Air freight firms predict shift to sea freight

The Associated Global Systems executive Bob Imbriani has reported that around 27% of shippers have switched from air freight to sea freight, and that the company expects this number to increase to up to 35%. The Kuehne + Nagel executive VP for sea and air logistics Peter Ulber also said that commodities such as computer hardware and pharmaceuticals are shifting to sea freight for the first time. In addition, Panalpina's head of corporate air freight Robert Frei believes that even if the market sees an upturn, many companies are unlikely to switch back to air freight once they have adapted their supply chains to sea freight. However, the Continental Airlines manager Mark Mohr said that air freight is still important in the supply chain, particularly because fuel costs will necessitate firms shifting operations nearer to end-user markets, Logistics Finland reported. 

(www.transport weekly)