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The latest Air Cargo News & Analysis

No boost to trans-Atlantic air cargo capacity in short-term: forwarders

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor | Jun 10, 2021, 12:34 PM EDT

Lifting the travel ban between Europe and the US was a topic high on the agenda during Thursday’s meeting between the US president and UK prime minister, but spreading COVID-19 infections in Europe mean there is little chance of a rapid resumption of flights.

Air Cargo

Choked US air hubs spur cargo shift to secondary gateways

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor | May 26, 2021, 10:30 AM EDT

The US air cargo import supply chain has been unable to handle a huge increase in demand this year, prompting forwarders to seek out alternative entry points to avoid the bottlenecks.

Air Cargo

Asia-US peak air cargo surcharges rise on soaring B2B demand

Cathy Morrow Roberson, JOC Analyst | May 18, 2021, 11:01 AM EDT

Air cargo peak surcharges are increasing on the Asia-US trade as business-to-business (B2B) parcel shippers opt for quicker delivery times to replenish inventories.

Air cargo forwarding

Robust US economy gives wings to air cargo demand, rates

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor | May 14, 2021, 9:50 AM EDT

A reopening US economy continues to fuel demand for imports, driving up air cargo rates on trades out of Asia with little regard for what is traditionally the slow season.

Air Cargo

Air cargo stuck in high-pressure ‘Plan B’ reality: Volga-Dnepr

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor | May 4, 2021, 3:58 PM EDT

The strain of an overextended air cargo market is being felt across the supply chain, but with so much belly capacity out of service, there is little sign of the pressure easing any time soon.

Air Cargo

Digital air freight platform expands with Turkish Cargo signing

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor | Apr 20, 2021, 1:36 PM EDT

The digitalization of air freight is gathering pace with Turkish Airlines, the latest carrier to embrace real-time booking.

Air Cargo

Hong Kong quarantine lifted for cargo crew: Cathay Pacific

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor | Apr 16, 2021, 12:12 PM EDT

The removal of quarantine rules for fully vaccinated Hong Kong-based air freight crew is a relief for airlines like Cathay Pacific, which estimates the operational constraints caused by the regulation has added more than $100 million to its monthly costs in Q1.

Air Cargo

Air cargo surges on US, European manufacturing recovery

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor | Apr 8, 2021, 12:25 PM EDT

Rising confidence in the US and European manufacturing sectors and continuing growth in e-commerce is generating strong and sustained demand for air cargo.

Air Cargo

Suez delays push scrambling shippers into the air

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor | Apr 1, 2021, 10:21 AM EDT

Disruption to ocean markets from the almost week-long blockage of the Suez Canal has pushed up demand for air cargo out of Asia.

Air Cargo

E-commerce, high-tech demand fuels rise in air cargo rates

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor | Mar 24, 2021, 5:41 PM EDT

Strong demand for e-commerce, high-tech products, automotive parts, and fashion on trades out of Asia continues to quickly fill all available capacity, propping up air cargo rates.

Air Cargo

Air cargo rates will remain elevated for three years: TIACA

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor | Mar 10, 2021, 1:24 PM EST

Air cargo industry experts told the TPM21 conference the belly space that normally makes up more than half of all available freight capacity will likely remain sidelined as airlines continue to struggle with uncertain passenger demand.

Air cargo carriers

Lower-value freight bumped off planes by high-margin cargo

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor | Mar 5, 2021, 1:16 PM EST

Shippers being forced out of container shipping by congestion and equipment shortages may find the air cargo markets too rich for their lower margin freight.

Air Cargo

Return of pre-pandemic demand to further stress air capacity

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor | Mar 4, 2021, 9:29 AM EST

Heavily disrupted container shipping markets are forcing ocean shippers into the air cargo markets, with space shortages on vessels, port congestion, and difficulties in sourcing equipment for Asian exports heaping additional pressure on limited air freight capacity.

Air Cargo

TPM21: Perishables e-commerce demand to grow post-pandemic

Cathy Morrow Roberson, Senior Contributor | Mar 3, 2021, 2:12 PM EST

Apex Logistics International plans to continue to expand scheduled charters in 2021 after seeing a 200 percent increase in charter demand in 2020.

Air cargo carriers

DSV locks in air charter capacity on major trade lanes

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor | Feb 26, 2021, 11:19 AM EST

With no material improvement in heavily constrained air cargo capacity expected anytime soon, forwarders have been aggressively expanding their access to space

Air Cargo

CMA CGM Air Cargo takes off on Europe-US trade lane

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor | Feb 23, 2021, 3:20 PM EST

CMA CGM Air Cargo’s two Airbus freighters will take to the skies in March, adding capacity to a severely constrained trans-Atlantic market.

Air Cargo

Air cargo rates plunge post-Chinese New Year

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor | Feb 23, 2021, 11:22 AM EST

The seasonal drop in demand is likely behind a steep fall in air freight rates out of China, but limited capacity will keep prices above pre-pandemic levels traditionally seen in the first half of the year.

Air Cargo

K+N expands Asian air freight footprint with Apex takeover

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor | Feb 22, 2021, 11:10 AM EST

Kuehne + Nagel has made its biggest ever takeover deal in an agreement to acquire Chinese forwarder Apex and capitalize on explosive growth in the Asia Pacific e-commerce market.

Air Cargo

No seasonal slowdown for air cargo demand

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor | Feb 16, 2021, 7:22 AM EST

Backlogs in Chinese factory orders and sustained demand from the US and Europe is keeping air cargo capacity full and rates up during a period that is typically the slack season.

Air Cargo

CMA CGM readies dedicated air cargo carrier for takeoff

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor | Feb 12, 2021, 11:57 AM EST

CMA CGM has taken a giant step deeper into the air freight market, launching an air cargo division to provide global coverage out of Europe.

Air Cargo

Forwarders still split on digital quotes: Freightos

Eric Johnson, Senior Technology Editor | Feb 10, 2021, 1:44 PM EST

Instant freight quoting is becoming a divided market, with one end focused on large shippers and the other on small and medium-sized businesses, according to Freightos’ annual State of Online Freight Sales survey.

Logistics technologyAir Cargo

Forwarders expand air charter portfolios to access capacity

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor | Feb 3, 2021, 11:19 AM EST

Shippers of air cargo will face capacity constraints for the rest of 2021, and global forwarders are having to grow their controlled networks to cater to the steady demand.

Air Cargo

Green fuel powers Amsterdam-LAX air cargo route

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor | Jan 12, 2021, 12:48 PM EST

All Kuehne + Nagel cargo on the air freight trade lane between Amsterdam and Los Angeles will be carried by aircraft flying on sustainable aviation fuel.

Air Cargo

Logistics, not transport problems, slow vaccine distribution

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor | Jan 6, 2021, 4:16 PM EST

The distribution of COVID-19 vaccines in the US is being slowed not by transportation issues, but by “last-mile” inefficiencies in many states, especially a lack of personnel, funding, and necessary planning.

TruckingAir Cargo

No air cargo peak season surge, but strong demand remains

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor | Jan 6, 2021, 2:00 PM EST

Trans-Pacific air cargo rates maintained their upward track into the New Year, and even though prices fell slightly on the other east-west trades, global volume growth has continued.

Air Cargo

Outlook 2021: Shippers face new twists, risky turns in pandemic-altered market

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor | Jan 4, 2021, 8:00 AM EST

Logistics managers that saw their organization's supply chains disrupted and transportation budgets blown out of the water in 2020 will be at the epicenter of make-or-break decisions in the coming year.

Supply ChainMaritimeContainer linesTruckingRailAir Cargo

Outlook 2021: Air cargo carriers extend space guarantees, but at premium prices

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor | Dec 29, 2020, 11:30 AM EST

Airlines are beginning to extend the validity of rates offered on some major trades after cutting price and space guarantees to one week or even less when passenger fleets were first grounded at the end of the first quarter of 2020.

Air cargo carriers

Forwarder AIT makes second European acquisition in two months

Cathy Morrow Roberson, Senior Contributor | Dec 21, 2020, 4:17 PM EST

AIT Worldwide Logistics expands its e-commerce capabilities and geographical footprint through the acquisition of Fiege Freight Forwarding.

Air cargo forwarding

Vaccine demand to stress but not soak up capacity, say transport executives

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor, and Cathy Morrow Roberson, Senior Contributor | Dec 18, 2020, 5:35 PM EST

There’s debate about how much of a knock-on effect COVID-19 vaccine distribution could have on other types of cargoes, but US shippers are cautioned to plan for some disruption.

Cool CargoesTruckingAir CargoAir cargo carriers

Scarcity of vaccine-certified airports raises bottleneck concerns

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor | Dec 16, 2020, 12:02 PM EST

The widespread distribution of coronavirus vaccines early next year will compete for limited transport capacity amid peak air cargo season, with the shipments channeled through the same hub airports.

Air CargoAirports

Shippers facing ‘different game’ in 2021 as freight costs rise

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor | Dec 15, 2020, 4:25 PM EST

COVID-19 and the wave of imports reaching the US will keep pressure on transportation capacity and pricing, from ports to the last mile, shippers warned Tuesday.

TruckloadMaritimeAir Cargo

FedEx Express expands Asia-Europe flights 50 percent to meet holiday surge

Cathy Morrow Roberson, Senior Contributor | Dec 10, 2020, 2:52 PM EST

Average spot rates were already rising ahead of the holiday season as new products from Apple, Samsung, and Sony competed for space with general air cargo and personal protective equipment.

Air Cargo

Non-asset parcel service launched to leverage underutilized USPS capacity

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor | Nov 9, 2020, 3:49 PM EST

Small package optimization and analytics firm ShipMatrix is launching a third-party, non-asset package management service to tap US Postal Service capacity for e-commerce shippers.

TruckingAir Cargo

Air cargo capacity crunch to drive forwarder consolidation: DB Schenker

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor | Nov 4, 2020, 10:39 AM EST

Forwarders are having to rebuild their air cargo logistics infrastructure to compensate for significant cuts in capacity as much of the passenger aircraft fleet will remain grounded through 2021.

Air Cargo

Shippers look to keep 2021 transportation budgets grounded

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor | Oct 30, 2020, 8:01 AM EDT

US shippers are opening contract talks early, extending existing agreements, and seeking short-term contracts to hedge against expected 2021 rate increases.

MaritimeTruckingAir CargoRail

China–Europe air cargo rates climb as new products hit the market

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor | Oct 16, 2020, 12:38 PM EDT

Limited air cargo capacity is colliding with strengthening demand, as technology product launches compete for space with general cargo and medical equipment.

Air Cargo

Supply chain upheaval threatens peak plans, ‘21 budgets

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor | Oct 12, 2020, 5:52 PM EDT

This year’s peak season promises to be tumultuous, but 2021 could be just as difficult for shippers as 2020.

TruckingContainer linesRailAir Cargo

Forwarders locking in charter, freighter space as air cargo demand builds

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor | Sep 29, 2020, 9:53 AM EDT

Reliability will be more important than price for air cargo shippers during what is expected to be a strong peak season made more intense by severe long-haul capacity constraints.

Air Cargo

Air cargo facing huge post-Golden Week demand: forwarders

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor | Sep 28, 2020, 11:10 AM EDT

The scale of peak season demand for air cargo on the trades out of Asia is becoming clearer, and has forwarders scrambling to lock in capacity.

Air Cargo

JOC Uncharted: Vaccine delivery to soak up air capacity for up to 18 months

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor | Sep 23, 2020, 11:36 AM EDT

Getting the COVID-19 vaccine out to the furthest reaches of the world is going to require an immense effort from the air cargo supply chain, says IATA’s outgoing head of cargo Glyn Hughes, but it will be under his successor’s watch.

Air Cargo