Simple Flying - Joanna Bailey
Some of the world’s largest air cargo operators are signaling a slowing of the burgeoning demand that has characterized pandemic times.
With just 96 days to go until Christmas (sorry), the peak season for ecommerce and cargo is just getting started. Despite the timing, several major air cargo operators are starting to show signs that they are anticipating a drop in demand, or at the very least, a flattening of the accelerated capacity requirements that characterized the pandemic.
When so many of the world’s airlines grounded their fleets in 2020, bellyhold cargo capacity disappeared overnight. Compounding that demand pressure was an increase in people using ecommerce for their shopping, as retail stores stayed closed, and people chose (or were made) to stay at home.
This fueled unprecedented spikes in the cost of air cargo, encouraging more carriers to enter the market, or to expand capacity often through converting redundant passenger planes into temporary box-haulers.
