The customer and commercial needs of logistics have increased over time which have surpassed the limitations of truck and fleet delivery – despite their wide capacity. The main factor that plays here is the scheduling and timely nature of the deliveries that sometimes cannot be completed by the existing models. Here, the air freight carriers have emerged to be a viable solution considering their substantial overcapacity of scheduling prowess.
To begin with, air freight is the shipment and transfer of goods through air carriers of commercial or charter nature. They generally travel to anywhere with a facility to fly and land a plane, even out of commercial and passenger aviation gateways. With their highly time sensitive nature the aviation freight carriers are generally used for VIP shipments to literally anywhere in the world. This is a very profitable market since along with the trust factor in airfreight security measures, it is still a highly sophisticated international trade solution.
The exponential growth
With the growing demands of the market for a quick and effective delivery and many other factors giving a hand, the International Air Transport Association had predicted that the demand for air freight has continually increased and is only expected to grow. Even though, as believed by many traders, the air freight was only considered for just-in-time emergency shipments as it was also an expensive recourse. Now its speedy development as a first choice by global logistic companies, instead of being the last option has also doubled its capacity. It is considered to be an expensive medium by the traders but that will also subside when the air freight cargo is utilized in a larger quantity because of cross-border trade and e-commerce. The cost of deploying air freight for shippers has already been cut in half, proving to be a beneficial option for the supply chain customers.
Supporting trends
The main supporters of air freight advancement have been two factors – growing population and rise of robust manufacturing hubs. They go hand in hand as the rising middle class indulges more in E-commerce, pharmaceuticals and perishables. The transportation of these goods requires strong air cargo hub with efficient and skilful handling that is provided by these sophisticated air freight establishments.
E-commerce has bolstered the expansion of air freight solutions as it has been projected to double in five years, as per the World Air Cargo Forecast. The main reason behind it is the fast rise in e-commerce trading, specifically in Asia-Pacific regions. This explosive growth in business to customer deliveries by e-commerce demands has affected the freight transportation revolution, ushering aviation to stand out amongst its peers.
Facility pros
- Despite being in competition and continually compared with traditional transportation solutions like delivery by sea, road or rail; airfreight transport is highly appreciated for its high speed. It assists in delivering some time sensitive goods like vaccines, food, plants, livestock and perishable expensive items.
- The main and most highlighted feature of this service is the international reach. Within a limited it shows impressive results in transportation of goods across the globe without any hassle.
- By transporting the merchandise in time it reduces the cost of damage and deterioration in sensitive cases. Moreover supply chains trading in these goods also get an additional profit margin by saving from warehousing expenses. It is all in all a very viable solution. The security factor in this mode is also very high since the air cargo facilities keep a tight check on the arrival and departure of goods and people.
The global logistic companies have been a good source of benefit by providing a sophisticated airfreight facility to supply chains. The growth of this service is hopeful and promising as it will allow the introduction of more cost friendly air cargo transportation, connecting the global markets in a stronger grip.
