November 15, 2021 – Severe congestion across major airports appears to be hampering air cargo volumes. Although volumes appear to be growing as last minute shippers attempt to make up for the supply chain crisis on the water, the airports are simply not able to keep up around the world. Sea freight disruption and schedule failure are creating distressed ocean freight, and conversion to air freight – whether to get consumer products into stores for Christmas or components for manufacturing – has accelerated. Major airports across the US and Europe, notably JFK in New York, Heathrow and Frankfurt, are facing severe delays as handlers battle a shortage of labour. Meanwhile, the opening of the US to European citizens has seen additional passenger traffic. Frankfurt saw 32 flights depart to the US on the day the market reopened, up from 22 on the same day in 2019. We will continue to monitor the situation for our customers as these delays will likely hit the major hubs of Toronto and Vancouver closer to home.