Exorbitant ocean rates, need for speed give air cargo an edge

A close up of a cargo pallet wrapped in plastic on a lift ready to go in the old of an aircraft, waiting in front of jet engine.

Increased use of airfreight by shippers trying to avoid clogged ports is adding pressure to overtaxed air capacity and sharply pushing up rates, especially out of Asia, but new data showing demand plateaued in October reinforces evidence that the traditional busy shipping season started earlier than normal.

In a panic over slower factory production due to power rationing in China and shortages of semiconductors, as well as ocean shipping backlogs that have quadrupled delivery times, more...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/exorbitant-ocean-rates-need-for-speed-give-air-cargo-an-edge

Companies in desperate hunt for aircraft to move cargo

A forklift driver with a pallet, airfreight containers in a row and an aircraft in the background.

The airfreight market is so saturated that companies without precommitments, or the stomach to pay premiums, are having difficulty finding aircraft to move their goods. And import cargo keeps coming, on top of record volumes for air and ocean shipping, further straining an air logistics system stretched by a shortage of equipment and airport labor.

Logistics professionals and analysts say capacity is rapidly tightening as more shippers turn to air for cross-border transport, sending air cargo...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/companies-in-desperate-hunt-for-aircraft-to-move-cargo

Air cargo 2021: The good, the bad and the ugly

A white and green plane loading pallets of cargo through side door.

The air cargo industry has officially recovered from the depths of the pandemic, with volumes in January 1.1% above the 2019 level. The bad news, according to the International Air Transport Association, is that freight capacity lost ground for the first time since April, dropping 5% on a monthly basis, because passenger airlines pulled back on flight activity in response to COVID outbreaks and widespread travel restrictions.

The amount of available airlift for cargo in January was 19.5% less...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/air-cargo-2021-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly

Peak shipping season for air cargo heats up to full boil

A white cargo jumbo jet with empty pallets on the ground on sunny day. The side of the plane says Cargolux.

The peak of the peak season is in full swing for international airfreight. For buyers, that means higher costs and delays finding available slots for air and ocean shipments, while transportation and logistics providers reap bigger profits per load.

The Southeast Asia and China export markets are especially hot and could boil into December. Spot rates out of China to North America started climbing again early this month as air capacity tightened and are approaching $6 per kilogram, according to...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/peak-shipping-season-for-air-cargo-heats-up-to-full-boil

Airfreight Market Roundup: China dips while SE Asia stays strong

A white United Airlines plane takes off , view from behind.

China gave the airfreight market a headfake last week. It gave the impression capacity was tightening to the point that rates would seek higher ground for the rest of the year in response to peak season shipping. 

Instead demand tailed off as Apple slightly delayed the launch of its iPhone 12, with capacity slightly exceeding actual volumes. It was a similar story in many markets, according to WorldACD, with yields inching down or staying flat.

It may seem that shippers are catching a break on...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/airfreight-market-roundup-china-dips-while-se-asia-stays-strong

Asia airfreight rates are high and climbing higher

Pallets of humanitarian cargo sit outside next to a big plane waiting to be loaded on a sunny day.

After a three-week lull, prices for air exports from China have turned noticeably upward, a trend most international trade professionals expect will continue through the end of the year as the traditional peak shipping season overlaps with high demand for coronavirus medical supplies and major product releases from big tech companies.

Outbound spot rates from China to Europe and the U.S. increased in the last week of August, highlighted by a  10.8% increase in the Shanghai-Europe market and an...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/asia-airfreight-rates-are-high-and-climbing-higher

Several regions experience air cargo lull ahead of peak season

Cargo door open with a container resting in the hold of a Virgin Atlantic plane.

The rate pause for airfreight is in its third week and spreading beyond the China market, but industry experts expect spot rates to rise again in September as the peak shipping season kicks into high gear.

The per-kilogram price to ship from China to the U.S. fell 7.9% to start last week, with the rate from Shanghai down 10.7% and from Hong Kong down 5.4%. The price drop was greater than the prior week and included exports from Hong Kong this time, according to The Air Freight Index Co.

Airfreight...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/several-air-cargo-markets-experience-lull-ahead-of-peak-season

Air Cargo Market Report: China rate rebound takes a breather

A large shipment tied down on a pallet that is sitting by the engine of a large aircraft, with a bright blue sky in the background. Air cargo prices are 60% higher this year.

Airfreight rates to the U.S. plateaued in mid-August after rising for more than a month, influenced by a drop in demand from South China and passenger airlines temporarily adding more capacity. Still, finding affordable air transport in Southeast Asia, writ large, is difficult.

The dip freight activity isn’t expected to last long as retailers gin up shipments for the peak season buildup to the holidays. 

Shippers paid $0.02 cents less per kilo for air transport from China to the U.S., with a...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/air-cargo-market-report-china-rate-rebound-takes-a-breather

American Airlines doubles down on cargo-only flights

A big silver American Airlines jet takes off with bright blue sky, airport in background. American is flying more cargo-only flights.

American Airlines (NASDAQ: AAL) in September will offer more than 1,000 cargo-only flights using passenger aircraft, double the number of dedicated cargo flights flown during August, in response to a transport supply shortage as the traditional peak shipping season gets underway.

Cargo-only operations will serve 32 cities and be supplemented by 1,200 passenger flights offering cargo space, the company said Monday. It does not currently plan to open up more floor space for cargo by removing seats.

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/american-airlines-doubles-down-on-cargo-only-flights

Air Cargo Market: Brace for big rate hikes

Cargo loading on a big jet as viewed from behind the tail, close up.

The air cargo market is building up pricing momentum towards the fourth quarter, putting all-cargo carriers and airlines with cargo-only passenger freighters in a strong position relative to shippers.  

Freight rates have climbed since early July with the slow return of international passenger capacity combined with consistent growth in cargo shipments as the global economy, notably in China, continues to recover from coronavirus.

Export demand to the U.S. is very high, as is traffic from...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/air-cargo-market-brace-for-big-rate-hikes

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