Three major freight management companies have launched dedicated air charter services from Asia and Europe to Chicago-area airports in the past month, underscoring strong demand on key trade lanes from customers in the Midwest, according to FreightWaves. The new services provide freight forwarders with greater control over capacity, routes, scheduling, ground logistics, and speed compared to tendering cargo with commercial airlines.
Ceva Logistics Expands Vietnam and China Services
Ceva Logistics, the fifth largest logistics company by gross revenue, has organized a new service from Hanoi to Chicago O’Hare International Airport that will operate three times per week on a Boeing 777 freighter operated by sister company CMA CGM Air Cargo. The service provides more connectivity for the high tech, industrial, retail, and e-commerce sectors as more production shifts from China to Vietnam. Ceva coordinates pickup and transport by air and truck from cities such as Danang and Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi, consolidating shipments from across the country.
Ceva also renewed for a second year its dedicated air cargo service from Wuxi, China, to Chicago. The twice-weekly service is operated by CMA CGM Air Cargo with a 777 freighter offering 100 tons of capacity per flight. The previous charter was with Nippon Cargo Airlines, according to a Ceva spokesperson. To maximize the route’s reach, Ceva has expanded its pickup coverage across key manufacturing and export hubs throughout China, leveraging an extensive ground network for multi-origin consolidation. In Chicago, shipments are processed through Ceva’s large near-airport warehouse, which includes 350,000 square feet of dedicated freight space, an 8,000-square-foot free trade zone, and a 6,000-square-foot dual-chamber cold-storage unit. The charter programs are expected to run for a year and be renewed based on customer demand.
Kuehne+Nagel Adds Frankfurt Route
Kuehne+Nagel, the world’s largest pure freight forwarding company, in early June added Frankfurt, Germany, to the weekly transcontinental rotation of its self-owned Boeing 747-8 cargo jet, operated by Atlas Air. The updated service now includes a weekly route from Chicago O’Hare to Frankfurt, an important cargo hub in Europe. The freighter recrosses the Atlantic Ocean to Atlanta before looping back through Liege, Belgium; Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Taiwan; and Chicago. The new route supports healthcare and other time-sensitive cargo, such as high-tech and semiconductors, K+N said in a news release. Frankfurt and Chicago are major pharmaceutical production and distribution hubs. The forwarder’s charter network comprises more than 100 weekly connections worldwide.
DSV Launches Luxembourg Service and Considers Seoul
DSV, the world’s second largest freight forwarder, announced a new weekly freighter service from Luxembourg to Chicago-Rockford International Airport last week. The new charter service builds on DSV’s existing weekly service from Shanghai, China, to Chicago-Rockford, which started in November. Both services are operated by Atlas Air using Boeing 777-200 freighter aircraft, according to a spokesperson. Chicago-Rockford is located about 70 miles west of O’Hare and has increasingly gained popularity among cargo airlines and forwarders for handling international cargo due to its lack of congestion, processing speed, and lower fees. DSV said in a news release it is evaluating plans to introduce a new service between Seoul, South Korea, and Chicago-Rockford later this year.
| Company | Origin | Destination | Frequency | Operator | Aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ceva Logistics | Hanoi, Vietnam | Chicago O'Hare | 3x/week | CMA CGM Air Cargo | Boeing 777 |
| Ceva Logistics | Wuxi, China | Chicago O'Hare | 2x/week | CMA CGM Air Cargo | Boeing 777 |
| Kuehne+Nagel | Frankfurt, Germany | Chicago O'Hare | Weekly (rotational) | Atlas Air | Boeing 747-8 |
| DSV | Luxembourg | Chicago-Rockford | Weekly | Atlas Air | Boeing 777-200 |
| DSV | Shanghai, China | Chicago-Rockford | Weekly | Atlas Air | Boeing 777-200 |
Shipper Implications
For freight forwarders, logistics managers, and shippers in the Midwest, the new services provide additional air cargo capacity and more route options, reducing reliance on congested gateways and improving transit times for high-value, time-sensitive goods. Ceva's expanded pickup network in China and cold storage capability at Chicago support complex supply chains for electronics, pharmaceuticals, and e-commerce. Kuehne+Nagel's Frankfurt link strengthens connections for healthcare and semiconductor logistics between two major pharmaceutical hubs. DSV's use of Chicago-Rockford offers an alternative to O'Hare with faster processing and lower costs. As DSV evaluates a Seoul service, further Asia–Midwest capacity could materialize later this year, pending customer demand.
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