The peak season for air shipping failed to materialize this year, but realistically volumes and rates are just normalizing after a crazy two-year rush.
The air cargo market, like other freight sectors, is in a dip. There are mixed signs that air could bounce back sooner than other transport modes.
The International Air Transport Association’s chief economist points to mixed signals for the economy and air cargo activity.
The International Air Transport Association’s U.S. subsidiary next month will have a new president.
Airlines are carrying less cargo because of global economic headwinds, but the slowdown isn’t reflected in shipping rates.
Peak airport congestion during peak season is undermining air cargo transport.
Air cargo is typically unaffordable for most shippers. With ocean rates off the charts, air doesn’t look so bad. If you can find a booking, why wouldn’t you fly?
All-cargo planes carry bulk shipments of lithium batteries under strict regulations. Airlines want to minimize mistakes that can cause a fire during flight.
Air cargo is booming, but the pandemic set back international passenger airlines by seven years or more by several metrics.
The International Air Transport Association reported strong growth for air cargo in August.
Willie Walsh is the blunt leader of the International Air Transport Association. He admits that airlines mistakenly treated cargo business as an afterthought.
The global airline industry still has a steep climb out of its financial hole. U.S. airlines are doing better, but watch out for the delta variant.
Air cargo throughput is expected to continue its upward trend after a strong first-half showing, IATA said.
The Upside Down is a parallel universe inhabited by the Demogorgon in the Netflix series “Stranger Things.” In the real world, shippers that don’t want to get eaten by ocean carriers are fleeing to air cargo.
International transport rules for dangerous goods could have hindered the vaccine rollout by airlines without swift action by the air cargo sector.
Airfreight markets around the world are facing serious capacity constraints. Trade growth is overwhelming the physical ability of carriers to move goods and it’s reflected in transport prices.
Cargo has been the airline industry’s all-star performer since the pandemic began. Profits are soaring, but it’s not enough to overcome huge losses from the travel side.
Air cargo carriers can barely keep up with demand. International passenger airlines are desperate for more traffic. But the two segments are inextricably linked, for better or worse.
Digital transactions are necessary as air cargo volumes grow, but setting up those IT links can be tedious. The International Air Transport Association has a new tool to make that process much easier.
Air cargo is a good news, bad news story this year. Shipment volumes are at pre-crisis levels. But cargo is joined at the hip with passenger airlines, which are cutting more flights and struggling to survive.
Uncertain vaccine rollouts and mutant COVID-19 strains are messing up airline industry hopes for a second-half recovery this year. At best, traffic will be half that of 2019. But, at least, airlines can count on cargo shipments.
An electronic bill of lading must be in a format that ensures interoperability across multiple user interfaces.
The airfreight sector is nursing itself back to health and should be discharged from intensive care by April. Find out why.
Paul Brady succeeds company founder Mitch Weseley.
New data shows cargo continued to rebound in October thanks to strong North American market and economic fundamentals. By next year, the air cargo market will be back to 2019 levels, while the passenger sector struggles to survive.
In the airline world, slots doesn’t mean playing the slot machines in Las Vegas. Slots are how big airports divide up available windows for takeoffs and landings among airlines. Airlines want regulators to cut them some slack on meeting their flight quotas during COVID, but competitors say they want an opportunity to fill the void.
Willie Walsh was one of the most influential airline executives at British Airways’ parent company. Now he takes the reins at the International Air Transport Association.
Logistics companies, apart from the big integrators, may feel like they’re in an information black hole when it comes to preparation for the COVID-19 vaccine. They don’t have clear information from drugmakers and have to collaborate with multiple partners that may be at different states of readiness.
The airfreight market is gaining strength as trade and e-commerce grow, but the disappearance of most international air travel is hurting airlines. And the situation appears to be worsening with new waves of COVID in Europe and the U.S.
Airlines have cut costs to the bone to survive the COVID pandemic. Shrinking the bone — maintenance, airport fees, labor and aircraft rent — is more difficult.
Michael White has been carrying the flag for air cargo in the U.S. for more than two decades. He will retire at the end of the year.
Airlines are slowly adding flights, but don’t mistake that for market optimism. Bookings are trending down for the winter and airlines are bleeding billions in cash.
The air cargo industry is operating with an anchor tied around its waist: The absence of strong passenger service.
Voluntary redundancy is the term used when an organization has more jobs than it needs — or can afford. It’s a nice way of letting people go compared to forced layoffs. IATA has offered deals for employees to leave early, and cargo chief Glyn Hughes has accepted.
Whether or not President Donald Trump’s optimism about an October surprise comes to fruition, there could be an approved coronavirus vaccine next year. A giant flotilla of all-cargo planes will be deployed to deliver the medicine around the world, but airlines are already short of capacity and there isn’t yet enough refrigerated infrastructure to safely store that much vaccine. Airlines are issuing a call to action.
The viability of the airline industry is at stake because COVID has mostly wiped out passenger travel. The group’s global trade association is pleading with governments to help airlines with rule changes and financial aid.
U.S. passenger travel seems capped at about 70% of last year’s level until there is a coronavirus vaccine. International travel is a dumpster fire — carriers heavily exposed to international markets will take longer to fix their balance sheets.
The air cargo market continued its recovery in July from the depths of the COVID pandemic, but is still far below last year’s results. Demand is expected to shoot up in the next few months because the holidays are coming.
The International Air Transport Association is preparing to eliminate about 400 jobs as airlines pinch pennies because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Airline industry officials are more pessimistic about a recovery after seeing a decline in consumer confidence and coronavirus surges in some countries. Cargo has more near-term upside, but June volumes were disappointing for carriers.
Glass half empty – cargo business and finances are bad for the airlines. Glass half full – they’re not as bad as they were two months ago.
Winter is a cold period for airlines’ bottom lines. Throw in COVID-19 challenges and airlines face a difficult road to next year. That is why they are knocking on doors for help.
Airlines continue to send out SOS distress signals. The industry’s main trade association says profit margins will drop 20% this year, but the increased reliance on air cargo is helping companies stay alive and keep employees.
The airfreight market is a volatile conundrum. Overall, demand is down. But with few planes flying these days and everyone wanting a face mask, good luck finding affordable space for your shipment of auto parts or seafood.
Airlines are in a no-win situation. They need money now to keep from going under but know that debt payments will make it more difficult to make ends meet in the years to come.
“We remain committed to achieving our aggressive climate and sustainability goals,” said Nancy Young, Airlines for America’s vice president of environmental affairs.
The Chinese government is using the reason “Acts of God” to void many contracts due to coronavirus. Darren Prokop explores whether that is hurting current trade and will impact trade in the future.
Advocates for rules exemptions characterize freighters as mission-critical for delivering medical supplies and feeding the public.
Charters between Germany and China rise as logistics provider readies for “whatever happens” in coming weeks.
The travel and hospitality industries are getting battered by falling demand for their services as the coronavirus spreads. Less economic activity and aircraft capacity hurts shippers too, who can’t sell or ship as many goods.
Airlines are at the mercy of the coronavirus. About the only thing they can do is try to reduce operating costs and preserve cash flow until people are willing to start traveling again.
2020 is shaping up to be a difficult year for the airline industry because of the coronavirus and uncertainty over when demand for China travel will pick up once the outbreak has subsided.
E-commerce is putting pressure on airlines, postal services and customs administrations to move large volumes of letters and packages, while also trying to catch counterfeit goods and ensure security.
The FAA says UPS didn’t comply with hazmat rules for air transport when it didn’t make sure a shipment it received was safe to fly.
Misdeclared cargo is a big problem for air carriers when it comes to dangerous goods like lithium batteries. Regulators are too complacent when it comes to enforcement, airfreight industry groups claim.
Temperature-sensitive cargo like meat can be exposed to warm air and other environmental conditions during transfers and storage without good logistics management procedures.
Peak season is more like a mini-peak this year for air cargo.
Zoos and aquariums rely on the expertise of logistics professionals to safely and humanely relocate live animals
A hard departure from the European Union will hit availability of fresh foods and increase costs as British supply chains contend with port delays and backlogs, industry group says.
While the passenger side has been experiencing growing demand, the industry’s overall profitability is still being dragged down by the smaller cargo side.
Softer air cargo seen across all major global trade lanes this year, but Industry leaders still optimistic.
Market expert Cathy Roberson writes about the decline in global air cargo traffic; the only bright spot is in Latin America. Read why!
The “e-Commerce Revolution” is the hot topic for the upcoming CNS Partnership Conference next month in Miami. FreightWaves interviews CNS President Michael (Mike) White for an inside look at the e-commerce challenge for the air cargo industry and how the conference will tackle it.
Global air freight demand hit a three-year low in February, down 4.7 percent from last February, according to data released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA)
