News / Very strong transpacific air freight demand triggers charter requests for Q4, as e-commerce begins to bite

© Woraphon Banchobdi

Shippers should brace for expensive air charters on the transpacific in the fourth quarter, as e-commerce sales – plus volcanic ash ?  begin to affect airline capacity.

Forwarders and carriers are currently reporting record rates and demand from Hong Kong and China to the US, Brazil and Mexico.

“There is high demand for space allocation every week,” said one Hong Kong-based air freight forwarder. “Air freight rates to Brazil and Mexico keep growing higher, and there is sill demand for space.

“Local agents ...