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Texel Air Australasia adds 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighter

Cargo airline Texel Air Australasia has added a 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighter (BCF) to support continued growth in New Zealand, where the company sees strong demand for freighter capacity. The aircraft, named Florence and registered ZK-TXH, will initially operate on charter services to connect New Zealand's main freight hubs with regional destinations and provide greater flexibility to move goods overseas. The delivery of Florence follows the arrival of Karen, Texel's second 737- 800BCF in New Zealand, in August. Texel's New Zealand-based fleet now comprises three aircraft, while the wider Australasian fleet comprises seven aircraft in total. The Texel Air Group said that with this delivery, it now operates 10 737-800BCFs globally and has 12 Boeing 737 aircraft in total, with five based in Bahrain and seven in Australasia. Texel Air founder and chairman John Chisholm said: "Having an additional aircraft based in New Zealand gives us greater flexibility to respond to the needs of businesses, whether that's moving time-sensitive freight, supporting specialist charter requirements or connecting communities and businesses that rely on air freight." The aircraft is the 200th 737-800BCF delivered worldwide and the milestone was celebrated at a special event at Auckland Airport attended by representatives from Boeing, BBAM, Auckland Airport, customers, suppliers, industry partners, plus members of the Texel Air Group team. Guests heard from Chisholm, who reflected on the company's growth and long-term commitment to the New Zealand market. A team of Boeing specialists converted the 737-800BCF at a Boeing facility by removing the interior, reinforcing the floors and installing a cargo loading system. A wide cargo door was installed to ease the loading and unloading of the aircraft. The conversion adds over 20 years to the aircraft's lifespan, said Boeing. "The 200th 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighter is an important milestone, and we're pleased to celebrate it with long-standing partners, Texel Air," said Lindsey Douglas, vice president, cabin, modifications, maintenance and digital services at Boeing. "By growing its New Zealand-based Australasian fleet to seven 737-800BCFs, Texel Air is demonstrating the freighter's versatility and reliability in supporting expanding exports and trade across the region," she said. Texel Air Australasia was set up in 2023 by Bahrain-based Texel Air, which was established in 2013 by Chisholm Enterprises.

Exports stranded as Adani Russia-embargo creates Indian air cargo chaos

India-Russia trade, which has been active despite the US sanctions on Moscow, now faces new supply chain hurdles, according to industry sources. The biggest barrier is that the eight Indian airports, including Mumbai's two, managed by Adani Group have temporarily suspended handling Russia-related shipments. The stoppage has already left some 150 tonnes of Indian exports for Russia - primarily pharmaceuticals, machinery, and spare parts - stranded over the past week. While there is no official word from Adani, industry watchers are viewing the abrupt cargo ban as an extended fallout of the sanctions, as it occurred a few weeks after US-based asset management group BlackRock agreed to funnel some $1bn in equity to Adani Airport Holdings. "Air freight to Russia through Adani airports is now at a standstill," one forwarder told The Loadstar. "We are unaware of the exact reason." Non-Adani Delhi Airport continues to handle Russia flights, including those by Russia's national carrier, Aeroflot, but these normally carry sizeable Russia-bound cargo transhipped via Mumbai, sources said. A Volga-Dnepr charter was reportedly rerouted to Delhi after being denied access to Navi Mumbai, while its other cargo there has been held for two weeks, according to one report. And India-Russia trade disruption is not limited to air freight: container carriers have also stopped accepting bookings from India to Russia's Novorossiysk port, a major hub in the Black Sea, over fears of escalating drone attacks on vessels, as well as other growing security risks in the region, sources told The Loadstar. MSC and CMA CGM have been among the top mainline carriers on India-Russia trades, with a slew of NVO-back regional operators, including Corten Shipping. According to sources, carriers are now limiting their services to St Petersburg. The disruption and export congestion is an added blow for Mumbai air freight stakeholders as the hub switch from the old Mumbai airport to Navi Mumbai (NMI) continues to generate controversy. Citing a lack of infrastructure readiness and anticipated operational bottlenecks, more freighter operators are backing off with their transition plans. Malta-based Challenge Group has joined Lufthansa Cargo in pausing operations out of India's main commercial hub, saying: "Following an assessment of the current operating conditions at NMI, we have determined that the present operational setup does not yet enable us to deliver our cargo services with the level of reliability and certainty we require. "Our teams are actively evaluating alternative options to maintain strong connectivity between India and our international network." Challenge was operating twice-weekly flights out of Mumbai, to Liege, Tel Aviv, the US, and South America, according to available data. As the Mumbai disruption escalated, IATA stepped in, raising questions about the "forceful" approach by Adani Group in implementing the hub transition. IATA said it had created a great deal of confusion among airlines, and the process should have been left to market forces. The association told India's Ministry of Civil Aviation that, while airlines remained fully supportive of the dual airport system, better preparedness was critical to the transition. Mumbai is India's second-busiest air cargo hub, so disruption, even at a limited scale, has the potential to hamper export/import trade flows just as the country's manufacturing prospects brighten. Vineet Malhotra, co-founder and director at Mumbai's Kale Logistics Solutions, said: "The priority now is to ensure that this transition is co-ordinated, data-driven, and seamless for all stakeholders."

Schiphol joins Pharma.Aero

One of Europe's biggest and busiest airfreight gateways, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, has joined Pharma.Aero as a strategic member. The Pharma.Aero organisation aims to facilitate collaboration between industry, logistics, infrastructure, technology and academia to accelerate innovation and strengthen healthcare supply chains around the world. It brings together almost 100 Life Sciences and MedTech manufacturers, cargo pharma-certified communities, airports, airlines, freight forwarders, and technology providers. By joining Pharma.Aero, Schiphol will contribute expertise and international connectivity to collaborative industry initiatives focused on innovation, resilience, sustainability and the future development of healthcare supply chains. The announcement was made on 6 October at FlyPharma Europe in Copenhagen, where Pharma.Aero is participating in the event's conference programme. Frank Van Gelder, secretary general of Pharma.Aero, said: "As one of Europe's leading connectivity hubs, Schiphol brings extensive expertise, global reach, and a strong ambition to further strengthen its pharmaceutical logistics capabilities. "Their decision to become a Strategic Airport Member reflects not only a commitment to contributing to our community, but also a willingness to engage, learn, and collaborate with the diverse network of industry leaders represented within Pharma.Aero." Van Gelder continued: "By taking an active role in our strategic discussions and industry initiatives, Schiphol will help strengthen the collective expertise of our organisation and accelerate efforts to address the evolving challenges facing healthcare supply chains." Amsterdam Airport Schiphol handled 1.43m tonnes of cargo last year, and Eduard Molkenboer, head of Schiphol Cargo, observed: "Joining Pharma.Aero aligns perfectly with our ambition to work alongside partners in building innovative and future-proof healthcare supply chains. "Global demand for reliable pharmaceutical logistics continues to grow, requiring strong collaboration across the entire supply chain. "Schiphol offers an outstanding network of more than 300 direct destinations, the expertise of our cargo community, a strategic location, and close cooperation with Maastricht Aachen Airport. "Through these strengths, Schiphol aims to actively contribute to the reliability, predictability, and quality of healthcare logistics worldwide." Fellow traveller As reported by ACN in December last year, fellow European airfreight gateway Frankfurt Airport joined Pharma.Aero late in 2026. Said Denis de Farias Duarte, vice president cargo development at airport operator Fraport, at the time: "As Europe's leading PharmaHub, Frankfurt Airport offers comprehensive expertise and optimal infrastructure to address the industry's most complex challenges. "Through our partnership with Pharma.Aero, we are strengthening global collaboration to ensure high-quality handling and maximum reliability for pharmaceutical products."