The cancellation of passenger flights from Europe to the U.S. will drastically reduce air cargo capacity in the market. The cancellations are the result of measures the U.S. has put into place to slow the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).
A March 11th Presidential Proclamation banned passenger travel from Europe for 30 days beginning Friday, March 13th. These restrictions will impact the flow of European air cargo to the U.S., as the majority of it moves in the bellyhold of passenger planes. During a televised announcement last night, the President stated the ban was on “trade and cargo” as well, but later clarified the prohibition was restricted to incoming people, not goods from Europe.
The Proclamation restricts European immigrants and non-immigrants (i.e., tourists); all U.S. citizens, green card holders, and their immediate families are still permitted to enter the U.S. with some precautions and restrictions. The travel suspension does not affect the U.K. or Ireland.
- Air cargo pricing for European cargo changes from day-to-day, and there is no guarantee regarding space availability.
- Lufthansa, Air France, KLM, Air Italia, and most other major European carriers, along with American Airlines, United Airlines, and Delta Air Lines have canceled most flights from Europe.
- Passenger flights out of the U.K. and Ireland continue with British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, and Aer Lingus still receiving cargo in all major European airports.
- In some cases, these airlines will ship their cargo to London and move it from there, including cargo originating in Italy. The British government met this afternoon to determine how best to move forward with the influx of cargo moving out of the U.K.
- Various carriers moving goods from Milan and Madrid into London are adding additional wide-body cargo aircrafts to handle the increased volumes. We anticipate other airlines will do the same.
Deringer will continue to provide updates regarding the air cargo market out of Europe. If you have specific questions, please contact the Deringer service center managing your shipments.
