EXTRANS GLOBAL - Air Freight News - Week 14 2025

Air Cargo General

1) Asiana Airlines launches service from Incheon to Prague (3 times a week)

Asiana Airlines announced the launch of its Incheon to Prague, Czech Republic route on the 1st.
The route will operate three times a week (Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday). Departing from Incheon International Airport at 9:15 AM (local time) and arriving at Prague Airport at 3:15 PM, the return flight departs at 4:55 PM and arrives in Incheon at 11:00 AM the next day.
This new service follows the expansion of bilateral flight rights between Korea and the Czech Republic from four to seven flights per week during aviation talks in July last year—the first such expansion in 26 years. Previously, Korean Air was the only domestic carrier operating direct flights, but Asiana Airlines has now joined the route.
An Asiana Airlines official stated, "We are pleased to launch flights to Prague, a long-beloved hub of culture and art," adding, "We will continue to work hard to ensure passengers can comfortably experience the charm of Prague."

2) CMA CGM acquires the cargo division of Air Belgium

French shipping and logistics company CMA CGM merges with Air Belgium's air cargo division.
Through this acquisition, CMA CGM Air Cargo will take over Air Belgium’s cargo fleet, including two A330-243F and two B747-8F aircraft.Additionally, 186 out of Air Belgium’s 401 employees will be retained.
Meanwhile, Air Belgium, which faced financial difficulties during the pandemic, had previously sold a 49% stake to Chinese e-commerce company Hongyuan Group in 2022. Since then, the four cargo planes had been operated under Hongyuan Group.
Recently, a Belgian court approved the sale to CMA CGM, finalizing the acquisition of the cargo division.

3) Air cargo demand surges ahead of early April tariff hikes: Charter contracts spike for Vietnam-origin flights

Global air freight rates have risen for three consecutive weeks. According to the TAC Index, as of March 31, the global air freight rate index (Baltic Air Freight Index, BAI00) increased by 2.4% week-over-week and by 5.1% year-over-year.
Industry insiders report that, "With new tariffs and increased rates expected to take effect from April 2, shippers are rushing to transport goods ahead of this change, stimulating demand."
Freight rates on routes from China have generally risen for both Europe and the U.S. The air freight index from Hong Kong (BAI30) increased by 2.6% week-over-week, showing an upward trend across most major routes, and rose by 1.4% year-over-year. The Shanghai freight index (BAI80) saw a modest increase of 0.6% week-over-week, but a 3.9% increase year-over-year, maintaining a steady upward trend.
Among major Asian routes, freight rates from Vietnam to Europe and the U.S. have risen significantly, with rates from India to the U.S. also increasing. However, rates to Europe have dropped. Freight rates from Bangkok to Europe decreased, while rates from Seoul to Europe have risen again.
Meanwhile, market participants note a significant increase in air cargo supply from Vietnam, as global shippers are greatly increasing charter and block contracts ahead of U.S. tariffs.
According to local companies, demand in recent weeks has shown a high increase compared to last year. Supply space from BSA operators departing from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh is nearly exhausted, making reservations difficult.
In fact, an analysis of real-time transport data from Rotate, which tracks global aircraft movements, shows that several major cargo operators have experienced a double-digit surge in shipments to the U.S. from Europe, Asia, and South America over the past 48 hours. Overall transport volume from Asia to the U.S. increased by 10% during that time.

4) Global Air Cargo Demand Dips 0.1% in February, But Most Regions Show Growth (Excluding Middle East)

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced the global air cargo market performance for February 2025.
In February, overall demand for air cargo decreased by 0.1% compared to the same period last year, while international demand increased by 0.4%, showing regional differences. This marks the first demand decline since mid-2023.
On the supply side, available cargo ton kilometers (ACTK) decreased by 0.4% year-over-year, while international capacity increased by 1.1%. However, IATA noted that it is important to consider that 2024 is a leap year, meaning February had an extra day, and factors such as the Lunar New Year, maritime transport disruptions, and a surge in e-commerce had artificially inflated demand in February last year.
The demand for air cargo in February showed a slight contraction, marking the first year-over-year decline since mid-2023. IATA explained that particularly this February was not a leap year, and last year saw exceptionally high demand due to the Lunar New Year, logistics disruptions, and a surge in e-commerce, making simple comparisons difficult. Additionally, rising global trade tensions are raising concerns in the air cargo market, prompting governments to emphasize finding solutions through dialogue rather than tariffs.
Meanwhile, looking at regional air cargo performance for February, most regions, except for the Middle East, saw an increase in demand. Airlines in the Asia-Pacific region recorded a 5.1% increase in demand compared to the same month last year, with supply increasing by 2.7%.
In terms of specific routes, the Trans-Pacific route remained the busiest for cargo, while the Intra-Asia route showed significant growth, entering the top five overall.
The Europe-Asia and Transatlantic routes also showed expansion, but the Middle East-Asia and intra-Europe routes experienced some contraction.

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