Cathay Cargo maintained its expectations of a strong peak season this year driven by the ongoing surge in e-commerce and a significant increase in special shipments.
Siddhant Iyer, head of cargo markets and customer solutions at Cathay said after a summer without its customary lull, the industry is starting to enter the seasonal peak period.
"We expect the market to be robust," he said. "As has been the case this year, this is led by the continuing growth in e-commerce, but also, I'm happy to report an increase in tonnages for our special shipment solutions."
Iyer pointed out that Cathay Cargo continues to prioritise investment in solutions for shipments requiring special handling, which remains a key differentiator in the market.
"We are progressively refreshing these solutions to ensure we are meeting our customers' requirements, adding assurance, quality and visibility," he said.
Iyer noted that these solutions for time, temperature and handling-sensitive shipments are backed by industry accreditations, adding that Cathay Cargo has become the first airline to be recertified for three of IATA's CEIV accreditations – CEIV Pharma, CEIV Fresh and CEIV Live Animals – simultaneously.
This gives Cathay the full set of certifications after it was awarded the CEIV Lithium Batteries accreditation last year.
Refreshed solutions
"So far in 2024, we have refreshed our Cathay Expert solution for out-of-gauge, super heavy or fragile shipments, which has seen new business and double-digit tonnage growth, while this month saw the refresh of Cathay Courier, bringing piece-level tracking for small and urgent shipments," he said.
The Cathay executive noted that Cathay Fresh is next on the refresh production line, and we will ensure that it is updated to meet the requirements of our perishables shippers and forwarders.
"This is good timing for Cathay Fresh because we can anticipate an uptick in bookings during the peak season bringing in ever-popular soft fruits and cherries to Asia from South America via our interline network and from South West Pacific for the Christmas and Chinese New Year celebrations," Iyer said.
"But even as more of our passenger capacity returns, and with up to 100 freighters a week over the peak period, I'd still advise you to book early to make sure you're on board," he added.