Our global freight forwarding network keeps our customers freight moving across the world.

Frontloading lifts 2025 air cargo demand for Asia Pacific airlines

Frontloading activities helped Asia Pacific airlines achieve a healthy year-on-year increase in air cargo demand last year, showed preliminary figures released by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA). Air cargo demand, measured in freight tonne kilometres (FTK), rose by 3.5%. This demand increase was "supported by front-loading activities ahead of tariff hikes, as airlines responded swiftly to evolving trade flows", stated the AAPA. Full-year global air cargo demand for 2025, measured in cargo tonne-kilometers (CTK), increased 3.4% compared to 2024, according to IATA. The AAPA said cargo revenue for Asia Pacific airlines increased by 1.4% year on year to $23.6bn, but weakness in freight rates resulted in a 2% fall in cargo yields to 32.1 US cents per FTK. Carriers operating in the passenger and cargo markets alike faced ongoing supply chain disruptions and inflationary pressures that contributed to higher expenditure on staff, leasing, maintenance and airport charges. By contrast, fuel expenditure declined, reflecting a fall in global jet fuel prices. Wong Hong, AAPA director general said, "Asia Pacific airlines entered 2025 from a position of strength, with robust passenger and cargo demand supporting another year of profitable growth. "While easing fuel prices provided some relief, persistent supply chain disruptions and inflationary pressures pushed non-fuel operating costs higher." Commenting on the current operating environment, Hong said airlines are contending with ongoing conflict in the Middle East, plus high operating costs, including volatile jet fuel prices "Consequently, fuel expenditure, the largest single operating cost item for airlines, is expected to rise this year," he added.

Partnership: TIACA highlights ongoing market disruption ahead of ACF

As we close the first half of 2026, the air cargo industry yet again breathed a huge sigh of relief. Not only did the industry have the continuing conflict in Ukraine with the associated impact on the air transport sector to contend with, but no one was prepared for the new conflict zone in the Gulf that hit the world and our industry with further disruptive forces. Capacity disappeared, trade lanes closed, fuel prices doubled and rates took off. And yet, the world continued to trade, new supply chains were forged, and new capacity solutions were established. Demand took a hit in March but steadily recovered and, in fact, is now once again showing solid four to six [percentage] growth month over month. Despite higher energy costs and continued high cost of borrowing, consumer and business activity continues to flourish, with e-commerce and AI-related spending leading the way. But what comes next? China plus one production strategies are in full swing, and an example is that Vietnam has overtaken China in terms of laptop sales to the US. And US plus one consumption strategies are also seeing new trade partnerships being forged. How will these strategies impact capacity planning? What about rate development and border complexity? Will digital solutions be the answer? Is innovation keeping pace with increasingly sophisticated demand development? These and many more questions will be addressed at the TIACA Air Cargo forum, October 26-29 at the Miami Beach Convention Centre. Book your seat, join the conversation and help steer the path for industry success.

Cargo chaos in North Asian ports as Typhoon Bavi blows in

Typhoon Bavi created chaos in North Asian ports over the weekend, with nearly 2m teu of containership capacity delayed in major ports. Consultancy Linerlytica said that by Sunday, 54% of congestion in all container ports was in North Asia and estimates that the gateways will need two weeks to clear the backlog - mostly concentrated in Shanghai and Ningbo. On Friday, China's National Meteorological Centre issued an orange alert, the second-severest typhoon warning and Typhoon Bavi made landfall early Sunday, with winds of up to 40 metres per second. On Thursday, Shanghai, the world's busiest container port, had begun clearing berths, telling ships to leave the deepwater Yangshan terminal by 8pm local time on Friday. Vessels in Shanghai's Waigaoqiao terminal began clearing the same day. Ningbo, the world's third-busiest container port, paused all container collection and delivery operations from noon (local time) on Friday, resuming operations yesterday. Shippers have been advised to reroute urgent cargo through the southern Chinese terminals of Yantian and Shekou, as these were not affected by the typhoon. The ONE San Diego omitted Shanghai with export cargo transferred to the Aries, which skipped its Ningbo call. Both ships serve Maersk's China-Australia service. Cargo meant to be discharged from ONE San Diego in Shanghai was released in Hong Kong and transhipped to final port of discharge. Similar arrangements were made for cargo meant to be discharged from Aries in Ningbo. Ports along the Yangtze River - Taiwan, Nantong, Changsha, and Nanjing - that act as feeder channels to Shanghai and Ningbo, also closed in a preventive measure. Taiwan's main container port, Kaohsiung, ordered all ships carrying hazardous goods to leave Intercontinental Terminal Phase 2 and berths 104-105 by 10am local time on Friday, with all other vessels to clear the port by 10pm. Forwarder Seko Logistics said Shanghai had resumed port operations yesterday, but cautioned: "Port gates reopening doesn't mean vessel schedules have immediately normalised. Pilotage, berth sequencing, and vessel movements may require additional recovery time, while ships that slowed, diverted, or waited outside the affected area are repositioned." Seko added that customers should expect heavy truck demand and slower processing as terminals worked through accumulated cargo.