Weekly Insight from Seabreeze Logistics: Stay Ahead in Freight

• Golden Week, typhoon and rail disruption see airfreight rates ex-China soar

Airfreight rates from China to Europe have jumped 30–50%, driven by disruptions including holiday closures during Golden Week, typhoon damage, and rail network breakdowns. Forwarders report rates have risen rapidly—for example, prices for shipments by Air China and China Cargo to Amsterdam climbed from about $2.20/kg on September 10 to significantly higher recently.

• Ecommerce could drive demand for air cargo – but may impact yields

Growing e-commerce is pushing air cargo volumes higher and more consistently, with online shopping now making up roughly 20% of air cargo business globally. While this supports near-term demand, the flip side is that yields are under pressure—smaller, frequent shipments, higher expectations for speed, and regulatory changes (like removed tariff exemptions) are increasing costs and reducing margin.

• Partnerships 'the way forward' for air cargo in a changing world

Air carriers are increasingly leaning on partnerships to navigate today’s volatile airfreight landscape. A major example is the Global Cargo Joint Business, a forthcoming alliance between Qatar Airways Cargo, IAG Cargo, and MASkargo, expected to launch in late 2025. This partnership aims to unify freighter and belly-hold capacity, improve routing flexibility, and enhance operational performance across major trade lanes —all while offering more seamless and efficient service to customers.

• Caspian Air Cargo: As demand outpaces supply, freighter capacity 'critical'

Silk Way West, speaking at the Caspian Air Cargo Summit, warned that demand is now outpacing supply in air cargo—and that dedicated freighter capacity is becoming “critical.” With few new freighters coming online and many aging ones retiring, the gap between demand growth (especially from e-commerce and changing trade lanes) and available capacity is squeezing carriers.