News / Major air cargo players spot the potential in a 'stable' Mexican market

Stability in the Mexican market is attracting air freight capacity.

DSV is now offering flights from there to a secondary airport in the US, linking with Qatar Airways Cargo’s twice-weekly 777 freighter service from Huntsville, Alabama, to its hub in Doha.

The route, branded by the Danish logistics powerhouse as the Gateway Star, originates at Mexico City’s new Felipe Ángeles International Airport and, from Huntsville, the flight calls at Luxembourg before arriving in Doha.

The freighters from Huntsville operate on Thursdays and Sundays, offering 200 tonnes of capacity. Exports will be largely made up of auto parts destined for manufacturers in Europe, while loads will also include perishables and cars from Mexico.

“Our partnership with Qatar Airways Cargo signifies a remarkable leap forward. This new air freight service underscores our unwavering commitment to revolutionising logistics and ushering unparalleled connectivity,” said DSV EVP, air freight, Mads Ravn.

“We not only extend our market presence, but also create avenues for seamless access to the Middle East with a keen focus on boosting our oil and gas vertical.”

Mexico is a popular destination, according to data released by Trade Data Service today. It said:  “Mexican trade has shown healthy growth this year, with export value up 7% and imports +6% for the first half. Both import and export growth has been primarily driven by the automotive sectors, as well as industrial equipment and parts.

“Mexico does benefit from preferential access to the US (through NAFTA) and also inclusion in various US programmes to encourage local chip, hi-tech and EV production. The primary drive of growth to the US has not been vehicles but the movement of components to support final assembly in the US.”

Qatar is not the only carrier interested in Mexico. Lufthansa Cargo said today that, “due to steady demand”, it was increasing the number of weekly connections to Mexico City (NLU) from six to seven weekly freighter rotations. CEO Ashwin Bhat noted: “Mexico continues to be [an] attractive, economically strong region for us.”

Elisabeth Oudkerk, SVP cargo sales and network planning at Qatar Airways Cargo, said: “This strategic initiative not only expands DSV’s market reach, but also establishes a direct scheduled service from Mexico City to Europe, Middle East and beyond, via the strategic hubs of Huntsville, US and Luxembourg.”

Swiss forwarder Panalpina, acquired by DSV in 2019, had a long association with Huntsville with its Dixijet freighter flights.

Meanwhile, this year DSV started operating its own freighter flights from Phoenix-Mesa Airport – a strategic move designed to provide direct service for Arizona’s burgeoning semiconductor and electric vehicle sectors, and to avoid congestion at major air cargo hubs such as Los Angeles.

Also, major rival Kuehne + Nagel began operating its own flights from Stuttgart, in Germany, to Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport in Alabama. The south-east US is home to a growing cluster of auto-makers.