Loading...
TCE is helping TUI Airline transform the freight potential of its passenger network into a structured cargo business, combining commercial development, customer management, operational coordination and regulatory compliance to unlock opportunities beyond its established leisure operations.
Since January 2019, TCE has provided the specialist organisation supporting TUI Airline’s cargo activities, enabling the passenger carrier to pursue airfreight opportunities without diverting its teams from their core business. Its remit spans sales and marketing, customer service, booking coordination, capacity management, operational support, quality assurance and security compliance.
The partnership reflects a wider commercial opportunity for passenger airlines: aircraft connecting holidaymakers to destinations can also carry airfreight, creating an additional revenue stream from existing network capacity. Realising that potential, however, requires more than available space. It calls for dedicated cargo expertise, established customer relationships and coordination across the entire shipment journey.
“Aircraft capacity creates an opportunity, but expertise turns it into a business. We bring together the commercial relationships, operational coordination and compliance support that TUI Airline needs to develop its cargo activity,” said Sarah Scheibe, Managing Director of TCE. She added that the objective is to make the airline’s capacity accessible to freight customers through a professionally managed service.
Connecting commercial promise with operational delivery
For TUI Airline, cargo represents a way to maximise the value of its network while responding to demand for reliable airfreight solutions. TCE supports this ambition by acting as an extension of the airline’s organisation, linking commercial commitments with the operational processes required to move shipments through its network.
Its responsibilities begin with business development, customer management and booking coordination, and extend to the operational support needed to translate enquiries and confirmed bookings into workable cargo movements. This integrated approach helps ensure that the capacity offered to customers is aligned with the airline’s operating requirements.
The model also provides freight customers and handling partners with a dedicated point of contact and coordinated support. For TUI Airline, it brings together specialist resources across multiple functions under one organisation, avoiding the need to build an equivalent internal structure from the ground up.
“A successful cargo product depends on every part of the operation working together. Customers need clear communication, handling partners need effective coordination and the airline needs confidence that its requirements are being met,” Scheibe said. She noted that managing these activities within one organisation helps maintain continuity from the first enquiry through to operational execution.
Quality and compliance underpin growth
As the cargo business develops, quality assurance and security remain integral to TCE’s role. The company manages cargo quality activities, coordinates audits and supports compliance with applicable regulatory requirements, including ACC3 validation processes where required.
By integrating these responsibilities with commercial and operational management, the partnership places the necessary quality, safety and security considerations alongside business development. This helps ensure that opportunities to grow cargo volumes are supported by the standards and processes required for consistent service delivery.
The arrangement also provides a framework for evaluating performance through verified operational and commercial data. Measures such as cargo volumes, revenue, capacity utilisation and service performance can help assess progress, identify opportunities and inform future decisions.
TCE’s contribution therefore extends beyond sales support. Its market relationships help connect TUI Airline with freight customers, while its operational expertise and compliance oversight provide the structure needed to manage cargo as a coordinated business.
Building on a long-term partnership
The cooperation will continue to underpin TUI Airline’s cargo strategy, with TCE remaining its key partner in developing freight activity and making better use of available network capacity.
“Our partnership with TUI Airline has developed through sustained cooperation and a shared focus on making cargo work within a passenger airline environment,” Scheibe said. She added that the focus remains on identifying commercial opportunities while maintaining the operational discipline, quality assurance and security oversight needed for long-term development.
The partnership highlights the importance of an integrated approach to passenger-airline cargo. By bringing commercial development, customer support, operational coordination and compliance together, TCE provides TUI Airline with a dedicated framework to connect available capacity with market demand and further develop its freight offering across its network.
Qatar Airways Cargo is expanding its global freight network for the Winter 2026 season, introducing dedicated freighter services from Copenhagen, New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Dallas, while establishing a direct Warsaw–Chicago connection. The additions are set to increase cargo capacity, strengthen transatlantic trade links and provide customers with improved access to global markets through the carrier’s Doha hub. The network expansion, commencing from late October and early November 2026, targets key export markets across Northern and Central Europe and the United States. By combining dedicated Boeing 777 freighters with capacity on Qatar Airways’ passenger services, the carrier aims to provide greater flexibility for a broad range of freight, including pharmaceuticals, healthcare products, aerospace components, technology, energy shipments, perishables, vehicles and oversized cargo. Strengthening Nordic and Central European Connectivity Effective 25 October, Qatar Airways Cargo will introduce a weekly Boeing 777 freighter service from Copenhagen, operating Doha–Budapest–Copenhagen–Doha. The service will provide 100 tonnes of dedicated export capacity, strengthening the carrier’s reach across Denmark and Southern Sweden. The new freighter operation will complement Qatar Airways’ 10 weekly Boeing 787 passenger services to Copenhagen, which collectively provide more than 100 tonnes of belly-hold cargo capacity in each direction per week. Through Doha, customers will gain onward connections to markets across Asia, the Middle East, the Indian Subcontinent, Africa and beyond. In Central Europe, the carrier will relaunch freighter operations to Warsaw from 26 October, adding a weekly direct connection from Warsaw to Chicago. The Boeing 777 service will operate Doha–Warsaw–Chicago–Brussels–Doha, offering Polish exporters and manufacturers additional dedicated capacity to the US market. Combined with twice-weekly freighter services to Katowice and 10 weekly wide-body passenger flights to Warsaw, the new operation will increase Qatar Airways Cargo’s total weekly capacity to and from Poland to more than 435 tonnes in each direction. Expanding Transatlantic Freight Capacity In North America, a new weekly Boeing 777 freighter service to New York JFK will commence on 1 November, operating Doha–Liège–New York–Atlanta–Liège–Doha. The service will supplement 14 weekly passenger flights to and from New York, taking the carrier’s total weekly cargo capacity on the market to more than 226 tonnes in each direction. Dallas is also gaining additional dedicated freighter capacity. Qatar Airways Cargo has recently introduced two weekly Boeing 777 freighter services operating Doha–Liège–Dallas–Doha, providing 200 tonnes of main-deck capacity into Dallas and 100 tonnes outbound. Together with 14 weekly wide-body passenger flights, the new operation will raise total weekly cargo capacity to more than 250 tonnes into Dallas and over 150 tonnes out of the city. The expanded offering is intended to strengthen trade links between Texas and markets served across the airline’s international network. Capacity for Diverse and Time-Sensitive Cargo The additional services will cater to a wide spectrum of industries, including pharmaceuticals and healthcare, aerospace, technology, energy, perishables, high-value and time-sensitive shipments, vehicles, oversized freight, and general and industrial cargo. Customers will also benefit from increased belly-hold capacity across Qatar Airways’ Winter 2026 passenger network, further broadening the options available for moving shipments across international markets. With the new routes, expanded frequencies and connectivity through Doha, Qatar Airways Cargo is strengthening its capacity offering across Europe and North America while linking customers to a global network spanning more than 160 destinations. Shipments can be booked through the carrier’s Digital Lounge portal or its omnichannel partner network.
Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) recorded a 6.3% year-on-year increase in cargo throughput in September 2026, handling approximately 433,000 tonnes of freight as a sharp rise in transshipments and stronger import volumes supported its recovery. The growth followed year-on-year declines in July and August, highlighting renewed momentum at one of the world’s major air cargo hubs. According to provisional traffic statistics released by Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK), transshipment volumes surged 26.9% year-on-year, while imports increased 9.2%. Southeast Asia and the Chinese mainland were the principal contributors to the expansion, offsetting weaker cargo flows on European trade lanes. Inbound freight recorded stronger growth than outbound shipments during the month. Unloaded cargo rose 14.6% year-on-year to approximately 126,000 tonnes, while loaded cargo increased 3.2% to around 306,000 tonnes. Cargo-related flight movements also climbed 3.9% to 6,515, compared with 6,270 in September 2025. The decline in European cargo volumes was attributed partly to the European Union’s removal of the customs duty exemption for low-value consignments in July 2026. The policy change has affected the movement of low-value e-commerce shipments into Europe, creating additional pressure on relevant trade flows. Despite fluctuations in monthly performance, HKIA maintained positive growth over the longer term. During January–September 2026, the airport handled approximately 3.78 million tonnes of cargo, marking a 3.1% increase compared with the corresponding period last year. For the financial year beginning in April, throughput reached 2.576 million tonnes, up 3% year-on-year. On a rolling 12-month basis, cargo volumes increased 3.3% to 5.18 million tonnes, while cargo flight movements rose 2.1% to 79,715. The September performance underscores the importance of intra-Asian trade and transshipment activity in sustaining Hong Kong’s air freight network. With stronger cargo flows from mainland China and Southeast Asia compensating for softness in Europe, HKIA’s latest figures reflect shifting trade patterns across the global air cargo market. 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐓𝐮𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 CARGOCONNECT 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬!
Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE) has completed a new air cargo centre in partnership with real estate developer Crow Holdings, marking a significant addition to Wisconsin’s freight and logistics infrastructure. The facility will strengthen regional cargo operations and improve access to domestic and international freight markets. Located at the MKE Regional Business Park on the former site of the 440th Airlift Wing, the 337,000-square-foot facility is designed to accommodate up to five Boeing 747-400 aircraft simultaneously. Construction began in February 2025, following years of planning and collaboration between the airport and Crow Holdings. The development is intended to provide manufacturers, distributors and logistics providers with additional air freight capacity and a more direct route to global shipping networks. A key objective of the project is to offer businesses in southeastern Wisconsin an alternative to routing freight through airports in neighbouring Illinois, particularly Chicago-area gateways that can experience congestion, delays and higher operating costs. By expanding cargo infrastructure closer to regional manufacturing and distribution centres, MKE aims to support more predictable freight movements and improve supply chain efficiency. The airport’s location along the Interstate 94 corridor also provides access to trucking networks serving Wisconsin and the wider Midwest. Its existing airfield capabilities, road connectivity and potential for further cargo development could help attract additional cargo operators and strengthen links between air freight and road transport. The project represents an investment of approximately $80 million and forms part of a public-private partnership between Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport and Crow Holdings. Alongside the cargo facility, the broader development includes improvements to adjacent taxiways to support wide-body freighter operations, as well as a new Milwaukee County Highway Maintenance Facility. These infrastructure enhancements are expected to improve accessibility for cargo aircraft and support the region’s transportation requirements. The new centre is also expected to generate recurring revenue for the airport. Projections indicate annual aircraft landing fees of more than $1.3 million, in addition to over $1 million in ground lease rents and fees. The development is expected to create employment opportunities, attract new business and contribute to economic growth across Wisconsin. For the regional logistics industry, the facility provides an opportunity to expand air freight capacity while offering shippers another gateway for moving goods across the United States and international markets. Its long-term contribution will depend on cargo operator participation, freight volumes and the development of supporting logistics services. With the completion of the new air cargo centre, the airport is strengthening its position as an alternative cargo gateway in the Midwest, supporting manufacturers and supply chain operators seeking greater flexibility, connectivity and efficiency in freight transportation. 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐓𝐮𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 CARGOCONNECT 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬!
