Payload
• Jacqueline Feldscher
Portal Space Systems has secured a Falcon 9 launch for its first Supernova spacecraft while marketing remaining fairing capacity to rideshare customers through Maverick Space Systems. The company is also preparing to ship its first Starburst satellite to Florida, marking a major step toward operations.
Air Cargo & Freight Logistics
Latest source-backed stories
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.
High activity
Portal Space Systems has secured a Falcon 9 launch for its first Supernova spacecraft while marketing remaining fairing capacity to rideshare customers through Maverick Space Systems. The company is also preparing to ship its first Starburst satellite to Florida, marking a major step toward operations.
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 the first A350F freighter’s paint job and unveiled its parcel-themed test-aircraft livery, selected after a competition that drew 4,000 design entries. The aircraft is preparing for a first flight expected in late September or early October, while the second A350F is nearing completion without engines.
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.
High activity
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.
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