Stagnant demand shrinks airfreight volumes

USA and South American
regions remains slow due to
stagnant global demand for
goods coupled with the higher
costs of airfreight.
Gerd von Mansberg,
director of ATC Aviation
Services SA, which has an
international network
and offices across the
USA, South America,
Europe and Asia, said
demand for airfreight
was continuing to shrink
worldwide.
“We work with Avianca
in Columbia which is one of
the main airlines in South
America because it has
good connectivity to the US.
Goods moved
are mostly
aircraft spares
manufactured
at different
distribution
points in
the world.
Some of it is
manufactured
in Australia
and goes to the
US via South
Africa.”
Von
Mansberg said South America
remained the main market for
US high tech goods, while the
latter transported clothing and
perishables to the 300-million
strong US
market. He
said there
was also some
demand for the
movement of
personal effects
for people who
were relocating.
However,
he added that
it was difficult
to get a decent
payload into an
aircraft because
most goods were sent via
seafreight due to ever-declining
prices, the higher costs of
airfreight and sheer distance to
the US.
“Companies are only flying
spares when they really need
them and when they are
urgent – like there is an aircraft
(stranded) on the ground
and they need the cargo very
quickly,” he said.
“Ford and Volkswagen both
operate in Brazil but they
only move small stuff. There
are very few imports and
exports in South America and
three countries – Venezuela,
Argentina and Brazil – are
already officially in recession.
The world is not in good shape,”
he said.
INSERT & CAPTION
Most goods are sent
via seafreight due to
ever-declining prices
and higher airfreight
costs.
– Gerd von Mansberg