When we think of the “future” in terms of the global supply chain, images of advanced technology and new forms of disruption are usually among the things international shippers are most concerned about. With 2021 at its end, the “future” is right around the corner. Meaning, what supply chain players do now (and what has been done thus far) will inevitably impact 2022 and beyond, and the more one understands this market’s evolving patterns, the more successful they will be in managing what is to come. Throughout the last year, the air freight market has seen various shifts, particularly with global capacity constraints, remnants from pandemic-driven disruptions, and an overall increase in demand. To fully understand the future of air freight, we must look at the big picture. To do this, BDP International’s VP of Global Airfreight, Patrick Olyhoeck, shares what global shippers can do to navigate 2022. The first shift is perspective.
“Industry players can be more proactive by learning to fully understand industry challenges from a customer’s perspective to help them collaboratively overcome challenges,” he says. “The industry is impacted by factors including COVID-19 recoveries… and fundamentally, proactivity can only come from understanding key market challenges, thinking forward, and engaging across stakeholders to find future solutions.”
Olyhoeck shares the following shifts are among the most significant currently being felt across the market:
- Impacts on capacity due to lower passenger numbers
- Impacts from the re-balancing of trade relations
- Impacts from the knock-on effect of capacity needs from ocean to air
- National level challenges including HGV drivers in the UK impacting final the distribution of air cargo
Despite these shifts in addition to the ones not yet seen or felt by the market, it is quite clear that some challenges are here to stay – pandemic or no pandemic.
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This article originally appeared in Global Trade Magazine
