COVID pushes top 10 airport cargo handle up 3% in 2020

Air cargo volumes among the world’s top airports the cargo handle improved by 3.0% YoY, but actually decreased by 8.9% year over year in 2020 to 109 million tonnes across all airports, according to preliminary results from Airports Council International (ACI) published April 22. Among the top 10 cargo airports, Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) and Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) reported the strongest YoY growth, of 15.0% and 7.4%, respectively. FedEx’s Memphis International Airport (MEM) hub also surpassed Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) to claim the top spot for 2020 with 4.61 million tonnes handled, as previously reported before the release of ACI’s preliminary results. HKG’s total cargo handle declined by 7.1% during 2020 to 4.47 million tonnes. The top 10 airports as ranked by ACI represent about 28%, or 30.6 million tonnes, of global cargo volumes in 2020. TOP 10 AIR CARGO HUBS IN TOTAL TRAFFIC (volumes in metric tonnes) [caption id="attachment_95400" align="aligncenter" width="808"] Preliminary figures provided by Airports Council International[/caption] ACI attributed the gain at the top 10 airports to increased demand for several cargo commodity types, and particularly to increases in e-commerce and for pharmaceutical products and personal protective equipment (PPE) due to the pandemic. There was significant movement across most of the top 10 list for 2020 compared with Air Cargo World ’s 2019 ranking based on ACI data and Air Cargo World research. While Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) maintained its No. 3 ranking from 2019, ANC rose from No. 6 to No. 4, and UPS’ Louisville (SDF) hub fell one spot to No. 5. Incheon Airport (ICN) also fell one spot to No. 6, and TPE rose two spots to rank at No. 7 globally. Hamad International Airport (DOH), the Qatar Airways hub, fell one spot to No. 9. There were also two new additions to the top 10, both representing major U.S. gateway airports: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), which rose from No. 14 in 2019 to No. 8, and Miami International Airport (MIA), which rose from No. 12 to No. 10. Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Tokyo Narita International Airport (NRT) dropped out of the top 10 for 2020. LAX’s rise in the rankings, thanks to a 6.6% YoY increase to 2.2 million tonnes, reflects the strength of the trans-Pacific air cargo trade lane in 2020, which has continued into 2021 and is being exacerbated by capacity shortages and container shortages in ocean freight. Mike Piza, senior vice president for corporate business development and customs brokerage with 3PL Apex Logistics, recently told Air Cargo World that the trans-Pacific trade lane is likely to remain strained for at least the next two to three months.

COVID pushes top 10 airport cargo handle up 3% in 2020

ACI records strongest gains at Anchorage, Taiwan Taipei airports

Watch: CFA highlights unprecedented demand for freighters

Cainiao launches 7 weekly Singapore-Hainan charter flights

Cainiao launches 7 weekly Singapore-Hainan charter flights

Cargo Facts Free Newsletters

Cargo Facts Connect Podcast

Follow Us

Welcome Back!

Retrieve your password