Apple Success Lifts Cargo
Is Apple block booking
air freight capacity ex-Asia to hinder rivals?
New electronics launches are giving the air freight industry a welcome
seasonal bump out of key manufacturing centers in Asia.
The new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus only
hit the U.S., UK, France, Singapore, Canada, Puerto Rico, Japan, Hong
Kong, Australia, and Germany retail stores last Friday, but Apple claims
it has already sold over 10 million of the devices. Waiting times for
some models are already up to four weeks. With the iPhone 6 range due
to be launched in a further 20 territories through this week, Apple’s
latest launch is forecast to boost air freight demand well into Q4.
Further good news could come from Samsung,
Apple’s main rival in the larger phone market.
Electronic sector analysts are now predicting the success of the iPhone
6 models will prompt an early launch of the Korean firm’s Galaxy
Note 4.
 “Whenever
these very successful companies launch a new model of handheld devices,
if it is successful then obviously it can help increase airfreight. We
are seeing good demand into various markets,” said James Woodrow,
(right) director cargo, Cathay Pacific.
Christoph Bannermann, (left) team leader,
Sales Steering & Marketing for the Asia Pacific area at Lufthansa
Cargo, said the carrier was expecting a boost from electronic devices
sales ex-China in the coming weeks.
“Since we cannot always see the transport
items of our customers, it’s difficult to specify the exact times
or flights,” he added. “Electronic devices are distributed
to all major Chinese airports through feeding services, so we also expect
uplifts from other markets.
“In general, the demand outlook and
pre-bookings ex-China for the next weeks are already quite strong and
we expect this to continue until end of November/early December.”
A source close to another prominent European
airline said most of the iPhones were being produced in Zhengzhou, home
to a mammoth assembly plant run by Foxconn, which produces electronic
devices for multiple designers, including Apple. He said there had been
strong uplift demand from Zhengzhou and an increase in the expedited shipment
of launch accessories, which were being produced in the Pearl River Delta
region of China as well as other areas.
“As always with a launch, it takes
capacity out of the market and so whilst we don’t operate directly
from Zhengzhou, we do feel the benefit in the other stations,” he
added.
Cathy Roberson, the U.S.-based senior analyst
at UK consultancy Transport Intelligence, predicted strong demand throughout
the holiday period. “There is a lot of activity with the new iPhone,”
she added. “It seems they’ve returned to what Steve Jobs did
back in the late 1990s and booked all available air cargo capacity out
of Asia so as to block competition. However, the competition—Samsung—seems
to have caught wind and decided to announce its latest toys in October.
“As a result, air freight should be
good this month and next.”
SkyKing
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