#INTHEAIREVERYWHERE |
Vol. 16 No. 30 | Thursday
March 30, 2017 |
FIATA is gathering in Zürich, Switzerland, today March 30 until April 2 for its Annual Global Headquarters Session. Several meetings of various educational and outreach efforts mark the event. FIATA also includes executive board meetings and other encounters as it maps out the future of the organization in the near and long term. The Headquarters Session is a special occasion in a low-key, decidedly non-commercial atmosphere. Members participate and network at coffee breaks, luncheons, and other social events, exchange information, and deliberate, actively discussing the most important policy issues facing the global freight forwarding community. FIATA/IATA Accord For FIATA members, one of the most visible
changes evolving in 2017 comes fast on the heels of the IATA/FIATA agreement
signed last year at the FIATA World Congress held in Dublin, Ireland. To Know FIATA Is To Learn FIATA is soundly managed, a no-fiddle
machine; all is transparent, discussed, and debated at length. FIATA Fresh, Everybody Else Is Tired The FIATA difference is quite stark. At
Headquarters Session this week and later this year, at the FIATA World
Congress to be held in Kuala, Lumpur, in October, emphasis is on development
and education, networking, and cooperative industry advancement. No Fooling FIATA Fellow returns again in 2017, naming a close working partner to the organization at a special dinner held this Saturday, April 1st. Looking Ahead Looking at the record, one discovers that
the past of FIATA is fairly long, in fact longer than regular air freight
services, longer than most associations, and even longer than the United
Nations itself. |
Air freight demand out of Asia has resurged after the Chinese New Year factory shutdown in February, with rates soaring from some destinations this month in part due to a shortage of freighters. Indeed, early indicators suggest that 2017 has seen a much brighter start for demand than a year earlier. What Up In Hong Kong?
Hong Kong International Airport, for example, reported that combined cargo
carriage over January and February—which removes from analysis the
wild card of Chinese New Year because it fell in different months in 2016
and 2017—was up 7.7 percent year-on-year, mostly down to an 11 percent
year-on-year increase in transshipments. “Exports also recorded
an 8 percent growth,” said Airport Authority Hong Kong. Chinese Exports Surge But other factors also appear to have
made March spring-heeled. Dr. Paul Tsui, Managing Director of the Janel
Group of Hong Kong Limited, said exports out of China and Hong Kong had
surged in recent weeks, driving up air freight rates. “The market
to the U.S. is very promising and the cost has been increased continuously
for the last few weeks, and the level is equivalent to the last peak season
on September 2016,” he said. Panalpina Love Rates & Volumes
Panalpina Global Head of Air Freight Lucas Kuehner (right) said rates
and volumes were surging out of Asia, but particularly out of Shanghai.
“The quarter-end volumes are strong, and there is continued ocean
freight to air freight conversion, adding tonnage to the market,”
he added. April No Fooling Apart from China, “Korea and Vietnam
have seen capacity constraints both for Europe and Transpacific,”
but he said in terms of forward outlook, it would be premature to make
judgments during the quarter-end rush. “We need to wait until mid-April,”
he said. DHL Notes Skewed Schedules
Li Wenjun, SVP, Air Freight, Asia Pacific and Head of Air Freight, China,
DHL Global Forwarding, said markets had indeed been skewed by changes
in freight schedules. “We have seen a reduction in capacity from
Asia Pacific to the U.S. and EU, particularly China to U.S./EU,”
he said. “We foresee reduced capacity to continue from Hong Kong
and Shanghai to Frankfurt and Chicago.” Some Results Vary However, elsewhere in Asia the picture is varied. Out of Bangkok, one leading handler told FlyingTypers he had only seen “modest growth in the first quarter,” but there was still adequate capacity. Bangla Booming Bangladesh, however, has been a different
matter. The airports are struggling to cope with heavy demand for exports
of textiles and garments, not least due to congestion at ports. One leading
intra-Asia liner shipping operator told FlyingTypers there was
no sign of the country’s ports helping ease airport congestion in
the near future. |
“We will discuss the MD-11 rollover at the
end of this year,” said Peter Gerber, Lufthansa Cargo CEO as he
met the press in Frankfurt yesterday. |
If
You Missed Any Of The Previous 3 Issues Of FlyingTypers Access complete issue by clicking on issue icon or Access specific articles by clicking on article title |
||
Vol. 16 No. 27 United Cargo Unlocks PetSafe At WCS Chuckles for March 18, 2017 Quote Of The Day New Faces Jumpstart CNS Partnership Brexit Not Peachy Keen |
Vol. 16 No. 28 Trump Across The Pacific Chuckles for March 22, 2017 FIATA Delivers The World Flowering World Of AFKL |
|
Publisher-Geoffrey
Arend • Managing Editor-Flossie Arend • Film Editor-Ralph Arend • Special Assignments-Sabiha Arend, Emily Arend • Advertising Sales-Judy Miller |
Send
comments and news to geoffrey@aircargonews.com 100% Green |