THE surge in e-commerce activity is fueling the expansion of the Far East-North America air cargo trade route, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) chief economist Marie Owens Thomsen, reports London's Air Cargo News.
Ms Thomsen highlighted that international cargo tonne-kilometers (CTKs) saw a three per cent increase in 2023 specifically within the Far East - North America trade corridor.
This growth notably outpaced other trade lanes, indicating the significant impact of e-commerce on air cargo in this region.
"We would naturally think that this must have something to do with the e-commerce evolution, and the direction and expansion of the trade lane probably comes from this direction towards the Americas," said Ms Thomsen.
"In a nutshell, I think that's the answer."
Reflecting on the overall air cargo industry performance during a sustainability and economic outlook session at WCS, Ms Thomsen also noted that air cargo is holding its own in the world trade arena.
"Growth in air cargo is outpacing merchandised trade growth," she said. "We are capturing market share in the trade space."
Source: shippingazette