The current state of air cargo capacity
May 4, 2022
5-MINUTE READ
May 4, 2022
5-MINUTE READ
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world stopped traveling. Closed borders and strict travel requirements meant that actual flight movements were severely impacted, which caused a knock-on effect on air cargo logistics and global trade. But whilst the world returns to the skies once again, air cargo industry players are adapting to a very different landscape.
With our comprehensive, reliable and up-to-date demand and supply databases, our travel industry practice is able to provide insights and data on global air cargo capacity, express and ocean freight demand and capacity on a regular basis.
Global international air cargo capacity was down -6% (vs. 2019) between April 4-17, 2022. Asia to Middle East to Europe is up +9% due to continuous rerouting of capacity.
Note: 4-17 April 2022 compared to 1-14 April 2019; Direct international flights only; all flows indicate region-to-region capacity; regions indicated by color; dates measured in UTC;1) Total air cargo capacity includes widebody passenger and all freighter flights.
Source: Seabury Cargo Capacity Tracking database Seabury Cargo, Accenture analysis (April 2022)
The Shanghai PVG international air cargo capacity in the first two weeks of April 2022 was around a third as the same weeks in 2021. As Shanghai factories are preparing to reopen and restrictions are lifted, air cargo capacity could be less constrained in the near future.
Source: Shanghai prepares to ease Covid lockdown as factories reopen, the Guardian (20 April 2022); Seabury Cargo Capacity Tracking database, Seabury Cargo, Accenture analysis (April 2022)