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

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.

Shenzhen air cargo operations face delays during APEC summit

Freight forwarders are warning of delays in cargo operations from Shenzhen Airport next week due to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit taking place in the city. The summit runs from 18 to 19 November and is expected to see high-level leaders from around the world jet into the Chinese tech hub of Shenzhen. As a result, cargo operations at the airport are being restricted next week. Cargo carrier Teleport said that between 16 and 20 November, all international passenger flights operating to and from Shenzhen are prohibited from carrying cargo. It added that domestic flight capacity at Shenzhen Airport will be reduced by 80% during the APEC period to prioritise diplomatic and VIP flights, although it added that there was currently no official notice of international flight reduction for Shenzhen Airport. ANA said there were also restrictions in place for dangerous goods and perishables. The airline added that shipments will be accepted no later than 12 hours prior to the scheduled time of departure and that the collection time for imports is eight hours or more after the actual time of arrival. Sunny Worldwide Logistics said that airfreight operations in south China are expected to face "significant disruption" due to the restrictions. The logistics firm said that between 16 and 20 November, cargo flights from Shenzhen are expected to be suspended or diverted to alternative airports. Cargo acceptance on passenger flights may also be restricted, while additional security checks and transportation controls may affect cargo delivery to airport warehouses. Nearby Guangzhou airport may also experience increased cargo volumes and potential flight delays as shipments are redirected to the airport. Some restrictions are already being put in place at certain warehouses, such as a requirement for cargo to arrive within 24 hours before passenger flight departure or 36 hours before freighter departure. The logistics firm said that urgent cargo should consider cross-border trucking to Hong Kong International, while less urgent shipments should be delivered to the airport earlier, space should be booked three to four days ahead and documents should be prepared early.

CTS: Q3 in numbers

What do the numbers tell us about the global container shipping market in Q3 2026? In this special episode of The Loadstar Podcast, we team up with Container Trades Statistics (CTS) CEO Nigel Pusey to unpack the latest data and explore the forces shaping global trade. Joined by The Loadstar's managing editor Gavin van Marle, we examine another quarter of record-breaking container volumes, the continued strength of Far East exports, and the changing dynamics across the transpacific and secondary markets, including South America and Sub-Saharan Africa. We also explore the growing impact of port congestion, as typhoons and operational disruption put further pressure on already stretched supply chains, plus the contrasting developments in the Middle East with increasing returns to Red Sea transits and continued uncertainty around the Strait of Hormuz. Finally, we revisit the predictions made in our Q2 episode to see how they measured up, before asking Nigel and Gavin to look ahead and share their forecasts for the coming months. From trade volumes and pricing trends to geopolitical disruption and shifting trade lanes, we put the Q3 container shipping market under the microscope.