In 2020, BRUcargo air freight volumes exceeded 2019 levels by 2.2%. This growth is driven by the full freighter (+43%) and integrator (+18%) segment, both compensating for the loss of volumes on passenger flights. The latter saw a dramatic reduction due to the grounding of passenger aircraft because of the COVID-19 crisis. This positive trend continues in 2021, with an impressive +21% growth of flown volumes in January.
The growth in the full freighter segment is explained by the arrival of new carriers, increased capacity and the use of passenger aircraft for cargo only. More than 25 different carriers operated such “passenger freighter” flights, accounting for 30 to 40% of the full-cargo freighter flights in 2020 and up to almost 50% in January 2021.
Asia became the largest region for both import and export volumes. Chengdu, Zhengzhou and Shijiazhuang accounted for by the biggest import increases, while Shanghai reported the largest export growth.
Source of the data is BRUcloud, the open data sharing platform at BRUcargo. Based on MAWB data, it allows for detailed analysis leading to powerful insights of cargo traffic flows handled at BRUcargo.
