The key airfreight trade lanes in the Americas are evolving positively. While intra-US and US-Canada ground transportation dominate due to infrastructure and secure highway systems, significant airfreight routes exist between the United States and Latin America.
Major cities with large airports like Bogota, Sao Paulo, Quito, among others play a crucial role in the region’s airfreight trade. Mexico stands out as one of the few countries in Latin America with numerous major airfreight origins, such as Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey.
The growth of airports at its border further enhances its position within these key trade lanes. These developments indicate an expanding network that is adapting to meet increasing demand while also improving efficiency and connectivity throughout the region.
“The current trends in airfreight demand in the Americas are promising,” Frank Diaz, UPS Air Cargo Manager, stated.
“According to IATA, the 10.3 percent year-on-year (YoY) growth in industry cargo tonne-kilometres (CTKs) was driven by traffic on international routes, which expanded by a total of 11.4 percent YoY in March, helped by the rapidly increasing demand for e-commerce services.
“There has been a recent surge in e-commerce volume due to overproduction from Chinese manufacturing, which is causing significant increases in demand and rates for some countries within the region. Additionally, growth in nearshoring investments is expected to create new opportunities that have yet to be fully developed.”
Pace of change
The infrastructure supporting the airfreight industry, including airports and air cargo hubs, is evolving rapidly to keep up with growing demand. At UPS Air Cargo, the team are actively participating in this evolution, continuously investing in facilities and equipment to ensure they remain state-of-the-art.
This includes everything from upgrading aircraft fleets for increased fuel efficiency and cargo capacity to implementing advanced tracking systems for improved visibility of shipments.
“It’s an exciting time for the industry as we adapt to meet these increasing demands while maintaining a commitment to sustainability and efficiency. The future of airfreight looks promising thanks to these ongoing advancements in infrastructure,” Diaz outlined.
“The types of cargo that we foresee driving the most growth in the Americas airfreight market for UPS Air Cargo are diverse and promising.
“Nearshoring brings more goods closer to markets in the US and Canada, even though a lot of this volume will move by ground, as this volume grows, the small percentage that needs to fly will naturally increase. This includes everything from critical automotive parts for factories to high-end clothing which will contribute to increases in airfreight traffic.
“We’re witnessing significant increases within the healthcare industry. This encompasses not only clinical trial shipments but also dental and vision items as well as pharmaceuticals, diagnostic equipment, and other related products.
“With ongoing innovation in medical technology, there’s an increasing need for fast, reliable, and safe delivery of these essential goods – a service uniquely suited to airfreight. We firmly believe that these sectors represent key areas projected for substantial growth within our airfreight operations.”
