Image: Air Canada Cargo
Airlines are strengthening freighter links between Asia, Europe, and the Americas for winter, adding transatlantic flights, connections to Latin American manufacturing and distribution hubs, and capacity serving Asia’s technology exports.
Air Canada Cargo’s new 767-30F services to Amsterdam, Monterrey, and Panama City join selected US frequency increases from Lufthansa Cargo, a new Cairo link from Air France, and additional transpacific options from JAL and Cathay Cargo.
The additions come as forwarders renegotiate allocations ahead of the winter passenger timetable, when fewer flights on some routes reduce available belly capacity.
Air Canada is explicitly targeting that seasonal gap with its new Toronto-Amsterdam freighter service, which begins on 29 October with two weekly flights. Monterrey starts on 26 October with three weekly services, while Panama City begins on 25 October with up to two.
“The introduction of our freighters in Amsterdam is an important step in strengthening our European network,” said Matthieu Casey, MD, commercial – cargo.
“This gives us dedicated main-deck capacity at a time of year when transatlantic capacity is more constrained, helping us better serve customers in the Netherlands and across Europe, while creating opportunities to connect their cargo through our global network.”
The additions also provide more routing options between Europe and Latin America through Toronto, including onward connections to Quito, Lima, Bogotá, and Mexico City.
For forwarders, the timetable change can mean finding replacement space as airlines redistribute allocations.
One airfreight forwarder explained to The Loadstar last month: “You get the winter schedules maybe six, eight, ten weeks in advance, and then obviously you can start renegotiating your capacities.”
However, those negotiations amid competing forwarders vying for space.
“Sometimes they say, ‘hey, you have three pallets on that flight, now you can only have two’. And then you need to find space somewhere else.”
The forwarder described securing replacement capacity from Europe to the US as “a little bit of a challenge”. Asian procurement was less sensitive to the seasonal switch, he said, because of year-round block-space agreements.
Air Canada’s Mexican expansion comes as Washington eases restrictions on the airlines from its southern neighbour. Aeroméxico confirmed on 19 October that the US Department of Transportation had revoked its October 2025 order, restoring flexibility to consider new services and additional frequencies from Mexico City’s two airports, subject to regulatory requirements. The dispute had involved passenger slots and the forced relocation of US freighter operations.
Elsewhere, Lufthansa Cargo’s winter schedule, effective 25 October, offers 88 freighter routes serving 40 destinations, including up to 46 weekly rotations to 17 Asia-Pacific destinations.
Singapore joins its Frankfurt-Taipei rotation, creating another intra-Asian connection. Additional Taipei and Chengdu services, and its twice-weekly Frankfurt-Ho Chi Minh City-Shanghai-Los Angeles operation, carry over from summer.
Selected US gateways receive additional frequencies, taking Dallas/Fort Worth to four weekly services, Houston to three, and New York JFK to five.
Air France-KLM-Martinair Cargo, meanwhile, is adding three weekly Paris-Cairo B777F flights. Its Amsterdam-Seoul freighter operation will run three times a week – one standalone service and two combined with Hong Kong – increasing dedicated capacity on the route.
Both Air France and Lufthansa are shifting Mumbai freighter operations to Navi Mumbai, although they are gateway changes rather than additional capacity.
Technology demand is another influence on deployment. JAL cited generative AI, semiconductors, and investment in digital infrastructure in its winter cargo announcement.
Its offering includes a new twice-weekly Narita-Los Angeles 747 freighter codeshare with Atlas Air, launched on 2 October, alongside six weekly Narita-Chicago services with Kalitta Air, and two Narita-Luxembourg services with Cargolux. Its own 767 freighter timetable adds a weekly Narita-Dalian service.
Cathay Cargo has also linked additional Americas freighter capacity for the peak to growth in semiconductor and data-centre equipment shipments from Asia. It expects a leased A330 converted freighter in the fourth quarter, operated on its behalf by Air Hong Kong, to support regional general cargo demand.
Latin American perishables provide another source of demand. Emirates SkyCargo said this month it had introduced seven additional weekly South American freighter flights since March, including services to Buenos Aires, Bogotá, São Paulo, and Quito.
The changes come against a backdrop of demand outpacing capacity. IATA reported global cargo demand up 4.4% year on year in August, while capacity fell 0.1%. Asia-North America cargo capacity demand increased 13.2%.
There may be new connections – but there are also new charges. Air Canada Cargo will increase its airfreight carrier surcharge from 26 October, citing Middle East unrest and rising fuel prices, airport and enroute fees, and currency fluctuations.
For UK-origin shipments to Canada and the US North-east/Midwest, the charge rises from 15p to 19p/kg, an increase of almost 27%. For other destinations covered by its long-haul category, the fee rises from 29p to 36p/kg. The surcharge is assessed on gross weight, rather than chargeable weight, and applies across rate products, unless otherwise specified.
MSC Air Cargo raised its surcharge from $1.70 or €1.70 to $2.30 or €2.30 per chargeable kg from 16 October, an increase of approximately 35%, with currency determined by country of sale.
JAL’s Japan-origin long-haul fuel surcharge rose from ¥185 ($1.17) to ¥192/kg on the same date. Its latest calculation used Singapore jet fuel averaging $174.33 a barrel during the second half of last month.
The forwarder’s September assessment, nevertheless, anticipated a moderate seasonal increase rather than an exceptional peak.
“For sure, we do not expect a peak season with rates doubling or anything,” he said.
Check out this week’s News in Brief on congestion, cyber-attacks, and capacity constraints