SCANDINAVIAREPORT Nordic thaw sees growth slowly emerge exports to 108,000 tonnes. Sweden’s three larg-


est air cargo export destinations last year were: Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, with a 5.2 per cent increase to 9,762 tonnes compared with 2012; Chicago’s airports with


6,679 tonnes, a 14.4 per cent increase; and Newark Liberty International Airport, with 4,470 tonnes, a 71.1 per cent increase. Things continue to look up for Sweden. According to predictions by Business Sweden, the Swedish Trade and Investment Council, the country’s exports are expected to rise 3.5 per cent in 2014, with the main recipients being Asia Pacific and North America. Ylva Arvidsson, director of key accounts, pas-


senger and cargo, for Swedish airport operator Swedavia, says: “The market in general seems


T


he Nordic region’s largest air cargo market, Sweden, increased its export volumes by 3.8 per cent last year, compared to 2012. According to data from the International Air Trans-


port Association’s Cargo Account Settlement System (CASS) figures show export volumes to 25 of Sweden’s largest export destinations totalled 103,178 tonnes. Denmark and Finland each saw rises of one per cent to around 76,000 tonnes and 40,000 tonnes, respectively. Norway, however, was the northern light last year with a five per cent increase in air cargo


to be more optimistic this year and air cargo vol- umes in January and February have been much higher than last year.” State-owned Swedavia, the owner


same period in 2012. Arvidsson attributes this rise to an increase in cargo capacity as well as a general rise in exports. “Cargo capacity, thanks to new intercontinen-


tal flights on the passenger side, has resulted in more cargo flown from and to Stockholm Arlanda Airport instead of trucking the cargo to and from other airports,” she reveals. In September last year, Emirates introduced


daily passenger flights to Dubai, and Norwe- gian introduced passenger flights to Bangkok, John F. Kennedy Airport in New York (US), Los


Angeles (US), and Oakland (US) in San Francisco. Swedavia is now working with a number of


airlines, both passenger and all cargo, to attract more capacity to a Swedavia airport, adds Arvidsson. “There is also a general increase in air cargo,”


and operator of Sweden’s 11 airports, has cargo


operations mainly at three airports; Stockholm Arlanda Airport, Malmö Airport (see picture) and Gothenburg Landvetter Airport. In January this year, Stockholm Arlanda


experienced a 4.1 per cent increase in volume compared to the same period last year. February is expected to reveal an increase of at least 3.7 per cent.


During the last two quarters of 2013, volumes were up 4.7 per cent at Arlanda compared to the


she says. “According to CASS, we have had an increase of 3.3 per cent in January and 5.6 per cent in February in exports from Sweden. Cargo attracts more cargo to an airport.”


Last year


However, while Arlanda saw growth last year, Malmö Airport and Gothenburg Landvetter Air- port experienced volume drops of 10 per cent and 8.7 per cent respectively, bringing the total volume to 227, 884 tonnes at all three airports for 2013, a 3.6 per cent drop on 2012. “For both airports the operating carriers changed frequencies in favour of other airports, some belonging to Swedavia and some outside,” explains Arvidsson. Lars-Gunnar Comen, director of the market consultancy Euroavia International, recalls a time 10 years ago when Gothenburg was the leading Scandinavian air cargo airport, with more freighters than Copenhagen. Today, the only incumbent carrier at Gothen-


burg is Emirates, he adds. But the carrier’s plans to launch a Boeing 777-300 to Oslo in Septem- ber raises questions over what this passenger capacity to Norway will mean for its freighters to Gothenburg. Meanwhile, Malmö received a new weekly


freighter service to Moscow earlier this month from Russian carrier AirBridge Cargo. The new Boeing 747 Freighter flight will provide additional capacity to an existing Boeing 737 Freighter weekend service. “When I talk to airlines, the main potential still


is in Sweden, due to the strength of the Swedish economy and the industrial base, despite the fact that the market has gone down quite a lot in recent years,” says Comen. The Swedish market, according to CASS numbers, dropped more than


20 per cent from 2011 to 2012. “Ericsson is still a very important shipper


in Sweden, as are automotive companies like Volvo and Scania and the pharmaceutical sec-


tor,” adds Comen. Jan Bokland, product manager for Nordic Air


and Sea Cargo, says the forwarder has seen a growth in the Japanese market. “It has been growing in volume for us, both for imports and exports,” he adds. Adam Gunnarsson, managing director of the


general sales and service agent (GSSA), Kales Airline Services, says: “We are beginning to see


the light at the end of the tunnel again after a few years of serious drops.” Gunnarsson attri- butes this drop to the global economic crisis and also to many big shippers changing their prac- tices from air to overland or sea. “Everyone feels that we are coming out of the global crisis. Peo- ple are starting to buy products again.”


Multinationals Multinationals which moved away from air-


freight are not necessarily returning, he admits, but neither are they as eager as they were to do everything they could to move away from air. However, one of the challenges for local GSSAs


is the continued consolidation of the bigger net- work forwarders and establishment of hubs in mainland Europe. “They can establish weekly consolidations and


put pressure on air freight rates. This trend has been taking place for a number of years but we feel that it is being increased,” says Gunnarsson. The Norwegian air cargo market has grown


dramatically over the last few years, mainly as a result of the salmon business but also due to a strong oil and gas sector. The Danish and Finnish markets have expe- rienced slight drops in recent years but in comparison to the Swedish market, volumes have been relatively stable, says Comen. Whether it is cars or fish, oil and gas or phar- maceuticals, the underlying capabilty of the economies of Scandinavia mean it is a region whose freight potential is attracting the atten- tion of the Russians and the Arabs, as the cargo market’s deep freeze appears to be at an end.


BOKLAND


[Te Japanese] market has been growing in volume for us


10


ACW 14 APRIL 2014


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