FedEx adds APAC-Europe capacity

Federal Express Corporation (FedEx) announced the addition of five weekly flights connecting Asia Pacific (APAC) to its European hub at Paris Charles de Gaulle, further strengthening service reliability on the Asia-Europe trade lane. This expansion provides businesses with faster, more reliable access to European markets and greater flexibility, just in time for the year-end-festive shopping season. The flights operate from two key hubs: three from the FedEx APAC Hub at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, and two from the FedEx Shanghai International Express and Cargo Hub. All flights utilize the Boeing B777 freighters, connecting directly to the FedEx European Hub at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. This expansion increases average daily capacity between APAC and Europe, empowering businesses in the region to capitalize on growth opportunities in high-demand sectors like e-commerce, manufacturing, hi-tech, and retail. The Europe–Asia trade lane continues to thrive, with 30 consecutive months of air freight volume growth across the market and a 13% year-on-year increase in August 2025, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The European Union is the biggest import market for over 100 countries, and APAC economies are among its fastest-growing suppliers. This momentum is poised to accelerate as businesses are looking toward Europe for new trade and growth opportunities. “The Asia-Europe corridor is one of the highest growing trade lanes”, said Salil Chari, senior vice president, Marketing and Customer Experience, Asia Pacific, FedEx. “In our survey of nearly 4,000 customers in Asia this year, over 20% said they plan to shift their trading focus to Europe over the next 12 months. We are adapting quickly and flexing our network to create a blueprint for the next wave of opportunity for Asia’s expanding trade ecosystem. Through enhanced connectivity between APAC and Europe, we are helping businesses respond to market changes, reach new customers, tap growth and strengthen their position in global trade.” With increased frequencies between APAC and Europe, FedEx now operates 26 weekly flights connecting APAC shipments to Europe, delivering express shipments to major European destinations in as little as 48 hours. Recently, FedEx also enhanced connectivity from Northern Vietnam to Europe, further strengthening trade links for Asia importers and exporters. Leveraging its hubs in Paris, Cologne, and Liège, along with its new global air transit facility in Istanbul, FedEx offers businesses the speed, flexibility, and resilience to meet seasonal demands, shorten delivery times, and strengthen supply chains. This expansion underscores the company’s long-term commitment to enabling global commerce and supporting the success of businesses across Asia Pacific and beyond. Cathay Cargo offers real-time customs clearance status via IATA ONE Record (PHOTO: Cathay) Cathay Cargo claims it has become the first airline to introduce real-time customs clearance updates to customers subscribed to the EzyCargo platform, or those who already have ONE Record API links to the airline’s system, bringing greater visibility and efficiency to the air-cargo shipment journey. The important new development is based on the IATA ONE Record data protocol, and adds customs authorities as an additional air cargo stakeholder into Cathay Cargo’s real-time communications with customers. Many customs authorities require PLACI (pre-load advanced cargo information), and shipments cannot be loaded until the destination customs authority has given the go-ahead. Similarly, most authorities require another approval layer before releasing shipments after arrival. Now, this process will be seen by customers with real-time live messages.The current scope of the new initiative will give users clearance status from customs authorities including Europe (ICS2 Import Control System), the United States, Canada and United Arab Emirates. The statuses will be treated as ONE Record “Logistic Events” so that customers know if their shipment is still pending, being assessed, is permitted to load or not, and at the destination if a shipment is being held for inspection or has been released for collection. Previously, accessing this information was reliant on manual updates from ground-handling agents. Being able to access these updates independently and in real-time enables customers to take any appropriate remedial actions, or to work around delays because of customs inspections. EzyCustoms and EzyCargo are part of the EzyCargo suite of air cargo tools designed by Cathay Cargo’s innovation partner, Global Logistics System (HK) Company Limited (GLS), which has also designed other digitalisation projects for the carrier’s commercial and operational settings, including Click & Ship, Cathay Cargo’s online booking platform. Cathay General Manager Cargo Commercial James Evans said that this new integration demonstrated Cathay Cargo’s ongoing commitment to the continuing digitalisation of the air-cargo shipment process. “At Cathay Cargo, we understand the importance of encouraging the participation of all stakeholders in the air cargo industry in IATA ONE Record, to increase the transparency and data connectivity of air cargo,” he said. “Being able to see live updates from customs authorities adds another layer of transparency to the digital cargo journey. This extended ONE Record integration is currently available to Cathay Cargo customers who are subscribed to the EzyCargo platform, but this additional visibility will be integrated into the Cathay Cargo website for registered account holders in 2026.” GLS Chief Executive Simon Ng added: “By leveraging the ONE Record-powered EzyCargo platform, Cathay Cargo’s forwarder partners can now access real-time customs clearance status the moment it is issued by customs to airlines. This minimises the possible delay of message relays from the GHAs, and enhances operational efficiency for both our airline and forwarder partners.” For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Matt Driskill at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Head of Sales Kay Rolland at [email protected]