- China’s air cargo transport rose to near pre-pandemic levels in January, state newspaper China Daily reports
- Civil Aviation Administration of China reported air cargo and mail volume was about 654,000 tons in January, or 97.3% of the volume in January 2019
- Hainan Airlines reflects the rebound with cargo business grow 62% and 182% profit surge
China’s air cargo transport climbed near pre-pandemic levels in January, with one of its top four airlines reporting stellar results for the month from its cargo unit, a government newspaper reported.
The China Daily reported that based on Civil Aviation Administration of China press conference last week, air cargo and mail volume was about 654,000 tons in January, or 97.3% of the volume for the same month in 2019.
CAAC said the degree of recovery was 6.6 percentage points from December 2021, China Daily reported.
For January this year, volume gained 1.1% from last December, but lagged the volume for the same period by 2.3%.
In a related development, Hainan Airlines reported strong cargo business results in January as growing demand for airfreight and its recent reorganization boosted its performance.
In January, the carrier saw sales of its cargo business grow 62% and net profit soar 182% year on year, lifting revenue and profit to historic highs. The company has not yet disclosed specific figures , it said in its release on Thursday.
Hainan Airlines, China’s fourth largest carrier, transferred its core aviation business to its strategic investor Liaoning Fangda Group last December, as its parent HNA Group went through a bankruptcy and restructuring process.
The carrier finished setting up a cargo business department, electing its general manager and forming an operational and management team by December 31.
Hainan Airlines seized on the decline of flights in total volumes as the coronavirus crisis curbed travel. Its cargo department adjusted its freight charges and offered discounts to seize on the high demand.
The airline has converted some of its passenger aircraft to freighters to expand cargo capacity in view of a soaring demand for airfreight transport. The strategy paid off with a 42% year-on-year increase in volume in January.
The carrier uses the converted aircraft for cargo flights between China and Toronto, Canada; Los Angeles, USA; and Tel Aviv, Israel.
