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'Overlooked' Lusaka Airport suddenly attracts dedicated freighter capacity

Lusaka Airport is attracting dedicated freighter capacity from two very different airlines, raising questions over whether a previously overlooked air cargo market is beginning to change. Emirates recently added a weekly B777F service, while TAAG Angola Airlines has introduced a weekly B737-800F operation - moves that have attracted relatively little attention individually, but together suggest carriers are seeing something new in the Zambian market. The development is particularly intriguing, given that an industry source recently suggested there was "insufficient demand for a dedicated freighter service" between Zambia and Angola. TAAG has launched the Lusaka operation as part of its north-south logistics corridor, the first service carrying 12.8 tonnes of cargo from Amsterdam, a shipment that included machine parts, IT equipment, personal effects, and other high-value goods. Subsequent operations are scheduled with loads of 14 and 16 tonnes. The service would create a new gateway for cargo originating in several European countries, as well as China and Brazil, while expanding distribution opportunities across Africa. Meanwhile, Emirates is approaching the market from a different starting point. The carrier said growing demand for time-critical imports had pushed beyond the capacity available in passenger aircraft belly space serving Zambia and Zimbabwe. Khalid Mohd Al Hinai, VP cargo commercial, UAE, GME, & Africa at Emirates SkyCargo, told The Loadstar: "Zambia's landlocked geography makes air freight particularly valuable for urgent, time-sensitive, and high-value cargo, with shipments reaching the market rapidly, without longer transit times associated with other modes." He said demand for time-critical imports like pharmaceuticals had continued to grow, prompting Emirates to supplement its belly capacity with a dedicated freighter. Indeed, the carrier identified pharmaceuticals, medical supplies, electronics, industrial spare parts, high-value equipment, and express courier shipments among the key cargo segments. Mr Al Hinai also pointed to growing consumer demand and import requirements from major sourcing markets like China, the UAE, India, and Turkey. Notably, rather than relying primarily on traditional bulk movements, the emerging opportunity appears centred on cargo for which speed, reliability, and connectivity are particularly important. TAAG's initial shipment broadly fits that description, while the airline said the route could also support exports such as beef, poultry, and horticultural products. For forwarders, the Emirates freighter could potentially add another routing for cargo that typically goes through established regional gateways, such as Nairobi, Johannesburg, and Addis Ababa. Mr Al Hinai said the service provided "a direct and reliable alternative" for time-sensitive and high-value cargo entering Zambia and the surrounding region, while Dubai's position as a global logistics and trade hub offered connections into Asia, the Middle East and other manufacturing centres. The bigger proposition, however, may be regional rather than purely Zambian. Emirates said it saw potential for Lusaka to develop into a regional air cargo gateway and distribution centre serving neighbouring markets, particularly Zimbabwe and Malawi, as well as selected areas of Botswana. TAAG is making a similar regional argument, its north-south logistics corridor links the Zambian market with its wider African network. The airline also said the route would facilitate access to the Angolan market and create new trade opportunities between Angola and Zambia. That leaves a more interesting question than whether Zambia simply needs additional cargo capacity: what has changed sufficiently for two carriers to see Lusaka as worth dedicating freighter capacity? For Emirates, the answer appears to be growing demand for urgent and high-value imports that can no longer be accommodated entirely in the belly hold. For TAAG, the opportunity appears broader, promoting regional economic integration and strengthening supply chains that connect Angola with key African and international markets. The early loads reported by TAAG provide some evidence of demand, but whether that can develop into a sustained market remains to be seen. What is increasingly clear, however, is that Lusaka is attracting attention from carriers with very different networks and aircraft strategies. The simultaneous arrival of a 777F from Dubai and a 737-800F from Luanda suggests the opportunity may no longer be as easy to dismiss as it once was.

OceanX: Japan blossom; Hong Kong revival; and South China is wet

My Asia Tour continued last week with Tokyo, Hong Kong and Guangzhou on the menu. Tokyo It is always special to return to Japan. The discipline and dedication that people bring to even the simplest everyday tasks, impresses me every time. As usual, it takes a few hours to adjust to the Japanese system, for trains, for payments etc etc - but once you are back in it, you can slot in with the locals and not disrupt the flow of the ...

Asia-US East Coast spot rate climb stalls - but is it just a blip?

Indices appear uncertain how to price spot rates this week, but what seems clear is that the Asia-US East Coast trade's substantive growth trajectory of recent weeks has hit a bump - the question is whether this is a blip or something more transformative. According to Drewry's World Container Index (WCI), spot pricing on its Shanghai-New York routing dropped 2% week on week, hitting $9,333 per 40ft, while the traditionally more resilient Shanghai-LA route went from 9% growth last week to flat this week, at $6,818 per 40ft. Indications are that the east coast dip may have been something of a blip, Drewry noting it expects resilience in demand, and the ability of the carriers to manage capacity will mean "freight rates remain less volatile next week". However, sources questioned the logic, particularly with the push to resume Red Sea transits picking up; one source telling The Loadstar: "When that happens, there will be a surge of capacity on the market and rates will crash." Another source concurred, asking: "Why are carriers doing this? It has been their lifeline since the post-pandemic rates collapse, so if they are all going back to the Red Sea, we can surely expect to witness a massive drop off in rates." Not all indices agree and, offering a counterpoint to the negativity of the WCI, Freightos's FBX suggests that the Asia-US East Coast trade's growth rate may be slowing, but its numbers suggest pricing has yet to go into reverse. The FBX pointed out that growth on the trade was up 3% week on week, for an average of $9,576 per 40ft, and well ahead of the $5,073 the index put the pricing at just three months ago, with Asia-US West Coast up 1%, to $7,491 per 40ft. Linerlytica said: "East coast rates continue to outperform, with capacity remaining in short supply that has been worsened by compounding congestion at Chinese ports and tightening draught restrictions on the Panama Canal. "Transpacific demand continues to edge upwards, with the strength continuing into September, in contrast to the sluggish European demand where reduced capacity, with vessels pushed out of position, failed to lift rates." On Asia-Europe trades, the theme was one of continuity, with spot rates again falling. Shanghai-Rotterdam was 3% down week on week, to $4,287 per 40ft and Shanghai-Genoa down 2%, to $4,866 per 40ft. Vespucci Maritime CEO Lars Jensen said: "The post-peak slow downward slide continued for the seventh consecutive week. Over these weeks North Europe rates are down 13% and Mediterranean rates are down 25%." Drewry described the east-west container freight market as being "racked by uncertainty" amid the geopolitical and operational pressures that are continuing to reshape shipping routes - the issues in the Strait of Hormuz the most pronounced. Things are not being helped by low water levels along the Rhine. "We did have some rain this week, though," one source told The Loadstar. Consequently, Drewry advised shippers: "With carriers adjusting capacity through blanked sailings, shippers should book early and allow additional lead time to minimise rollover and transit-delay risks." Linerlytica added: "The difference in cargo strength is expected to last for at least one more month, with transpacific rates expected to hold at current elevated levels." One source active in the Asian markets told The Loadstar they were expecting much the same.