Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) According to the article, the industry is pushing throughthe pandemic and other headwinds in the global economy, with the number offlights surging and a new homegrown freight carrier set to take to the skies.
It quoted local media as saying that the nation's air cargotraffic in 2022 is expected to grow 17 percent from last year to more than 1.52million tonnes, accelerating beyond average annual expansion of 15 percent overthe last 30 years.
That comes amid surging demand for domestic and overseasfreight as Vietnam cements its position in global supply chains for everythingfrom electronics to clothing, with its overall exports jumping nearly 20percent to about 336 billion USD in 2021. Major cargo operators such asGermany's DHL Express and Japan's ANA Holdings have increasingly been targetingthe country.
Nikkei also cited a senior executive at a major foreignlogistics company with a facility in Hanoi as saying March was a record interms of volume handled.
Growing appetite has pushed up the cost of exporting byplane, however, with several industry insiders saying such air freight ratesare still two to four times higher than pre-COVID levels, Nikkei wrote in itsarticle
Therefore, one of Vietnam's biggest conglomerates, IMEX PanPacific Group, is looking to land some fresh business through its IPP Air Cargosubsidiary, which it expects to begin operating by year-end as Vietnam's firstcompany specialised in air freight.
It plans to launch with a fleet of five aircraft, beforedoubling that over the next five years. It will initially establish routesbetween local airports and the country's two largest international airports,one near Hanoi and the other close to Ho Chi Minh City in the south.
The group also says foreign carriers are currentlyresponsible for just under 90 percent of Vietnam's air cargo and that it willconsider partnerships with overseas airlines to tap export demand, the articleadded./.
VNA
