Its spring, change is in the air. Not just in the weather but as carriers adjust lift due to falling inbound tonnage.
Japan Airlines Cargo (JAL) and Polar Air Cargo have announced a reduction of their scheduled direct cargo flights from USA West Coast to Japan for the near term. This comes on the heels of the news that All Nippon Airlines (ANA) will purchase Nippon Cargo Airlines (NCA) from NYK Lines after ANA expressed a strong desire to enhance its current air fleet and expand cargo services. While this will further cement ANA as the largest airline in Japan, the connection started from the onset in a collaborative, circuitous relationship that brought together these major players in Japanese cargo transportation.
In 2018, ANA stepped in to help NCA perform aircraft maintenance when their entire fleet was grounded due to “inconsistent records” relating to oil supply – a process which caused weeks of re-verification and maintenance updates.
The expansion of ANA’s fleet will improve air cargo capacity and reliability by incorporating the aircraft and personnel as both companies have advised they plan on making no job cuts. Citing the increasing demand for air cargo between Asia and North America, ANA is looking to meet the demand by growing alongside the market.
With the downturn in the ocean freight industry, NYK Lines is the first line to divest away from their air cargo services. As that downturn moves to redirecting ocean capacity to match demand, there will be more cargo that must move by air due to scheduling and time constraints.
Greater air capacity between the US and Asia is a bonus but we also need to understand the changes in lift on the short term in another. Staying ahead of demand requires a deft touch. At CFI, we’re the perishables experts. Our worldwide network of partnerships, global community of logistics experts, and decades of unsurpassed experience gives our clients the value of legacy relationships, the success of proactive and solution-driven thinking, while offering the connection and communication of a family business.
CFI understands our mission is making sure the food people need arrives on time and fresh as when we took possession, regardless of mergers and airline reorganizations. Our layered approach to cool chain, state-of-the-art TempEndure over-pack, dynamic routing concept and tailored cool chain capabilities are used to avoid temperature excursions when at all possible and prevent or mitigate problems that could cause spoilage or lost product.
We always follow safety protocols to the letter, to ensure shipments we’re entrusted with are protected from prolonged exposure, delays and temperature excursions. If you want to know how CFI maximizes your options and keeps your cargo at the peak of freshness, reach out to your representative for more information.
