Quest for Quality 2020: Air Carriers/Airfreight Forwarders

As our air cargo correspondent Karen Thuermer reported last month, the pandemic hit the air industry particularly hard, taking it quickly into a nosedive in March. However, air cargo demonstrated some resiliency in April and May, as air carriers quickly found ways to add value to their offerings, especially in addressing shipper needs related to personal protection equipment (PPE).

While signs might point to a recovering air cargo industry after some sobering first quarter data, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) warns that the collapsing economy worldwide, coupled with the immediate capacity shortage, is expected to further depress overall cargo volumes within the short term.

And while airlines may be deploying as much capacity as possible, including special charter operations and the temporary use of passenger cabins for cargo, IATA’s director general and CEO Alexandre de Juniac told Thuermer that the air cargo industry is in a severe capacity crunch. “The result is damaging global supply chains with longer shipping times and higher costs,” he says.

In the meantime, trade organizations stress that governments need to continue to ensure that vital supply lines remain open and efficient—and this means alleviating red tape.

“There are still too many examples of delays in getting charter permits issued, a lack of exemptions on COVID-19 testing for air cargo crew, and inadequate ground infrastructure around and within airport environments,” adds Juniac. “Air cargo needs to move efficiently throughout the entire supply chain to be effective.”

Despite these prevailing headwinds, the 14 service providers taking home 2020 Quest for Quality gold have certainly worked tirelessly to make a positive difference in the global supply chains of Logistics Management readers.