利好FedEx, UPS? A slate of new 5G-enabled phones to be introduced this fall, such as the Apple iPhone 12 and Samsung Galaxy Fold 2, could lead to increased revenue for air cargo operators, as freight rates rise for the anticipated demand. Already up 30% for the year, air freight and logistics companies could see their stocks push even higher.
The cost of shipping from China to the U.S. increased nearly 6% last week and is about 25% higher than last year. While air freight volume has declined 18% from 2019, revenue from cargo operations is up 21%, according to World ACD. Total air freight revenue is estimated to increase 25% to a record $138 billion this year, accounting for 23% of the airline industry’s revenue, or twice the historical average, according to the International Air Transport Association. The air freight industry’s “free margin” strategy of mixing weights and volumes makes it possible to charge companies with heavy items like mobile phones by weight and those with lighter freight by volume. For example, an estimated 200 million Apple iPhones will be shipped this year. At current rates, the cost should be about $1 per phone. But a freighter aircraft will only take around 135 tons of the phones, or about 60% of the total cargo capacity, so they can preserve the rest of the space for lighter stuff. In 2019, the end result was more than 300 trans-Pacific air freighter trips just to deliver 67 million iPhones shipped to the U.S. For context, there were roughly 81 Boeing 747-8 freighters in service on Jan.1, 2019. Today there are 89 -- but 200 million iPhones to deliver.
The cost of shipping from China to the U.S. increased nearly 6% last week and is about 25% higher than last year. While air freight volume has declined 18% from 2019, revenue from cargo operations is up 21%, according to World ACD. Total air freight revenue is estimated to increase 25% to a record $138 billion this year, accounting for 23% of the airline industry’s revenue, or twice the historical average, according to the International Air Transport Association. The air freight industry’s “free margin” strategy of mixing weights and volumes makes it possible to charge companies with heavy items like mobile phones by weight and those with lighter freight by volume. For example, an estimated 200 million Apple iPhones will be shipped this year. At current rates, the cost should be about $1 per phone. But a freighter aircraft will only take around 135 tons of the phones, or about 60% of the total cargo capacity, so they can preserve the rest of the space for lighter stuff. In 2019, the end result was more than 300 trans-Pacific air freighter trips just to deliver 67 million iPhones shipped to the U.S. For context, there were roughly 81 Boeing 747-8 freighters in service on Jan.1, 2019. Today there are 89 -- but 200 million iPhones to deliver.