Even before the events in Paris on Friday Nov. 13, unrest in several geographic areas of the world has contributed to major disruption in the supply chain.

IATA's global head of cargo, Glyn Hughes, said the logistics business is not keeping up with technology - a sentiment that's been expressed before, but one he said cannot be emphasized enough. Hughes also called for more communication across the airfreight supply chain.

What seemed like a sure deal may not be a slam-dunk after all. Regulators in the European Union have said they may consider demanding concessions, including the selling off of some assets, with regard to the proposed takeover of TNT Express by FedEx Corp.

As we head deeper into autumn and ever closer toward peak season, the airfreight traffic numbers for August provided some pockets of good news, but offered little encouragement that the current air cargo stagnation has abated. According to reports from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), WorldACD and Drewry, August 2015 provided only the slimmest of indications of hope for better performance at the end of the year.

Upon mention of the Caribbean, most people think of idyllic white-sand beaches, Hollywood pirates, the magical sound of steel drums, a handsomely crafted rum cocktail. But the region ringed by Central America, the northern coast of South America and an arc of island nations stretching toward the tip of South Florida – is more than a picturesque vacation spot. It is becoming a key jumping-off point for cargo flights between the Americas and the rest of the world, including Europe, Africa and now the Middle East.

A rash of "mega-deals" during the second quarter of 2015 have made transportation and logistics one of the hottest mergers and acquisitions sectors, boosting the average deal value to $564m, according to a recent study by PricewaterhouseCoopers.