Key cargo airports in China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Guangzhou, are facing airfreight backlogs which could drag on for a while as manufacturers rush to get their products to Europe and the US. In addition, the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration has imposed on airports in Shanghai, Tianjin and Shenyang on the addition of charter capacity, extra flights or new lane applications as a direct result of poor punctuality rankings among the 48 airports in China. This restriction has further compounded backlogs primarily in Shanghai, according to media reports.
The backlog situation ex-Beijing remains unchanged from last week at 3-4 days uplift after cargo delivery. Backlogs at Pudong are making it difficult to ensure uplift on time. Meanwhile, ex-Hong Kong, Guangzhou, and Xiamen, capacity is booked and being fully utilized. Further reports state that 2015’s peak season is strong in terms of air freight volumes, but shorter in duration as it is very much concentrated on a few weeks this year.
Meanwhile, Lufthansa Cargo revealed that it had seen increased demand, starting last week and has also operated some extra charters as well as increased a number of scheduled services.