high-tech


In other words, for every one B747F load of high-tech products going into China, there are 50 coming out,” Steiger reported. “Although those figures are specifically for Europe, I think


it would not be that much different for traffic between China and North America, for example. I see the size of that imbalance continuing. I don’t think there will be any big changes in that.” There is also some suggestion that recent economic


recession and the subsequent surge in the air freight rates as markets recovered far faster than anticipated may have prompted high-tech manufacturers to permanently switch some former air cargo volumes to ocean or even road transport. However, international freight/logistics industry opinion on that suggestion is divided, with some sources agreeing, some disagreeing and others adopting a ‘wait and see’ stance. There is, though, general agreement on the importance


Less positively, one continuing


major problem for many providers of air freight/air express capacity to the Asian high-tech industry is a massive imbalance in inbound/outbound traffic flows. Despite steady growth in the volume of products being shipped into the region, those traffic levels remain way below those out of Asia. The scale of that imbalance


of high-tech traffic to major international cargo-carrying airlines, a point confirmed by James Woodrow, general manager cargo, global sales and marketing for Cathay Pacific Airways. “High-tech cargo is vital to Cathay Pacific and the global air freight business in general. Product launches and the ongoing carriage of items such as the iPad, iPhone, new products from companies such as Canon and HP, laptops, routers, telecoms equipment and handsets are all key items,” he told Air Logistics China.


AN IMPORTANT COMMODITY


is highlighted by Dirk Steiger, managing director of aviainform, a German air transport industry consultancy that has conducted research into the movement of consumer electronics products from China to Europe. “According to our research, if you take


Steiger comments on huge inbound/ outbound discrepancy


Ullmayer: “the air cargo industry needs high-tech products… the high-tech industry needs air transportation”


Peter Ullmayer, general manager China, Hong Kong and Taiwan for Lufthansa Cargo, is even more specific. “High-tech traffic is very important for the global air cargo industry but particularly important for Greater China with up to 40-50 percent of total air cargo volume coming from


the entire air cargo capacity available in the China - Europe market, including bellyhold space, there is currently an inbound/ outbound discrepancy equivalent to almost 50 B747 freighter loads.


Woodrow: “High-tech cargo is vital to Cathay Pacific and the global air freight business in general”


the high-tech sector,” he stated. “In fact, the importance is two sided: the air cargo industry needs high-tech products and due to their short product life cycles, the high-tech industry needs air transportation.” Lufthansa Cargo handles major high-tech traffic


including telecom equipment, notebook computers, LCD (liquid crystal display) screens, computers and peripherals, semiconductor-related products, digital cameras, mobile phones and healthcare products, Robert van de Weg, senior vice president, sales and


marketing, for Cargolux, whose scheduled B747-400 AIR LOGISTICSCHINA 13


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