Air freight
Air freight is a means of transporting products and good across the globe. Cargo is transported daily on several different types of airplanes. This allows for products of origin countries to be delivered in places where that product is most likely unavailable. Air freight is not limited to only certain goods and services, but also luxurious automobiles, exotic animals, military equipment, etc.[1]
History of Air Freight
Types of Aircrafts
Air transport can be divided into
- Passenger airplane
- Passenger-goods combination airplane
- Cargo airplane
Advantages and Disadvantages
Air freight has a large amount of advantages. For example, speed, which is a crucial part of transport, is the reason people choose air freight. When shipping internationally, or just far away, the fastest method of transport is by air.
Since the time of transport is so short, another advantage is the fact that the economy relies on trade and distribution. For example, products of high important e.g. pharmaceuticals, machinery, etc. are crucial for various companies. These products that are important have a specific window of time, when they need to be delivered to meet the demand.
In economic terms, the airplane cargo/passenger combination delivers goods, and takes people to where they need to go. Instead of sending one airplane with one thing, airlines are able to do both at the same time.
The final advantage is the fact that airplanes are extremely reliable. Safety is a large concern for the public and companies.
A big disadvantage, on the other side, is even though plans are extremely reliable, there is always a chance an accident may occur.
Weather is also a key player in air transport. With bad conditions, planes are unable to fly/take off at a given moment.[2]
Biggest Cargo Companies
Here are the biggest cargo companies according to the Top 25 Airlines: Ranked by Cargo Traffic [3]
| Rank | Airline | Scheduled Cargo Tonne–Kilometers (millions) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Qatar Airways | 13,024 |
| 2 | Emirates | 12,052 |
| 3 | Cathay Pacific Airways | 10,930 |
| 4 | Federal Express | 8,851 |
| 5 | Korean Air | 7,390 |
| 6 | Lufthansa | 7,223 |
| 7 | Cargolux | 7,180 |
| 8 | Turkish Airlines | 7,000 |
| 9 | United Parcel Service | 6,228 |
| 10 | Singapore Airlines | 6,146 |
| 11 | Air China | 5,651 |
| 12 | China Southern Airlines | 5,482 |
| 13 | China Airlines | 5,334 |
| 14 | AirBridgeCargo Airlines | 5,168 |
| 15 | United Airlines | 4,231 |
| 16 | British Airways | 4,200 |
| 17 | All Nippon Airways | 3,922 |
| 18 | Air France | 3,774 |
| 19 | Polar Air Cargo | 3,765 |
| 20 | KLM | 3,609 |
| 21 | Atlas Air | 3,598 |
| 22 | AeroLogic | 3,581 |
| 23 | Asiana Airlines | 3,552 |
| 24 | EVA Air | 3,443 |
| 25 | American Airlines | 3,208 |
Footnotes
References
- IATA. (2020). WATS World Air Transport, Statistics 2020'' International Air Transport Association
- PwC. (2014). Overview of Air Transport and Current and Potential Air Connectivity Gaps in the CESE Region
- Sales, M. (2016). Air Cargo Management: Air Freight and the Global Supply Chain.
Author: Krzysztof Nagaba-Poniatowski
