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• Hilka Birns
Flydubai plans to begin dedicated freighter operations on Oct. 1, 2026, using three wet-leased Boeing 737-800 freighters from Solitair, each offering a 23,000-kilogram payload. The Dubai-based carrier expects to add passenger-to-freighter conversions from 2029 and expand cargo capacity alongside its future 787 fleet.
Air Cargo & Freight Logistics
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Flydubai plans to begin dedicated freighter operations on Oct. 1, 2026, using three wet-leased Boeing 737-800 freighters from Solitair, each offering a 23,000-kilogram payload. The Dubai-based carrier expects to add passenger-to-freighter conversions from 2029 and expand cargo capacity alongside its future 787 fleet.
ASL Airlines Australia’s proposed acquisition of Airwork Group’s freight business in New Zealand and Australia faces uncertainty after receivers said a conditional agreement to sell the business did not complete. The status leaves the planned transaction unresolved.
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MBDA and Safran won approval to supply France’s new long-range land-strike capability, while the U.S. expanded military connectivity with 21 PWSA Tranche-1 satellites. Separate awards include up to $4.84 billion for Northrop Grumman’s CIRCM system, $4.7 billion to L3Harris for PAC-3 MSE propulsion and $343.2 million for T56 sustainment.
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Evidence from the flight data recorder indicates the pilots of an Amazon Prime Air cargo aircraft considered aborting their landing shortly before the jet crashed in Miami, killing five people on the ground. Investigators are continuing to reconstruct the sequence of events and determine contributing factors.
Air China Cargo began dedicated Urumqi–Liège service on September 3, 2026, using A330-200 freighter B-6113. The inaugural flight carried 53 tonnes of cargo and represents the carrier’s first dedicated cargo operation from Urumqi, adding a new China–Europe air freight connection.
One of the world’s last operational Douglas DC-8 freighters veered off the runway while landing in Kinshasa, suffering a nose-gear collapse. The incident highlights the continued operation of an increasingly rare four-engine freighter in commercial cargo service and raises immediate questions about aircraft condition and runway operations.
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Robinson Unmanned has completed demonstration flights of its remotely piloted R44 AirTruck, including a landing on an offshore-style deck at a Louisiana airport. The uncrewed helicopter is designed to support offshore logistics missions, positioning the platform for cargo operations in demanding environments.
A Trans Air Cargo Service Douglas DC-8, one of the few remaining aircraft of its type in service, suffered a runway excursion in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The circumstances remain unclear as the Congolese investigation authority seeks to preserve evidence.
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