January 2024
Despite challenges in 2023 such as a normalizing market, increased capacity and flat rates, DHL Group took the No. 2 spot on Air Cargo Next’s Power 25 list of top freight forwarders for the second year in a row, with an airfreight throughput of 1.9 million tonnes, a 9.2% year-over-year decrease.
DHL eCommerce now has more than 100,000 access points in Europe, and its express division is investing $192 million into facilities at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG). The company additionally upgraded its security technology and automation at its facility at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) and has been expanding its supply chain division to accommodate nearshoring.
With DHL continuing to set the pace for digitalization, safety and sustainability across all channels of the supply chain, Air Cargo Next named DHL Group Chief Executive Tobias Meyer as its Executive of the Year.?
Despite surging demand for e-commerce, 2022 was a challenging year for airports.?The top 50 cargo airports saw an overall cargo tonnage reduction of 7.8% YoY.?
Air Cargo Next’s rankings of the world’s top 50 cargo airports for 2022 are based on our research and the latest annual World Airport Traffic Report released by Airports Council International’s (ACI) World Airport Traffic Database. This year’s list features some large moves up, some falls and some newcomers.?
Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) again took the top spot, having transported nearly 4.2 million tonnes of cargo in 2022, a 16.45% YoY decrease. Memphis International Airport (MEM) again took the No. 2 spot, followed by Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) at No. 3, Pudong International Airport (PVG) at No. 4 and Louisville International Airport (SDF) at No. 5.
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Air cargo experts expect the industry to improve in 2024 after a challenging 2023 but they debate the level of recovery.?
“I anticipate a robust and dynamic air cargo market in 2024, characterized by steady growth in demand for freight services,” Airforwarders Association Executive Director Brandon Fried told Air Cargo Next. “The global economy is showing signs of recovery from recent challenges, leading to increased trade activities. We are already seeing an increase in U.S. imports from Asia, a sign that consumer demand is recovering.”?
Fried said post-pandemic economic recovery and expanding e-commerce will play a large role in this market recuperation.?
Sustainable aviation fuel volumes in 2023 doubled YoY to 600 million liters, accounting for 3% of all renewable fuels, according to a report released by IATA on Dec. 6.?
That number is expected to reach 1.86 billion liters in 2024, tripling 2022 production, the report states.?Despite this, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) projections for next year will account for only 0.5% of aviation’s total fuel need, according to the report.?
“Current production levels [of SAF] are significantly below where they need to be to achieve the industry’s 2050 net-zero target,” Glyn Hughes, director general at TIACA, told Air Cargo Next.