COVID-19 Air Freight Update [Updated: 26th November, 2020]

Increased Air Freight Demand Results in a Decrease in Rates

Demand for air freight is growing with the approach of year-end. However, capacity is still well below pre-COVID levels on all except the Trans-Pacific trade lane, where it continues to surge.

In most markets, capacity is only at around 80% of levels during this period last year.

Passenger airliner belly capacity is still largely absent from the market, and the capacity situation is generally considered critical, particularly in Asian markets.

Air freight rates have risen in this, the final quarter of the year, to hit levels similar to those of the second quarter.

Air transport specialists can find valuable guidelines and resources relating to the COVID-19 pandemic at the website run by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

The Association’s Cargo Operations Status page includes the facility to search by carrier, and classifies operations as follows, depending on the known status:

• Normal
• Pending airline information
• Service suspended
• Some service impacts
• Unknown

The page also includes the date and time of the latest update, and links to the carriers’ information pages.