Hungary Freight Forwarding Services
Air & Sea Freight Between Hungary and the UK

Asia Pacific the star performer as airfreight rates take off

Surging jet fuel prices have added to the upward pressures that have seen global airfreight rates climb above the highs of the previous two peak seasons, as the industry enters its busiest period of the year. Figures from the latest TAC-compiled Baltic Air Freight Index and World ACD indicate that rates have been rising by between 4% and 4.7% over the past fortnight, up some 26% compared with the same period of 2025. Covering the period from 12-18 October, WorldACD noted chargeable weight and available capacity was up 2% week on week, with carriers having opted to expand freighter operations following two consecutive weeks of reductions. TAC said the index had already surpassed the highs recorded over the previous two peak seasons in the run-up to both Thanksgiving and Christmas, with jet fuel prices having a part to play after more than doubling year on year, up 113%, said IATA. The index noted that together with fuel increases, disruption thrown up by conflicts in Europe and the Middle East was creating a floor for airfreight rates, and that carrier s were not prepared to sink beneath that in a dash for volumes. On a market by market basis, there is one clear frontrunner - Asia-Pacific exports to the US up 10% week on week, with Europe-bound volumes climbing 13%, while Hong Kong-US and mainland China-US up 27% and 18%, respectively. Annually, the performance looks strong too, with Asia-Pacific volumes to the US 14% higher than a year ago, helping to drive rates on the trade up 41% year on year, and 6% week on week, according to WorldACD. Globally the situation looks fairly rosy too, with rates 30% higher than they were in 2025, but the indices also show that there is one region struggling for the same sort of momentum, as Asia-Europe rates could only muster a 1% week-on-week increase. That may not be too surprising, given that Asia Pacific-Europe volumes are dwindling some 16% lower than they were this time last year, despite the weekly recovery following China's Golden Week holiday. WorldACD put some of the weakness down to EU measures aimed at curbing low-value ecommerce imports, although the divergence also suggests that the current rate environment is not being driven by a uniform increase in global demand. But, with the general upturn coinciding with carriers and forwarders prepping for a traditional year-end peak, forwarders will need to determine whether increases are being driven by underlying demand, or tighter capacity on particular routes.

Qatar Cargo adds new freighter connections to Denmark, the US and Poland

Qatar Airways Cargo is adding new freighter services to Poland, Denmark and the US as part of its winter schedule network. The combination carrier's new freighter services will cover Copenhagen, Warsaw, New York JFK, Chicago and Dallas. The new Boeing 777 freighter service to Copenhagen will operate on a loop of Doha-Budapest-Copenhagen-Doha to support growing export demand from Denmark and Southern Sweden. The service will operate weekly and is due to launch on 25 October. The carrier said the new freighter flight will complement its 10 weekly Boeing 787 passenger services to the city, which provide more than 100 tonnes of bellyhold capacity in each direction, per week. The new Warsaw service will operate on a loop of Doha - Warsaw - Chicago - Brussels - Doha. "The Boeing 777 freighter service will offer Polish exporters and manufacturers direct access and capacity to US markets," Qatar Cargo said in a press release. The service is due to start on 26 October and will complement the airline's twice-weekly freighters to Katowice and 10 weekly wide-body passenger flights to Warsaw to increase total cargo capacity to and from Poland to more than 435 tonnes each way. Across the Atlantic, in North America, Qatar Airways Cargo will launch a weekly 777F service routing Doha - Liège - New York (JFK) - Atlanta - Liège - Doha on 1 November. This is in addition to the carrier's 14 weekly bellyhold flights to and from New York and is set to increase weekly cargo capacity to more than 226 tonnes each way. The New York/Atlanta service is not the only transatlantic expansion announced by the carrier in recent weeks - the carrier added a weekly 777 freighter service Doha - Liège - Dallas - Doha flight. "All these services will cater to key industries including pharmaceuticals and healthcare, aerospace, technology and energy, perishables, high-value and time-sensitive shipments, vehicles and oversized cargo, as well as general and industrial shipments while providing customers access to the airline's global network of over 160 destinations," the airline said. Other carriers have also been announcing changes to their freighter network in recent weeks ahead of the winter season. Earlier this week, Air Canada announced the expansion of its flights to Europe and Latin America. Meanwhile, Lufthansa Cargo has added extra Asia Pacific capacity.

Containership charter rates at a four-year high despite record orderbook

Containership charter rates have climbed to their highest level in four years, despite falling fixtures, and a record orderbook pointing to a major influx of capacity in 2028. Braemar's charter index is at 325.8, up 21% year on year and its highest level since autumn 2022. Meanwhile, the number of fixtures between 1 January and 17 October was down 15% year on year, at 853, while capacity fixed declined 10%, to 2.54m teu. "A few weeks back we showed a record orderbook and a 2028 delivery wave the size of the 2002 fleet. You would expect charterers to be sitting back and waiting. They are not," says today's report. The martime consultancy said the apparent contradiction reflected a shortage of prompt tonnage, with owners having secured long-term employment for vessels during 2024 and 2025. Charterers are responding by booking further ahead, added Braemar, noting that on a capacity-weighted basis, ships are now being fixed an average of 7.8 months before delivery, against 6.8 months a year earlier. For vessels of 3,000 teu and above, the lead time exceeds 10 months. In the third quarter, half of fixtures were for ships delivering more than three months ahead, compared with 23% across the same period of 2025. At the same time, charter costs have diverged sharply from freight rates. While the Freightos Baltic Index (FBX) fell 61% between January and October 2025, Braemar's charter index rose 3%. "Relative to freight rates, charter costs have run at roughly double their 2021-2024 average," Braemar highlighted. The pressure is particularly evident in the feeder and panamax segments, vessels of 1,500-1,900 teu fixed for nine to 15 months now commanding a median $28,625 a day, up 18% year on year. Recent 12-month fixtures have even reached $36,500 a day, according to Braemar data. In the 4,000-5,099 teu segment, fixtures fell 39%, while short-period rates rose to a median $58,000 a day, from $51,000. Ships aged 20 years or more accounted for 30% of fixtures this year, up from 26% in 2025. A 20-year-old 1,700 teu feeder still earns a median $24,000 a day, while a panamax built in 1997 fixed at $50,000 a day in September. Maersk has emerged as the busiest charterer, increasing fixtures by 14% and chartered capacity by 20%, despite the overall market contraction. CMA CGM, last year's leading charterer, cut its fixtures by 41%. However, the longer-term outlook is arguably less favourable for owners, warned Braemar analyst Jonathan Roach. He highlighted that since January 2025, 94 fixtures, representing about 570,000 teu, had involved newbuildings scheduled for delivery in 2028. The largest delivery wave on record, paired with potential easing of Red Sea disruption and forecasted weaker demand in 2027, could all undermine charter rates. "Charterers are queuing today. By 2028, owners may be the ones in the queue," summerised Mr Roach.