Air Freight News
Below are links to stories relating to air freight
Do air cargo carriers need new thinking? IFW article
Date added: 26 October, 2011
Air freight companies say air cargo carries less than 5% of worldwide goods shipments, (by tonnage?) but about 35% of the world's goods' value. Also that the value per kg of goods shipped by air has been increasing year on year for the past 10 to 12 years. Yet they have very small profit margins. This IFW article goes into how airlines could get more money and increase their profitability by cutting the profits of the freight forwarders.
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OECD statistics shows slow air cargo growth in 2011 first half
Date added: 16 September, 2011
International trade statistics for the 1st half of 2011 show growth in global freight has slowed. The recovery has faltered and volumes are now only 9% above pre-crisis levels in the EU area compared to 15% in [February 2011]. In the US external trade in tonnes of goods carried by air is 2% above the pre-crisis peak. Air freight between the US, or the EU, and China also slowed. However, some in the industry still expect 4.5 to 5.5% annual growth.
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June IATA global data shows slight air cargo drop, down -3% on June 2010
Date added: 1 August, 2011
June air freight volumes couldn’t keep up with last year’s growth, according
to IATA.. Falling 3% year-over-year from June 2010, cargo volumes haven’t improved
since last summer. Compared to May, both passenger and cargo markets contracted by about 1%. Air
cargo continuesat 6% below the post-recession peak. Shippers are looking beyond airfreight to transport goods. European air freight
was down - 1.3% and Asia -Pacific down - 5.8%
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Another cargo aircraft carrying batteries crashes – off South Korea
Date added: 29 July, 2011
Another cargo plane has crashed, killing its two pilots, due to fire in the cargo
hold caused by lithium batteries igniting. The Asiana Airlines’ B747 freighter was off South Korea when it crashed into the
sea. It was claimed the pilot had shouted “cargo fire” and “emergency” about
10 minutes before the aircraft disappeared from radar screens. It was carrying
electronic products, mobile phones, liquid crystal displays, LEDs, lithium batteries
and liquids
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IATA figures for May show a fall in global air freight of – 4% compared to May 2010
Date added: 30 June, 2011
IATA says freight traffic showed a drop of - 4% against the post-recession peak
of the re-stocking cycle in May 2010. However, recent months show a renewed upward
trend with freight volumes 2% higher than the start of the year. Since the start
of 2011, freight volumes have increased by +2.0% - rather than the +5.5% IATA
forecast for 2011. European and North American carriers had falls of - 2.2% and
-1.4% respectively, and Asia-Pacific down - 9.2%
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Boeing predicts 33,500 new passenger planes and freighters over the next 20 years
Date added: 20 June, 2011
Air cargo demand will grow more than 5% annually over the next 20 years, Boeing
claims. It has increased its forecast for the global aircraft market over the
next 20 years by 8%, and now expects demand for 33,500 passenger planes and freighters.
It predicts a US$4 trillion market between 2011 and 2030. Boeing predicts a 4.2%
increase in airline passengers, a 5.1% increase in airline traffic and a 5.6%
average rise in cargo traffic every year.
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UPS air cargo security not up to scratch, says DfT, including freight on passenger planes
Date added: 20 June, 2011
The DfT has banned UPS from scanning cargo at certain unspecified facilities
because the company has not met security requirements. The DfT said “The safety
of the travelling public is paramount and our security regime is kept under constant
review. “Following careful consideration, the department has restricted the number
of sites in the UK at which UPS is permitted to screen air cargo until it has
satisfied current security requirements."
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FedEx is the world’s busiest cargo airline carrying 15,743 million tonnes in 2010
Date added: 15 June, 2011
FedEx, based in Memphis, is the world's busiest cargo airline - but Asian carriers
top the poll when it comes to international volumes. FedEx handled more than
50% more cargo than its closest rival, UPS Airlines - 15,743 million tonnes compared
to 10,194 tonnes. Slightly more than half its volume was international, and the
rest domestic. In 3rd place went to Hong-Kong headquartered Cathay Pacific, and the busiest European cargo airline was Lufthansa.
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Global air freight: Fuel price a dampener on airline bottom lines this year, but 5.5% growth expected
Date added: 10 June, 2011
Air cargo handlers believe the increasing fuel price will make airlines' cargo
business unprofitable this year. A majority of those polled by IFW believe 2011
will be a difficult year for air cargo. For each dollar increase in the average
oil price, airlines face an additional $1.6 billion in costs. IATA expects the
average oil price for 2011 to be $110 per barrel. IATA expects global air freight
to grow b y 5.5% this year, down from an earlier forecast of 6.1%.
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Freight customers shift to train travel
Date added: 1 May, 2011
High fuel prices for trucks, growing road congestion and increasing environmental
concerns are gradually pushing some of the UK’s highest-profile freight customers
to shift traffic on to trains. It has been encouraged by the completion of two projects to allow the latest,
larger shipping containers to travel more easily by train. By contrast, each year
some 86,000 tonnes of freight are transported within the UK (2010) - and this
is a very fuel-inefficient means of transport.
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