What Does the Future Hold for the Chinese Air Freight Industry?

Recent figures show that China is the fastestcreate a network across the country which could be
growing aviation market in the world. Indeed,integrated with their air freight services.Furthermore,
between 204 and 2005 China's air freight volumeopportunities will be created by the expansion of
increased by 25% and 20% respectively.Beijing Capital International airport along with the
Furthermore, passenger traffic also grew considerablySimplified Customs Clearance Procedure. These two
in this period.However, shortage of availablefactors will combine to accelerate the growth of the
freighters is threatening to restrict the growth ofair freight business in China.Although the growth rate
China's air freight industry.of China's air freight sector is expected to slow
According to the vice President of China's largest airdown this in 2006, it will not stop completely.
freight forwarding company,"We want to expand asAccording to experts in the freight industry, Chinese
fast as possible ... But it is very difficult to find aircraftair freight cargo volumes are predicted to increase by
at the moment."One way around the problem of10% in 2006. If this does happen then China's air
freighter shortages is to use other aircraft, like thefreight volume will be 3.36 million tons. This means
B777 which are new freighters with very good fuelthat it will still be a dominant player in the global air
efficiency. However, these types of freight planesfreight market.On a similar note, air passenger
are unlikely to be available for the next couple ofnumbers are also likely to grow. Industry insiders
years.Other options that some of China's large freightestimate that air passenger numbers will rise by 15%.
forwarding companies are looking into is to expandIf this increase takes place then around 159 million
their road feeder services. This would enable them topeople will travel by aeroplane out of China this year.