The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA) warned that the industry faces unprecedented challenges in coping with the demand for air cargo services forecast for the fourth quarter of the year, urging governments to expedite ad hoc charter permits and consider supporting seventh freedom of the air regimes .
“TIACA members come from all sectors of the supply chain and we are listening to the concerns expressed by each of them. Air freight has played a critical role and is facing a potentially record fourth quarter, but planning it must start now. Resources and capacity will be an issue, handling and facility space will be a problem, delivery and drivers will be a problem, “said Steven Polmans, president of the agency.
He recalled that the sector has responded to 18 months of incessant pressure and challenges , as the industry faced a high demand for PPE (personal protective equipment) due to the pandemic, as well as the growth of electronic commerce, vaccine transport , perishable goods and other critical cargoes, as economies and society stalled and then reopened.
It was there that supply chain partners had to deal with the lack of capacity and, subsequently, the capacity deficit, as well as the ever-changing travel, work and quarantine restrictions imposed on the crew, the personnel. handling and other key workers.
In addition, the maritime sector is facing its own problems with increasing port congestion , delays in inland transfers, blank departures and rising costs, so they are exploring air cargo to ensure that customer demands can be satisfied.
“As we approach the fourth quarter and the increasing number of annual online shopping events, the strain on the system is expected to increase substantially. As states, particularly China, are introducing a growing number of COVID-related restrictions on workers, which are unlikely to be lifted in the near future, the sector is urged to urgently start preparing. These restrictions are causing cargo to be distributed by neighboring countries and airports, posing new challenges. Shippers are therefore encouraged to work with their forwarding partners to secure the necessary capacity as early in the cycle as possible, ”he noted.
For this reason, he urged governments to speed up ad hoc freight permits and consider supporting the seventh freedom regimes that means that an airline from a certain country can transport merchandise between a second and third nation.
Likewise, it requested that they collaborate with industry representatives to identify potential system blockages in advance , in order to address them before they further affect supply chains, as disruptions are occurring in some markets and the situation is expected to worsen.
Steven Polmans said that with international passenger demand still well below pre-crisis levels, global connectivity, which traditionally relied on air freight for around 45% of total capacity, continues to decline dramatically .
At the same time, domestic demand in some key markets has caused some aircraft previously dedicated to cargo operations to be reallocated to meet passenger needs, “this will create new operational challenges, as cargo aircraft networks currently operate at unprecedented levels of efficiency, utilization and optimization, ”he said.
The sector must also urgently adopt efficiency tools such as improving data exchange , in addition contingency plans must be established to deal with all eventualities that may arise, since “the key to success is planning and communication.”
(September 23, 2021)
Air cargo will face unprecedented challenges in the fourth quarter
T21 MX
http://t21.com.mx/aereo/2021/09/23/transporte-aereo-carga-enfrentara-retos-sin-precedentes-cuarto-trimestre