Sponsored: Air Cargo — A Critical Factor in the Global Economy

Sponsored Content: When the Covid-19 virus began to make its way across the world, few had expected air cargo to be the critical factor in the economy it is now viewed as today.

While previously unrecognised by many, air cargo has served as a vital lifeline for transporting many goods. With a significant decline in passenger traffic, airlines have raced to remove seats and stock more goods inside their aircraft. Perhaps most importantly, air cargo is the vital utility transporting vaccines worldwide from cities such as Kalamazoo, Michigan and Puurs, Belgium. Even without the spotlight in previous years, air cargo has played a critical role in the global economy for several decades. 

From flowers to Ferraris

Have you ever wondered how so many flowers are able to be delivered on Valentine’s Day each year? Or how million dollar vehicles are transported across the globe? It may surprise you to know that air cargo is responsible for delivering more than 50m tonnes of product each year. 

In countries like Colombia and Ecuador, hundreds of tons of flowers are grown every year with the plan to transport them to London [and other markets] just in time for major holidays. Air cargo provides the perfect environment for flowers to be transported quickly and at the right temperature, ensuring that they look beautiful by the time they arrive at local stores.

Meanwhile, luxury car fans can sleep soundly at night thanks to Emirates’ cargo handling services, which transports luxury cars through its hub in Dubai to cities across the world. Without services like this, customers would have to wait months for their beloved vehicles to arrive via other modes of transportation. 

Enabling fast fashion

In addition to delivering on special holidays and expensive vehicles, air cargo has been frequently cited as an enabler of fast fashion.

As the largest apparel retailer, it’s difficult to walk through most cities without seeing someone wearing a piece of clothing from Zara. However, few may realize that air cargo enables Zara to quickly jump on fashion trends, shipping clothes to their stores quicker than their competitors. And when you have stores ranging from the UK all the way to Taiwan, transporting goods by air can save weeks of travel time compared with other forms of transportation. 

Consumer expectations for rapid delivery of goods may somewhat explain why air cargo grew year-over-year to end 2020, even while other portions of the economy continue to struggle during the economic recession.

It’s safe to say that these expectations are not going away, and cargo providers are responding to it by purchasing additional aircraft as well as leveraging partners such as Flightworx who provide cargo airline support services to help with increased ground handling needs. 

Bottom Line

Whether served by postal carriers like DHL, airlines like British Airways or a number of cargo carriers, air cargo enables the global economy to transport goods efficiently.

It also fosters continued economic development in cities across the globe, as increased connection enables increased opportunities for doing business. While the economy remains burdened by the ongoing pandemic, air cargo offers hope that one day soon we may all receive a vaccine that allows us to return to our normal lives. 

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