As airlines have continued to cut international passenger flights, shippers are scrambling to find space on chartered aircraft. Late last year, British Airways announced it would drop 15 long-haul routes, affecting cities including Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, Osaka, Pittsburgh and Calgary.
U.S. ports, including the Port of Long Beach, are facing a relentless surge of imports. Railroads, truck traffic and warehouses are all experiencing a knock-on effect.
Airlines, including UPS, above, are hanging on to planes that were supposed to be out of service by now, or even reactivated old freighters, to handle a surge in air cargo, a challenge which has only been made worse by a severe lack of bellyhold capacity.
