March 2011

Lufthansa will purchase 25 A320neo and five A321neo planes worth a total of $2.8 billion from Airbus.

In order for Colombia to continue to compete in the aviation sector, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos must implement infrastructure improvements and government policies, according to Giovanni Bisignani, director general and CEO of the International Air Transportation Association.

During a meeting of the Air Forwarders Association (AfA) during the AirCargo 2011 conference in San Diego, Irvin Varkonyi of American Public University announced an educational partnership with the association.

UK-based Hybrid Air Vehicles, which is currently working on a hybrid air ship for U.S. defense contractor Northrop Grumman, is close to signing a contract with a major airline for a fleet of vehicles.

Charter broker Air Partner has flown 145 tonnes of humanitarian aid into Japan on the world’s only operational Antonov 225. The freighter carried water, masks, protective suits, blankets, food, respirators and anti-radiation medication from Châteauroux Airport near Paris to Tokyo’s Narita Airport. Also on board was specialized equipment for relief teams such as pumps, compressors, generators and radiation meters.

Lufthansa Cargo has ordered five B777 freighters in what the carrier’s chairman and CEO, Karl Ulrich Garnadt , described as the biggest investment in its history. It's among the myriad projects, including expanding its Frankfurt cargo center and upgrading its IT infrastructure, that the company is planning.

The Airport Transportation Association of America (ATA) has reported that cargo traffic among U.S. airlines rose 5 percent year-over-year in January on the strength of international traffic.

Etihad Airways has started working with the Manchester Airports Group to find a location for its European contact center, which will open in 2012.

In the wake of recent announcements that eight U.S. airports have been permitted to offer select chartered flights to Cuba, United Americas Shipping Services (UASS) is asking the U.S. government to open up ocean lanes to the country.