FOR two years the air cargo industry has benefitted from a modal shift from ocean to air, but leading forwarders say the trend has started to reverse itself, reports London's Air Cargo News.
CH Robinson and DHL Global Forwarding said that during the second quarter there was a shift back to ocean as the cost of container shipping comes down and congestion at ports eases.
'Air freight conversions back to ocean freight have continued with more shippers seeking lower supply chain costs by tolerating the longer duration of ocean freight transit,' CH Robinson said.
The US forwarder registered a six per cent drop in air tonnages during the period in part due to the shift back to ocean.
Writing in its second-quarter results, DHL Global Forwarding explained a drop in its air tonnages this year: 'Air freight volumes decreased moderately, in part due to modal shifts back towards ocean freight, as customers recognised the again improved schedule reliability in ocean freight.'
The firm's second-quarter air freight volumes were down 7.7 per cent over the same quarter in 2021 to 477,000 tonnes.
During the peak of the Covid crisis, the air freight industry picked up ocean volumes due to the higher prices and disruption in ocean shipping.
SeaNews Turkey
CH Robinson and DHL Global Forwarding said that during the second quarter there was a shift back to ocean as the cost of container shipping comes down and congestion at ports eases.
'Air freight conversions back to ocean freight have continued with more shippers seeking lower supply chain costs by tolerating the longer duration of ocean freight transit,' CH Robinson said.
The US forwarder registered a six per cent drop in air tonnages during the period in part due to the shift back to ocean.
Writing in its second-quarter results, DHL Global Forwarding explained a drop in its air tonnages this year: 'Air freight volumes decreased moderately, in part due to modal shifts back towards ocean freight, as customers recognised the again improved schedule reliability in ocean freight.'
The firm's second-quarter air freight volumes were down 7.7 per cent over the same quarter in 2021 to 477,000 tonnes.
During the peak of the Covid crisis, the air freight industry picked up ocean volumes due to the higher prices and disruption in ocean shipping.
SeaNews Turkey