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Analyst sees surge in sea-air traffic

[ February 23, 2024   //   ]

Several key Asia-Europe sea-air hubs have recorded a surge in tonnage in the last few weeks, as shippers continue to seek alternatives to container shipping through the Red Sea, says analyst World ACD.

It says that its sources have reported that with containerships taking the long way round via the tip of southern Africa, some hubs such as Dubai, Colombo and Bangkok have been inundated with air cargo in recent weeks, as cargo owners seek to replenish stocks in Europe that have run low.

WorldACD Market Data also confirms that air cargo tonnages to Europe from Dubai, Colombo and Bangkok have been significantly higher this year compared with the equivalent period last year. In the first seven weeks of 2024, all three hubs have seen flown tonnages to Europe rise by more than 50% compared with 2023, with Dubai-Europe traffic up +71%, Colombo-Europe tonnages up +61%, and Bangkok-Europe volumes up +58%.

However, volumes to Europe via Singapore and Dohaincreased by only10% and 3%, respectively.

It is unclear currently whether the elevated demand for sea-air solutions will continue significantly beyond the Chinese New Year, which is normally associated with a spike in demand followed by a fall in tonnages and prices.

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