Uptick in international imports puts PACTL on course for growth

The 2.0 percent year-over-year volume growth reported by Shanghai Pudong International Airport Cargo Terminal Co. (PACTL) was the strongest first-seven-months increase in the cargo facility’s history. Between January and July 2016, PACTL handled 919,416 tonnes of airfreight, consolidating the company’s position as the largest provider of air cargo handling services at the Shanghai airport.

Shanghai Pudong is primarily an international freight hub, with seven-month numbers showing 860,627 tonnes of international inbound and outbound cargo, versus 58,834 tonnes on the domestic side. Thus, a 1.2 percent, y-o-y, decline in domestic air freight did little to offset the more substantial 2.3 percent, y-o-y, increase in international air freight.

That said, July saw a significant jump of domestic freight, to the tune of 7.5 percent, y-o-y, whereas international was flat by the same metric.

January-to-July imports beat out exports in terms of y-o-y percentage gains. Inbound flights brought in 2.9 percent more cargo than a year prior, while outbound was up a lesser 1.4 percent. However, outbound volume was significantly higher over the same time period, at 536,532 tonnes versus 382,929 tonnes of inbound cargo.

Lutz Grzegorz, vice president of PACTL, sounded an optimistic note about the handler’s prospects, thanks to “the fact that international imports and domestic exports [domestic outbound freight] are increasing.” PACTL moved nearly 1.6 million tonnes of airfreight in 2015, and is on course to surpass those numbers this year.

Join us for networking and discussion of logistics innovation at Air Cargo World’s new ELEVATE 2016 Conference, Oct. 10, in Miami.