COVID-19 Airfreight Updates

·     We are receiving reports of severe congestion at both Hong Kong and Shanghai airports. Some carriers have temporarily suspended select service levels out of both airports to Canada, US, Latin America, Europe and India in an effort to address backlogged shipments. It is reported that some truckers are waiting are waiting 24-48 hours to make deliveries to the Shanghai terminal.

·     Delta Air Lines has begun requesting customers enter into an Additional Reservation Agreement (ARA) in an effort to limit cancelled booking and no-show flights. With an ARA, the customer may face a penalty if a booking is cancelled in the days leading up to the flight. The penalties are on a sliding scale from 25-100% of the original booking cost.

·     American Airlines has introduced a “Fair Booking Policy” to also curtail cancellations resulting in lost capacity. With American’s policy, the customer will incur a fee ranging from $50-$100, depending on when the cancellation occurs. American’s policy takes effect May 1, 2020 for all international and domestic flights.

·     American Airlines has also announced the addition of several new flights on all-cargo passenger aircraft. These routes are servicing Hong Kong, London, Amsterdam, and Dublin among other international cities to key U.S. cities.

·     Lisbon-based carrier TAP Air Portugal has made the difficult decision to suspend all North American operations effective immediately through May 17.

While the demand for air cargo is very high at the moment, shipments are being lifted. Please reach out to Transatlantic North America Inc. to explore your airfreight options.