So is it JAL or is it the freighter market?

Japan Airlines made an amazing announcement yesterday, saying that it will stop dedicated freighter services from end-October. For JAL, a company with a long history of cargo operations, to do this is simply sensational.

But it sure will be odd not seeing the distinctive all-silver JALCARGO aircraft. I'm not sure if it is due to the carrier's ongoing financial woes, or a reflection of the sharp drop in the cargo market last year. Yes, the market is recovering but it is coming back from a big drop.

There could also be major implications for manufacturers like Boeing, which would have been hoping that airlines like JAL would have been major customers for its 747-8F. The ongoing tribulations in the freighter market could still have some time to run.