Chapter 14 - The impact of COVID-19 on air cargo logistics and supply chains

Abstract

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on international air cargo logistics and supply chains has been, and remains, both complex and dynamic. Unlike the air passenger sector which witnessed demand reductions of over 95%, global air cargo demand proved more resilient and, in some markets, actually increased during the first wave of the pandemic in 2020. During this period, the sector witnessed a capacity shortfall in some markets as cargo could not be transported in the holds of scheduled passenger services as these flights had been suspended. As a result, a number of airline operators temporarily switched from providing passenger flights to cargo services by reconfiguring their aircraft to transport freight in the passenger cabin. This chapter examines COVID’s implications for global air cargo logistics and supply chains from a demand and supply side perspective. The chapter concludes by discussing the pandemic’s medium- to longer-term implications for the future provision and operation of air cargo logistics and supply chains.