Page 24 - The STAT Trade Times September 2022 Issue

industryreport

You should
differentiate between

real charter demand
and forwarders shifting

commodities into the
cargo mix on their

self-controlled charter
network.

Jens Ludwig
Kuehne+Nagel
Dursley of Chapman shares a challenging
assignment: "Almost exactly one year ago,
after 20 years in Afghanistan, NATO forces
withdrew, leaving a population starving and
without medication. Chapman Freeborn
has almost five decades’ experience in
supporting various NGOs around the world
with humanitarian movements and relief
goods. So, shortly after the withdrawal of
U.S. and NATO forces from Afghanistan, we
started to operate flights into Kabul, which lift, Kuehne+Nagel, has a different take two years," says Ludwig. "Also you should
was under the leadership of the Taliban, on the issue. "Short-term, I don’t see air differentiate between real charter demand
which of course brought its own issues. cargo charters gaining significantly more and forwarders shifting commodities
"But a huge humanitarian requirement relevance. Coming from a relatively stable into the cargo mix on their self-controlled
meant that we were operating daily flights peak demand over the last two years under charter network. High value and attention
from multiple origin points both in Europe the Covid-19 environment, we see charter goods like pharma, hi-tech and semicon-
and also in the Middle East in support of demand decreasing in 2022 on most rel- ductors obviously will be key verticals in
the population in Afghanistan. It was at a evant trade lanes. Returning belly capacity future charter demand."
time when freighter capacity was in huge combined with fuel pricing increases are
demand because of Covid test kit move- adding pressure. What next?
ments and PPE. So, securing capacity was "Charter capacity will still remain an After automotive, pharma and hi-tech,
very challenging but we managed to do integral part of the air cargo capacity for all which other sector will be dependent on
it working with our long-term partners major freight forwarders. In such unstable charters? “'Electronic chips will be essential
that we've worked with for many, many and volatile times, charter services are vital to in many supply chains of the future and this
decades. We provided a fantastic service to stabilise supply chains and ensure business relevance will make them a suitable product
our clients and ultimately to the people in contingency for the world wide economy." for charter transportation. I do see it as a
need in Afghanistan." fitting commodity to be transported on
Sector story the self-controlled charter network within
Demand may slow down "Automotive will remain a stable contributor the forwarders portfolio rather than being
Jens Ludwig, Vice President, Global Air to air charter demand but will most prob- regular full charter demand on its own," says
Logistics, Fullcharter Services, KN Air- ably not exceed the numbers from the last Ludwig of K+N.
22 | SEPTEMBER 2022 www.stattimes.com