Air freight: charter service, high rates and volatility the new normal?

Unprecedented volatility in air freight will require new approaches to planning and budgeting, according to Bruce Chan, vice president, global logistics, at Stifel. Noting that while rates cooled last month, they remain “well above historical peaks”, and there is evidence rates are “ticking back up again on certain core lanes”. Availability is likely to be constrained “for some time” – in fact, until 2023. And charters are becoming more popular – but that will have implications for shippers and the market in general, he notes. It’s a good read, and you can see other analysis on air freight from the Baltic Airfreight Index partners TAC Index, here, and Freight investor Services, here.