Journal of Commerce Logo
Journal of Commerce Logo
Free TrialSubscribe
Home
air cargo

Air Cargo

The Journal of Commerce’s air cargo news covers the movement of air cargo, including air cargo shipping, air cargo carriers, air freight forwarders, air freight, air shipments, cargo airports and cargo news. It also tracks air cargo trends, air freight news, shifting of cargo between air and ocean, airports and airfreight delays and congestion.

Subsections

The latest Air Cargo News & Analysis

Air cargo capacity crunch to drive forwarder consolidation: DB Schenker

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
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 |
US shippers are opening contract talks early, extending existing agreements, and seeking short-term contracts to hedge against expected 2021 rate increases.
MaritimeTrucking NewsAir CargoRail News

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

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
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 |
This year’s peak season promises to be tumultuous, but 2021 could be just as difficult for shippers as 2020.
Trucking NewsContainer linesRail NewsAir Cargo

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

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
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 |
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 |
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

UPS, Amazon expand domestic air services to deliver e-commerce goods faster

Cathy Morrow Roberson, Senior Contributor |
UPS and Amazon are expanding capabilities at smaller airports in Kansas City and Tampa, respectively, to speed up last-mile deliveries.
Air Cargo Forwarder News

Logistics industry squares up to COVID-19 vaccine challenge

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
Intense preparations are underway among logistics and air transport providers to ensure a coronavirus vaccine can be distributed around the world as soon as it is available.
Air Cargo

Rising demand tightens China air freight space

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
Air cargo volume continues to narrow the gap with year over year levels, with rates rising at the end of August as both freight tonnage and capacity increased.
Air Cargo

Purolator expands US-Canada next-day service

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor |
As e-commerce booms on both sides of the US-Canadian border, Purolator International expands northbound next-day air service between the countries.
Air Cargo Forwarder News

Air cargo rates from China set for Q4 takeoff

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
Average air freight spot rates on the trans-Pacific and Asia-Europe trade lanes weakened this week, but forwarders and analysts are predicting that rising demand will drive rates back up in the fourth quarter.
Air Cargo

Parked planes keep squeeze on air cargo capacity

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
Rising outbreaks of the coronavirus are keeping travel restrictions in place, preventing airlines from reactivating their grounded international capacity and severely restricting available freight space.
Air Cargo

Forwarders losing leverage as airlines adjust space agreements

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
Severely limited air cargo capacity has forced airlines to scrap many block space deals held with forwarders at a time when spot rates on the major east-west trades are at high levels.
Air Cargo

FedEx Express increases temporary surcharge on trans-Pac air cargo

Cathy Morrow Roberson, Senior Contributor |
FedEx Express has increased its temporary international COVID-19 surcharge, weighing the extra costs of air cargo capacity limits as businesses struggle to stay afloat.
Air Cargo

International air cargo volumes show monthly gains

Cathy Morrow Roberson, Senior Contributor |
The three largest express providers reported improving signs in the sector in their most recent earnings reports, as COVID-hit volumes recovered gradually as the second quarter progressed.
Air Cargo Forwarder News

Slow, but steady, liftoff for air cargo e-bookings

Eric Johnson, Senior Technology Editor |
The air cargo industry is gradually moving to electronic bookings between forwarders and airlines, but the evolution could still take time if previous digitization initiatives in the industry are any indication.
Logistics Technology NewsAir CargoAir Cargo Carriers News

Belly cargo space won't return to pre-pandemic level until 2024: IATA

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
Airlines and forwarders say spiking coronavirus infections in the US and developing countries will likely keep air cargo capacity in tight supply and elevate rate levels for a long time.
Air Cargo

Forward Air expands Ohio LTL hub amid volume rebound

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor |
As freight volumes rise, expedited LTL operator Forward Air is expanding capacity by 30 percent at the heart of its airport-to-airport network in Columbus, Ohio.
Air Cargo Forwarder NewsLTL

Capacity-constrained air cargo raises red flag for COVID-19 vaccine distribution

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
With global capacity unable to meet current demand, air cargo’s next challenge will be to find enough capacity to handle any massive rollout of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Air Cargo

Forward Air expands into over-the-road LTL

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor |
By launching a door-to-door, less-than-truckload business in Savannah, Forward Air is adding more freight and building density in its airport-to-airport network.
LTLAir Cargo Forwarder News

Asia air cargo exports show signs of recovery

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
There were encouraging signs for air cargo in June, but uncertainty over demand patterns and available capacity is clouding the industry outlook through the summer.
Air Cargo

Air cargo rates fall, but historic highs likely through summer

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
While the urgent demand for medical supplies is waning and air freight rates are coming off record highs in May, market fundamentals are likely to keep prices above last year’s levels.
Air Cargo

Air freight rates in steep dive off record May highs

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
Softening demand for medical supplies as some countries build inventory and get on top of coronavirus infections has reduced the urgency of shipments and cut air cargo rates in half since mid-May.
Air Cargo

Uneven air cargo demand congesting major US hubs

Chris Barnett, Special Correspondent |
Freighters and converted passenger craft are taking longer to unload than belly freight and some ground handlers are understaffed after furloughs and layoffs in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Air Cargo Forwarder News

Air cargo rates will be nearly one-third higher than 2019: IATA

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
Air cargo prices have begun to decline from the mid-May highs, but with the withdrawn passenger belly freight unlikely to make a rapid comeback, rates will remain well above last year’s levels.
Air Cargo

Tight space insulates trans-Atlantic air cargo rates

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
Air freight carriers are reporting high load factors on trades between Europe and the US, as falling demand continues to outstrip the available capacity.
Air Cargo

JOC Uncharted: No visibility for air cargo demand, rates in Q3

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
While air freight demand for medical supplies is expected to fall starting in mid-June, it remains unclear how much of that volume will be replaced by rising consumer demand and whether there will be enough capacity to carry the cargo.
Air Cargo

3PL Transplace jumps into parcel market

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor |
The acquisition of ScanData gives Transplace broader supply chain reach as the COVID-19 pandemic accelerates e-commerce demand.
Truck brokersAir Cargo Forwarder News

Air freight rates fall on easing capacity-demand imbalance

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
The urgent need for medical equipment is beginning to slow as countries begin to emerge from COVID-19 lockdowns, with rates falling as airlines make more use of passenger planes for all-cargo flights.
Air Cargo

Future of air cargo industry unclear as recovery begins

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
As countries across Europe and North America begin to emerge from lockdowns that in some cases have been in place since early March, attention in the air cargo industry is shifting to the recovery phase.
Air Cargo

Air cargo capacity concerns fade, but rates still rising

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
The number of passenger planes flying in all-cargo roles has risen past 1,200 as carriers try to utilize their grounded fleets and generate revenue amid coronavirus-driven travel bans.
Air Cargo

Air freight software providers link up on digital booking

Eric Johnson, Senior Technology Editor |
A partnership between airfreight software specialist WebCargo and cargo airline management platform IBS will enable carriers to quote more efficiently, and electronically, to forwarders.
Air Cargo Carriers NewsLogistics Technology News

Microsoft, FedEx partner to enhance supply chain visibility

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor |
Combining FedEx’s logistics network with Microsoft’s AI, machine-learning, and cloud-computing capabilities, the companies plan to offer much more granular, near-real-time visibility for entire supply chains, as well as individual shipments.
Logistics Technology NewsTrucking NewsAir Cargo

Lack of options has low-value air cargo moving at high-value rates

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
The PPE filling all available air cargo capacity is manufactured by the millions of units in China, and even though the cost of producing the protective equipment has increased sharply, that cost can still be measured in cents and fractions of cents.
Air Cargo

Heavy PPE demand overwhelms China’s airport hubs

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
Global demand for medical supplies has not let up, but stricter customs rules are leading to lengthy delays at Chinese hub airports.
Air CargoAirport News

No stopping sky-high air cargo prices on ex-China routes

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
The lack of available belly capacity on the major east-west trades amid sustained and heavy demand continues to ramp up rates for essential cargo shipments.
Air Cargo

Higher margins elude Asia air freight forwarders

Special Correspondent Keith Wallis |
Traditionally low air freight margins are being further depressed by fierce competition among forwarders to secure limited capacity, with travel bans grounding most of the passenger fleet on east-west trades.
Air Cargo Forwarder News

COVID-19 underscores need for tech investment: C. H. Robinson

William B. Cassidy, Senior Editor |
The largest US logistics provider is prioritizing technology spending as the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrates why more automation and digitization is needed.
Logistics Technology NewsMaritimeTrucking NewsTruck brokersAir Cargo

Global recession will weigh on air cargo recovery: IATA

Greg Knowler, Senior Europe Editor |
Even when air cargo demand for urgent medical supplies drops off, there is no certainty that recession-hit consumers will resume spending, and if they do, capacity will still be tight as passenger fleets remain grounded.
Air Cargo Forwarder News