ALTERNATIVE routes out of China are expected to see a surge in booking following news that the nation is to close Shanghai Pudong (PVG) Airport to inbound passenger flights, reports London's Loadstar.
All inbound international passenger flights would be diverted to 13 other cities for six weeks in a bid to stop the spread of new Covid cases.
'It won't affect freighters or domestic flights and the airport will not be closed,' said one Shanghai-based forwarder.
'However this will definitely affect cargo because it will further reduce capacity for flights in and out of PVG. I assume air freight rates for exports and imports at PVG will be pushed up.'
Chinese authorities also locked down Shenzhen recently, which had been picking up traffic meant for Hong Kong.
The lockdown is affecting production, with Apple supplier Foxconn forced to suspend some operations, disrupting supply chains.
Forwarders had been signing up for sea-air block bookings expecting further declining capacity out of China.
'We have been hit with a tsunami of rate inquiries, space bookings for sea-air ex-Shanghai via Dubai,' said CargoGulf global development head Hans-Henrik Nielsen.
'It's all cargo that is now being moved from rail-truck or to sea-air and, of course, air freight, which may not be able to move at all out of Pudong.'
SeaNews Turkey
All inbound international passenger flights would be diverted to 13 other cities for six weeks in a bid to stop the spread of new Covid cases.
'It won't affect freighters or domestic flights and the airport will not be closed,' said one Shanghai-based forwarder.
'However this will definitely affect cargo because it will further reduce capacity for flights in and out of PVG. I assume air freight rates for exports and imports at PVG will be pushed up.'
Chinese authorities also locked down Shenzhen recently, which had been picking up traffic meant for Hong Kong.
The lockdown is affecting production, with Apple supplier Foxconn forced to suspend some operations, disrupting supply chains.
Forwarders had been signing up for sea-air block bookings expecting further declining capacity out of China.
'We have been hit with a tsunami of rate inquiries, space bookings for sea-air ex-Shanghai via Dubai,' said CargoGulf global development head Hans-Henrik Nielsen.
'It's all cargo that is now being moved from rail-truck or to sea-air and, of course, air freight, which may not be able to move at all out of Pudong.'
SeaNews Turkey