As clarified, the President’s proclamation does not apply to cargo; it applies to individual travelers, specifically foreign nationals who have been in the named countries in the past 14 days. However, due to the canceled passenger flights there will be a significant impact on the air cargo industry. Much of the air cargo flies in the belly of passenger airplanes as cargo rates are offset by passenger ticket fees. However, with the huge number of airline route cancellations due to the travel ban, capacity is drastically reduced. This leaves freighters operating the remaining limited capacity at increased rates. For customers that have contract airfreight rates in place, keep in mind that many carriers may not honor these rates at the present time.
While we have received cancellations from passenger carriers that are suspending service through early May, we are also seeing many freighters pick up additional routes to meet demand to both European cities and the UK. Airline notifications we have received include additional flights to key cities including Zurich, Brussels, Paris, Amsterdam, Manchester and Edinburgh, Frankfurt and Munich. Freighters have also increased flights to London, Dublin, and Lisbon, all while continuing to monitor the ongoing demand.
Keep in mind that securing cargo space to/from the UK could offer a viable option as Mallory Alexander has many carriers operating across the English Channel. However, the influx of cargo routed to the UK may also result in an airfreight rate increase due to the increased demand. To explore all options for your airfreight, please reach out to your Mallory Alexander Representative.
Sources: United Cargo, American Airlines Cargo, Delta Cargo, Lufthansa Cargo