As the globe has grown more linked, accelerated shipping has become critical to the global economy’s growth and the facilitation of worldwide trade. While just 2-3% of total cargo volume is transported by air each year, that little percentage contributes to about 35% of total cargo value. That translates to more than $6 trillion in goods that rely on the air freight sector for speed, security, and dependability each year.
Air cargo is primarily used for items in five industries: equipment, consumer electronics, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, and retail products, which account for almost 90% of all air freight. However, air cargo is used by companies across market sectors and geographic regions to connect them to new customers and suppliers that would not otherwise be accessible.
Benefits of Air Cargo
In recent decades, the aviation sector has emerged as the most efficient way of delivering freight in a safe and timely manner. When compared to popular alternatives such as trucks and boats, air cargo revolutionized the shipping business by drastically lowering transportation times for freight throughout the world. As items could be transported more rapidly, businesses all over the world gained access to supplies that were previously unavailable due to time or cost limitations.
This enabled them to lower their pricing and make their products more accessible to the general public. Companies might increase profits by taking advantage of these low prices, which not only allow for cheaper consumer items but also provide more opportunities to enter other lucrative industries.
Another advantage of air freight is its security. Air transportation is the safest form of transportation in the world, with significantly fewer incidents resulting in cargo loss than transit by road or sea.
Airlines have safe handling procedures in place to guarantee that neither employees nor other parties meddle with cargo. Air cargo provides a safe and secure means of transport for commodities and products when combined with technology improvements in cargo management such as freight tracking.
In Practice
The international reaction to the COVID-19 epidemic is a great example of the necessity of air freight services. Until now, major freight aircraft have been critical components of vaccination delivery systems.
The low storage temperatures necessary for vaccinations demand quick transit, while the high value of the vaccines’ first doses necessitates security.
Rather than endangering others’ health with delayed transit, air freight services allow simpler transportation. The speed and cost-effectiveness of air freight will definitely continue to save lives by transporting vital health equipment for the remainder of this pandemic.
Moving Forward
While foreign travel has been severely restricted in 2021, aviation cargo has continued to play an important role in the transfer of commodities, with some passenger airlines flying cargo-only flights to assist fulfill demand. As the global economy rebounds from its 2021 depression, air freight carriers and affiliates will play an important role in aiding that recovery, helping companies to respond to upswings in demand more rapidly in the coming years.
