Airfreight networks faced disruption at two major international gateways over the weekend, following a fatal cargo aircraft accident at Miami International Airport and volcanic ash-related closures in Indonesia.

At Miami, a Boeing 767-300 freighter operating for Amazon Prime Air overran a runway while arriving from San Juan, Puerto Rico. The aircraft struck vehicles on the ground, resulting in a fire and a major emergency response. Tragically, at least five people lost their lives and a further five were injured.

Airport operations were temporarily suspended, although two of Miami’s four runways had reopened by Sunday evening. The cause is now under investigation by the US National Transportation Safety Board. Miami is a key airfreight hub for cargo between the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean, so short-term delays, diversions and pressure on aircraft rotations remain possible while operations recover.

Meanwhile, Indonesia has experienced widespread disruption after the eruption of the Anak Krakatau volcano spread ash across Jakarta and surrounding areas. Seven airports, including Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, have been closed or affected, with more than 2,300 flight movements cancelled, delayed or diverted.

Soekarno-Hatta is Indonesia’s main international cargo gateway. Although no airports outside Indonesia have closed, freight moving to or from the UK through regional hubs such as Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Doha could experience knock-on delays as airlines reposition aircraft and work through disrupted schedules.

Both events underline how quickly local operational issues can affect international air cargo flows. Recovery is likely to take time where cargo has missed planned flights or onward connections.

Unique Forwarding is monitoring developments closely. Please contact our team for current routing advice on time-sensitive airfreight shipments.