The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way much of the world led their day to day lives, both professionally and personally.
When it comes to the freight forwarding industry, whilst many aspects have returned to some form of pre-pandemic normality, other areas have experienced irreversible change, and for the most part, they have changed for the better.
Whilst the air freight business world has faced significant challenges since 2020, industry experts have since stated that they believe there will be no long-lasting ‘negative impact’ from the pandemic on air cargo.
So, what has changed for air freight? We take a look below…
Growth of ecommerce
Having already experienced a marked increase in demand over the past decade, the pandemic led to a huge boom in an already thriving ecommerce industry. Of course, with many unable or hesitant to visit retailers, and consumers continually looking for a speedier, more convenient alternative, ecommerce was the way forward. This increased demand naturally resulted in an increased demand for all forms of freight, including air freight.
Increasing end to end services
Whilst Grace Overseas has been dealing with air freight as part of an omni-channel offering to clients, since the pandemic we have seen the adoption of this method increase within the air freight industry. Partnerships between various modes of freight (e.g. air, sea and road) are crucial to ensuring the efficient delivery of goods from origin to destination.
Boost in cargo and revenue
Prior to COVID-19, airlines attributed around 12% of their total revenue to cargo, however research has found that during the pandemic this has soared to an astounding 49% of total revenue. Of course, with airlines forced to scale back their passenger flights, this was to be expected. Passenger flights take care of around 50% of cargo typically, however as the pandemic forced these flights to ground, cargo yields increased by an estimated 30%.
Throughout the pandemic, the team at Grace Overseas supported our clients with their freight forwarding requirements, navigating ever-changing regulations and restrictions for each destination and even supporting the vital supply of medical equipment to destinations worldwide. We are very proud to say that the dedication of the team meant that we were able to minimise the impact of COVID-19 for clients.
If you would like to learn more about our multimodal freight offering, contact us today on 0161 873 7304.
