While worldwide demand for air travel has spectacularly fallen, demand for air cargo is “holding up relatively well” despite the economic havoc sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the latest data from the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA).
Global demand for air cargo declined by 19% in March 2020 compared to the same month last year “but is holding up relatively well despite economic disruption in many economies following measures aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19,” said AAPA.
Goods being shipped by air cargo include significant volumes of pharmaceuticals, medical protective equipment, and food supplies.
Asian airlines have increased the number of services operated by dedicated freighter aircraft to partially compensate for the loss of bellyhold capacity resulting from the drastic cutbacks in passenger services.
A number of Asian airlines have also been operating additional air cargo services using passenger aircraft adapted to carry cargo both in the bellyhold as well as in the cabin in the absence of passengers.
On the other hand, the number of passenger flights operated by Asia-Pacific airlines in the first week of April declined by 93% compared to normal levels of traffic established at the beginning of the year, said AAPA.
In addition to the sharply reduced schedule of passenger operations, several Asia-Pacific carriers have been mounting additional flights on an ad-hoc basis to meet the demand for repatriation flights for stranded passengers to return to their home countries.
“Amid border closures, shutdowns and lockdowns, Asia Pacific airlines are striving to maintain critical air connectivity to continue transporting important supplies and serve the needs of people who still need to travel urgently, including skilled medical personnel and other essential service providers,” AAPA said.
The association appealed to governments to support Asia-Pacific airlines by “granting the necessary flexibility on relaxing slot constraints, curfews on operating hours as well as by expediting approvals and exempting crew from quarantine requirements where necessary.”
“The current crisis is taking an enormous toll on Asian economies and people’s livelihoods across the region. Some 50 million people work in travel and tourism alone within the Asia Pacific region,” AAPA director general Subhas Menon said.
“We recognise and applaud the efforts being made by many governments to offer financial assistance and support to the aviation industry as well as the wider travel and tourism sector.”
Image by Lenzpointer from Pixabay
