Air Cargo

Asian Air Cargo Surges Post-Holiday as Western Markets Struggle

Air cargo volumes climbed 2% week-on-week in the seven days ending October 18. The surge was driven primarily by a robust 9% increase from Asia Pacific following the Golden Week holiday. Shipments from the region to the United States jumped 10%, with Hong Kong leading at 27% growth and China up 18%. Asia Pacific-US volumes reached 14% year-over-year gains. European routes saw even sharper improvements, with South Korea posting 34% weekly growth and China up 22%. However, Asia Pacific-Europe volumes declined 16% annually, with Hong Kong down 32% due to EU restrictions on e-commerce parcels. Outside Asia, performance deteriorated markedly. North America volumes fell 5%, while Central and South America dropped 4%. The Middle East and South Asia region slipped 3%, Europe 2%, and Africa 1%. Airfreight rates strengthened across most regions, rising 4% from Asia Pacific and 3% from Central and South America.