Asia-Europe sea-air hubs record strong surge in tonnages

Several key Asia-Europe sea-air hubs have recorded a strong surge in tonnages in the last few weeks, as shippers continue to seek alternative logistics solutions due to the disruptions to container shipping caused by the attacks on ships in the Red Sea.Freight sources have reported, anecdotally, that some Asia-Europe sea-air hubs such as Dubai, Colombo […]

Lunar New Year lift off

Air cargo rates from China have surged in the final full week ahead of Lunar New Year (LNY) on 10 February, according to the latest figures from WorldACD Market Data, as shippers rush to get goods shipped before the LNY holiday period. Fresh analysis this week by WorldACD reveals that rates for air cargo shipments from […]

Tonnages build ahead of Lunar New Year

Global air cargo tonnages continued to build in the final full week of January, ahead of Lunar New Year (LNY) on 10 February, taking volumes for the last two weeks and for January as a whole well above their levels this time last year, according to the latest figures from WorldACD Market Data. Preliminary figures for January […]

Pharma holds steady in a volatile air cargo market

After achieving slow but consistent growth for several years, total airfreight pharma shipment tonnages globally were more or less flat in 2023 – although that’s a significantly better performance than the air cargo market as a whole, which declined by -5% last year. Analysis by WorldACD Market Data highlights a number of interesting and significant […]

Uncertain start to 2024

Worldwide air cargo tonnages dropped further in the first week of 2024 following their typical slump in the second half of December, according to the latest figures from WorldACD Market Data, although the New Year decline most likely reflects the inclusion of 1 January in the week 1 figures. Weekly analysis Preliminary figures for week 1 (1 […]

Full year 2023 ends at -5%, year on year

Global air cargo has yet to see any significant uplift from the recent disruptions to container shipping in the Red Sea, according to the latest figures from WorldACD Market Data, although there is likely to be some conversion of sea freight to air freight in the coming weeks if the disruptions continue. Preliminary figures for the […]

Airfreight tonnages in Q4 2023 closed up 3%

With the year 2023 coming to an end, global tonnages and average air cargo rates follow the typical end-of-year slowing down pattern, after weeks of stabilising global tonnages and steady growth in rates, especially outbound China, according to the latest figures from WorldACD Market Data. As global tonnages for December 2023 are expected to land […]

Rates bounce back to +50% above pre-Covid levels

Preliminary figures for week 50 (11 to 17 December) indicate that global tonnages and average worldwide rates have been stable compared with the previous week, after recovering more quickly than last year from the seasonal post-Thanksgiving dip last month, based on the more than 400,000 weekly transactions covered by WorldACD’s data. Comparing weeks 49 and 50 […]

Peak-season air cargo tonnages up 3% on last year

Worldwide air cargo demand has rebounded significantly above last year’s levels, driven by strong export volumes from China, with preliminary tonnages for November up +5%, year on year (YoY), and up +1% on the previous month, taking combined tonnages for the peak period October and November around +3% higher than last year, according to the […]

Rates ex-Asia Pacific continue strong rise

Global air cargo tonnages have rebounded more quickly than last year following the annual Thanksgiving holiday in the USA, regaining the 2% lost last week, while prices ex-Asia Pacific continue to rise strongly, particularly on the big head-haul lanes to North America and Europe, according to the latest weekly figures from WorldACD Market Data. Weekly […]

Thanksgiving air cargo tonnage decline less severe than last year

Worldwide air cargo demand patterns have continued to broadly follow last year’s seasonal trend into the final full week of November, including a significant dip in outbound tonnages from North America linked to last week’s Thanksgiving celebrations in the USA, according to the latest weekly figures from WorldACD Market Data. But overall global tonnages have […]

Q4 demand so far exceeds last year’s levels

Global air cargo demand in the fourth quarter (Q4) period so far has been stronger than tonnages in the equivalent period last year, and average rates have continued their gradual post-summer rise, according to the latest weekly figures from WorldACD Market Data. Nevertheless, more than halfway through the market’s traditionally buoyant final quarter, there are […]

Rates continue upward trend while tonnages stabilise

Worldwide average air cargo prices have continued their gradual post-summer rise into the first full week of November, while global tonnages have stabilised slightly above their level this time last year, according to the latest figures from WorldACD Market Data. But halfway through the market’s traditionally buoyant fourth-quarter (Q4) period, there are no signs of […]

Rates hold firm despite early November tonnage dip

Global average air cargo rates have remained firm and on a slight seasonal upwards trajectory going into the first few days of November, despite a week-on-week drop in tonnages, according to the latest figures from WorldACD Market Data. And looking at the last two weeks combined, overall worldwide tonnages are more or less the same […]

October’s air cargo tonnages track close to last year’s levels

Global air cargo tonnages stabilised in October close to their levels this time last year, with preliminary full-month tonnage figures for October down just -1% compared to those in October 2022, having tracked last October’s demand patterns closely on a week-by-week basis throughout the month, according to the latest figures from WorldACD Market Data. That difference […]

Tonnages and rates stabilise after recovery from Golden Week

Global air cargo tonnages and rates appear to have stabilised after recovering from China’s National Day Golden Week in early October, according to the latest weekly figures from WorldACD Market Data, although there are no clear signs yet of any significant fourth-quarter (Q4) peak season – despite anecdotal reports from some freight forwarders of a […]

Tonnages partially recover from China’s Golden Week

Global air cargo tonnages recovered slightly in the second full week of October compared with the previous week, according to the latest figures from WorldACD Market Data, following the significant decrease the week before caused by the seasonal effect of China’s National Day Golden Week holiday from 29 September to 6 October. Weekly analysis Figures […]

Golden Week pushes down early October airfreight tonnages

Global airfreight tonnages dropped significantly in the first full week of October compared with the previous week, according to the latest figures from WorldACD Market Data, with the decrease mainly caused by the seasonal effect of China’s National Day Golden Week holiday from 29 September to 6 October. Weekly analysis Figures for week 40 (2 […]

Air cargo tonnages and rates rise in September

Global air cargo tonnages and average rates have risen in September when comparing with August, with full-month tonnages rising almost +3%, and rates at the end of September around +5% higher than at the start of the month, according to the latest figures from WorldACD Market Data. The figures reflect a slight post-summer seasonal strengthening […]

Special air cargo verticals see continued growth in 2023

While general cargo tonnages have fallen in all of the main world origin regions, WorldACD highlights a number of areas recording tonnage increases during the first 8 months of 2023, including certain important product categories, origin points, and world regions or sub-regions Special air cargo product verticals have continued to record growth in the first […]

Air cargo tonnages and rates on the rise

Global air cargo tonnages showed a positive development in the second full week of September, after stabilising at the beginning of the month, with average rates also on an upward trend, breaking out of the bandwidth that we reported since mid July – between $2.26 and $2.29 per kilo, now reaching $2.31, according to the […]

Rates stabilise globally while tonnages fall further

The beginning of August saw a continuation of the decreasing tonnages witnessed in recent months, while rates on a global level have stabilised during the last four weeks, according to the latest figures from WorldACD Market Data. Figures for week 31 (31 July to 6 August) show a -3% drop in tonnages compared with the […]

North Africa tops air cargo growth

Analysis by WorldACD highlights areas recording ongoing growth and interesting demand and pricing patterns in the second quarter and first half of 2023 North Africa is among just a handful of global air cargo origin subregions to record growth in the first half of 2023, according to analysis by WorldACD Market Data, amid a wider […]

Global air cargo tonnages slide slows as rates soften further

After declining for several weeks, global air cargo tonnages increased slightly in the second full week of July, mainly driven by stabilising volumes ex-Asia Pacific, whereas rates continued their long-term decline. Figures for week 28 (10 to 16 July) show a +2% increase in tonnages compared with the previous week, while average worldwide air cargo […]

Global tonnages in May down by -6% compared to 2022

Global air cargo tonnages partially recovered in the last full week of May, after having dropped the week before, while rates slightly increased, according to the latest weekly figures from WorldACD Market Data. The first half of May has shown strong swings in chargeable weight related to the 1 May public holidays, while rates have […]

Tonnages slide again after recovery from early May dip

Global air cargo tonnages dropped again in the third week of May, after having recovered from the dip at the beginning of the month due to the 1 May public holidays, while rates have remained more or less stable throughout the month, according to the latest weekly figures from WorldACD Market Data. Figures for week […]

Global tonnages in April down by -10%

Global tonnages appear to have stabilised in the last week of April, following a mid-month increase after dropping sharply at the end of March and declining for several previous weeks, according to the latest weekly figures from WorldACD Market Data, with rates also stabilizing and even slightly rising after a period of decline. However, looking […]

Air cargo analysis reveals big variations behind Q1 declines

In-depth examination by WorldACD of global demand and pricing figures in the first quarter of 2023 highlights markets, lanes and product types still recording gains or deviating significantly from the worldwide average, plus other underlying trends In-depth analysis of global air freight demand and pricing figures in the first quarter (Q1) of 2023 reveals some […]

Global tonnages and average rates stabilise

Global air cargo tonnages and average rates appear to have stabilised since mid-April after declining for several weeks, according to the latest weekly figures from WorldACD Market Data. Following a sharp drop in chargeable weight in the first full week of April, and a continuing slow slide in worldwide average rates since February, figures for […]

Global demand decline slows while rates slide further

Worldwide air cargo demand continued its decline in the second full week of April, albeit at a slower pace than recorded in last week’s report, preliminary figures from WorldACD Market Data indicate. Figures for week 15 (10 to 16 April) show a continuation of the decreasing trend in air cargo tonnages observed since mid-March, but […]