A rare sight: flying wine

Some commodities always travel by air — cherries, lobster, tech and pharmaceuticals — but others only fly when necessary, as with Beaujolais nouveau. Wine “is not typically an air [cargo] product and Beaujolais [nouveau] that way is an exception,” Christophe Boucher, senior vice president of Air France Cargo, told Air Cargo World . Beaujolais nouveau is a young French wine, bottled and sold in the span of a few months, and traditionally drunk for the first time on the third Thursday in November. Because wine air transport is rare, Beaujolais season brings unique challenges for airfreight stakeholders related to routes, capacity and speed. The novelty of the nouveau [caption id="attachment_57132742" align="alignright" width="432"] Photo / Air France-KLM[/caption] Preparations for Beaujolais nouveau transport begin each spring as shippers secure the necessary capacity for air transportation, a spokesperson from Japanese forwarder Nippon Express told Air Cargo World . “It's also essential to coordinate with several airlines to provide transportation routes and space, according to the importer’s requirements,” the spokesperson said. The growing schedule of the grapes is unpredictable and dependent on weather and other factors, so it requires flexibility and speed from stakeholders. Beaujolais can also only be shipped after its release day — Oct. 18 this year — a Lufthansa Cargo spokesperson told Air Cargo World . Air France-KLM’s first wine shipment flew to Osaka (KIX) on Oct. 19, and French forwarder Bollore Logistics’ first pallet departed Oct. 25 on a Turkish Airlines flight, according to releases from both companies. This year, airfreight stakeholders have seen fewer volumes of Beaujolais nouveau, tied in part to warmer summer weather in France, Boucher said. Because the grapes aged faster in the heat, there was more time to transport the wine to its destination, and some volumes moved by sea. Export volumes for Beaujolais nouveau have also been declining over the years — in 2015, Lufthansa Cargo and All Nippon Airways shipped 5,000 tonnes to Japan, and this year it will see around 2,500 tonnes, according to the carrier. Similarly, Nippon Express moved around 3,000 tonnes in 2019, and expects to see about half that volume this year. The other challenge with shipping Beaujolais is its weight — glass bottles add extra density that impacts overall payload, Boucher added. For a typical flight holding six to 10 pallets of wine, the load can weigh up to 40 tonnes, making it around 150% heavier than general cargo pallets. Wine shipments also require a certain level of care from handlers; there’s no margin of error for mishandled and damaged bottles, but this is a rare occurrence, Boucher said. “I’ve been in this industry for a long time [and] I’ve never recalled any incident, at least from Air France-KLM,” he added. From vine to glass Around 80% of the exported wine goes to Japan, and AF-KLM operates routes from Paris (CDG) and Amsterdam (AMS) to Tokyo Narita (NRT) and Haneda (HND). Other destinations include Indonesia, China, South Africa, Gabon, Botswana, Canada and Mexico, according to carrier releases. The wine travels in both freighters and bellyhold, Boucher said. This year’s harvest has seen a mix of aircraft with a three-times-weekly freighter flight between CDG and NRT. Bollore also moved its wine through CDG, according to the release. Overall capacity between Europe and the Asia-Pacific region remains down compared with pre-pandemic levels — tied to COVID-19-related travel restrictions in China and Japan — but has increased compared with the previous Beaujolais season, Boucher said. New obstacles The newest obstacle for wine shipment is avoiding Russian airspace with diverted flights affecting aircraft payload and reducing capacity, Boucher said. The longer route also increases jet fuel-related expenses, according to Nippon Express. Wine rates reflect cargo rates — lower than 2021 and higher than 2019, Boucher said. “All the airlines are trying to stick to a high price, as much as they can, because it’s a very competitive market, so it only works if everybody is doing the same,” he added. Once the wine reaches its destination, corks are popped and parties can ensue, Boucher noted. But for those waiting until Nov. 17 to taste the wine themselves, airfreight stakeholders confirm the rumors that this year’s Beaujolais will be delicious: Expect red fruit notes and hints of smoke, he said. “We have heard that the wines are highly rated,” Nippon Express’ spokesperson said. “Please try it.” Join Air Cargo World for our next webinar, “Dangerous goods in focus: Shoring up air cargo logistics,” on Tuesday, Nov. 15, at 11 a.m. ET. Click here for more information and to register. The article has been updated to reflect the accurate tonnage of wine handled by Lufthansa Cargo.

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