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Hapag's ASX will reverse December Asia-ECSA capacity squeeze

On the question of whether the ASX replaces the AS3, the rotations point the other way. Together they give Hapag-Lloyd two weekly sailings into the same four Brazilian gateways, each fed from a different Chinese catchment - imitating how CMA CGM and its Ocean Alliance partners pair SEAS 2 and SEAS A. Add the slots Hapag-Lloyd buys on Maersk's ASAS, which still calls Buenos Aires and Montevideo direct, and the Hamburg-based line covers the trade three ways. However, we cannot exclude that ASX could serve as a policy insurance, should Hapag and Zim part ways on their joint AS3/ZFS. Read the rotation, not the press release ASX runs a port rotation of Qingdao-Ningbo-Shekou-Tanjung Pelepas-Santos-Itajaí-Rio Grande-Paranaguá-Santos-Singapore. Five choices stand out. It gathers westbound cargo at Tanjung Pelepas, while every rival on the trade uses Singapore. The two are 30 miles apart and interchangeable for a customer's box, so this is not about the shipper; it is about which network ASX plugs into - which matters for a different reason, outlined below. It skips Shanghai. ASX is the only Asia-ECSA service that does not call at the largest container port on the planet. This leads towards an engineered network to work with Gemini's shuttles. It calls at Itajaí before Paranaguá. Most services run Santos, then Paranaguá. Hapag-Lloyd puts Santa Catarina second on discharge and pushes Paranaguá to fourth, so Paranaguá imports arrive later while its exports, loaded late in the sweep, keep a fast run to Asia. It places Rio Grande in the middle, not at an end. Rio Grande is usually first or last, marking it as an import or an export port. Here it is the turn of the loop and the single feeder pivot for Montevideo and Buenos Aires, so it has to sit mid-string to connect the River Plate both ways. And it reaches north to Qingdao, while not having Hong Kong on the backhaul, and imports will be left to a Singapore relay. What its presence really tells us, is that ASX & AS3 are meant to stay side by side, offering a complete portfolio of corridors to Hapag customers. The tight market has an expiry date For shippers, the timing matters more than the branding. December removes the Maersk-CMA CGM ASAS2 loop and, by my count, nominal weekly capacity from Asia falls by about 6%. In April, MSC replaces Hapag-Lloyd's five ships on Ipanema with its own, and Hapag-Lloyd adds a whole new loop. At ship sizes like AS3's, that is in the order of 10,000 teu a week of extra capacity, and enough to reverse December's cut. Therefore, shippers signing annual contracts this winter should not price December's tighter market as permanent. By the second quarter next year, the Asia-east coast South America trade will be split between at least four groups that each control their own ships: the Ocean Alliance members; MSC with ONE; Maersk; and Hapag-Lloyd with or without Zim. That is a more competitive trade than the one these partnerships created, and it arrives just as contracts signed during the squeeze start to kick in.

IAG sees cargo traffic decline but revenues increase in Q3

IAG registered an improvement in its cargo revenues in the third quarter of the year despite a decline in traffic but the level of increase lagged behind some of its rivals and its cargo traffic declined. The cargo division saw its third-quarter revenues increase by 3.9% year on year to €294m, while cargo traffic for the period was down 13.9% year on year to 1.1bn cargo tonne km (CTK). Cargo revenues per CTK increased by 20.7% on last year to 26.70cents. The carrier group said that its cargo business had been targeting premium traffic and pricing. It added that the strong pricing had more than offset the decline in cargo traffic. "Cargo capacity continued to be impacted by disruption in the Middle East and the cancellation of third-party long-haul freighter capacity, which reduced volumes, particularly from Asia Pacific. "The impact was partly offset by operating cost savings, fuel-related price increases, and a continued focus on premium and higher-yielding traffic. "Performance in the third quarter strengthened, with higher yields across India and Asia Pacific, supported by resilient demand for premium and specialist products." As well as the group's focus on higher-yielding traffic, cargo revenues would have benefitted from soaring airfreight rates on the back of higher fuel costs, growth in AI/tech volumes and supply chain disruption. IAG Cargo performance lagged behind Lufthansa, which saw revenues for the period increase 26% on a year-ago basis, and traffic was up 11%. Air France KLM saw its cargo revenues grow 25.2% on last year and traffic was up 8%. IAG Cargo's lack of freighter aircraft makes it more difficult for the carrier to flex and maintain its cargo network to capitalise on supply chain changes or geopolitical events in the same way The Middle East conflict resulted in the airline group suspending flights in the Middle East, with flights suspended to Abu Dhabi, Amman, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai, Tel Aviv and Jeddah. Capacity was redirected to South Asia, Africa, Asia Pacific, Japan, Latin America, North Atlantic and the Spanish Islands.

Bangkok cargo backlog spreads to exports as airlines restrict inbound freight

A backlog at Thai Airways' cargo warehouse at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi is disrupting imports and exports, prompting airlines to restrict Bangkok-bound freight. Airline accounts on Thursday reported more than 1,000 outstanding cargo lots and 700-800 pallets awaiting breakdown. Neither Thai Airways (TG) nor Airports of Thailand (AOT) has confirmed the current backlog or any recovery date. AOT said today it had allocated Warehouse 4 in the airport's free zone for oversized cargo, and was discussing additional space for international imports with Thai Airways and Customs. It was also working to improve shipment tracking, it added. Thai Airways acknowledged on Friday that rising inbound volumes had left large numbers of unit load devices (ULDs) awaiting breakdown and storage, delaying deliveries, and said it was adding staff and forklifts, seeking more space, and introducing a system to record cargo locations. Missing or inaccurate storage records have compounded the problem, according to the Thai Airfreight Forwarders Association, leaving agents unable to establish when shipments can be collected. Unprocessed cargo also ties up ULDs needed for subsequent flights. Thai Airways said it was prioritising shipments that arrived before 23 October while continuing to handle new arrivals. The Thai Chamber of Commerce warned that delays were raising costs and disrupting production and delivery schedules for manufacturers reliant on imported materials and components. Congested working areas and delayed ULD breakdown were now affecting exports too. Cathay Cargo has restricted Bangkok-bound freight at least until 15 November to intact ULDs that can be released without breakdown at destination, with exemptions for specified temperature-controlled and special cargo. The chamber said Singapore Airlines Cargo had also notified customers last week of temporary restrictions on certain shipments, citing disruption to ULD circulation and outbound handling. UK forwarder Beckchoice separately reported that a 3 November advisory from Thai Airways' Korea cargo office noted limited acceptance of some transit and Thailand-bound freight between 4-8 November to through or unitised ULDs. Warnings predate the latest restrictions. Teleport, Expeditors, and Geodis have all flagged congestion at the TG warehouse over the past two months, affecting inbound and outbound handling. In its latest regional air market update, Expeditors said TG had asked airlines to reduce inbound volumes and had restricted additional charters until further notice. An earlier briefing reported a request to cut inbound cargo by 50% through 7 November. Expeditors also reported longer queues for weighing and export handover at TG, as import breakdown delays prolonged export processing. At BFS, truck waiting times remained around 24 hours, despite some improvement following warehouse expansion. Time-sensitive manufacturing inputs are among the goods exposed. WICE Logistics executive Chudech Kongsunthorn told Thai publication The Standard that data centre and electronics investment was driving equipment imports, alongside shipments of semiconductor and electronic parts, medical equipment, and pharmaceuticals. Cargo normally released within 24 hours was taking days or, in some cases, weeks, he said. Export delays also threaten electronics and other airfreight staples, including fresh food, flowers, gems, and medical goods. The congestion comes amid continued demand growth on some routes: WorldACD recorded a 20% year-on-year increase in chargeable weight from Thailand to the US in the week to 1 November.