’s stated ambition is to reach 1 million daily drone-delivery trips by 2029, signaling that logistics operators view unmanned aircraft as a potential tool for scaling last-mile operations.
High activity
Emirates SkyCargo transported the Altair-1 satellite from Dubai to Los Angeles, marking a milestone for the United Arab Emirates’ space sector. The shipment highlights the role of specialized air-cargo logistics in moving national space hardware between production, integration and launch-related locations.
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