The Freight 50: Carrier wins and losses in 2021

In 2021, air cargo saw traffic and demand skyrocket, and the airfreight industry reached new levels of recognition on the global stage. Most carriers reported double-digit percentage growth, as noted in this year’s Freight 50 feature , a list of the top 50 carriers ranked based on data compiled from the latest World Air Transport Statistics (WATS) report from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). 2021’s highest peaks [caption id="attachment_67114" align="alignright" width="225"] Photo: Jettainer[/caption] Air Canada Cargo, which saw 2.1 billion freight-tonne kilometers (FTKs) in 2021, saw the strongest year-over-year FTK growth at 92%, nearly doubling its traffic. The carrier strengthened its cargo-only flights, utilizing temporarily converted so-called “preighters” as well as charter flights to maximize efficiency. As a result, revenue soared in 2021 , rising 63% YoY to $1.4 billion Canadian dollars (US $1.04 billion), an all-time high for the company. American Airlines was also one of the year’s biggest movers on the Freight 50 list, shifting from spot No. 32 to No. 28. The carrier’s traffic grew 50% YoY to 3.3 billion FTKs, leading to record yield as demand rose in a lower-capacity market. American also utilized cargo-only flights to increase traffic and generate record-breaking revenue, Roger Samways, vice president of commercial, told Air Cargo World. “We achieved multiple weight records on cargo-only flights last year — a testament to the high demand in air cargo,” Samways said. “Part of the dramatic increase from 2020 to 2021 was due to our strong cargo-only program coupled with growth in long-haul, international passenger flying.” One of the greatest challenges during 2021 was bottlenecks at major hubs caused by various entry restrictions for crew and passengers, which prevented American from operating a consistent schedule, Samways noted. However, the carrier confirmed its cargo-only flights with government and airport authorities and ensured its trucking network offered more connections for customers, he added. Meanwhile, Turkish Airlines moved up from 10th place last year to ninth place as the carrier’s traffic increased 32% YoY to 9.2 billion FTKs. Turkish Cargo transported 1.88 million tons of cargo in 2021 and grew cargo revenues to over $4 billion, a 138% increase compared with 2019, increasing its global market share from 4.7% to 5.2% in terms of cargo revenues, Chief Executive Bilal Eksi told Air Cargo World. “With three new destinations added to the Turkish Cargo network, we increased the number of destinations flown with cargo aircraft to 98,” Eksi said. “In the same period, we started operations at SmartIST, a mega facility with an annual cargo handling capacity of 2.8 million tons” at Istanbul Airport (IST). As COVID-19 cases continued to expand across the globe, Turkish Cargo prioritized vaccine and other pharmaceutical cargo in 2021. In total, the carrier transported more than 340 million vaccines to over 60 countries, Eksi added. 2021’s lowest valleys The largest decline came from China Eastern Airlines, which dropped from 17th to 28th place. The carrier saw 3.2 billion FTKs in 2021, a 30% YoY decrease, caused by continued COVID lockdowns in China . Other Asian carriers also were affected by the lockdowns, with Nippon Cargo Airlines seeing an 11% drop and Asiana Airlines seeing a 2.5% dip. DHL, which saw 2 billion FTKs, a 54% YoY decline, otherwise watched operating profit jump 65% to $8 billion, according to a Q4 2021 earnings report. The decrease is partially attributed to traffic from subsidiary Aerologic being reported independently. Aerologic saw 6.2 billion FTKs in 2021, all of which were operated by co-owners DHL and Lufthansa. Read this year’s Freight 50 feature here.

The Freight 50: Carrier wins and losses in 2021

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